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12TH-PLACE FINIHS FOR JASON LEFFLER AND THE GREAT CLIPS TEAM At Homestead
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (November 20, 2011) – The NASCAR Nationwide Series teams made their way to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend for the final stop of the 2011 season. Jason Leffler, in his final start in the Great Clips Chevrolet, looked to bring home a win for the sponsor he has represented for the last six years. Fighting a tight-handling condition in his machine for a majority of the night, he battled hard inside the top-10 and eventually brought home a 12th-place finish.
Leffler started from the 14th position under a setting Florida sky. It was two and three-wide racing in the early laps as Leffler settled in for the 200-lap battle to the checkers. On lap 12, he reported to his crew that his Great Clips Chevy was tight on entry, a condition which grew progressively worse during the long run. Still, Leffler was able to work his way inside the top-10, a position he maintained until the scheduled competition caution on lap 30 allowed the team the opportunity to make their first pit stop of the evening. Under direction from crew chief Eddie Pardue, Leffler followed the leaders down pit road for service. The Great Clips crew changed four tires with adjusted air pressures, added fuel and made a small wedge adjustment before sending their driver back out onto the track in the ninth spot for the restart.
After a dicey restart, Leffler dropped back to 12th but was soon making a charge back inside the top-10. Over the course of the next run, Leffler reported that he continued to experience a tight-handling condition in his machine. He asked Pardue to make adjustments that would free the car up when he got back to the gas. Pardue told his crew to be prepared to make a track bar adjustment during their next pit stop as well as an air pressure adjustment. Leffler dropped back to 12th and, with no caution falling inside their window, was forced to wait it out until the field began making their next round of pit stops under green-flag conditions. On lap 89, Leffler pulled onto pit road and the Great Clips crew went to work changing four tires and filling the car with fuel as well as dropping the track bar. Three laps later, the yellow flag was brought out as a car spun and hit the inside retaining wall.
As green-flag racing resumed, Leffler restarted from the 16th position and went back to work. Mired in traffic, he moved his way inside the top-15 and set his sights back on the top-10. On lap 131, the yellow was displayed once again bringing about another round of pit stops. Pardue called for a four-tire stop, fuel and a small track bar adjustment. Quick work by the crew allowed Leffler to line up in the 13th position.
It was just eight laps later when a spin in turn two put the field under caution once again. This time around, Pardue called for a fuel-only stop which put Leffler once again knocking on the door to the top-10. After another harrowing restart, Leffler dropped back a couple of positions in order to play it safe. He maintained the 12th spot until the yellow was displayed on lap 175. Leffler hit pit road for his final stop of the evening on lap 176, taking four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment.
The final 20 laps saw two cautions periods and with five laps to go, Leffler and his Turner Motorsports teammate, Justin Allgaier, battled hard for position as they came to the checkers. In the end, Leffler and his team came away with a 12th-place finish.
“I want to thank all of these guys for the hard work they have put in all year,” said Leffler. “I also want to thank Great Clips fort all of the support they have given me and this race team over the years. It’s been an amazing six seasons representing them both on and off the track.”