| CONCORD,
N.C. (Sept. 24,
2002) - Veteran
NASCAR driver Ron
Hornaday Jr. led the
speed parade Tuesday
night at Lowe's
Motor Speedway as 20
ARCA RE/MAX Series
teams made final
preparations for the
Oct. 10 EasyCare
Vehicle Service
Contracts 150.
Driving
a former Hendrick
Motorsports
Chevrolet owned by
African-Americans
Sam Belnavis and
Tinsley Hughes,
Hornaday circled the
1.5-mile
superspeedway in 30
seconds at an
average speed of 180
mph.
Belnavis
and Hughes plan to
use the ARCA RE/MAX
Series as part of
the team's National
Guard Driver
Development Program
for Minorities with
the goal of
eventually fielding
a minority driver in
NASCAR Winston Cup
competition.
Chad
Blount, currently
second in the ARCA
RE/MAX Series title
chase to Frank
Kimmel, was second
quickest on the
unofficial watches
at 179.045 mph in
his No. 77 Dodge.
Blount's
fastest lap came
prior to a vicious
crash with less than
30 minutes remaining
in the five-hour
session. Blount, who
slammed the wall
entering turn three
and rode along the
concrete through
turn four, walked
away uninjured.
Robby
Benton was third
fastest at 177.223
mph in a Ford with
Kevin Conway fourth
at 176.875 in a
Chevrolet owned by
former NASCAR
Winston Cup
competitor Ernie
Irvan. Michael
Vergers' Pontiac
rounded out the
top-five at 176.125
mph.
Besides
Blount's accident,
the only other
incident came early
in the session when
Deborah Renshaw
brushed the wall
with the right side
of her No. 75 Ford.
Open
testing continues
Oct. 1-2 when NASCAR
Busch Series teams
take to the 1.5-mile
superspeedway in
preparation for the
Oct. 12 "Little
Trees" 300.
Tickets
for all October
events, including
the EasyCare Vehicle
Service Contracts
150 ARCA RE/MAX
Series season
finale, can be
obtained by calling
1-800-455-FANS or
online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.
The
top-10 unofficial
speeds:
1.
Ron Hornaday Jr.,
180.000; 2. Chad
Blount, 179.045; 3.
Robby Benton,
177.223; 4. Kevin
Conway, 176.875; 5.
Michael Vergers,
176.125; 6. Chris
Moore, 175.896; 7.
Wally Fowler,
174.870; 8. Jason
Vieau, 174.362; 9.
Deborah Renshaw,
174.306; 10. Billy
Venturini, 173.4896.
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