Santerre and Sellers Achieve First Win In Wild East Series Finale

It was a long time coming for Andy Santerre Motorsports and driver Peyton Sellers.  But when the checkered flag waved, and after a few minutes of wrangling in Victory Lane, this driver and owner claimed victory in the final race of the Camping World East series at Stafford Motor Speedway. 

The finale of the East series itself was also a long time coming.  The race had been postponed several weeks prior due to bad weather, remnants of a tropical storm that swept across Stafford Springs, Connecticut.

And this win was a long time in the making for Sellers and his team.  He had had a win in the first race of the season, only to see it taken away from him on a shock violation during post-race inspection.

The No. 44 team, crew chiefed by Andy Santerre, four time series champion, was hungry and motivated.  They had worked their way slowly up in the points after the devastating start and the huge penalty in points.

Sellers lined up eighth for the race start, following Brian Ickler, the top qualifier for the final race.  Brian had soundly knocked Kevin Swindell off the pole, beating him by a quarter of a second in his qualifying lap.

The command to start engines was given by none other than Bobby Allison.  The field took the green and the race was on.

For a Camping World East series race, there were relatively few cautions, seven in all.  For most of the race, however, three drivers, Peyton Sellers, Brian Ickler and Ted Christopher, swapped the lead back and forth.

But on lap 143, Brian Ickler spun after a restart, and lost the car into the infield.  He also lost a lap in the process and was very slow on the track.

Ickler became a real factor as the leaders, Sellers and Christopher, quickly approached his struggling car.  Both Christopher and Sellers got stuck behind Ickler, bunching up the entire field.

As Ickler slowed on lap 148 of the 150 lap race, Christopher also slowed.  Unfortunately, Sellers could not slow sufficiently and tapped him, sending him spinning off his front bumper. 

The race was over and the No. 44 Casella Waste Systems car piloted by Peyton Sellers took the yellow-checkered flag.  This was Sellers first official win of the season and the hungry team was finally satisfied.

There was still some controversy to come.  NASCAR officials reviewed and deliberated and after about fifteen minutes of lively discussion, Sellers' win was upheld.

Peyton Sellers was more relieved than excited saying "finally" over and over again.  Team owner Santerre was ecstatic, celebrating with wife Sue and the entire race team.

Going out with a win was critical for this race team.  Their sponsor is moving on after many years of dedicated support for Andy Santerre Motorsports.

And Peyton Sellers and Andy Santerre are also amicably parting ways, with Sellers planning to move up the NASCAR ranks, possibly in a Nationwide ride.  Santerre is also close to signing another up-and-coming driver, who he will mentor to stardom.

The top ten finishers in this Camping World East finale were:

1.   Peyton Sellers

2.   Trevor Bayne

3.   Jesus Hernandez

4.   Austin Dillon

5.   Eddie MacDonald

6.   Woody Pitkat

7.   Matt Kobyluck

8.   Jody Lavender

9.   Jamie Hayes

10,  Ricky Carmichael

Ryan Truex, younger brother of Martin Truex, Jr., came in eleventh.  He replaced Jeffrey Earnhardt in the DEI No. 8 car for the race.

Matt Kobyluck had clinched the Camping World East Series Championship at the Dover race.  He did a small burnout celebration to again mark that accomplishment, as well as the end of the season.

The points standings at the end of the season included the following in the top ten:

1.   Matt Kobyluck

2.   Austin Dillon

3.   Jesus Hernandez

4.   Trevor Bayne

5.   Marc Davis

6.   Ricky Carmichael

7.   Eddie MacDonald

8.   Peyton Sellers

9.   Steve Park

10.  Brian Ickler

Congratulations to Peyton Sellers, Andy Santerre, Matt Kobyluck, and all of the Camping World East Series competitors.  See you next year!