Vanderwyst / Exide - Mosport Road Course Report

Vanderwyst Motorsports / EXIDE Racing
For immediate release: June 18, 2002

Vanderwyst slips to 17th at Mosport Int'l Raceway

LONDON, ON - According to Pete Vanderwyst, Sunday afternoon's CASCAR Super 
Series race at Mosport Int'l Raceway was one of the most frustrating 
experiences of his competitive career. The Exide Pontiac racer started 14th 
in the field of 33 who participated in the fourth race of the season.
	Based upon assurances from CASCAR officials that the drivers would not be 
required to race in the rain, Vanderwyst and the majority of the field 
opted to stay out on 'slick' tires, following the rain delays that would 
eventually cut the planned 64-lap race in half.
	In the end, however, the green flag was shown to the field with rain 
falling heavily on several parts of the 10-turn road course. Unable to keep 
from hydroplaning, several cars went off the track. Those who managed to 
stay on the track were reduced to turning extremely slow speeds. To make 
matters worse, visibility became an issue for several of the drivers, as 
the inside of their windshields fogged up. During the final few laps of the 
Mosport race, Vanderwyst fell from 10th to 17th.
	"We based our decision not to pit for grooved tires on Tony Novotny's 
comments in the Saturday drivers' meeting. He said that we would not race 
in the rain. Obviously, that position was changed part way through the 
race, but no one informed the racers so that we could all come in and put 
on grooved tires. It was extremely dangerous out there and I'm just very 
relieved that no one was injured, or worse."
	Because of the injustice of not being told that they would be racing in 
the rain, Vanderwyst is hoping that something can be done to alter the 
outcome of Sunday's race.
	"We're looking into what we can do. I'd like to see them scrap the whole 
result and have us run it again. Or maybe, they could go back to the last 
caution, before they sprung it on us that we would be racing on slicks, in 
the rain. The teams have a lot invested in this series and the outcomes 
mean a lot to us, and our sponsors. I know it was a difficult situation, 
but if they'd only told us that the deal had changed, it wouldn't have been 
so unfair. When those guys pitted for grooved tires, the guys who stayed 
out thought they were nuts because we were all promised that there would be 
no green flags shown while the rain was falling."

RACE SUMMARY: Kevin Dowler, Don Thomson, Dave Jacombs and Mark Dilley 
claimed the first four positions in the Mosport road course race. They were 
among the few racers who pitted for grooved tires, earlier in the event, 
and easily carved through the field when the downpour intensified, late in 
the race.


NEXT RACE: Pete Vanderwyst is looking forward to this Saturday night's race 
(June 22) at Mosport Speedway. The Exide Pontiac driver counts the 
half-mile oval among his favourites on the CASCAR Super Series circuit. "I 
don't know why, but we always seem to do very well there," said the St. 
Thomas, ON racer. Following the first four races of the season, Vanderwyst 
is eighth in the Super Series points.

For more information, contact Pete Vanderwyst at (519) 652-3900, ext. 222 
or visit www.vanderwystmotorsports.com
Prepared by Inside Track Communications