BNS: Star Speedway preview

STAR 150 BUSCH NORTH SERIES RACE GIVES PAUL RICHARDSON A CHANCE TO ADD TO HIS STAR SPEEDWAY HONORS ON SATURDAY, JUNE 16

EPPING, N.H. (June 8, 2001) -The track has a rich history of open cockpit racing, but it hosts a prestigious NASCAR event as well. In 2001, a two-time winner of the open-wheel classic looms as a favorite to write his name in the stock car record book.

Don't think about that big track in Indiana. Think about the quarter-mile track in New Hampshire- Star Speedway, where the Busch North Series, NASCAR Touring appears for the 15th straight year in the Star 150 on Saturday, June 16.. Paul Richardson of Georgetown, Mass., twice a winner of the Star Classic for supermodifieds in the 1980's, is off to his best start in Busch North Series competition and ranks as a prime candidate to break into BNS victory lane at the track where he has raced for over 30 years.

Richardson enjoyed his best career Busch North Series finish last month when he came home third in the Budweiser 150 at the Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway, a track of similar configuration to Star but slightly larger. Never out of the top 20 during the first four races of the season, he has moved into ninth at the Busch North Series standings, thanks in part to his new Jason Janvrin-built Bellingham Sheet Metal Chevrolet.

"In these cars, you really have to have it balanced to get around," Richardson said in comparing the Busch North Series machine to the lighter and more powerful supermodified with which he made his reputation at Star. "The first and second turns are different from the third and fourth turns because of the different asphalt. You're never going to have the best of both worlds at Star. You're going to be a little tight at one end and a shade loose at the other," he continued. "I'm just glad I'm going there with this new car. It's going to make a big difference in the way we run."

While the Star 150 distance is only 37.5 miles on paper - less than half a tank of fuel- it's really a long-distance test, especially on a hot June night. Paul Richardson stressed that self-discipline is the key to success in a long race on a short track. "A lot of it is taking care of your tires," he emphasized. "Qualify up front, take care of your car and your tires. Then you get down to 125 laps and you've got something to run with."

"I might start out a tad loose, because the speedway tightens up at night," Richardson noted.

While the supermodifieds made Paul Richardson's fame at Star, including four track championships and a courageous comeback from serious back injuries in the early 1990's, he's enjoyed stock car success at the track as well, finishing as high as second in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series pro stock standings. "It's my home track," he said proudly, adding "It's a bullring, but that seems to be my kind of place."

The Star 150 is scheduled as a one-day event on Saturday, June 16, with practice starting at 12:30 p.m. and Bud Pole Qualifying at 4:30 p.m. Feature time is approximately 7:45 p.m. Star's regular NASCAR Weekly Racing Series classes will also be part of the program.

-Al Robinson