MWS: Colorado Speedway fact sheet

WHAT: Auto Trader 150 RE/MAX Challenge Series, NASCAR Touring, Race #4 of 13

WHERE: Colorado National Speedway, Erie, Colorado .375-Mile Paved Oval

WHEN: Saturday, June 1

DISTANCE: 150 Laps, (56.25 Miles)

POSTED AWARDS: $54,160 (Including $3,660 RE/MAX Challenge Series, NASCAR Touring Championship point fund money)

FIELD: 26 cars. Fastest 16 cars through time trials. Starting positions 17-20 will be filled from the top 4 in 20-lap qualifying race. Positions 21-23 are reserved as provisional starting spots based on current RE/MAX Challenge Series driver and car owner points. Position 24 is a provisional starting spot reserved for a past RE/MAX Challenge Series Champion not qualifying for one of the original 16. Positions 25-26 are reserved as provisional starting spots based on current Hills Bros. All-Pro and Featherlite Southwest Series championship points.

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

PROMOTER: CN Acquisitions, LLC/David Gamel

SCHEDULE:
Saturday, June 1 (All Times Mountain)
Noon to 2:00 p.m.: Practice
5:15 p.m.: Qualifying (2 Laps)
6:15 p.m.: 20-Lap Qualifying Race
8:00 p.m.: Auto Trader 150

PARTICIPATING AWARD SPONSORS: RE/MAX International, Anheuser-Busch, Gatorade, 76 Race Gasoline, Auto Meter, Five Star Stock Car Bodies, Hoosier Tires, Moog Chassis, Quarter Master, 3M

Notes Of Interest

* The RE/MAX Challenge Series (RCS) has visited Colorado National Speedway on 4 previous occasions.

<pre> Fast Qualifier Winner Feature Distance 7/161991 Jim Weber Rick Carelli 150 laps 5/8/1999 Brian Hoppe Jason Schuler 162 laps 6/3/2000 Mark Kraus Steve Carlson 150 laps 6/2/2001 Justin Diercks Steve Carlson 150 laps

</pre> * The RE/MAX Challenge Series evolved from the ARTGO Challenge Series and, in 2002, is celebrating its 28th consecutive season of competition. The series joined the NASCAR Touring family in 1998.

* Defending Event Champion: Steve Carlson. Defending Event Bud Pole Winner: Justin Diercks. In the 2001 version of this event, Steve Carlson started fifth and quickly moved tot he front of the field. By lap 17, Carlson had gotten around early leader Brian Hoppe and would not be challenged the remainder of the event. The win marked Carlson's third in a row, to start the season. No other competitor had accomplished that in the history of the series. Rookie Jeff Storm muscled his way past Hoppe late in the race to captured second while Hoppe settled for third. Justin Diercks, battling the stomach flu, captured his first career Bud Pole.

* Steve Carlson is the defending RE/MAX Challenge Series Champion.

* In the most recent RE/MAX Challenge Series event, May 27 at Dells (WI) Motor Speedway, Brian Hoppe worked past leader Eddie Hoffman on lap 153 and led the remainder of the 200-lap event. Hoffman settled for runner-up honors with Steve Carlson finishing third. The win was Hoppe's first of the season and 13th career triumph. Josh Vadnais captured his first career Bud Pole fast qualifier award. With a career best 7th place finish, he was also the highest finishing rookie.

* Possible story lines--.1) Steve Carlson has dominated the race the last two times the series has visited Colorado National Speedway, leading 284 of the 300 feature laps run--..2) Carlson has yet to win in 2002--..3) Leading Rookie of the Year candidate, Josh Vadnais, sits fifth in series points and has already captured a Bud Pole fast qualifier award and led laps in a race this year--..4) Roger Avants, of Littleton, Colorado, posted a 4th place finish in this event in 2001, by far the best showing from the strong Colorado contingent in the last three years--..5) Parker, Colorado driver Larry Hunter is competing full-time on the RE/MAX Challenge Series in 2002, and competing for Rookie of the Year honors, even though 11 of the 13 series races require he and his crew to drive over 24 hours round trip--..6) The corporate offices for series title sponsor, RE/MAX, are a short drive from Colorado National Speedway--..7) In 2002, Eddie Hoffman has already competed in the Featherlite Southwest Series, Hills Bros All-Pro Series and RE/MAX Challenge Series, all NASCAR Touring Series. He leads the current RE/MAX points and is in the top five in the All-Pro standings

* The series one-lap qualifying record at Colorado National Speedway was set by Mark Kraus, June 3, 2000 at 15.919 seconds (84.804 mph). The 150-lap series race record at CNS was set by Steve Carlson, June 3, 2000 at 51 minutes 59 seconds (65.092 mph).

Stat Of The Week The first three races of the year have produced three different winners.

-nascar-