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Post by thunder98 on Feb 1, 2020 21:29:56 GMT -5
Race 17: Diehard Shootout at Heartland Park; Topeka, Kansas; August 22nd, 1998 CHARLES HEARTBROKEN, FOWLER EARNS FIRST WINBy Nick Johnson/NASCAR.com - August 23rd, 1998TOPEKA, KS - After a line of showers wiped away the rubber from the road course at Heartland Park, the crews began track drying at 7:00 Saturday morning and were able to get the circuit dry enough to race on in time for the start of prerace ceremonies. Rookie J.R. Fowler earned his series-high third pole of the season and led the field to green alongside championship contender Jimbo Bailey. As the field fanned out going down into turn one, Fowler was able to escape with the lead as a competition caution waved on lap ten to check for tire wear. The running order didn't change on the restart as the field jostled for position for a handful of laps before it was single-file until the halfway caution on lap 30. In an attempt to shake things up, Robby Anderson took just right side tires on his stop and took the lead from eighth place. Unfortunately, his stop was a little too fast as Anderson felt a vibration on the right rear wheel, forcing him into the pits on lap 33 with what turned out to be a loose wheel missing a lugnut. "We've been in a bit of a slump since finishing second at Bristol so we thought we'd try something here since nobody's able to pass two laps after the restart. The 17 and 99 showed us why four tires are better than two and going into the bus stop on that lap I started feeling that wheel vibrate and radioed it in to the crew. It sucks, but sometimes you just gotta gamble." Anderson stated postrace after finishing 24th. After claiming more discomfort following the Daytona test, doctors at Halifax Medical Hospital in Daytona Beach revealed that Neil Charles had also torn his left labrum after his Bristol crash. Charles underwent surgery Tuesday morning, leaving his nephew Beau to test the #17 Pontiac at the track. Neil had felt well enough to qualify fourth and start the race but got out of the car during the pit stop under the halfway caution, having Beau get back into the car and restart from the fourth position and drove like a scolded dog as he passed Jimbo Bailey for third before the start/finish line, passed J.R. Fowler on the outside in turn three, and blew past Robby Anderson coming down the frontstretch into turn one before leading 28 laps and accumulating a 13 and a half second lead over J.R. Fowler on the last lap before everything fell apart on the frontstretch. With the checkered flag in the starter's hand, Beau Charles ran out of fuel coming through the final turn and was forced onto pit road, leaving J.R. Fowler to race past and claim his first career NASCAR All Pro Southeast Series victory from pole position and leading 30 laps. "We all thought Beau had this race in the bag. I heard on my radio that we weren't gonna catch him, to focus on our pace and save if we can. I was coming to that left hander before the bridge and on the radio, I'm hearing, 'HE'S OUT! BEAU'S OUT! GO, GO, GO, GO!' being blasted into my ear and I saw him in the pits as I came back down the frontstraight with my foot to the floor coming to the flag. I can't believe we managed to win this race though. We had an awesome car with dad's setup from last year, qualified on pole and ran out front, but Beau's car was just dialed-in for that second half of the race. Reminds me of how dad won here last year after Chad [Moon]'s misfortune." Fowler would say in victory lane as he celebrated alongside his father Roger, who won this race one year ago after Chad Moon led 48 laps and lost a gearbox just past the Goodyear bridge with only 12 laps remaining. Leroy Gardner would wind up finishing second, Shawn Fontaine had an excellent rebound race as he finished third with Damian Washington in fourth, and Ron Snyder rounding out the top five. Coming to two laps to go several cars began diving onto pit road for a splash of fuel, including the likes of Jimbo Bailey, Colin Howard, Sammy Moore, Troy Pearson, Kurt Collins, and Tim Foster, Jr. on lap 58, then Mark Ryder, Derek Hawkins, and Jason Sullivan on lap 59 before Beau Charles coasted into the pits all alone on the final lap with the checkered flag in sight. Charles's pit stall was the one just before the start/finish line and wound up seventh. After bringing the car back around after the cooldown lap and stopping in his stall, Beau unbuckled from his safety belts and HANS device, placed his arms on top of the steering wheel, rested his head against them, and sat there before banging the top of the dashboard in frustration after seeing victory escape his grasp. With a reddened face of anger and sorrow after climbing out of the car, the 26-year old was comforted by his father and crew chief Steve and his uncle Neil. After some time passed, other drivers came over to commend Charles on the clinic he put on throughout the second half of the race. "Beau's frustration is only a natural reaction to an unfortunate situation as this. He did an amazing job once he got into the car and spanked the field on that restart. Neil and I are both very proud of him and hope he will hold his head high going into Louisville next week. As for Neil, doctors said that his surgery went well and should be completely recovered by Halloween, so we'll have Beau keep filling in at halftime or earlier if Neil needs it. He hasn't said anything about retiring but the way Beau's been running, it's gonna be hard to keep him out of the car if Neil can go the distance at Langley in November." Steve Charles said to reporters. The caution only waved twice during the race; for the competition caution at lap ten and the halfway caution at lap 30. But following the race, drivers were critical of the event as several drivers ran out of fuel before the end. Some drivers are protesting that the race distance should be shortened from 60 laps to 50 to combat the issue, others are saying that the name of the race should be changed also. "You know it's ridiculous when the kid that's fixing to win the race runs out with only a straightaway left." Kurt Collins was quoted after the race. "They call it the Diehard Shootout but it's anything but. They should just call it a challenge or the 200k, something a bit more accurate." Jimbo Bailey would add as series director Dean Goodman did see issues arising with the long green flag runs this race produced. "Normally during this race we see cars slip and slide off the track in turn five or break down in the later stages of this race to bring cautions out, but after what we've seen today we're definitely going to work towards shortening this event for next year. This isn't a series where fuel conservation should be in your vocabulary." Goodman said in his postrace press conference. In addition to what Bailey said about this race not being a shootout, the official time of the race was one hour, forty-two minutes, and twelve seconds which made it the third-longest race of the year behind Myrtle Beach (1:45:09) and Martinsville (1:53:31). While most races take less than 90 minutes, the series still has their longest race of the year coming up with the All-American 400 at Nashville where last year's race was run in just over two and a half hours. But much to everyone's surprise, all 31 cars started and finished this race, a feat that has not been done since the 1994 Winn Dixie 150 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. With a win in his pocket and several championship contenders having issues, J.R. Fowler's points lead