Gus Dean fights for 11th in Springfield debut

While his consecutive top-10 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards streak will stop at 11, SCOTT Rookie leader (@GusDean) fought through a series of obstacles to earn a hard fought 11th place finish in Sunday’s Herr’s Potato Chips 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

A day after enjoying his 23rd birthday, Dean traveled to the 1.0-mile clay, hoping for a solid finish to carry him towards the final stretch of the season. Never seeing the dirt before, Dean leaned on close friend and former NASCAR dirt champion Ricky Bozard to guide him through the trials and tribulations of his first trip on the dirt in a stock car.

After practicing ninth Sunday morning, Dean impressed with a third place qualifying effort nearly an hour and a half later.

With his best time trials result of the season, the Win-Tron Racing team were optimistic about earning their 12th top-10 finish of the season.

Maintaining a spot inside the top-three during the opening laps of the race, Dean found himself out of the top groove on Lap 3 and spun his No. 32 GREE Cooling Products Toyota but did not receive any damage.

Finding himself at the rear of the field for the restart, Dean patiently worked his way back through the field and found himself back inside the top-20 when another caution waved around the 1.0-mile clay track.

By Lap 40, the Bluffton, S.C. native had moved to seventh but when a caution flew four laps later, Dean elected to join the leaders on pit road for tires, fuel and adjustments.

With a tight pit road and varying adjustments around him, the Win-Tron Racing developmental driver found himself 17th on the restart approaching the halfway point.

Steadily during the second-half, Dean would do a masterful job avoiding the carnage around him and found himself back in the top-10 by Lap 75.

Over the final quarter, however, Dean began to notice the loss of power from his motor which pedaled him backwards in the running order. Occupying 10th with five laps remaining, Dean lost a position to Dalton Sargeant two laps for the finish before taking the checkered flag in 11th for his 12th top-11 finish of 2017.

Unofficially, Dean maintains a season-high third in the championship standings heading to the lone road course race of the season next Sunday at Road America (Wisc.)

Driver Quote:

“It was a day of learning. I’m really proud of the guys on this No. 32 GREE Cooling Products Toyota.

“We started the day off with positive progress and then earned our best starting spot of the season with third. However, at the start of the race, we struggled to keep the balance on our car where we could compete for a better finish.

“I put a lot of this finish on my shoulders. I’d never raced before on the dirt in a stock car and there was a lot to learn. It will make it better at DuQuoin and I’ll make it up to everyone at GREE. Thanks to my buddy Ricky Bozard for coming to help too.”

“The engine was also giving up towards the end of the race, so we’ll look at that and make sure it’s fixed before the next race. I hate that our top-10 streak got broke, but at the end of the day, an 11th place finish isn’t so bad either.”  

Gus Dean PR