CONTESTING FOR A PODIUM FINSIH, GRAHAM HAS CONTACT ON THE FINAL LAP AT CAYUGA

Courtesy TL Sports & Entertainment

September 4, 2006. Brad Graham and the Challenger Motor Freight/Logel’s Auto Parts team looked to be on their way to another podium finish during round nine of the CASCAR Super Series. However the intense competition at Cayuga Speedway would result in contact and cost the team several positions.

Cayuga Speedway is the longest oval track on the CASCAR Super Series calendar and Brad Graham and the Challenger Motor Freight/Logel’s Auto Parts team worked hard through practice to find the best handling characteristics for the 200 lap main event. “It was tough in the afternoon” said Graham. “But the guys made some changes for the race that worked out really well”.

Starting in eleventh spot Graham knew it would be a long night trying to make his way toward the front. “It’s really tough to pass here” said Graham. “But I had a good car and we picked up a few spots in the first half of the race. The only reason we started to slow up a bit was the tires were going away a little”.

The Challenger Motor Freight/Logel’s Auto Parts team made their scheduled pit stop near the mid point of the race and it was routine service. “After the stop our car was right back on track” said the driver. And Graham went back to work making his way toward the front.

After passing several cars to move into fourth position Graham was right on the back of the third place competitor as the white flag waved signaling the final lap. In a bold move to claim a podium spot Graham drove hard into corner one and up the inside of #4 ahead of him. The two raced side by side into corner three and continued to make contact with each other, and both cars would spin.

Brad Graham would regain control of the Challenger Motor Freight/Logel’s Auto Parts Charger and hustle across the finish line for a seventh place finish. “I drove as hard as I dared into corner one and we touched” said Graham afterwards “but on the last lap you’re going to do everything you can to gain a spot. I’m not going to try and deliberately take anybody out or mess up their race but I’ll go hard for a spot. We were both racing as hard as we could right to the end and we both wound up further back than we probably should have at the finish, but sometimes that’s the way it works out when you’re battling that close”.

Brad Graham and the Challenger Motor Freight/Logel’s Auto Parts team will be back in action this coming weekend at Autodrome St. Eustache for round ten. You can watch all the CASCAR Super Series races on Rogers Sportsnet check listings for times in your area. Look for the Challenger Motor Freight Recruitment coaches at most CASCAR events. For more information regarding Brad Graham and the Challenger Motor Freight/Logel’s Auto Parts Dodge check out the newly renovated website at www.bradgraham.ca.