RACE REPORT
PEAK PERFORMANCE MOTORSPORTS
2668 PEACHTREE ROAD STATESVILLE, NC 28625 704-873-2310
For Immediate Release Contact: Tonia Jackson 919-719-2710 tjackson@pse-3.com
June 13, 2005
GARVEY HAS CLEAN RIDE WITH JANI-KING IN DEBUT FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE
No. 66 Captures Best Finish of the Season
LONG POND, PA – Mike Garvey’s maiden voyage with Peak Performance Motorsports was a success for both driver and team. Garvey, a veteran of the ASA and USAR Hooters Pro Cup ranks, was announced as the team’s new driver last week. He is expected to complete the season as the driver of the No. 66. After Sunday’s 25th-place performance, he is looking forward to a great season.
“For a first-time effort on my part with this team and at this track, I think it was a great day,” said Garvey. “I had never worked with any of these guys before. I think communication is a big factor in making a strong team, and obviously, Greg [Connor] and I have to work on that, but as a whole, I think things went very well.”
The No. 66 Jani-King Ford raced competitively early in the race. Garvey methodically picked up spots on the track. After starting 36th on the grid, the No. 66 was in the Top-30 of the field after 40 laps.
Garvey avoided on-track incidents with other cars and was able to keep his tires in tact all afternoon. The No. 66 led a lap during caution midway through the race in order to pick up five bonus points.
“Friday was the first time I’d ever seen the track,” said Garvey. “It was quite an experience. That’s a big track in a beautiful area. We’ll have something for them when we return next month.”
Late into the race, Garvey noted a problem with his brakes. With braking as an important factor in the turns at Pocono, he was unable to drive as aggressively as he had been earlier in the race.
“I had to back off considerably. I couldn’t drive it as hard into the corners because I was afraid I might put the car into the wall. I had a good race car and there was no reason to drive that hard there at the end of the race and mess up what we had worked so hard for all day. We had to change from race mode to survival mode. That part of it is a shame, but overall, we had a good weekend,” he said.
Garvey’s 25th-place finish was the best of the season for the No. 66 team. “Dependant on how you look at it, it was a great run. Obviously, I’m ecstatic either way. But, the guys I raced most of the day finished 15th to 20th. So, that’s where we would have liked to be. I’m not complaining, but, that just tells us where we could have been. Still, it was a great day all around.”
Carl Edwards took the checkered flag under caution, and Brian Vickers finished second. Joe Nemechek, Kyle Busch and Michael Waltrip completed the Top-5.
NASCAR Nextel Cup action continues next weekend at the 1.5-mile Michigan International Speedway. FOX will broadcast the event live with coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. EDT.
