Home
Dominates Camping World East opener
By Jason Christley, NASCAR
April 11, 2009 - 11:24pm
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Brian Ickler is hoping to use the NASCAR Camping World Series East as a launching pad. Performances like Saturday night at historic Greenville Pickens Speedway certainly don’t hurt his cause, as Ickler led nearly every lap from start to finish in winning the season opening NASCAR Home Tracks 150 presented by Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet.
Ickler recorded his fourth career NASCAR Camping World Series East victory and seventh NASCAR Camping World Series victory overall.
Veteran Jody Lavender scored a career-best second-place finish, while Eddie MacDonald finished third. Josh Richards and Brett Moffitt, both making their first career NASCAR starts, rounded out the top five.
Ickler qualified second behind Coors Light Pole Award winner Moffitt. A multi-car accident in Turn 1 on the start of the race caused a lengthy red flag, and on the race’s restart, Ickler got the jump on Moffitt and quickly began to pull away from the field.
MacDonald, restarting on the outside of the front row, briefly took the lead by a nose on two restarts. Each time however, Ickler erased the lead and pulled out to a commanding lead. Ickler led four times for 146 laps. In addition, the victory gave Ickler a sercured spot in the postseason NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown - a spot reserved for winners of the NASCAR Camping World Series events in 2009.
Patrick Long, Steve Park, Matt Kobyluck, Alan Tardiff, and Matt DiBenedetto completed the top 10.
The NASCAR Camping World Series East will return to action at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C., on Saturday, April 25.
CHECKERED FLAG: BRIAN ICKLER WINS THE NASCAR HOME TRACKS 150 PRESENTED BY KEVIN WHITAKER CHEVROLET. IT IS ICKLER’S FOURTH CAREER NASCAR CAMPING WORLD SERIES EAST VICTORY AND HIS SEVENTH CAREER NASCAR CAMPING WORLD SERIES WIN OVERALL. JODY LAVENDER HAD A BEST CAREER FINISH OF SECOND PLACE, FOLLOWED BY EDDIE MACDONALD, JOSH RICHARDS AND BRETT MOFFITT.
Lap 150—WHITE FLAG: Brian Ickler out in front by .773 seconds.
Lap 147—GREEN: Brian Ickler and Jody Lavender on the front row. Lavender leads at the line, but Ickler into the front into Turn 1.
Lap 145—Matt DiBenedetto pulls on pit road as crew attempts to pull fender away from the front tires.
Lap 142—CAUTION NO. 9: Eddie MacDonald wobbles off Turn 4, Matt DiBenedetto makes contact and goes around in a solo spin on the front stretch. He is able to drive away and stay on the lead lap.
Lap 142—Brian Ickler jumps to the lead again; Eddie MacDonald (inside) battles Jody Lavender for second.
Lap 142—GREEN: Brian Ickler and Jody Lavender side-by-side lead the field
Lap 140—Ten to go
Lap 136—Leaders are: Brian Ickler, Jody Lavender, Eddie MacDonald, Matt DiBenedetto, Brett Moffitt, Josh Richards, Patrick Long, Matt Kobyluck, Alan Tardiff, Steve Park and Jason Patison (last car on lead lap), Dakoda Armstrong (-1), Dustin Delaney (-1), Ryan Truex (-1), Todd Peck (-2), Ryan Duff (-2), and Alex Kennedy (-4).
Lap 135—CAUTION NO. 8: Alex Kennedy, Jeff Anton and Matt Kurzejewski pile up in Turn 2. Jason Patison is the beneficiary.
Lap 134—Eddie MacDonald gets hung up on the outside and Jody Lavender and Matt DiBenedetto get by.
Lap 133—GREEN: Brian Ickler and Eddie MacDonald lead the field to the line. Ickler by a nose at the line.
