BNS: Seekonk: Race report

Matt Kobyluck wins Budweiser 150 at Seekonk Speedway and takes Busch North Series point lead; Bill Penfold's second place is career best; Truex finishes third.

SEEKONK, Mass. (May 25, 2002)-- Matt Kobyluck prevailed in a tense late-race battle with Bill Penfold to win an hard-fought Budweiser 150 for the Busch North Series, NASCAR Touring Saturday night at Seekonk Speedway.

Kobyluck, who started eighth, stalked Penfold throughout the closing stages before making the winning pass with seven of the scheduled 150 laps remaining. A caution flag one lap later sent the race into overtime to achieve the green flag finish required by Busch North Series rules. Kobyluck gained his second career win by .40 seconds, and took the Busch North point lead for the first time in his career while denying a first-time win to Penfold, who came all the way from 17th at the start. Martin Truex Jr., Tracy Gordon, and Dale Shaw completed the top five. Eddie MacDonald was sixth, a career best, while David Darling, Dennis Demers, Dave Dion, and Bryan Wall comprised the balance of the top ten. Fifteen cars were on the lead lap at the finish.

The duel between Kobyluck and Penfold was set up when leaders Dave Dion and Mike Rowe came together in turn two on lap 103. Dion spun out and Rowe was sent to the tail of the field for his role in the incident. Brad Leighton, who finished 12th, and Dale Shaw also led in the early stages.

The caution flag was displayed eight times for 53 laps but there were no serious accidents. Mike Olsen set a track record in capturing the Bud Pole at 12.713 seconds, 94.392 miles per hour.

Unofficially, Kobyluck leads Leighton by a margin of 38 points after four of 19 races, with Shaw 43 points out of the lead. Penfold is fourth and defending champion Olsen fifth. After an open date next weekend, the Busch North Series resumes on Saturday night, June 8, with the PTM Racing 150 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Me.

-nascar-