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| Payback
Time For Santerre In Busch North Victory At Holland |
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| 7/1/2002 In perhaps the most exciting NASCAR Busch North Series event held at Holland Speedway since the series began making its annual stop in 1987, Andy Santerre did not crumble. Santerre used heady driving, a strong-running car, intense sheet-metal rubbing and even that old racing practice of payback to record his first victory at Holland, winning the Gernatt 150 on Saturday night in front of 10,000 fans. "It was a tough race," said the native of Harrisburg, N.C., who became the first repeat winner in seven Busch North events in 2002. "We all battled early on, and we all knew that our tires would go away because NASCAR wouldn't let us change tires here tonight because there is no pit road here to speak of. It was a good call on NASCAR's part . . . so we knew we were going to take care of the tires." While Santerre took the lead for good on lap 110 from Brad Leighton of Center Harbor, N.H., it was a pass for the top spot earlier in the race that most will remember. Santerre was leading during a restart on lap 72 following the race's fourth caution period when he was overtaken by Kelly Moore of Scarborough, Maine. As Santerre was attempting to pass Moore on the outside on the front stretch during the 73rd lap, Moore moved up, forcing Santerre to scrape the wall. On lap 75, Santerre hit Moore twice on his rear bumper on the backstretch and then gave Moore a harder tap in the third turn, forcing Moore out of the racing groove. Santerre shot into the lead, with BNS points leader Matt Kobyluck following through for second. Moore recovered to get third. "It was a little bit rough out there tonight at times," Santerre said. "Kelly got by me, and then I tried to get back by him and he got me in the wall. So I gave him a "thank you' over there in Turn Three. I don't like doing that, but I don't like going in the wall, either. I just race the way they want to race, but I'm not just going to take getting put into the wall. It just won't happen." Moore said an error on his part led to the contact with Santerre. "I moved up on him a little too quick," Moore said. "I thought I had him cleared and I wasn't quite clear of him, and we were racing hard. I about wrecked myself. He was in the right and I was in the wrong. It's hard to run here with these 3,100-pound cars and not touch each other once in a while." Santerre's win was his 12th career Busch North triumph, and he recorded his fifth top-five result of the season in seven starts. It was Santerre's first appearance at Holland since 1997. His previous best at Holland was a second in 1996. Martin Truex Jr., of Mayetta, N.J., won the fast time award, hitting a Holland Busch North record lap of 14.373 seconds on the three-eighths mile oval. Truex started fourth after the top four time trailers were inverted for the start of the Gernatt 150. Local runners Troy Williams and Vern Bliss finished 21st and 22nd, respectively, in the 26-car field. Winners of midseason championship races Friday at Freedom Raceway were: Dan Bennett, Super Sprints; Wayne Adamczak, Super Stocks; Greg Oakes, Modifieds; Tony Witter, Street Stocks; and Josh Wilcox, Mini Stocks. Genesee Speedway victors Saturday were: Pat Vigneri, DIRT Sportsman; Jim Johnson, Super Stocks; Beamer Guzzardi, DIRT Pro Stocks; Cary Pangrazio, Street Stocks; and Mike Howard, Mini Stocks. Saturday's winners at Wyoming County were Art Clark (late model), Rich Thomas (modifieds), Dave Krawczyk (street stocks), Brian Gordon (pure stocks), Dan Hoag (four-cylider superstocks). Fans are reminded that special Fourth of July shows this week include the New York State Race of Champions Modified Tour 50 at Lancaster Motorsports Park at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Little Valley features the Empire Sports Network Pro Stock Tour and Super Late Models at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Holland showcases its NASCAR Weekly Racing Series by Dodge at 6 p.m. Thursday. |
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Click HERE to view this article at buffalonews.com Click HERE to view the pre-race article from the Buffalo News, June 27
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