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Nashville, TN (July 21, 2008): Austin Dillon continued a streak of consistency with a third place finish in Saturday night’s Strutmasters.com 150 at Music City Motorplex in Nashville, and earned his fourth top-five of the NASCAR Camping World Series East season. Dillon led twelve laps en route to his finish and maintained the series point lead.
Dillon’s finish didn’t come without its hurdles, however.
After unloading the #3 Garage Equipment Supply Chevrolet, the team discovered a problem with the clutch and tackled the problem head on before going out to practice. The Team Dillon Racing entry never made it out during the first session, but was able to put down a solid 51 laps in the second 45-minute segment.
“The spline on the clutch wouldn’t even go. The car wouldn’t move,” explained Dillon. “We mixed up the big spline and the small spline, and didn’t have the clutch the right size. We just weren’t able to get out for the first practice but the guys got it back together and we were able to make some quality laps in the second practice.”
Dillon’s qualifying effort didn’t show any signs of trouble. The 18-year-old driver laid down a lap of 19.588 seconds (109.536 mph) to earn the third starting position on the grid. Dillon settled in behind Peyton Sellers and Jeffrey Earnhardt at the drop of the green.
On a restart at lap 27, Trevor Bayne used the outside groove to drive by Dillon for third – a spot the driver didn’t want to give up. As Bayne continued his progression towards the front, Dillon decided it was go time and began battling Earnhardt for third.
Dillon challenged on the inside, and got his #3 Garage Equipment Supply Chevrolet up to the door on Earnhardt’s machine. Dillon kept digging, but couldn’t quite complete the pass and settled back into fourth. Six laps later, Dillon went underneath Earnhardt again, but this time finishing what he started.
Caution flew at lap 80 with Sellers, who had led the entire first half of the race, opting to come down pit road. This move pushed Dillon onto the front row for the restart at lap 84. At the drop of the green, Dillon shot to the lead but couldn’t shake the determined Bayne, who used the low groove to reclaim the top spot and relegate Dillon back into second.
A caution put Dillon and Bayne side-by-side again, but when racing resumed, Bayne drove out front again. Dillon kept the pressure on, but it would be a restart that benefited Dillon once again. When the green dropped at lap 118, Dillon used that outside groove to his advantage and took over the lead, where he would remain for the next seven circuits.
Dillon lost ground to Bayne, Matt Kobyluck, and Sellers on a restart at lap 124 – relegating him to the fourth position. In the final 25 laps of the race, Dillon battled Sellers for fourth, but Dillon held his ground. It was on the final restart that Dillon picked up his final position to move into third before the checkers dropped.
“I kind of had the restarts figured out there in the end. My car was good when we got out front there, but I started overdriving it,” said Dillon. “I couldn’t get the brakes figured out and I couldn’t hold myself down in the center of the corner. It was a hard fought battle today and we’re happy to come out of here with a third.”
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