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Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Tri-County 150 at Tri-County Motor Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (April 22, 2009) – The NASCAR Camping World Series East will contest its second race of the 2009 season on Saturday, April 25 at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C.

At Tri-County Motor Speedway:

·         This will be the second of 11 events in the 2009 season.

·         The Tri-County 150 will be the inaugural event for the NASCAR Camping World Series East at the facility.

·         Tri-County is the only track on the 2009 NCWSE schedule that will be a first-time host of the series.

·         NCWSE drivers Ty Dillon, Ryan Truex, Ryan Gifford and Jason Cochran competed in the Late Model Stock division season opener at Tri-County … Matt DiBenedetto and Jarit Johnson are also among the few NCWSE competitors who have turned laps at track prior to the Tri-County 150.

·         Tri-County is a .4-mile banked asphalt oval that is part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.

Last Time Out:

·         Brian Ickler led all but four laps of the season-opening NASCAR Home Tracks 150 at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway on April 11.

·         Eddie MacDonald led three times for four laps, the only other driver to pace the field.

·         Brett Moffitt became the youngest driver in NASCAR Camping World Series East history to earn a Coors Light Pole Award … The Iowa native also captured the Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award.

·         Jody Lavender recorded his best career finish with a runner-up placing.

·         Among the 29 starters in the race, eight were Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidates and another four were considered rookies in the series.

Selected Driver Highlights:

Trevor Bayne (No. 9 Chevrolet)

• Will make his 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series East debut this weekend … Did participate in the season-opener at Greenville Pickens.
• Finished fourth in the 2008 NCWSE standings with a win, two poles, six top fives and eight top 10s in 13 starts … Drove for Dale Earnhardt Inc.
• Finished 23^rd in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on March 21.
• Won the USAR Pro Cup season opener at Concord (N.C.) Speedway on April 4.

Austin Dillon (No. 3 Chevrolet)

• Will make his 2009 NCWSE debut this weekend … Did not enter the season opener at Greenville Pickens.
• Finished 15^th in the NASCAR Camping World Series West race at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway on April 16.
• Is scheduled to run a partial NNS schedule in 2009 … Finished 34^th at Phoenix.
• Was the 2008 NCWSE Sunoco Rookie of the Year and championship runner-up with a win, a pole, six top fives and 10 top 10s in 13 starts.

Matt Kobyluck (No. 40 Chevrolet)

• The 2008 NCWSE champion.
• Has seven poles, 16 wins and 84 top 10s in 158 career starts … Has won at 11 different tracks.
• Won the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown for the second time in his career in January.
• Finished eighth in the season opener at Greenville Pickens.

Jody Lavender (No. 88 Chevrolet)

• Has two top fives and seven top 10s in 13 career NCWSE starts.
• Was runner-up in the season opener at Greenville Pickens, the best finish of his career.
• Has made starts in the NNS, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the former NASCAR All-Pro Series … Was runner-up to Carl Edwards for the NCWTS Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award in 2003.

Patrick Long (No. 03 Chevrolet)

• Made his NCWSE debut in the opener at Greenville Pickens and registered a sixth place finish.
• Drives a Porsche in the GT2 class of the American Le Mans Series full-time and has won the series’ last two races at St. Petersburg, Fla., and Long Beach, Calif.
• Was part of the winning GT-class team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January.

Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Chevrolet)

• Has five wins and 40 top 10s in 111 career starts.
• Led on three-different occasions in the opener at Greenville Pickens and finished third.
• Ended up seventh in the 2008 season standings, the highest finish of his career.

Brett Moffitt (No. 44 Chevrolet)

• Made his NCWSE debut in the opener at Greenville Pickens and registered a fifth place finish.
• Earned the Coors Light Pole Award at Greenville Pickens and became the youngest driver in series history to do so at 16 years, eight months.
• Is beginning just his second year of asphalt racing following a dirt racing career.

Steve Park (No. 35 Chevrolet)

• Has two wins and 17 top 10s in 27 career starts … Both wins came in 1996, his only other full-time season in the series prior to 2008.
• Finished seventh in the 2009 NCWSE opener at Greenville Pickens and third in the NCWSW race at Phoenix.
• Has wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NNS, NCWTS and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in addition to his pair in the NCWSE.

Jason Patison (No. 17 Chevrolet)

• Finished 11^th in the NCWSE opener at Greenville Pickens.
• Recorded five top 10s in 13 starts in the NCWSW in 2008 … Finished 10^th in the NCWSW overall standings, and second in Sunoco Rookie of the Year points, in 2008.
• Made NCWSE debut at Dover in 2008 and finished 26^th … Finished 16^th in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown in January.

 Antonio Perez (No. 12 Dodge)

• Will make his 2009 NCWSE debut this weekend … Did participate in the season-opener at Greenville Pickens as he raced in the NASCAR Mexico Series.
• Debuted in the NCWSE in 2008 with starts at Watkins Glen and both New Hampshire races.
• Earned the Coors Light Pole Award and set the NCWSE qualifying record at Watkins Glen.
• Captured the 2008 NASCAR Mexico Series championship on the strength of five wins.

For more information, contact:

Jason Cunningham, NASCAR Public Relations, (704) 201-6658 or jcunningham@nascar.com.

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