HELLMUND AND SUZUKI MOTORCYCLES TEAM SALVAGE FOURTH

Source: TQ Jones/Helmund Racing
Date: 06/01/2004

STOCKTON, California -- Tavo (CT) Hellmund and the Suzuki Motorcycles and ATVs Pontiac Grand Prix team finished fourth in Saturday's NASCAR "Havoline/NAPA Auto Parts 150" Grand National Series race at Stockton 99 Speedway after running with the leaders for the entire race, but they were disappointed at not having a better run after being fast in practice both Friday and Saturday. After turning a 14.15-second lap in practice on Friday, the team was feeling good about being able to race for the win and tried not to show all they had in Saturday practice.

"I thought I had just overcooked it in qualifying because the car got so loose," Hellmund said after the race. "But at the halfway point of the race, the first time we had a chance to check after qualifying, we discovered the stagger on the right rear had grown three-fourths of an inch to an inch more than it should have. That obviously had also cost us a tenth or so in qualifying." Hellmund still put the Suzuki entry solidly in the field in seventh, one of only a few 110-inch cars to make the race on a track that favors the 105-inch cars.

"The loose condition also made the car a handful during the race. For the first 20 or 25 laps we were all just feeling each other out and I knew the car was loose, but then I smacked the wall. Several times," Hellmund grinned in telling about it. "That hurt the steering, but we were still racing with the leaders and were running fourth at the halfway break."

Hellmund and the Suzuki Pontiac were part of a pack of four cars racing for the lead and at the end were solidly in fourth with only eight cars finishing on the lead lap.

"We were good," Hellmund said afterward. "The car was handling so well on Friday and Saturday morning we were feeling really good. But the stagger changed, and we still don't know why, then we were a little off on handling after the damage. But we were still racing with the leaders, so all things considerd, we are a little disappointed at finishing fourth. Of course, it's kind of nice to be disappointed with a top-five finish." Hellmund and the Suzuki team have run this car six times in the West Series and finished in the top five five times; including a win, two seconds, a third, a fourth and a seventh.

See Also .:

• Tavo (CT) Hellmund Driver Card
• Stockton 99 Speedway Track Page

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