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New England 300 - Ricky Craven Notes
New England 300 Preview - Ricky Craven, No. 32 Tide Pontiac
2003 Best Finish: 1st- Darlington, S.C. - 3/16/03 2003
Tropicana 400 Recap: Ricky Craven and his PPI Motorsports crew battled an ill-handling racecar throughout the event. Starting from the 26th position, Craven piloted his Tide Pontiac to a 25th-place finish.
The Chassis: The chassis Ricky Craven will drive at New Hampshire International Speedway (NHIS) is chassis No. 49, a brand new car. Craven and the PPI Motorsports team tested with this chassis at NHIS on June 30 and July 1.
Ricky Craven’s New Hampshire International Speedway starts:
Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Ricky Craven, a lifelong fan of the Boston Red Sox baseball team, will realize a dream on Monday, July 21. Craven will have the honor of throwing out the first pitch at historic Fenway Park in Boston, Mass. when the Sox take on the Detroit Tigers.
Ricky Craven- “I remember listening to the Sox games when I was a little kid, sitting on the porch with my grandfather. I’ve followed the Sox religiously ever since, so this is a big deal for my family and I. To get to go to Fenway Park and step out on that field is going to be huge thrill.”
Area for Improvement: While Ricky Craven and his Tide team have five top-10 finishes and a win in the first half of the 2003 season, one area where the team would like to see improvement is in its qualifying efforts. In the first 18 races, Craven is averaging a 25th-place starting spot.
Ricky Craven- “Our qualifying has put us at a deficit most weeks. I feel like we’ve shown that it’s not that you can’t overcome it, but you know there’s an easier way of doing things. We’ve made a priority of getting our car running well in race trim for Sunday, but your qualifying effort affects other areas, like pit selection. We’ve had to make up a lot of track position, which is always a challenge. You have to remember that we’re only 18 races into this deal with (crew chief) Scott Miller and (team engineer) Kent Day. I think that, as our communication improves and we learn each others’ language more, we’ll continue to get better.”
Remembering a Friend: Ricky Craven will honor the memory of a friend this weekend at New Hampshire International Raceway. The visor of Craven’s helmet will carry decals reading “In memory of Allen Brann 1943-2003.” Brann, who passed away from a heart attack in January, was the track photographer for many years at Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine, and was the vice-president and co-founder of the Maine Vintage Race Car Association.
Ricky Craven: “Allen was a great guy. He was one of the few individuals with such a wonderful loyalty to the sport of auto racing. I remember him well from the first days of my racing career and have always admired and appreciated him. This is just a small way of remembering him and his contributions to the sport.”
Ricky Craven, On the New Asphalt at New Hampshire International Speedway- “I think the transitions are smoother than they have been in the past. A lot of people have asked me if we can expect to see three-wide racing. It’s still a flat, one-mile track, so you’re never going to see as much of that at New Hampshire as you will at a more banked facility. It’s the same challenging racetrack it’s always been. Having said that, I think it’s a track that makes for some really exciting racing. You’re never going to see someone get a half-lap lead like you do at some places. Bob Bahre has done a tremendous job of listening to everyone’s input and feedback, and has spent a lot of money to make his track as racer-friendly as possible. Bob is so good for this sport. He loves racing, and his dedication to racing is unquestioned.”
Testing: The Tide team spent Tuesday, July 15, testing at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Va., in preparation for the upcoming road course event at Watkins Glen International.
Honorary Chairperson: Ricky Craven will serve as the Honorary Chairperson of “Race Fever 2003” in Concord, N.H., on Thursday, July 17. The annual event includes live entertainment, NASCAR collectible dealers, show car appearances and NASCAR driver autograph sessions. Craven will sign autographs from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the event.
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