DOUBLE-DUTY PAYS OFF FOR CHRIS SPIEKER WITH NASCAR DODGE WEEKLY SERIES DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP

Courtesy Jeremy Davidson, NASCAR Public Relations

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 20, 2005) – Racing twice a week at two different NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series race tracks is nothing new for Chris Spieker. In addition to competing on Saturdays at Adams County Speedway, where he won three consecutive track championships (2003-2005) – Spieker has been racing on Sundays at I-80 Speedway at Nebraska Raceway Park, where he finished either first or second in the final track standings the same three years.

Racing at both tracks paid off in a big way this season for the 35-year-old Massena, Iowa, driver with the 2005 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Division II championship and a $25,000 bonus.

Under the point system instituted in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series this year, divisional point standings were calculated using each driver’s best results from any races held at tracks within their division. Adams County Speedway, located in Corning, Iowa, and I-80 Speedway, in Greenwood, Neb., are both in Division II. Consequently, drivers were able to race at both tracks and accumulate points towards the Division II title.

The new program allows that each driver’s best 16 finishes are used to determine their point total towards the divisional title. In addition, bonus points were awarded based on the number of cars in a given race. For each event with 15-20 cars in the field, each driver received 10 bonus points; 20 bonus points were awarded for events with 21 or more cars.

Racing in the Late Model class on the half-mile dirt oval at Adams County Speedway and in the Super Late Model class on the 4/10-mile dirt oval at I-80 Speedway, Spieker was able to accumulate a combined record of 36 starts, 14 wins and 29 top-five finishes. Spieker’s best 16 finishes netted him 1,088 points and the Division II title.

Although Spieker led the Division II point standings throughout the season, the championship came down to the final weekend of racing as he battled two former NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series national champions, brothers Joe and Ed Kosiski.

Spieker and the other three NDWS divisional winners will be honored at the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series awards banquet, scheduled for Nov. 5 in Nashville.

Final NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Division II Leaders:
1. Chris Spieker, Adams County Speedway, 1,088
2. Joe Kosiski, I-80 Speedway, 1,070
3. Mike Hansen, Park Jefferson Speedway, 1,056
4. Jeff Strunk, Grandview Speedway, 1,030
5. Scott Bonney, Lee USA Speedway, 920
6. Eric Richardson, Mesa Marin Raceway, 916
7. Pete Anderson Jr., Stockton 99 Speedway, 894
8. Jonathan Bouvrette, Autodrome St. Eustache, 888
9. Scott Lindsay, Delaware Speedway, 878
10. Robert Barker, San Antonio Speedway, 838
11. Jeremy Lapainis, Edmonton International Raceway, 822
12. Stacey Gerken, Lorain Speedway, 816
13. Travis Sharpe, Concord Motorsport Park, 804
14. Mark Bliss, Holland International Speedway, 786
15. Dennis Pelphrey, Watsonville Speedway, 772
16. Brent Brinson, Myrtle Beach Speedway, 736
17. Alan Pyszora, Shasta Raceway Park, 728
18. Patsy Catalano, Spencer Speedway, 680