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NASCAR BGN: Tony Roper Watkins Glen Preview

24 June 1999

No. 61 IWX Motor Freight Pontiac
Driver:  Tony Roper
Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Preview

Race:  Lysol 200 (82 laps) 
Track: 2.45-mile road course
Time:  June 27, 12:00 noon, EDT 
Purse: $601,428
Television: ESPN - Live 
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN)
Track Description:  11 turns with a variety of 
banking in turns, ranging from  six to 10 degrees
Length of Frontstretch: 2,150 feet
Length of Backstretch: 2,600 feet
Qualifying:  One Round (positions 1-34): June 26, 10:45 a.m.

The Lysol 200 at Watkins Glen International will be Tony Roper's third race at the historic 2.45-mile road course facility. He has failed to finish in both NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events that he has competed in there, finishing 24th (transmission failure) in 1997 and 30th (engine failure) last year.

"The results don't really show it, but I learned an awful lot about road course racing at Watkins Glen," said Roper, a 34-year old short track driver from Fair Grove, Mo. "There will be a few drivers entered who are great road racers and I think they will have an advantage over me. Once those guys are taken out of the equation, I think I can road race with the rest of the guys in the Busch Series."

As is always the case on NASCAR road course events, numerous road course specialist drivers have secure rides in some of the entries. While Rope is concerned about them, he will have other issues that he will be concentrating on.

"The track has recently been paved and has had a sealer applied to it," said the driver of the No. 61 IWX Motor Freight Pontiac. "I think that will neutralize a lot of things because it's basically a new track. I like that, I'm a fast learner and feel that that will help us.

"Realistically, we just need to stay on the pavement," he concluded. "We're capable of a very good finish at Watkins Glen, but we need to be there at the finish. I love the challenge of road course racing and look forward to continuing to develop my skills this weekend."

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