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Short-track Education: Sellers Gives Teammate Dillon A Lesson On Restarts

By Jason Christley, NASCAR
April 19, 2008 - 11:45pm

Andy Santerre Motorsports Goes 1-2 At Greenville-Pickens

Greenville, S.C. – Peyton Sellers provided Austin Dillon lesson No. 1 in his NASCAR education. Sellers got the jump on his Andy Santerre Motorsports teammate on the final restart of the An American Revolution 150 presented by Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet and pulled away to win the NASCAR Camping World Series East opener Saturday night.

It was Dillon, the 17-year-old rookie and grandson of Richard Childress, who had the crowd on their feet as he led a majority of the race in the black No. 3 made famous by the late Dale Earnhardt driving for Childress. But it was Sellers who came from the back after scrapping the wall on lap 59, who ended up in Victory Lane. It was Sellers' first East victory and second NASCAR Camping World Series win overall. Earlier Saturday, Sellers picked up his first Coors Light Pole Award. 

“Pressures off,” said Sellers. “I’m in the record books with a pole and a win. What more can you ask for?”

How about a 1-2 finish for two teammates in their first race with each other?

"It's our first run and that's awesome for Andy Santerre Motorsports," Dillon said. "I think we're going to have a great year. I already got one thing down: We got to lead laps and compete in the front. So now we just have to go out and win one."

With his parents and grandfather in attendance, Dillon conjured memories of last year's Greenville-Pickens race when then-rooke Joey Logano won his first NCWS East start. Ironically, it was the ASM No. 44 of Sean Caisse that finished second in that race. Driver changes in the offseason brought Dillon to Andy Santerre's shop under an RCR development deal. Sellers, who finished third in points in family-owned equipment, signed on late in the winter to fill the void in the No. 44.

The 24-year-old from Danville, Va., Sellers suffered brake issues that sent him bouncing and scraping off the backstretch wall while running fourth. He had to pit following his single-car caution and quickly picked his way back to the front.

“(Crew chief) H.C. (Sellers) was preachign to me, ‘Be patient, be patient, keep the tires on it, there’s still a long way to go,’ ” said Peyton Sellers. “With about 50 laps to go, I said, ‘Man, this thing might happen.’ To take a car that was just unbelievable and to fight back the way we did, it just doesn’t get any better.”

He finally retook the lead after he beat Dillon on the lap 128 restart. Dillon spun his tires as he came down the front stretch to the green, allowing Sellers to jump into the lead heading into turn 1. A spin on lap 146 set up a green-white-checkered finish and Sellers again beat his teammate on the restart.

“I told myself, I’ve been here too many times and I’ve lost too many races this way,” Sellers said. “If seat time means anything, it’s going to pay off right here.

“I just knew I had to make a good shift. I took off and there she goes.”

The race ended on lap 156 due to a multi-car pileup in the back of the field after the leaders took the white flag.

Joe Gibbs Racing development driver Marc Davis was third, followed by rookie Ben Stancill and Eddie MacDonald.

Rookie Ricky Carmichael was sixth, and Jody Lavender, Jamie Hayes, Steve Park and rookie Trevor Bayne rounded out the top 10. Eleven cars made up the 30-car starting lineup and 39 drivers attempted to qualify for the NCWS East season opener.

During post-race technical inspection, possible issues with the shocks on the No. 44 were found. The parts in question will be taken back to the NASCAR Research & Development Center for further evaluation.

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