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Walter G. Arce
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PEPSI 400
Brooklyn, Michigan
Sunday, August 19, 2001 RACE IN BRIEF:

Sterling Marlin gave Dodge their first victory of the season on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. Rain plagued the Pepsi 400 as caution came out on lap Lap 98. The field was escorted down pit road by the pace car and parked on Lap 100 to wait for the rain to stop and the track to be dried. Mark Martin was the race leader at the time.

After approximately an hour and a half, driver's were called back to their cars and teams to their designated pits to resume the race in an attempt to complete the 200 lap event. However, Mother Nature would decide the length of the race as the moisture began to fall again, bringing out the caution again on Lap 156. The race was officially called six laps later.

TODD BODINE
No 66 Kmart Blue Light Special Ford

Todd Bodine and his No. 66 Blue Light's finish just flat not an indication of how well they actually performed. Bodine ended up 23rd the sixth car one lap down in the rain shorted Pepsi 400 on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

Bodine started the day in 21st, but did not take his time in moving up through the field after the green flag dropped. He radioed in that his Kmart machine's handling was a little off in and out of the corners. The adjustments made during a scheduled stop on Lap 42 helped.

Bodine was maneuvering his way up to the front, when the left front tire was cut and forcing him into the pits on Lap 66. That put him two laps down to the leaders and dropped him back to 39th.

A little disheartened, but not deterred, Bodine remained focused on what he needed to do and once again worked the Blue Light around the two mile oval. He regained one lap back when a caution came out for Ricky Rudd's ailing No. 28 car and was just shy of being able to get back on the lead lap, but track position made it impossible. He was 23rd position when the third and final caution fell.

Race Stats:

Winner's average speed: 140.513 mph.
Time of race: 2 hours, 18 minutes, 21 seconds.
Margin of victory: Caution.
Caution flags: 3 for 18 laps.
Lead changes: 16 among 8 drivers.Lap leaders: Craven 0, Elliott 1-10, Rudd 11-43, Wallace 44, Jarrett 45-46, Elliott 47-69, Rudd 70, Elliott 71-72, Rudd 73-89, Wallace 90-96, Martin 97-100, Elliott 101-106, Wallace 107-123, Hornaday Jr. 124-126, Mayfield 127-128, Elliott 129-144, Marlin 145-162.

SPENCER AND BODINE INCREASE SPEED AND
CRAVEN STEALS THE POLE IN THE FINAL
LAP OF QUALIFYING NO. 26 KMART CAR
STARTS 18TH AND THE NO. 66 BLUE LIGHT
21ST FOR THE PEPSI 400

Ricky Craven, the final car to qualify on Friday, shocked many by knocking Bill Elliott out of the number one slot to grab the pole position for Sunday's Pepsi 400. Elliott, who's 187.857 mph lap around the 2 mile oval held up against 38 of his colleagues, was no match for Craven's 188.127 mph effort.

Jimmy Spencer and Todd Bodine both stepped up and improved on their practice speeds, and the Kmart machines qualified 18th and 21st respectively for Sunday's 200 lap event.

" The car was better than it was in practice. I just ran too low through one and two, and got into three a little too deep, and it cost us, probably, a good three-tenths of a second. But, The Blue Light Special is good, and we're looking forward to having a good race on Sunday," said Todd Bodine after qualifying on Friday.

"We were loose from the time we unloaded. It's a good qualifying effort for us. Right now, we just do the best we can with our start, and be a factor in the race," said Jimmy Spencer of his 18th place qualifying effort.

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