ASM ends tough season on high note

Andy Santerre Motorsports endured its most trying season in 2008. The No. 44 car driven by Peyton Sellers initially claimed victory at the opening NASCAR Camping World Series East race at Greenville-Pickens before an illegal shock stripped the team of the win. It was a precursor of bad luck to come.

A fuel pump failure prevented a top finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June. Sellers then spun out of the top five in two of the next three races. And cut tires at New Hampshire and Dover in September placed the No. 44 team well outside the top 10.

Then came Stafford Motor Speedway. The last race of the season. Sellers started eighth and worked his way to the top three before finally grabbing the lead from pole-sitter Brian Ickler midway through the race. Sellers, Ickler and Ted Christopher would swap the lead through the race.

On a restart with seven laps to go, the leader Ickler spun coming to the line leaving Christopher and Sellers to battle for the win. But Ickler wasn't going away quietly.

Ickler held back until the leaders came back around the track. When Christopher came up to the back of Ickler with two laps left, Ickler appeared to hit his brakes, causing Christopher to check up. Sellers then hit the back of Christopher, unable to slow in time, spinning Christopher into the wall and handing Sellers the lead and the win.

It seemed as though the "monkey" was gone. But it wasn't a sure thing. NASCAR was putting the finish under review. They thought that Sellers might've spun Christopher on purpose. The fans and teams waited in suspense for 20 minutes until NASCAR finally declared Sellers as the winner.

It was the first official career win in the East series for Sellers. And it would prove to be his last with ASM.

Due to lack of sponsorship, Sellers and ASM parted ways. Team owner Andy Santerre tapped 16-year-old Brett Moffitt to pilot the No. 44 car in 2009. Sellers' plans for next season are not yet known.