BAKERSFIELD, CA -- Ron Esau has a winning attitude. As the next stop for the Winston West Series is Mesa Marin he should have a winning set-up as well. Esau will be helping the young Brendan Gaughan as he competes in both the NASCAR Craftsman Truck and the NASCAR Winston West Series.

Gaughan has already shown his driving talents on the shirt track winning the Inaugural Stock Car event at the newly opened Irwindale Speedway. Esau would love nothing more than to share his experience in guiding Gaughan to his first career Winston West or Craftsman Truck victory.

RacingWest: How do you feel about running as a support division for the Trucks?
Ron Esau: Brendon Gaughan and the Orleans Sponsored Chevy are planning to run both Craftsman Truck and Winston West.

RW: Do you feel your driving skills may be noticed and land you an opportunity?
RE: I will have my Helmet in hand, if some team need an experienced Driver. Once in Washington, Ken Schrader cut his thumb in a pre practice accident and I qualified 10th and finished 9th in my first Craftsman Truck Race.

RW: If you are fast, you come up on the lap traffic pretty quick on a short track. How tough is it to work the lap traffic and what are your secrets?
RE: 27 Years of doing it and I going to help Brendan G. Learn

RW: Will you be entering any other races at Mesa Marin during the weekend?
RE: Working with Evans Racing in Trucks and Winston West.

RW: Which track holds the highest prestige for you Mesa Marin with its history and million-dollar improvements or the new Irwindale Speedway and why?
RE: Have not been to the new Irwindale and I hope they both tracks can run races and not conflict with each other.

RW: What's your favorite memory of Mesa Marin?
RE: Winning in Daniel Smith's Big Block Chevy (when most people said Big Blocks are too heavy)

RW: Who do you see as this year’s toughest competition in the Series and why?
RE: Each track is different but when the Ultra Wheel's ford is running they will be the car to beat. Austin Cameron is a young aggressive driver that is going to turn a few more heads this year.

RW: Which Winston Cup driver do you hold the most respect for and why?
RE: Bobby Allison because he helped me the most when I was back east and in Australia Race Winston Cup. I past my ideal down under and raced side by side with him for several laps. Two years later I finished 3rd behind Terry Labonte, and Ken Schrader at the Thunderdome Down Under. The experience I got learned form Bobby Allison helped me the most.

Source: RacingWest
Posted: 4/s/99