Reif’s Run Forward at Sonoma Slowed by Mechanical Issue
Venue: Sonoma Raceway
Finish: Tanner Reif 20th, Eric Johnson Jr. 27th
Start: Tanner Reif 19th, Eric Johnson Jr. 18th
An early charge forward by Tanner Reif in the Bill McAnally Racing (BMR) No. 16 NAPA AutoCare Chevrolet was halted due to a broken ball joint, derailing his hopes for a strong finish in the ARCA Menards Series West General Tire 200 at Sonoma Raceway on Friday.
Reif started 19th in the 29-car field and was quickly on the move, picking up positions as he worked his way around the twisting 1.99-mile road course. His attack came to an end on lap eight, however, when he went off track with right front suspension damage. Not to be deterred, his NAPA crew made repairs and the 17-year-old from Las Vegas, Nev. returned to action – eight laps down.
His BMR teammate in the event, Eric Johnson Jr., ran strong in the No. 19 Key Property Services Chevrolet in the first half of the race – looking to break into the top 10. But the 20-year-old from LaCenter, Wash. encountered transmission trouble at the midway point and retired from competition to finish 27th.
Reif, meanwhile, was able to keep pace with the field after returning to action and went on to finish 20th.
Tanner Reif Quote:
“Our NAPA Chevrolet was super fast. We were making our way through the field slowly, while saving tires when, unfortunately, the right front ball joint snapped. The BMR crew got it fixed, with being only eight laps down, and we tried to salvage as many points as possible. We also broke the sway bar and had to come back in to get it fixed.”
Eric Johnson Jr. Quote:
“The game plan was to take care of our Chevy, so we would have a car at the end of the race. After stopping for fuel we made it back up to 12th, before a transmission failure ended our day early. We parked it, since we aren’t running for points. The team did a fantastic job all weekend. I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity. I’m hoping to find some funding so we can get back out here for another shot one day.”