RAYBESTOS BRAKES NORTHWEST SERIES 2002 SEASON IN REVIEW:

REPEAT CHAMPION, GREAT RACING ACTION,

 AND WONDERFUL FAN SUPPORT

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 3, 2002) – The Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series, NASCAR Touring season has come to a close and the drivers and teams are making preparations for the championship ceremony to be held Oct. 19 at the historic Rialto Theatre in Tacoma, Wash. Some are planning for Featherlite Southwest Series competition at Phoenix International Raceway Nov. 7.

(photo courtesy of NASCAR)

Several items come to mind when reviewing the season, including two first time winners who happen to also be brothers. Jeff Jefferson and younger brother Jason shared the same race track (Tri-City Raceway) as the site of their first career victories on the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series. Jason’s victory in the Kingsgate Plumbing 125 September 1 was the only win for a Ford Taurus this season. Jeff earned his first win on April 27, hours after flying into the Pasco, Wash. airport and traveling by car to qualify for the race after taking part in a Winston West event at California Speedway earlier in the day.

Another factoid regarding the 2002 season relates to two-time series champion, Kevin Hamlin. Not only did Hamlin capture his second championship, he has led the points standings for almost a year and a half. Hamlin took over the series points lead on June 9, 2001 and has been in front ever since.

Here are some additional looks at several interesting notes concerning the 2002 Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series season:

• Championship race – Defending series champion Kevin Hamlin had to work hard at times to capture his second title but when it was all over, the 23-year old Snohomish, Wash. native led wire-to-wire to become the series second back-to-back champion and youngest to accomplish the feat. What a year for the American Dream Motorsports team. Hamlin won five races; captured 11 top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. He added his name to another series record by leading 275 consecutive laps over three races, which resulted in three straight victories. Hamlin earned his first Gatorade Front Runner Award for laps led at events and, with 10 career wins passed Dirk Stephens to move into seventh place for career victories on the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series. When Hamlin moves to the next level of his NASCAR driving career, he will continue to shine and showcase to a national audience the talents of the entire Northwest regiment of race car drivers.

• Rookie of the Year – In 2002, Kelly Mann showed that teamwork and family could go far in auto racing. With wife Karen and brother Scott working feverishly all season, Mann overcame some adversity and bumps in the road to capture the Rookie of the Year award. Mann started the season off on a high note with a ninth place finish at the season opener. Over the course of the year he earned six top-10 finishes in 13 starts. One of the biggest highlights of Mann’s season was matching Garrett Evans qualifying time for the Bud Pole Award at the first South Sound Speedway race of the year. The Pepsi 125 was Mann’s first time at the .333-mile paved oval and he showed how quickly he could adapt to new situations. In 2003, look for Mann to challenge for top-5 finishes and a top-10 points position.

• Best finish – Hamlin’s run at the first stop at Yakima Speedway ranks highly in this category. Hamlin and his American Dream Motorsports Chevrolet were spun out in turn 2 on the first lap of the Frank’s Chevrolet 125. The field reverted back to a complete restart. Hamlin worked patiently around first place Ralph Hubbert and took the lead at the completion of lap 1, proving that his racecar had not suffered serious damage in the spin. It was Hamlin’s first series win on the famed Yakima Speedway and gives him victories on all but two racetracks on the current series schedule.

• Best resurgence – Two drivers clearly deserve recognition, Chris Hart and Garrett Evans. Hart had a disappointing tenth place finish in the final 2001 points standings while Evans finished outside the top-10. In the second half of the 2002 season, both drivers proved they are still at the top of their game. Evans won his third career Napa 150 held at Magic Valley Speedway. This was the first of two SPEED Channel broadcasts and having the television crews around seemed to energize the Ardenvoir, Wash. native. In the Northwest Racing Enterprises 150, held at Wenatchee Valley’s Super Oval, Evans led most of the event before a hard charging Hart passed him late to capture his first win on the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series in over three years. Hart’s victory proved that his team can and will challenge for championships in the future and Evans let it be known that his improved year was a sign he is ready to challenge for a fifth championship.

• Comeback of the Year – Gary Lewis experienced two disappointing races in the first three events to fall to 12th in the series points standings. Over the summer, Lewis closed to within 42 points of series champion Kevin Hamlin on the strength of three consecutive victories including his first ever win in Kalispell, Mont. In 2002, Lewis earned nine top-5 and 11 top-10 finishes and with the Montana win, is the only driver to win at least one race at every facility on the current schedule.

• Keep an eye on this driver in 2003 – Ed Watson showed flashes of brilliance in the second half of the 2002 season and capped it all off with a career best third place finish in the season finale. With strong support from his crew and the recent addition of legendary set-up man George Jefferson, Watson admits that he can now concentrate solely on driving at the race track, which can only mean continued improvement on the series. Look for Watson to challenge for victories in 2003 and possibly a top-five finish in the final point standings.

• More interest in the garage – 55 separate drivers competed in 2002 events on the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series. With the addition of two televised races, more drivers competed in the series from outside the Northwest including two Winston West drivers and two Featherlite Southwest Series regulars. The Napa 150 marked a rare time in series history when the Featherlite Southwest Series points leader (Eddy McKean) and third place driver (Burney Lamar) ventured north to compete against the best drivers the Northwest Series has to offer.

• Who’s watching – Fan attendance at this seasons events was outstanding with capacity crowds at nearly every event. Both televised races, the Napa 150 from Twins Falls, Idaho and the Northwest Racing Enterprises 150 from East Wenatchee, Wash. attracted thousands of fans from far and wide to be part of the telecasts. Another large crowd attended the Parts Plus 125 held in Monroe, Wash. and the return of NASCAR Touring action to the state of Montana saw over 5,000 fans turnout for what is sure to be an even bigger event in 2003.

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