Ruben Pardo completed a brilliant rookie season in the NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch East Series by holding off defending race winner Matt Kobyluck to win Saturdays Mohegan Sun 200 at Lime Rock Parks 1.53 mile road course. Mike Olsens third place finish made him the series champion for the second time, five years after his first title. Pardo qualified second and trailed Busch Pole winner Kobyluck until the latter pitted after 16 laps. Pardo surrendered the top spot to Olsen after 32 circuits, with Kobyluck cycling back to the front five laps later. The last half of the 82-lap, 200-kilometer race was primarily a three way battle among Kobyluck, Pardo, and Brian Hoar, who finished fourth. Their duel was punctuated when Pardo and Kobyluck tangled in turn one on lap 56. Pardo emerged second and passed Hoar for the lead ten laps later. Sean Caisse, Olsens main rival for the title all summer, finished fifth and did not lead a lap for the first time all season. Pardo won $10,496 while clinching the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award for 2006 and winning the Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award for exceeding his performance at Dover International Speedway last week by 23 places. The Mexico City native also became the first international driver to win a race in the Busch East Series – and the first Mexican driver to win a NASCAR touring series race.(NASCAR PR)(10-1-2006)
