Holland Press Release (June 27, 2004)
Contact: Penny Degre
(508) 234-8684
Stefanik Frustrated With Lackluster Finishes;
Places 12th At Holland
Holland, NY (June 27, 2004): Mike Stefanik had hoped that the 2004 season would be a turnaround of sorts for the Burnham Boilers team. However, a 12th place finish in the Sunoco 150 at Holland International Speedway only deepened the Coventry, RI-driver’s frustration with a season that has only yielded two top-five and two top-10 finishes.
“This is a championship-caliber team,” Stefanik stated. “We should be better than a 12th place car. No one on this team is finger pointing or blaming anyone. Each crewmember gives 110 percent every week and we’re still struggling. I can’t explain it.”
Stefanik started the No. 55 Burnham Boilers Chevrolet ninth in the 24-car field after posting a qualifying effort of 90.317 mph (14.748 seconds). Stefanik, who was last year’s Busch Pole Award winner at this event, was confident with the effort.
At the drop of the green, all indications pointed to a solid run. Using the outside groove, Stefanik got a run on the 45 of Brian Hoar at lap three and took over the eighth spot. Shortly thereafter, the 6 car of Andy Santerre begun his challenges, and after a brief side-by-side battle, went by Stefanik for position.
Caution came out at lap 22 and set up the Burnham Boilers Chevrolet eighth for the restart at lap 29. Stefanik maintained his position through the first half of the race, but dropped back to 10th for a restart at lap 88. Stefanik wheeled the No. 55 Burnham Boilers Chevrolet up to ninth by the time the race reached the lap 100 mark, and narrowly missed the spinning car of Dale Quarterley at lap 110. Nevertheless, a loose racecar would relegate the driver back in the field to 13th before the checkers fell.
“We ended up no better or no worse than 20 other cars. No one was spectacular except the top three,” Stefanik said. “This whole experience is very humbling, but it is very frustrating. We are dealing with it the best we can. It’s not from a lack of effort. We made a lot of changes after practice, and we had a good qualifying run. We still went out there and struggled in the race. The good news is that the car hardly has a mark on it, the bad news is we finished 12th.”