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NASCAR Pole Night At Lowe's Motor Speedway: 5/22/08

Bandolero Stories - Finchum, Sellers and Bassett Earn Victory Trophies

By Jason Buckley

LegendsNation.com

FROM THE BACK TO THE FRONT, FINCHUM WINS YOUNG GUNS RACE

There is not much else that can be said about Chad Finchum’s performance this year besides the word dominant. Going into the NASCAR Pole Night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (NC) Thursday afternoon, Finchum racked up 17 wins in 22 starts at eight different racing facilities across four states in the Bandolero Young Guns division.

Both Chad Finchum (top) and Blake Jones (bottom) ran up through the field from the back to finish the feature in the top five. (LN Photos)

Thursday Finchum added one more victory to his 2008 stats by crossing the finish line first in the combined-division Young Guns / Outlaws feature at LMS.

While Outlaw racer Bailey Daniels started alongside her Young Guns teammate Matt Linker on the front row, Finchum started the 18-car field in the 16th spot with fellow Tennessee racer Blake Jones behind him. Both drivers used patience working their way up through the field.

“I just had to stay out of the wrecks,” said Finchum. “That was the key there. I had to dodge multiple wrecks in just one turn. My dad told me before the race to just stay patient, so that is what I did.”

Jones also used the same patience Finchum applied to work his way up through the field, eventually finishing fourth in his division, fifth overall.

“We had a great car the whole day, but the car was pushing just a bit,” said Jones. “There were a lot of wrecks that I thought I was going to get into, but I got by just by a little bit. I was being patient by not bumping the other cars and staying out of the wrecks. It worked out for us.”

Ahead of Jones, Finchum worked his way up to the top-running Young Gun driver, but was second behind race leader and Outlaw driver Kendall Sellers. Finchum could have settled in and won his division, but he went for the overall race win.

“I was behind him (Sellers) and was just judging whether I was gaining time on him or if he was losing me,” explained Finchum. “I got in behind him, but my car was pushing bad so I was just going to stay put and keep calm until I could get a hole because I didn’t want to push up into him. I waited and got a hole.

“That was a good clean race. I appreciate all the drivers out there that raced us clean. I am looking forward to racing with all of them again.”

SELLERS SECOND ON TRACK, BUT FIRST IN SMALL OUTLAWS DIVISION FEATURE

The Outlaws division of Bandolero racing has struggled over the past few years to obtain drivers. With most teens wanting to move up to Legends cars or other forms of racing like Pro Challenge and Late Model Stocks, the 16-and-older division struggles to maintain a decent car count.

Scott Beaver (top) lead the Outlaws division racers for a short bit early before spinning. Kendall Sellers (bottom) went on to win the division feature. (LN Photos)

Thursday at LMS, only three Outlaw racers showed up to race in front of the NASCAR Pole Night crowd. Still though, a race is a race and a win is a win, according to Kendall Sellers, who crossed the checkered flag second overall, but first in the Outlaws division.

Sellers’ other competition, Bailey Daniels and Scott Beaver, started in front of him and both took turns in the top spot of the race, but each had their problems on the track, paving the way for Sellers to take another divisional win.

“We were pretty good tonight; I really can’t complain,” said Sellers. “We won our race. I would have liked to be a little better. Maybe we will get our primary car put back together and will be alright. We were a little strung out on how our setup goes, but we will work on that for our Summer Shootout program.”

Sellers himself would have preferred more Outlaws in attendance and hopes the numbers go up for the Summer Shootout, but he isn’t sure he is running all 10 events of the series.

“I think there will be more (competitors), but I am not sure,” explained Sellers. “I think I know of a few that will show up.

“We will probably run most of it. It just depends on what we have as far as business. Hopefully we will come out here and have a good showing.”

BASSETT BESTS MASSEY TO TAKE VICTORY IN THE BANDITS DIVISION FEATURE

Dillon Bassett and Mason Massey know each other well. Both Bandolero Bandits drivers have competed against each other many times at multiple tracks, and both are at the top of their game. Thursday in the NASCAR Pole Night Bandit feature, neither driver started at the front, but both ended up there as Bassett won the feature, closely followed by Massey.

Mason Massey and Dillon Bassett had a hard battle for the top spot (top), but it was Bassett taking the checkered flag first in the Bandits race (bottom). (LN Photos)

Massey started mid pack and made it to the front spot before Bassett, who started at the rear of the field due to a poor draw.

“We started dead last and had to come through the field,” said Bassett. “We got to second behind the #15 (Massey). He was pretty quick. We swapped the lead about four or five times before I got the lead for good. He was a great competitor.”

Massey tried to keep the top spot and Bassett behind, but just didn’t have enough car to hold off his main competition Thursday evening.

“The car was a little bit tight the whole race,” said Massey. “When Dillon Bassett got around me, I really didn’t have a chance at him.”

Massey had one final shot at Bassett when a late caution slowed the field, causing a restart with just a few laps to go, but Bassett was determined to get the victory.

“There was a caution with two laps to go and I couldn’t let a lapped car screw this one up for us since we were looking for this one the whole week,” explained Bassett. “Getting the win makes me feel good.”

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS (as provided by INEX)

Bandolero Young Guns / Outlaws Feature

Chad Finchum

Kendall Sellers (Outlaw)

Robert Poole

Corey Gordon

Blake Jones

Scott Beaver (Outlaw)

Bailey Daniels (Outlaw)

Matt Wallace

57C

Justin Carroll

Gregory Lang

Chandler LeVan

Jeremy Birch

Noah Triplett

George Blaney

Mathew Linker

Luke Demis

57N

Scott Nagel

Meghan Dillner

Bandolero Bandits Feature

Dillon Bassett

15 M Mason Massey

Jessie Little

John Holleman

Brian Kolb

15R Tanner Ramburg

Trevor Collins

Anthony Berube

Ray Beebe

Cole Timm

Reid Wilson

A.J. Davis

Jeffery Stanton

Tyler Dayton