Mansfield, OH (August 23, 2008): Max Dumarey posted a 23rd place finish in his #16 BODYCOACH.NET Chevrolet at the NASCAR Camping World Series East’s Mansfield 150 after a flat tire forced the team to pit under green flag conditions and go three laps down. Dumarey, who gained two laps back by way of the beneficiary rule, knew he would never finish in the top-20 after having gone so many laps down.

“Somebody rubbed us and we got a flat tire,” explained Dumarey. “We went three laps down in the pits and never had a chance. We were just running around out there trying to salvage the best finish we could.”

Dumarey started the race from the 20th position after posting a lap of 16.964 seconds (106.107 mph) in qualifying earlier in the day. By a lap 31-restart, the BODYCOACH.NET Chevrolet was in the top-15 and moving forward. At lap 38, Dumarey was sitting just outside the top-10 in the 12th position.

“The car was really good,” said Dumarey. “By that point in the race, I really felt like we could get a top-10 out of it. We just had to stay out of trouble and go through the field patiently.”

Unfortunately, trouble lied just ahead.

On a lap 49 restart, Dumarey was battling for position when the tire went down. He had no other option then to pit under green flag conditions. On a tight, half-mile oval such as Mansfield Speedway, pitting under green is a recipe for disaster.

Dumarey re-entered the race at lap 56 and shifted his focus to recovering the best finish he could. The multiple caution periods helped and allowed him to regain two of his laps back.

“Just staying out there helped,” said Dumarey. “It’s frustrating when you know you’re just running around, but we actually gained a spot or two in the finish by doing so. It’s disappointing because we had a car capable of finishing in the top-10 – we just don’t seem to have the luck to go along with it.”

Dumarey’s next appearance will be at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 12th.