The  "Racing For Clean Air" Team Captain Andy Santerre
Continues to Lead Points With Top-10 Finish at Stafford
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STAFFORD SPRINGS, Conn. - The phrase "refuse to lose" was made popular by Jeff Gordon's Rainbow Warriors, but it perfectly describes Tom Carey's victory in Friday night's Carquest 150 NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series race at Stafford Motor Speedway. Twice in the final 30 laps Carey was passed by the formidable Martin Truex Jr., but both times he executed the turn one "bottom shot" to perfection and pulled away to win by .303 seconds.
Kelly Moore, who pitted along with his son Ryan Moore for tires at the one-third mark, charged back to third with Joey McCarthy fourth and Ryan Moore fifth. Mike Olsen, Dale Qurterley, Dave Dion, point leader Andy Santerre, and Mike Johnson completed the top ten.
Carey, who is running a limited schedule in 2003 for the Sta-Rite Pumps Chevrolet team,averaged 65.170 miles per hour and led 85
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laps on three occasions after qualifying fourth. Of the 30 starters, 27 were on the track at the checkered flag with amazing 19 on the lead lap. Six caution periods consumed 35 laps, with the last two giving Truex the opportunity to pass Carey briefly for the lead. Three drivers- Carey, Truex, and Santerre- traded the lead eight times.
Santerre's ninth place due to an unscheduled pit stop was his first finish outside the top two all season, but he maintained a healthy 80 point lead over Ryan Moore, who took over second in the standings. Truex was the Bud Pole winner, Kelly Moore copped the PowerAde Power Move of the Race Award for position improvement, and Ryan Moore was the Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Race for the fourth straight event. Carey's car owners, Dick Doyle and Tom Mahan, shared the Clevite Engine Builder of the Race Award.
The Busch North Series continues Saturday night June 28, with the Sunoco/Burnham Boilers 150 at Holland International Speedway in Holland, N.Y.
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