grows to 34 over Jimbo Bailey with eight races to go. Ryan Fisher sits third in the standings by 48 points while Damian Washington and Tim Foster, Jr. are tied for fourth, both 50 points behind. There's no rest for this series as teams load up and head out to Louisville Motor Speedway for the Meijer 200 on August 28th. It was this very race that kicked off Tim Foster, Jr.'s championship run after the race was called due to rain 127 laps into the event. Drivers will hope for dryer skies as they race under the lights with $40,000 on the line in the final race of the inaugural Summer Nights Showdown. Robby Anderson, Jimbo Bailey, and Colin Howard are currently the three drivers in the money but one bad race could give someone else like Richie Howard, Kurt Collins, or Leroy Gardner a shot at a potential payday. TNN will bring the coverage of the Meijer 200 starting at 6:30pm eastern time. Lap LeadersJ.R. Fowler - 30 Beau Charles - 28 Robby Anderson - 2 Contingency AwardsBud Pole Award: J.R. Fowler (83.998 sec /88.717 mph) Safety Kleen Front Runner: J.R. Fowler (30 of 60 laps) Gatorade Hard Charger: Damian Washington (+19, Started 23rd, Finished 4th) Ron Snyder (+19, Started 24th, Finished 5th) Jiffy Lube Hot Lap: Richie Howard (89.553 sec/83.213 mph) Raybesto’s Rookie of the Race: J.R. Fowler (Finished 1st) Race ResultsPoints Standings |
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Post by thunder98 on Feb 3, 2020 18:51:51 GMT -5
Race 18: Meijer 200 at Louisville Motor Speedway; Louisville, Kentucky; August 28th, 1998 CHARLES HEARTBROKEN AGAIN, GARDNER GETS LONG-AWAITED FIRST WINBy Nick Johnson/NASCAR.com - August 29th, 1998LOUISVILLE, KY - In what was one of the most anticipated races of the 1998 NASCAR All Pro Southeast Series season, the veteran Neil Charles managed to put his #17 Grand Home Furnishings Pontiac on the pole with Derek Hawkins to his outside. Derek managed to lead the first lap before issues later in the running left him finishing 27th, six laps down. From lap two onward, all eyes were on that blue and white #17 as Neil Charles led the remaining 99 laps of the first half of the race before the halfway caution and having his nephew Beau once again climb into the car during the pit stop. But it would be a replay of last week at Heartland Park as Beau led 98 laps before losing the lead to Leroy Gardner of all drivers on a late-race restart as the Kingsport, Tennessee native finally broke through after 228 races and won his first career All Pro Southeast Series race after starting 12th to a mixed reaction from the crowd; half pulling for Beau to get that redeeming victory after the Topeka heartbreak, the other half pulling for the veteran doused to the eyes on bad luck in recent years. Gardner was absolutely ecstatic in victory lane as he celebrated with his crew while Charles was left shaking his head inside his car though looked more composed than he was a week ago. "After all this team has been through over the last two years, this all feels way too good to be true. All the crashes, blown engines, broken parts, and beaten up race cars, this win is exactly what we were looking for and I hope this good luck stays with us 'cause we're long overdue. I hate it for Beau and Neil, they ran awesome halves to this race, but I had to take that inside with two to go. That's just racing. If he's able to, I hope Neil puts him in a car next year or lets someone give him a shot." Gardner stated in his victory lane interview shortly before the fans at the track erupted as Beau Charles was interviewed. "I don't know what to say, I really don't. We had an amazing car, led a lot of laps, I let my guard down, and Leroy managed to scoot along past for the win. It's my fault, shoulda known better, and that's just something for me to keep in mind when we head to Memphis. But thank you all so much for the support, it means everything to my family, and hopefully third time's the charm!" The dejected Charles stated before giving a wave to the crowd who seemed to take a liking to the 26-year old ex-crew member. Surprisingly, the caution only waved twice during the Meijer 200 beginning with the halfway caution on lap 100 but the second caution is what got fans to their seats on lap 189 as fourth-place driver Damian Washington spun Jimbo Bailey into the infield on the backstretch only to come back up, make contact with Kris Holloway's door, and spin the #32 Pontiac into the outside wall. Bailey was a lap down in 12th at the time and led to a confrontation following the race where Bailey accused Washington of intentional payback after their run-in at IRP, to which Washington admitted to it as both drivers got physical and were forcibly separated by race officials. "You're damn right I took that bastard out! He wants to run me into the wall, push me along, and spin me out? He's lucky spinning him across my nose was the worst thing I did! He ain't winning this championship, I'll make sure of that!" A heated Washington stated after the interview as both drivers were docked fifteen driver points for the physical altercation and placed on probation until the end of the year. "Yeah I knew I had it coming after Indy but in the heat of the moment, I just lost it. I wasn't setting a good example for my kids or the fans and I'm disappointed in myself. All I can do is just put this behind me and move on." Bailey would say after having a moment to cool down. Despite finishing in 22nd place, Robby Anderson would win the inaugural Summer Nights Showdown with an average finish of 8.33 which awards a sweet $40,000 payday that could prove to be useful in helping his team going forward. Colin Howard wound up second at 9.33 and would earn $25,000 while Jimbo Bailey would finish third with an average finish of 9.5 and a $12,500 bonus that would not be stripped by NASCAR following his altercation. Race-winner Leroy Gardner finished fourth with an average finish of 10.83. After suffering from a failing fuel pump at the halfway point in the race, J.R. Fowler's points lead has dwindled to 23 over Ryan Fisher with Jimbo Bailey falling to third after postrace penalties leave him 33 points behind, Tim Foster, Jr. 37 points behind in fourth, and Damian Washington rounding out the top five 41 points back after his penalty was enforced. For race-winner Leroy Gardner it could be too late for a late-season push for the series championship as he sits 15th in points, 103 markers behind. Despite heartbreak for a second consecutive race, Beau Charles has managed to get his uncle Neil up to tenth in the standings, 69 points back with at least a chance at attending the banquet at the end of the season. With summer turning into fall, the Southeast series moves on to Memphis for the Kroger 150 on September 12th. ASA driver Mike Eddy won this race a year ago but with no ASA drivers in this year's race, all eyes will be on Leroy Gardner who led the most laps in finished second in the race to Eddy. TNN will bring the coverage starting at 12:30pm eastern time. Lap LeadersNeil & Beau Charles - 197 Leroy Gardner - 2 Derek Hawkins - 1 Contingency AwardsBud Pole Award: Neil Charles (15.338 sec/103.273 mph) Safety Kleen Front Runner: Neil & Beau Charles (197 of 200 laps) Gatorade Hard Charger: Damian Washington (+24, Started 28th, Finished 4th) Jiffy Lube Hot Lap: Colin Howard (15.337 sec/103.28 mph) Raybesto’s Rookie of the Race: Colin Howard (Finished 9th) Race ResultsPoints Standings |
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Post by thunder98 on Feb 4, 2020 23:23:03 GMT -5
