Prepared by Todd Lewis, TL Sports & Entertainment, tandt@pathcom.com
GLENCOE, ON - Riding a top ten finish in the overall CASCAR Super Series championship from the previous season Brad Graham and the Challenger Motor Freight team were excited to be back at Delaware Speedway where Brad is a former track champion for the start of a new year.
The results weren’t what they hoped for with only a twelfth place finish, however with Cayuga Speedway and Peterborough Speedway were next up where the Challenger Motor Freight team runs well.
After starting last at Cayuga Brad had a terrific race, moving up throughout the 200 lap event that resulted in a fourth place finish. That momentum carried on to Cottage Country with an eighth place run at Peterborough.
At the very difficult Mosport Road course the Challenger Motor Freight car was 15th at the finish. It was back to Cayuga Speedway for round five of the Super Series and it was an eighth place finish for Brad at the famed 5/8 mile oval.
That was now three top-ten finishes in the last four races putting them in eighth place in the overall CASCAR Championship.
A thorny stretch was straight ahead for Brad the Challenger team. On a difficult street circuit where practice time is limited it was a hard fought 12th place finish at the Toronto Indy weekend, and two weeks later in Vancouver it was a 16th place result.
Now past the halfway point in the season while the team hadn’t always finished as high as they’d hoped, but in every event they had gained positions from where they began on the starting grid, a significant accomplishment.
Motor problems brought a disappointing end to the series Western swing with a 21st place finish in Calgary.
The team returned to Ontario and put in a good effort at the Mosport oval just missing the top ten.
With a second place starting position for round ten at Peterborough things looked good, but with only a handful of laps remaining Brad was running third when the motor problems returned.
After starting deep in the field Brad moved the Challenger Motor Freight car into a top ten finish as the series returned to Delaware Speedway for the Great Canadian 300.
The final event of the year left a bitter taste in the mouths of the team, after an eighth place qualifying effort, the motor gremlins that plagued the team in the second half of the season sent them to the sidelines early.
Even with all the motor troubles that plagued them Brad Graham and the Challenger Motor Freight team still managed four top-ten race finishes.
They finished just outside the top ten overall. With his strong performances picking up positions during the season, Brad was the winner of the 2004 Fast Eddie Racewear Hard Charger Award gaining a total of 67 racing positions throughout the season.
A new CASCAR season is only a few short months away and with it plenty of change and a great deal of anticipation.
This season Brad Graham Motorsports and Challenger Motor Freight welcome Logel’s Auto Parts as major associate sponsor. This year will also see a switch to a new car with Mopar power provided from Beauchamp Motorsports.
For more information regarding Brad Graham and the Challenger Motor Freight/Team Logel Dodge log onto cascar.ca.
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