Seventh Place Finish At Watkins Glen Puts Stefanik Second In Points

Watkins Glen, NY (August 9, 2003): Mike Stefanik, driver of the No. 55 Burnham Boilers Chevrolet on the Grand National Division, Busch North Series, posted a seventh place finish in the Mohegan Sun 150 at Watkins Glen International road course Saturday afternoon after rain showers shortened the event to 41 laps from its originally scheduled 62-lap distance. The finish put him within 50 points of current point leader Andy Santerre in the 2003 Championship battle.

“Some guys played the rain game, some guys played the points game, and some just waited to see how it all shook out. We did what we were going to do, and we didn’t plan to change that unless the skies were really threatening black. We felt they (NASCAR) were going to get the race in so we kept to our strategy as if rain wasn’t a factor,” Stefanik said.

After posting a qualifying speed of 114.691 mph (76.902 seconds) in qualifying Friday afternoon, Stefanik was slated to start the race from the tenth position. A late technical inspection from the outside polesitter pushed the field up one spot, however, and Stefanik took the green from the ninth starting position.

"I felt really comfortable in the car the guys gave me," said Stefanik, who hasn't run a road course event since June of 2000. "Brian (Latuch), Karl (Osha), and the entire crew gave 110 percent this weekend. By race time, I felt at ease and ready to put on a good show for all of the Burnham Boilers distributors and employees attending the race."

By the third circuit, Stefanik had advanced to the eighth position and was chasing down the 0 car of Bill Penfold. Stefanik focused on hitting his points, and following Penfold, moved up to the seventh spot before the first caution flag of the day waved at lap four.

The restart at lap seven relegated the Burnham Boilers Chevrolet to the eighth position when Joey McCarthy was able to drive by Stefanik for the spot. Stefanik, unworried, continued to focus on the task at hand. A full course caution waved at lap 11 with green flag action resuming at lap 13.

Road racing specialist Rick Bell challenged Stefanik at the drop of the green, but the Coventry, RI-native was able to keep him at bay until the caution waved yet again at lap 15. When racing resumed at lap 17, the crew decided that their opportunity to pit had presented itself, and at lap 21, Stefanik brought the Burnham Boilers Chevrolet down pit road.

“I was happy that they wanted to pit when they did. I think it was the correct call to make. I think us pitting at that time forced some of the other guys to pit after the rain delay at lap 30,” Stefanik explained.

Stefanik was the first of three cars that pitted at lap 21 to re-enter the race. Two laps later the 9 car spun bringing out a full course caution. While the field was pacing the 2.45-mile course, rain began to fall. NASCAR kept the cars circling the track, but heavier and heavier mists forced a red flag condition at lap 30.

The shower was brief and twenty minutes later the field was back to racing. Stefanik took the green in the 14^th spot, and only five laps later had moved into the seventh position. Caution emerged for the final time at lap 38 as rain started to fall on the Mohegan Sun 150 for the second time. After three caution laps around the facility, NASCAR was forced to bring the cars in for a red flag condition.

Minutes after the engines were shut down, the dark skies let loose and heavy downpours followed. The race was called and Stefanik was officially given a seventh place finish.

“We didn’t feel we had the best car so we had to play our cards close to our chest. Having had pitted before the first rain delay I think forced a lot of the drivers not to play the rain game. In the same sense, it put a lot of the point people behind us because they could not afford to risk the race going the distance and then having to pit late. So when we went back to green at lap 31, a lot of cars pitted,” Stefanik said.

“Did we get the finish we wanted?” Stefanik continued. “No. But a lot of other guys didn’t either.”