Southern 500 - Ricky Craven Notes

Southern 500 Preview - Ricky Craven- No. 32 Tide Pontiac

2003 Best Finish: 1st- Darlington, S.C. - 3/16/03 2003 Best Start: 6th- North Carolina Speedway- 2/23/03
2003 Stats: 1 Win; 0 Bud Pole Awards; 1 Top-10 Qualifying effort; 3 Top-5 Finishes; 6 Top-10 Finishes
Current Points Standing: 21st Best Career Finish: 1st (Darlington 3/16/03; Martinsville, 10/15/01)
Career Pole Positions: 6 (Martinsville, 1996; New Hampshire, 1996 & 1998; Michigan, 2001; Rockingham & Darlington, 2002)

Sharpie 500 Recap: Ricky Craven drove his Tide Pontiac to an eighth-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway. The top-10 result, Craven’s sixth of 2003, eclipses last season’s total of five top-10 finishes for the PPI Motorsports team.

The Chassis: The chassis Ricky Craven will drive at Darlington Raceway is chassis No. 32, the same car Craven drove to victory in the March 16 NASCAR Winston Cup event at Darlington.

Ricky Craven’s Darlington Raceway starts: Avg. Start: 19.5 Avg. Finish: 26.1

Race Fan Reenlists at PPI Motorsports' Shops - Petty Officer First Class Brian Wilkes, a 10-year veteran of the United States Navy, has been a race fan for as long as he can remember. When Wilkes, a resident of Hickory, N.C., learned he could choose the site of his reenlistment ceremony, he immediately thought of a way to incorporate his love of NASCAR into this special day. On Tuesday, Aug. 26, Wilkes stood among family and friends, and a dozen or so No. 32 Tide Pontiacs, as he recited his oath of enlistment at PPI Motorsports’ sho in Hickory. Following the ceremony, PPI driver Ricky Craven posed for photos and signed autographs for the Officer and his guests. Wilkes and his entourage were then given a tour of PPI's facilities.

TIDE CELEBRATES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF GIVE KIDS THE WORLD COLORING CONTEST AT DARLINGTON- Design, Die Cast Raise Awareness and Funds for Non-Profit Village for Children with Life-Threatening Illnesses

Imagine a place where all your meals are served in a gingerbread house; where a bunny rabbit named Clayton is mayor and tucks you into bed each night; where you could eat ice cream any time you wanted; where wishing wells burp and grandfather clocks snore; where Christmas is celebrated every Thursday, complete with gifts for everyone and a visit from Santa Claus…

For children with life-threatening illnesses, the Give Kids The World Village is just this place. And a little of that magic is being brought to this year’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway with a special Tide/Give Kids The World paint scheme on Ricky Craven’s No. 32 Tide Pontiac.

Fifth Anniversary of Coloring Contest
Since 1999, Tide and Give Kids The World have invited children who visit the Village to create a paint scheme for one race on the No. 32 Tide Pontiac. This year’s winning design was created by 19-year-old Lisa Healey of Amherst, N.Y., and pays tribute to every contest winner to date, including Vanessa Alvarez (2002, Loudon), Colin Albo (2001, Charlotte), Heather Mason (2000, Phoenix), and Tiffany Rich (1999, Martinsville).

Lisa visited the Village in 1998 with her brother, Russell, a wish child who battled leukemia. Russell has since passed away, but their time together at the Village served as inspiration for Lisa’s contest-winning entry. Lisa and her family are also attending the Southern 500 to watch “her” car compete in Sunday’s NASCAR Winston Cup Series event.

Die Cast Fundraiser
In addition to the special paint scheme, Tide has produced 50,000 1/64th-scale collectible die cast cars featuring Lisa’s design. Racing Champions donated the cars to help Tide raise funds for the Village - an effort that has produced more than $1.3 million in the past five years. Cars are available online at Blair.com, and all proceeds go directly to Give Kids The World.

Give Kids The World
Give Kids The World is a non-profit resort that creates magical memories for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Wish-granting organizations coordinate transportation to Orlando, while Give Kids The World provides accommodations at its whimsical resort, attraction tickets, and meals for a weeklong fantasy vacation for more than 5,000 families each year. Since its founding in 1986, Give Kids The World has welcomed families from all 50 states and 50 countries. For more information, please visit www.gktw.org.

Program Partners
Tide is joined this year by two of its No. 32 Tide Racing partners in support of Give Kids The World: Blair Corporation (and its website, Blair.com), the nation’s premier multi-channel direct marketer providing apparel and home products to the value-conscious consumer; and Super 8 Motels, Inc., the world's largest economy motel chain.

Q&A with Tide Pontiac driver Ricky Craven

As the NASCAR Winston Cup tour heads back to Darlington, could you go back and recap the finish of your March 16 win over Kurt Busch?

“The last third of the race, we felt like we were absolutely one of the cars to beat. There was a lot of drama in the last 15 laps. Some people watching that race may have looked at how big Kurt’s lead was and thought that his lead would allow him to cruise on home. When we got into second place and could see him, I really felt like I could get up to him and race him for the win.”

“We got to him with about four laps to go, and I managed to get by him with three laps to go, but then he got back by me. Turns three and four were my strengths, and where I was able to run in those turns was a bit unique. I knew that coming off the exit of four was where we were going to win or lose it. Knowing it was going to be a contact sport, I felt like four was the most logical place to pass on that last lap. At that point, I just wanted to make it to the finish line first. I didn’t care if we went across the line sideways, backwards, or upside down. Getting around Darlington is hard enough on new tires, so you can imagine how hard it was on worn-out 55-lap tires.”

“The finish was fantastic, but even more than it being a great finish, it was all about winning at Darlington. It’s absolutely the ultimate place to compete. There are certain tracks where every driver wants to win. Daytona, Indianapolis, and I would put Darlington near the top of that list. There’s such a mystique and a history about this place. The type of racing that Darlington creates is some of the best racing you’ll see, period. The track is unique, special and you have to be here to see it.”

What are you proudest of about the way that race ended?

“What I’m proudest of about that finish is that Kurt and I took it right to the edge and didn’t take each other out. It meant the difference between a controversy versus a spectacular finish. We did it the Darlington way. We swapped paint and went toe to toe and pushed it as hard as we could go. It was a case of circumstance meeting opportunity. It was all adrenaline and intensity. From a purist’s standpoint, I think it was a beautiful ending.”

What do you remember about Victory Lane?

“I really appreciated that Kurt came and congratulated me. I didn’t expect a high-five and a pat on the back. He showed a lot of maturity in that situation, maybe more than I could have shown had the finish gone the other way. I know it would be very difficult for me, even at 37 years old, to be that gracious after barely losing a race I had fought so hard to win.”

Have you had the chance to reflect on the fact that you came out on top in what some consider to be one of the most exciting finishes in the history of NASCAR?

“I don’t know that it’s really sunk in, even five months later. I thought about it a lot during the week after the race, but it’s like turning a page when you get to the next race. I took the time to celebrate with the crew, my family, and even the media to a certain extent, from the time I won until we got to Bristol the following weekend. As soon as I got to the next track, the celebration was over. You have to get your head back in the game.”

“A lot of fans I meet, that finish is the first thing they mention. I’m really proud that I was a part of something that some people say will go down in the history books, but it’s not something I constantly dwell on. In this business, you can’t afford to.”

“I don’t think it will really sink in or that I’ll really reflect on that win until after I’m finished with racing. I think it will be really neat to be able to show the tape of that win to my grandkids and let them see what their grandpa used to do for a living.”

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