NASCAR BGN Series Notes of Interest (Week of 8/11/97)
13 August 1997
NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division Notes of Interest Week of August 11, 1997 DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Randy LaJoie became the first repeat winner in the 16 years the NASCAR Busch Series has held a race at Indianapolis Raceway Park. He pocketed an additional $10,000 from DuPont for being a repeat winner. - There have been 10 different winners on the NASCAR Busch Series after 21 races in 1997. In the last six races, every winner has been a repeat winner -- Randy LaJoie (3 wins), Elliott Sadler (2 wins), Mike McLaughlin (1 win). - After being involved in an early-race incident, Elliott Sadler bounced back to finish second at IRP. Sadler has finished second, first, first, and second in his last four races. - In the last five weeks, Elliott Sadler jumped from 11th in the point standings to fifth following the Kroger 200 at IRP. - Following The Numbers: Elton Sawyer has finished sixth, fifth, fourth, and third in his last four races. That means he should finish second at Michigan this weekend. - Randy LaJoie has finished in the top-five 11 times in 1997. He had 11 top-five finishes for the entire 1996 season. - Slim Jim Meat Snacks announced it will sponsor the #30 Chevrolet Monte Carlo of Mike Cope, who was the Slim Jim All Pro Champion in both 1994 and 1996. Cope will be part of Team 34 racing, which is owned by Frank Cicci, Jeff and Scott Welliver and John Gittler. - NASCAR Busch Series Rookie Steve Park, started for his first NASCAR Winston Cup race this past weekend in Watkins Glen, N.Y. The rookie finished 33rd after qualifying 12th. - Todd Bodine won his first ever NASCAR Winston Cup Busch Pole over the weekend at Watkins Glen. - The 6/7 Connection: The last time a driver won back-to-back NASCAR Busch Series championships was back in 1986 & 1987 (Larry Pearson). Randy LaJoie won the championship last year in which the year ended in a six and he is currently second in the point standings and this year ends with a seven. - Raybestos Rookie of the Year Candidate Steve Park is one top-five finish shy of setting a new rookie mark for most top-five finishes by a rookie in a season. Park currently has six top-five finishes in 1997, which ties the mark David Green set in 1991. - In the last two NASCAR Busch Series races (St. Louis & Indianapolis), there have been a total of 25 cautions for 161 laps. Drivers have run under green flag conditions in 279 of the last 440 laps run (63%). - The most consecutive laps run under green in the past two races is 40, which came during laps 50-89 of the Kroger 200. STAT OF THE WEEK Todd Bodine joined Jimmy Hensley this past weekend at Watkins Glen as one of only two NASCAR Busch Series drivers to win a NASCAR Winston Cup Busch Pole while driving full-time on the NASCAR Busch Series. Hensley accomplished the feat at Martinsville, Va., back in 1989, when he substituted for Dale Earnhardt. TOP 10 - TENTH: With a 10th place showing at Indianapolis, Jason Keller was able to hold his position in the top-10 point standings for the second straight week. - NINTH: Tim Fedewa has finished lower than 12th just once in his last four starts. - EIGHTH: Mike McLaughlin, who finished in the top-five in three of his last four races, posted his worst finish of 1997 when he came in 37th at the Kroger 200. - SEVENTH: After posting only three top-10 finishes in his first 12 starts, Elton Sawyer has six top-10 finishes in his last nine races, including three consecutive top-five's in his last three races. - SIXTH: Buckshot Jones has six top-10 finishes in his last nine starts. - FIFTH: Elliott Sadler has jumped from 11th to fifth in just five weeks thanks in part to two wins and two second place finishes in his last four races. - FOURTH: Rookie Steve Park has six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes after 21 races. Eight of those 11 top-10 finishes have come in his last 13 starts. - THIRD: Phil Parsons has only one top-10 finish in his last seven races. His average finish in those races is 17th. - SECOND: With his 25th-place finish at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Todd Bodine lost ground in the point standings for the NASCAR Busch Series Championship. - FIRST: With his fifth win of the season, Randy LaJoie was able to build his points lead over Bodine to 160 points. LaJoie has four wins, nine top-five, and 13 top-10 finishes in his last 16 starts. LaJoie has not been lower than third-place in the point standings since March 23, 1996, when he was in fifth -- 43 weeks ago. TURNING TO MICHIGAN AND THE DETROIT GASKET 200 - In the last three Detroit Gasket 200's held, there have been only four cautions for a total of 18 laps. In the first two races, there were 11 cautions for 49 laps. - Mark Martin has won two of the five Detroit Gasket 200, he will become the all-time career leader in NASCAR Busch Series victories with 32. - Since the race began in 1992, Ricky Craven has completed the most laps (498 out of 500) of any driver in the Detroit Gasket 200. - In his four races at Michigan, Mark Martin has never finished lower than fourth. - Three of the past four winners (Martin, Bodine, B Labonte) of the Detroit Gasket 200. - Did You Know? The 169.571 mph average speed for the 1995 Detroit Gasket 200 was not only a track record for the fastest average race speed, but also a NASCAR Busch Series record as well. - Only once in the five races held at Michigan has the driver leading at the halfway point won the race. Name that driver. Mark Martin -- 1993. By NASCAR Public Relations
