RACE FACTS & NOTES OF INTEREST NWT

Source: NWT Media Director
Date: 04/15/2002

WHAT: Costco 125

Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series Race No. 2 of 15

WHERE: Tri-City Raceway, West Richland, Wash.

.500-Mile Paved Speedway

WHEN: Saturday, April 27, 2002 – 9:00 p.m. PST

DISTANCE: 125 Laps/62.5 Miles

POSTED AWARDS: $30,250

FIELD: 28 cars possible. Fastest 21 cars through time trials with two provisional starting positions available to the top 30 drivers based on the final 2001 Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series, NASCAR Touring Championship point standings, two starting positions from final top 30 car owners in the 2001 Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series, NASCAR Touring Championship point standings, one position for a former champion of the series who has not qualified in the original 21 positions, the final two positions will be filled by the top two finishers in the Qualifying Race.

SANCTION: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR)

PROMOTER: Williams Promotions, Inc.

CONTACTS: Doug Pace, NASCAR, 509/469-4401

Dennis Williams, Williams Promotions, 509/248-0647

SCHEDULE:

Saturday, April 27 Noon Garage opens

1:00 p.m. Mandatory Crew Chief’s Meeting

1:15 p.m. Draw for qualifying order

3:00 to

3:30 p.m. First Practice Session

4:00 to

4:30 p.m. Second Practice Session

5:00 to

5:30 p.m. Final Practice Session

5:45 p.m. Mandatory Driver’s Meeting

6:00 p.m. Mandatory Rookie Meeting

7:00 p.m. Time Trials (2 Laps). All positions

7:45 p.m. Trophy Dash

8:00 p.m. 15-lap Qualifying Race

9:00 p.m. Costco125

THE RACETRACK: Tri-City Raceway is a slightly banked .500-mile paved tri-oval.

RECORDS: Driver Date Speed Time

QUALIFYING: Jeff Krough 4/22/95 103.211 mph 17.440 seconds

RACE: Chris Hart 6/5/99 86.772 mph 43 min 13 sec

2001 TOP 10 IN THE EVENT Event Not Held

PAST 10 RESULTS OF THIS EVENT Winner

2001 Event Not Held

2000 Event Not Held

1999 Event Not Held

1998 Event Not Held

1997 Event Not Held

1996 Event Not Held

1995 Ron Eaton

1994 Garrett Evans

1993 Tobey Butler

1992 Dirk Stephens

2001 RACE STATISTICS

Event Not Held

NOTES OF INTEREST:

· Kevin Hamlin is the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series points leader heading into the Costco 125. He won his first career Bud Pole Award last season in West Richland, Wash. In 2001, he had one win and two top-5 finishes at the .500-mile tri-oval.

· Hamlin has won two straight races dating back to last year. The 22-year old Snohomish, Wash. native won the season opener at Evergreen Speedway on March 30, and the 2001 season finale at Wenatchee Valley’s Super Oval.

· Since 1994, John Dillon the 1990 series champion, has three wins, six top-5 finishes. Dillon has earned two Bud Pole Awards at Tri-City Raceway during his career. Five of his 14 career victories have come in West Richland, Wash. Dillon has become a part-time driver on the series over the last ten years.

· Gary Lewis, the 1998 series champion and currently second in the 2002 points standings, has won at least one race three of the last four years at Tri-City Raceway. Since 1997, he has five top-5 finishes and five career Bud Pole Awards on the tri-oval.

· Chris Hart, who is third in the current points standings, picked up his first career win in West Richland, Wash. during the June 1999 event. Hart, a native of Yakima, Wash., has also captured one Bud Pole Award at the .500-mile speedplant.

· Garrett Evans and John Dillon are the leaders in career wins at Tri-City Raceway. Each has come home with the checkered flag five times during their respective careers. Evans has seven pole awards to his credit while Dillon has two. Ron Eaton and Gary Lewis are tied for the second highest win total at the West Richland track. Each driver has three victories apiece.

· The Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series has entered its 18th year of competition. In that time, 18 different drivers have won a race at Tri-City Raceway including four first time winners since 1995. That list includes Chris Hart, Martin Rosler, Chris Cunningham, and Marc Groskreutz.

· Tri-City Raceway has hosted many spectacular events and some of NASCAR’s brightest stars as part of its storied history with the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series. Among the well-known drivers in the Tri-Cities record book, Chad Little, Derrick Cope, Rick Carelli, Hershel McGriff, Tobey Butler, and Jeff Krough. Each of the aforementioned drivers has gone on to fame in higher NASCAR divisions across the United States.

STAT OF THE WEEK:

· Chevrolet has dominated the competition at Tri-City Raceway. With 20 wins, the bow-tie brigade has more than twice as many wins as Pontiac (8). Ford has captured six wins in West Richland, Wash. while Oldsmobile has one victory to its credit.

RBNWS Race Winners in 2002: Bud Pole Award Standings: Kevin Hamlin 1 Jeff Jefferson 1

Gatorade Front Runner Award Standings: Gary Lewis 3

Kevin Hamlin 1

Shane Biles 1

Chris Hart 1

Top-10 Driver Standings: Rookie-of-the-Year Top-5:

1. Kevin Hamlin 1. Kelly Mann

2. Gary Lewis 2. Kristi Schmitt

3. Chris Hart 3. Travis Powell

4. Pete Harding 4. Aaron Young

5. Jeff Jefferson 5. Brian Saling

6. Shane Biles

7. Gaylon Stewart

8. Rick Suran

9. Kelly Mann

10.Joe Benedetti

2001 RBNWS Manufacturers’ Championship Points Wins

1. Chevrolet 9 1

2. Pontiac 6 0

3. Ford 4 0

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