Darlington: Brad Coleman race report

Coleman Earns 12th at First Darlington Race
Driver brings home strong finish for Mother's Day

(Darlington, S.C.) May 12, 2008 - Brad Coleman and the No. 27 Huggies/Rite Aid Ford Fusion team used their "flower power" themed car to honor mothers nationwide and bring home a top 15 finish in his first time at Darlington Raceway.

With a flashy, almost retro paint scheme that featured brightly colored flowers in honor of the Mother's Day weekend, Coleman tamed the mile long track and earned his Darlington stripes by crossing the finish line in 12th place.

"Darlington is one awesome race track," said Coleman. "Being my first time around this track, I honestly didn't know what to expect, especially with the resurfacing. This place is incredible and the new surface was smooth and fast. I am pleased with a 12th place finish for my first time out with the No. 27 Huggies/Rite Aid Ford and it's a great way to honor my mom on this special weekend."

Coleman and the No. 27 Huggies/Rite Aid Ford Fusion honored mothers nationwide with the special paint scheme and one special mom, Cindi Coleman, was in attendance to watch her son and his team bring home a solid performance.

Crew Chief Shawn Parker said Coleman once again showed maturity beyond his years.

"Brad really drove well and raced his heart out there," said Parker. "I'm proud of the way he handled all of the situations on the track and our pit crew was on fire tonight. Everything began to fall into place this weekend. We've put in a lot of hard work in these past couple of weeks and things clicked tonight under the lights of Darlington. Now it is time to focus on to Charlotte."

With a weekend off for the Sprint All-Star race, the team looks forward to the upcoming race in Charlotte in two weeks.

-credit: bc