After qualifying 16th and exiting in the first round at the Pomona season opener, Richie Stevens Jr., driver of the Team Mopar\Valspar Dodge Stratus R/T, rebounded at the season’s second event in Phoenix. He qualified second behind Jason Line and grabbed his first round win of the year, advancing to the quarterfinals. His strong outing has him feeling good as Gainesville approaches.
“We just missed the top spot at Phoenix, ” said Stevens, who drives for Don Schumacher Racing. “We were about a hundredth of a second behind Jason [Line, the current Pro Stock points leader], so we showed that we could run with him. We did better at Phoenix, and we feel confident heading into Gainesville. “
The importance of the Gatornationals, along with the return of Roy Johnson, has Stevens Jr. focused on going rounds at Gainesville.
“You always want to do well at the Gatornationals, ” said Stevens. “This race is big, right up there with the U. S. Nationals. You want to give all the fans that come out a good show. And it’s great to have Roy back. He’s an important piece of the puzzle. He’s the brains behind everything; he’s the man who makes the power. It would be nice to get a win here, and get him some recognition for all the work he does. ”
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