Race 19: Kroger 150 at Memphis Motorsports Park; Memphis, Tennessee, September 12th, 1998 FOWLER WINS AS ROOKIES TAKE FOUR OF TOP FIVEBy Nick Johnson/NASCAR.com - September 13th, 1998MEMPHIS, TN - As we reach the home stretch of this 1998 NASCAR All Pro Southeast Series season, 32 drivers lined up for the Kroger 150 at Memphis Motorsports Park under sunny still summer skies as temperatures reached the upper 80s across western Tennessee. Keith Norton became the 15th different driver to win a pole this season, tying the amount from last season with now six races to go with Summer Nights Showdown winner Robby Anderson to his outside. Norton would lead five laps before J.R. Fowler went past on the inside as he and Anderson would swap the lead until the first caution that saw Ryan Fisher beat everybody out of the pits and take the lead. Anderson would lead 26 laps and finish sixth while Fisher would only lead eight laps before coming to pit road on the ensuing caution before having trouble later and finishing 28th, giving the lead to Becky Conway who would lead a race-high 52 laps before winding up 11th. But in the end, J.R. Fowler managed to hold off fellow rookie Shawn Fontaine to grab his second win of the season and extend his points lead as most of his fellow championship contenders had issues throughout the day. Ryan Fisher wound up 28th as stated earlier, Damian Washington ended up 14th, Tim Foster, Jr. was forced into the pits with two laps to go and finished 23rd, and Jimbo Bailey ran into the back of a suddenly-stopping Trent Blanchard under an early caution that forced him to drop out of the race and finish 31st. It was truly a rookie's day out as four of the top five finishers were rookies led by race-winner J.R. Fowler, runner-up Shawn Fontaine, Grant Culpepper in third, and Colin Howard in fifth. Jason Sullivan finished fourth while leading 19 laps after the halfway caution. Caution Report presented by Mr. Goodwrench: Six cautions for 30 laps. Caution 1 - Lap 38: Derek Hawkins loses a header and stops on the frontstretch. Note: Most of the leaders pitted under this caution, allowing Neil Charles to get out of the car and let Beau drive. Caution 2 - Lap 46: Caleb McDonald slightly locks up his brakes, slides up into Mike Palmer and pushes him up the track where Trent Blanchard hooks Palmer's right rear and sends him head-on into the turn one wall. Caution 3 - Lap 75: Halfway caution. Caution 4 - Lap 93: Colin Howard clips the right rear of Sammy Moore, sends him into the left rear of Ryan Fisher's car, and all three hit the outside wall in turn three. Caution 5 - Lap 99: After getting aero tight thanks to Troy Pearson, Adam Coleman smacks the turn two wall, comes down across Trent Blanchard's nose, is sent into the inside wall on the backstretch, and spins back up the track. Caution 6 - Lap 115: Kurt Collins gets tight in turn two, clipping Beau Charles's left rear and sends both cars into the backstretch grass. Nobody hits anything but Collins comes up and gets hit in the right rear by Ryan Fisher, sending the 60 into Richie Howard as all three cars collide in turn three. With his second win of the year now, J.R. Fowler leads by 50 points over Ryan Fisher, 55 over Damian Washington, and 60 over Robby Anderson and Tim Foster, Jr. who are tied for fourth. Next week's race could prove to be troublesome for the rookie as the series moves on to South Boston Speedway for the All Pro Auto Parts 250 under the lights on September 19th. It was in that race a year ago that Roger Fowler's hopes for an eighth championship began to crumble when an oil pump failed on his car while Chad Moon went on to take the win. TNN will bring the coverage starting at 6:30pm eastern time. Lap LeadersBecky Conway - 52 J.R. Fowler - 40 Robby Anderson - 26 Jason Sullivan - 19 Keith Norton - 5 Contingency AwardsBud Pole Award: Keith Norton (23.631 sec/114.257 mph) Safety Kleen Front Runner: Becky Conway (52 of 150 laps) Gatorade Hard Charger: Chad Moon (+17, Started 26th, Finished 9th) Jiffy Lube Hot Lap: Becky Conway (23.556 sec/114.621 mph) Raybesto’s Rookie of the Race: J.R. Fowler (Finished 1st) Race ResultsPoints Standings |
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Post by thunder98 on Feb 10, 2020 0:29:12 GMT -5
Race 20: All Pro Auto Parts 250 at South Boston Speedway; South Boston, Virginia; September 19th, 1998 FONTAINE OUTLASTS SNYDER FOR THIRD WIN OF '98By Nick Johnson/NASCAR.com - September 20th, 1998SOUTH BOSTON, VA - With summer now turning into fall, the mood in the NASCAR All Pro Southeast Series garage has changed as teams prepared for the final few races of this 1998 season as 31 cars took to South Boston Speedway for the running of the All Pro Auto Parts 250 on Saturday night as Damian Washington earned his second pole of the season with Caleb McDonald starting second, his best career qualifying effort. Washington would lead the first lap before Ryan Fisher took the lead on lap two and went on to lead 23 laps with rookie Colin Howard leading 90 laps throughout the night. The crowd came to their feet on laps 57 and 89 when two-time series champion Neil Charles passed Howard on the bottom and led nine laps before Howard led the field to the halfway caution on lap 125 with Chad Moon, Charles, Gary Campbell, and Leroy Gardner rounded out the top five as the teams maneuvered around the tight dual pit roads which shuffled up the running order leaving Shawn Fontaine as the race leader. Drivers up towards the front, with the exception of Campbell who restarted fifth and Gardner in third, lost the lead lap because of issues on pit road as points leader J.R. Fowler restarted 19th, Colin Howard in 20th, and polesitter Damian Washington in 22nd off the lead lap while Chad Moon restarted in 11th and Beau Charles in 17th, the last car on the lead lap. "The pits here really are the pits. They're too tight for this many cars to be racing at once like someone shrunk Bristol and took the banking away." J.R. Fowler said after the race as he finished 14th after starting sixth. This race was oddly clean compared to past races at South Boston as the halfway caution was the lone caution of the race, leaving cars to endure long green flag runs which affected handling on some cars while others couldn't endure the distance and suffered mechanical problems. Becky Conway lost a piston just before halfway and finished 30th, Kris Holloway's ignition failed shortly after the restart and finished 29th, defending series champion and three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Tim Foster, Jr. also lost a piston on lap 149 winding up 28th, Alan Dudley lost his brakes and Scotty Hayes blew an engine with only a handful of laps remaining, finishing 27th and 25th respectively. "It's been frustrating on the southeast side of things these past couple of months since we won Charlotte but all we can do is just try to push forward and give these last five races our best." A disappointed Foster stated as since his Charlotte win, the 1997 series champion only has two top-ten finishes with a lot of bad luck as his good fortune seems to have gone to his truck. For a while it seemed Shawn Fontaine was on cruise control heading to victory lane without any opposition but difficulty navigating lapped traffic allowed Ron Snyder to close the gap on Fontaine and even take the lead with 13 laps remaining before Fontaine rallied back and passed Snyder back for the lead coming to the white flag, holding off the Asheville, North Carolina native en route to his series-high third win of the season after starting back in 15th place and leading a race-high 111 of 250 laps. "For a while I was starting to lose it with these lapped cars not getting out of the