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Dumarey
Survives Greenville With 13th Place Finish
Greenville, SC (April 19, 2008): Max Dumarey finished a respectable 13th place in the NASCAR Camping World Series’ An American Revolution 150, the season-opening event for the East. Dumarey was involved in two accidents, but fought back until the end. Ultimately, the tight confines of Greenville-Pickens Speedway and the nature of short track racing won out.
“Somebody hit us in the back in the early part of the race, and then we got caught up in a wreck at the end. Those things are out of your control when racing at a place like this. Thankfully, it was just sheet metal damage and nothing that really hurt our day,” said Dumarey. “The car just wasn’t good enough. You couldn’t get on the throttle – there was no grip at all. When guys would pass me I would get on the throttle and it wouldn’t go at all. I was as gentle as possible with it.”
Dumarey started the race from the 24th spot after posting a lap of 21.279 seconds in qualifying.
“We were one of the first cars to go out, and it was a disadvantage. The track changed a lot between the first car and the tenth car. Someone has put some heat in the track and put some rubber down. Unfortunately, that was us,” he said.
Dumarey moved up to 23rd on the green and settled in for the long run, but in turn one, the Gent, Belgium-driver got mixed up in a tangle that involved three other cars. The contact damaged the rear of the No. 16 BODYCOACH.NET Chevrolet, but Dumarey was able to keep going under his own power.
Racing went back to green at lap 20 and a long green flag run ensued. Dumarey wasn’t making much headway through the field, and until the caution came out at lap 60, was just focusing on staying on the lead lap.
The caution period allowed Dumarey to come down pit road for some adjustments before taking the green at lap 66. By the 100-lap mark, Dumarey was running 14th and still progressing.
The action heated up in the closing laps and the field was lined up for a green-white-checkered finish at lap 154. Coming around on the final lap, Dumarey came around to turns three and four, which was completed blocked by cars.
“There was no way out of that,” said Dumarey. “The whole track was blocked. We finished the race so that was something!”
“I’m a little bit disappointed,” continued Dumarey on the end result. “But the crew worked really hard today to try and get the car dialed in. We’ll take 13th and try for a better result next time.”
Flat Tire At Greenville Opener
Results
In 23rd Place Finish For Kobyluck
Greenville, SC (April 19, 2008): A flat tire on the No. 40 Mohegan Sun Casino Chevrolet resulted in a 23rd place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Series East opener for Matt Kobyluck after the driver was forced to pit under green flag conditions. Kobyluck went two laps down and was never able to recover.
“We got a left front flat at lap 30,” he explained. “We went two laps down and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get in the position to receive the beneficiary. I’d get close, we’d go back to green, have a long run and a couple more cars would go a lap down, which ultimately push us further away from it. We were fighting that the whole night. I was riding around hoping to get the beneficiary, but it never happened.”
Kobyluck was the third of 39 cars to qualify for the An American Revolution 150, and his early appearance on the historic half-mile oval proved to be the first obstacle of the day. His lap of 21.164 seconds was good enough for 19th fastest. Despite a mid-field starting position, the entire Mohegan Sun Casino race team was optimistic for a strong showing.
That confidence remained even after the green flag pit stop at lap 30. The team knew they could have a chance if they got back on the lead lap. Just one week prior, Kobyluck faced a similar situation at Phoenix International Raceway and was able to climb back into 10th. He was hoping for a comparable result at Greenville-Pickens Speedway.
Though their result was not indicative of their performance, Kobyluck isn’t letting the finish get the best of him.
“It’s not as disappointing as something happening that was within our control. Picking up some debris on the track and getting a flat – there’s nothing we can do about that. We did what we had to do to get as many points as we could. It’s unfortunate to start the season off this way, but we started it off this way last year and came back to contend for the championship all season long. That’s what we’re going to do.”
The Mohegan Sun Casino race team will have a few weeks off to prepare for the upcoming US Cellular 200 at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, May 18th.
Austin Dillon’s Runner-Up Finish At Greenville
Completes 1-2 Sweep For ASM Motorsports
Dillon, who started the race from the 5th spot, settled into his line in fifth while his teammate Sellers led the field around the half-mile oval. Around lap 40, Sellers began to drop back as Dillon moved forward. On lap 45, Dillon put the pressure on then-leader Brian Ickler and was able to maneuver his #3 Garage Equipment Supply Chevrolet around for the lead.
“We just took our time and people started pushing up the center, and our car was good enough to cut under. We knew we had to be loose for the race. I saved my brakes and my tires and worked our way up through there and got the lead,” explained Dillon.
The former dirt racer dominated the race over the course of the next 75 laps – sometimes pulling away by half a straightaway. He was not only fast, but defensive by holding off all restart challengers.
