EARNHARDT WINS AT LOWE’S; ALEXANDER FATALLY INJURED

CURRENT POINTS at the bottom of release.

For Immediate Release (10-4-01)

CONCORD NC – Kerry Earnhardt won the ARCA EasyCare 100 Thursday night at
Lowe’s Motor Speedway, an event marred by the death of Montoursville,
Pennsylvania veteran driver Blaise Alexander.

Alexander, 25, was involved in a two-car accident while battling for the
lead during the closing laps of the 100-mile race. Earnhardt, the other
driver involved in the wreck, was not injured.

Alexander, who was in pursuit of Earnhardt for the most of the race,
trailed the eventual winner by five lengths as the leaders approached
traffic in turn three on the 63rd lap of the 67-lap race. Earnhardt,
having committed himself to the outside lane in an effort to clear the
lapped cars, had to check up in traffic allowing Alexander to close
within inches of the leader’s bumper. As the leaders raced off turn four
Alexander, with more momentum, steered for a hole that had opened up on
the bottom. Alexander nosed ahead of Earnhardt through the tri-oval
however the cars touched just before the start-finish line resulting in
Alexander’s machine slamming nearly head-on into the outside retaining
wall. Alexander bounced off the wall into Earnhardt whose car then
turned over onto its roof and skidded farther up the track before coming
to a stop upside down. Earnhardt climbed out unscathed while ARCA
officials immediately put out the red flag to allow rescue workers to
attend to the situation.

“The emergency technicians were immediately on the scene,” said Jerry
Gappens, vice president of promotions and public relations for the
speedway. “Blaise was unconscious, unresponsive with no pulse or signs
of life. Our staff in the care center worked with him for 25 minutes –
again, with no response. He was pronounced dead at 10:20 PM ET. The
initial report indicated Alexander died of a severe head injury.”

With 63 laps complete, ARCA officials declared the race over. Thus
Earnhardt, whose car crossed the start-finish line before Alexander's,
won the race. "This was a violent deceleration type accident," said ARCA
president Ron Drager, "and the medical information we have at this time
is consistent with that. Blaise's father Blaise Sr. and brother Adam
were with the team in the pit area. Blaise was a great person and a
great racer, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Alexander, also a veteran of the NASCAR Busch & Craftsman Truck Series,
first raced in ARCA competition in 1995. Alexander won the ARCA rookie
of the year honors in 1996 and finished fifth in points that same year.
In 68 career starts, Alexander posted three wins at Toledo Speedway and
Pocono Raceway in 1998 as well as his most recent victory at Michigan
Int’l Speedway in July of 2001. In addition, Alexander had 22 top-five
finishes and 38 top-tens in ARCA competition as well as four poles at
Toledo, Winchester Speedway, Watkins Glen Int’l and Michigan.
Alexander’s career-best Busch Series finish was seventh.

Frank Kimmel, who has already clinched the 2001 ARCA RE/MAX Series
championship, finished third ahead of Billy Venturini in fourth and
polesitter Tim Steele who completed the top-five. Steele’s run was
significant for the fact that the Coopersville, Michigan driver had to
start from the tail-end after his crew changed engines following the
final practice session the day before. It was Steele’s 18th career ARCA
superspeedway pole award. Other than the red flag, there were two
cautions for 14 laps resulting in no further injuries. Earnhardt led the
most laps with 46 total followed by Alexander who led 12 laps while Andy
Belmont led 5. It was Earnhardt’s third career ARCA RE/MAX Series
victory.

Mt. Juliet, Tennessee rookie and outside polesitter Chase Montgomery
finished a solid sixth in front of Jason Jarrett in seventh. 2001 ASA
champion Johnny Sauter made his career-first ARCA/superspeedway start
and finished eighth while Mark Gibson and Richard Mitchell completed the
top-ten respectively.

CURRENT ARCA RE/MAX SERIES POINTS: 1) Frank Kimmel 6445; 2) Jason
Jarrett 5310; 3) Andy Belmont 5065; 4) Ron Cox 4585; 5) Norm Benning
4290; 6) Chuck Weber 4190; 7) Todd Bowsher 4180; 8) Donny Morelock 4095;
8) Tim Steele 4095; 10) Mike Buckley 3025.