BUSCH: Milwaukee: Stacy Compton race report

Compton is "HOT" at Milwaukee.

MILWAUKEE, WI (June 30, 2002) - Stacy Compton and the Kingsford/Johnsonville Chevrolet were hot this weekend at Milwaukee. Unfortunately they were not "hot" as in on-fire, on-a-roll, un-stoppable, or Kingsford Charcoal; but "hot" as in the race engine not cooling properly and damaging critical parts needed to complete the race.

The week started in fine fashion, with Compton looking like a pre-race favorite in practice. Compton remained in the top five fastest cars during most of the pre-race practice sessions and was disappointed when the car got loose in qualifying forcing him to start 16th on the grid.

When the race started, Compton was patient as he worked his way through traffic. On lap number 6, he radioed the crew to let them know that the water temperature in the motor was above what it should be. On lap 20, he radioed the crew to tell them that the engine had dropped a cylinder. On lap 113, a big puff of smoke from the tail pipes of his Chevy signaled an early end to the day.

"We've been running Richard Childress engines for over three years now, and never had an engine failure," commented owner Tad Geschickter. "That's a track record that is unheard of in this sport, and a real testimony to how great Spenny Clendenon, Lanny Barnes, Sy Earnhardt, and everyone in the Childress Engine shop is at what they do. Anytime you run a motor for a long period of time at a dangerously high temperature like we did today, parts are going to fail. The broken motor is our own fault for not figuring out how to keep the engine cool on a really hot day in Milwaukee. We will learn from this weekend and make sure that it doesn't happen again."

Greg Biffle went on to win the event for the second straight year, while Compton finished 33rd. Compton remains 10th in the points standings and is looking forward to being "hot" - this time in the good sense - this weekend at Daytona.

Kingsford® is the leading charcoal brand in the U.S. These premium, fast-lighting, long-burning briquets are sold under the Kingsford®, Match Light® and BBQ Bag® brand names. Kingsford Charcoal Lighter Fluid ® packaging will continue to feature the No. 59 car, making it a collectible item for all racing fans.

-stm-