Marlin and the Coors Light Dodge Earn Top-15 Finish at Darlington Raceway

Contact: Jennifer Powell, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, cell:
(704) 658-8540, jpowell@ganassi.com

 

For Immediate Release

 

Marlin and the Coors Light Dodge Earn Top-15 Finish at Darlington
Raceway

 

DARLINGTON, S.C. (March 21, 2004) --- Sterling Marlin adjusted to
Darlington's narrowed racing surface and drove his Coors Light Dodge to
a 14th place finish.

 

When the green flag waved to start the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400,
Marlin began to slowly work his way from the 17th starting position and
was running 15th on lap nine when the first caution came out.  After
bringing the Coors Light Dodge down pit road for a routine pit stop with
minor adjustments, Marlin returned to the track in the 20th spot for the
restart on lap 14.

 

Marlin quickly started working his way through the field and was running
14th within 10 laps.   When the second caution of the day took place on
lap 27, Marlin commented that the car was starting to get tight.  No
adjustments were made and the Coors Light Dodge returned to the field in
the 13th spot.

 

The car continued to get tight as the laps went by and Marlin was
reporting that the car was experiencing trouble turning into one and
three.  The Coors Light crew made their third pit stop on lap 55 during
the caution and made a slight chassis adjustment to help free the car
up.

 

The Coors Light Dodge was 12th when the race resumed on lap 59 and
continued running in the top-15 until lap 121 when Marlin made a green
flag pit stop.  Marlin was reporting that the car was now loose so the
Coors Light crew made more adjustments and sent Marlin back onto the
racetrack.

 

Marlin continued to run in the top-20 and when the yellow flag came out
on lap 185 for debris, Crew Chief Lee McCall decided to have Marlin stay
out and lead lap 188.  Marlin then brought the Coors Light Dodge down
pit road and the crew was able to take the time to make lengthy trackbar
adjustments to help improve the handling of the car.

 

Marlin restarted 15th and was able to continue to run in the top-20
eventually piloting it to a 14th place finish.     

 

"We started the race tight and then got loose," Marlin said.  "We kept
trying to make adjustments to the car to improve the handling but we
just could not get it quite right. We go to my home track next week and
we always run well there so I am looking forward to going racing at
Bristol."

 

Marlin's 14th-place finish elevated him to 16th in the NEXTEL Cup
championship points just 74 points back from tenth place.   Ganassi
teammates Casey Mears and Jamie McMurray finished 15th and 21st
respectively.

 

The Coors Light team races at Bristol next weekend.  The Food City 500
will be broadcast live on FOX television and PRN radio on Sunday, March
28th at 1:00 p.m. EST.

 

XXX

 

 

Jennifer Powell

Media Relations

Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

office: (704) 662-9642 x1147

cell: (704) 658-8540

jpowell@ganassi.com