way and after Rob [Snyder] got around me, my crew chief told me to try to relax, breathe, and focus on getting the lead back. We had a hell of a car throughout the second half of the race and I can't thank the guys at Dodge enough for giving me a car capable of closing the gap in the championship. Hopefully we can make a run at J.R. [Fowler] in these last few races." Fontaine said in victory lane as he now sits second in the standings by 45 points. When we said that the long green flag runs could change a car, it seemed nobody had a better car than Beau Charles as the 26-year old restarted 17th and worked his way up to fifth by the time the checkered flag fell. In the weeks since Bristol where he has filled in for his uncle Neil during the halfway caution, especially at Heartland Park and Louisville, it seems the rookie has gained a following of fans calling themselves "Beau's Peeps" which applauded the substitute driver's climb through the field en route to said fifth-place finish. "It's awesome that I've managed to get fans to like me this quickly and I hope they stick by our side when Uncle Neil goes the distance at Langley." Beau stated after the race as doctors say Neil should be completely recovered from labrum repair surgery before the Naturally Fresh Foods 200 at Langley Speedway in November, the second-to-last race of the season. But for now the plan for the Charles clan will stay the same for the next three races; Beau practices, Neil qualifies and starts the race, Beau gets in at halfway and finishes. Or in the case of the All American 400 at Nashville in mid-October; change drivers at their earliest convenience. With Tim Foster, Jr. looking like he will go full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series next season and leaving the #4 Pontiac vacant, fans wonder if team owner Tim Foster, Sr. will sign Beau on to run the car though it doesn't appear likely. "Beau has shown he's got talent, but if Junior doesn't come back to this car next year, odds are Citgo is going with him which just leaves us with Meijer for two races if I decide on fielding the car. The 4's been in my family for three generations but I don't know how things are gonna play out." The senior Foster said in a phone interview as other fans hypothesize that Beau could be in a second car for the Charles family organization to which no Charles family member would comment on. With just five races to go in the season, rookies J.R. Fowler and Shawn Fontaine sit at the top of the points standings separated by 45 points with Kurt Collins sitting 57 points back in third, Ryan Fisher 58 points behind in fourth, and Damian Washington rounding out the top five as he's 60 points back. The series is on the move again as we head to our only repeat stop on the tour at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway for the Tyson Holly Farms 200 on September 26th. ESPN2 will bring the coverage starting at 1:00pm eastern time. Lap LeadersShawn Fontaine - 111 Colin Howard - 90 Ryan Fisher - 23 Ron Snyder - 11 Neil Charles - 9 Trent Blanchard - 4 Damian Washington - 1 Gary Campbell - 1 Contingency AwardsBud Pole Award: Damian Washington (16.76 sec/85.919 mph) Safety Kleen Front Runner: Shawn Fontaine (111 of 250 laps) Gatorade Hard Charger: Ron Snyder (+22, Started 24th, Finished 2nd) Leroy Gardner (+22, Started 26th, Finished 4th) Jiffy Lube Hot Lap: J.R. Fowler (16.680 sec/86.331 mph) Raybesto’s Rookie of the Race: Shawn Fontaine (Finished 1st) Race ResultsPoints Standings |
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Post by thunder98 on Feb 10, 2020 22:44:39 GMT -5
Race 21: Tyson Holly Farms 200 at North Wilkesboro Speedway; North Wilkesboro, North Carolina; September 26th, 1998 FISHER DOMINATES FOR FIRST WIN OF '98By Nick Johnson/NASCAR.com - September 27th, 1998NORTH WILKESBORO, NC - After the chaotic race the NASCAR All Pro Southeast Series ran here at North Wilkesboro in the spring race, NASCAR officials had Goodyear bring a new tire to the track that helped drivers with the handling of their cars by gripping the track better rather than sliding around into each other and making stopping rather difficult. As a result, Ryan Fisher took the pole with a 21.045 second lap, a full second slower than this race one year ago and six tenths slower than the spring race. Jimbo Bailey would start on the outside pole but once the green flag dropped, Ryan Fisher looked like he got shot out of a cannon as he completely whipped this field by leading 198 of 200 laps and winning the Tyson Holly Farms 200, his first win of the season and sitting pretty in third place in the points standings. Richie Howard would finish second after managing to lead a lap, Ron Snyder finished third, Becky Conway finished fourth, and Shawn Fontaine rounded out the top five. Points leader J.R. Fowler finished sixth and was the only other driver to lead a lap in this race. "I'd say this tire Goodyear brought definitely helped us not slip and slide into each other like pinballs but at the same time, it was pretty easy to hold the lead against Derek [Hawkins] and Richie [Howard]. I don't know if there's anything they can do to help let us get runs off the corner and set up a pass but all in all, the racing here today was pretty similar to what we've had here in the past." Fisher would say in victory lane. Caution Report presented by Mr. Goodwrench: Three cautions for 15 laps. Caution 1 - Lap 100: Halfway caution. Caution 2 - Lap 155: Jason Sullivan blows an engine and gets spun by Colin Howard on the backstretch. Caution 3 - Lap 183: Kurt Collins suffers electrical issues and stalls near the apron in turn four. Others cars to have mechanical troubles include Caleb McDonald who dropped a valve after 50 laps, being relegated to a last-place (31st) finish and Troy Pearson who lost a piston after 59 laps, left to finish 30th after starting a promising ninth. With his sixth-place finish and lap led bonus, J.R. Fowler maintains his 45-point advantage over Shawn Fontaine with race-winner Ryan Fisher making up some ground moving up from fourth to third now 47 points back, Damian Washington holds onto the fourth spot 66 points back, and there's a tie for fifth in the standings between Kurt Collins and Jimbo Bailey, both drivers 71 points behind with only four races to go in the season. Next week the series moves on to Concord, North Carolina for the Greased Lightning 200 at Concord Motorsports Park under the lights once again as Speedvision will carry the coverage beginning at 7:00pm eastern time. Lap LeadersRyan Fisher - 198 Richie Howard - 1 J.R. Fowler - 1 Contingency AwardsBud Pole Award: Ryan Fisher (21.045 sec/106.914 mph) Safety Kleen Front Runner: Ryan Fisher (198 of 200 laps) Gatorade Hard Charger: Leroy Gardner (+19, Started 26th, Finished 7th) Jiffy Lube Hot Lap: Tim Foster, Jr. (20.9 sec/107.656 mph) Raybesto’s Rookie of the Race: Shawn Fontaine (Finished 5th) Race ResultsPoints Standings |
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Post by thunder98 on Feb 16, 2020 0:05:18 GMT -5
