Santerre’s drivers ready to roll Sean Caisse, Jeffrey Earnhardt to compete in Busch East race

It has been a busy winter and spring for Cherryfield’s Andy Santerre but the fun begins on Saturday night.

The Greased Lightning 150 at Greenville Pickens Speedway (S.C.) will kick off the 13-race Busch East Series and the Andy Santerre Motorsports Team will have two drivers in the series this season.

Sean Caisse of Pelham, N.H., who finished second in points a year ago, will be joined by Jeffrey Earnhardt, grandson of the late Dale Earnhardt, the seven-time Nextel Cup champion.

Earnhardt, will drive for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated but his cars, along with Caisse’s, have been prepared by Santerre. DEI supplied the engines for Earnhardt’s car.

The 17-year-old Earnhardt is the son of DEI administrator Kerry Earnhardt.

“He’s a great kid,” said Santerre, who is looking forward to Saturday.

“We leave Thursday to go down there [from Harrisburg, N.C.] and hopefully we’ll have a good weekend,” said Santerre. “I’ve had a good time putting the cars together. Jeffrey will be driving the car Sean drove when he won this race last year. Sean will be driving the car we ran just a couple times last year but it’s a real good one and we’ve converted it into his new short track car. It’s better than last year’s car.”

Greenville-Pickens Speedway is a half-mile track.

Expectations will be different for the two drivers.

“Sean is going there to win. It will be Jeffrey’s first [Busch] race. We’re looking for Jeffrey to qualify and finish the race,” said Santerre.

Earnhardt is just a junior in high school.

Santerre anticipates the 21-year-old Caisse being a contender for the points championship and hopes Earnhardt can make a run for rookie of the year although “he’s in a tough [rookie] class.”

Santerre will return as Caisse’s crew chief. They combined for a series-high three wins and five poles last season.

Clinton Cram, who works for DEI, will be Earnhardt’s crew chief.

“He’s a great guy. He’s from Massachusetts. I’ve known him and his family for a long time,” said Santerre, who will regularly compare notes with Cram to try to help both teams.

Cram and Earnhardt spend a lot of time working in the ASM shop with Caisse and Santerre. He said expects the two drivers to race as teammates and help each other out when the situation calls for it.

Earnhardt and Caisse will have separate crews and DEI will supply pit crew members for Earnhardt in races in which they’re required to change tires.

“I think there are only four races where we’ll change tires. [NASCAR] is trying to cut costs,” said Santerre.

They will be allowed to change tires if they get a flat during all 13 races, however.

He warned that running on the same set of tires at Greenville-Pickens Speedway could create a lot of problems “because the track is real abrasive and real hard on tires. There will be a lot of slipping and sliding going on after 75 or 80 laps.”

Both drivers have tested impressively at Greenville-Pickens Speedway.

“Sean was the fastest of anybody who tested there. Jeffrey ran 150 laps there last week. He wasn’t quite as fast as Sean but he was real consistent. He was real smooth. He has a top 10 car, too,” said Santerre.