Jennerstown, Pa.-(June 21, 1999)- NASCAR Fans packed Jennerstown Speedway Saturday to cheer on over 40 Busch Grand National North teams from throughout the Northeast. But the loudest roars were saved for local racer Richard Mitchell of Bruceton Mills, W.Va., making his BGNN debut in the "Burnham 150."
    Mitchell stunned BGNN regulars with a qualifying lap of 94.260 mph, guaranteeing the rookie's Chevrolet a top-10 start. The West Virginia native raced like a seasoned BGNN veteran, remaining in the top-15 throughout the feature. Mitchell's debut was pure success, as he crossed the finish line eighth, quite an accomplishment for any BGNN driver, especially a rookie.
    "An eighth-place finish is phenomenal," Speedway General Manager Bob Duvall said. "The Busch North Series is one of the most prestigious touring divisions, and Mitchell proved he has the talent to compete with some of NASCAR's best.
   "I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see Mitchell quickly climb the NASCAR ranks. He definitely has what it takes to be the sport's next rising star," Duvall added.
    Area businesses jumped at the chance to sponsor Mitchell's BGNN debut, including Howard Concrete Pumping, Tom Clark Chevrolet, Triad Engineering, Mac Hill Enterprises and Mitchell Auto Parts.
    Mitchell currently sits third in points in Jennerstown's NASCAR Winston Racing Series featured Late Model division. He drove his Timber Wolf Chevrolet to victory in the season opener and has top-ten finishes in each of his starts for 1999.