Race 22: Greased Lightning 200 at Concord Motorsports Park; Concord, North Carolina; October 3rd, 1998 CONWAY EARNS FIRST CAREER WINBy Nick Johnson/NASCAR.com - October 4th, 1998CONCORD, NC - The NASCAR All Pro Southeast Series can be considered one of the most diversified racing divisions in American history and last night was a perfect example as Kernersville, North Carolina's Becky Conway became the first woman to win a southeast series race since Lynn Tomlinson back in 1987 when she pulled away from Robby Anderson and Ryan Fisher by nearly three and a half seconds in her 66th career series start. Conway started 17th and worked her way up to fourth by the time of the halfway caution on lap 100 and her pit crew had an excellent stop, helping the 24-year old gain two spots and restart second behind rookie Colin Howard. Conway took the lead on lap 113 to a standing ovation, led 88 laps, and never looked back despite a late challenge from Robby Anderson and Ryan Fisher, both of whom closed in while Conway was dealing with lapped traffic. "I've been waiting for this day, or night I guess, to come for almost three years now, holy crap... We've come so close in the past but now that we finally had one go our way, I better find some friends or else this trophy's gonna be pretty lonely on the shelf! But y'know, a sponsor on this car would be just as good!" Conway said in victory lane as this win moved her up in the points standings from 16th to 14th, now sitting 99 points behind leader J.R. Fowler as Ryan Fisher, Robby Anderson, Colin Howard, and Trent Blanchard rounded out the top five. Mark Ryder started second to Colin Howard and had a dominant racecar for the first half of this race, leading a race-high 96 laps before a pit road blunder dropped him off the lead lap and relegated him to a 17th-place finish, the first car one lap down. Ryder was penalized for carrying equipment out of the box when the jack was stuck under the car upon completion of the stop. "I hate it for everybody that worked hard on this car but I was ready to go when the jack dropped. Sucks that we got stuck back in traffic and the car's handling just changed completely being that far back. We weren't getting another stop tonight so all I could do was ride it out. But we got a hell of a winner tonight, didn't we?" Ryder commented postrace, referring to Conway who received praise in postrace comments from drivers and had several competitors congratulate her in victory lane. Caution Report presented by Mr. Goodwrench: Three cautions for 15 laps. Caution 1 - Lap 100: Halfway caution. Caution 2 - Lap 105: Ron Snyder turns J.R. Fowler into the inside wall coming out of turn one, causing the Dollar General Chevrolet to spin back across the track and get hit by Snyder and several other cars. Fowler was forced to drop out of the race and finish last (29th), putting quite a dent in his championship lead. Caution 3 - Lap 135: Leroy Gardner hooks Derek Hawkins going into turn three, causing both cars to spin. After crashing out of the race on lap 105, J.R. Fowler walked over to Ron Snyder's pit stall and had some harsh words to Snyder's crew chief before walking off back to the garage as his points lead has shrunk by more than half with only three races remaining in the season. "It's bullshit is what it is. Ron's out there on my ass on the restart like I'm leading on the last lap and ruins our night. I mean, it's lap 1-0-5, not 200!" An irritated Fowler said after confronting Snyder's team. Ryan Fisher sits second in the standings by 20 points with Shawn Fontaine 41 points back in third spot, Damian Washington in fourth by 44 points, and Robby Anderson rounding out the top five sitting 50 points behind. 22 races down and only three remain in this 1998 season as the next stop on the schedule is the biggest race of the season; the All-American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds on October 18th. The ASA boys will be back in town to compete with the series regulars for the final time this season and hope to make it four years in a row that an ASA driver won this race as 1997 ASA Champion Kevin Cywinski won a year ago and Bob Senneker won back-to-back All American 400s in 1995 and 1996. Not only is this the last day race of the season (weather pending) but it'll also be the last time TNN brings the coverage this season as the broadcast starts at noon eastern time. Lap LeadersMark Ryder - 96 Becky Conway - 88 Colin Howard - 12 Damian Washington - 4 Contingency AwardsBud Pole Award: Colin Howard (17.698 sec/101.707 mph) Safety Kleen Front Runner: Mark Ryder (96 of 200 laps) Gatorade Hard Charger: Gary Campbell (+17, Started 27th, Finished 10th) Jiffy Lube Hot Lap: Becky Conway (17.351 sec/103.741 mph) Raybesto’s Rookie of the Race: Colin Howard (Finished 4th) Race ResultsPoints Standings |
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Post by thunder98 on Feb 18, 2020 4:51:19 GMT -5
Race 23: All American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds; Nashville, Tennessee; 10/18/1998 CONWAY MAKES IT TWO-IN-A-ROW
By Nick Johnson/NASCAR.com - October 19th, 1998NASHVILLE, TN - On October 9th, Becky Conway's team welcomed southeast Burger King franchisees to their #95 Pontiac in a sponsorship deal for the remaining three races of the 1998 All Pro Southeast Series with corporate eyes watching over the former Rookie of the Year, saying they would be tempted to have their southeast division fully sponsor the car for the 1999 season if these last three races went well and boy, you couldn't ask for a better debut race for a sponsor. Conway started third behind points leading rookie and hometown favorite J.R. Fowler, led an astonishing 189 of 400 laps, and went on to win her second career race and second in a row. "We had our car set up for the long run and knew if we just saved our stuff for the right moment, we could drive away from these guys. I can't thank the franchisees enough for coming on board with us and I hope we can have similar success at Langley and Pensacola so we'll have something on our car next season." Conway stated in victory lane , putting her now 12th in the standings 92 points behind as the top five was shuffled following post-race inspection. Kurt Collins, who crossed the line second, had his car fail inspection for ride height violations, giving his car a better center of gravity that provided better handling. "We've been experimenting with lower tire pressures throughout the week anticipating these long runs, but I guess we just wasn't within the threshold. I hate it, but nothing we can do except move on." Collins said as he was docked 15 driver points and was placed as the final car on the lead lap; sixth. Collins now sits tenth in the standings by 81 points behind J.R. Fowler. Thanks to long green flag runs, only six cars finished on the lead lap. After the penalty was passed on, this meant that Beau Charles finished second and lead 28 laps in relief of his uncle Neil after he started seventh, Sammy Moore passed more cars than anybody from 33rd starting position and finished third after leading 47 laps, polesitting rookie and hometown favorite J.R. Fowler finished fourth after leading 82 laps, and ASA veteran Bob Senneker finished fifth after starting ninth and led only three laps. It was a fairly rough day for the ASA drivers as Scott Hansen was the best qualifier in sixth, Bob Senneker in ninth, Gary St. Amant in tenth, and Mike Eddy in 15th. Eddy was the only retiree amongst the ASA drivers when he lost a gearbox on lap 86, finishing 29th. Scott Hansen had his share of issues en route to a 14th-place finish, seven laps down from the leaders, and Gary St. Amant finished 16th, ten laps down while Bob Senneker finished fifth despite damage to the nose of his Thunderbird. This was the final race that the ASA drivers would compete in this season as it all comes down to the final two races of the Southeast series schedule. With Scott Hansen going full-time Craftsman Truck Series racing next season for Ken Schrader (who also owns his ASA & SE cars), we'll wait and see just who else will join the names that compete with Eddy, Senneker, and St. Amant. Caution Report presented by Mr. Goodwrench: Seven