Coeburn, VA(July 7, 2009) -- Brandon McReynolds sophomore season was supposed to be like his coming out party, a season when the youngster would break out and become one of the hottest young properties in Late Model Stock Car racing ... it's been far from it.

McReynolds, who is the son of NASCAR on FOX and TNT commentator and former race winning crew chief, Larry McReynolds, made some moves over the winter that put he and his McReynolds Inc. team on the brink of a championship type season. One of those moves included acquiring last years UARA-STARS Series championship winning crew chief, Nick Hutchins and coming into 2009, no one would have counted him out from the title chase.

His 'dream season' derailed early when the youngster began to experience engine failures and often. Before the first race had even been run, the former Allison Legacy Series competitor had blown two engines and there was more to come. By the time the UARA-STARS Series rolled into Orange County Speedway for the sixth race of the season, he had already experienced five blown engines,

despite having won his first race of the season in the seasons fifth race.

On Saturday night, July 4th, McReynolds finished third in the eighth race of the season and post race tech would develop his 'dream season' into the worst nightmare most drivers will ever face. McReynolds was disqualified from his third place finish for an engine infraction, that was very similar to the one found with Matt DiBenedetto's car last fall in Concord in the UARA-STARS Series season finale.

In that race, DiBenedetto was disqualified for unapproved machine work that had been done to the engine block of the Dewalt Racing Dodge entry. While I have been assured that the infraction by McReynolds wasn't to the extreme of the one last year, the rule book states that no machine work can be done to this part.

"We saw something we were concerned with and we made the call to disqualify him," said UARA-STARS Series President, Kerry Bodenhamer. "It was the same infraction that Matt DiBenedetto was thrown out at Concord for last year."

Bodenhamer didn't have a lot to say about the infraction, but did stress that the series was simply following the rule book and remained consistent in their calls.

"I don't think it was blatant, I don't think many guys racing up front today do anything blatant, but the rule is the rule," continued Bodenhamer.

For McReynolds it seems that this is just another set back in a season that has been full of situations beyond his control and when his crew chief, Hutchins was contacted for comment he didn't have a lot to say.

"I had no clue the motor was like that, none of us did," said Hutchins in a phone interview late Monday evening. "That motor was purchased from another competitor and we didn't have any work done to it. This wasn't the motor we won with at Dillon a few weeks back, it blew up at Orange County; This has been a tough year on all of us."

Hutchins wasn't thrilled with being disqualified, but he seemed to be taking it better than some as he talked about how good the car has been and how he's hoping their engine woes will end sometime soon.

"We've been good all year, it's just the engines that keep biting us. We're keeping our nose to the grindstone and working hard and getting better all the time."

Team McReynolds/McReynolds Inc. have filed an official appeal with the UARA-STARS Series and the appeals board has been set to hear the case at 4:30pm this evening. McReynolds and his team are hoping to get the decision overturned based on the fact that blocks for the Dodge engines have become hard to come by.

Before writing this story I talked extensively with an engine builder, who builds Dodge engines, but didn't build McReynolds engine and he said that the particular block that McReynolds was running has certainly become hard to find as the only ones available straight from Dodge are much heavier. The engine builder also stated that he didn't want to be named, but that he felt as if it was "an honest mistake".

I was also informed that the block in question was purchased from another competitor as mentioned above by Hutchins and that their new engine builder, Don Kowalsky of Kowalsky Racing Engines in Rustburg, VA merely put the engine together and did not work on the block.

When the appeals board hears the case this evening at 4:30pm, it will work much like the NASCAR appeals do as it has been explained to me. Both sides, the UARA officials and Team McReynolds will go into a room with the appeals board which is made up of three individuals of all walks of motor sports life separately and then the board will make a decision. No one on the board is directly associated with theUARA and isn't on the series payroll even during the appeals process.

Several appeals have been made to the series appeal board and on at least one occasion the appeals board has overturned a UARA-STARS Series decision. Team McReynolds will have a fair shot to present their case to the appeals board and you never know what will happen.

RACE22.com will have the latest right after the UARA appeals board here's both sides and renders a decision on the infraction. Check back late tomorrow evening for the latest on this situation and the appeal and if we have more information it will be available here as soon as possible.