(Dover, Del. - Sept. 24, 2004) - Bill Penfold lives to go fast, which makes the high-banked one-mile Dover International Speedway, with its 140-MPH average lap speeds, one of his favorite stops on the NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series schedule. But with that speed comes danger, and in Friday's running of the MBNA America 150, Penfold found himself in a lap 99 wreck, forcing his retirement from the event only two-thirds of the way into the race.

Following an eighteenth place finish the Monday before at New Hampshire International Speedway where he didn't put a mark on the car, Penfold brought the same VIP Charter Coach Chevrolet to the concrete mile in Dover and started putting it through its paces in practice. Thirteenth fastest in the first two practice sessions, Penfold slipped to nineteenth in qualifying due to his car's being loose entering the turns.

"We're fighting a loose condition getting in and I can't get into the corners the way I want to," he said. "We're coming off the turns real strong, and getting through the middle real good, but I'm loose on entry so I'm chasing the car up the track. We're really not that far off. The car's real consistent on long runs. I was the first one out for qualifying and I guess I backed out a little soon. But it's a long race, and you can race your way to the front here. Starting position isn't important, putting yourself in position to make the passes is. I'm going to take my time, take what the track will give me, and try to get the VIP Charter Coach Chevrolet up front and do the best that we can."

Penfold raced to as high as fourteenth through the first fifty laps of the event, during which time the race went through its longest green-flag stretch of the day. He was still fourteenth, though a lap down, after a pair of pit stops under a lap 81 caution, but he was set to run the rest of the race without further stops as he had fresh tires and a full tank of gas. But the car was still loose, and that caused problems twelve laps after the race restarted.

"The car was loose coming up off turn four, and Jamie [Aube] got outside of me," he explained. "I started to lose the back end, we touched, and I started going around. I almost had it saved but then it snapped around on me. It did more body damage than mechanical damage, and I started it up and drove it into the trailer, so it's not hurt too bad. It's a shame, we probably would have ended up sixth or seventh or eighth, somewhere around there. We went from having a top ten finish again to twenty-first. That's the way our whole year has been. Jamie came over and apologized, but it wasn't his fault, so I wasn't mad about it."

The last Busch North Series race of the year will take place next Saturday, Oct. 2nd, at Wall Township Speedway in Wall, N.J., a track that the series will be making its first-ever appearance at. Penfold will return to the short-track car to try and finish the season strong, with his goal of remaining in the top fifteen in points when the last checkered flag falls.

MBNA America 150
NASCAR GRAND NATIONAL DIVISION, BUSCH NORTH SERIES
Dover International Speedway, Dover, Del., Friday, September 23, 2004

UNOFFICIAL FINISH (finishing position, starting position, driver, hometown,
manufacturer, laps completed, reason out if any, money won)

1. (9) Dale Quarterley, Westfield Mass., Chevrolet, 160, $13,000
2. (2) Paul Wolfe, Milford N.Y., Chevrolet, 160, $9,900
3. (7) Eddie MacDonald, Rowley Mass., Ford, 160, $8,400
4. (12) Mike Stefanik, Coventry R.I., Chevrolet, 160, $7,300
5. (14) Andy Santerre, Cherryfield ME., Chevrolet, 160, $6,900
6. (8) Mike Gallo, Sanford Me., Ford, 160, $5,300
7. (15) Jamie Aube, Manchester N.H., Chevrolet, 159, $5,600
8. (10) Tracy Gordon, Strong Me., Ford, 159, $4,300
9. (17) Mike Olsen, North Haverhill N.H., Chevrolet, 159, $4,300
10. (22) Ryan Seaman, Toms River N.J., Chevrolet, 159, $4,800
11. (11) Matt Kobyluck, Uncasville Conn., Chevrolet, 159, $3,700
12. (16) Mike Johnson, Salisbury Mass., Ford, 157, $3,600
13. (20) Barney McRae, Colchester VT., Chevrolet, 156, $3,500
14. (5) Ryan Moore, Scarborough ME., Chevrolet, 154, Accident, $3,300
15. (3) Kelly Moore, Scarborough ME., Chevrolet, 152, Accident, $3,200
16. (25) Scott Bouley, Thomaston Conn., Chevrolet, 152, $3,000
17. (13) Brad Leighton, Center Harbor N.H., Ford, 147, Accident, $2,800
18. (18) Jerry Marquis, Broad Brook, Conn., Chevrolet, 140, Overheating, $2,700
19. (6) Brian Hoar, Williston VT., Dodge, 139, Engine, $2,650
20. (4) Bryon Chew, Mattituck N.Y., Chevrolet, 130, Accident, $2,575
21. (19) Bill Penfold, Yarmouth ME., Chevrolet, 98, Accident, $2,550
22. (1) Tim Andrews, Concord N.C., Chevrolet, 96, Engine, $2,525
23. (24) John Cerbone, City Island N.Y., Chevrolet, 70, Clutch, $2,500
24. (26) Bobby Dragon, Milton VT., Chevrolet, 29, Engine, $2,475
25. (21) Joey McCarthy, Randolph N.J., Chevrolet, 25, Accident, $2,450
26. (23) Don Wagner, Wharton N.J., Chevrolet, 25, Accident, $2,425
27. (27) Kip Stockwell, Braintree VT., Chevrolet, 5, Handling, $2,400
28. (28) Tommy Beamer, Williamstown N.J., Chevrolet, 0, Engine, $1,875

TIME OF RACE: 1 hour, 38 minutes
AVERAGE SPEED: 97.959 mph
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.889 seconds
CAUTION PERIODS: 6 for 36 laps
LEAD CHANGES: 4 among 4 drivers
LAP LEADS: Kelly Moore 1-6, Paul Wolfe 7-84, Brad Leighton 85-93, Wolfe 94-120,
           Dale Quarterley 121-160
BUSCH POLE AWARD: Tim Anmdrews, Chevrolet (24.372 seconds @ 147.710 mph
POWERADE POWER MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD: Ryan Seaman, Chevrolet
FEATHERLITE MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD: Jamie Aube, Chevrolet

UNOFFICIAL BUSCH NORTH SERIES POINT STANDINGS (wins)
1. Andy Santerre (5) 2139
2. Mike Olsen 1933
3. Dale Quarterley (3) 1908
4. Kelly Moore (1) 1833
5. Mike Stefanik 1824
6. Ryan Moore 1800
7. Matt Kobyluck (1) 1781
8. Joey McCarthy 1737
9. Mike Johnson (1) 1721
10.Brian Hoar 1696

NEXT RACE: Trim Spa 150, Wall Township Speedway, Wall, N.J., Sat.,
           Oct. 2 (season finale)