Pivotal time at pit stop guides Gordon to win

SCARBOROUGH – Strong’s Tracy Gordon was in second place behind Mike Olsen of North Haverhill, N.H., when he pitted for right-side tires during a caution on lap 83 of the Busch North Primestar 150 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway Saturday night.

Although Gordon was 12th when he rejoined the field – some of the drivers elected not to pit – he did beat Olsen out of the pits and that proved decisive as Busch North points leader Gordon eventually edged Olsen by 2 1/2 car-lengths for his second consecutive series win.

It is believed to be the first time since 1997 that a Busch North driver had won consecutive races.

Gordon said the turning point in the race was his ability to rejoin the field ahead of Olsen, who came out just behind him.

“Mike had an awesome car. If he had beaten me out of the pits, I don’t know if I could have caught him,” said Gordon. “I knew I had to have new tires to beat him.”

Olsen said, “We had a right rear [tire] problem with the air hose [on the pit stop]. Somebody said the 29 car [Dave Dion] stopped on top of it.”

Olsen has never won a Busch North race in 161 starts.

Gordon’s Tic-Tac-sponsored Chevy Monte Carlo was “too tight” until his crew put on the new tires.

With them, he quickly moved up the field on the outside groove.

He had climbed to third on lap 124 when leaders Kelly Moore of Scarborough and Dale Shaw of Center Conway, N.H,. swapped paint and set off a multi-car wreck.

Gordon said Moore bumped Shaw.

“I had just passed Tracy, Brad [Leighton] and Kelly on the outside. I thought I had it won,” Shaw said. “Then we got into it a little bit and I got pushed into the marbles [tire pellets]. I held the line and went over the banking,” said Shaw.

Moore and Shaw took their damaged cars into the pits on the fifth and final caution and Shaw, who hadn’t pitted to that point, took on right-side tires.

Moore also hadn’t pitted previously.

Shaw, who started 21st, recovered to finish fourth but Moore wound up 15th.

Gordon was the leader on the restart and, after Olsen squeezed past Bryan Wall into second on lap 132, it became a two-car race.

Olsen made a couple of challenges but couldn’t catch Gordon, who registered his seventh series win in four seasons and second in a row at Beech Ridge.

Gordon had the second fastest qualifying time behind Moore but started eighth after the redraw. Moore actually drew the pole.

Gordon knew he had a fast car but also said he knew Olsen’s car was every bit as fast as his.

“Track familiarity helped me. I knew I could bail to the outside. Mike hesitated a little [because he wasn’t as familiar with the track],” said Gordon who sympathized with Olsen’s winless streak.

“I wished it had been anybody but Mike behind me,” said Gordon. “I really want him to win his first race.

“But I wasn’t going to move over and let him by,” added Gordon, who pocketed $10,575 for the win.

Olsen took home $6,405 and third-place Dion of Hudson, N.H., won $4,270. Shaw was fourth with Leighton fifth.

“I’m not satisfied but it’s better than finishing third,” said Olsen.

Gordon praised his crew for their work on the pit stop and said he dedicated the race to the late Georgia Collins, who died of a heart attack recently.

She was the wife of Edwin Collins, one of five owners of The People’s Choice restaurant and lounge in Rangeley which is one of Gordon’s sponsors.