© Jason O. Watson | 9 Mar 2012
Frank Stoddard and FAS Lane Racing are proud to announce that two-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Champion Mike Olsen will pilot the team’s No. 32 Ford entry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 23rd. The running of the Sylvania 300 will be a reunion of lifelong friends, Frank Stoddard and Olsen, who grew up together about 75 miles from the New Hampshire track in North Haverhill, NH.
“Mike and I have been best friends since we were 3 or 4 years old,” stated FAS Lane Racing team owner Frank Stoddard. “While growing up in North Haverhill my goal in our high school yearbook was to be a Winston Cup crew chief and Mike’s was to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps – his grandfather was legendary racer Stub Fadden who won numerous track championships and over 200 race wins. For us to both have fulfilled those dreams and now be able to work together at the highest level of racing is pretty special. I know our mentor, Stub, will be watching down quite proudly of the two kids that he dragged around New England and Canada – now together again on the biggest stage in racing.”
Stoddard and Olsen spent years working, traveling and racing side by side. They first worked together for Fadden, until Olsen split and started competing at the same level as his legendary grandfather. Stoddard and Olsen were still together, however, driving tandem up and down the East Coast and turning wrenches side by side for their own respective teams.
Although the two have chosen different career paths, the two friends’ path will intersect again when they team up in New Hampshire later this month. The Stoddard/Olsen combination will be the first New Hampshire born driver and car owner/crew chief to ever compete together at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
While Stoddard has gone on to be a successful crew chief at the highest level of NASCAR with 14 Sprint Cup Series wins to his credit (including four of those at NHMS), Olsen has fulfilled his dream as well in becoming the 2001 and 2006 Champion in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Series. He has over 50 starts at the one-mile oval of in Loudon, including winning the 2006 K&N race at his home state track.
“Obviously, I am very honored and excited that Frank has given me this opportunity,” added Olsen. “Racing has always been my passion and to race at the Sprint Cup level is a dream come true. What makes this even more special is to share the experience with my lifelong friend. Frank and I have such a long history of racing together, starting with the early days touring on the old NASCAR North Tour where budgets were so tight we drove all night to get home after the races. I am proud of Frank’s career and accomplishments and to race with him as my car owner /crew chief in a Sprint Cup race is an honor and brings our racing story together full circle.”
Fas Lane Racing has been competing in the Sprint Cup Series for two full seasons, fielding Fords for several different drivers including Ken Schrader and TJ Bell.
Chris Creighton is a member of the NASCAR media and a writer for www.RantSports.com. You can also follow his on Twitter @FlagofCaution and Facebook as also follow his on Twitter @FlagofCaution and Facebook as Yellowcautionflag.
