MIDWEST TOUR POST RACE NEWS AND NOTES

Source: NASCAR Media Relations
Date: 04/15/2003

Three leaders in one lap? At Rockford (Ill) Speedway? Are you kidding?

Yes! Yes! Nope!

Passing at the tight, .29167-mile Rockford oval is usually at a premium and Sunday's International Truck and Engine Corporation Midwest Series opener was no exception. But on the white-flag lap, three drivers had a turn at the point.

Rookie Eric Fransen (Sonya's Rose Chevrolet) led the field across the stripe to take the white but lost the lead in turn two after contact with second running Ron Breese, Jr (EWT, Inc Chevrolet). Breese's lead lasted just a half-lap before Steve Carlson (Lefthander Chassis Chevrolet), who took the white flag in third position, muscled his way past for the win.

The winning margin was listed as .116 seconds, but without the aid of electronic scoring, is probably more accurate to say the advantage was about a foot.

You couldn't beat the grin off of Carlson's normally stoic face while Breese and Fransen were frustrated and upset.

Breese, not in a talkative mood, described his view of the final lap by saying, "I don't really recall to be honest with you, it happened too fast."

Fransen was equally as disappointed and upset.

"I thought we were gonna crash in turn two on the last lap. It's definitely disappointing but I'm really proud of the team and how well we ran. I did not expect to run this well."

And in victory lane, all Carlson could do was smile and say, "I've raced at Rockford a long time, but I think that's the wildest one I've ever seen."

Two of the series closest finishes have occurred at Rockford and Breese has been on the short end both times. Breese got nipped by Kevin Cywinski in 1995 and now by Carlson.

No Way! Way!

Second year driver Jeff Way (Wauwatosa Savings Bank Chevrolet) suffered through a raft of misfortunes in 2002. Plagued by bad luck and an, often times, short handed team, Way struggled to a 14th place point finish.

But on Sunday in the Freund International 250, Way posted a sixth place run, by far his best Midwest Series showing.

"Everything that could go wrong last year went wrong," said Way. "We knew we had good equipment and we knew I could drive but we just never caught a break. Today I think we showed what I and this team are capable of."

Way started the 250-lap grind 20th, managed to stay on the lead lap all day and steadily worked his way to the front. With 15 laps to go his power steering went out and he was forced to just hang on to his mount for the remainder of the race.

Tough Day For Championship Contenders

With a new season comes renewed hope and optimism. But several drivers who entered the season thinking they were championship contenders left Rockford disappointed.

Jon Lemke (K.C. Colors Chevrolet) blistered the Rockford oval at 13.457 seconds and secured Bud Pole Fast Qualifier honors. After the mandatory series invert, Lemke started sixth and was on the move early. But on lap 52 Lemke and third place runner Jeremy Lepak made contact. The damage sent Lemke to pit road for several extended stays. He finished a disappointing 17th.

Brian Hoppe (Gildan Activewear Chevrolet), the defending race winner, and runner up in the Midwest Series point chase four of the last five years also got his season off to a disappointing start. A broken oil line started a fire under the hood of Hoppe's hot rod just 33 laps into the race. The fire sent Hoppe's car to the aid of his crew for an extended time and bought the driver a trip to the infield care center for a check up. Hoppe returned to the race but could only muster a 22nd place finish.

Eddie Hoffman (Appleton Rack and Pinion Chevrolet) is a two-time Rockford series winner. After finishing third in the championship chase in 2002, Hoffman and his team also had to be considered a title contender. But handling and apparent overheating woes netted the team just a 19th place finish.

Career Runs

With many of the series consistent front runners mired with trouble, that left the door open for different drivers to sniff the top-10. And many took advantage of the opportunity.

As we said, Way's sixth place run was by far his best series showing, but Fransen's fourth place also proved to be a career best.

Bryan Roach (Northern Racing Products Chevrolet), in just his second season of Midwest Series action, posted a seventh place showing. It was just his second top-10 run and career best.

After campaigning in five events in 2002 Mark Voigt (Bilstein Shocks Chevrolet) is making a full-time run at Victory Circle Chassis Rookie of the Year honors. He posted a career best ninth.

The Rookie Watch

Nine rookies are signed up to compete for the $5000 prize being put up by Victory Circle Chassis for the year-long top rookie.

Fransen was the top finishing first-year driver while Voigt also posted a stout run. Jeremy Lepak (U.S. Navy Chevrolet) posted a third place qualifying effort but got tangled up with Lemke in the early going and was relegated to a 13 place finish in the final run down.

Dan Bedard (Bedard Racing Chevrolet) kept his mount scratch free all day and brought it home 14th. After running a clean race Clint Bowyer (Sonic Drive In Chevrolet), the 2002 Midwest Regional champion in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series, got a rude introduction to the Midwest Series late in the running. Bowyer got tangled up in a multi-car, chain reaction incident and was relegated to a 15th place run.

Chris Bires (4 DC Angus Farms Chevrolet), a graduate of the Wisconsin Dells Motor Speedway, made his first series start and came home 16th. Dave Bean (Badger Environmental Chevrolet) fought an uncomfortable car all day and finished 18th. Second generation driver Kenny Richards (Wisconsin Dells Motor Speedway Chevrolet) won Saturday's last chance qualifier but got mixed up in a muti-car incident on lap four of the main event and set his efforts back. He recovered to finish 20th. A.J. Rhoads (Dakota Rhoades Masonry Chevrolet) was trapped in the same incident and labored on to a 21st place run.

This and That

Les Ferris (Ferris Racing Chevrolet) had a rear end go bad in the Friday night practice session. After working to make repairs for hours, Ferris and his team made it out for just a few laps at the end of Saturday's final practice session. With only a handful of laps under his belt, Ferris turned an impressive eighth quickest qualifying run. Engine woes troubled the Northfield, Minnesota driver and relegated Ferris to a 24th place finish in the main event..Way was hot and tired at the end of the Freund International 250. So hot and tired that when it was done he just wanted to get out of the car. In a hurry, Way gave himself a nice cut on the top of his head, while exiting his mount. Way needed a brief trip to the infield care center, but his pride ended up being wounded more than his head..Part-time series campaigner Doug Klein (Westpointe Bank Pontiac) had his best run in several years, a 10th place finish. Klein pointed out in a pre-race chat that after Rockford a new style Monte Carlo body would be put on his ride. Based on the number of wrinkled and missing body parts at the end of the day, waiting a week was probably a wise decision.

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