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Early
Troubles Make For Long Night For ASM At Tri-County Hudson, N.C. (April 25, 2009): When Brett Moffitt, driver of the No. 44 Andy Santerre Motorsports Chevrolet, got turned around at lap 12 of the NASCAR Camping World Series East race at Tri-County Speedway, car owner Andy Santerre wasn’t too worried about it. But when contact with another car at lap 53 caused extensive left front damage, the team knew it was going to be a long night. The 16-year-old driver finished the race in 23rd after high hopes of backing up his top-five season opening finish just two weeks ago. “He’s got to have some bad experiences to enjoy the good ones,” said Santerre after the race. “We were off a little bit early, but then we got turned around. That was no big deal – it was just a racing deal. After that, we got hit in the left front fender. It was just racing – he and the 35 car went for the same hole after a car spun, but it did a lot of damage to the left front. It ripped the fender off and knocked the toe out. After that, we were just along for the ride. This is how this racing deal can be – up and down.” Moffitt started the day off on a high note with a qualifying effort of 16.655 seconds (86.461 mph) to earn a fifth place starting position. In the early laps, Moffitt got shuffled back to eighth, but with 140 laps to go, no one was even concerned. Moffitt had his eye on the 71 car of Eddie MacDonald just in front of him when he got caught up in a battle with the 03 car of Patrick Long. “I was coming out of turn two and the 03 got into me so I had to go to the back,” explained a frustrated Moffitt. But Santerre reassured the driver that they had plenty of time to work their way back up through the field. Moffitt worked his way back up to 17th when an accident unfolded right in front of him. “The 29 spun and the 35 slowed up going through there and I couldn’t get slowed down enough,” said Moffitt. “It was just one of those racing deals.” Moffitt brought the ASM Chevrolet onto pit road where his crew frantically went to work on the left front. When the race went back to green, Moffitt was at the tail end of the field. “There wasn’t anybody to race against because we were so far back,” said Moffitt. “It’s frustrating because the car was decent and we could have been a top-10 car.” Moffitt rode it out and finished the race three laps down to the leader. The team enjoys a three week break from competition as they prepare for the East/West combination race in Moffitt’s homestate of Iowa. Patient Run Nets Delaney Career-Best Finish At Tri-County Hudson, N.C. (April 25, 2009): Dustin Delaney posted a career-best finish of ninth place in the inaugural visit for the NASCAR Camping World Series East to Tri-County Speedway Saturday night. Delaney spun during the race, but got back underway on his own power without bringing out the caution. It was a solid run for the sophomore year driver, and earned him a ninth place position in the early season point standings. “We’re pretty happy with this finish,” said Delaney after the race. “We were good in practice all day and then we qualified decent. We spun out and came back up through. I got right back going again thanks to my spotter Steve (Tapley), who did a great job. I really like this track. It’s racey and you can run two or three different grooves.” Delaney wheeled the No. 39 Delaney Infrastructure Chevrolet around the banked 4/10th’s mile track at a speed of 85.893 mph (16.765 seconds) to earn a 15th place starting position. In the early laps, Delaney dropped back to 20th, but started to work his way back up through the field methodically as the laps ticked off. By lap 62, Delaney was back up to 14th and moving forward. At lap 82, however, Delaney faced an obstacle when he spun in three and four. With guidance from his spotter, Delaney was able to get back into the race without a caution coming out, but the driver had been relegated back to the 18th position. Again, Delaney focused on the task at hand – one car at a time. By lap 100, he was running 14th and by lap 130 he was in 11th. The race was extended three times to allow for a green-white-checker finish and each time Delaney made progress through the field. On the final restart at lap 163, the Mayfield, N.Y. native was sitting in the ninth position. “It was a really wild race, and fortunately, we were able to keep the car in one piece and bring home a our best finish yet. I have to thank everyone on my crew for all the hard work they put into this effort. They put a great car underneath me and I’m happy that I could make it pay off for them,” said Delaney. “It’s my younger brothers birthday this weekend so this will be great to tell him about,” continued Delaney. “He’s just turning eight and he’s out in Buffalo right now racing himself. He’ll be happy about this.”
