NASCAR Busch North Series New England Ford Dealers 125: Preview
18 August 1997
NASCAR Busch North Series, Grand National Division New England Ford Dealers 125 Riverside Park Speedway Agawam, MA GARDINER, ME - Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, Mass. is uniquely located in one of the most respected family entertainment venues on the East coast, so the racing that takes place there tends to be -- from an entertainment perspective -- just a cut above. The excitement of the bright lights and carnival-like atmosphere will be heightened when the NASCAR Busch North Series, Grand National Division rolls into town on Saturday, August 23 for the New England Ford Dealers 125. At one-quarter mile in length, Riverside Park Speedway will challenge the teams to come up with a chassis setup that will withstand 125 laps of short acceleration bursts coupled with extremely tight cornering. Drivers, on the other hand, will need to race the race track as much as their fellow competitors to survive 125 laps of action-packing short track racing. The NASCAR Busch North Series history is steeped in short-track racing, and many fans believe that some of the best racing each year occurs on the tight bulking tracks such as Riverside Park Speedway. Interestingly, the size of the track plays no role in the distribution of Championship points, and a win at Riverside Park Speedway pays as many points as would a win at the NASCAR Busch Series/Busch North Series combination event at Daytona International Speedway. As the season begins to wind down, the points battle is tightening up. In the last several weeks, the leader board has changed from week-to-week, and the New England Ford Dealers 125 could play a pivotal role in the seasonal championship race. Every race on the 1997 schedule is important, but as the season approaches its finale, every lap of every race takes on additional importance, and the New England Ford Dealers 125 will be no exception. It will be extremely entertaining for the fans, but with the scramble that is beginning to develop in the title hunt, the driver who wins will have to be a cut above in his own right. By NASCAR Public Relations
