40 Coors Original Michigan race report

June 16, 2002


COORS ORIGINAL DODGE FINISHES 21st AT MICHIGAN
Marlin remains first in the Winston Cup championship points race

BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 16, 2002) - Sterling Marlin drove the No. 40 Coors
Original Dodge Intrepid R/T to a 21st place finish in the Sirius Satellite
Radio 400 at Michigan International Speedway.  For the 14th straight race,
Marlin remains the leader in the NASCAR Winston Cup championship points
standings; he has a 110-point lead over Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon who
are tied for second place.

Marlin qualified for the Sirius Satellite Radio 400 in 37th position on
Friday but due to a bad lifter, the team replaced the engine following
practice on Saturday dropping the Coors Original Dodge to the rear of the
field (43rd) for the start of the race.  Marlin consistently moved up
through the field at the start, reach the top-30 on lap 17 and the top-25 on
lap 87.  

The Coors Original team adjusted the track bar and tire air pressure during
the first pit stop to improve the No. 40's handling.  The adjustments helped
the car, but Marlin radioed in that the car began to slide after the tires
had a few laps on them.  The Coors Original Dodge went a lap down on lap 73
to leader Dale Jarrett.  During the second half of the 200-lap event, the
Coors Original team worked to improve the handling of the car and gain their
lap back.  Unfortunately, neither was accomplished and Marlin finished in
21st place, his worst finish of the season.

"We had a 15th or 20th-place car," Marlin said following the race.  "They
changed the rules up, so that's where we are right now. We lost a ton of
points today. This is our worst finish of the season and we knew we'd have
days like this. We've just got to run better. There's a lot of racing left,
but we've got to get better before we come back here in August."

Next on the schedule for the No. 40 Coors Original team is the Dodge/Save
Mart 350 at Sears Point Raceway on June 23, 2002.