The next NASCAR Camping World Series East race is the
combination event with the NASCAR Camping World Series West at Iowa Speedway May 17.
Tough
Outing For Fadden Racing At Inaugural Visit To Tri-County Pair of Top-25 Finishes For Drivers Smith and Casola Hudson, N.C. (April 25, 2009): Fadden Racing had high hopes going into the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Series East visit to Tri-County Speedway in North Carolina this weekend, but instead walked away with a pair of top-25 finishes. Regular Fadden Racing driver Jonathan Smith overheated early in the race but rallied after a late-race accident to finish 22nd. Dominick Casola, who came on for a one-race deal, finished the race 20th. “The car was real good, but we didn’t get the tape off after qualifying in the front so it overheated the car. We came in and got the tape off, but we went two laps down. When I came back out I was running with the leader and I was running really good times. I got the lucky dog and I just got stuck in the back. On the restarts people got a little crazy, hit the car, and it just broke the front end. I spun out and hit the inside wall and it just wasn’t the same from there out,” explained Smith, driver of the #16 C Products Chevrolet. Smith qualified 16th fastest with a speed of 85.868 mph (16.770 seconds), but had high hopes for a solid race. They had been consistent in practice and knew they had a strong car for the 150-lap feature. By lap five, however, Smith knew he was in trouble when the temperature just continued to rise. When Smith re-entered the race at lap seven, he pulled right out with the leaders until the caution at lap 12. Smith was the recipient of the beneficiary, which gives a lap back to the first car a lap down. He was sent o the rear of the field for the restart at lap 16. Caution came out again at lap 31 with Smith again receiving the beneficiary – putting him back on the lead lap but at the tail end of the field. Smith made it back up to 16th by the lap 100 mark, but had another hurdle to jump. At lap 108, Smith spun on the backstretch after contact from another car. The damage to the front end of the car made it impossible to put himself into contention. He finished the race with a 22nd place finish. Just two days prior to the Tri-County 150, Fadden Racing’s Mike Olsen received a phone call from Dominick Casola to field a second car in the race. Olsen agreed and put the 21-year-old driver behind the wheel of the #61 that has become synonymous with his own successful career. With no time to test, Fadden Racing had to hope that a set-up that would work for him would suit Casola’s driving style as well. In practice, the team learned that wasn’t the case, and Olsen, acting as his crew chief, went to work on getting it changed. With only two 45-minute practice sessions, there wasn’t much time. “The car was really free, but we did get it better. It just wasn’t where we needed it to be,” Olsen explained. Casola qualified 23rd fastest with a speed of 84.961 mph (16.949 seconds). In the race, Casola struggled but persevered. He finished the night with a 20th place finish. “Basically we just didn’t have any forward bite the entire time. It was just too free under acceleration. We got it where it was too tight on entry, but still no forward bite off,” Casola explained. Fadden Racing has a few weeks off as they prepare for the East/West combination race at Iowa Speedway on May 17th. Triple Seven Day For Schrader Racing’s Dakoda Armstrong At Tri-County Hudson, N.C. (April 26, 2009): Triple seven’s are a common winning line on slot machines, and Saturday night, it was a winning combination for NASCAR Camping World Series East rookie Dakoda Armstrong. The driver of the No. 4 Ken Schrader Racing Chevrolet started the inaugural Tri-County 150 in seventh, finished a career best in seventh place, and ended up with a seventh place spot in the point standings. It was only his second start in the series. “It was fun racing and I had a lot of fun doing it,” said the young Indiana native. “We were running fourth before that last yellow came out, and on these green-white-checkers here these guys don’t really mess around. I got a little roughed up, but to finish seventh for this team with it only being our second show is an amazing run for us,” said Armstrong. The day kicked off with a qualifying effort of 16.684 seconds (86.310 mph) – earning the team a seventh place starting position. At the start of the race, Armstrong fell back a few spots, but maintained a position in the top-10 for the first 50 laps as he adjusted to the track and developed a rhythm. “I stayed where I was and I was just rolling that bottom down there. It was just a lane of our own. There was no one in front of us just some guys beside us that we had to race. We knew we had a good car so we decided to just be patient and race when we were ready.” That time came following a lap 62 restart. Armstrong moved up to sixth before the 100-lap mark, and then fifth following a lap 112 restart. “When we started racing about halfway through it just ate up the tires a little bit. We were just so loose on the new green flags,” Armstrong said. Armstrong continued his march to the front and made it up to fourth before a caution at lap 142 set the stage for some nail-biting action up front that would result in three attempts at a green-white-checker finish. Starting on the second row for the restart at lap 147, Armstrong got mixed up in a battle for the lead with eventual race winner Matt DiBenedetto, Austin Dillon, and Patrick Long. The Schrader Racing entry was relegated to fifth before the caution flew again at lap 149. The action got dicey again when it went back to green – this time shuffling the No. 4 back to seventh. The final restart came at lap 163 with Armstrong holding on for a seventh place finish. “It took about three laps for the car to come in so on those green-white-checkers it just wasn’t long enough of a green flag run for us,” Armstrong said. “We really didn’t need all those cautions at the end. Up front, they were going four wide and bumping and banging. It was pretty exciting.”
