Bryan Reffner returns to the series

1995 ASA National Champion set to return to series.

Pendleton, IN (September 12, 2002) - Bryan Reffner has been named as the driver for the LaFavre Racing Teams/Country Joe Racing number 21 Chevrolet, replacing recently released rookie driver Dan Fredrickson.

Reffner returns to the series after a six-year stint in the Craftsman Truck Series. Reffner competed full-time in ASA during the 1994 and 1995 seasons. In 1994, he finished 11th overall in points and second in the Pat Schauer Memorial Rookie of the Year st andings to Dave Sensiba. In 1995, Reffner recorded two victories and captured the ASA National Championship.

"There is no doubt that the unfortunate change here is always going to hurt the morale a little bit, but I think it is important to bring in a driver of this caliber to bring the guys back to focus and bring up the morale," LaFavre Racing Teams /Country Joe Racing Operations Manager Dick Melius said. "Bryan is a class act and that is exactly what we wanted to bring back in to that ride. He will be here next week to help the team with the cars and the guys on the team who don't know hi m I'm sure will be pleased to be working with him.

A native of Wisconsin Rapids (WI), he will join fellow Wisconsin driver Kevin Cywinski in the LaFavre Racing Teams/Country Joe Racing stable based in Lakeville (MN).

"It's a great opportunity for me. I'm pretty excited about it," Reffner said. "To be able to come back and be a teammate to Kevin (Cywinski) is going to be a great help to me. It's been a couple of years since I was last in an ASA car and to be able to come in and be able to ask somebody some questions who knows what's going and who is not going to feed me a line is going to be a big benefit to me."

Cywinski is currently third in the 2002 ASA National Championship points chase, 72 points behind Joey Clanton. Gary St. Amant is second, 12 points behind Clanton.

"I'm going up there to set the seat and get prepared, but it's going to be a timing issue to see if we can go somewhere and turn some laps in the car," Reffner said. "I've been in a lot of positions where I have been und erpowered and had to make up for it with the driver, but I always thought putting everyone on a level field was a good idea. I am anxious to see how that plays out."

The ASA Racing Series returns to action on September 22nd with the CITGO / MDA 300 presented by Texor Petroleum Company at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville (IN). The event takes the green flag at 1 p.m. (Central).

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