Ryan Sieg speaks out after fuel gamble fails to pay off

Ryan Sieg fell short at NASCAR's Xfinity race at Rockingham this weekend, albeit after leading 77 laps. The low-fuel gamble unfortunately didn't pay off for the driver, with him eventually falling to 18th as he crossed the chequered flag, but he's staying optimistic about he and his team's future.

The North Carolina track hosted the Xfinity race this Saturday for the first time since February 2004. The repaved 0.94-mile track underwent substantial repairs worth over $12 million in 2021, and after four years, the historic track was finally brought to life by NASCAR once again.

As a driver with NASCAR national series experience, Sieg went into the race weekend with optimism. 

"Yeah, bunch of fans. It was a lot of excitement. I was excited to get here," he told Frontstretch after the race.  "It's always fun to go to a new venue and try to figure out the track, and it's kind of... nobody knows what to expect. So, you know what I mean, I had something to gain, and we were able to figure it out and got better."

After pushing into the top 10, he had a solid pace for Stage 1. 

"Just had an issue middle of the race—thought we had a loose wheel, but we had something going on with the right rear wheel weight or something," Sieg explained. "So we pitted and then got our two laps back, and were able to get back on the lead lap. Did a good strategy call by Matt[Noyce, crew chief]."

Ryan Sieg, RSS Racing Ford

Photo by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Sieg commanded the race from the lead for 77 laps - a career record for the driver - where he defended against Sammy Smith, who eventually inherited the win after Jesse Love was disqualified. 

With track position a worthy gamble, the RSS Racing team decided to stretch their fuel to secure the win. 

"We had to do that because we got behind on track position," Sieg continued. "It was tough to pass."

When asked if he considered pitting for fuel rather than risking running out, Sieg said the following: "At that point, that's the bed we made. We had to lay in it, and that was the call we did. So we had to stick with it. If it works out, it works out. If not, it's what it is."

The strategy unravelled towards the end of the race. 

"I guess we just didn't pick up that one time and then fell back, and then I guess the 16 ran out," he said. The No. 39 Ford dropped to the middle of the pack and was eventually collected in a wreck.

The driver hasn't been put off, however. 

"Definitely gaining on our team, you know what I mean. Everybody's kind of gelling a little bit, as you say, and we've made gains," Sieg explained. "We thought we were going to come out, you know what I mean, guns ablazing. But we've almost had an issue in almost every one of the races, and we still ended up with three top 10s and one top five."

He continued:

"It definitely built team morale, for sure, that we can contend with these guys. We showed that last week too, and this is the second week in a row.

"So, on to Talladega and Texas. So hopefully, we can make that, you know what I mean, that next position and get that win," he said.