1997-98 Round 6

Hobby Town Turkey Trot - Inside Edge - New Berlin, WI

November 20, 1997

Round 6 of 14

Wauwatosa, W I (Dec. 22, 1997) - For the second year in a row, Jim Kaehny took

control early in the Green lane and never looked back en route to an impressive 19-1ap

victory in the TOMY Christmas Classic at Sanibel Speedway. The New Berlin, WI native

tied a track record as he put his Jelly Belly Swift Ford on the pole for the third time this

season, then set a track record with 313 laps in the event.

"The car was just really hooked up tonight," he explained. "I love this track and I

love Green lane, so it was pretty easy tonight." Kaehny takes the PPPG Cup points lead at

the holiday break by virtue of the second level of tie breakers used in the series. Both he

and Ev Kamikawa of the Ferrari team have 97 points.

Dangerous Racing's Dan Margetta in the Motorola car was closest to Kaehny but

although he made a strong run during the night coming up from fifth on the grid he could

not contend for the lead. "We're real happy with second. Our car just didn't have enough

speed to keep up with Kaehny tonight," said Margetta. Both men were utilizing Ford

engines.

The Shell car of Rick Osterbrink took third place, struggling in the outside groove at

times. But Osterbrink managed to fight his way up through the field all the way from his

sixth position on the starting grid.

It was a big night for Harley-Davidson and their driver Tom Spehert, who made the

Final Four in just h is fourth career start. Inexperience showed early in the race however,

when Spehert forced the issue in a squeeze track on Gulf Drive and crashed heavily on lap

42. He was not injured. Harley spokesman Steve Piehl, among the sellout crowd on the

island, said "I just can't tell you how many goose bumps I'm feeling right now. We're

thrilled Tom made it to the Final."

One of the reasons Spehert made it was because Phil Cianciola put his Marlboro car

into Lake Murex while leading on the final lap of his heat race. "That was ugly. I'm just

glad a shark didn't get me," a soaked Cianciola said after the disheartening incident. He

finished in fifth place. Leinenkugel's driver Chad Sorce also crashed into the lake in the

same heat and ended up in eighth place on the night.

Former champion Dave Austin shipped his LCI cars to the island via UPS and they

never arrived in time for the race. So Austin, humiliated, had to borrow a car from the

Leinenkugel's stable of Sorce. Ironically, Austin finished sixth, two better than Sorce.

John Baas finished seventh and Tony Perkins failed to make the field by a lap.

###

PPPG CART "WORLD SERIES" RACE PREVIEW

o WHAT: The Hobby Town Turkey Trot

oWHERE: The Inside Edge New Berlin, WI

o WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 20th 6:30 p.m.

o DEFENDING CHAMPION: Ev Kamikawa 218 laps

o DEFENDING POLESITTER: Jim Kaehny 111 laps

o TRACK LAYOUT: Temporary road course

o RACE LENGTH: 20-minute final, with "De-Slot" rules in effect

oRACE RECORDS: Qualifying- John Shea 118 laps 1995

Race- Dave Austin 257 laps 1994

o RACE II: 6 of 14

o NEXT EVENT: The Tomy Christmas Classic Thursday, Dec. 18th

Sanibel Speedway Wauwatosa, WI

o I NST ANT REPLAY

Last year's annual Thanksgiving affair saw Ev Kamikawa and Jim Kaehny the last two

drivers remaining on the track in the de-slot race. With only a couple of laps between

them, and with only five minutes remaining in the Final, Kaehny accrued his final and

race-ending de-slot, giving Kamikawa his first win in over a year. Drivers are allowed

three de-slots or crashes out of their slots in the Final. After the fourth de-slot their

race night is over, making this a very challenging and unique event.

Other items of interest from last year's race ...

It marked Jim Kaehny's sixth career pole ... Ev Kamikawa's first win away from his

home track ... Dave Austin and Tony Perkins exchanged heated words after an early-

race incident that set them both up for an early departure from the Final. .. Perkins

beat out the entire three-car Penske team in his heat race that night.

PPPG HOBBY TOWN TURKEY TROT HISTORY

Year Race Winner Pole Winner

1993 Phil Cianciola Jim Kaehny (Shrine Track)

1994 Dave Austin Ev Kamikawa

1995 John Shea John Shea

1996 Ev Kamikawa Jim Kaehny

Things to watch for this year...

Ev Kamikawa has always found success on this tricky layout and should be strong

here. Jim Kaehny is the race host and track owner, so it should be no surprise if

these two are doing battle again this year. Funny things can happen when the de-slot

rule is in effect. Phil Cianciola and Dan Margetta are two drivers who have publicly

said they do not like the track, Margetta saying it would "make a nice fishing pond."

--CART H.O.--

AFX SIGNS TITLE SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT WITH CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO

RACING TEAMS H.O.

FedAFX Championship Series showcases top H. O. Champ Car drivers

Milwaukee, WI (Dec. 15, 1997) - AFX and Championship Auto Racing Teams, H.O.

today announced details of a new title sponsorship agreement based on the many synergies

of the two organizations. The newly established "FedAFX Championship Series" aligns the

former PPPG CART W orId Series and AFX, the leading slot car manufacturer in the

country and the world.

"The FedAFX Championship Series represents an excellent opportunity for AFX to

showcase its products," said AFX spokesman Becky Hoffman from the company's

headquarters in California. "It's a natural fit. Both organizations rely on high-performance

teamwork and leading-edge technology to beat the competition. We're proud to be on

board with one of the original and best known regional slot car racing series in the

country. "

"The stature of AFX lends credibility and an even greater awareness to the CART

H. O. racing program I formed back in 1993," said Phil Cianciola, Commissioner of the

FedAFX Championship Series. "We've been around for five years and this year we've

expanded our racing into two states. AFX was there as a sponsor of our Christmas race

from the start, so this title sponsorship addition seemed only natural. When the actual

PPG CART World Series changed its name to the "FedEx Championship Series" it was

time for the H.O. equivalent to change names as well."

CART H.O. champ cars are capable of scale speeds exceeding 1,000 mph and are

driven by some of the world's leading drivers including Dave Austin, Jim Kaehny, Everet

Kamikawa and Phil Cianciola. The 14-race FedAFX Championship Series season began in

September and runs through April when a champion will be crowned. Drivers will still

compete for the PPPG Cup, just as the drivers of the FedEx Championship Series compete

for the PPG Cup.

More information about the series can be located at the FedAFX Championship Series

Internet home page at www.620wtmj.com (click on Greeuiiouse) .

AFX produces the racing track utilized at the seven racing facilities where the drivers

of the FedAFX Championship Series compete during the course of the season. AFX also

produces one of the fastest models of stock slot cars available on the market today, known

as "Super G-Plus" machines. These cars will be introduced to the new FedAFX

Championship Series in some form in the near future.