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  *Comments on the 1998 Coca-Cola Shootout:*
  View the most recent comment <#10> | Post a comment <#post>


  1.   RaceFanX posted:
  12.19.2015 - 9:17 pm
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The NASCAR RE/MAX Challenge Series makes its first visit to a road
course for a round at Heartland Park Topeka, taking over the Truck
series undercard Coca-Cola Shootout from the All-Pro Series. This was
the first of just three road course races for the Midwest series and its
only trip to the popular Kansas circuit.

Steve Carlson records his third win in a row and the fourth of his six
triumphs on his way to the series' inaugural title.

Troy Backlund and Jeff Simunaci record top-10s in this only Midwest
series starts.

Pat Tushoski's fifth-place run was his best in the series.


  2.   RaceFanX posted:
  12.19.2015 - 9:19 pm
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John Nutley's second and Pete Moore's fourth were their only top-5
finishes in the Midwest series.


  3.   ericthenau posted:
  12.26.2015 - 4:15 pm
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RaceFanX, this was actually the first of 7 top-5 finishes for Pete
Moore. But this was also Moore's only top-5 in 1998, and you are right
that John Nutley got the only top-5 finish of his NASCAR Midwest Series
career in this race.


  4.   Gray Gaulding's Distant Cousin posted:
  07.25.2018 - 11:07 pm
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SPONSOR Update
Source: TV Broadcast.

#01 Ron Preese Jr Gilley's Dodge
#3 Mike Rembolt Whitey's Auto Parts / Signs To Go Dodge
#7 Al Schill Jr Al's Auto Salvage / Barkers AC Chevrolet
#8 Eddie Hoffman Advanced Energy / Appleton Rack Chevrolet
#9 Mark Kraus Structural Transport / Hilter Stainless Ford
#14 Dudley Fleck Crystal Group / McLeodUSA Chevrolet
#20 Jim Inglebright Jelly Belly / Wunder-Bar Chevrolet
#42 Rick Allison Wilbur-Ellis Chevrolet
#51 Brian Hoppe Santee Sportswear / Bumper to Bumper Chevy
#66 Steve Carlson Phillips 66 / Trop Arctic Chevy
#86 Pete Moore Sports Now Pagaing / Quality Concrete Chevy
#96 John Nutley Southlake Dodge / Alliance Fire Protection Dodge


  5.   RaceFanX posted:
  07.26.2018 - 9:21 am
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TNN televised this race, a rarity since it usually didn't cover the
Re/Max Challenge Series, almost certainly as a side effect of being in
Topeka to cover the NASCAR Truck race the following day.


  6.   Gray Gaulding's Distant Cousin posted:
  07.26.2018 - 2:57 pm
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Pete Moore got a top-5 in this race despite not showing up till the day
of the race after his hauler broke down en-route. He survived the race
and got a nice 4th place out of it.

Jeff Simunaci got a top ten in his only start not only in this series
but his only start in any series covered by the site. Simunaci's car was
rather unique to in that it was actually a SCCA GTA Spec car rather than
an ARTGO spec car. Despite weight penelties, he survived his way into an
8th. He would later run some Trans-Am Races in 1999 and 2000


  7.   RaceFanX posted:
  02.01.2020 - 1:29 pm
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Mark Rembolt looped his #3 Dodge off the track in the early laps but
still placed 11th at the end of the day...albeit eight laps down to the
leaders.


  8.   RaceFanX posted:
  02.01.2020 - 1:55 pm
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Steve Carlson won this one after a bit of attrition wiped out his main
competitors. Brian Hoppe had a fast car but handed the lead to Eddie
Hoffman when he pitted. Hoppe then raced back up into the lead after his
pit stop only for his #51 to blow a motor just after he retook the top
spot, knocking him out of the race. Hoffman re-inherited the lead but
just three laps later his #8 also broke which handed the lead to Carlson
for the first time all day. Carlson would lead it home the rest of the
day en route to the win.

Carlson got a few pointers on road racing from Trans-Am racer/former ASA
competitor Leighton Reese before this race. The effort with Reese, who
also sponsored by Phillips 66 at the time, must have paid off given
Carlson ended up in victory lane.

Jeff Simunaci's great run wasn't without error as he looped the #2 Mama
Rosa's Pizza Chevrolet Monte Carlo into the grass at one point and
nearly set the grass on fire restarting it. Still he got back in the
race and as noted above scored a top-10 in his SCCA-spec racer.

Travis Kvapil blew a motor in the closing laps while running in the
top-10 but still finished there because of how spread out the field was
with many cars running many laps down.


  9.   rm posted:
  09.07.2020 - 9:04 pm
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This race had traditionally featured several crossover drivers from the
Southwest and Northwest tours over the past couple years when it was an
All-Pro (Southeast) race, but the participation from outsiders was
minimal in 1998. The result of the race was much the same as 1997, with
Steve Carlson posting the obscene margin of victory this time around.

Chris Cunningham and Rick Allison came in from the Northwest tour, Chad
Nolting and AJ Alsup visited from the All-Pro series and Jim Inglebright
invaded out of the Southwest tour.


  10.   Rich posted:
  09.15.2020 - 5:21 pm
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Eli Gold, Buddy Baker and Dean Strom were the commentators. Glenn
Jarrett and Matt Yocum were the pit road reporters.


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