RACE FACTS & NOTES OF INTEREST

Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series Race No. 8 of 14

WHAT:                        Frank’s Chevrolet 125

WHERE: Yakima Speedway, Yakima, Wash. .500-Mile Paved Speedway

WHEN:                        Saturday, July 20, 2002 – 8:30 p.m. PDT

DISTANCE:                        125 Laps/62.5 Miles

POSTED AWARDS:                   $31,350

FIELD: 28 cars possible. Fastest 21 cars through time trials with two provisional starting positions available to the top 30 drivers based on the current 2002 Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series, NASCAR Touring Championship point standings, two starting positions from current top 30 car owners in the 2002 Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series, NASCAR Touring Championship point standings, one position for a former champion of the series who has not qualified in the original 21 positions, the final four positions will be filled by the top four finishers in the Qualifying Race.

SANCTION:                        National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR)

PROMOTER:                        Pollock Promotions, Inc.

CONTACTS:                        Doug Pace, NASCAR, 509/469-4401

                                          Ron Bennett, Yakima Speedway, 509/248-0647 

SCHEDULE:

Saturday, July 20

Noon         Garage opens

2:00 p.m.   Mandatory Crew Chief’s Meeting

2:15 p.m.   Draw for qualifying order

2:30 to

5:00 p.m.   Alternating Practice

5:15 p.m.   Mandatory Driver’s Meeting

5:30 p.m.   Mandatory Rookie Meeting

6:30 p.m.   Time Trials (2 Laps). All positions

7:15 p.m.   15-lap Qualifying Race (If necessary)

7:30 p.m.   Trophy Dash

8:30 p.m.   Frank’s Chevrolet 125

THE RACETRACK: Yakima Speedway is a slightly banked .500-mile paved oval.

RECORDS:            Driver            Date                Speed             Time

QUALIFYING: Bill Lawrence 4/19/95 98.436 mph 18.286 seconds

RACE: Pete Harding 5/29/93 74.626 mph 50 min 15 sec 

2001 TOP 10 IN THE EVENT

Event Not Held

PAST 10 RESULTS OF THIS EVENT

            Winner

2001 Event Not Held

2000 Event Not Held

1999 Event Not Held

1998 Event Not Held

1997 Event Not Held

1996 Event Not Held

1995 Jeff Krough

1994 Garrett Evans

1993 Pete Harding

1992 Event Not Held

2001 RACE STATISTICS

Event Not Held

NOTES OF INTEREST:

·         In 2001, the summer stop for the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series, NASCAR Touring in Yakima, Wash. was the Sun City 250, won by Pete Harding. This is the first time the 125-lap event has been held at Yakima Speedway since 1995.

·         Kevin Hamlin is the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series points leader heading into the Frank’s Chevrolet 125. With his second top-3 finish in as many races, Pete Harding jumped into second place in the points standings. Jeff Jefferson and Gary Lewis are tied for third place. Less than 120 points separate the top-four drivers, with three series champions (Hamlin, Harding, and Lewis) in that group.

·         Hamlin won the series last event held at Yakima Speedway. It was his first career victory on the famed .500-mile oval. Hamlin has won at least one race at every track on the current schedule except Magic Valley Speedway (Twin Falls, Idaho) and Flathead Valley Raceway (Kalispell, Mont.).

·         Jeff Jefferson leads the series with four Bud Pole Awards. The Naches, Wash. native led all 125 laps at the series last event, held in Monroe, Wash., to move into the top spot for the Gatorade Front Runner Award. Hamlin is second, followed by Garrett Evans and Gary Lewis who are tied for third place. The award is based on number of laps led in a series event.

·         In a unique piece of series history, two sets of brothers are scheduled to compete in the Frank’s Chevrolet 125. Jeff and Jason Jefferson will renew their battle for sibling rivalry, Jason is the current points leader in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, presented by Dodge in the late model division at Yakima Speedway. Joining the Jefferson’s will be Travis and Chad Bennett. Travis will make his fourth start in the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series behind the wheel of a second American Dream Motorsports Chevrolet (No. 53). Chad jumps into Mel Shenyer’s No. 50 for his first series start in several years. Chad’s best career finish has come at Yakima Speedway when he finished second in a 1995 race.

·         During the 12-year history of NASCAR Touring racing action at the famed Yakima Speedway, Kelly Tanner is the only driver to sweep events held at the track when more than one race has been run in a season.

·         Six drivers have multiple wins at the .500-mile paved oval. Garrett Evans leads all drivers with six career victories followed by Pete Harding with five; Ron Eaton has come home with the checkers four times in his 18-year career. Gary Lewis, Kirk Rogers, and Kelly Tanner each have two wins apiece.

·         Since 1998, Pete Harding is the hottest driver to run Yakima Speedway. In nine starts, the Surrey, BC native has four wins and five top-5 finishes.

STAT OF THE WEEK:

·         Chevrolet has dominated the competition at Yakima Speedway in the 13-year history of Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series action at the racetrack. The ‘Bow-Tie’ brigade has 19 wins with Pontiac and Ford each collecting four wins apiece. Gary Lewis is the last driver to win in a Pontiac while Garrett Evans was the last Ford driver to find victory lane.

RBNWS Race Winners in 2002:      Bud Pole Award Standings:    

Kevin Hamlin             4                                          Jeff Jefferson             3

Jeff Jefferson              2                                         Garrett Evans              1

Pete Harding               1                                         Pete Harding              1      

                                                                              Ron Eaton                 1

                                                                              Zach Niessner           1 

Gatorade Front Runner Award Standings:            

Jeff Jefferson              9

Kevin Hamlin               8

Gary Lewis                  3

Garrett Evans              3

Chris Hart                   2

Shane Biles                 1

Wes Rhodes                1                                                                                                       

Pete Harding               1                                 

Top-10 Driver Standings:                   Rookie-of-the-Year Standings:

1. Kevin Hamlin                    1. Kelly Mann

2. Pete Harding                    2. Travis Powell

3. Jeff Jefferson                   3. Aaron Young

3. Gary Lewis                       4. Brian Saling

5. Chris Hart                        

6. Troy Conrad                                 

7. Garrett Evans

8. Joe Benedetti     

9. Rick Suran

10.Shane Biles            

2001 RBNWS Manufacturers’ Championship

              Points              Wins

1. Chevrolet 63                    7

2. Pontiac    42                    0

3. Ford        28                      0

View The Northwest Series On NASCAR.com With Results - Standings & Driver Profiles