Kevin Lepage
2006 Rides: No. 61 Peak Performance Motorsports Ford, No. 49 BAM Racing Dodge, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet
2006 Owners: Jeff Stec (No. 61), Beth Ann Morgenthau (No. 49), Bob Jenkins (No. 34)
2006 Crew Chiefs: Greg Conner (No. 61), Dean Johnson (No. 49), David Hyder (No. 49), Teddy Brown (No. 34)
2006 Stats: 22 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 0 top 10s, 40th in points
High Point: All three of the teams Lepage drove for are struggling, a pleasant way of saying they were backmarkers at best. So, the high point for Lepage was a best finish of 21st in the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway while driving the No. 49 Dodge of BAM Racing. BAM did well at this track with former driver Ken Schrader, and while the performance was not quite at the same level, it was a step above their usual results outside the top 30.
Low Point: Missing races. All the teams Lepage drove for were outside the Top 35 in owner points, meaning he had to hustle it into the field on time every week this season. Given that these teams were already running in the back to begin with, that didn’t make things an easy road to navigate. In the end, Lepage missed about a third of the races he attempted, results that were more to blame on equipment than driver talent – but disappointing nonetheless.
Summary: Without a top-notch ride in NASCAR’s top series, Lepage came through as a veteran to help some teams that could use some guidance, but it probably doesn’t do much to further his own career to run as a backmarker. The cars these teams provided were probably not capable of finishes any better than those Lepage brought home most weeks.
2007 Outlook: Front Row Motorsports still lists Lepage as the driver of the No. 34 car, so it would appear he will continue with the team for next season. In two starts with FRM’s No. 34 in 2006, Lepage finished last both times.
2006 Frontstretch Grade: D
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