BNS: Beech Ridge post race notes

PTM Racing 150, Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Sunday, September 9

Dale Quarterley's victory in the PTM Racing 150 was his first win driving a race car of any kind. The three-time national endurance road racing champion on two wheels phased out his motorcycle career in the mid-1990's after a serious crash in testing at Daytona. His first Busch North Series race was in 1994, but he didn't become a regular on the circuit until 1999.

Recently, Dale jumped back on a racing motorcycle and won his class in a Loudon Road Racing Series endurance event on the road course at New Hampshire International Speedway.

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Brad Leighton didn't have a good day in the PTM Racing 150, but he did visit victory lane during th afternoon at Beech Ridge. He won the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series late model feature, taking the lead on lap 29 of the 40-lapper after starting tenth. Leighton also finished fourth in Saturday night's late model race. He was substituting for regular driver Jason Fowler, who was recovering from illness. Jeff Morgan was second and Steve Berry Jr.clinched the Beech Ridge late model title by finishing third on Sunday afternoon.

Leighton's first racing championship came in the Beech Ridge limited sportsman division in 1990.

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Another Beech Ridge regular made an impressive Busch North Series debut. Robbie Harrison finished ninth after qualifying 12th, racing a second Lux Enterprises/K&K Excavation Chevrolet as teammate to Mike Rowe. Robbie's dad, Bob Harrison, is the crew chief for Penfold Motorsports.

Harrison is expected to make a run at the Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year award in 2002.

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Rarely does a race for 15th place draw as much interest as the duel between Brian Hoar and Roger Raymond during the latter stages of the PTM Racing 150. Raymond hugged he inside while Hoar ran the high groove for several laps until Hoar prevailed and went on to capture the Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Race honors. Had Raymond gotten the edge, he would have been the fifth Raybestos award winner of the year; At age 60, he probably would have been the oldest winner in the program that spans NASCAR's touring series.

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Watch out, Tony Stewart. Move over, Ken Schrader. There's another globe-trotting, I'll-race-anything-anywhere driver on the horizon.

Busch North Series Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year contender Travis Benjamin has a busy weekend set for September 20-23. On Thursday, he will qualify the Irving Oil/Belfast Variety Ford for the MBNA E-Commerce 150 at Dover Downs International Speedway in Dover, Delaware. That race takes place late on Friday afternoon. Saturday, he switches to his pro stock car to defend his 2000 win in the Budweiser 100 at Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway. Sunday, it's another pro stock race at Wiscasset (Me.) Speedway. At least he gets closer to his Morrill. Me., home with each race.

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A correction has been made to the Gatorade Front Runner Award standings, crediting Brad Leighton with a lap led and therefore a Gatorade point scored at NHIS last May. Leighton is now shown with 11 points, trailing Mike Olsen (14) and Martin Truex Jr. (12) in the Gatorade program.

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Lime Rock Park has scheduled its annual media day and open test for Tuesday, October 2. Teams or media wishing to participate may contact track manger Garrett Mudd or media director Roy Hasty at (860) 435-5000. As it has since 1993, Lime Rock will host the 2001 Busch North Series finale on the scenic northwestern Connecticut road course on Saturday, October 13.

-nascar/bgn