HUBBERT READY TO TACKLE TOUGH SOUTH SOUND SPEEDWAY

ON RAYBESTOS BRAKES NORTHWEST SERIES

CHEHALIS, Wash. (July 29, 2002) – For Ralph Hubbert, being a sophomore driver on the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series, NASCAR Touring division has been a huge improvement in performance and competitive respect from last seasons rookie effort.

As the series prepares to run the Pepsi 125 at Hubbert’s hometrack of South Sound Speedway, seizing an opportunity for his first career victory on the premier NASCAR series in the Northwest is very real according to Hubbert.

“I’ve got a lot of laps at South Sound in everything from Legend cars to modified race cars,” Hubbert said. “You name and I’ve raced it at Tenino. We’d like to run a little better (than in the past stops at the .375-mile track) so we’ve been working on our shorttrack program.”

“The last couple of races we we’re struggling just a bit and I think we’re over that hump. We plan to get something going and start that right here in Tenino,” he added.

Hubbert is very supportive of recent improvements including a new racing surface, to his hometown racetrack he said. “The facility as a whole is tremendous, it’s a fun track to run and a great place for the teams in the pit areas and the fans in the grandstands.”

In the first half of the 2002 season, Hubbert said the TSTR/Sobe Chevrolet teams performance has been going in a solidly upward direction. The Chehalis, Wash. native is 14th in the series points standings after finishing 17th in 2001.

Experience gained from his rookie starts and good cooperation from fellow drivers has gone a long way towards improved finishes including one top-10 in the series first seven 2002 events.

“I think you get a little bit more respect (after a rookie year) and that helps you to start running upfront more against the tough competition on this series,” Hubbert said.

Improved finishing positions have allowed Hubbert’s team to attract a national company as an associate sponsors for the next two races. Sobe has agreed to sponsor the team through the Kalispell, Mont. race on August 10. Hubbert noted that the addition of national companies as sponsors in the Northwest series is a sign of how popular NASCAR and the regional teams are to the local fan base.

“This looks like we’ll get support from Sobe for the next couple of races,” he said of the new sponsor. “I think NASCAR has risen in popularity to the point that a lot of companies are looking for some exposure in the Northwest series.”

The Pepsi 125 is scheduled to take the green flag at 8:30 p.m. on the .375-mile South Sound Speedway. For ticket information to the August 3 event, call 360-273-6420 or, log onto the facilities website at www.southsoundspeedway.com

NOTES OF INTEREST:

The spring race at South Sound Speedway for the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series was won by defending series champion, Kevin Hamlin. The 23-year old Snohomish, Wash. earned his first victory at the .375-mile speedplant and has won at least one race at every facility on the current series schedule except Magic Valley Speedway (Twin Falls, Idaho) and Raceway Park (Kalispell, Mont.)

South Sound Speedway has produced a considerable number of current and past drivers on the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series, including Joe Benedetti, Wes Rhodes, Ralph Hubbert, Troy Conrad, Dirk Stephens, Dan Press, Steven Howard, and Derrick Cope.

View the Northwest Series on NASCAR.com with Results - Standings & Driver Profiles