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Austin Dillon Wins Kentucky

[media-credit name=”Adam Lovelace” align=”alignright” width=”236″][/media-credit]Sparta, KY- Friday night Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 again saw Victory Lane but this time it was young driver Austin Dillon who it to Victory Lane for the first time in his Nationwide Series career.

“Dale would be proud,” Childress said. “I know he would.”

Dillon had also failed post race inspection because to wedge jack bolt backed out. He was fined six driver points and was knocked down to second in points. Crew Chief Danny Stockman Jr was fined $10,000 and placed on probation until December 31st. Morgan Shepard was fined six owner points. Car chief Robert Strmiska has also been placed on probation until December 31st. None of that spoiled the celebration.

“I love running the 3. It’s fun. It pushes me each and every week to give 110 percent'” Dillon said. “That’s what our guys do and I think that has something to do with the number. Not many people have a special number that pushes them. We can say that we have a number that has pressure behind that makes us run good each and every week.”
The slanted No. 3 will most likely never appear in Cup again.

“I look at the 3 as a family,” Childress said. “I drove it. I didn’t do near as good as these drivers did. It’s special because you have so many fans that want to see the 3, and then you have some that question running the 3. I wouldn’t let anyone else other than an Earnhardt or a Dillon drive the 3.”

The last time the No. 3 went to victory lane in the Nationwide Series was July 2010when it was driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Denny Hamlin Re-Signs With Joe Gibbs Racing

[media-credit name=”Brian Douglas” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]On Saturday night, Denny Hamlin announced on Twitter that he has resigned to continue racing the No. 11 FedEx Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin, who sits 8th in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series points, has spent his entire career with Joe Gibbs Racing.

“I consider myself very lucky to be with a team and a sponsor that want me,” Hamlin said. “You look around the garage and guys can’t get rides because of sponsorship problems, or they have taken pay cuts, or they aren’t as competitive as they could be because the budget isn’t there. I’ve got a great situation and I don’t see how changing teams could get any better.”

Hamlin did not state how many more years he signed for, but he does believe there isn’t any better teams teams out there for him.

“I want to win races and championships. I don’t want to collect a bigger check and not be able to win trophies at the same time,” Hamlin said. “I don’t see anything that wouldn’t be a step down or a lateral move. I’m happy at JGR, and I didn’t see any reason not to get a deal done right now.”

Gary McLean makes it three-for-three in the OSCAAR Modifieds at Peterborough Speedway

[media-credit id=4 align=”alignright” width=”274″][/media-credit]In the first two events of the 2012 OSCAAR Modified tour, Gary McLean won them both. Though he would have his work cut out for him in Peterborough after trouble in one of the qualifying heats.

 

OSCAAR Modified Points Leader Gary McLean would win the first heat, followed by Ted Patterson, Brent McLean and Justin Demelo.

Darren Kearnen would win the second heat, followed by Brad Pearsall, Josh Gruntz, Steve Smith, Tim Burke, Dave Hassel and Adam Adams.

Demelo would win the third heat, followed by Brandon Crumbie, John Harper, Patterson, Brent McLean, Brian McLean and Dave Terry. Gary McLean would get spun off turn four by Brent McLean and collect some damage to the right side, including a flat tire.

Burke would win the third heat, followed by Smith, Pearsall, Gruntz, Darren Kearnen, Hassel and Adams.

 

Virtue of his qualifying effort, Justin Demelo would start on the pole, followed by Darren Kearnen, Tim Patterson, Bill Pearsall and Steve Smith.

There’d a caution right away on lap one as Pearsall would send Demlo into the grass while Brent McLean went for a spin. As a result, Kearnen would take over the lead, followed by Smith, Patterson, Tim Burke and Gary McLean.

There’d a caution on the restart as Brent McLean and Dave Hassel would make contact.

On the next restart, Kearnen would get the jump to keep the lead, now over Pearsall, Burke, Smith and Gary McLean.

The third caution would come out on lap five as Brian McLean would get into the grass.

On the restart, the action would pick up quickly in the battle behind Keanon as Pearsall, Smith and Burke would go three-wide for second. Smith was able to pick up two positions to now run second behind Kearnen. Meanwhile, Gary McLean was up to third by lap 10, followed by Brent McLean and now Newman back to fifth.

At the halfway mark on lap 15, Smith and Gary McLean would both get by Kearnen for first and second. On lap 16, Pearsall fell out of the top 10 as he would passed by John Harper for fifth, followed by Josh Gruntz, Demelo, Patterson, Davey Terry and Adam Adams.

Meanwhile, Brandon Crumbie would pit with a flat tire. The caution would come out as Crumbie was on pit road for Gruntz hitting the turn one wall hard with the backend after contact from Patterson.

On the restart, Smith kept the lead over Gary McLean, Brent McLean, Demelo and Kearnen. Demelo would try to get by Brent McLean for third on lap 21, but wasn’t able to make the pass. Gary McLean would get beside Smith for the lead on lap 25, as the caution came out for Terry spinning.

On the restart, Gary McLean would get the lead while Brent McLean and Smith would spin battling for second. Brian McLean would also spin on the backstretch, though would be deemed after the caution so he got his spot back.

With five to go, this would set Gary McLean as the lead over Demelo, Kearnen, Crumbie and Brian McLean.

On the final lap, Patterson would pit with a flat tire as Gary McLean would take the checkered flag for his third straight win. Justin Demelo would finish in the second position. They will now start the Autumn Colors OSCAAR Modified feature first and second in October.

Darren Kearnen and Brandon Crumbie finished third and fourth so they will start no furhter back than 13th and 14th come October. They will have an opportunity to improve their starting positon through the qualifying heats.

Brian McLean finished fifth, followed by Brad Pearsall, Dave Terry, Steve Smith and Adam Adams.

The next race for the OSCAAR Modifieds is a 30-lapper at Sauble Speedway on July 7th.