DOUG MCCOUN HOPES TO REACH THE PEAK AT ROCKY MOUNTAIN

Two weeks ago a first lap crash on the banked oval of Mesa Marin Raceway ended Doug McCoun's evening of racing early, but for the team the work had just begun. With less than a week until the next NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series race at Colorado National Speedway the team had a mortally damaged primary car with very little time to get another car race-ready.

The team obviously worked harder than even McCoun had expected, giving him a car capable of running with the leaders. McCoun finished 2nd at Colorado last Saturday night.

Now with Utah just a few days away, some of the team has remained in Colorado. RE/MAX Racing has opened their garage for the M.E.M Motorsports Team. The team is working hard setting up the car for Rocky Mountain Raceway, where it will soon be time for another round of Saturday night racing. Will the car be strong enough for McCoun to get first? Some say the odds may be good.

Team: M.E.M. Motorsports
Car #: 34
Driver: Doug McCoun
Owner: M.E.M. Motorsports

RacingWest: Could you detail how you are making the hours work on this June schedule?
Doug McCoun: I think this 5-week period (May 29-June26) is the toughest five weeks in terms of scheduling that we've faced since I've been involved in the Southwest Series. I'm very fortunate in that my family understands and I am in a position at work where I can be fairly flexible with my schedule. We also have some very committed people on our team. Our bad situation was made worse when our primary car got destroyed in Bakersfield and we had to leave for Colorado four days later because we were committed to doing a car show there before the race. Our guys literally worked around the clock to get another car ready in time, and I think our second place finish there gave everyone the boost that we needed to make it to Utah. We also owe a big thanks to the Re/Max team for allowing us to use their shop between the Colorado and Utah races, saving us a lot of travel time and expense.

RW: Will you be able to make every race this month?
DM: That's the plan.

RW: Has the schedule had any impact on your points?
DM: The only thing that's had an impact on our points so far is that the driver of the 97 car lost control on the first lap at Mesa Marin and destroyed our car.

RW: What is your regular job during the week?
DM: I'm a Captain with our local fire department. On my off days, I also help run the family business - a service station and towing company.

RW: Has your team been able to travel with you to all the races?
DM: Yes, we'll have a full team at all the races. Our crew chief, Ray Brown, and one other team member stayed with the car in Colorado after that race and will work on it there before towing it to Utah. Everyone else is flying back and forth.

RW: What are your hopes/expectations for Rocky Mountain Raceway?
DM: To win! We're coming off a strong finish in Colorado and I think we have the momentum to do well in Utah. I'm also really looking forward to the challenge of a new racetrack - it's always exciting to go to a new track and figure out what works best there.

RW: Will you be doing any special appearances, have any new sponsors or do you have any comments for the fans?
DM: Our car will be on display at one of the Pontiac dealers on the Friday before the race. The Wynn's (our sponsors) distributors in the Salt Lake City area are very supportive of our racing program, so we look forward to putting on a good show for them.