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Jiffy Lube Challenge

8 November 1997

HOMESTEAD, FL - If you finished the Jiffy Lube Challenge race you got to
transfer to the big show on Sunday - The Jiffy Lube 300. The field, that
started 18 strong, started getting weeded out on the very first lap under
green. 

The lap one incident occurred when Blaise Alexander got tapped by Lyndon Amick
in-between turns three and four. Then, as Blaise headed towards the wall, the
field behind him started to check up. The driver behind Dale Fishlein didn't
stop and knocked Fishlein into the turn four wall.

The next caution of the event happened on lap three when Stevie Reeves and
Lyndon Amick tangled, again up in turns three and four. Reeves was able to
continue on for a short while but the damage incurred ended his day early.

Then slowly, one by one, the cars that had encountered trouble earlier started
dropping off the pace and retiring.

There were 11 cars left as the field took the white flag, with Shane Hall
sitting in the 11th position. Hall wanting to make the big show tore down the
back straight gather as much speed as he could. The problem was turn three
came at him too quickly to make it through. Hall's car broke lose at the
entrance to turn three and started a lazy spin towards the wall as the ten
that remained alive headed towards the checkers.

It was Randy Porter in the UniFirst Chevrolet that won the event - Parker
started from the pole and lead every lap. The balance of the drivers that will
transfer to the Jiffy Lube 300 are, in order, Tracy Leslie, Kevin Lepage,
Michael Waltrip, Dale Jarrett, Ted Christopher, Dale Shaw, Mark Green, Hank
Parker Jr. and Ed Berrier.