From 1994 through 2002, Mike McLaughlin’s name has been in every NASCAR Busch Series lineup. That’s nine consecutive seasons without a miss spanning 269 races, a career for most drivers but just another day on the job for the diminutive but very popular McLaughlin. On Friday night, July 4, when America celebrates another Independence Day holiday, McLaughlin will establish a milestone for Busch Series drivers by making his 300th career start at Daytona International Speedway in a Frank Cicci Racing with Jim Kelly Chevrolet sponsored by LesCare Kitchens. It will mark McLaughlin’s fourth start in 2003 for the revived Frank Cicci-led operation, one that has been responsible for providing cars for McLaughlin in 175 of those 300 races. Cicci, who was a NASCAR car owner for 17 straight years from 1984 through 2001, was hungry to get back into the sport after sitting out all of 2002. He has joined forces with former NFL star Jim Kelly, now a Hall of Famer, and LesCare Kitchens to form a partnership that will see the team run a limited schedule in 2003. They needed a driver to help ignite a start-up organization, and as fate would have it, McLauglin was available. Only five drivers in Busch Series history have reached the 300-race pinnacle, the last one being Randy LaJoie who attained that mark at Nazareth Speedway last month. For the diminutive but tremendously popular McLaughlin, however, who has started at least two Busch Series races now in 16 consecutive seasons, it’s just another race. “To me it just means that I’ve been around a long time I guess,” he simply said. When asked to pinpoint a specific highlight to his long and now historical career, McLaughlin said the wins, especially the one in his native New York at Watkins Glen, his win in Charlotte and the time when he held off “all of those Winston Cup boys” in winning at Talladega. In his first three races in a Frank Cicci Racing with Jim Kelly machine, McLaughlin had a season-best 13th place finish, and on the lead lap, at Richmond. He crashed out early in the team’s debut in Talladega and was well back in the finishing order at Charlotte, but McLaughlin is still a bit amazed at what his long-time owner/boss has accomplished. McLaughlin and his LesCare Kitchens team did test its re-built super speedway car in Daytona last week, something they were unable to do prior to the Talladega event. Despite limited track time due to rain, everyone was pleased with the results. McLaughlin hopes that it will be a sign to a memorable 300th career start.(Frank Cicci Racing with Jim Kelly PR)(6-27-2003)
