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Stevenson Motorsports Debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

1 July 1999

Pocahontas, IL - Steve Stevenson has been brimming with anticipation and his wait will finally be over.

After months of preparation, Stevenson has announced that his debut appearance with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be in the Federated Auto Parts 250 at Nashville Speedway USA, July 10, 1999.

"We committed to making the jump to the truck series early last season", said Stevenson, the former ARCA regular, "The team is really excited about the transition, and the possibilities that lie ahead."

Stevenson will be driving the Stevenson Motorsports No. 11 Chevrolet in a minimum 5 NCTS events in 1999 to be eligible to compete for rookie points in 2000.

"Developing this team basically from scratch has been a tough road, but I feel we have the ability to be very competitive," says Stevenson, "Giving a good performance is my first goal, but my second is gaining the respect of the other drivers. That's key when you're first starting out."

Stevenson is a seasoned short track driver with numerous victories in the mid-west bullrings. He stepped into the ARCA series in 1997 with several promising finishes.

"My two seasons in ARCA were a real training ground. We had no experience on the asphalt, or with pit stops, so we stumbled a little at first. As we gained knowledge, we gained confidence," Stevenson comments humbly,"There just wasn't enough exposure to meet with our long term plans. So we looked around, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series seemed to be the next logical move."

Stevenson Motorsports crew chief Butch Haberer is anxious to see the result of the teams planning and hard work.

"Steve and I have known each other a long time. There's good chemistry between us," say Haberer, "I think we're in pretty good shape, but performance on the track is what's going to dictate that."

Stevenson is currently funding Stevenson Motorsports himself, but is hopeful a sponsor will come on board before long.

"Financially this is a huge commitment on my part. With a few good finishes, I think we will pick up a sponsor soon. We have several interested companies, we just want to be sure our goals match with theirs so everyone involved wins."

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