NASCAR Winston Cup ITW DeVilbiss 400 Report: #99, Glenn Allen
18 August 1997
#99 Glenn Allen, Luxaire Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division Detroit Gasket 200 Race Report Michigan Speedway August 16, 1997 ALLEN CONTINUES TO BUILD MOMENTUM, FINISHES 15TH IN MICHIGAN BROOKLYN, MI --The combination of Luxaire driver Glenn Allen and crew chief John Monsam continued on a forward roll this weekend in Michigan. In the 5 races the combination have been together, Allen's worst finish has been 16th in Milwaukee, a race he spent half of inside the top seven. Saturday, in the Detroit Gasket 200, Allen finished 15th. After experiencing mechanical trouble during practice on Thursday, Allen qualified the #99 Luxaire Chevrolet in the 29th position. "We really got behind the 8-ball during practice on Thursday, I believe with more time on the track we could have had a top-ten qualifying run," Allen said. "With only one caution in the race, track position kept us from running up front." During the race, Allen worked hard to maneuver his #99 Chevrolet into position. Allen seemed to cruise through the long sweeping Michigan Speedway corners with ease, but was lacking horsepower down the staightaways. With only 1 caution being displayed in the event, the pit crew got one chance to improve the car during its pit stop. A near-perfect pit stop gained Allen 5 positions as he returned to the track. As the race came to an end everyone's attention turned to gas mileage. Some teams were scared they would need to pit for fuel before the end of the race. Crew Chief Monsam made the call for Allen to remain on the track, his calculations indicated The Luxaire Chevrolet could make it on fuel. Monsam was correct and Allen sped across the finish line with a 1/2 gallon of fuel remaining in his 22 gallon fuel cell. "I have to say I am happy to record another strong finish," Allen said. "This team has really grown up over the last 2 months and we are getting closer to pulling into victory lane everyday. "With a better starting spot and a different gear in the car I believe we could have been right in the middle of things, but overall, it was another good run for us," Allen said. Steve Park held off Jimmy Spencer for the win, his second of the year. The Busch Series now heads to Bristol, Tennessee for a race under the lights on Friday night. The Food City 250 begins at 7:30pm Eastern time on ESPN and MRN. By J&J Racing Public Relations