Two time NASCAR Busch East Series Champion Mike Olsen will lead the contingent of NASCAR drivers and teams into Rangeley, Maine on February 3rd for the 8th Annual Busch East Scene Snowmobile Poker Run for Charity.
Olsen, driver of the #61 Little Tree's Chevrolet, won his second NASCAR Busch East Series Championship in 2006. Olsen won two races in 2006, and finished with 11 top tens and two Busch Pole Awards. He and members of his Little Trees race team will participate in the all day event.
Sean Caisse, the runner up for the 2006 BES Championship, will also be at the event. Caisse, who drives the #44 Casella Chevrolet for Andy Santerre Motorsports, won three races in 2006 and won five Busch Pole Awards. He also won the 2005 Busch East Series Rookie of the Year Award.
Among the other NASCAR Busch East Series drivers that will be at the event will be Mike Johnson, driver of the #96 Johnson Lumber Ford. Johnson finished seventh in the point standings in 2006. Mike has seven career wins in the BES, and also won the Grand National All Star Showdown in 2004. He was the BES Rookie of the Year in 2000.
During the course of the evening, the Annual Busch East Scene award winners will be announced, Driver of the Year, Fans Favorite and Most Improved. Andy Santerre has dominated the awards for the past few seasons, but since Andy did not race in 2006, there will be new winners in each category this winter.
The ride is open to everyone: teams, fans and all, so make your plans to ride with the NASCAR stars of the Busch East Series today!
The day will start out with an optional 11 AM drivers meeting at the Rangeley Inn. Ride credentials can be purchased for $20 at the Rangeley Inn all day and you can ride with the 11 AM group or ride with your own group at any time during the day. The $20 ride credential also gets you admission into the full night of entertainment at the Rangeley Inn that evening. There will be dinner specials and drink specials exclusively for those with a ride credential. The proceeds from the ride will all go to several great charities including the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Maine Special Olympics, Travis Roy Foundation and the Busch East Series Women's Auxiliary and their various charities.
The ride by snowmachine can be as quick as under two hours or as long as you like if you take longer trail routes. One of the stops along the way is a great lunch stop, the Gingerbread House. Everyone with a ride pass will be treated to a free lunch at the Gingerbread House! Participants will meet back at Rangeley Inn and at 5:30 PM the cards will be dealt to see who has the best hand, which is announced at 7 PM.
The event is held rain or shine, snow or not. Many of the participants in the ride don't even ride snowmachines. Each check point is accessible by car as well as snowmachine, making it possible for those that do not ride to participate equally. Much of the fun takes place inside the Inn during the evening festivities, which are capped of by a comedy show featuring three nationally known comedians, including Larry Myles and Rob Steen.
For room reservations at the Rangeley Inn call 1-800-MOMENTS. For more details, please email at scene@neracing.com or call Busch East Scene at 1-207-224-2060. There will also be news on the www.neracing.com bsite.
