RYAN MOORE WINS FIRST CAREER BUSCH NORTH SERIES RACE FLAG-TO-FLAG AT LAKE ERIE SPEEDWAY; STEFANIK 2nd IN LOCAL DODGE DEALERS 150; KOBYLUCK 3rd TO HOLD POINT LEAD : Raceway Media

NORTH EAST, Pa. – Ryan Moore seized the opportunity provided by his Busch Pole position to lead every lap of the Local Dodge Dealers 150 at Lake Erie Speedway on Saturday night, scoring his first NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series victory in his 33rd career start. Mike Stefanik, point leader Matt Kobyluck, Mike Johnson, and Dave Dion completed the top five.

Moore, the 21-year-old son of all-time Busch North Series leading race, pole, and money winner Kelly Moore and the circuit’s top rookie in 2003, achieved a major item on his agenda before he makes his NASCAR Busch Series debut next week at Loudon, N.H. as part of the Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver development program.

Brian Hoar, Mike Olsen, and Sunoco Rookie leader Sean Caisse were sixth through eighth and were the last cars on the lead lap. Kip Stockwell finished ninth and Ryan Seaman tenth, one lap down. Defending champion Andy Santerre spun out late in the race after holding third place, lost a lap, and was scored 13th. Of the 24 starters, 21 were running at the finish. Six caution flags for minor spins totaled 31 laps, holding the average speed to 66.176 miles per hour. Moore won $8,893 including the $1,000 Busch Pole Award. His margin of victory was a robust 2.061 seconds.

From the drop of the green flag, Moore was dominant and spent much of the race giving the HDNet national television audience a clinic in dealing with lapped traffic, never putting a wheel wrong on the fast 3/8 mile track. Stefanik and Santerre passed outside front row starter Kobyluck bt lap 3 and ran together in second and third until Santerre began to trail smoke shortly after the 100-lap mark, eventually losing several places before spinning on lap 118. That made the race-long duel between Kobyluck and Johnson a battle for third, with Kobyluck prevailing after passing Johnson on lap 102.

One of the strongest performances of the race came from Olsen, who tangled with Joey McCarthy on lap 8, restarted 23rd, and moved back into the top ten by lap 40. Newlywed Kip Stockwell, who advanced from 18th at the start to ninth at the finish, won the $1,000 POWERade Power Move of the Race Award, while Dale Shaw picked up the $300 Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award for following his 26th place finish at Holland, N.Y., in the last Busch North race with a solid 11th place effort at Lake Erie.

Kobyluck, with a win and two thirds in the first three races of the young season, holds a 22-point lead over Stefanik entering next Friday’s New England 125 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Johnson is third, 50 points behind the leader and one point ahead of Santerre. Moore’s victory advanced him from 17th to 8th in the standings.

Local Dodge Dealers 150

NASCAR GRAND NATIONAL DIVISION, BUSCH NORTH SERIES

Lake Erie Speedway, North East, Pa., Saturday, July 9, 2005

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

1. (1) Ryan Moore, Scarborough Maine, Chevrolet, 150, $8,893

2. (3) Mike Stefanik, Coventry R.I., Chevrolet, 150, $4,893

3. (2) Matt Kobyluck, Uncasville Conn., Chevrolet, 150, $3,893

4. (8) Mike Johnson, Salisbury Mass., Ford, 150, $3,543

5. (7) Dave Dion, Hudson N.H., Ford, 150, $2,938

6. (11) Brian Hoar, Williston Vt., Dodge, 150, $2,443

7. (9) Mike Olsen, North Haverhill N.H., Chevrolet, 150, $2,243

8. (12) Sean Caisse, Pelham N.H., Chevrolet, 150, $1,250

9. (18) Kip Stockwell, Braintree Vt., Chevrolet, 149, $3,093

10. (13) Ryan Seaman, Toms River N.J., Chevrolet, 149, $1,943

11. (14) Dale Shaw, Center Conway N.H., Chevrolet, 149, $1,275

12. (10) Bryon Chew, Mattituck N.Y., Chevrolet, 149, $1,843

13. (5) Andy Santerre, Cherryfield, Maine, Chevrolet, 149, $2,418

14. (19) Rogelio Lopez, W. Caliente, Mexico, Chevrolet, 148, $900

15. (4) Eddie MacDonald, Rowley Mass., Chevrolet, 148, $1,768

16. (6) Joey McCarthy, Randolph N.J., Chevrolet, 148, $1,743

17. (23) John Salemi, Nashua N.H., Chevrolet, 148, $825

18. (20) Jeff Anton, Russell Mass., Chevrolet, 148, $795

19. (17) Scott Bouley, Thomaston Conn., Chevrolet, 147, $1,643

20. (24) Joe Masessa, Franklin Lakes N.J., Chevrolet, 146, $750

21. (21) Rob Humphreys, Elbridge N.Y., Chevrolet, 140, $750

22. (22) Chappy Knaack, Linthicum Md., Chevrolet, 105, Engine, $750

23. (16) Rocky Moran Jr., Irvine, Cal., Chevrolet, 77, Handling, $750

24. (15) Charles Lewandoski, Stafford Springs, Conn., Chevrolet, 40, Engine, $750

TIME OF RACE: 51 minutes, 0 seconds AVERAGE SPEED: 66.176 mph

Margin of victory: 2.061 seconds

CAUTION PERIODS: 6 for 31 laps

LEAD CHANGES: None

LAP LEADERS: Ryan Moore 1-150

BUSCH POLE AWARD: Ryan Moore, R.C. Moore/Bill Dodge Chevrolet (15.539 seconds @ 87.896 mph)

POWERADE POWER MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD: Kip Stockwell, Sabil & Sons/Randolph Bank Chevrolet

FEATHERLITE MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD: Dale Shaw, Waste Management/BG Environmental Chev

UNOFFICIAL BUSCH NORTH SERIES POINT STANDINGS (wins)

1. Matt Kobyluck (1) 515

2. Mike Stefanik (1) 493

3. Mike Johnson 465

4. Andy Santerre 464

5. Dave Dion 445

6. Mike Olsen 419

7. Eddie MacDonald 406

8. Ryan Moore (1) 402

9. Joey McCarthy 397

10.Sean Caisse 397

UNOFFICIAL SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE YEAR STANDINGS

1. Sean Caisse 30

2. Charles Lewandoski 24

3. John Salemi 17

NEXT RACE: New England 125, New Hampshire Intl Speedway, Loudon, N.H., Fri., July 15

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