Steve Francis Racing upsdate 2002-06-27

Steve Francis keeps charging in challenge for national championship of dirt late model racing.

Team MOPAR driver moves into 3rd place in UDTRA Standings with 2nd place run in iowa

(Ashland, KY-- June 27, 2002) The weather is not the only hot topic around America's dirt racing ovals this summer as the battle for the national championship chase of dirt late model racing on the United Dirt Track Racing Association (UDTRA) is again shaping into a heated war. Steve Francis kept the pressure on current points leader Rick Eckert with a second-place finish Tuesday night in UDTRA action in Iowa. Francis put the Valvoline / MOPAR Parts Dodge Intrepid up front at Crawford County Speedway in Dennison, IA leading the first two laps of the event before event race winner Eckert took the point. Francis stay in contention throughout the 50-lap affair pulling alongside the leader throughout the event but settling for second place as the checkered flag waved. On Saturday night Francis took his Rocket Chassis prepared Dodge Intrepid to a 6th place run in UDTRA action at"The Masters" at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, WI. Currently Francis, known throughout racing circles as the Kentucky Colonel, is in 3rd place of the national championship standings on the UDTRA tour just 119 points off the lead.

This weekend's schedule will see Francis take the Team MOPAR / Valvoline backed Dodge into battle at Nebraska Raceway Park (Greenwood, NE) in a pair of UDTRA sanctioned events on Friday and Saturday. Francis campaigns the primary Rocket Chassis prepared machine in conjunction with his partnership with Rocket Chassis owner Mark Richards. The Dodge Intrepid R/T is powered by Gary Stanton Racing Engines, so far during the 2002 season Francis has tallied 13 top-five and 19 top-ten finishes to go with 2 wins and a lightning-fast 8 Pole Awards.

Next week's busy schedule for Steve Francis includes UDTRA stops at Muskingum County Speedway (Zanesville, OH-July 3rd); Raceway 7 (Conneaut, OH-July 5th); and West Virginia Motor Speedway (Parkersburg, WV-July 6th). Francis also plans on competing on the Renegade DirtCar tour in a special Fourth of July appearance at Stateline Speedway in Jamestown, NY.

-www.stevefrancisracing.com