#18 DANA Dodge Race Report -- Hubert at the Lund Look 275k
29 July 1997
#18 DANA Dodge Notes & Quotes FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Cornelius, NC (July 28, 1997) -- In only his second start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the #18 DANA Dodge fielded by Roehrig Motorsports, experienced road racer Tom Hubert qualified the DANA Dodge 7th for the starting field in the Lund Look 275k at Heartland Park Topeka. The 7th place qualifying effort represented the highest Dodge starting position in the Lund Look 275, and the highest rookie starting slot. The race started strong for Hubert, who parleyed that 7th place starting spot into a strong up front run in early laps, running as high as 5th place before losing a cylinder barely a dozen laps into the event. "We weren't sure if it was just a bad plug wire, or what the situation was, so we tried to stay out there until halftime, when we could take a good look at it," said Hubert. Most of the teams practiced some fuel mileage strategy by taking early splash-and-go pit stops, as did the #18 DANA Dodge and the #19 Pennzoil Dodge, who came in together. Hubert came back up through the field after the DANA Dodge's pit stop, and was heading towards the front when the motor let go on lap 29, sending the DANA Dodge looping around, but avoiding most possible sheet metal damage. "Even running on only seven cylinders, we still had a great truck," said Hubert. "Tom Hubert did a phenomenal job in the DANA Dodge this weekend," said team owner Kurt Reohrig. "He was the highest Dodge qualifier, the highest rookie qualifier, and we had the fastest split times through the corners in practice. We are extremely pleased with the performance and the professionalism displayed by Tom Hubert. Roehrig Motorsports and Dodge will continue to work hard to improve the horsepower deficit." The DANA Dodge came to a final resting place of 31st in the finishing order after losing the motor on lap 29. ASA Standout Kevin Cywinski next up in DANA Dodge... ...for the Cummins 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Cywinski, an 18-year stock car racing veteran, brings plenty of winning experience to the fold for his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut. Currently leading the points chase in the AC-Delco American Speed Association series, Cywinski has racked up three wins to date this season, and three wins in 1996- his rookie season. Last year, Cywinski finished third in points overall, behind champion and current teammate Tony Raines, and took home the ASA Rookie-of-the-Year title. Other highlights in Cywinski's racing resume include the 1995 ARTGO points championship, along with five wins in that series overall. Cywinski's race record at IRP is two runner-up slots in both attempts- each time he's been at IRP, he's finished second. Perhaps this weekend he will change from being an IRP "bride's maid" to an IRP "bride."... An Interesting Statistic... ...for Kevin Cywinski. Since his first ASA win in the 1996 season at Anderson Speedway, there have been 21 ASA points races. Of those 21 races, Cywinski has racked up 21 top-10 finishes, or 100%. Among those 21 top-10's is an additional five race wins... The #18 DANA Dodge "Lens" itself again... ...to on-board views from the race truck during competition via television cameras. Put yourself in the driver's seat as you watch the Cummins 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Television coverage begins at 8:00pm, eastern time, on Thursday, July 31st. on ESPN2. In team news... Teammate Tony Raines in the #19 Pennzoil Dodge, with associate sponsorship from DANA Corporation, is on a roll. His tenth place finish in the Lund Look 275k was his seventh this season to date, and his fifth in a row. Raines experienced the literal "hot seat" from the stifling temperatures in Topeka- the same heat that wilted many of the drivers. Raines got out of the #19 Pennzoil/Dana Dodge at the halftime break, and poured ice water over himself to cool down before climbing back in the truck for the second half of the race. The cool water pooled under his seat in the truck, and, after many laps, heated up so much by the exhaust it literally burned his derriere. Raines was transported via ambulance to the infield care center following the race for treatment. Needless to say, Tony is having a difficult time sitting down since the race, but is resting comfortably... About DANA Corporation... DANA Corporation and four of its major brands- Spicer, Victor Reinz, Wix, and Perfect Circle, is currently in their second year of sponsorship involvement in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. DANA is a global leader in the engineering, manufacture, and distribution for the vehicular, industrial, and off-highway markets. Founded in 1904 and based in Toledo, Ohio, DANA operates facilities in 30 countries with more than 48,000 people. In addition to DANA's sponsorship efforts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, DANA is involved in many different motorsports venues through its brands. Victor Reinz is a contingency sponsor in the NASCAR Goody's Dash and Winston Racing Series, various Spicer divisions are contingency sponsors in the NASCAR Winston Cup and Craftsman Truck Series, and the Wix division is an associate sponsor on the #18 Joe Gibbs-owned Interstate Batteries Pontiac, along with its contingency sponsorship participation in all three upper echelon NASCAR series- Winston Cup, Busch Grand National, and Craftsman Truck. DANA Corporation is involved in Monster Truck Racing, in IHRA Drag racing, and many other motorsports venues. For more information on DANA's racing involvement, check out the DANA web site at http://www.DANA.com.
