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Love Cashes in on Craftsman Night at Lanier

Braselton, GA (June 2, 2001) - The crafty veteran Mike Love carved out another win in his storybook career as Craftsman presented the evening of racing Saturday at Lanier National Speedway. Love passed Debris Brown on lap 7 and held off a hard-charging Tony Bennett in the closing laps to become the first repeat winner in the Budweiser Pro Late Model division in 2001 at Lanier.

In an event slowed by six cautions which kept the field tightly bunched during the 50 lap affair, Love used his knowledge of the 3/8th mile track to hold off last year's late model champion Bennett.

Love said in his postrace interview, "I'd like to thank Tony (Bennett) for running me clean. All he would have had to do was nudge me and I would have been gone, but I appreciate that. If I ever get the chance, I'll return the favor."

Brown made good use of his outside front-row starting position by running in the top-five all evening. He ran his traditional "high line" and brought the fans to their feet for several green flag laps of door to door racing with Bennett early in the event. Brown eventually finished fouth trailing Jamie Stephens, Jr at the conclusion.