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DILLEY HOMECOMING SEES HIM FINISH 8TH BARRIE, ON, Wednesday July 2, 2008: Saturday’s running of the A & W 300 at Barrie Speedway didn’t produce the outcome that driver of the No. 9 Dodge/Leland/Maple Lodge Farms Dodge Avenger had in mind. After leading laps during the mid portion of the event they settled for an 8th place finish. Dilley took his Avenger out for practice after a lengthy rain delay in the morning and almost immediately jumped to the top of the practice charts. Qualifying was off a little but he lined up the No. 9 Dodge in the 7th starting spot. “I knew we had a good car as soon as we got on the track,” said Dilley. ‘I like this place and we usually come with a good setup.” Dilley quickly settled into 6th place behind team mate Whitlock at the drop of the green flag. By lap 50 he would have his Dodge Avenger up to the 3rd position and be challenging Steckly for 2nd. Dilley would take the lead on lap 120 and hold that position until a rules infraction caused them to receive a pit road drive through penalty under green. The penalty resulted from a re-start on lap 137 when Dilley restarted the race to soon. He returned to the track as the last car on the lead lap in 13th. |
Another run to the front ensued and Dilley got as high as 5th when the caution waved and he took the car to the pits to the attention of his pit crew. A slight miscue in his pit box would see them lose a lap to the leaders. He battled back for the final 60 laps waiting for a caution in order to receive the free pass as the first car down one lap. Unfortunately for the Dodge/Leland team that never happened and they settled for an 8th place finish. “I made a mistake,” said a disappointed Dilley after the race. “I raced here for 25 years and I just went at Barrie’s restart line not NASCAR’s,” he added. ‘We had a good enough car to contend for a podium tonight I think.” The Dodge Avenger 22 Racing Team of Scott Steckly took home the top spot again, his third win in four tries with Don Thomson Jr. taking second and D.J. Kennington rounding out the top three. The A & W 300 will be broadcast on TSN on Sunday July 6 at 2:30 p.m. Next up for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series teams is the return visit to Autodrome St. Eustache on Sat. July 5th after the Kodak 250 was called due to rain on May 31st. |
