Aaron Fike: Stacker 2 Hundred preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. -- Open wheel ace and two-time National Midget Driver of the Year Aaron Fike is ready to tackle the Monster Mile at the Stacker 200 Presented by YJ Stinger. The Dover International Speedway race will be Aaron's seventh NASCAR Busch Series start in the No. 43 Ollie's Bargain Outlet Curb-Agajanian Dodge. At the last race in Richmond, Virginia, Fike finished 43rd after spinning on another car's fluids and subsequently getting hit.

"We had a tough time at Richmond," said Fike. "I felt terrible because the Ollie's Bargain Outlet team is one of the hardest-working teams in all of racing and we were one of the fastest cars at the Richmond test three weeks before the race. We tried to test again at Dover last week and got rained out, but we know this bad luck won't hold. We've got a great car and we're ready for the Monster Mile."

Crew chief Joe Shear echoes Fike's sentiments, "It was really too bad what happened at Richmond, because what happened wasn't Aaron's fault. He took Richmond hard, but we know that the No. 43 Dodge and our Ollie's Bargain Outlet team can put on a strong show at Dover."

Fike's racing resume reads like a veteran's. Like many of today's top NASCAR Nextel Series drivers, including Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne, Fike started his professional racing career in open wheel cars. He has met with considerable success, winning more than 20 feature races in United States Auto Club (USAC) Midgets, Sprint Cars, and the premier Silver Crown Series. In 2001, Aaron became the youngest driver ever to win in a Silver Crown Series race, breaking a record previously held by NASCAR Nextel Cup star Jeff Gordon. Aaron is also a two-time winner in the Indy Racing League's Infiniti Pro Series.

Aaron has recently entered competition in full-bodied stock cars, having driven in six 2004 NASCAR Busch Series races and two 2003 ARCA events. Fike knows that he's still got a steep learning curve in stock car racing. "Every time I test, practice and race in the Busch Series, I learn something new," he said. "But I'm definitely getting more comfortable with the car, which is a lot heavier than my open wheel racers."

Accomplished racing team owner Mike Curb is pleased to have Aaron in the Ollie's No. 43. "Aaron is a great match for the Ollie's Bargain Outlet team," said Mike. "He's hard working and willing to do what it takes to succeed. We know victory won't happen overnight, but this young man has won in everything he's driven, so I think we made the right choice." Cary Agajanian, No. 43 co-owner, also sees a bright future for Aaron Fike. "Aaron has the potential of being a great stock car driver," he said. "With more wheel time he'll gain the control necessary to go to the front."

Agajanian knows about spotting future stars. Besides co-owning the team, he's the managing director of Motorsports Management International (MMI), a company representing many of NASCAR's most successful drivers and brightest stars, including Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Jamie McMurray.