Sellers, who had pitted and taken care of a brake problem, had come back through the field and was quickly closing up the comfortable distance Dillon had built on is competition. On lap 120, a caution flew and put Dillon and Sellers side-by-side, but it was Sellers out front when racing when back to green. Dillon didn’t give up and continued to keep the pressure on, but after an extended lap distance for a green-white-checkered finish, it was still Sellers at the line.
“We knew it,” Dillon said about Sellers’ progress back through the field. “It was a good race all and all, and a good team effort for Andy Santerre Motorsports. I thought we might have had something for him, but it’s just awesome for Peyton and for us. We’re happy with this finish for Andy Santerre Motorsports and our sponsor Garage Equipment Supply.”
Dillon’s performance at Greenville-Pickens Speedway puts him atop of the Rookie-of-the-Year standings and second in the NASCAR Camping World Series East championship point standings.
“I think we’re going to have a great year. I’ve got one thing down. I think we’re going to lead some laps and compete in the front. Now we’ve just got to go out there and win one,” he said.
Dillon will be back in action on Sunday, May 18th when the series heads to Iowa Speedway for the running of the US Cellular 200. For more information on Austin Dillon or ASM Motorsports, visit www.andysanterremotorsports.com.
Delaney On Right Track With Top-20 Finish At Greenville
Greenville, SC (April 19, 2008): Rookie Dustin Delaney’s 20th place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Series East race at Greenville-Pickens Speedway has some silver lining to it. Though it wasn’t the result the team was looking for, Delaney was extremely pleased with the effort and dedication on the part of his crew.
“We came in and made the pit stop and the guys changed a bunch of things around in the car. We gained a bunch of positions after that. The car was real good,” he said. “We got caught up in a few things that are just typical of short track racing – we were in the wrong place at the wrong time – but overall we were pleased with our race and how the car handled after our pit stop.”
Thirty-nine cars showed up to vie for one of 30 starting positions. Delaney’s qualifying lap of 21.343 seconds wasn’t enough to earn the driver a position in the field based on his time. Instead, Delaney was awarded a provisional and started the race from 27th.
Delaney got his first lesson in how tight Greenville can be when, on lap 12, he got caught up in a spin. It was the first caution of the day, and Delaney, who was backed up against the wall, got blocked in and eventually passed by the leaders. He went a lap down.
Delaney was patient and drove his own race over the next long green flag run. When the yellow flew at lap 60, Delaney was given his lap back through the beneficiary rule. On lap 97, Aube brought Delaney onto pit road for some adjustments.
Delaney started to progress through the field, and by lap 132, was running 13th. It seemed as if their day was turning around. A caution in the final laps of the An American Revolution 150 extended the race to allow for a green-white-checker finish. Coming around turn three of the last lap, Delaney again got caught up in a wreck.
“There was a wreck and we checked up and got hit from behind. It was disappointing. The guys worked so hard all day long. We had a terrible qualifying run – the car wasn’t good all day really. We finally got it good and then we ended up in the wall. It was a shame. The crew did a great job today though so we’ll take it.”
The NASCAR Camping World Series East is off until May 18th when they embark on Iowa Speedway for the running of the US Cellular 200.
Ken Schrader Racing Records Two Top-10’s At Greenville-Pickens
Hayes, driving the #52 Hendrick Honda Chevrolet, posted an eighth place finish despite fighting a loose condition throughout the race. The finish marked his seventh career NASCAR Camping World Series East top-10 and a marked improvement over his 2007 finish of 13th in the same event.
Hayes started the race in ninth after posting a qualifying lap of 21.024 seconds, and settled into the top-10 for much of the race. The Norlina, NC native made it up as high as seventh, but consistency was his trademark of the night.
“We were loose from the get-go,” Hayes said. “I pretty much had to fall in and ride. We’ll take eighth and get out of here. It was a very long day and long race. I remember looking at the scoreboard and saying ‘we’re only on lap 14!’ Overall, it wasn’t a bad night and patience really seemed to pay off in the end.”
“I’m ecstatic,” said
In the going,
The NASCAR Camping World Series East is off for three weeks as teams prepare for the US Cellular 200 at Iowa Speedway on May 18th.
Loose Car Leaves Jeff
Anton Seventeenth at Greenville-Pickens
Greenville, S.C. (April 19, 2008) - Jeff Anton, of Russell, Massachusetts, left
Greenville-Pickens Speedway in April 2007 with an 18th place finish. For 2008, he was
looking for improvement behind the wheel of his No. 30 Engineered Floors, Inc. Chevrolet.
The car's handling was loose, though, and while he did improve on last year's result, he
was left wanting better than the seventeenth he got in the NASCAR Camping World East
Series season opener.
