NASCAR BGN Series Jiffy Lube Miami 300 Preview: # 34, Mike McLaughlin
5 November 1997
#34 Mike McLaughlin, Royal Oak Charcoal Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division Jiffy Lube Miami 300 Advance Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex MIKE MCLAUGHLIN NOTES & QUOTES: JIFFY LUBE MIAMI 300 HOMESTEAD, FL - McLaughlin has four top-10 finishes in the last six races. They include a second-place finish at Darlington, tenth at Dover, ninth at Fontana and seventh at Rockingham. - After a top-ten finish at North Carolina Motor Speedway, McLaughlin remains fourth in the NASCAR Busch Series point standings with 3517 points. - McLaughlin will finish in the top 10 in the point standings for the third consecutive season. - The #34 Royal Oak Charcoal Chevrolet that McLaughlin will drive this weekend is the same car that finished ninth at the California Speedway. It is also one of the cars that Team 34 Racing tested at Homestead in September. - McLaughlin and teammate Todd Bodine were the first two drivers to test on the new track in Homestead, Fla. By performing a tire test for Goodyear, Team 34 Racing prepared for their season-ending race at Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex. - "I really like what they have done to the track," said McLaughlin of the newly renovated Homestead track. "Not only is it smooth, but it is fast. From a driver's and fan's standpoint it will allow for better racing." - "When we tested at Homestead we took two cars," explained crew chief Gary Cogswell. "We are actually going to race the car that we ran the least. We felt that it was faster with less effort." Mike McLaughlin's Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex Statistics Date St Fin LC/TL Status $ Won 11/3 38 27 193/200 Running 11,950 11/5 12 24 193/200 Running 10,900 Mike McLaughlin's Career NASCAR Busch Series Statistics Starts Poles Wins Top 5 Top 10 $Won 127 2 3 27 48 1,259,672 Mike McLaughlin/Team 34 1997 NASCAR Busch Series Results Date Location St Fin LC/TL Compl. $Won Status 2/15 Daytona Bch, FL 2 33 81/120 67.5 16,412 Engine 2/22 Rockingham, NC 4 8 197/197 100.0 9,260 Running 3/1 Richmond, VA 7 27 245/250 98.0 8,126 Running 3/12 Atlanta, GA 25 17 196/197 99.4 10,355 Running 3/16 Las Vegas, NV 14 24 194/200 97.0 16,550 Running 3/22 Darlington, SC 25 33 134/147 91.1 6,825 Running 3/29 Hickory, NC 20 10 300/300 100.0 8,945 Running 4/5 Ft. Worth, TX 11 5 200/200 100.0 32,025 Running 4/12 Bristol, TN 2 2 250/250 100.0 25,010 Running 4/19 Nashville, TN 1 13 320/320 100.0 7,775 Running 4/26 Talladega, AL 5 35 57/117 48.7 9,780 Running 5/10 Loudon, NH 12 1 200/200 100.0 34,150 Running 5/18 Nazareth, PA 19 8 200/200 100.0 8,262 Running 5/24 Charlotte, NC 30 33 131/200 65.5 6,737 Running 5/31 Dover, DE 22 23 197/200 98.5 8,800 Running 6/13 S. Boston, VA 15 8 300/300 100.0 8,090 Running 6/29 Watkins Glen, NY 6 1 82/82 100.0 36,987 Running 7/6 Milwaukee, WI 33 13 249/250 99.6 12,075 Running 7/12 Myrtle Beach, SC 17 2 250/250 100.0 17,325 Running 7/26 Madison, IL 20 5 240/240 100.0 24,150 Running 8/1 Indianapolis, IN 2 37 129/200 64.5 6,725 Accident 8/16 Brooklyn, MI 34 13 100/100 100.0 10,745 Running 8/22 Bristol, TN 9 16 249/250 99.6 8,730 Running 8/30 Darlington, SC 11 2 147/147 100.0 22,125 Running 9/5 Richmond, VA 39 32 234/250 93.6 8,425 Running 9/20 Dover, DE 13 10 200/200 100.0 11,185 Running 10/4 Charlotte, NC 21 13 200/200 100.0 12,448 Running 10/19 Fontana, CA 23 9 149/150 99.3 19,500 Running 10/25 Rockingham, NC 9 7 197/197 100.0 10,150 Running Outside Starts Poles Poles Wins Top 5 Top 10 LC/TL (%) $Won 29 1 3 2 7 14 5628/5914 (95.1) 417,672 By Events & Outings, Inc.