Loudon, NH (July 24, 2004): Mike Stefanik’s perseverance was evident in the Siemens 125 at New Hampshire International Speedway Saturday afternoon. After a wild chase for the point, Stefanik fell back in the field only to fight his way to sixth place before the checkers fell. Stefanik overcame both loose and tight conditions to post his fifth top-10 of the season.

              Loudon, NH (September 20, 2004): It was more like a roller-coaster ride than a race weekend for Mike Stefanik, driver of the No. 55 Burnham Boilers Chevrolet on the Busch North Series, NASCAR Grand National Division. The Coventry, RI-native started on a high note with a fourth fastest qualifying effort, but ended it with a disappointing 16^th place finish.

            “We were loose in the beginning. On the pit stop, we put tires on it and adjusted just a little bit. It was just too tight after that. It didn’t want to get going on restarts, and I have no idea why. It was a fairly aggressive field out there today. When we wouldn’t get going on the restarts, we would get punted in the back. Overall, it wasn’t a great day for us, but it could have been worse. On to Dover we will go,” Stefanik said.

            Thursday’s qualifying procedures ended on a high note when Stefanik turned a lap of 123.522 mph. It was enough to keep the entire Burnham Boilers crew optimistic for a solid run on Saturday, but Hurrican Ivan had other plans for the Busch North Series. Persistant rain showers forced NASCAR officials to postpone the Sylvania 125 presented by Lowes until Monday morning. Teams went a full three days between qualifying and race time without a single minute of practice.

            “Race conditions were totally different on Monday than they had been on Thursday,” Stefanik said. “Thursday was hot and muggy, and Monday morning was cool and sunny. It was a guessing game as far as set-up. We had a cold track, cold tires, and a track that no one could predict.”

            The Burnham Boilers Chevrolet was loose when the green flag dropped and it showed. Stefanik slid back from third to 14^th in only eight laps. The team could not give up anymore valuable position until lap 35 when NASCAR would throw a competition caution. The race went caution-free until that point and Stefanik maintained his position in the top-15.

            During the pit stop, the crew made an adjustment that would tighten the car up. Stefanik also discovered on the restart that the car just didn’t want to go.

            “On the pit stop, we put tires on it and adjusted just a little bit. It was just too tight after that. It didn’t want to get going on restarts, and I have no idea why. It was a fairly aggressive field out there today. When we wouldn’t get going on the restarts, we would get punted in the back.”

            A series of caution periods didn’t help the team, whose game plan quickly changed from winning to surviving. Stefanik finished the race in the 16^th spot.

            “Overall, it wasn’t a great day for us, but it could have been worse,” Stefanik said. “On to Dover we will go.”