The Frontstretch: Travis Dassow Finishes 3rd at Bristol Motor Speedway posted by Beth Lunkenheimer -- Wednesday August 13, 2008

November 17th - November 21st, 2008

Monday: In the wake of Jimmie Johnson's third straight title, Tom Bowles takes a look at how a different points system might have made things just a little more dramatic heading down to the wire at Homestead in Bowles-Eye View.

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Thursday: Editor's Note: This column has been postponed until Monday due to technical issues for Matt McLaughlin. NASCAR's testing ban for 2009 has race teams and fans up in arms. Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off and puts the ban under the microscope, dissecting the pros and cons of cutting costs in this way.

Friday: Jimmie Johnson has officially joined NASCAR's elite in the history books; but how will his chapter be written? Amy Henderson gives her take on Johnson's place in history in Holding a Pretty Wheel.

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Travis Dassow Finishes 3rd at Bristol Motor Speedway

Wednesday August 13, 2008

Wreck in Qualifying Doesn’t Slow Defending ASA Challenge Series Champion

CONCORD, NC (August 11, 2008) – Travis Dassow turned a sour weekend into a solid third place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway (TN). A wreck in qualifying pushed the 2007 ASA Late Model Challenge Series Champion to the rear of the starting lineup for one of the biggest races of the year. With a banged up car and a banged up driver, some thought Dassow’s chances of a good finish were already over. Yet, when the checkered flag flew Dassow made a lot of people eat their words as he scored an impressive third place finish in the Thompson Metals 200.

“I didn’t want it to be this way,” said Dassow after the race. “I think we were fifth quick after the first lap of qualifying. I went into turn two and the thing just snapped on me. It hit on the driver side and I think I might have broke my foot; I am not sure yet. We got the car fixed and we started at the rear and I think by lap two we picked up about 11 spots. I knew we had a good car at that point.”

Dassow had to work from 28^th starting position to get his podium finish. By lap 45 he had moved up to 12^th. Dassow was being conservatively aggressive in his one legged march to the front. At halfway he had moved into fifth when two of the drivers in front of him wrecked coming to the crossed flags. Dassow then made his run for the lead and he got to second with 40 laps to go. Things would never work out after that as he slipped to third in the final laps of the race.

“We were patient and we just picked our way through there and tried to save tires the best we could,” added Dassow. “On the last restart I think we blistered both rear tires and I think that’s what hurt us. Brian (Campbell, race winner) was strong and I definitely wouldn’t have got around him in the closing laps.”

Dassow centrally feels better about this run compared to last year’s Bristol race where everything went wrong. He broke a wheel and blew up a clutch on the way to a DNF. This year the team overcame the bad luck to keep their momentum going.

“This is our second straight top-three finish in this Challenge division,” said Dassow. “After qualifying I was like, ‘Oh no, not again,’ but we battled through it and we have good momentum heading into Milwaukee. That’s probably our best racetrack.”

Dassow will have a few weeks to heal up before the next event at The Milwaukee Mile on August 24^th. Dassow finished third in last year’s Governors Cup.

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This report was provided by an outside PR source and posted by Beth Lunkenheimer.