The Coors Light Dodge Sweats Out a 27th-place Finish

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

 

For Immediate Release

 

The Coors Light Dodge Sweats Out a 27th-place Finish

 

FONTANA, Calif. (May 2, 2004) --- Sterling Marlin and the Coors Light
team fought the heat and the handling of the car to finish 27th at
California Speedway.

 

"It was a long, hot day at the office," Marlin said.  "We never could
get the car right.  First it was tight and then it was loose.  We tried
to do a bunch of different changes to the car but we played catch up all
day and we never got caught up."

 

After starting the race in the eighth position, the Coors Light Dodge
fell back to the 25th position by lap 17.  Marlin reported that the car
was "real, real tight."  The first caution came on lap 21 and Marlin
told the crew that the car needed a whole lot of help.  The Coors Light
crew put four fresh tires, fuel, and made trackbar and air pressure
adjustments in order to free up the Coors Light Dodge.

 

The Coors Light Dodge was still tight when the second caution flag waved
on lap 52, the crew made a slight air pressure adjustments and put on
four tires and fuel.  The Coors Light Dodge restarted the race on lap 54
in the 26th spot.

 

Marlin had worked his way up to 18th on lap 79, when he radioed that the
car was getting looser and looser.  Marlin brought the Coors Light Dodge
down pit road on lap 93 and the crew made trackbar and wedge adjustments
and returned to the track 20th.

 

Marlin would make two more pit stops in the final 150 laps where the
crew continued to try and fix the handling of the car.  The Coors Light
Dodge ended the day with a 27th-place finish in the Advance Auto Parts
500 at California Speedway.

 

Marlin dropped one spot to 15th in the NEXTEL Cup championship points
just 138 points out of the top 10.   Ganassi teammates Casey Mears and
Jamie McMurray finished eighth and 15th respectively.

 

 The Coors Light team is off next weekend for Mother's Day.  The team
will return in two weeks for the Chevy American Revolution 400 at
Richmond International Raceway.  

 

XXX

 

 

 

Jennifer Powell

Media Relations

Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

office: (704) 662-9642 x1147

cell: (704) 658-8540

jpowell@ganassi.com