BUENA PARK, CA -- Eric Norris knows second chances don't come often in racing, so he is anxious to use what he's learned in the past six-weeks to help put his No. 32 Jani-King Ford Thunderbird up front in Sunday's rescheduled Forum Marketing 200 at Mesa Marin Speedway in Bakersfield, Calif.

Since the April 11 Bakersfield rainout, Norris and his Norris Racing Team have run a test session at Mesa Marin, led some laps of the last two races resulting in high finishes and has climbed up to eighth place in the current NASCAR Winston West Series point standings. Norris and his emerging team are looking forward to another crack at Mesa Marin in Sunday's nationally-televised 200-lap race on the famous half-mile paved oval track. Round 6 of the 14-race 1999 NASCAR Winston West Series will air on a delayed basis on the Speedvision Network, with the first telecast scheduled for July 17 at 9 p.m. EDT.

"You could say that the rainout was a blessing in disguise," said Norris, a Southern California native who currently lives in Dallas. "It looks like the rainout kind of washed away the frustrations we had in the first three races of the season. We've had the Jani-King/Prolong car up front every race this year, but it's been the last two where we have started to feel comfortable with everything and the results show it. We finished eighth last fall in Bakersfield and know we have the car and the team to finish a lot better Sunday."

Five races into the 1999 NASCAR Winston West Series, Norris is in eighth position in the overall point standings. Since the April 11 rainout in Bakersfield, Norris finished 12th in Fontana (May 1) and backed up that solid showing with an even more impressive career-high fourth place finish in Colorado Springs (May 16). Norris had his No. 32 Jani-King Ford at the front of the pack for several laps in both of those challenging races.

"We are getting stronger every race," said the confident Norris, who recently resumed his 'day job' as a director and stunt coordinator for the hit CBS TV show Walker, Texas Ranger (which stars his father Chuck Norris). Norris, 34, is in his second full season on the NASCAR Winston West tour.

Jani-King International, Inc., the world's largest and fastest-growing commercial cleaning franchisor, became the team's primary sponsor early this season. Prolong Super Lubricants continues as the team's major associate sponsor. Other current associate sponsors are: Pacific Coast Building Products, Ultra Wheels, The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), and Otto Comunications. For this weekend's Bakersfield event, host hotel for Norris Racing is the Four Points Sheraton Hotel Bakersfield (ph: 805-325-9700).

In other Norris Racing news, the team has announced it will race in the Pronto Auto Parts 400 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on June 11. Complete details will be forthcoming.

After Bakersfield, the next NASCAR Winston West Series race will be June 19 at the new Irwindale Speedway in Southern California.

Source: Eric Norris
Posted: 5/27/99