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NASCAR Goody's Dash Series Race Report: Homestead 50

10 November 1997

NASCAR Goody's Dash Series
Homestead 50
Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex
November 9, 1997


                BAGWELL BAGS FIRST WIN IN SEASON FINALE

Danny Bagwell, of Cordova, Ala. took over the lead from Scott Weaver, of
Shelby, N.C. on lap 32 of the NASCAR Goody's Dash Series Homestead 50 at the
Miami-Homestead Speedway and led the final 19 circuits to notch his first win
of the 1997 season in the final event of the year.
 
Starting on the outside of the front row, Bagwell was most interested in tire
management for the first half of the race. Bagwell's 1997 Ford Probe
relinquished several positions over the course of the first dozen laps,
dropping to eighth at one point just prior to halfway. But the 37-year-old
Dash Series veteran was just keeping his tires fresh enough to mount a come
back in the second half of the event. 

"We blistered four tires in only five laps of practice yesterday." said
Bagwell. "I knew that wasn't going to work in today's race. So, we just slowed
down a little in the early laps, kept the tires fresh enough to make a run at
the end and took what the track would give us. It feels good to put a Ford
back in victory lane."

Prior to today's win, Bagwell's best finish in 1997 had been an 11th place
finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway in April.

Brian Sockwell, of Brown Summit, N.C. followed Bagwell across the line a full
12 seconds behind the leader. Behind Sockwell, Robert Huffman, of Claremont,
N.C., George Crenshaw of Lakeland, Fla. and Will Hobgood of Winnsboro, S.C.
rounded out the top five.

Attrition also played a big part in the outcome of today's Homestead 50. Two
of the six leaders in this race wound up watching the finish of this event
from the garage area, including Busch Pole winner, Billy Bigley Jr. of Naples,
Fla. who led the first three laps before the engine gave up on his Dodge
Avenger. Bigley's teammate, Christian Elder of Minneapolis, Minn. also spent a
short time at the point near the midway point, but carburetor problems
sidelined his Pontiac Sunfire just before halfway. 

NASCAR Busch Grand National driver, Dennis Setzer of Newton N.C. making his
second Dash Series start, led 17 of the first 20 laps before turning the lead
over to Elder on lap 21. Setzer eventually finished eleventh in the event.
Robert Huffman and Scott Weaver also took short turns at the lead through the
middle portion of the race, but neither was any match for Bagwell on this day,
and had to settle for third- and ninth-place finishes, respectively. 

The teams will gather together once more in 1997, this time on November 29 at
the Charlotte University Hilton in Charlotte, N.C. to celebrate the crowning
of the new champion, Mike Swaim Jr. at the NASCAR Goody's Dash Series Awards
Banquet. 


By NASCAR Public Relations