BAKERSFIELD, CA -- The fan friendly Mesa Marin Raceway is known to be fast and exciting. With action all four corners of the 1/2-mile track. And a driver can get caught up in an accident's in a heartbeat or avoid one just as easily.

Some wonder why the track spares some cars while it chews up others. Prunedale's Doug McCoun has the answer, a good spotter. Explaining that the right spotter can see the wrecks before they happen and keep the driver on their toes.

McCoun, 1985 NASCAR Winston Racing Series national champion and 1985-1996 NASCAR Winston Racing Series Pacific Coast Region champion, acknowledges that it also takes respect among the rest of the Southwest Series contingent. Racing is a give and take sport.

RacingWest: How do you feel about running as a support division for the Trucks and WW?
Doug McCoun: I think it's good for us and our sponsors because it attracts fans that might not ordinarily come to a Southwest Series race on its own.

RW: Do you feel your driving skills may be noticed and land you an opportunity?
DM: There's always that possibility, but our main goal is to just do well in our race and not worry about that.

RW: Being the race is on Friday, does this create a problem with your employer?
DM: I'm a firefighter and also co-owner of a service station and towing business, neither or which are Monday through Friday, 8 to 5 jobs. So for me, Friday is really no more difficult than Saturday or Sunday. However, Friday night is difficult for some of my crew, and it's also hard for my family and other fans that would probably drive down to Bakersfield to watch us race on a Saturday, but can't on a Friday.

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?
DM: Sometimes it's difficult to get around lapped traffic, but for the most part, I think people are courteous enough to give racing room to the leaders. However, if there are cars that are slow because they're not handling well, you need to be careful not to get caught up in their wreck. The most important thing is to have a good spotter and some good luck!

RW: Will you be entering any other races at Mesa Marin during the weekend?
DM: No

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?
DM: We tested at Irwindale a couple of weeks ago and I was impressed with the facility, but things can be a lot different under race conditions. Mesa's always been one of my favorite tracks, and until we've actually raced at Irwindale, I'd have to say that's still true.

RW: What's your favorite memory of Mesa Marin?
DM: That's easy - I got my very first Southwest Series win there! It was in August of 1994, and we really hadn't been doing all that well until that point, so it meant a lot to me to get that first win.

RW: Who do you see as this year's toughest competition in the Series and why?
DM: One of the best things about this series is the level of competition. I think if you look at the points right now, anyone in the top 6 or so right now will probably be tough competition all year. There are a lot of good drivers in this series and I really couldn't single any one out.

RW: Which Winston Cup driver do you hold the most respect for and why?
DM: Knowing how hard the job is and how difficult it is to get to that top level, I have a tremendous amount of respect for all of them!

Source: RacingWest
Posted: 4/8/99