Richson was uninjured and Bibson drove the car to the garage, neither wanted to commented on the big crash, but are looking forward to the All star race
After announcing his retirement 2 months ago, Kenny Gerrelds has wondered if he'd ever visit victory lane again. His time in the AERS the past three seasons has been "miserable" for Kenny and the 14 crew, as bad luck, poor performance, and multiple hirings/firings of new crew members has taken a toll on the veteran. Gerrelds, who has been running much better in the 2015 campaign, knew he had to just put his mind on getting another victory, to have the storied 14 car in the winners circle at least one more time for his longtime fans, many who've stuck with him through the years of mediocrity. Tonight at Charlotte, Gerrelds started from the pole and described his car as, "lightning fast".
During happy hour, Gerrelds' 14 Holiday Inn Ford Fusion scraped the turn 2 wall, all but forcing the team to pull out the backup. After working relentlessly through the night, the car was repaired and just about ready to go for the BB&T 250, barely making it to morning inspection.
During the race, Gerrelds faded early, looking to take his time and not rush his fast racecar. Near the 40 lap to go mark, the 14 Fusion had solidified it's position in the top-10 and was gunning for more. With just under 35 to go, Gerrelds took the lead away from Alex Jates and never looked back. Gerrelds would cruise on to win his 5th career race, and finally bring joy to his fans who have been waiting since 2010 for another victory.
"I really, really want to take this time and thank my fans. Best fans in the sport, never met a bad egg, and it would not be possible to win without them. They drive me to be better and the fact they've stuck with me through these down years really speaks to how much they love the 14 Fusion. I'd also like to thank my family, my crew, my teammates and of course, Holiday Inn and Buffalo Wild Wings. Great support through these years and it feels great to finally give back what they deserve."
A very emotional victory lane at Charlotte saw many current drivers visit to congratulate. Most excited though, was Gerrelds' wife Tina, who many weeks is home with her four children, 2 with disabilities.
She said, "It means so much to these boys to see Daddy in victory lane. I'm just so glad we were at the track this weekend to experience it, it all fell in our arms this weekend."
Alex Jates, meanwhile had a very strong day, leading a race-high 56 laps, but surrendering the lead late to Gerrelds. However, Jates was not all too upset, as Gerrelds was a great guy to lose the lead to.
"I can't be too upset, Kenny's been great to this team and I wouldn't rather be anywhere else in this garage. He's kind of like a second father to me and I know that I wouldn't be here without his support and help, I'm really happy that he won, even if we did have a great shot at it ourselves."