Fowler
Finishes 13th In Camping World East Debut With
Schrader Racing Hudson, N.C. (April 26, 2009): After so much success in Late Models, Quarter Midgets, Bandoleros, and Legend cars, 16-year old Kyle Fowler decided it was time to take the next step in his career. With help from Ken Schrader Racing, the Georgia native made his debut in NASCAR’s premier development series – the Camping World Series East – and posted a respectable 13th place finish. “I definitely learned a lot from this experience. These cars are a little bit different than what I’m normally driving – a little bit heavier and a little bit more power – and I’m still trying to figure out exactly everything I need to do in them. It was great to be able to run with these guys and I’m ready to go to the next one,” he said. “I have to thank Mr. Schrader for giving me this opportunity and I have to thank the crew for all the hard work and effort they put in.” Fowler kicked off the day by wheeling the No. 52 Georgia Western/Techniweld Chevrolet to a speed of 85.791 mph (16.785 seconds) in qualifying to earn a 19th place starting position. Entering the race, Fowler’s goal was to get out there, get some experience, and bring the car home in one piece. Fowler was competitive from the drop of the green and started his way up through the field. By the time the first caution flew at lap 12, Fowler was already in the top-15. He continued his torrid pace and, at lap 30, was battling the 37 car of Alex Kennedy for the 12th spot when Fowler spun in three and four. There wasn’t any extensive damage, but the Georgia Western Chevrolet would restart the race at the tail end of the field. “We started 17th and that’s not where we really wanted to qualify but we knew this car would race good so we just decided to go towards the front and pick one car at a time. We were just trying not to wrinkle any fenders and not make anybody mad – this is my first race in this series and I think we had a pretty successful run considering,” explained Fowler. “After that (spin), we just had to make our way back up through the field.” Fowler made it back into the top-15 by the 100-lap mark and was still marching forward. He made it just outside the top-10 before a string of caution periods hindered his progress. “We were probably 9th or 10th when we got to the green-white-checker’s and we lost position on every one of those because guys were wrecking. It was a crazy finish,” he concluded. Fowler took the checkers in the 13th spot and a sense of accomplishment for his debut. He hopes to run a few more Camping World Series East races before the end of the season. Kobyluck
Leads Some Laps, Finishes 10th At Tri-County Hudson, N.C. (April 27, 2009): Matt Kobyluck is typically a strong driver on a short track, and all indications pointed that he would remain that way as the NASCAR Camping World Series East embarked on Tri County Speedway in North Carolina for their inaugural visit. After a strong qualifying effort and leading 59 laps of the race, Kobyluck struggled in the second half with an ill-handling Mohegan Sun Chevrolet. The Uncasville, Conn. driver was able to persevere through it and post his 14th consecutive top-10 finish. “I’ve never experienced what I have experienced in the last two races. Usually what we have at the beginning of the race is what I have at the end of the race, but the car has been getting worse and worse and worse as the race goes on,” Kobyluck said. “It’s really concerning me a tremendous amount. Short tracks have always been our strong point. I should have won that race if the car had stayed but for some reason it didn’t stay and this is all new to us.” The crew spent two 45 minute practice sessions adjusting on the No. 40 Mohegan Sun Chevrolet and their efforts had seemed to pay off. In qualifying, Kobyluck turned a lap of 16.682 seconds (86.321 mph) to earn a sixth place starting position. They were extremely confident heading into the race. Kobyluck was solid too at the drop of the green flag – moving into second by lap six. A