NASCAR WCUP: Marlin puts another top-ten in the books

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

September 25, 2001

No. 40 Coors Light team donates $12,000 to Disaster Relief Fund

DOVER, Del. – The Coors Light Dodge Intrepid R/T driven by Sterling Marlin finished eighth in the MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 at Dover Downs International Speedway. This marks the 14th time this season that Marlin has finished in the top-10. With his eighth place finish, Marlin is fifth overall in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship points standings; he is 63 points out of fourth place.

Following Marlin’s completion of all 400 laps in the MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Sterling Marlin and Coors Brewing Company will make a combined total donation of $12,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Sterling Marlin personally donated $10 for each lap he completed while Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and Coors Brewing Company matched their driver’s donation, making the total donation $30 per lap completed by the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge in the Dover Downs event.

The Coors Light Dodge began the race in 26th position and battled up to the front of the pack during the early stages of the race. Marlin climbed his way up to 19th position by lap 16. During the first caution, Marlin radioed in and said that the car was a little loose but should be good on long runs. Six cautions during the first half of the MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 gave the Coors Light team time to adjust on the car and Marlin moved all the way up the field to fifth position by the halfway mark of the 400-lap event.

“We were probably a fourth to 10th-place car,” Marlin said. “We were tight and loose and just fought it all day. We got it balanced a couple of times on the long runs, and that’s when we came up to the top-five.”

During the second half of the event, the Coors Light team battled between sixth and 12th place. Marlin finished the Dover Downs event in eighth place – his 14th top-10 of the season and his second top-10 finish at Dover this season.

“I’ve run real good here at Dover, but we never seem to have any luck,” Marlin said. “We usually blow up or something, but it didn’t work out that way this year. We gained some points on the 18 today, but the 8 gained on us. We’ve got nine to go, so we’ll get all we can every week and see where we wind up.”

The No. 40 Coors Light team travels to Kansas Speedway to compete in the inaugural Winston Cup event at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30.

Text provided by Nealie Hamilton

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