BUSCH: Mike McLaughlin Fontana preview

FONTANA, CA --- (April 23, 2001) - Joe Gibbs Racing Busch Series driver Mike McLaughlin will look to make it two wins in a row this weekend at the California Speedway. With an exciting victory last Saturday at the Talladega Superspeedway, the Waterloo, NY native heads to Fontana looking for his seventh career Busch Series victory. The team will also continue its hunt for a sponsor for the successful racing team.

"We are looking forward to getting back on the track in California," McLaughlin said. "The past week has been great for our race team, but we must turn our attention to the race this weekend, and try for another victory."

PIT NOTES
With Saturday's win, McLaughlin has now won on every type of NASCAR speedway; a short track (Nashville), a flat one mile oval (Loudon), a road course (Watkins Glen), a concrete track (Dover), a 1.5 mile superspeedway (Charlotte) and a restrictor plate track (Talladega).

Joe Gibbs Racing now has two Busch Series wins. Bobby Labonte won the spring Darlington race in 1998 in a Joe Gibbs Racing Busch Series car.

Crew Chief Tim Shutt won his first career Busch Series race as a crew chief on Saturday. Shutt was named crew chief prior to the start of the 2001-racing season.

McLaughlin currently stands in the fifth position in the NASCAR Busch Series points race, only 101 points behind leader Greg Biffle.

Celebration! Mike McLaughlin returned home to a "decorated" home on Saturday night. His neighbors had decorated the trees and his house with 270 rolls of toilet paper.

-MR