caution tightened up the field for a restart at lap 16 with the Mohegan Sun Casino Chevrolet right on the front row. Kobyluck jumped right to the front and led the field for the next 59 laps. Eventual race-winner Matt DiBenedetto had reeled in the Mohegan Sun Chevrolet several laps before and was riding nose-to-tail with Kobyluck. DiBenedetto made a run on the bottom in turn two to attempt to knock Kobyluck out of the lead, but the defending champion was able to hold him off. DiBenedetto was persistent and stayed on the bottom as Austin Dillon pressured Kobyluck from behind. After several failed attempts, DiBenedetto took the lead at lap 76 at the line. “I was on the way back at that point and I was just holding on,” he admitted. “I was doing the best that I could to maintain my position but he obviously had a better car than me at that point, and I wasn’t going to hold up somebody that I shouldn’t be holding up.” Kobyluck wrestled with the car the entire second half of the race, but was able to hold on for a tenth place finish. Dillon Battles For Win, But Settles For Runner-Up Finish At Tri County Hudson, N.C. (April 27, 2009): Austin Dillon raced his No. 3 Mom N’ Pops Country Ham/Camp Debbie Lou Chevrolet to a runner-up finish Saturday night in the Tri-County 150 Camping World Series East event. Dillon swapped the lead with eventual race winner Matt DiBenedetto six times in the last 50 circuits. He got the jump on the final three restarts, but succumbed to DiBenedetto just two laps before the race conclusion at lap 165. “It was just a heck of a race,” said Dillon. “I drove (Matt) hard, he drove me hard and we had a good race going there. I burned myself up a little early but we decided to see what we could get out of it. We’re just here to have fun and go out and win races. We gave it one heck of a try.” The Tri County 150 marked Dillon’s season debut for the series, and he came out of the box strong with a qualifying effort of 86.575 mph. The effort earned the team a fourth-place starting position. Dillon maintained a position in the top five in the early laps and started his progression forward at lap 50 when he passed polesitter Alan Tardiff for fourth. A caution came out right after the move and tightened the field up for a restart at lap 62. Dillon wheeled right into third at the drop of the green and was running second just a few laps later. Caution flew at lap 96 and set the stage for the action to follow. On the restart, Dillon maneuvered his No. 3 Mom N’ Pops Chevrolet past DiBenedetto exiting turn one. He commanded the race for seven laps before caution put him side-by-side with DiBenedetto again at lap 112. The two went door-to-door through turns one and two, but Dillon pulled ahead going into three. DiBenedetto went out front using the bottom at the start/finish line to reclaim the lead. A caution at lap 142 brought the pair back together again for what was supposed to be a green-white-checkered finish. At the line, it was all Dillon, but DiBenedetto and Patrick Long got alongside him to make it a three-wide battle. DiBenedetto took the lead just as the caution flag flew again at lap 149. Racing resumed at lap 155 with Dillon jumping right out front, but an accident on the backstretch slowed the action before the lap was even completed. NASCAR reverted to the last completed lap in determining the lineup for the final attempt at a green-white-checker finish, with DiBenedetto assuming the lead. Dillon jumped out front when it went back to green at lap 163, but DiBenedetto made a run on the inside heading off of turn two to take the lead and eventual win. “It was a lot of fun out there tonight,” said Dillon. “We would have liked to win it, but this is all good. I think we put on a heck of a show for the fans!” The Tri County 150 will be aired on the SPEED Channel on Thursday, May 7 at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
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Last Updated on 04/30/09
By George Campbell or Greg Fish
Email: neracing@neracing.com