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BNS: Thompson: Kelly Moore race notes

Fifth place finish for Moore at Thompson, assumes point lead. Kelly Moore piloted the NAPA Auto Parts/Village Candle Monte Carlo to a fifth place finish Saturday evening at Thompson International Speedway. With his sixth top-5 finish of the ...

Edited: Dec 22, 2003, 5:59 AM

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Fifth place finish for Moore at Thompson, assumes point lead.

Kelly Moore piloted the NAPA Auto Parts/Village Candle Monte Carlo to a fifth place finish Saturday evening at Thompson International Speedway. With his sixth top-5 finish of the season, Moore vaulted into the point lead for the first time this season.

"We had a pretty decent car but it was too tight at the beginning of the race, then we made some adjustments on our pit stop and we just didn't hit the mark," Moore said. "This NAPA Auto Parts/Village Candle team is working really hard, at the track and back in the shop. Like I've said all year long, they are very focused on consistency and with that will come some wins; and more importantly an opportunity to win a championship."

The Busch North Series veteran has been on a tear of late, already posting two wins, he has been qualifying in the top-6 at nearly every track and has finished out of the top-10 only three times this season.

Starting the race from the fifth starting spot, Moore ran with the leaders throughout the 150 lap event. Just past the halfway point, the NAPA Auto Parts/Village Candle team pitted the Monte Carlo and placed a new set of Goodyear Eagle tires on the right side.

"Our pit stops this year have been very, very consistent," said Moore. "The guys do a good job communicating in the pits and everything has been clicking really well."

Besides changing right side tires, the crew decided to make a chassis adjustment to help free the car up in the corners. "The car was just not turning good enough to get a good run off the turns," Moore said. Though the car wasn't to his liking, Moore was still able to get back through the field after his pit stop and resume his running position in the top-5.

With thirty five laps to go, race leader Martin Truex, Jr. suffered an apparent mechanical failure and handed the lead to Brad Leighton. Still running in the top-5, Moore was challenging for the third spot overall just before caution appeared on the track with just under twenty laps to go.

"We were getting better on the longer runs and we certainly didn't need to have that caution period so late in the race," said Moore. "I would've probably had a shot a third place but as it ended up, on the last restart a couple of cars got by and I had to battle hard to get a fifth place finish."

Moore will now head back to New Hampshire International Speedway atop the point standings and his team has a ton of momentum. "We're running really good, the team earned this climb in points, not just the driver," said Moore. "We're qualifying really good, running in the top-5 and ready to win again."

The NAPA Auto Parts/Village Candle team may be on the verge of another win, and don't be surprised if it happens this coming weekend at the "Magic Mile" where the Busch North Series will make its second visit of season. The race will take the green flag at 3pm on Saturday, July 20.

-kmr/ajc-

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