STEVE CARLSON WINS RE/MAX CHALLENGE SERIES, NASCAR TOURING AUTO TRADER 150 AT COLORADO NATIONAL SPEE

Source: Colorado National Speedway
Date: 06/02/2002

ERIE, Colo -- West Salem, Wisconsin’s Steve Carlson won the RE/MAX Challenge Series, NASCAR Touring Auto Trader 150, Saturday evening at Colorado National Speedway. And in the process, he picked up his first win of the season.

Jon Lemke, of Greenfield, Minnesota, chased Carlson the second half of the race, but came up .605-seconds short. Championship point leader, Eddie Hoffman, of Wheaton, Illinois, finished third with Rookie of the Year leader, White Bear Lake, Minnesota driver, Josh Vadnais and Greeley, Colorado driver, Bruce Yackey rounding out the top five.

The win was Carlson third straight at the Colorado speed plant.

"I don’t know what it is about this place," said Carlson. "I set the car up the same way here every year and it just keeps working great."

Yackey took the lead at the drop of the green and lead the first 31 circuits. Carlson started from the seventh position and quickly moved to the front.

Carlson worked his way past Yackey on lap 32 and was never headed.

A late race caution for the crashed car of Minneapolis, Minnesota pilot, Todd Hansen, caused the event to be run past the 150-lap scheduled distance and set up a green-white-checkered finish.

"I didn’t want to see that last caution, because I think we had a great final few laps lined up," said Lemke. "But when you can finish second to a seven-time champion like Carlson, and have Eddie right behind you, you know you’re there."

Hoffman started 12th and had to battle his way to the front. The hairiest moment came with less than 30 laps to go when the lapped car directly in front of him blew a power steering hose, sending Hoffman spinning. He got his Chevrolet righted as the caution flag flew and managed to stay ahead of the leaders and on the lead lap.

"We had a rough go of it early," said Hoffman. "We got behind a guy who was leaking rear end fluid and we got through that okay, but that spin towards the end was cutting it a little too close. We needed maybe 15 green flag laps at the end to make a serious run."

Brian Hoppe, for the second time in four races, was forced to transfer to the main event via the last chance race. After starting 17th Hoppe fought his way to a sixth place finish.

Lemke captured his first Bud Pole fast qualifier award of the year, turning the .33-mile oval at 16.299 seconds (82.827 mph) and for the third race in a row, Vadnais was the highest finishing rookie.

The RE/MAX Challenge Series next travels to Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, June 7, for the running of the Oneida Bingo & Casino 250.

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