HARDING WINS SECOND RACE OF 2001 SEASON

Source: Media Relations
Date: 09/23/2001

YAKIMA, Wash. (September 22, 2001) – Pete Harding picked up his second win of the 2001 season on the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series, NASCAR Touring. Shane Biles chased Harding for the last 15 laps, but settled for second place in the running order. Jason Jefferson, Joe Benedetti, and Kevin Hamlin rounded out the top-5.

Jeff Jefferson claimed his third Bud Pole Award of the season with a lap of 19.151 seconds at 93.990 mph around the .500-mile paved oval of Yakima Speedway. Jefferson took over the seasons Bud Pole Award standings with one race remaining on the schedule. Hamlin ranks second with two pole awards.

With a four-car invert, Garrett Evans, the defending series champion, and Harding, the 1999 champion, started on the front row of the 25-car field. Evans broke out to the early lead with Hamlin following in second place in the running order. By lap 38, Hamlin had closed to the back bumper of Evans, with Harding and Jeff Jefferson close behind.

On lap 41 Hamlin took the inside line on Evans as the pair entered turn No. 1. The two made contact in the apex of turns No. 3 and 4, with Hamlin sliding off the track and Evans maintaining the lead. Hamlin quickly got back onto the race track without losing a lap to the leaders.

Evans worked feverishly to keep Harding at bay for several laps, but a relentless challenge by Harding had the crowd on its feet. On lap 47 the Surrey, British Columbia native was not to be denied as Evans took a high line exiting turn No 2 allowing Harding racing room to the inside. Harding beat Evans back to the stripe to lead lap 48.

Jeff Jefferson moved to second place on the field by lap 50. Younger brother Jason found himself in third place nine laps later and the Naches, Wash. residents began to apply pressure to Harding for the lead.

Over the next 30 laps, Jeff Jefferson took a look to Harding’s inside exiting turns No. 2 and 4, all the while keeping an eye on Jason who tucked right underneath older brother. In the ensuing battles, the top-3 moved out to a 10-car lead on Joe Benedetti who had his hands full with hard charging Shane Biles.

Biles had been running in seventh place on lap 65 but climbed three positions over the next 35 laps. Harding and the rest of the top-3 teams all took notice of Biles as the laps wore down. Biles used all of the Angel Racing Ford Taurus to get to the front, but only passed the Jefferson brothers with nothing left for Harding.

Harding moved out to a six car length lead over the final seven laps in route to his 14th career win on the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series. Five of those victories have come at Yakima Speedway in his LP Body Shop Chevrolet.

“I love coming to Yakima. It seems like it’s the only place I can win on the series. I don’t know what it is, I come back with exactly the same set-up every time,” Harding said of his approach to Yakima Speedway.

“The guys worked so hard for me tonight, the car was just perfect’” he added.

Biles battled a tight condition during the practice sessions and was not sure if he made the right changes for the main event.

“The car had been tight all day and we figured with the way the tires were acting that the thing would loosen up late in the race. We were off just a bit in the middle of the corner so I had to wait a bit to turn. To finish second to Pete, I mean this is Pete’s house, it’s like a win for us,” Biles said.

Jason Jefferson achieved a career high third place in only his third start on the series. After capturing three late model championships in 2001, Jefferson appears to be ready to tame the veterans of the Northwest Series.

“It’s fun to come here to the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series and race with these guys. They don’t give up which makes it hard every lap. All in all it was a good run for us, it’s another level of racing. I want to thank my crew and Doug Beteral for giving me an opportunity to run this State Transmissions Taurus,” Jefferson said.

NOTES OF INTEREST:

Greg Bennett earned the hard charger award of the day. The Monroe, Wash. native started the race in 21st position and moved forward ten places to finish in eleventh. Bennett also received a warm-hearted cheer from the capacity crowd for a United States flag paint scheme on his Chevrolet. Prior to the start of the race, Bennett took a memorial lap in honor of victims and those lost in New York and Washington D.C.

During the local racing portion of the program, Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series drivers went through the grandstands helmets in hand to collect donations for the local chapter of the American Red Cross. The NASCAR fans of Yakima, Wash. were able to donate over $3,000 to the Red Cross to be sent to help those in need on the east coast. Aaron Young, running his first race on the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series, donated half of his purse money to the cause, pushing the total over the $3,000 mark in just over 30 minutes of work.

Kevin Hamlin must start the last race of the season in order to become the youngest champion in the 16-year history of the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series. Hamlin’s fifth place run, coupled with Benedetti’s fourth place finish give Hamlin a 111-point lead over Benedetti heading into the Northwest Racing Enterprises 150 at Wenatchee Valley’s Super Oval.

John Bender increased his lead over Troy Conrad to two points for the 2001 Totem Travel Rookie of the Year title, heading into the last race of the season. Both drivers suffer through a rough outing with Bender coming home in 19th place and Conrad a disappointing 25th. Ralph Hubbert was the leading rookie of the race with a 16th place showing. Matt Hall, the fourth rookie in the title chase, managed a 22nd place finish.

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