Camping World Series East diecasts

The NASCAR Camping World Series East, formerly known as the Busch North Series, is my favorite NASCAR division. Its history is rich with New England racing heritage and many of its best drivers have come from Maine and the Northeast. It's a shame that its image has shifted from New England to cover the entire eastern seaboard, but its history can't be ignored.

A way to remember the current and past drivers of the series is through collecting diecast collectible race cars. This year, I started collecting these cars and it's been a lot of fun. Some cars have been easy to come by while others have been nearly impossible (or impossibly expensive). Here's a list of known NASCAR Busch North/Camping World Series East diecasts.

Year - Manufacturer - Car Number - Sponsor - Driver - Other Description

1/64th scale
1992 Hot Wheels Promo #9 Auto Palace – Joe Bessey
1992 Racing Champions Auto Palace Promo #14 Mike Stefanik, #9 Joe Bessey
1992 Racing Champions #9 Auto Palace – Joe Bessey
1992 Racing Champions #72 Auto Palace/ADAP – Ken Bouchard
1992 Racing Champions Roarin’ Racers #72 Auto Palace/ADAP – Ken Bouchard
1993 Matchbox Promo #69 WFE Challenge – Jeff Spraker
1993 Racing Champions #0 Fisher – Dick McCabe
1993 RCCA Promo #25 SpeeDee Chevrolet – Ricky Craven (1991 Champion, 1 of 15,000)
1993 Racing Champions Premier #6 Valvoline/Auto Palace Pontiac – Mike Stefanik (1 of 5,000)
1993 Racing Champions Premier #97 AC-Delco – Joe Bessey (1 of 5,000)
1994 Racing Champions Premier #0 Fisher Pontiac – Dick McCabe (1 of 10,000)
1994 Racing Champions/Start Your Engines Promo #16 NAPA – Stub Fadden (in bag)
1995 Racing Champions Promo #16 NAPA – Stub Fadden
1996 Racing Champions Promo #51 Burnham Boilers – Mike Stefanik
1996 Racing Champions Promo #61 Little Trees – Mike Olsen (in bag)
1997 Racing Champions Promo #59 Mobil – Lou Rettenmeier
1997 Action Promo #63 Squeezit Drinks Chevrolet Lumina – Jake Raudabaugh (in bag)
1999 Racing Champions Promo #77 Burnham Boilers – Bryan Wall
2001 Racing Champions Promo #55 Burnham Boilers – Brad Leighton
2002 Racing Champions Promo #93 Irving – Travis Benjamin (kiddy car)
2003 Racing Champions Promo #6 Castle – Andy Santerre (1 of 6,000)
2003 Racing Champions Promo #55 Burnham Boilers Chevrolet – Mike Stefanik
2004 unknown manufacturer Promo #35 Irving Oil Ford – Brad Leighton
2005 unknown manufacturer Promo #25 Irving Oil Ford – Brad Leighton
2008 CFS Contender Series #4 Monster Chevrolet – Ricky Carmichael

1/43rd Scale
1992 Racing Champions #72 Auto Palace/ADAP – Ken Bouchard
1998 Race Image #55 Co-Ed Naked Chevrolet – Brad Leighton (3 versions)

1/24th Scale
1992 Racing Champions #9 Auto Palace Pontiac – Joe Bessey (clear window, ultra rare)
1992 Racing Champions #97 Auto Palace Pontiac – Joe Bessey (bank)
1994 Racing Champions #0 Fisher Pontiac – Dick McCabe (bank)
1995 Racing Champions #16 NAPA Chevrolet – Stub Fadden (clear window)
1995 Racing Champions Promo #16 NAPA – Stub Fadden (bank)
1995 Racing Champions #0 Fisher Pontiac – Dick McCabe (clear window)
1998 Racing Champions Promo #13 Whelen – Ted Christopher (rare)
2002 Racing Champions Promo #61 Little Trees Chevrolet – Mike Olsen
2002 Racing Champions Promo #12 Aubuchon Hardware Chevrolet – Carey Heath
2002 Racing Champions Promo #93 Irving – Travis Benjamin
2004 Racing Champions Promo #35 Irving Oil – Brad Leighton (never seen one)
2004 Racing Champions Promo #40 Mohegan Sun – Matt Kobyluck
2007 CFS Contender Series #08 Gunbroker.com Dodge – Jason White
2007 Motorsports Authentics #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Oil Chevrolet – Joey Logano (w/tire and sketch)
2008 Action #3 Garage Equipment Supply Chevrolet – Austin Dillon (1 of 1,012)
2008 Action #3 Garage Equipment Supply Chevrolet – Austin Dillon GM Dealers (1 of 300)
2008 Action #3 Garage Equipment Supply Chevrolet – Austin Dillon GM Brushed Steel (1 of 144) 2008 CFS Champion Series #4 Monster Chevrolet – Ricky Carmichael
2008 CFS Contender Series #4 Monster Chevrolet – Ricky Carmichael

I didn't include haulers/trailers, but there are a few there including Joe Bessey, Mike Stefanik, Ken Bouchard and Kelly Moore.

