Target Martinsville race report

Contact:  Nealie Hamilton, Chip Ganassi Racing, 704/662-9642, nhamilton@ganassi.com
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       April 15, 2002
 
TEAM TARGET COULDN'T DODGE PROBLEMS AT MARTINSVILLE
 
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (April 14, 2002) - The Target Dodge Intrepid R/T driven by Jimmy Spencer finished in 21st place in the Virginia 500 at Martinsville Speedway.  Spencer dropped one place to 22nd in NASCAR Winston Cup championship points.  
 
The Target Dodge started the 500-lap event in ninth position and moved up two positions within the first ten laps of the race.  Spencer had one of the fastest cars on the track and stayed consistently in seventh place until the third caution came out on lap 72.  Following a pit stop, the Target Dodge was held in the pits for a 15-second penalty.  Team Target had a man over the wall before the No. 41 Dodge reached the pit box one ahead of theirs.  Spencer restarted the race on lap 81 in 40th position.
 
The remainder of the race included the Target Dodge being involved in two cautions and going a total of three laps down.  Spencer and Team Target worked all day to reclaim two laps and finished the event in 21st place, as the first car one lap down.
 
"They said we had a man over the wall too quick and that cost us a lap," Spencer said.  "We cut a left rear tire down, and that cost us two more laps.  We made two of them back up and never did get the other one back.  Ricky Craven says I was holding him up, so he spun me out.  I didn't see it that way.  Then afterwards I passed him on the outside and he got me again.  We still ended up the first car one lap down, but I really feel like we had an opportunity to win today."
 
Next on the schedule for the No. 41 Target team is the Talladega 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 21, 2002.
 
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