Rookie-of-the-Year Leader Brandon Whitt Hopes Road Racing Training Will Pay Off at Sears Point

El Cajon, CA (June 14, 2002) - Nineteen year-old stock car racer Brandon Whitt heads to Sears Point Raceway expecting the unexpected, as the two-mile, twelve turn road course promises many surprises for the drivers of the Featherlite Southwest Series, NASCAR Touring. The only road course on the fourteen-race schedule, Sears Point promises an additional challenge this year as three Winston Cup drivers, Robby Gordon, Kevin Harvick, and Jeff Green, will pull double-duty during the weekend, competing in both the Winston Cup and Featherlite Southwest Series events.

According to Clean Line Racing owner Dan Whitt, (Brandon's father), the team's road course debut represents a a major challenge. "We have so many new variables to deal with," he explains. "Brandon's year of training at the Elf La Filiere racing school in France should come in handy, but there's a big difference between driving a thousand pound open-wheel car and a 2900 pound stock car. We think, over time, that Brandon's road course training will give him an edge at these type of events, but the technical learning curve for the team is steep, and it may take a few races for everything to gel."

Brandon's eleventh place finish at Irwindale last weekend extended his lead in Rookie of the Year points, and moved him from eleventh to ninth in the overall championship standings. Brandon and his Clean Line Racing team have been one of the most consistent outfits in the series this year. Brandon is one of only twelve drivers to start all six races, has finished every race, and is ninth in laps completed. Yet next Saturday's Sears Point race may be Brandon's biggest challenge in his young Featherlite Southwest Series career.

"I've logged some serious miles in my old shifter kart over the last few weeks in preparation for Sears Point," says Brandon. "I love the rhythm of shifting, turning, and elevation changes on a road course. Add in a couple dozen points-hungry drivers, and three Winston Cup guys, and you're looking at a battle for limited space on a very narrow track."

Qualifying for the Featherlite Southwest Series race will take place on Thursday June 20th at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, California, and the Snap-on Tools/Jelly Belly 200 NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series race will take place on Saturday June 22nd.