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NASCAR WCUP: LaJoie Looks Ahead to California Speedway

29 April 1999

Lajoie said, "The run we had last weekend at Talladega has given this Bob Evans team a lot of momentum heading into California this weekend. We were beginning to think the bad luck was going to be around for a long time, but we qualified and raced well, so hopefully this momentum will continue through California.

"The first time I went to California, I was on top of the practice sheets. I ended up destroying that car in practice and we had to pull out the back-up car. I qualified decent and got a top-10 finish out of it.

"In 1998, I ran more than 400 laps at Fontana in three different divisions. As the 1997 Busch Series champion, I represented the division in the IROC Series, I ran the NASCAR Winston Cup race in May as the substitute driver for the No. 50 (Hendrick Motorsports) car -- I was involved in an accident and I finished 36th. Then in July, I ran a Busch car there and finished 16th.

"I really like Fontana. Its such a flat, smooth track. We carry a lot of speed into turns one and two. Actually, the track is fast all around, which makes for some exciting side-by-side racing. Its a nice facility and a really nice town. Im really looking forward to a good run there."

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