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 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 17, 2002) - Peter Daniels, of Lebanon,
N.H., has won the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge New England Region and national
championship. Daniels recorded 14 wins and 18 top-five finishes in 18 starts in Claremont (N.H.) Speedway's NASCAR
Modified division. He will collect $166,000, a record point fund award
for the series' national champion.
Daniels, 44, becomes the 17th driver to win the national championship in
the 21-year history of the series. He is the second consecutive New England Region driver to win the national title, following in the tire
tracks of 2001 national titlist Ted Christopher, of Plainville, Conn.
"I feel like this will be the biggest accomplishment of my career," Daniels said.
The 2002 season was a challenging one for Daniels, a multi-time track champion. He frequently started his weekly 35-lap features somewhere in
between 13th and 17th place, racing his way to the front to win all those races on the demanding third-mile paved oval.
"I have to race conservatively aggressive, and when you're racing at a short-track like Claremont Speedway, that's kind of
difficult to do," Daniels said.
"We've got some tough competitors at Claremont," Daniels said. "The crowds have been building because they know they can go there and
watch a great event every Saturday night. That means a lot to me and all
of us who race there."
The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge national championship is decided by a comparison of the eight regional champions
- Billy Tuckwell, Metamora, Ill.; Clint Bowyer, Emporia, Kan.; Buck Catalano, Ontario, N.Y.; Roger Avants, Littleton, Colo.; Scott Winters,
Tracy, Calif; Wade Day, Blountville, Tenn.; Jamey Caudill, Four Oaks, N.C. and Daniels. The driver with the best Competition Performance Index
(CPI) relative to the other regional champions is declared the national
champion.
Daniels' record point fund award includes $43,000 as the New England
Region champion and additional bonuses totaling $123,000 from series sponsors Dodge, 3M, Bell Helmets, Budweiser, Clevite, Craftsman Tools,
CV Products, Edelbrock, Featherlite Trailers, Gatorade, Goerlich's
Exhaust, Hoosier Tire, Holley, Lincoln Electric, Mechanix Wear,
Raybestos Brakes, Stage 8 Locking Fasteners, Union 76 and Whelen Engineering.
In addition to the prize money, Daniels will receive a commemorative driver's uniform and helmet courtesy of CV Products, a
NASCAR championship diamond ring and a $1,500 credit on Craftsman Tools.
As the championship car owner, Peter's brother, Richard, will receive $5,000 and a Lincoln Electric welder.
Crew chief Jim Crowell will receive a $7,500 Lunati Crew Chief Award, which includes $2,500 as the New England Region championship crew chief
and a $5,000 bonus for the national championship. This is the first year
of the Lunati Crew Chief Award.
"Peter has been a long time supporter of NASCAR, from his years at Claremont and even the Busch North Series. We're proud to have him
represent the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge as our 2002
national champion," said Chris Boals, director of the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge. "He's won so many championships but
this was easily his best season ever, which is a testament to Peter and
his entire team. This has been an incredible season, and we're excited
to celebrate with Peter and all of our champions in Nashville."
Daniels worked his way through the ranks during a career that began in
1984 in the Street Stock division at Claremont. At the urging of his brother, who operates RSD Transportation in Vermont, the team advanced
to the Pro Stock division in 1986 and won the division's rookie of the
year award.
After that, Daniels became one of the most decorated drivers at Claremont. He was the 1993, '94, '96, '98 and '99 Pro Stock champion, as
well as the '99, '01 and current Modified track champion.
Away from the race track, Daniels is a Transportation Manager for RSD,
the trucking, warehousing, truck lease and rental, school bus contractor
and maintenance company operated by his brother. The driver and his wife, Penny, have a son, Austin, 5.
Article contributed by Jeremy Davidson of NASCAR.
2002 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge Champions
Pos./ Driver / Hometown / (Region)/ Home Track / CPI
1. Peter Daniels Lebanon, NH (New England) Claremont Speedway .8852
2. Billy Tuckwell Metamora, IL. (Heartland) Peoria Speedway .8677
3. Clint Bowyer Emporia, KS (Midwest) Lakeside Speedway .8645
4. Scott Winters Tracy, CA (Sunbelt) Madera Speedway .8366
5. Buck Catalano Ontario, NY (Northeast) Spencer Speedway .8200
6. Roger Avants Arvada, CO. (Northwest) Colorado National Speedway .8106
7. Wade Day Blountville, TN (Atlantic) Lonesome Pine Raceway .8114
8. Jamey Caudill Four Oaks, N.C. (Southeastern) Coastal Southern
National Speedway .7791
(Bold indicates drivers on Hoosier tires.)
Six of the top eight drivers in the overall standings
ride on Hoosier tires.
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