---

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Cintas Rookie Competition Report

30 October 1997

        IRWIN NEARS THE FINISH LINE IN RACE FOR CINTAS ROOKIE AWARD
   INDIANAPOLIS NATIVE ENJOYS 18-POINT CUSHION WITH TWO EVENTS REMAINING

CHARLOTTE, NC - Like many drivers in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 
Cintas freshman Kenny Irwin is proving his mettle and showcasing the skills 
necessary to compete as a full-time member on the Winston Cup circuit. And in 
Irwin's case, that day is coming very soon. 

Irwin, already slated to replace Ernie Irvan in the Robert Yates #28 Ford 
next season, is coming off a third-place finish in The No Fear Challenge back 
on Oct. 18. It was the ninth top-5 finish of the season for Irwin, who 
persevered, in a furious stretch duel with the man he is going to replace 
next season for third-place honors. Irvan wound up in fourth place. 

By winning Cintas Rookie-of-the-Race honors, which awards the 
highest-finishing first-year racer in each NCTS event, Irwin (220 points) 
doubled his advantage to 18 points over runner-up Rick Crawford (202). Stacy 
Compton, currently in third place and still a factor in the chase for Cintas 
Rookie-of-the-Year plaudits, now finds himself 23 points in back of Irwin. 
For his part, the 28-year-old Indianapolis native relishes the thought of 
winning the truck series' highest honor for first-year drivers. 

"Winning the Cintas Rookie-of-the-Year would be one of the highlights of our 
season," Irwin said. "We've had some big moments. Winning races is great. 
Being in the top 10 in points is great, but I have never lost sight of the 
fact that this is my one chance to win the Cintas Rookie-of-the-Year Award."

Irwin has shown an ability to win on longer tracks this season, posting both 
of his victories on tracks that were at least 1.5 miles in length (Homestead, 
FL and Fort Worth, TX). That bodes well as the series heads to Phoenix 
International Raceway for Saturday's running of the GM Goodwrench/Delco 
Battery 300, which will be run around a 1-mile paved oval. The only Cintas 
rookie to win more than one race and figure in the top-10 overall standings, 
Irwin currently resides in 10th place outdistancing fellow rookie competitors 
Crawford (12th) and Compton (13th). He's also shattered Bryan Reffner's 
rookie winnings mark of $200,898 by accruing $279,370 during the '97 campaign.

So the list of accomplishments is long, but won't be complete until Irwin 
brings home the hardware at the end of the season. "We have a big board up in 
the shop which has our team goals on it for the season," Irwin said. "We have 
race-by-race goals and season goals. One of our biggest goals, from way back 
in the winter when we made the board, is to win the Cintas Rookie Award for 
the season."

                CINTAS ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR POINT STANDINGS

    1. Kenny Irwin    220                      6. Tony Roper       143
    2. Rick Crawford  202                      7. Tammy Jo Kirk    122
    3. Stacy Compton  197                      8. Rob Rizzo         78
    4. Tony Raines    181                      9. Terry Cook        71
    5. Boris Said     160                     10. Lonnie Rush       45


By Muhleman Marketing