NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series Preview: Kroger 200 at Lanier National Speedway
25 August 1997
REPEAT WINNERS RUN STRONG AT LANIER
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Lanier National Speedway's Kroger 200 presented by
Old El Paso is the 15th event on the 20 race NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro
Series schedule, and after the preceding 14 events, only two drivers
have won more than one 1997 event. Those two drivers have to be looked
upon as the favorites to win the 200 lap event as both have notched
series wins at Lanier.
Sugar Hill, GA's Steven Christian and Wildwood, FL's Wayne Anderson
have each earned a victory at the 3/8th's mile oval with Christian's
win coming last year on October 20 and Anderson's came this summer on
July 3. Curiously enough, their wins are the only top fives that
either has earned in series competition at the Gainesville, GA
facility.
"When it was repaved it changed the character of the track and it
seems to suit my driving style after the paving job," noted
Anderson. "I've won three races this year in the Porter Cable Power
Tools Chevrolet and two have come on tracks that have been recently
repaved, Lanier and Myrtle Beach, with our other win coming at what
has to be considered our home track, Volusia County Speedway," he
added further.
In his other two starts at Lanier, Anderson has notched eighth and
11th place finishes. Christian has extensive experience at Lanier as
this was the NASCAR Winston Racing Series facility where the BellSouth
Chevrolet driver cut his racing teeth before moving into NASCAR
Touring Series competition. He has won two of the last three series
events, including the last event on August 16 at Caraway Speedway, and
would like nothing more than to enter into a tie for the series lead
in '97 wins with Anderson.
"After winning at Caraway we're coming home to a track that Sammy
(Shumate) and I know well. Sammy's looking forward to getting the car
ready for this race and I'm looking forward to a good run in front of
a lot of friends, family and the folks at BellSouth," the series'
sixth place points man stated.
While Christian and Anderson could be considered favorites a host of
others are expected to battle for the win.
Conyers, GA's Ron Young, currently third in the series point
standings, has been inching closer to points leader Jeff Fultz and
second place points man Hal Goodson in recent weeks, and the Cofer
Bros. Building Materials Chevrolet driver probably has logged more
laps at Lanier than any series competitor. Of all current series
drivers Young has 122 series starts and sits just seven points behind
Goodson and 104 points behind leader Fultz with six events left on the
1997 schedule. Young finished third last October behind Christian and
eventual '96 series champion Mike Cope.
Returning to the series for this event is Suwanee, GA's Mike Garvey,
who won a series event at this track in 1992, an event which produced
the existing race record for a 200-lap event, pacing the race in a
time of one hour, four minutes and 11 seconds. Mobile, AL native Rick
Crawford, who finished second in the 1996 NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro
Series point standings, and is now a leading Cintas Rookie of the Year
contender in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, is also expected to
return to the series to run in this event.
Local drivers to watch include Debris Brown, Brad Correll and
Cornelia, GA's Gary McCoy, who led the first 99 laps in the July 3
event before experiencing rear end problems in his Catalina Cabinetry
Chevrolet.
On July 3, 17 teams were sent packing as 47 drivers attempted to
secure one of 30 starting positions in the Budweiser 200. This weekend
similar circumstances should prevail as a large field of series
regulars, challenged by a generous group of Lanier local drivers
should produce an outstanding 30-car starting field for the 200 lap
Labor Day weekend grind.
Registration and Inspection for the Kroger 200 begins at 9:00 a.m. on
Saturday, August 30 with Practice scheduled to run from 12:30 to 2:30
p.m. Busch Pole qualifying gets underway at 6:00 p.m. and the 200 lap
slugfest begins at approximately 8:00 p.m.
In addition to the Kroger 200, Hoosier Tire will once again sponsor
the Hoosier Tire Pit Stop Challenge. Several teams from the NASCAR
Slim Jim All Pro Series will be pitted against one another in a $500
winner take all contest of pit stop prowess. A timed two tire pit stop
will be executed on the front straightaway at Lanier prior to the
running of the Kroger 200. Back in July, Ron Young's team, under the
leadership of crew chief Larry Rapp, snagged the $500 prize in their
homestate and many teams are dedicating extra practice time to their
pit stop efforts in order to dethrone the home state favorites.
Austin Quality Foods will be conducting a special promotion during the
at-track festivities at Lanier. A promotion entitled "Let's Say
Thanks" will take place and will enable those in attendance to express
their gratitude and support to the men and women in the U.S. Armed
Forces worldwide via e-mail through the American Red Cross intranet
computer sites.
By NASCAR Public Relations
