BNS: Beech Ridge fact sheet

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2001 BUSCH NORTH SERIES, NASCAR TOURING RACE FACTS

WHAT: PTM Racing 150 Busch North Series, NASCAR Touring Race #17 of 21

WHERE: Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Scarborough, Maine .333 mile paved oval

WHEN: Sunday, September 9, 2001

DISTANCE: 150 laps (50 miles)

POSTED AWARDS: $73,150 (including $2,800 Busch North Series, NASCAR Touring Championship point fund money)

FIELD: 30 cars (Fastest 25 through one round of time trials. Two additionalpositions will be added as provisional starters based on the current 2001 Busch North Series driver point standings, two positions based on the current 2001 Busch North Series owner point standings, plus one position reserved for a past Busch North Series champion, if needed.)

SANCTION: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR)

PROMOTER: Beech Ridge Speedway, Inc.

SCHEDULE: Sunday, September 9 9:00 a.m. Registration & Inspection 10:00 a.m. Mandatory Drivers Meeting 11:00 a.m. to 11:40 a.m Practice 12:10 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. Practice 2:00 p.m. Bud Pole Qualifying (pos. 1-25) 4:30 p.m. PTM Racing 150 </pre>

NOTES OF INTEREST: * Beech Ridge Motor Speedway is the first track the Busch North Series visits for a third time in 2001. Third appearances at New Hampshire International Speedway and Stafford Motor Speedway will follow later in September.

* The most recent appearance at Beech Ridge by the Busch North Series was the Irving Oil 150 on Saturday, July 7. Mike Johnson won that event, sweeping past Martin Truex Jr. and Dave Dion in one move on lap 119. Dion finished second, 2.9 seconds behind, with Dale Quarterley third, Truex fourth, and Mike Olsen fifth. Johnson averaged 54.945 mph as only three caution periods slowed the pace for 26 laps. A start-finish line accident involving Brad Leighton and the lapped car of Laine Chase accounted for most of the caution laps. Olsen won his first career Bud Pole at a track record 15.586 seconds, 76.992 mph.

* The PTM Racing 150 at Beech Ridge on June 10 (same title as this event) saw Mike Olsen capture his first career Busch North Series race win, passing leader Paul Richardson on lap 124. Richardson finished second, his BNS career best, with Mike Johnson, Dave Dion, and Brian Hoar completing the top five. Olsen averaged 45.774 mph through six caution periods for 46 laps. There was no Bud Pole winner at the June event, as a thunderstorm arrived during the qualifying session.

* Dale Shaw won the 2000 edition of this event, which saw nine lead changes among six drivers. Shaw took the lead for the third and final time on lap 86 and bested Dave Dion by 5 car lengths. Kelly Moore, Brad Leighton, and Tracy Gordon were third through fifth. Gordon won the Bud Pole Award.

* Tracy Gordon and Dale Shaw have each won three Busch North Series races at Beech Ridge, including one each during the 2000 season. Single races have been won by Kelly Moore, Andy Santerre, Dave Dion, Brad Leighton, Mike Olsen, and Mike Johnson.

* Beech Ridge Motor Speedway opened in 1949 and operated until 1986 with an oiled dirt surface. The track was paved with asphalt in 1987 and became a member of the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series in 1995.

STAT OF THE WEEK
After 15 races, ten drivers have won Busch North Series races in 2001. There were nine winners during the full 2000 season. There have been 22 top-five finishers and 31 top-ten finishers among 75 participating drivers, of whom 71 have qualified for at least one race.

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