1990 - Fraise Wins Busch All-Star Opener

Steve Fraise is joined by his crew after winning the NASCAR Busch All-Star Tour season-opening event at Moberly Motorsports Complex. – Dennis Krieger Imagery

Moberly, Mo. (April 20, 1990) – Steve Fraise nipped Steve Kosiski by less than a foot to claim Friday’s NASCAR Busch All-Star Tour season opener at Moberly Motorsports Complex. The win was the Montrose, Iowa driver’s first-ever triumph on the prestigious dirt late model tour and was worth $3,000.

“We’re just tickled to death to finally get a Busch Tour win,” Fraise said following the 50-lap battle on the high-banked speedway. “Steve drove a great race and I knew he was gaining on me, but we had just enough to hold him off.”

Fraise led 45 of 50 circuits, taking the top spot from Johnny Johnson. After a spirited battle with Gary Webb, Kosiski, Johnson and pole winner Ray Guss Jr. for several laps, Fraise began to stretch his advantage. By the halfway point, Fraise enjoyed a straight-away lead, leaving Kosiski and Webb to do battle for second.

But Kosiski broke away from the pack by lap 30 and began a furious charge that saw the 1987 series champion pull to Fraise’s rear bumper on lap 40. On lap 41, Webb made contact with the second turn wall to bring out the event’s final caution and set up a nine-lap dash to the checkers.

With the crowd on its feet, Fraise and Kosiski raced side-by-side for several laps while weaving through traffic. Kosiski tried the low groove around Fraise frequently, but the eventual winner closed the door with power on the straightaways.

As the white flag waved, Kosiski tried in vain to pass Fraise both high and low through turns one and two. As the duo raced through the final two turns, Kosiski went to the low side and the twosome sped under the checkered flag in a virtual dead heat with Fraise beating Kosiski by a fender.

Following Fraise and Kosiski to the checkers were Guss, Bob Hill and Joe Kosiski, nearly half a lap behind the two frontrunners.


Results –


1. Steve Fraise
2. Steve Kosiski
3. Ray Guss Jr.
4. Bob Hill
5. Joe Kosiski
6. Johnny Saathoff
7. Gary Webb
8. Sonny Findling
9. Ed Kosiski
10.Jeff Hinkemeyer
11.Jim Swank
12.Dick Crane
13.Junior Shickel
14.Kyle Berg
15.Bubba Harvey
16.Lem Blankenship
17.Terry Huziel
18.Donnie Cooper
19.Roger Dolan
20.Tom Guithues
21.John Hampel
22.Johnny Johnson
23.Randy McGraw
24.Rollie Frink
25.Chuck Rankin
26.Rick Wendling