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Mansfield is Field of Dreams for Dernoshek

CANONSBURG, PA (July 29, 2004) - It’s been more than a year since the USAR Hooters ProCup Series last visited Mansfield Motorsports Speedway in north-central Ohio. Logan Dernoshek didn’t compete in that event, won by his friend Eric Corbett, but he has dreams of success this weekend in the Pepsi 250 presented by Joyce Buick & Saturn at the ultra-modern motorsports facility. Two weeks ago, Dernoshek and the unsponsored No. 10 team made the trek to Radford, Va., from their Pittsburgh home and brought back a career best finish for the 25-year old rookie of 13th in only his sixth career start. That weekend, though hectic because of weather, taught the team some lessons that they plan to take with them to Mansfield for this weekend’s event. “We learned that we have a lot to learn,” Dernoshek said with a laugh. “We are really behind these front guys, because of testing time, or lack thereof, money, equipment, etc. We are going to do the best we can though. A little bit of what we learned will transfer. Motor Mile and Mansfield are very different tracks in the end, but anytime you come home with a car that you don't have to reconstruct, it is good. We spent our time going over everything and trying to fine tune rather than rebuilding. As far as the team goes, it was a big boost. We know we still have a lot of work to do to get where we feel we should be.” The half-mile at Mansfield is one of the most unique tracks on the Hooters ProCup tour. Taken over by new ownership two years ago, the track has been transformed from a dirt bullring to a compound banked, ultra-modern asphalt location. The compound banking will help drivers such as Dernoshek search for a line if their car is slightly off on handling, however the tight turns and short straightaways will require everything on any racecar to be working at optimal performance. “Getting the car to turn in the middle and getting down the straightaway is the key to Mansfield,” said Dernoshek, who will be supported this weekend by the Best Value Inn in Mansfield. “It's a pretty big track with some banking, so it is going to take some horsepower. We want to stay out of trouble and try to get the car competitive. Being four to six tenths off the leaders is not acceptable and we need to remedy that situation. The competition is always very stiff and we need to get the car to be more competitive.” Unlike the team’s two event finishes this year at IRP and Motor Mile Speedway, Mansfield is a fairly close track to Pittsburgh, about a three hour drive up U.S. 250 from Wheeling, WV. In two other events “close to home” this year (Lake Erie and Jennerstown), the No. 10 has had one DNS and one DNF. Dernoshek hopes that will change this weekend. “Hopefully this one goes better than the other two. A bunch of family and friends are supposed to be coming so that will be cool. The distance saves me money on hotel rooms at the Best Value Inn in Mansfield too,” Dernoshek chuckled. “It is still a new track for us though. I've never driven the place before. Dad, (shock specialist) Shaun (Scheerbaum) and I came out for (BFGoodrich tire) practice day (in March) and that’s the only time I've ever seen the track, but I think we’ll be pretty good.” Logan Dernoshek Racing, Inc. is actively seeking sponsors and marketing partners for the best value in motorsports for the 2004 season and beyond. Interested parties can contact the team through USAR or through team marketing rep Tony Stevens at (412) 225-0348 for more information. More information about Logan Dernoshek and the team can be found online at www.logandernoshek.com. Tickets are still available for the Pepsi 250 presented by Joyce Buick & Saturn at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway in Mansfield, Oh., by calling the track ticket office at (800) 424-0688 or by visiting the track website at www.mansfield-speedway.com. For those unable to attend, the event will be broadcast on Speed Channel at 8pm ET on August 5 and at noon on August 6 in conjunction with the "Lunch at Hooters" promotion.