OCTOBER 10, 2008:  RAABE QUALIFYING TODAY AT SYRACUSE, THEN HEAD UP THE ROAD TO ROLLING WHEELS FOR DIRTcar SERIES.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:

2008 BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY CHAMPION 

2008 THUNDER ALLEY SPEED PARK CHAMPION 

2008 DIRTcar NORTHEAST NORTHERN CHAMPION

2008 LUCAS OIL SPORTSMAN CHAMPION

2008  MOST VICTORIES  - 22 WINS

2008 LUCAS OIL ALL STAR SHOOTOUT WINNER

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Chris Raabe Survives a Daytime Run at Fulton

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications

October 7, 2008

Wouldn’t it be great if things always worked-out exactly as you’d planned?  Napanee , Ontario ’s Chris Raabe thinks so.  Friday, October 3^rd the 17 year-old DIRTcar sportsman modified driver and his team hauled their pair of TEO Pro Car rides to Fulton Speedway for the latest event on the Mr. DIRTcar trail.  Things were rolling along quite smoothly for the young speedster, and then Mother Nature threw everyone a curve.

With 71 teams showing-up, Raabe knew just cracking the starting line-up for the 30 lap main event would be tough.  Especially when track officials announced that less than 35 cars would take the green flag.  The driver of the Scott Industrial Services/TyRoute Communications-Telus/Kingston Hyundai/Kingston RV Centre/Waste Management/Brunet Plumbing/Kwik Load Products/McColman Media/Len Corcoran Excavating #01 drew a spot in the 3^rd qualifying heat – a race that would also include his main championship rival, Dan Wiesner – but only the top 3 finishers would earn a spot in the main event.  Chris Raabe finished 3^rd, just behind Wiesner and Matt Billings who is also a regular runner at Brockville Ontario Speedway.

Before the sportsman feature was to take to the track, the intermittent showers that had been falling through the late evening hours caused Fulton Speedway officials to adjust the night’s schedule.  The Mr. DIRTcar pro stock race was shortened to 22 laps, while the sportsman and street stock features were put over until Saturday, October 4^th start.

Chris Raabe, the current sportsman modified championship series points leader took the green from a 17^th place starting spot, while Wiesner luckily selected the pole position in the pre-race draw.  On the opposite end of the scale, Greg Panunte of Port Colborne , Ontario needed to use a guaranteed starting spot.  After winning 2 of the previous 3 Mr. DIRTcar sportsman events, he would start 31^st and make it only as far as 24^th at the checkers.

Wet track conditions delayed the sportsman main event from a planned 11:00 start to a green flag just after 1:00 .  Not knowing exactly what to expect with their early run, the #01 team drew a ‘mixed bag’ set-up from their notebooks.  The track would likely start-off tacky, but the daytime conditions could cause it slick over and dry out.  With just 30 laps to work with, gaining spots could be hard but their driver has shown all along that he has the ability when the going gets tough.

Fulton ’s high-banked layout offers plenty of room to race.  From the drop of the green flag, teams were using every available groove.  Chris Raabe tried the top – and then the bottom – then went back to the top again.  The sledding was tough at times, but the 12^th grader from Napanee and District Secondary School kept his composure.  The #66 or Wiesner was struggling too.  He went from his inside front row starting spot to 31^st at the checkers.  Raabe dropped back to 19^th at the event’s conclusion, but making the best of a bad situation the Teenage Tornado left Fulton with a 65 point cushion between himself and Wiesner.  

Coming up:  Wednesday, October 8^th - Can Am Motorsports Park - Lafargeville , New York

Friday, October 10^th - Rolling Wheels Raceway Park - Elbridge , New York

Saturday, October 11^th - New York State Fairgrounds - Syracuse , New York  

Media contact:  Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

clarkemotorsports@hotmail.com

613.968.6410  /  613.922.0654  

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