Mardi Gras Nationals to open 2002 season

Mardi Gras Nationals to Kick Off 2002 Season!!

Baton Rouge, Louisiana (February 15, 2002) - The 3^rd Annual Mardi Gras Nationals will return to Pike County Speedway on February 22^nd and 23^rd to help kick off the 2002 O’Reilly SUPR Championship season. For the first time, the event will be run exclusively at Pike County Speedway with the new format calling for two complete shows headlined by a 25-lap feature on Friday night and a 50-lap feature on Saturday night. And the big question looming is can Rodney Wing and the B&K Underground racing team regain the form that powered them to a sweep of last year’s Mardi Gras Nationals. Wing returns to the B&K Underground/Boland Performance Chevy Monte Carlo Rocket this year after running much of last year for the K-3 team of Randy Thompson.

Of course, David Ashley, winner of the very first Mardi Gras Nationals event at Baton Rouge Raceway in 1999 would like nothing better than to return to victory circle in his Thornhill Wrecker-backed Larry Shaw Chevy Monte Carlo. Ashley, who went winless in 2001 O’Reilly SUPR competition for the first time since claiming his first victory in 1997, looks to return to victory lane on a track that owes him a victory. Ashley a long time favorite at Pike County has been limited to a single victory on the track, that being a win on June 27^th in 1998. Ashley, the 1999 O’Reilly SUPR Champion hopes to return to championship form in 2002 and a victory at the Mardi Gras Nationals would be a solid first step in that process.

Ashley will have his hands full as a solid field of competitors is expected to challenge for the O’Reilly SUPR Championship in 2002. Wing the 1999 SUPR Rookie of the Year, who spent much of the 2001 season running in his home state of Mississippi, is expected to battle for the championship in 2002. Fellow Magnolia State veteran Dennis Duncan’ll join Wing in battling for the 2002 title. Duncan had a breakout season last year in his Majestic Metals/Duncan Motorsports Chevy Monte Carlo GRT with three victories on three different racetracks.

Odie Green, 2001 SUPR Rookie of the Year, put in a solid late season charge that began with a back-to-back victories in June and finished with Green overtaking David Ashley for 2^nd place in the final championship point battle at the final point race of the season. Green will return in the Sharp Racing/Green Motorsports Chevy Monte Carlo GRT with his eye on the championship this year.

Long time SUPR competitor Marlon Wild is hinting that he might take a run at the championship in 2002 after cutting back on his racing schedule in 2001. Wild driving a pair of Lloyd Wild Jr. Logging/Clausen Racing Warriors, one a Chevy Monte Carlo and the other a Ford Mustang had a solid season in 2001 claiming the Magnolia State Championship Series at Pike County Speedway and a O’Reilly SUPR victory at Jackson Motor Speedway.

The biggest challenge for all drivers may well be Kenny Merchant and the J D Caver/Kuntz & Company/Goddard Performance Ford Mustang Warrior. Merchant claimed a season high 5 victories last year and he has shown the ability to dominate the competition on any given night. Merchant claimed two wins at Pike County Speedway as well as both races at South West Arkansas Speedway.

With an early season starting date, the Mardi Gras Nationals attracts a wide variety of drivers that do not normally compete with the O’Reilly SUPR Late Model Series on a regular basis and this year’s event is likely to do the same.

The gates will open at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday night for an open practice session from 7:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. and the racing will get underway on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. The O’Reilly SUPR Late Models will run a complete program with heat races, last chance races and a 25-lap feature. They'll be joined by a full racing program for the Pure Stocks and UMP Modifieds on Friday night. The O'Reilly SUPR Late Models will return on Saturday with racing getting underway once again at 7:30 p.m with a complete racing prgram for the Street Stocks, Super Stocks and O’Reilly SUPR Late Models with the night being capped by a 50-lap Late Model feature.

Come join us at Pike County Speedway where the racing comes alive at I-55. For additional information call the Pike County Speedway office at (601) 684-9230 or the O'Reilly SUPR office at (225) 275-5040.

O’Reilly SUPR Sponsors for 2002 are Hoosier Tire Southwest, J&J Motorsports, Keith Craft Race Engines, Larry Shaw Race Cars, GRT Race Cars, Ashley Brothers Race Cars, Clausen's Racing, Bert Transmission, B&K Underground, AFCO, Brodix, Schoenfeld, Late Model America, Marlee's Embroidery, Warrior Race Cars, Lloyd Wild Jr. Logging, Hinchman Uniforms, Boland Performance, Wall 2 Wall Performance Engines, Dynatech, Borla Mufflers and Dura-Lite Racing Wheels.

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