Mansfield, OH (August 23, 2008): Matt Kobyluck battled
back from an early-race flat tire to challenge for the win in the
Mansfield 150 NASCAR Camping World Series East race Saturday
afternoon, but settled with a runner-up finish after eventual
race-winner Brian Ickler held off the Mohegan Sun Casino Chevrolet on
the final green-white-checker restart. The finish was enough to extend
Kobyluck's point lead to 176 over Jesus Hernandez with only three
races remaining in the 2008 season.
"We had some bad luck early, but the guys in the pits did
a great job and kept us on the lead lap. We had a great car.
Unfortunately, I had to use up a little bit more of the right front to
get back to the front," Kobyluck said after the race. "Brian (Ickler)
had a little bit better of a car than we did. I gave it one last shot,
but big-picture wise there was no sense in my slicing and dicing it in
there."
Kobyluck started fourth and moved up to third on lap seven
after a brief three-wide battle. Kobyluck stayed a fixture in the
top-three until lap 34 when he suddenly fell off the pace. On his way
to the pits, the Mohegan Sun Casino Chevrolet spun in turn two and
brought out the caution.
"I felt it right as I was going back green. I couldn't
pull off because we were going green right then," Kobyluck said. "We
found a puncture in the tire so I must have run over some debris."
Kobyluck headed to the pits and the crew feverishly
changed the left rear tire and got him back on track without going a
lap down. He would, however, have to start at the tail of the field.
The team rose to the challenge. By halfway, Kobyluck was back in the
top-10, and by lap 100, he was in the top-five.
Patiently, Kobyluck put himself in a position to challenge
for the lead. On a restart at lap 125, Kobyluck outraced Ickler by a
nose at the start/finish line after an intense side-by-side battle. As
soon as he took the lead, the caution came back out and put the two
together once again for a restart at lap 134.
Again, the two put on a fierce battle with Ickler getting
the advantage at the line. On lap 141, Kobyluck went underneath Ickler
heading into turn three and the two made contact. Ickler got sideways
and Kobyluck let off the throttle allowing Ickler to keep the lead.
Caution tightened the duo up once again and extended the
race distance to allow for a green-white-checker finish. Ickler beat
Kobyluck off the restart and to the checkers by .370 seconds.
"It just wasn't our day. We had a good enough car to be in
victory lane, but Brian had a little bit better. He saved a little bit
at the end and I had used mine up a little bit coming back up through
after the tire," said Kobyluck. "This track is great and I always look
forward to coming here because it lends itself to a lot of
side-by-side racing."
An enhanced replay of the Mansfield 150 will be broadcast
on SPEED on September 12th at 1 PM ET.
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