Race Report-Charlotte

May 20, 2000

LITTERBUG BITES!
Easy Care 100
Charlotte Motor Speedway

Dan Pardus finished the Easy Care 100 on the lead lap in 14th place. This finish in the Coastal Auctions Chevy Monte Carlo came after difficulty in handling caused by a litterbug incident midway through the race.

Dan commented, "We definitely had a top ten car today, and our Wegner motor had the power to move us to the front." Dan noted. "At the start of the race the car was tight in turns 3 and 4, and we dropped back two positions from our 8th starting spot. We started making track adjustments and were picking up time. when the first caution came out on lap 29, we changed tires, adjusted tire pressures and took out a spring rubber. The longer pit stop put us further back in the field, but the changes improved the handling and we were moving up towards the front that appeared to be a lead weight. It pierced the front clip and damaged parts of the car's undercarriage. The car developed handling problems and was difficult to steer." Dan added, "I just drove it hard and hung on. It was a good finish considering the damage that was done."

Owner Jim Gardner was disappointed. "You work hard, try to get everything right. You just can't prepare for other people dropping trash on the track." Jim praised the team, and the work of car chief, Larry Moore and spotter Mike Gross. "Dan and the team worked real hard, they deserved a top ten finish or better today."

Dan noted, "We sustained more damage to the front clip on the last lap when Shawna Robinson got loose on the back stretch and we came together there at the end. Fortunately we didn't lose any positions in that incident."

Dan's next race will be the ARCA 200 at Brooklyn, Michigan on June 10th. Dan noted, "It will be the inaugural running of our 2000 Monte Carlo. We're excited about putting this car on the track. It's our sponsors who help us get new equipment and keep up with the changes. The Michigan race will be televised Live on ESPN so we will run upfront and give our sponsors strong national TV exposure."