Anton entered the first race of the 2008 season with the same short-track car he ran in
2007, although it featured a new rear clip and other chassis tweaks. Anton posted the
seventeenth-fastest lap in practice out of 39 entries, so the off-season improvements
seemed to be paying off. That trend continued in qualifying as he timed in fourteenth -
last year, he had to take a provisional to make the race.
"We're better here than we were last year, so that's a good start on a new
season," he said. "Qualifying has never been my forté but we improved a lot,
and we picked up a lot from where we were in practice. I didn't think the car was going to
go that fast to be honest, but I'm glad that it did.
"Hopefully we won't burn the rear tires off the car coming off the corners in the
race. We have to be patient and wait until the end, and by then we'll have a better car
than anyone else and we'll have a good night," Anton continued.
Once the race started in front of a full house and SpeedTV's cameras - the race will be
shown on Wednesday, May 7th at 1:30 p.m. - Anton found his car to be loose. The historic
half-mile track did not have a lot of grip and Anton was struggling finding a place where
his car would handle. He found it to like the high line, though it still wasn't working
well. A pit stop on lap 84 brought some much-needed adjustments to the chassis, and a
second on lap 122 helped the cause a bit more.
"We added so much wedge to this thing that, really, it should be pushing really
badly," he said. "It didn't help the car that much, though, it was still just so
loose. We put in all the wedge that we could, we went down on the track bar, and nothing
helped it. We just had one of those days."
When the race was over, Anton had worked hard for a seventeenth-place finish.
"I thought we had a decent race car from the start," he said. "It liked the
second groove better, which is a surprise since everyone likes to run low here. But as the
laps wore on, it got so loose that I could barely drive the thing. The second I stepped on
the brakes, it wanted to spin out. I had to take it easy and I couldn't really race
anyone. I knew if I touched another car I'd probably go around.
"We'll have to go back to the shop, see what it's got, and maybe go testing with it
to find out what it likes and what it doesn't like," Anton continued. "We don't
have to fix any crash damage, so we can spend our time getting the chassis better. In that
respect, we're starting this year better than the last one. We're going to Iowa next, and
that's one of my favorite tracks, so we'll go there and look forward to having another
good run."
Anton returns to the track for the second running of Iowa Speedway's combination race
between the Camping World East and West Series. It takes place on May 18 and will be
broadcast live on HDNet.
MACDONALD FINISHES FITH AT GREEVILLE-PICKENS SPEEDWAY
Eddie MacDonald came from the back of the pack to score a solid fifth place finish in the An American Revolution 150 at the famed half-mile track. Starting 28th in the 30-car field, MacDonald stayed out of trouble to move the Grimm Construction Chevrolet to a very respectable top five finish in the Camping World East Series opener.
“We were just terrible in practice. The car was just sliding all over the place. The crew went to work and changed a number of things for qualifying. Usually Rollie dials it in but this time it just didn’t work out,” said a frustrated MacDonald after his run.
After running 26th in practice the Grimm Chevy did pick up three tenths of a second but fell short of qualifying for the race. The team made it to the feature on an owner’s provisional, starting near the tail.
“Because it was an impound race, we did not have a chance to adjust anything on the car. All we could do was to get out there, steer clear of any crashes and move up when we had the chance. I knew if we could miss the wrecks that usually happen in the back, then I could start picking them off one at a time and that’s what happened,” said MacDonald of the only strategy available to the team.
As the race progressed MacDonald was able to move through the field saying, “It seemed like a lot of cars were loosing the grip but our car stayed the same. We really didn’t loose anything until the end. This is the same car we brought here two years ago and we had the same set –up in it so we knew, or hoped we knew, that it would be good in the late stages of the race. Rollie just has that knack of doing it right so we are there at the end.”
By the lap 128 restart, MacDonald was running solidly in the fifth spot but knew he had nothing left for the leaders saying, “The car started getting loose at the end. I knew we had a solid fifth place finish but not enough to challenge for the lead. We are very happy for our top five run and hope to get even better at our next race in Iowa. I want to thank my sponsor Rob Grimm, my team, and all the other people for giving us the opportunity to run the full schedule. We feel this will be the first of a number of top five’s.”
JOHNS POSTS
‘SPIRITED’ 14th-PLACE FINISH
IN NASCAR
CAMPING WORLD EAST OPENER
Sadler-Hamilton
Teammate Bobby Hamilton, Jr. Qualifies Third,
Comes Home
29th After Mechanical Problem At Greenville-Pickens Speedway
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NASHVILLE, TN (April 21, 2008) – Richard
Johns knew he’d have plenty of support from his Sadler-Hamilton Racing team in the
NASCAR Camping World East Division season-opening event at Greenville-Pickens Speedway
this weekend. What he didn’t know is he’d have a little spiritual help from
above in his quest to win the 150-lap event.
