by Team RHR on October 19, 2013 in News, Race Reports
Ryan Hunter-Reay got behind the wheel of the No. 1 tonight for his last race of 2013 as reigning series champion. The American started from the 11th position and quickly made his way to the lead with the DHL Chevy. Forced to pit with a flat tire, Hunter-Reay slipped back in the pack and was unable to regain the lead due to cooling issues with the No. 1 machine. The issues caused Hunter-Reay to retire early from the race, recording a ninth-place result. He led for a total of 45 laps in the Inland Empire tonight, bringing his career laps led to 889.
“I think the DHL car could have won tonight; we led that whole first stint so it’s just really disappointing. We were running second when we had to come in for a flat tire, and then the overheating issues really are what ended the day for us. We came into the season determined to defend the No. 1, but had a lot of bad luck so it just didn’t play out. We’ll work hard this winter, come back next year and fight to earn the championship back. I want to thank everyone at DHL, Sun Drop, Chevy and the entire team for all their hard work and support this year. It was an honor for me to represent IndyCar as their champion this last season and it wouldn’t have been possible without so many great people standing behind me.”