cautions for 35 laps. Caution 1 - Lap 49: John Kendrick smacks the turn four wall, bounces off Robby Anderson, gets hooked by Vince Stevens, and all hell breaks loose as multiple cars are involved including Jimbo Bailey, Scott Hansen, Jason Sullivan, Grant Culpepper, Trent Blanchard, Richie Howard, Derek Hawkins, Tim Foster, Jr., Caleb McDonald, Gary Campbell, and Ron Snyder. Beau Charles would take over for his uncle Neil here as the field pits. Caution 2 - Lap 96: Mike Palmer slams the turn four wall, spins after bouncing off Colin Howard, and collects Leroy Gardner. This is Gardner's series-leading eighth DNF of the season, one shy of his total from 1997. Caution 3 - Lap 181: Adam Coleman hits the turn four wall, hits Colin Howard, spins out Scott Hansen, and collects Blaine Freeman and Gary St. Amant. Caution 4 - Lap 200: Halfway caution. Caution 5 - Lap 209: Caleb McDonald and Kris Holloway spin coming off turn four while racing for position. Caution 6 - Lap 266: Trent Blanchard clips the turn four wall, bounces off Beau Charles, can't regain control of his car, gets turned by Chad Moon in turn one, and collects Bob Senneker. Caution 7 - Lap 282: Ryan Fisher clips the left rear of Kris Holloway's car and is spun by Ron Snyder on the backstretch. The long green flag runs meant that cars were susceptible of mechanical failure as nearly half the field failed to finish either due to incidents or failures. Mechanical Report presented by Pennzoil20. 44 - Colin Howard (R) | 339/400 | Ignition 22. 00 - Keith Norton | 210/400 | Camshaft 26. 50 - Shawn Fontaine (R) | 134/400 | Valve 29. 88 - Mike Eddy | 86/400 | Gearbox 35. 1 - Damian Washington | 47/400 | Piston Substitute driver Beau Charles gave fans another reason to cheer during the All American 400 as he finished runner-up to Becky Conway as he earns his third top-five and fifth top-ten finish in the ten races he's driven in relief for his uncle Neil, whose shoulder will be completely healed in time for the race at Langley and will be able to run the full 200 laps. "My shoulder felt really good today and I almost didn't want to give the seat up to Beau. But I figured 400 laps on a shoulder not exactly 100% with Nashville's banking wasn't gonna do me any favors so I got out under that first yellow and let Beau take 'er home. I won't need him driving in relief for me at Langley or Florida but we've got something lined up for him so... Keep your eyes n' ears open." The wily Charles stated during the race as he helped guide his nephew from the pits. NASCAR does have another test scheduled at Daytona next Monday beginning on October 26th through Wednesday, October 28th which Beau Charles will participate in his uncle Neil's place. With his runner-up finish, Beau has catapulted his uncle Neil up to a tie for sixth in the points with Robby Anderson, 72 points behind J.R. Fowler but among the first two mathematically eliminated from the championship. Tim Foster, Jr. is scheduled to take part in the test as he will be running the Craftsman Truck race at Phoenix on Saturday the 24th, his final start of his part-time effort. With only two races to go, the points picture has tightened severely as only five drivers are mathematically-eligible to win the series championship barring any massive penalties. With his fourth-place finish, J.R. Fowler leads Ryan Fisher by 24 points. The championship is really down to those two unless they both fail to finish at Langley. The other eligible drivers for now are Jimbo Bailey in third by 64 points, rookie Shawn Fontaine in fourth by 65 points, and Sammy Moore in fifth by 68 points. "This is crunch time. We can't afford to make mistakes and finish poorly or we'll choke this championship away. I didn't expect us to be at this point in my first year, but I'm not gonna let it slip out of my fingers." Fowler stated after the race. In 23 races this season, Fowler has the most poles (4), two wins, eight top-fives, and the most top-tens (16). "Last year, if you were to tell me that I'd have an outside shot of winning this championship, I'd say you were nuts. But after Ron [Snyder] helped me get that sponsorship deal with Maxway, a full season like this is just what I needed to show everyone that I can get it done. I can't be grateful enough for how well this year has gone for this team." Ryan Fisher was quoted during the post-race press conference. In 23 races this season, Fisher has three poles, one win, nine top-fives, and eleven top-tens. "We've had a hell of a rebound this year. Being able to finish races and run consistently helped keep us in the hunt for a title even if we're one of the longshots now. But I'll take a spot on the podium over almost 20th where we were last year any day of the week. We haven't won this year but we got two chances to try and change that." Jimbo Bailey would say. In 23 races this season, Jimbo Bailey has one pole, four top-fives, and ten top-tens. His average finish however is the reason he's been this high in the standings as this season's average is 12.09, the third-best amongst full-time competitors compared to 16.68 in 1997, only good enough for 19th-best [also amongst full-time competitors]. "I guarantee we'd still be leading the championship if we weren't racking up all these DNFs this season, but we've proven that Dodge is back in a good way and we'll be even stronger in 1999. Our guys have worked their butts off getting the Avenger ready for the season and now that I've had that taste of success, you bet we're wanting more next year." Shawn Fontaine was quoted saying as in 23 starts this year, he has one pole, a series-high three wins, a series-high ten top-fives, and eleven top-tens but his five DNFs are the most of anybody in the top-15 in points. Leroy Gardner, who has a series-high eight DNFs, is 16th in points. "I didn't know what to expect coming back to Dodge after a few seasons but it feels like we didn't skip a beat. We got a win early this year in Volusia and we've just been quietly trundling along and now we've got a chance to close out the year top-five in points. I know Dodge says they wanna get a driver or two to switch to the brand for 1999 and you know what they say, there's strength in numbers." Sammy Moore said as he has one win, four top-fives, and eleven top-tens in 23 races this season. "It's disappointing that we aren't able to defend our championship from last season but mistakes we've made and wrecks we've caught gotten caught up in have really slowed us down this year, but all we can do is move on and hope for the best going forward. We've got next season to look forward to and another championship to go after." Tim Foster, Jr. stated as he sits ninth in the standings after earning one win in that classic three-wide photo finish at Charlotte along with four top-fives and ten top-tens. All signs are pointing towards Foster competing for Rookie of the Year honors in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with financial backing from Citgo and Meijer, possibly leaving the #4 Pontiac without a driver next year that has left team owner Tim Sr. looking for a driver. Meijer has agreed to sponsor the car at Louisville and IRP next year if the car is fielded but there is no word from Citgo. The Southeast series is off for two weeks before we head to Langley Speedway in Virginia for the Naturally Fresh Foods 200 under the lights on November 6th. It's the second-to-last race of the season and will shape up the series finale at Five Flags and determine who if anyone will challenge J.R. Fowler for the series championship. Speedvision will bring the coverage starting at 6:00pm eastern time.