“I
think I was channeling some of Bobby Sr’s. energy early in the race,” said Johns
(right), who wheeled a car once piloted by the late Bobby Hamilton, Sr. to a 14th-place
finish in the event. “I’d been here
a couple of times with Bobby, Sr. when he tested and he could get around here fast with a
blindfold on. I think I had some of his spirit here with me in the race car tonight. It
was a huge honor to drive a car here that was built for and raced by him.”
Johns, along
with co-team owner Bobby Hamilton, Jr., debuted the 2008 Sadler-Hamilton Camping World
effort with a strong showing in qualifying as Hamilton, Jr. timed in third with a lap of
20.887. Johns, meanwhile, started the event on the venerable Greenville-Pickens half-mile
oval from the 15th position after posting a 21.091 clocking in time trials.
“We had
a really good car,” said Johns, who went out sixth to qualify in the field of 39
entries attempting to make the 30-car starting field. “I wish we would have had a
little later qualifying draw because those who went later in the session definitely had an
advantage. Still, the goal was to get in the race on time because we didn’t have any
points to fall back on from last year. We did that and I knew from the get go that the car
was great because it would turn right around the bottom and get off the corner just about
better than anybody.”
With
Hamilton, Jr. (right) comfortably running in the Top-5 in the early stages of the race,
Johns set sail toward the front quickly marching into the Top-10 by Lap 20. A handful of
circuits later, Johns was sitting backwards on the track after being collected in a
multi-car spin not of his making.
“I got
turned around early and had to go to the back of the pack on the restart,” Johns
stated. “That hurt us because we really had to use our stuff up racing through the
field back to the front. It was fun passing everybody, but I knew that early spin would
probably bite us at the end of the race.”
Now 28th
in the running order, Johns again pointed his No. 59 Dodge Charger toward the front.
Passing car after car, the 26-year-old Lawrenceville, GA native worked his way up to fifth
over the next 60 laps and became the lone Sadler-Hamilton threat to win when Hamilton, Jr.
retired from the race with mechanical issues.
“We
were really good on the longer runs,” said Johns. “We could drive up to and by
the other guys pretty easily. The car was just amazing, Then the bottom king of fell out
on us.”
Johns saw
his chances of winning go up in a cloud of tire smoke when contact from behind sent him
into a wild 360-degree Turn 4 spin with just over 30 laps remaining. Somehow, Johns was
able to gain control of the car and not lose the fifth spot, but the spin, along with the
earlier incident and hard charge through the pack, left him with damaged tires for the
final chase to the checkered flag.
Despite the
handicap, Johns was able to stay in contention for a Top-10 finish and was 10th
in a final green-, white-, checkered-flag restart only to get spun again on the final lap
resulting in the 14th-place finish, the final car on the lead lap.
“We got
spun a couple of times at the end of the race and didn’t get the finish we deserved,”
said Johns. “That was unfortunate, but we’ll take this car home, work on it a
little, and take it to the next race in Iowa. I’m stoked and ready to go. I wish it
was next week instead of a month from now.”
Meanwhile,
Hamilton, Jr. was officially credited with 29th in the event won by Peyton
Sellers.
“I can’t
say enough about our team,” said Sadler-Hamilton crew chief Danny Gill. “We’re
a very small team, just five guys including myself, and to bring two cars to the racetrack
and have them run as well as they did was a real accomplishment. If Richard (with
Hamilton, Jr. left) hadn’t gotten in an early accident, I feel like he would have
easily had a Top-5 finish. He definitely had one of the best cars on the track all night
long. I was very, very impressed with Richard and how he drove through the field tonight
and not even put a scratch on the car. Nobody had anything for him tonight.
“Meanwhile,
Bobby. Jr. qualified in the Top-5 and ran well until he had a problem late in the race. I’m
disappointed about how some of the guys drove here tonight, but that’s something you
put up with when you come to a new series. We just need to learn who we are racing with.
We’re going to do that and a lot of testing before we go to Iowa so we can learn more
about the Goodyear tires we run in this series. Iowa is a bigger track and there is some
aero associated with racing there and that’s an area I am pretty strong in, so I am
really looking forward to going there and running well again.”
Johns will
next carry the Sadler-Hamilton banner into action at Iowa Speedway in Newton, IA on
Sunday, May 18. The event will take the green flag at 7:30 p.m. Central Time.
For
more information about Bobby Hamilton, Jr. please log on to www.bobbyhamiltonjr.com.
Information about Richard Johns, can be accessed at
www.richardjohns.com.
Sadler-Hamilton Racing is actively seeking marketing partners for its 2008 NASCAR Camping World racing initiatives. For more information as to how to partner with either team, please contact David Johns at 678-758-8885 or at djohns.mms@gmail.com
Last Updated on 04/21/08
By George Campbell or Greg Fish
Email: neracing@neracing.com