BUSCH: Charlotte II: David Stremme race notes

Top Finish Up in Smoke for Stremme and Team TRIMSPA at LMS

Concord, NC (October 16, 2004) -- A late race comeback by David Stremme was spoiled by a blown motor just 59 laps from the finish of Friday night's The SpongeBob Square Pants Movie 300 at Lowe's Motor Speedway (LMS). Stremme qualified 29th for what was his second race at LMS. In the early going Stremme's TRIMSPA X32 Dodge was loose upon entry in the corners. After being blocked into his pit stall on his first pit stop on lap 35, Stremme experienced transmission troubles and was forced to come in a second time after the following caution lap and restart 39th, one lap down.

"We were too loose at the start of the race," said Stremme. "But we made a lot of changes and got the balance right, and then we were really strong on the long runs."

After the second stop of the day on lap 78, Stremme was up to 30th position and his car had improved. Stremme had advanced to 23rd position by the third stop on lap 124. Despite running lap times as fast as the leaders and climbing into the top 20 by lap 141, a top finish was not in the cards as the X32 Dodge's motor blew just two laps later. The disappointing 34th-place finish dropped Stremme one position in the championship standings to twelfth.

"Our car was really coming around at that point but the motor just let go," said Stremme. "Ernie Elliot has given us great engines all year. This is the first we have lost up until this point. It's really a shame because I believe we would have been in the front by the end of the race."

Stremme and Team TRIMSPA will head to the Memphis Motorsports Park next week to compete in the Sam's Town 250 Benefiting St. Jude next Saturday, October 23rd. The event will be televised live at 3:30 p.m. eastern time on TNT and will broadcast nationally at that same time on radio stations affiliated with MRN and XM Satellite Radio Channel 144.

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