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Nashville II: Burney Lamar race report

LAMAR BRINGS "HOME" ANOTHER TOP-15 FINISH AT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY LEBANON, Tenn. (June 8, 2009) -- Burney Lamar logged more miles on Nashville Superspeedway this weekend than he did traveling from home to work. The Brentwood, Tennessee ...

LAMAR BRINGS "HOME" ANOTHER TOP-15 FINISH AT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

LEBANON, Tenn. (June 8, 2009) -- Burney Lamar logged more miles on Nashville Superspeedway this weekend than he did traveling from home to work. The Brentwood, Tennessee resident collected his fourth top-15 finish behind the wheel of the No. 32 Dollar General Toyota in Saturday night's Federated Auto Parts 300.

Lamar contended with a loose-handling car in Saturday's afternoon qualifying session. The No. 32 Toyota lined up in the 22nd position for the 225-lap event under the lights. Joining the Dollar General team for the National Anthem and invocation was Brigadier General Max Haston, Assistant Adjutant General, Army Tennessee National Guard. BG Haston also cheered Lamar and the team on from the No. 32 pit box.

When the green flag dropped, Lamar and his team knew they had some work to do to get to the front. Immediately, Lamar jumped out and moved into the top-20 within one lap and into the 18th position by lap 3 when the first caution of the night came out for a wreck in turn four. The field circled the track for nine laps as NASCAR officials cleaned up the debris. Lamar restarted in the 18th position and gained one position before the caution flag came out again on lap 23.

Lamar reported to crew chief, Trent Owens, that the car felt good, but that the handling was just a little loose. Owens made the call for Lamar to come to pit road for service and adjustments. On lap 24, Lamar brought the Dollar General Toyota to the pits for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment to combat the car's loose handling. Lamar returned to the track, restarting the race in the 22nd position.

During the next run, as Lamar drove back into the top-20, he reported that the adjustments had caused the car to become tight in the center of turns three and four. Owens told his driver they would make additional adjustments on the next stop. The run remained under green-flag conditions and the field cycled through their next round of pit stops. While race leaders began pitting as early as lap 69, Owens was able to leave Lamar on track as long as possible due to their previous stop, hoping to catch a caution and pit under the yellow flag. On lap 91, he called his driver to pit road for service. Lamar pulled into his pit stall and the Dollar General team quickly changed four tires, added fuel and made an air pressure adjustment for the car's handling.

When the next caution of the night occurred on lap 113 for debris on the front stretch, Lamar reported that the car was a little tight-handling at the end of the run. The No. 32 Dollar General Camry came to pit road on lap 116 for four tires, fuel and air pressure and wedge adjustments for the handling. The race restarted on lap 120.

Only four laps later, the caution flag was flown for the fourth and final time for a multi-car wreck in turn four. NASCAR displayed the red flag, halting cars on the track for 15 minutes as officials worked to clear the wreckage and debris. When the field returned to green-flag racing on lap 131, Lamar was in the 15th position.

The remaining 94 laps were caution-free which didn't allow Lamar to make up lost ground. Lamar came home in the 15th place. Saturday's finish was his fourth top-15 for the 2009 season.

"It was definitely a long and frustrating night," stated Lamar. "Once we lost a lap, it was a constant battle to gain positions because the field was so spread out. We really needed some cautions there at the end, but it was just not meant to be. I want to thank all the Dollar General employees and vendor associate sponsors for coming out tonight. I had really hoped we'd get a better finish here at home. But now it's time to turn focus to Kentucky next weekend and put this behind us."

Next Stop: The NASCAR Nationwide Series heads to Kentucky Speedway next weekend for the Meijer 300 presented by Ritz.

-credit: br

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