ASA ACDelco Challenge Series Miller 300: Report and Results
2 September 1997
St Paul, MN - Tony Raines had the dominant car, but thanks to quick work in the pits by the Ken Schrader Racing team, Scott Hansen was able to cross the finish line first for his first victory in over a year on the American Speed Association, ACDelco Challenge Series, Miller 300 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds Speedway. The win netted Hansen $11,880 and allowed him to creep closer to Gary St Amant and Kevin Cywinski in the points battle."This win really feels good," Hansen said afterwards surrounded by his daughters. "I didn't think this victory would ever come. This is the hardest racetrack in the world. The car can be real good and then real bad. On that last caution, Turner spun in front of me and I flat spotted the left front tire. The car developed a bad vibration and we just wore out the tire. I knew Tony (Raines) was coming, but that long caution helped."
Hansen took the Ken Schrader Racing Chevrolet into the lead for the first time on lap 3 as he passed polesitter Mike Eddy in the GM Goodwrench Service/HRE Pontiac. Eddy retook the point on lap 14 and continued to pace the field until lap 79 when the first round of pit stops occurred.
Following the pit stops, ASA and NASCAR Veteran Dick Trickle was on the point in the Miller Lite/Arctic Cat Ford. Second was Pat Schauer Rookie of the Year contender Steve Carlson in the Clean Burn/Trop Artic Pontiac and Raines in the Arctic Cat/Motorsports of Rice Lake Ford who had started shot-gun on the field following difficulties in practice and qualifying.
Trickle held the lead until Raines completed his rear-to-front run by sweeping low out of turn two on lap 87 and taking the lead. For the next 79 laps of the 95 lap green flag segment, Raines left the field in his wake as he drove away, lapping cars as he went. By the time the yellow flag waved again, only Hansen remained on the lead lap with the flying Raines.
Stellar pit work by Hansen's crew got him out of the pits in first place with Raines chasing him and Joe Nott in the Valvoline/Alan Nott Honda-Toyota/Raabe Ford and points leader Kevin Cywinski in the Tecumseh Pontiac next in line. Hansen held the lead until lap 172 when Raines was able to get back by and assume the the point again. Then on lap 192 Turner spun on the back straight and the yellow came out for the fifth time in the race.
Once again Hansen beat Raines out of the pits with Paul Paine in the Davis Frost Paints/Cemstone Pontiac in third, Cywinski fourth and Nott fifth. Now it was Hansen's turn to pull away from the field as he extended his lead over the next 70 laps while St Amant moved up to third followed by Carlson and Nott.
The final caution came out for another Turner spin on lap 272, but none of the leaders elected to pit. The caution period was extended when a member of Harold Fair's crew was struck by another car on pit road.
Due to the extended caution the finish of the race would turn into a 12 lap shootout with Hansen in the lead. Hansen was able to put some daylight between himself and Raines on the restart, but Raines was soon closing back in. Raines closed up on Hansen, but the checkered flag came out before he was able to make the pass. The margin of victory was a scant .199 seconds with Carlson coming home third. Nott was able to hang on for fourth and Bob Senneker brought the Lane Automotive/JR Automation/ Mr Gasket Ford home in fifth.
The WYNN'S WYNNING Move went to Joe Nott for finishing in fourth after starting the race in 16th place. Nott also had replaced Crew Chief Chris Bradley during the week.
Points leader Cywinski was able to extend his margin over St Amant by finishing in sixth while St Amant was 11th. Carlson also extended his rookie points lead over Sauter who finished in 15th.
The ACDelco Challenge Series now moves on to I-70 Speedway in Odessa, MO for the World Cup 300 on September 13.
John Kaiser -- The Autochannel
Minnesota State Fair S/W - Provisional results for the ASA ACDelco Challenge Series, Miller 300: Ps.Ql.No. Driver , Car Laps -- -- ---- ----------------------------------------------------- ----- 1 3 52 Scott Hansen AFCO Racing Products PONT 300 2 34 9 Tony Raines Arctic Cat/Motorsports Rice Lake FORD 300 3 4 87 Steve Carlson(R)Baker Enterprises/Clean Burn PONT 300 4 16 48 Joe Nott Valvoline/Allan Nott Toyota/RaabeFORD 299 5 2 84 Bob Senneker Lane Auto/JR Automation/Mr GasketFORD 299 6 9 1 Kevin Cywinski Tecumseh/LaFavre Racing PONT 299 7 7 55 Bobby Gill Leo M/S/Wehr/Racing Adventures PONT 299 8 21 6 Dave Sensiba Engineered Polymer/W MI Auto AuctPONT 299 9 13 2 Butch Miller Gillund Enterprises/Justice Bros PONT 299 10 20 51 Brandon Sperling Sperling Motorsports CHEV 299 11 5 7 Gary St Amant Wynn's/W Michigan Chevy Dealers CHEV 299 12 24 79 Mike Cofer (R) Black & Decker Versa Pack PONT 298 13 1 88 Mike Eddy GM Goodwrench Service/HRE PONT 297 14 18 5 Steve Holzhausen Structural Transport FORD 296 15 33 60 Tim Sauter (R) Wehrs/G&G Trucking/Schwister FORD 296 16 17 47 Paul Paine Paine Racing PONT 296 17 23 32 Ted Smokstad Corp. Auto/SMS Parts PONT 295 18 22 8 Mike Garvey AFCO Racing Products PONT 295 19 12 81 Harold Fair Car Quest/ACDelco/Victor Reinz PONT 294 20 10 18 Mike Miller South East Air Service PONT 294 21 28 11 Doug Mayr(R) No Touch Car Care/Aqua Splash CHEV 293 22 15 33 Brad Loney Bunsaver/Hunter's Spec/Flexsteel PONT 293 23 26 58 Billy Turner Sanifill/Central Fiber PONT 289 24 19 07 Jack Landis Adirondak/Lyndaker/Maisto/N.YoderFORD 289 25 31 64 Ricky Bilderback Bilderback Auto Parts PONT 289 26 27 93 Alec Pinsonneault Build-A-Mold/Trimplas/Moldplas PONT 286 27 32 19 Justin Diercks Diercks LTD/Dr A. Diercks/TC Fab FORD 286 28 25 0 Tom Jones Jones Motorsports PONT 283 29 11 21 Kevin Nuttleman Citgo/Midwest Fuels/Dutch Mill PONT 269 30 6 23 Rick Beebe St Louis Gear/Royal Machine PONT 248 31 30 95 Chuck Hemmingston Rodeway Inn PONT 156 32 8 99 Dick Trickle Miller Lite/Arctic Cat FORD 99 33 29 92 Carroll Adamy Dorothy Lynch Home Style Salad DrCHEV 76 34 14 72 Junior Hanley Skillman Motorsports PONT 6 (R)= Pat Schauer Memorial Rookie Candidate Time of Race : 2 hrs 12 min Average Speed : 68.18 mph Margin of Victory : .199 secs Lap Leaders : Eddy, Hansen, Trickle, Raines Cautions : 6 for 42 laps Track Length : 0.5000 Miles Provisional Driver points standings following the ASA ACDelco Challenge Series Miller 300 at Minnesota State Fairgrounds Speedway. 1. Kevin Cywinski 2604 2. Gary St Amant 2380 3. Scott Hansen 2311 4. Rick Beebe 2211 5. Dave Sensiba 2192 6. Steve Carlson 2186 7. Mike Miller 2081 8. Bob Senneker 2033 9. Tim Sauter 2024 10. Harold Fair 1982