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NASCAR BGN: Casey Atwood ready for return to Dover Downs

1 June 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

* On September 25, 1999, Casey Atwood won the MBNA Gold 200, the most recent NASCAR Busch Series race held at Dover Downs International Speedway.

* Casey Atwood scored his first win at Dover Downs International Speedway in only his third start on the one mile speedway.

CASEY ATWOOD CONTINUES TO CLIMB IN THE POINT STANDINGS: A slow start in the 2000 NASCAR Busch Series season for Casey Atwood left the 19-year-old driver mired deep in the series point standings. After two races, the driver of the No. 27 Castrol GTX Chevrolet Monte Carlo found himself in 32nd position.

Today, Atwood has moved into 11th in the standings, 10 points behind Phil Parsons in 10th position.

"It's taken a few races for us to make up some of the ground we lost earlier in the season," said Atwood. "We're challenging for 10th and if we keep moving up like we have been in the past few weeks, it won't be long before we are fighting for fifth or even better."

FOR THE FIRST TIME, CASEY ATWOOD IS ANXIOUS TO RACE IN DOVER: Not surprisingly, Antioch, Tennessee resident Casey Atwood is looking forward to the MBNA Platinum 200 NASCAR Busch Series race at Dover Downs International Speedway. After all, the 19-year-old driver did win the most recent Busch Series event on the high-banked oval, held in September.

But Atwood hasn't always been fond of the track nicknamed The Monster Mile.

"I never thought I'd say this but, I'm excited about racing in Dover," said Atwood, driver of the No. 27 Castrol GTX Chevrolet Monte Carlo. "It is definitely not one of my favorite tracks. I didn't have much luck in my first two races there and I prefer flat tracks. Then, I won in my third start and my feelings toward it changed."

Text provided by Craig Bailey

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