Lap LeadersBecky Conway - 189 J.R. Fowler - 82 Ryan Fisher - 51 Sammy Moore - 47 Beau Charles - 28 Bob Senneker - 3
Contingency AwardsBud Pole Award: J.R. Fowler (19.796 sec/107.295 mph) Safety Kleen Front Runner: Becky Conway (189 of 400 laps) Gatorade Hard Charger: Sammy Moore (+30, Started 33rd, Finished 3rd) Jiffy Lube Hot Lap: Blaine Freeman (19.935 sec/106.546 mph) Raybesto’s Rookie of the Race: J.R. Fowler (Finished 5th) Race ResultsPoints Standings |
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Post by thunder98 on Feb 19, 2020 2:13:44 GMT -5
Race 24: Naturally Fresh Foods 200 at Langley Speedway; Langley, Virginia; November 6th, 1998 FOWLER SECURES CHAMPIONSHIP AS WASHINGTON WINS THIRD OF '98By Nick Johnson/NASCAR.com - November 7th, 1998LANGLEY, VA - A year ago at Langley Speedway we crowned a champion in Tim Foster, Jr. and last night at the Naturally Fresh Foods 200 we crowned a new champion as with his fifth-place finish, J.R. Fowler has clinched both Rookie of the Year honors and the 1998 NASCAR All Pro Southeast Series championship. J.R. joins his father Roger as the only drivers to win both ROTY honors and the series championship in the same season, Roger having done so 27 years ago in 1971. "Oh my god, I can't believe it... When they told me Ryan [Fisher] was out, they told me to just run my race and bring the car home in one piece. I hate how it ended for him, but his loss is our gain and hopefully this will be the first of many championships for us." An ecstatic Fowler said in his pit postrace as he was met with hugs from his crew chief, his siblings, his mother Shannon, and of course his father Roger. Much like his father's time as the points leader a year ago, consistency was the key to maintaining the championship lead from the competition. In 24 starts, J.R. amassed a series-high four poles, two wins, nine top-fives, and a series-high seventeen top-ten finishes. His average finish of 10.21 is the best amongst full-time drivers and his average start of 9.92 was second-best amongst full-time drivers only behind race-winner Damian Washington who led 114 laps after starting third to take his third win of the season, tying him with Shawn Fontaine for the most. 1998 has been a year of resurgence for Washington, who last season only earned one pole, three top-fives, nine top-tens, and finished a miserable 16th in the points standings. This season however, Washington earned two poles, three wins, seven top-fives, eleven top-tens, and currently sits third in the standings by 67 points behind J.R. Fowler and 22 points behind runner-up Ryan Fisher. "Y'know, last year I said between J.R., Ryan, and myself, we were in for a fun year and I didn't think it'd be the three of us sitting at the top of the standings. I know we could've done better at times this year but J.R. showed us why he's the champion. He was up front when it counted and kept his car clean. But I'll definitely take third after what we've been through, pending if we keep it after the finale." Washington stated as the 23-year old looks to earn championship number two in 1999. Ryan Fisher started ninth and worked his way up to third until lap 90 when he hit the back of Gary Campbell's car and punctured a hole in his radiator, dashing all hope of a series championship in his first full season with Maxway sponsoring his #30 Chevrolet. When Fisher brought his car to his trailer and parked it, crew members say he took the wheel off, set it on the dash, unbuckled his seatbelts, took his helmet and HANS device off, and rested his head against his folded arms on the dashboard, absolutely dejected that he came this close to a championship. He didn't confront Gary Campbell's team at any point, but the driver did talk to Fisher postrace and apologized, saying his brakes seized up and stopped his car without warning. Fisher then went and congratulated J.R. Fowler on a well-earned championship before speaking to the press. "In 1996, this team finished 23rd in points. Last year, we finished 20th after missing six races. This year, we finished second. Think about that. Last year, I didn't think I was gonna be able to run the full schedule ever again. But then Ron Snyder called me up after the Wilkesboro race and asked me to drive his car. That was my golden opportunity and I took it. I took it and I got a new sponsor out of it and a whole new outlook on racing. Tonight is going to sting for a very long time, but I know that next year we'll be back ready to challenge it again. Ready to head to the track every week. Ready to take the green flag every week. Being able to compete on a full-time basis is all I can ask for. The chance at a championship comes second." The 26-year old Marion, Illinois driver would say, taking in everything that happened last night in stride. Speaking of 26-year olds, Beau Charles made his first career start in the #71 Grand Home Furnishings Pontiac for the Charles family team, qualified seventh behind his uncle Neil, and managed to pull out a second-place finish behind Damian Washington in front of the home state fans and his dedicated fan section, "Beau's Peeps" as the rookie is gearing up for a full season in 1999 in hopes of winning Rookie of the Year honors like his uncle Neil did in 1977. "Tonight was just awesome all around. The car came into its own later into that last run and we were able to get around Gary for second but lapped traffic just didn't work in our favor. Nights like tonight just make me excited for Pensacola and the new season coming up in January. Hopefully we'll be able to avenge Topeka and Louisville, see if uncle Neil or I can win and close out this season with a bang." Charles stated as uncle Neil finished tenth and sits sixth in the standings with a chance of being as high as third. Now, we say J.R. Fowler has clinched the championship but it's not exactly guaranteed. Fowler leads Ryan Fisher by 45 points. All J.R. has to do is start the season finale at Five Flags Speedway and that's it, he can park the car if he so desires as he will earn ten points for a last-place finish in the field of 31 that will make up the field for the finale. If J.R. doesn't start the race then he won't earn any points. For Fisher to make up 46 points and win the championship if J.R. fails to start, he would have to do one of the following: - Start from the pole, lead a lap, lead the most laps, and finish at least second.
- Start from the pole, lead a lap, and win.
- Lead a lap, lead the most laps, and win.
- Pray
Other Race Notes: - Caleb McDonald would earn the pole for last night's race, the first of his career in what's been his best season so far, earning the pole at Langley and earning four top-ten finishes with a best finish of seventh at Road America, the best of his career. McDonald would slip back and eventually finish 16th, not leading a single lap.
- Leroy Gardner would lose a piston near the end of the race on lap 195 and fail to finish. This is his record-tying ninth DNF of the season, tying his total from last season.
