Special from PASSTIME USA Race Team

Delta, OH (Aug 4, 2011) - When the JEGS/CRA All-Star Tour Presented by GM Performance Parts pulled into the Rockford Speedway this past Saturday night for the Stanley Steemer 100 everyone was looking forward to an action filled night on the tight quarter mile speedway and the fans got just what they came for; plenty of action. For Chesterfield Michigan driver Claude Plante and the PASSTIME USA race team it was going to be their first attempt at trying to conquering the track known for its close competition as well as some good old beatin’ and bangin’ style of racing.

As the PASSTIME USA Chevrolet crew made the eight hour drive from their Michigan based shop, they discussed what would be the best strategy for the 100 lap grind Saturday night and what it would take to come away with a win and get back into the top five in the season long point battle. The plan was a simple one related Plante, "we were just going to hang back, pick our spots, and race the track more than the other cars".

When the cars lined up for the Stanley Steemer 100, the PASSTIME USA Chevrolet found itself starting eighteenth in the twenty three car field of some of the best late model drivers in the county. As the field took the green flag it was obvious the teams plan was going to be a good one as a few of the hard chargers in the field found themselves being eliminated in the nights race due to a incident on lap three which ended their night.

As the race went on, Plante found his patience’s paid off and the PASSTIME USA Chevrolet moved through the field, working his way into the top five. As the race entered its late stages the action got even hotter. On lap eighty three Claude was in a tight battle for third place but was forced to slow for a spinning car and was hit in the rear by another car pushing Plante into current point leader Eddie Hoffman.

"I knew the impact did some damage to the trailing arm. I tried to baby it as I knew the laps were winding down," said Plante. On lap ninety six the caution waved, this time for the PASSTIME USA Chevrolet. "I felt the trailing arm break coming off the corner; which I guess was a blessing. We could of torn the car up big time had it broken going into the corner instead of going down the front straight-away," said the hot and tired driver.

"We stayed clean all race long until lap eighty three", said team owner Larry Varney. "Claude drove his heart out all night long, we made a plan before the race and he stuck to it the whole race. He was up on the wheel all night long and earned every spot he got. He did a super job for this being his first race at Rockford", said Varney. When all the dust cleared the PASSTIME USA team found themselves finishing with a seventh place finish and moving back into the top five in the JEGS/CRA All-Star Tour points battle.

The Hard Charger Award was once again given to Plante for his drive from the eighteenth starting position to his seventh place finish in the Stanley Steemer 100. This marks the third time this season that the PASSTIME USA driver has scored the Hard Charger Award. "I really want to thank PASSTIME USA, LV Alliance, DTS, and Precision Werx who just came board this week for what they do to make this possible", said Plante.

Heading into the next race at Winchester Speedway on August 20^th the PASSTIME USA race team finds themselves in a tight points battle, a mere four points out of forth place, and just eighty one markers behind the series points leader Eddie Hoffman.