Thompson, CT (May 23, 2004): Patience paid off for Mike Stefanik, driver of the No. 55 Burnham Boilers Chevrolet in the Grand National Division, Busch North Series when a battle for the lead moved him up to second place in the last five laps of the Pepsi 150. Stefanik watched from third as eventual race-winner Brad Leighton and defending champion Andy Santerre made contact on lap 145 resulting in Santerre hitting the turn four wall. In the final two laps of the race, Stefanik was unable to mount a successful challenge over Leighton and crossed the checkers with his second top-five of the early season.

            “At times I thought we were a second place car, and other times I thought we would finish fifth or sixth,” Stefanik said. “The cautions at the end were a saving grace for us. All-in-all to get out of here with a second place finish is pretty good. Hopefully, we’ll carry some momentum into Lime Rock and get this Burnham Boilers Chevrolet into victory lane.”

            Threatening skies lingered over the 5/8^th’s mile track all day, and changed the conditions of the surface dramatically between the final practice and qualifying. Stefanik turned a lap of 108.131 mph (20.808 seconds) during qualifying to earn a seventh place starting position.

            Stefanik maintained his spot through the early laps of the race all the time putting pressure on the No. 8 of Joey McCarthy. At lap eight, Stefanik used the outside groove to go around and take over sixth. The first caution waved at lap 21 setting up the Burnham Boilers team in fifth for the restart at lap 31.

            A long green flag run developed with more than 50 laps of the race going caution-free.

            “It got tight us on during that run,” Stefanik commented. “We decided that on the next caution we would come in and make some adjustments.”

            On lap 86, the No. 5 car of Barney McRae slowed in turn four before coming to a complete stop. It was enough to bring out the yellow and start a round of pit stops among the lead lap cars. Stefanik was one of them. The swiftness on part of the Burnham Boilers crew enabled Stefanik to get out on the track behind Santerre for the fourth position.

            The race resumed at lap 94 and Stefanik was able to move right around Santerre on the restart. Santerre retaliated with a challenge and the two dueled side-by-side for a lap before Santerre went underneath Stefanik on lap 104. The two were able to ease their way through lapped traffic to take over the second and third positions.

            Several caution periods followed before the battle for the lead took Santerre out of the picture and put Stefanik in position to challenge Leighton for the lead in the final laps of the race.

            “We didn’t have anything for Leighton,” Stefanik said. “At that point we had a second place car. As I said those cautions helped us in the end. I think if we had gone a long stretch of green the car would have tightened up on us. It was a very good night for us.”