Mark Reed and the Food 4 Less Motorsports team will have their first weekend off since Easter after the completion of the FOODSCO NASCAR Challenge Salinas 250 at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca in Monterey on Sunday. A schedule of 3 Winston West Series and 3 Featherlite Southwest Series races, has kept the team on the road for six out of the last seven weekends. “We have been extremely fortunate to have not torn up any equipment this season”, says Reed. “The schedule has been grueling enough just taking care of the normal maintenance and preparation issues”. Reed has also taken the time to test prior to the last two Winston West events. Two Bud Pole awards and a 2nd place finish in the Winston West Series and two top-5 finishes in the Featherlite Southwest Series have been great motivation for the team. “It’s always more fun when you’re doing well, and our great runs have kept the moral on the team very high”, said Reed.
In addition to Mark Reed’s driving duties, he has many additional responsibilities as a team owner. “I am very involved with Food 4 Less in the planning of event sponsorships and hospitality”, says Reed. “A major hospitality event and vendor appreciation dinner for Fontana, two event sponsorships at Irwindale Speedway, and the sponsorship of the race this weekend in Monterey have really kept me busy. Fortunately, the coordination of all of the special events is a team effort as with the race team”. The next major event for Food 4 Less will be an employee appreciation night for the Featherlite Southwest Series race at Irwindale Speedway on June 9th. “We’re planning to have approximately 450 people at the Food 4 Less 150 next month”, said Reed. “It’s great to have the employees’ support”.
The Food 4 Less Motorsports team was at the Buttonwillow (near Bakersfield) road course today to shake down the set-up in their Pontiac Grand Prix prior to leaving for Monterey. “I’m really looking forward to the FOODSCO NASCAR Challenge this weekend”, said Reed. “I was 14 years old the last time I raced at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca in a national Go-kart competition”. Reed’s prowess in a stock car on the road course at Sears Point should help this weekend in Monterey. He won the Bud Pole award in the Featherlite Southwest Series race there in 1997 and finished 2nd there in 1999. “I’m not sure if we’ll be a threat for the pole this weekend, but I expect us to have a top-5 finish”, says Reed. “I’m going to take advantage of all the available practice time to find a good rhythm for the race”. Reed has been the fastest qualifier at four of the first six Winston West Series races this year and is the current series points leader.
For more information regarding Mark Reed and Food 4 Less, check out their web sites at www.markreed.com and www.food4less1.com.
