SCOTTS VALLEY, CA -- More than 50 entries have been received The Orleans 150 NASCAR Winston West Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday, March 5. The 51 entries will be attempting to qualify for a spot in the 36-car starting field for $166,687 event.

The entries, which would surpass the series record 49 teams that turned out in Las Vegas for last season's fall NWWS event, represent 14 states and British Columbia, Canada.

Included are competitors from the three major divisions in NASCAR. Jerry Nadeau and Ricky Craven, both regulars in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, are among the entries. Bobby Hamilton Jr. -- who competes in the NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division -- is also scheduled to compete. Ron Hornaday, a two-time champion in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, is entered in the event, as well.

The bulk of the entries represent California, with 18 drivers hailing from the Golden State. Seven are from Nevada, while Colorado and Texas are each represented by five. Other states on the entry list are Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Oregon, North Carolina, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Washington.

Among the NWWS regulars competing in the event are three former champions in the series v Bill Sedgwick of Acton, Calif., who won the title in 1991 and 1992; Mike Chase of Redding Calif., who won the crown in 1994; and Butch Gilliland of Chino Hills, Calif., who won it in 1997. Other contenders include Canadian Gary Smith, who won the event in 1997, and Sean Woodside of Saugus, Calif., who won the series season opener last month in Tucson.

Other entries include Jerry Glanville of Roswell, Ga.; Jeff Ward of San Juan Capistrano, Calif.; and Bobby Dotter of Charlotte, N.C. Series regulars entered in the event include Scott Gaylord of Lakewood, Colo.; Ron Burns of Phoenix, Ariz.; Tony Toste of Pismo Beach, Calif.; Joe Bean of San Diego, Calif.; Eric Norris of Dallas, Texas; Brandon Ash of Umpqua, Ore.; Kevin Culver of Portland, Ore.; and Kevin Richards of Spokane, Wash.

Local drivers entered in the event include series veteran Wayne Jacks and Brendan Gaughan, both of Las Vegas, and Bobby Pangonis, of nearby Henderson. Gaughan and Pangonis are part of this season's record field of freshman drivers contending for the Sears Point Raceway Rookie-of-the-Year Award.

The Orleans 150 is part of a big NASCAR weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In addition to the NWWS event on Friday, NASCAR Busch Series drivers will compete in the SamĘs Town 300 on Saturday, March 6, and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Las Vegas 400 will be on Sunday, March 7.

Source: NASCAR Public Relations
Posted: 3/3/99