Ricky Craven Joins Regan Smith as Second NASCAR Entry in IWK 250 Posted July 12/07 at 2:45 p.m.

JAMES RIVER, NS (July 12, 2007) - Ricky Craven, the man who won the race with the closest recorded finish in NASCAR history, will enter the July 21 IWK 250 at Riverside International Speedway. Craven joins NASCAR rookie Regan Smith as a guest driver for the prestigious event.

Craven's heralded win in NASCAR's top series came March 16, 2003, when he edged Kurt Busch by 0.002-seconds at the finish line - a race he and stock car racing fans the world over will never forget. The victory came in his 221st start as a NEXTEL Cup driver, in which he has made 278 starts - showing two wins, 17 Top 5's and 41 Top 10's.

Besides his NEXTEL Cup starts, Craven has made 142 starts in the NASCAR Busch Series and 26 starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

He is one of an elite small group of drivers with wins in all three of NASCAR's top series, as well as being the first driver ever to win the coveted Rookie of the Year title in three major NASCAR touring series.

Craven's entry in the Pro All Stars Series North-sanctioned IWK 250 marks a return to his racing roots; he will compete against racers that were his heroes growing up in New England - and be behind the wheel of a racecar similar to one in which he made the mark that gained him the recognition necessary to make his move to stock car racing's big league.

"I'm really excited about this opportunity," said Craven. "It takes me back to my earliest days in racing when I split my time between tracks in New England and Canada. My experiences in Canada are some of my fondest; the fans are so passionate about racing."

Even before Craven was invited to participate in the IWK 250 he was familiar with Riverside International Speedway.

"A friend brought it to my attention last year," said Craven. "We looked at it on the Internet and I was truly impressed."

Born and raised in Newburgh, Maine, Ricky began racing at the age of 15 and has tasted success at every level of competition. His road to NASCAR NEXTEL Cup began at Unity Raceway in Unity, Maine with two wins and the Rookie of the Year title in 1982, followed by 12 wins and the track championship the very next year. Throughout the next few years, Craven earned wins at several tracks in New England before joining the American-Canadian Tour.

In 1989 Craven made his first appearance in a major NASCAR touring series with his first Busch Grand National North start. In that series he scored numerous wins, the Rookie of the Year title in 1990, two most popular driver awards, and the 1991 Busch Grand National North Championship, setting the stage for him to move south to drive in the NASCAR Busch Series.

In 1992 Craven won the Busch Series Rookie of the Year title, followed by consecutive runner-up finishes in the Busch Grand National standings. In 1994, after two wins, 16 top 10's, and eight top 5's - Larry Hedrick called on Craven to drive his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup car for 1995, when Craven won the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Rookie of the Year title, while also competing on a limited schedule in the Busch Series.

In the 1997 Daytona 500 Craven scored a podium finish behind Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon and Terry Labonte; the three drivers celebrated together in Victory Lane as a tribute to team owner Rick Hendrick who was unable to attend the race as he successfully battled leukemia.

In January of 2001 Craven joined PPI Motorsports and team owner Cal Wells. The results were instant, with the team recording a top five finish in only the second event of the season. The pairing culminated on October 15, 2001 when Ricky pulled into victory lane at Martinsville after holding off a last lap charge by Dale Jarrett to win the Old Dominion 500.

Craven's last start in the NEXTEL Cup series came in 2004; 2005 in the Craftsman Truck Series and 2006 in the Busch Series.

Since then, Craven has been enjoying a break from full-time driving duties - spending valuable time with his two children and his wife. Craven has stayed involved in racing as a co-host on SIRIUS Satellite Radio's NASCAR channel, and also writes a column for Yahoo sports.

"I'm intrigued with this opportunity to race in Canada again," said Craven. "Surprisingly it's my first race in Nova Scotia and the race track is just amazing. I can't wait."

A complete list of expected entries for the IWK 250 Presented by Steve Lewis Auto Body and DuPont Refinish will be available early next week. The IWK 250 could become the richest stock car race in eastern Canada, offering a guaranteed $7,500 U.S. to the winner with $100 CDN per lap led being added to the purse for each sponsored lap - for a potential bonus total of $25,000.

The IWK 250 Presented by Steve Lewis Auto Body and DuPont Refinish is set for July 21 at Riverside International Speedway. The event is essentially a one-day show with qualifying and feature races for the pro stock, sportsman and Atlantic Open Wheel competitors on Saturday starting at 5 p.m.. There will be a practice session at the track Friday afternoon and promotional events in the Antigonish area Friday evening.

IWK 250 advance tickets are available by contacting the track box office. A limited number of reserved seats remain as well as general admission seating. Credit card orders are welcome. Call 902.863.2410 or email the ticket order form available at this link - click here.

Riverside Speedway, a 1/3-mile high banked asphalt oval, is located in James River, between New Glasgow and Antigonish, at exit 30 off Trans Canada Highway 104. Opened in 1969, the facility was totally rebuilt in 2006 to become a premiere motorsports site, comparable to the best short tracks in Canada and the U.S. The 2007 schedule sees three CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour events (June 9, August 4 and August 11), the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event (September 15) and the IWK 250. For more information about Riverside Speedway, please visit www.riversidespeedway.ca or call 902.863.2410.

Ricky Craven Gallery


1995, May - Ricky Craven's DuPont-sponsored Busch Series racecar...


1995, July - Ricky Craven's SpeeDee-sponsored Busch Series racecar...


1995, November - Ricky Craven (right) on pit road with fellow Busch Series drivers Kyle Petty (left) and Patty Moise (center)...


1995 - Ricky Craven's NEXTEL Cup rookie year hero card - then driving for Larry Hedrick Motorsports...


1998 - Ricky Craven's NEXTEL Cup hero card - then driving for Hendrick Motorsports...


2000 saw Ricky Craven behind the wheel of the No. 50 Midwest Transit Chevrolet on the NEXTEL Cup circuit...


Ricky's 2003 Tide Ride - the car in which he recorded the closest win recorded in NASCAR history - just 0.002 seconds over Kurt Busch at the March Darlington race...