DANA Dodge Race Report: Cywinski at IRP
1 August 1997
Cornelius, NC (July 31, 1997) -- Kevin Cywinski made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Indianapolis Raceway Park in the #18 Dana Dodge for the Cummins 200. Cywinski, a veteran of the AC-Delco ASA series and the ARTGO racing series, put the Dana Dodge in the 21st starting position, alongside veteran Joe Ruttman. Teammate Tony Raines in the Pennzoil/Dana Dodge started thirteenth. "Kevin did a super job for his first time out," said team manager Scott Treichler. "He was ninth fastest in practice, but might have gotten a little tentative on his qualifying lap. It made it more difficult for him, starting back in 21st, but he did a great job of picking people off and he made some super saves with trouble right in front of him. Once he got clear of the pack of lethal weapons- the trucks that were 20th and back- we thought we were home free. Only seven laps from the end, though, Kevin got collected in an accident. On the exact same lap, Tony (Raines) cut a tire and scraped the outside wall. Needless to say, we're pretty disappointed." "It was a lot to throw at Kevin this weekend, with his first time in a truck and on a track that passing is at a premium, but he did a super job. He was great to work with-you can tell this guy's got a great future. The motor situation is desperate now. Horsepower sure cures a lot of the ills" Next up for the DANA Dodge... ...is the Stevens Beil Genuine Car Parts 200 at Flemington Speedway. The race will be Saturday, August 9th at 4:00pm, eastern time, and will be broadcast live on TNN. This is the 17th of 26 race events on the 1997 NASCAR Craftsman Truck series schedule, and will be 200 laps around the 0.625 low banked track. "Flemington will be a good track for us," said Treichler. "Of all the tracks on the circuit, Flemington is the least horsepower-demanding track, and is a big cornering track. We're looking for a good run there for the Dana Dodge." About DANA Corporation... Founded in 1904 and based in Toledo, Ohio, DANA Corporation is a global leader in the engineering, manufacture, and distribution for the vehicular, industrial, and off-highway markets. DANA operates facilities in 30 countries with more than 48,000 people, four of its major brands- Spicer=AE, Victor Reinz=AE, Wix=AE, and Perfect Circle=AE, comprise the primary sponsorship of the #18 Dana Dodge. For more information on DANA's racing involvement, check out the DANA web site at http://www.dana.com.
