Pikes Peak Still a Charm for Santerre

FOUNTAIN, Colo. - Don't ask him why, but Andy Santerre loves Pikes Peak International Raceway. And apparently, it loves him, too.

Santerre recorded his first and only career NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division victory at the one-mile Colorado oval last season. On Saturday, he gave the No. 25 Team Rensi Motorsports Lance Snacks Chevrolet team its best finish of the season, a third-place run in the NAPA AutoCare 250.

Santerre's previous best finish was sixth at New Hampshire International Speedway in May, while the team's best finish was fourth at Bristol Motor Speedway with Kenny Wallace in April.

"I can't tell you the reason, but I do seem to run well here, no question," Santerre said. "I've always run well at New Hampshire and Milwaukee (similar tracks), but I've never had there what I've got here. This track is just a lot of fun to run on.

"Coming here with the Busch Series we get our own garages and we get treated very well. Anytime we come here to Colorado we're excited about that. After you win a race somewhere, you get pretty pumped up and want to come back to that racetrack. But this is definitely not a disappointment for me here today."

Santerre started 16th but made up 10 positions in the first 38 laps. After cracking the top-five on lap 44, he fell below fifth place only once more throughout the remainder of the 250-lap event. He came into the pits for a green flag stop on lap 108 after leading laps 106 and 107, and then went out ninth, but made that ground back up quickly.

"What an effort by this entire Team Rensi Motorsports Lance Snacks team," said crew chief Greg Ely. "We struggled during practice and with qualifying, but once Andy got on the racetrack, he was a monster. He went straight to the front and drove a spectacular race.

"He never let off and gave this team the confidence that we could actually win the thing. The team was just absolutely awesome in the pits. The team hung in there and did a tremendous job all weekend getting the car prepared. They've been getting better and better each week and it definitely showed today."

While Ely made great calls in the pits, team members Frankie Allen, Kyle Power, Matt Raymond, Don Stitler, Randy Fields, Jayson Burgess, Paul Chodgra and Dan Thompson were at their best getting Santerre out in great shape and back on the race track.

Santerre re-entered the top-five on lap 123 and stayed there until the checkered flag flew. On lap 208 he passed David Green for second and appeared as if he might challenge Jeff Green for the victory.

The Lance Chevy tightened up in the final 35 laps, however, as David Green got back around Santerre for second on lap 219. Santerre gave it everything he had to try and catch the Green brothers, but they proved too strong.

"To run third against Jeff Green and David Green - two of the best out here, I'm pretty happy," Santerre said. "Obviously a win would have been awesome. The way we practiced and the way our qualifying effort went, I really didn't think we had a top-three car out here. The guys proved me wrong.

"We talked about it (Saturday morning) and made a few minor adjustments on the race car, and we just kind of took a shot in the dark as to how it was going to be. It drove well all day long. My hat is off to the team. It was their race." Santerre's next race will be the Kroger 250 at Indianapolis Raceway Park on Aug. 4. His final scheduled race is the Oct. 29 Sam's Town 250 at Memphis Motorsports Park.

Kenny Wallace will be back behind the wheel of the No. 25 Lance Snacks Chevy this Saturday night in the CarQuest Auto Parts 250 at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill. Wallace will be recognized on the field by the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Memorial Stadium on Wed., July 26, prior to a game between the Cardinals and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Wallace will also take part in the track's "Fan Fest" at the Crown Hotel/Casino Queen on the river in East St. Louis, Ill., on Thurs., July 27, where he will sign autographs and meet fans.