Anderson, IN (September 13, 2003) – 2002 Sunoco Super Series Rookie of the Year Andy Ponstein won his first Sunoco Super Series race at historic Anderson Speedway Saturday night. Starting on the outside of the front row followed the pole sitter Jim Crabtree early in the race and took the lead on lap 40 when Crabtree spun to avoid an accident in turns 1-2. Fast Qualifier Jeff Lane finished second with series veteran Junior Hanley in third.

“I can’t say enough about the crew tonight,” commented Ponstein.  “They had the car ready to go when we rolled it off the trailer, and it was fast all night without us turning a wrench on it at all tonight.”

Ponstein, who finished second in the Buckeye Bash last week, won his first Sunoco Super Series race after finishing in the Top several times in his career.  After finishing as Rookie of the Year last year, he has run an
abbreviated this year also competing in the NASCAR Truck and ARCA ReMax series.

On the start of the race Scott Hantz got into the wall on the front stretch and crashed.  He could not make it back for the restart and appeared to be out for the race.  On the restart Crabtree, on the pole after the invert, jumped out to an early lead.  He was being chased closely by Ponstein when several cars that were about to be lapped spun in turns 1-2.  Crabtree had no place to go and put his car in a spin to avoid the cars, Ponstein went high and Lane went low to avoid nearly blocked track that brought out the red flag.

Leading the pack on the restart Ponstein took off, Lane followed with Parsley and Hanley in hot pursuit.  Hanley came from ninth place to finish third. Hantz did return to the race, just missing reentering at a yellow ended at lap 75, and he was forced to wait until the next yellow on lap 139 to enter the race track.

Jeff Lane won the Scott Performance Wire Tri-State Challenge Saturday.  The Scott Performance Wire Challenge is awarded to the driver that finished with the most points in selected races this year in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.  Lane won two of the 4 races and finished second in the Sunoco 150.  Junior Hanley finished second and Eddie Van Meter finished third.  By winning the challenge Lane wins $400 and a set of Scott Performance Wires.

Herb Wouthuis, Crew Chief for Andy Ponstein, was the Gladiator GarageWorks Crew Chief Of The Race. Tom Hernly Jr. was the Hubler Automotive Group/Blake Carburetion Rookie Of The Race. Junior Hanley and Eddie Van Meter earned Goodyear Performance Awards. Andy Ponstein got the Kingen Interstate Halfway Bonus. Ponstein received the Sweet Manufacturing Sweet Move Of The Race Award for an excellent job of missing the accident on lap 40 that happened right in front of the leaders. Rick Turner broke a motor in practice and did not get to start, he received the EMF Corp Hard Luck Award.

The next Sunoco Super Series event will be the 38th Annual National Short Track Championships on Saturday and Sunday, September 20-21 at Rockford Speedway in Rockford, IL.