ARCA Truck release, New Paris

HAHN HEATS UP AT NEW PARIS SPEEDWAY
For Immediate Release

By Wendy Wellman - NEW PARIS, IN, 8-4-01 – In his second year of ARCA
Lincoln Welders Truck Series competition, Paul Hahn recorded his first
career series victory Saturday at New Paris Speedway. Though he ran in
second for the majority of the race, the Canton, Michigan native led the
first 13 and the last 16 laps of the 100-lap feature to take home the
checkered flag.

“It was probably the best thing for Bob Blount in the 77 truck to pass
me on lap 13 because I learned the line,” Hahn said. “He’s a local
driver here. He taught me a lot, especially how to get through the
corners.”

With the bad luck of the full moon above him, Blount broke on lap 84
after earning Cloyes Gear Halfway Leader honors. Hahn passed him coming
out of turn two in the Hahn’s Collision-Fox Auto Parts-Eversole &
Associates Ford. Hahn had started the feature on the pole after series
officials inverted the first six qualifiers, including Jeff Speakman,
who took the Old Milwaukee Pole Award, Chad Guinn, Brett Oakley, Robbin
Slaughter, Eugene Crase, and Hahn.

“The truck was running great,” Hahn said. “The biggest problem I had all
night was just trying to get around lapped traffic. They would move down
inside for the leader, then right after the leader got by, they just
moved back up and kept racing.”

The Pate Manufacturing-West Park Food Marketing Ford of Johnny Witham of
Hamilton, Ohio, finished a close second after qualifying seventh, just
out of reach of the inversion.

“The truck got too loose,” Witham said. “I gave it everything I had
there at the end but I just didn’t have enough for him. It was an
exciting race though. We’re very happy with the finish, after the year
that we’ve had, this is great. We’ve had three different races already
this year that we didn’t even finish.”

Middletown, Ohio rookie driver Brett Oakley nabbed third place in the
MAR-FLEX Products-Tegtmeyer’s Ford, while Columbus, Ohio’s Bill Withers
was fourth in the Mannings USA-Hall Electronics Ford. The Spangler Candy
Company Dum Dum Pops Chevrolet of Tully Esterline, Pettisville, Ohio,
finished at fifth, the last truck on the lead lap.

Current points leader and 2000 ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series
champion Robbin Slaughter took a disappointing eight place finish in the
Carmen’s Vacuum-Napa Auto Parts Ford after an early spin sent him to the
pits. Series standout Chad Guinn finished 18th and 28 laps down after
hitting the wall and breaking an axle in the BFI Waste Systems-Coastal
Coating Systems-Northland Collision Ford.

The ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series heads south to the blue grass of
Kentucky Speedway for a 50-lapper this Friday night, Aug. 10, to make up
a rain cancellation from earlier in the season.

CONTACT: ARCA PR (734) 847-6726 or arcaracing.com