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GNC Live Well 200 - Hank Parker Jr. Notes Hank Parker Jr. / GNC Live Well Racing Pre-Race Notes EVENT INFORMATION - Event: NASCAR Busch Series GNC Live Well 200; Time and Date: 1 p.m. EDT, Sunday, July 8; Site: Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, N.Y. Live Coverage: TNT Network (television) and MRN (radio); Qualifying: Noon EDT, Saturday, July 7; Happy Hour: Saturday, July 7, approx. 4 p.m. EDT. LAST RACE (GNC Live Well 250) - Hank Parker Jr. and the GNC Live Well Racing team finished 14th at the GNC Live Well 250 Busch Series event at the Milwaukee Mile. During the event, Parker and his crew used fuel strategy in an attempt to win the event, but a long green flag run at the end of the race allowed the leaders to put the No. 36 a lap down. LAST YEAR'S WATKINS GLEN EVENT - Driving the No. 53 Team Marines Chevrolet for his family-owned team, Hank Parker Jr. finished 39th after a transmission problem ended the team's day on lap 64 of the 82-lap event. ALL'S FAIR IN RACING - Hank Parker Jr. bested his Cicci-Welliver Racing teammate, David Green, in a NASCAR Grudge Match during Tuesday night's "Summer Shootout Series" at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Facing off in Winston Cup-style convertibles on the Speedway's quarter-mile frontstretch oval, Parker won the first and third of a trio of three-lap heats, while Green claimed victory in the second heat. "I honestly think he let me win," Parker said of Green. "We had a lot of fun out there, and that's the whole reason for racing. I got to spin David out (during the second heat), which was one of my goals for the night. I either wanted to spin him or have him spin me. Then I got to do some donuts to make up for the bad one I did in California in April. David and I both had a blast cutting up and banging on each other. I hope the fans enjoyed it half as much as we did." HAVE A LITTLE FAITH - What do former U.S. President George Bush and Hank Parker Jr. have in common? Both have now served as the Grand Marshal of the annual Fourth of July Parade in Faith, N.C. Parker spent Wednesday morning in Faith, a town with approximately 500 residents located just outside Salisbury, N.C. The Busch Series driver waved to the estimated 40,000 spectators and signed autographs along the parade route. Participation in the parade is so great that, even after a 10 a.m. EDT starting time, the procession was still underway early Tuesday afternoon. NO RIGHT TURNS? - Rumor has it the Busch Series won't be returning to Watkins Glen International next season. Hank Parker Jr. is one driver who says he'll hate to see the loss of a road course race from the Busch Series schedule. "Yeah, there's several reasons I'd like to see road-course races in the Busch Series," Parker said. "For a lot of guys in this series, Winston Cup is the ultimate goal. We have to race road courses in the Cup Series, so getting in seat time at 'The Glen' under race conditions is the best practice we can get. "Secondly, road course races help expand the NASCAR fan base. If a road-course racing fan who's not into NASCAR sees a NASCAR road race and sees how talented our drivers are, we'll win some new fans. They end up saying, 'hey, these guys can turn right after all.' Last but not least, road courses are a blast to race on, they're always a whole lot of fun." RACE TO GNC- July 8 will mark the start date of a GNC Live Well sweepstakes promotion, featuring an auto-racing theme. The "Race To GNC" sweepstakes will have fans racing to GNC Live Well locations to register to win the Grand Prize of a 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. One grand-prize winner will win an all-expenses paid trip for two to a NASCAR race. A number of winners will receive one-year supplies of either GNC Live Well's MegaMen or UltraMega for Women vitamin and mineral supplements. GNC Live Well Racing T-shirts and hats will also be awarded. NASCAR Busch Series driver Hank Parker Jr. and his No. 36 GNC Live Well Chevrolet Monte Carlo are featured on point-of-sale promotional materials in GNC Live Well locations. "This is the first time I've ever walked in a store and seen a stand-up poster of myself, which is pretty cool." Parker said of the promotion. "I think the sweepstakes is a great way for NASCAR fans to visit their local GNC store, maybe for the first time. We hope fans will not only get a chance to win some nice prizes, but they can see products at the stores that will improve their health as well. The goal is to help people 'live well' in all areas of their lives, and winning a new car isn't a bad way to start." The sweepstakes ends on September 29. See your local GNC Live Well store for contest rules and details. HANK PARKER JR. ON WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL - "Watkins Glen is always a challenge to race on since it's the only road course on the schedule. It's hard to get back into the rhythm of braking and shifting in the corners. But I can't describe how much fun it is to drive here. I finished 10th my first time here, so the track has been kinder to me than some guys. "I prepared to race here the first time by going to the Bondurant Driving School in Phoenix, which I visited again not too long ago. Then, I got to race here with Lyndon Amick in a Dodge Viper with Lyndon's Motorola Cup Series team last year. I love the place, it's a beautiful area, and I have a lot of fans up here for some reason, which is pretty cool." ON TESTING AT "THE GLEN" - "The test here really went well, we felt like we found some things that are going to help us in the race. The smartest thing I did while I was here to test was to walk over and talk to Ron Fellows for awhile. He told me a few things and gave me some pointers that really helped me out in some spots. That guy is such a phenomenal road-course racer and he just dominates at 'The Glen.' He was very, very helpful and is just a real nice guy." ON GNC LIVE WELL SPONSORING THIS WEEKEND'S RACE - "It's kind of hard to believe how big GNC Live Well has jumped into the sport. I mean, they just sponsored the races at Milwaukee a week ago. It's flattering, though, that they think enough of our sport to want to get involved in it to the level they have. We introduced the new 'NASCAR Kids Multi' vitamin this past weekend, and the "Race to GNC" sweepstakes kicks off on July 8, so they've got a lot going on. "They've been incredibly supportive of me and of NASCAR, so my hat's off to them. You see a lot of sponsors that just throw their stickers on a car and then wonder why they don't feel like they're getting anything out of their sponsorship. I think GNC realizes that NASCAR fans will support companies that take an active role in the sport, which is true." 2001 SEASON SUMMARY - 17 starts, 1 win (Auto Club 300, April 28, California Speedway) 1 top-10 finish (California), 1 top-five finish (California), Winnings, $437,227, NBS Drivers' Points Standings, 21st.
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