Caution Report presented by Mr. Goodwrench: Three cautions for 15 laps. Caution 1 - Lap 87: Robby Anderson clips the right rear of Mark Ryder's car in turn one, spinning the #21 out and sending the #55 into the open section of wall in the middle of turns one and two. Caution 2 - Lap 100: Halfway caution. Caution 3 - Lap 125: Jason Sullivan gets hooked and spun by Colin Howard coming off turn four. Keith Norton would get loose in avoiding the spin and collide with Derek Hawkins, sending both cars spinning in turn one. Though there's no challenge for the championship or second-place unless extreme circumstances take place, there's a lot of pride and a spot at the banquet at the end of the season on the line as ten drivers from third through 12th are only separated by 27 points including race-winner and 1996 champion Damian Washington (-67), 1994 champion Jimbo Bailey (-68), three-time winner Shawn Fontaine (-73), two-time champion Neil Charles (-77), 1997 champion Tim Foster, Jr. and 1991 Rookie of the Year Sammy Moore (-78, tied), Chad Moon (-87), and finally 1986 RoTY and Summer Nights Showdown winner Robby Anderson, 1996 RoTY Becky Conway, and 1990 RoTY Kurt Collins (-94, tied). But for now the drivers and teams return home to prepare for the season finale at Five Flags Speedway on December 5th with the running of the Pensacola USA 250 following the Thanksgiving holiday. ESPN2 will bring the coverage starting at 5:00pm eastern time. Lap LeadersDamian Washington - 114 Gary Campbell - 85 Derek Hawkins - 1 Contingency AwardsBud Pole Award: Caleb McDonald (15.317 sec/94.013 mph) Safety Kleen Front Runner: Damian Washington (114 of 200 laps) Gatorade Hard Charger: Becky Conway (+14, Started 21st, Finished 7th) Jiffy Lube Hot Lap: Gary Campbell (15.436 sec/93.289 mph) Raybesto’s Rookie of the Race: Beau Charles (Finished 2nd) Race ResultsPoints Standings |
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Post by thunder98 on Feb 25, 2020 5:56:34 GMT -5
Race 25: Pensacola USA 250 at Five Flags Speedway; Pensacola, Florida; December 5th, 1998 FOWLER HITS TRIFECTA: FINALE WIN, ROTY, AND CHAMPIONSHIPBy Nick Johnson/NASCAR.com - December 6th, 1998PENSACOLA, FL - As the field was taking their pace laps around Five Flags Speedway behind the pace car, J.R. Fowler's team said that he could pull in after taking the green flag if he wanted to as he would officially clinch the 1998 NASCAR All Pro Southeast Series championship. Fowler declined the offer and from 23rd starting position, the rookie climbed his way to the lead, led 78 laps, and finished the season with an exclamation point with his series-tying third win of the season to go along with his newly-earned championship. "This race was a big deal to my dad last season, knowing he really wanted to get that last win and ride off into retirement. Before we started the race, I told the guys that I wanted to go race and bring back both trophies. I couldn't be prouder of everybody that has worked on this 99 car all season long and I'm glad I was able to bring home another championship to Goodlettsville. We've got some celebrating to do, and I gotta go find a suit for that awards banquet!" The 20-year old stated in victory lane on a cold windy night in Pensacola. In only his second official start, Beau Charles started from the pole position and would lead 61 laps in the early portion of this race as well as have a battle for the lead with his uncle Neil who started third. Unfortunately for Beau, mistakes on pit road including stalling the car put him deeper in the field, leaving him to finish in 11th. As for Neil, a bad vibration forced him into the pits on lap 26 and left him off the lead lap for the rest of the race, relegating him to an 18th-place finish, two laps down from the leaders. "Tonight didn't exactly go the way we were hoping for but it was great getting to start from the pole and duke it out with uncle Neil for a little bit. I know I gotta do better with these pit stops since I'm starting these races now so hopefully we'll be able to work out all the kinks and be strong for the '99 season." Beau would say, remaining in high spirits despite the result as his uncle Neil finished seventh in the final points standings, guaranteeing him a seat at the end of the season awards banquet in Atlanta scheduled for Saturday, December 19th. Caution Report presented by Mr. Goodwrench: Five cautions for 25 laps. Caution 1 - Lap 59: While battling for second place, Troy Pearson clips the right rear of Kurt Collins and sends him around in turn one. Collins would finish 14th, last car on the lead lap and finish tenth in the points by two over Robby Anderson and Chad Moon, being the last driver to make it to the banquet on points. Caution 2 - Lap 113: Tim Foster, Jr. loses a piston and stops on the backstretch, his tenure in the southeast series ending with a 26th-place finish and a ninth-place points finish. Caution 3 - Lap 125: Halfway caution. Caution 4 - Lap 161: Chad Moon blows an engine and stops on the backstretch. Moon wound up finishing 12th in the standings, tied with Robby Anderson who owns the tiebreaker, two wins to one. Caution 5 - Lap 172: Much like the first caution, Troy Pearson clips the right rear of Mark Ryder's car and sends both cars into the turn one wall, taking both cars out of the race. Mechanical Report presented by Pennzoil20. 93 - Caleb McDonald |172/250| Ignition23. 98 - Chad Moon |157/250| Engine
24. 47 - Derek Hawkins |114/250| Engine
25. 44 - Colin Howard (R) |113/250| Electrical
26. 4 - Tim Foster, Jr. |112/250| Piston
27. 1 - Damian Washington |91/250| Ignition 31. 40 - Kris Holloway (R) |2/250| Clutch This race didn't go the way Tim Foster, Jr. hoped it would as the 1997 series champion lost a piston on lap 112 and wound up 26th in the final running order as well as ninth in the points standings. Foster will move on to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driving the #4 Citgo & Meijer Chevrolet for his family's team which is seeing most of their funding come from Citgo. After winning the southeast series's return to the Charlotte in May, very little seemed to go right for the #4 Pontiac as all of Foster's success came at the truck level, winning four of the seven races he entered and keeping series regulars on their toes. "There's nothing really left to say. This second half of the season wasn't up to our standards and I hate it for all of us. But even after all that we've got a lot to look forward to; our first full season in trucks, a top-ten points finish, and the driver that's taking this car over next season." Foster would say after climbing from his car, though would not give any indication of the new driver of the Foster Enterprises Pontiac if Tim Sr. keeps the #4 on the car, which he referred to as a family number. As another season of All Pro Southeast Series competition and NASCAR's 50th Anniversary season comes to a close, we'll continue to keep fans informed on silly season and official announcements in the weeks to come as we prepare for the awards banquet from Atlanta as well as count down to the season opener at Walt Disney World Speedway to kick off the 1999 season in late January. Thank you all for following us through our most competitive season to date, we hope you enjoyed what we got to see on and off the track, and enjoy your winter holidays. Lap LeadersLeroy Gardner - 110 J.R. Fowler - 78 Beau Charles - 61 Shawn Fontaine - 1 Contingency AwardsBud Pole Award: Beau Charles Safety Kleen Front Runner: Leroy Gardner (111 of 250 laps) Gatorade Hard Charger: Ryan Fisher (+24, Started 26th, Finished 2nd) Jiffy Lube Hot Lap: Neil Charles (18.256 sec/98.598 mph) Raybesto’s Rookie of the Race: J.R. Fowler (Finished 1st) Race ResultsPoints StandingsSeason StatsTotal Drivers: 44 (+4 over 1997) Different Pole Winners: 18 (+3 over 1997) Different Race Winners: 15 (+1 over 1997) Drivers with top-5 finishes: 29 (+7 over 1997) Drivers with top-10 finishes: 30 (+2 over 1997) Drivers with a DNF: 40 (+8 over 1997) Drivers earning bonus points: 26 (+2 over 1997) Drivers who led a lap: 29 (+1 over 1997) Total Season Distance: 25 races, 2,997.575 miles, 4,827 laps Most Wins: J.R. Fowler, Shawn Fontaine, & Damian Washington (3 each) Most Poles: J.R. Fowler (4) Most Top-5s: Shawn Fontaine (11) Most Top-10s: J.R. Fowler (18) Most DNFs: Leroy Gardner (9, again) Most Laps Run: Kurt Collins (4,722, 97.82%) Most Laps Led: Becky Conway (449, 9.3%) Most Bonus Points: Shawn Fontaine (27) Best Average Starting Position*: Damian Washington (9.24) Best Average Finishing Position*: J.R. Fowler (9.84) *-Among full-time competitors Banquet Award CategoriesRaybestos Rookie of the Year Most Improved Driver Biggest Win of the Year Crash of the Year Heartbreak of the Year Most Popular Driver |
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