NASCAR Busch North Series Wall's Auto SNF Cranes 150: Stefanik Wins
18 August 1997
EPPING, NH - Mike Stefanik of Coventry, R.I., picked up his first NASCAR Busch North Series victory of the season in the Wall's Auto/SNF Cranes 150 at Star Speedway. Stefanik's job was made slightly easier when the race was called at Lap 145 of the scheduled 150 due to a rain shower that made the track too slick to continue. Kelly Moore of Scarborough, Me. pulled the magic pole position in the traditional re-draw of the top qualifiers, and he headed out to lead the field for the first 25 Laps. Stefanik slipped by Moore to lead Lap 26, but Moore powered back by to lead the next 40 laps. Moore spun out in lapped traffic, handing the lead over to Stefanik on Lap 68, but Stefanik then had a hard-charging Brad Leighton of Center Harbor, N.H. to contend with. Leighton, the 1996 Raybestos Rookie of the Year Champion, drove underneath Stefanik in lapped traffic to lead laps 82 to 106, but the crafty veteran Stefanik drove around the outside of Leighton on lap 107 for the final lead pass of the race, and the eventual victory. Leighton then had to contend with 1996 NASCAR Busch North Series Championship Dave Dion of Hudson, N.H. for the remainder of the race, but Leighton prevailed to score the runner-up slot with Dion third. Moore recovered from the earlier spin to finish fourth with Tom Bolles of Ellington, Conn. rounding out the top-five. Stefanik collected $10,225 of the posted $67,745 in awards for his win. By NASCAR Public Relations