2002 RAYBESTOS BRAKES NORTHWEST SERIES

RACE FACTS & NOTES OF INTEREST

WHAT:       Coors Light 125 Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series Race No. 10 of 14 WHERE:      Raceway Park, Kalispell, Mont.   .375-Mile Paved Speedway WHEN:             Saturday, August 10, 2002 – 9:30 p.m. MST                 DISTANCE:                  125 Laps/31.25 Miles                                                            POSTED AWARDS: $36,475

FIELD: 22 cars possible. Fastest 15 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 15 positions, the final two positions will be filled by the top two finishers in the Qualifying Race.

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

PROMOTER:                        Raceway Park, Inc.

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

                        Sharon Slack, Raceway Park, 406/257-7223

SCHEDULE:

Friday, August 9

11:00 a.m.      Optional Hauler enter & Registration Opens

1:00 to

3:30 p.m.   Optional Practice Session

4:30 p.m.         Garage Closes

5:00 p.m.   Optional Dinner & Community Celebration At Rainbow Casino

Saturday, August 10

Noon Haulers Enter, Registration & Inspection Begins

1:30 p.m.   Mandatory Crew Chief’s Meeting

1:45 p.m.   Drawing To Determine Qualifying Order

2:30 to

3:00 p.m.   First Practice Session

3:30 to

4:00 p.m.   Second Practice Session

4:30 to

5:15 p.m.   Driver’s Meeting

5:30 p.m.   Rookie Driver’s Meeting

7:00 p.m.   Time Trials

8:00 p.m. Trophy Dash

8:30 p.m. 15-lap Qualifying Race (If necessary)

9:30 p.m. Coors Light 125

THE RACETRACK: Raceway Park is a high banked .250-mile paved oval.

RECORDS:            Driver            Date                Speed             Time

QUALIFYING: Gary Lewis 8/5/00   70.489 mph 12.768 seconds

RACE: Shane Biles 8/5/00 48.090 mph 38 min 9 sec

2001 TOP 10 IN THE EVENT

Event Not Held

PAST RESULTS OF THIS EVENT

            Winner

2000 Shane Biles

1999 Tom Sweatman

1998 Tom Sweatman

2001 RACE STATISTICS

Event Not Held

NOTES OF INTEREST:

·         Kevin Hamlin is the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series points leader heading into the Coors Light 125. With his second victory in as many races, Gary Lewis has moved into second place, just 84 markers behind the leader. Only 136 points separate Hamlin and Chris Hart who sits in third place.

·         Lewis earned his first Bud Pole Award of the 2002 season at South Sound Speedway and holds the qualifying record at Raceway Park. Lewis has climbed from 12^th place in the series points standings after three races, to second with five races to go in the season.

·         Hamlin has two consecutive top-5 finishes at Raceway Park. His best career finish on the .250-mile track is a fourth place effort, accomplished in 1999 and 2000. Shane Biles, the last NASCAR Touring driver to win a race at Raceway Park, also has two consecutive top-5 finishes.

·         Ken Kaltschmidt, a native of Marion, Montana has entered the Coors Light 125 for a chance to perform in front of the hometown fans. Kaltschmidt finished in fifth place in 2000 in only his second series start in his home state.

·         Montana Gov. Judy Martz will attend her first NASCAR event in her home state when the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series competes on Saturday, August 10. Martz son is a race car driver and recently competed in the prestigious Montana 200 for late model stock cars.

·         Jeff Jefferson leads the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series with three Bud Pole Awards. The Naches, Wash. native also leads the Gatorade Front Runner standings for laps led at an event. Seven drivers have won a Bud Pole this season while nine different drivers have led at least one lap at an event.

·         The Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series has entered its 18^th year of competition. This is the fourth time a NASCAR event has been held in the state of Montana. The Coors Light 125 is one of the biggest sporting events in the state this year.

STATS OF THE WEEK:

·         Pontiac leads the series with two wins at Raceway Park, both accomplished by Tom Sweatman. Biles’ win in 2000 came in a Ford. Chevrolet has never visited victory circle for a NASCAR Touring event in the state of Montana.  

RBNWS Race Winners in 2002:      Bud Pole Award Standings:    

Kevin Hamlin               4                                         Jeff Jefferson                3

Jeff Jefferson              2                                         Troy Conrad                  1

Gary Lewis                  2                                        Garrett Evans                1

Pete Harding               1                                        Pete Harding                1

                                                                                Ron Eaton                     1

                                                                                Zach Niessner              1

                                                                               Gary Lewis                     1  

Gatorade Front Runner Award Standings:            

Jeff Jefferson              9

Kevin Hamlin               8

Chris Hart                    5

Gary Lewis                  5

Shane Biles                 4

Garrett Evans              3

Wes Rhodes               1                                                                                                                     

Pete Harding               1                                 

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

1. Kevin Hamlin                               1. Kelly Mann

2. Gary Lewis                                  2. Travis Powell

3. Chris Hart                                    3. Aaron Young

4. Pete Harding

5. Jeff Jefferson                              

6. Troy Conrad                                 

7. Garrett Evans

8. Joe Benedetti     

9. Rick Suran

10.Shane Biles                                                           

2001 RBNWS Manufacturers’ Championship

                           Points              Wins

1. Chevrolet           75                    7

2. Pontiac              60                    2

3. Ford                  36                    0

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