The
"Racing For Clean Air" Team Captain Andy Santerre
Clinches
3rd Championship Title With Top 5 Finish At Dover
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DOVER,
Del. – Dale Quarterley put his Dover International Speedway
failures of the past in the rear view mirror by winning Friday’s
MBNA America 150 as Andy Santerre locked up his third straight NASCAR
Grand National Division, Busch North Series title by finishing fifth.
Quarterley
dominated the 2001 running of this event, only to run short of fuel
and settle for sixth. In 2002, he regained two lost laps but never
got the caution flag he needed to contend for the win. It was his
second win of 2004 and the sixth of his career.
Quarterley
took the lead from the day’s dominant leader, Paul Wolfe,
with 29 of the scheduled 150 laps to run, and survived a pair of
late caution flags which extended the actual distance to 160 laps
around the “Monster Mile” to defeat Wolfe by 0.889
seconds. Eddie MacDonald took advantage of the late-race shuffling
to emerge third, while Mike Stefanik survived a last-lap crash to
take fourth ahead of Santerre. Sixth place Mike Gallo was the last
driver on |
the
lead lap. Jamie Aube, Tracy Gordon, Mike Olsen, and Ryan Seaman
were seventh through tenth, one laps down. Only 14 of the 28 starters
saw the checkered flag. Quarterley won $13,000 and averaged 97.959
miles per hour.
Santerre
almost joined the list of non-finishers on a lap 151 restart when
Ryan Moore failed to come up to speed, involving Santerre and Kelly
Moore in a front-straight melee. Both Moores were out, but Santerre
suffered only cosmetic damage and lost one spot. By finishing ahead
of Olsen he clinched the title with one race to go, joining Jamie
Aube (1988-1990) as a three-time Busch North Series champion.
A
series of accidents sent Joey McCarthy, Don Wagner, Bill Penfold,
Bryon Chew, and Brad Leighton to the garage as well as Ryan Moore
and Kelly Moore, but no injuries were reported.
Tim
Andrews won his first career Busch Pole but started at the tail
of the field after an engine change. He put on a stirring run through
the pack but blew his engine after 96 laps while running in the
top five. Ryan Seaman earned the PowerAde Power Move of the Race
Award for gaining 12 places from start to finish, while Jamie Aube
captured the Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award for improving
21 places over last Monday’s race at New Hampshire International
Speedway.
The
Busch North Series concludes its 2004 season next Saturday night
with the Trim Spa 150 at Wall Township Speedway in Wall, N.J.
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NASCAR
Busch North Series 2004 Top 5 Point Standings:
After
Race #13 at Dover Int'l Speedway, September 24, 2004.
| 1. |
2139 |
Andy
Santerre |
| 2. |
1933 |
Mike
Olsen |
| 3. |
1908 |
Dale
Quarterley |
| 4. |
1833 |
Kelly
Moore |
| 5. |
1824 |
Ryan
Moore |
More
Information at Nascar.com - >>
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