Matt Kobyluck Wins Aubuchon 150 at Stafford Speedway. Busch North completes first race of season after four rain outs. : Raceway Media

MATT KOBYLUCK LEADS ALL THE WAY, HOLDS OFF SANTERRE IN AUBUCHON HARDWARE 150 BUSCH NORTH SERIES OPENER AT STAFFORD MOTOR SPEEDWAY

STAFFORD SPRINGS, Conn. – Matt Kobyluck led every lap after capturing the Busch Pole to win Friday night’s Aubuchon Hardware 150 NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series opener at Stafford Motor Speedway. Kobyluck, a graduate of weekly racing at Stafford, held off a fast-closing series champion Andy Santerre by 0.195 seconds. Jerry Marquis, Ted Christopher, and Mike Johnson completed the top five.

For nearly the first half of the contest, Kobyluck was under constant pressure from second fastest qualifier Ryan Moore, but Moore broke the panhard bar, the linkage locating the rear axle, and was forced out after 67 laps to finish 28th and last.

Santerre held fifth at the halfway mark but began his move to the front by passing Marquis for fourth at lap 95 and Johnson for third at lap 110. With 26 laps to go he charged around Christopher for second and drew a bead on Kobyluck, who had been unchallenged since Moore’s retirement. That changed when rookie Sean Caisse spun and the green flag waved with 14 laps to go.

Santerre appeared faster than Kobyluck and seemed ready to set him up for the pass when a lapped car intervened with seven laps to go, blocking his move to the low side off turn four and letting Marquis take second. Santerre retook the runner-up spot after three laps and again caught Kobyluck on the last lap, but could not pass.

Only two contending cars chose to pit for tires near the midway point, Dale Quarterley and Eddie MacDonald, and they were rewarded with sixth and eighth places, split by Mike Olsen in seventh. Mike Stefanik and Dale Shaw completed the top ten. Of the 28 starters, 23 were running at the finish, with 16 on the lead lap.

Kobyluck averaged 74.462 miles per hour as just four caution periods consumed 24 laps. His Busch Pole Award was earned with a 19.881 second lap at 90.539 miles per hour over a fiueld of 35 entries. It was the fifth career win for the Uncasville, Conn., driver but his first at Stafford and earned $8,550 for his Mohegan Sun Chevrolet team.

Quarterley won the PowerAde Power Move of the Race Award for advancing ten places from start to finish, his higher finishing position breaking a tie with Dale Shaw for the $1,000 honor. Joey McCarthy was the Featherlite Most Improved Driver, improving 13 places over his finish in the last Busch North Series race, at Dover (Del.) International Speedway last September. Sean Caisse was the highest registered Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender.

The Busch North Series resumes next Saturday night, June 25, with the Fuccillo Auto Park HUGE 150 at Holland International Speedway in Holland, N.Y.

AUBUCHON HARDWARE 150

NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series

Stafford Motor Speedway, Stafford Springs, Conn., Friday, June 17, 2005

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS (finishing position, starting position, driver, hometown, manufacturer, laps completed, reason out if any, money won)

(1) Matt Kobyluck, Uncasville, Conn., Chevrolet, 150, $8,550
(7) Andy Santerre, Cherryfield, Maine, Chevrolet, 150, $3,700
(5) Jerry Marquis, Broad Brook, Conn., Chevrolet, 150, $2,900
(3) Ted Christopher, Plainville, Conn., Chevrolet, 150, $1,850
(4) Mike Johnson, Salisbury, Mass., Ford, 150, $2,200
(16) Dale Quarterley, Westfield, Mass., Chevrolet, 150, $3,000
(9) Mike Olsen, North Haverhill, N.H., Chevrolet, 150, $1,800
(10) Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass., Chevrolet, 150, $1,700
(11) Mike Stefanik, Coventry, R.I., Chevrolet, 150, $1,600
(20) Dale Shaw, Center Conway, N.H., Chevrolet, 150, $1,025
(17) Dave Dion, Hudson, N.H., Ford, 150, $1,475
(12) Joey McCarthy, Randolph, N.J., Chevrolet, 150, $1,750
(14) Bryon Chew, Mattituck, N.Y., Chevrolet, 150, $1,425
(19) Sean Caisse, Pelham, N.H., Chevrolet, 150, $850
(18) Brian Hoar, Williston, Vt., Dodge, 150, $1,375
(22) Ryan Posocco, Stafford Springs, Conn., Chevrolet, 150, $800
(25) Scott Bouley, Thomaston, Conn., Chevrolet, 149, $1,325
(8) Brad Leighton, Center Harbor, N.H., Chevrolet, 149, $1,300
(23) Kenny Horton, Guilford, Conn., Chevrolet, 146, $725
(15) Ryan Seaman, Toms River, N.J., Chevrolet, 145, $1,200
(24) Marc Rogers, Brick, N.J., Chevrolet, 145, $625
(28) Charles Lewandoski, Stafford Springs, Conn., Chevrolet, $625
(13) Don Wagner, Dover, N.J., Chevrolet, 124, $1,175
(26) Laine Chase, Beverly, Mass., Chevrolet, 95, Clutch, $1,175
(27) John Cerbone, City Island, N.Y., Chevrolet, 86, Brakes, $1,175
(6) James Civali, Meriden, Conn., Chevrolet, 81, Accident, $625
(21) Kip Stockwell, Braintree, Vt., Chevrolet, 81 Rear end, $1,175
(2) Ryan Moore, Scarborough, Maine, Chevrolet, 67, Panhard bar, $1,175

TIME OF RACE: 1 hour, 0 minutes, 26 seconds

AVERAGE SPEED: 74.462 miles per hour

MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0,195 seconds

CAUTION PERIODS: 4 for 24 laps

LEAD CHANHES: None

LAP LEADERS: Matt Kobyluck 1-150

BUSCH POLE AWARD: Matt Kobyluck, Mohegan Sun Chevrolet (19.881 seconds @ 90.539 mph

POWERADE POWER MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD: Dale Quareterley, Femrouse Chervolet, started 16th, finished 6th.

FEATHERLITE MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD: Joey McCarthy, STI/Tech-Air Chevrolet, improved 13 places over previous race (25th at Dover 9/04)

BUSCH NORTH SERIES POINT STANDINGS

1. Matt Kobyluck 185

2. Andy Santerre 170

3. Jerry Marquis 165

4. Ted Christopher 160

5. Mike Johnson 155

6. Dale Quarterley 150

7. Mike Olsen 146

8. Eddie MacDonald 142

9. Mike Stefanik 138

10.Dale Shaw 134

SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE YEAR STANDINGS

1. Sean Caisse 10

2. Marc Rogers 9

3. Charles Lewandoski 8

4. James Civali 7

NEXT RACE: Fuccillo Auto Park HUGE 150, Holland Intl Speedway, Holland, N.Y., Sat., June 25

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