This list probably isn't complete, but that's half the fun of collecting.

Camping World Series East Top 10

It was announced Tuesday that two NASCAR Camping World Series drivers will climb the ladder to the Nationwide Series. Austin Dillon will run a full CWSE schedule in 2009 and will run seven Nationwide Series races. Also, Peyton Sellers will run a limited NNS schedule.

So I got to thinking. What drivers have had the most impact in the CWSE and beyond? Here's my top 10 of the greatest Camping World Series East drivers of all time. The rankings reflect not only the accomplishments in the CWSE division, but also in NASCAR's upper tiers.

1. Andy Santerre (Cherryfield, Maine) - Most CWSE championship (4) and third in all-time wins (21). He also claimed the Nationwide Series rookie of the year award in 1998 and won an NNS race at Pikes Peak in 1999.

2. Ricky Craven (Newburgh, Maine) - Craven took the CWSE by storm. He won the ROY title in 1990 and backed it up with a championship the following year. He moved on to win rookie titles in the Nationwide and Cup Series. He finished second in NNS points twice and later won two Cup races, including a thrilling finish with Kurt Busch at Darlington in 2003. That finish was the closest in history (0.002 second).

3. Martin Truex Jr. (Mayetta, N.J.) - Though he only claimed five CWSE victories, he flourished in the Nationwide Series by winning two championships in his only two full-time seasons. He then won a Sprint Cup race at Dover in 2007.

4. Kelly Moore (Scarborough, Maine) - Ranks first in wins and starts, though championships didn't come to him as easily. He is the 1995 CWSE champion but he finished in the top 5 in points 12 other times. He never moved much beyond the CWSE division.

5. Brad Leighton (Center Harbor, N.H.) - Like Moore, he never ventured beyond the Northeast, but he did amaze 24 wins, second all-time, and two championships in only seven full-time seasons.

6. Mike Stefanik (Coventry, R.I.) - Stefanik mostly made his name on the Modified circuit, but he left his mark on the Camping World Series East. He remains the only driver to win two NASCAR championships in the same season, and he did it twice (1997-98). He ranks 9th in CWSE with 12 wins to go along with his seven Modified championships and 68 Modified wins, most since 1985. He also won the Craftsman Truck Series rookie honors in 1999 after finishing second at Homestead.

7. Jamie Aube (North Ferrisburg, Vt.) - He was the first driver to win three-straight CWSE championships (1988-90). He finished his career with nine wins, but never made it far past the regional tour.

8. Mike Olsen (North Haverhill, N.H.) - Success never came quickly for Olsen, but his persistence eventually paid off. It took Olsen nearly a decade to win a race, but he did win two championships (2001, 2006) and ranks in the top five in starts.

9. Mike McLaughlin (Waterloo, N.Y.) - Like Stefanik, McLaughlin really made his name on the Modified tour, but he did run quite a few Busch North/CWSE races. He won seven times on the circuit and finished fourth in points twice in only two full seasons. He went on to win six Nationwide Series races and he finished as high as third in NNS points twice (1995, 1998). He was also named the Most Popular Driver in the Nationwide Series in 1997.

10. Joey Logano (Middletown, Conn.) - Though Logano only raced for one season in the CWSE, he certainly left his mark. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver won five of his 13 races enroute to top rookie honors and the championship. He also won his first race in the West series while battling teammate Marc Davis. The Toyota All-Star Showdown was also no match for Logano as he won the prestigous race in his only start. He's gone on to win a Nationwide Series race at Kentucky in only his third start and now readies for the Cup Series for his rookie campaign in 2009.

Other notables: Joe Bessey, Dale Shaw, Steve Park, Matt Kobyluck, Dick McCabe, Dave Dion, Joey Kourafas, Bobby Dragon, Ted Christopher and Sean Caisse.

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.