2002 RAYBESTOS BRAKES NORTHWEST SERIES

RACE FACTS & NOTES OF INTEREST

WHAT:                        Frank’s Chevrolet 125

                                     Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series Race No. 13 of 14

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

WHEN:                        Saturday, September 21, 2002 – 9:00 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, September 21

Noon               Garage opens/Registration 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

7:00 p.m.   Autograph Session

7:45 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

1)      Pete Harding

2)      Shane Biles

3)      Jason Jefferson

4)      Joe Benedetti

5)      Kevin Hamlin

6)      Ken Kaltschmidt

7)      Wes Rhodes

8)      Rick Suran

9)      Garrett Evans

10)  Gary Lewis

PAST 10 RESULTS OF THIS EVENT

            Winner                      

2001 Pete Harding

2000 Garrett Evans 

1999 Pete Harding                  

1998 Garrett Evans 

1997 Kelly Tanner

1996 Gary Lewis

1995 Ron Eaton

1994 Kirk Rogers

1993 Dan Press

2001 RACE STATISTICS

Bud Pole: Jeff Jefferson

Gatorade Front Runner: Pete Harding

Rookie of the Event: Ralph Hubbert

Time of Race: 58 min. 13 sec.

Average Speed: 64.954 mph

Margin of Victory: .07 seconds

Caution Flags: 6 for 34 laps

Lap Leaders: Garrett Evans (1-49), Pete Harding (50-125).

NOTES OF INTEREST:

·         Kevin Hamlin is the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series points leader heading into the Frank’s Chevrolet 125. With his second place run at the series last event, held in Twin Falls, Idaho, Hamlin increased his lead over Gary Lewis to 57 points. Pete Harding holds down the third spot on the points ladder with two races to go in the 2002 season. Chris Hart is fourth, only 74 points behind Harding. Troy Conrad rounds out the top-5, only eight points behind Hart.

·         Lewis won the last event held at Yakima Speedway (July) while Hamlin captured the first race run in 2002 at Yakima (June). Harding won two of three races in 2001 at the .500-mile facility. One of Hart’s two career victories has come at this facility; Conrad is a past late model champion from Yakima.

·         Jeff Jefferson leads the series with four Bud Pole Awards. Hamlin is the only other driver on the series with multiple Bud Pole Awards (2). Jefferson and Hamlin are tied for the Gatorade Front Runner Award that is awarded based on laps led.

·         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 has three victories while Kirk Rogers and Kelly Tanner each have two wins apiece. Eight drivers are tied with one win in Yakima.

·         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. The 1997 wins were Tanner’s only Yakima victories during his career.

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 second (5) after Lewis July 2002. Ford has collected four wins at Yakima. Lewis was 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             4

Gary Lewis                     3                                 Kevin Hamlin             2

Jeff Jefferson                  2                                Troy Conrad               1

Pete Harding                   1                                Garrett Evans             1

Jason Jefferson               1                          Pete Harding              1

Garrett Evans                 1                          Zach Niessner            1

                                                          Ron Eaton                  1

                                                          Gary Lewis                1 

Gatorade Front Runner Award Standings:            

Jeff Jefferson              9

Kevin Hamlin               9

Gary Lewis                  8

Chris Hart                    5

Shane Biles                 5

Jason Jefferson            3

Garrett Evans              3

Pete Harding               2

Wes Rhodes               1                                                                                               

 

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

1. Kevin Hamlin                                     1. Kelly Mann

2. Gary Lewis                                        2. Travis Powell

3. Pete Harding                                     3. Aaron Young

4. Chris Hart

5. Troy Conrad                                 

6. Jeff Jefferson                              

7. Shane Biles

8. Garrett Evans          

9. Joe Benedetti     

10.Rick Suran                                    

2001 RBNWS Manufacturers’ Championship

                       Points              Wins

1. Chevrolet      96                    8

2. Pontiac         77                    3

3. Ford              55                    1

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