BES: Waterford: Mark Durgin preview

Mark Durgin Returns To Drivers Seat At Waterford In Mannings USA Chevrolet Dover, N.J. (August 15, 2006) - It's been three years since Mark Durgin sat in a NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch East (previously North) Series race car. That ...

Mark Durgin Returns To Drivers Seat At Waterford In Mannings USA Chevrolet

Dover, N.J. (August 15, 2006) - It's been three years since Mark Durgin sat in a NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch East (previously North) Series race car. That downtime, though, is about to come to an end on Saturday when he straps into James Pritchard Motorsports' No. 41 Mannings USA/Snacketizers Chevrolet for the running of the Big Y World Class Markets 150 at the Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford, Connecticut.

Pritchard asked Durgin to fill in for the team's regular driver, Don Wagner, who is chasing points in weekly Modified competition at Mahoning Valley Speedway.

"Don's leading the points there and he can't take a week off," Pritchard said. "I couldn't ask him to do that. But Mark's been such a help to the team for the last couple years so we'll give him a shot behind the wheel. We've done well at Waterford in the past, we'll see if Mark can keep things going this year."

Durgin's start in the series came first as a crew chief, working for Eddie MacDonald. He moved from the pit box to the drivers seat in 2003, running a full season with his best finish being a pair of 13th place efforts. He finished the year fifteenth in points, earning an invitation to the inaugural NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown.

He has since returned to the crew chief position, first with Pritchard's team and now, having relocated to North Carolina from his native Lynn, Mass., for the Curb Agajanian Performance Group No. 43 team in the NASCAR Busch Series.

Waterford's 150-lap Busch East race will be broadcast live on HDNet television starting at 7:30. It will be re-aired on SpeedTV on September 1 at 4:00 p.m.