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FOUR NASCAR CAMPING WORLD SERIES TEAMS TEST AT THE GLEN
Former Glen Champ Steve Park Among Drivers Preparing for Race on June 8th
Watkins Glenn, NY (May 28, 2008) – Four NASCAR Camping World Series East Division teams looking to get a leg up on their competition hit the twists and turns at The Glen for a three hour test on Tuesday, May 27th. The test session allowed three young drivers, Nick de Bruijn, Max Dumarey, and Dustin Delaney, to test the Soul of American Road Racing for the first time ever and was a type of homecoming for the winner of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at The Glen race, Steve Park. The drivers of the NASCAR Camping World Series East Division will cap off a full weekend of racing on Sunday, June 8 as part of the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen weekend, June 6-8.
One of the favorites for the upcoming NASCAR Camping World Series 150 at The Glen has to be the veteran Park, driver of the No. 35 Waste Management Dodge. In 2000, he claimed the first NASCAR Spring Cup Series victory of his career at WGI by edging out multiple Glen winner Mark Martin. Earning such a meaningful victory at his “home state track” and in a car owned by the late Dale Earnhardt only added to his strong feelings for Watkins Glen International. “I’ve loved Watkins Glen ever since the first time I came here,” said Park. He knows the legendary twists and turns as well as any driver on the series and said that the main reason for testing was to “really get our gearing right” leading into the event.
While Park has raced at The Glen while running on the NASCAR Spring Cup, NASCAR Nationwide, and NASCAR Camping World Series; young drivers de Bruijn, Dumarey, and Delaney were taking their first spins around WGI. Despite this, de Bruijn and Dumarey certainly knew about The Glen and were eager to hit the track.
“Watkins Glen is one of the most famous road courses in the entire United States,” said de Bruijn. He went on to say that he had “heard a lot about it” growing up and hoped the test would allow him to “get a feel for the track and the car.” Following the test, the Holland native felt that everything “went well” and that he “really enjoyed the afternoon” driving the 2.45-mile short course. This was de Bruijn’s first test with Spraker Racing and he hoped that things go as smoothly for the race on June 8th as they did today.
Dumarey, a native of Belgium, was confident entering his test at The Glen due to his background in European road racing and viewed the test as a great opportunity. “The test is a nice way for us to present ourselves as a driver and learn the track,” he said. Dumarey pointed to the wide range of series that have visited WGI over the years as basis for his opinion. He went on to say that he was looking forward to racing at the historic road course largely because it was “a really nice track with a lot of history.”
The NASCAR Camping World Series East Division is making its first return to The Glen since 2004. The developmental series will hit the track for the first time during the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen weekend at 1:25 PM on Friday, June 6. The drivers of the NASCAR Camping World Series, including AMA Supercross/Motocross legend Ricky Carmichael, will be able for an autograph session 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM on Saturday, June 7 prior to their qualifying session 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM that same evening. The green flag will drop on the NASCAR Camping World Series 150 at The Glen at 12:30 PM on Sunday, June 8.
Tickets for the historic 60th Anniversary Season at Watkins Glen International are on-sale now! The season kicks-off in just over Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, June 6-7 paired with the NASCAR Camping World Series’ East Division on Sunday, June 8. General admission tickets for Kids 12 and under are FREE during the June 6-8 and July 4-6 event weekends when accompanied by an adult. Open-wheel racing returns for the 4th of July weekend during the Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen, July 4-6, and the Centurion Boats at The Glen NASCAR Sprint Cup and Zippo 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series weekend highlights the summer action, August 7-10. For more tickets and more information, please contact the Watkins Glen International ticket office at 866-461-RACE or log on to the official website www.TheGlen.com.
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