KANSAS CITY, KS.: A frustrating 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season for Ryan Sieg and RSS Racing got a boost during Saturday afternoon’s Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway.
Sieg and his No. 39 CMR Construction and Roofing Ford Mustang finished fifth during the final intermediate track of the season, earning Sieg just his second top-five of the season and first since finishing fifth at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April.
A Playoff driver in 2020, Sieg and his family-owned RSS Racing have struggled to find the speed and success of last season – but the team’s continued heart and dedication persevered through 200 laps on Saturday, earning them their seventh top-10 overall of 2021.
“It was a great day,” Sieg said. “We had a fast No. 39 CMR Roofing Ford Mustang. We were just a little off at the beginning from what I needed. The guys made great adjustments on it and got it better and we got closer and closer to the front.”
Late race strategy helped Sieg delivered 39th career top-10 finish, but good adjustments by crew chief Kevin “Cowboy” Starland kept Sieg on the lead lap and in a position to take tires when the final caution waved on Lap 179 for an accident between Playoff drivers Harrison Burton and Noah Gragson.
The use of fresh rubber helped propel the Tucker, Ga. native through the field over the final 20 laps of the race to score his first top-10 since finishing ninth at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in June.
It was also back-to-back top-five finishes for RSS at Kansas. Last fall, Sieg finished third at the Kansas City, Kan. track.
“The strategy worked out for us, and we were able to come out of there with a top five. A good day for us, great day for the team.”
While not a factor in the Playoffs, Sieg will continue to march forward and head to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway looking to build some momentum ahead of the 2022 season. Earlier this summer, CMR Construction and Roofing announced they would return as the primary partner for Sieg next season – his ninth full-time year of Xfinity competition.
Last October at Martinsville, Sieg finished 11th after starting ninth in his then lone trip to the famed 0.5256-mile paperclip. Earlier this year, he finished 23rd.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
