Allison Duncan, part of Richard Childress Racing’s (RCR) driver development program and the first Drive for Diversity participant to win a race, looked toward the future when she tested a NASCAR Busch Series car for the first time yesterday [Tues] at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro. The Northern California native has two victories this season in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series Western Late Model Division at Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway driving for the Bill McAnally Racing (BMR)/RCR team. She became the first Drive for Diversity participant to win a race when she took the #20 Miller Lite Chevrolet Monte Carlo to the winner’s circle June 11. She earned her second win July 9 and is second in the point standings with one race remaining (a double-points race Sept. 17). “I think she was really smooth,” said Bobby Leslie, who won numerous Busch races as a crew chief for Mark Martin and who oversaw Duncan’s test. “The telemetry showed she was very consistent on the 40-lap run we made at the end of the day, getting on and off the gas about the same every lap. She has a better knowledge of these cars now. Just like everybody, she spent the first half of the day learning about the race car and then the second half of the day doing something with it.” Leslie is conducting a similar test today [Wed] at Caraway Speedway with Sarah Fisher, another RCR developmental driver who races fulltime in the NASCAR West Series for BMR/RCR.(RCR)(9-15-2005)
