Sellers Spun Out of Top-3 Finish in Thompson

Thompson, CT:   Everything was going right for Peyton Sellers and the #44 Casella Waste Systems Chevrolet Saturday night in the Pepsi Full Fender Frenzy 100 NASCAR Camping World Series East event.  Driving the same car that won this event last year, Sellers was dialed-in from the first lap on the track.

After running strong all day in practice and qualifying 5th, Sellers delivered a strong, consistent and patient performance all evening, never moving back beyond his starting position.  By lap 46 in the 100-lap race, Sellers had moved into third, gingerly missing a spin by one of the leaders, and began challenging for the lead late in the race.

Sellers, racing third at the time of the lap 92 restart, was hit from behind when cars behind him bunched up and he spun in turn two.  The rear of the car was damaged, and he brought it on pit road.  Sellers was able to get back out quickly and finish on the lead lap, but heartbreakingly back in the pack.

“We had it all put together tonight”, said crew chief H. C. Sellers.  “Peyton was staying focused and being patient.  We were headed for at least a top three, and maybe a win tonight.  It’s tough when something like this happens that’s out of your control, but that’s the nature of the sport.”

Sellers finished 18th, and is now 15th in the overall series standings.  “It’s been a challenging season for us so far”, said Sellers, who won the series season opener in Greenville, only to see the win surprisingly stripped by NASCAR after an unintentional rules infraction.  After finishing third in the series overall last year, the former national champion is still considered a force to be reckoned with.

“You just keep doing everything you can and staying positive.  We all know we have what it takes, and that the standings aren’t reflective of our performance or our potential.  We’re still confident in our team and our equipment.  We ran great tonight.  We’ll run great again, and the outcome will be different.  We’re doing everything we need to do right now.” 

The race at Thompson marked the first of three back-to-back races.  The Strutmasters.com 150 lap race will be held in Nashville, TN this coming Saturday, followed by the Edge Hotel 150 at Adirondack International Speedway in New York the following weekend.

Sellers is sponsored by Casella Waste Systems and Specialty Fertilizer Products.  The team also has a partnership with SkillsUSA, a national non-profit student organization for students entering the skilled trades. 

The race on the 19th in Nashville will be broadcast live on HDNet and tape delayed on SPEED Channel’s Racing Across America segment.  Check your local listings for full details.