NASCAR WCUP: Lepage Earns High Marks for '98 Season Performance
4 January 1999
One of the most pleasant surprises of the 1998 season was the emergence of Kevin Lepage, who went from an unknown commodity to one of the most sought after young drivers on the circuit.There were a lot of eyebrows raised at the start of last season when Lepage decided to throw himself into the ring for rookie of the year honors. Many wondered why a first-year driver with a non-sponsored team would make himself available for such an award when he might not qualify for most of the events.
Well, Lepage quickly served notice that he wasn't any ordinary rookie. As driver for LJ Racing, he made all of his doubters take notice as he qualified for 14 of the first 16 races and posted three top 20 finishes. Lepage had closed to within four points of Kenny Irwin in the rookie of the year standings, but an even tighter battle was being waged by owners looking to acquire Lepage's talents. Jack Roush eventually won the Lepage derby as he signed him to a contract just prior to the Save Mart/Kragen 350 at Sears Point.
Lepage was released from his LJ Racing commitment after signing with Roush and his rookie of the year hopes appeared to be over. He missed five races during the middle of the season before taking over the PRIMESTAR Taurus from Ted Musgrave at Michigan in August. He finished 17th in his debut with crew chief James Ince and made an even bigger splash the next week at Bristol with a 10th-place showing. Overall, Lepage had six top-20 efforts in his first eight races with Roush, including a career-best sixth at Charlotte in October.
That enabled him to once again close the gap on Irwin, but he was involved in an accident at Daytona which relegated him to a 40th-place finish, and then placed 43rd two weeks later at Rockingham when a mechanical problem forced him out of the race. As a result, Lepage finished second to Irwin in the rookie battle.
Lepage, a proud native of Vermont, wants to become the first person from his state to win a NASCAR Winston Cup event. He has already achieved that distinction in the Busch Grand National Series after reaching victory lane for the first time in the 1996 season finale at Homestead. He returned to the winner's circle last year after winning the annual night race at Bristol in August.
There was never a doubt about Lepage's ability behind the wheel. He won the first race he ever entered, which was a Busch North Series qualifying event in which he substituted for his brother. From there he kept on racing and was named the 1991 STP Most Improved Driver in that series. He graduated to the Busch Grand National Series three years later and has been a fixture there ever since.