Watkins Glen, NY (June 9, 2008): Austin Dillon rallied for a twelfth place finish after getting caught up in a last-lap tangle in the NASCAR Camping World Series East 125 at Watkins Glen International road course Sunday afternoon. The finish keeps the driver of the #3 Garage Equipment Supply Chevrolet on top of the standings with a comfortable 55-point margin.

“It was a good day – we finished 12th and we did well in the points – so I’m really happy with it,” said Dillon after the race. “There were a lot of factors that nobody counted on today – we got hit with a penalty for blending in too soon, and we got caught up in that wreck on the last lap – but we were able to come out of it with a decent finish.”

In qualifying Saturday night, Dillon was able to wheel the #3 Garage Equipment Supply Chevrolet around Watkins Glen to its best lap of 113.980 mph (1:17.382) and earn the 21st starting position.

Shortly after the green flag waved Sunday afternoon, Dillon and his Garage Equipment Supply SuperStore team opted to pit early and came down pit road on lap eight. NASCAR, however, tagged the team with a penalty for blending in too soon and Dillon had to come back down pit road for a stop and go. “The penalty really hurt us early in the race,” said Dillon. “That was my fault. That’s the rule and NASCAR strictly enforced it.”

Dillon returned to the race in the 23rd position and made it up to 15th before the race was red flagged for a rain delay. In the second half of the race, Dillon made it as high up as ninth.

A caution two laps before the race’s scheduled conclusion extended the race distance from 51 laps to 55 laps. After running out of gas under caution and pitting, the 28-car field went back to green on a restart at lap 53 with Dillon running 13th. On the white flag lap, Dillon’s #3 Garage Equipment Supply Chevrolet got hit from behind as he was swerving to try and avoid a collision.

“I didn’t really get to see that much, but the 2 car locked up its front brakes and I turned right. I got hit from behind. I don’t really know what happened from then on. It was good that it was the end of the race and not the beginning of the race because I wouldn’t have been able to finish,” said Dillon. It was a decent first experience at Watkins Glen, but we are really looking forward to New Hampshire.”

The NASCAR Camping World Series East is off for two weeks and then returns to action on June 27th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Heluva Good Summer 125.