The
"Racing For Clean Air" Team Captain Andy Santerre
After cooling system problems were solved,
Andy came from the back of the pack to take 3rd place
at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway - June 8, 2002
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SCARBOROUGH,
Me. - Mike Johnson started outside the front row, took the lead
on the 19th lap, and won Saturday night's PTM Racing 150 at Beech
Ridge Motor Speedway without benefit of a pit stop. Choosing track
position over fresh tires, he avoided a series of incidents behind
him to win his first Busch North Series, NASCAR Touring race of
the season, and the first for a Ford Taurus in 2002. It was the
fourth win of his career and his second at Beech Ridge.
Johnson became the fifth different winner in five races, which have
also produced five track qualifying records and five races sent
into overtime to achieve the green flag finish required by Busch
North Series rules. Busch North Series point leader Matt Kobyluck
made a late charge to grab second, extending his margin to 58 points,
while Maine natives Andy Santerre and Kelly Moore were third and
fourth. Eddie MacDonald scored his first top-five finish after holding
second until two laps remained, while Brad Leighton recovered from
a late-race spin to capture sixth. Dave Dion, Dale Quarterley, Tracy
Gordon, and Gary Shackford completed the top ten. A total of 13
cars were on the lead lap, with 24 of 30 starters running at the
finish.
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Johnson averaged just 40.783 miles per hour as six caution periods
consumed 62 laps. The only lead change came when Johnson swept past
Moore in the early laps. He immediately pulled away and spent the
middle stages on self-described "cruise control", opening
a lead of nearly half a lap during a 50-lap green flag run. The
closing laps were punctuated by accidents that eliminated the cars
of Jerod Robie, Carey Heath, and Robbie Harrison, while destroying
the chances of good finishes for Bill Penfold, Bryon Chew, and Martin
Truex Jr. An earlier chain-reaction tangle on a restart put defending
champion Mike Olsen and Bryan Wall many laps behind. No injuries
were reported in any of the incidents.
Brian Hoar won his first career Bud Pole Award with a record lap
in 15.402 seconds, a speed of 77.912 miles per hour. Hoar redrew
fourth in the lineup but spun out early in the race and finished
15th. Johnson was the overwhelming winner of the Gatorade Front
Runner Award, leading 133 laps. Gary Shackford enjoyed the best
day of his three-race-old Busch North Series career, gaining his
first top-ten finish, his second Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Race honor,
and the Flowmaster Star of the Race Award for improving 18 positions
from start to finish.
Unofficially, Kobyluck's fifth consecutive top-five finish gives
him 830 points to 772 for Leighton. Despite a 17th place result
at Beech Ridge, Dale Shaw is third with 729, followed by Santerre
with 718 and Penfold with 703.The Busch North Series takes a week
off before resuming at Stafford Motor Speedway on Friday, June 21.
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Click
to enlarge picture of Andy racing at Beech Ridge!
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NASCAR
Busch North Series 2002 Top 5 Point Standings:
After
Race #5, June 8, 2002
| 1. |
830 |
Matt
Kobyluck |
| 2. |
772 |
Brad
Leighton |
| 3. |
729 |
Dale Shaw |
| 4. |
718 |
Andy
Santerre |
| 5. |
703 |
Bill
Penfold |
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