BHR Driver Chase Montgomery was on track to matching his best finish of the season running 13th   with two laps to go in the Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 when fourth gear let go coming out of turn four at Richmond International Raceway. The mechanical failure resulted in a disappointing 22nd place finish. It is Montgomery’s 12th top 25 finish of the season.

“I am so disappointed, but we can’t let this get us down” Montgomery said. “After practice this morning  I didn’t want to race tonight. We were terrible, but we made some adjustments before the race that really helped the truck. I hate the gear broke with two laps to go because stuff like that normally doesn’t happen to us. The best part about tonight is people knew we were here. We turned up the heat in the second half of the race when it counted. My team was willing to make some major adjustments on pit road that we would normally only try at a test session. It was a gamble, but it was one that paid off for us. I wish we could have finished in the top 15, but I am happy with our performance tonight. The finishes will come if we keep performing like this”

• Montgomery qualified 29th for the one day show. 

• On lap23 the second of 12 cautions waved for a spin in turn three. Montgomery, running in the 31st position, radioed he was battling a loose condition, but was confident it would come to him as the race went on. He restarted in 26th position.

•  The third caution came out for debris on the front stretch on lap 43. Montgomery said the loose condition was fixing itself, but he could use a little help in turn four. Crew Chief Kip McCord made the decision for the No. 18 Dodge to come down pit road for fuel and a major track bar adjustment. He restarted in 26th position.

• The fourth caution waved 10 laps later. McCord made the call to bring the No. 18 Dodge back down pit road for four tires and fuel. Montgomery radioed the previous adjustments proved to aid the loose condition.

• On lap 80 Montgomery radioed the front tires were beginning to bounce around. He was concerned he had a tire vibration.

• When the condition grew worse over the next 15 laps Montgomery was forced to come down pit road under the fifth caution on lap 95. The No. 18 Racing Team changed all four tires and added fuel. They also went underneath the hood to check the front shocks for the vibration. McCord called for a major shock adjustment to fix the vibration. He restarted in 29th position.

• By lap 140 Montgomery had worked his way to the 22nd position.

• Under the 6th caution the leaders elected to pit so McCord told Montgomery to stay out to gain track position. It moved him into the 6th position.

• Lap 160 Montgomery was comfortable riding in the 13th position. He radioed the truck was the best it had been all night.

• The 12th caution waved on lap 198 setting the stage for a Green-White Checkered flag finish. Montgomery was in the 13th position.

• On lap 200 as he was taking the green flag on the restart when fourth gear broke. Montgomery was able to stay on the lead lap and salvage a 22nd place finish.
• It was the teams 12th top 25 finish this season. 
 

Mike Skinner won the Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 Todd Bodine, Kevin Harvick, Ted Musgrave and Tracy Hines followed in the top five.