MCCOUN A THREAT AT COLORADO

Doug McCoun has certainly been one of the unsung heroes in the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour Series. McCoun quietly goes about doing what he does best, driving his racecar. Still there are some little known facts about McCoun. For starters he is 7th in money leaders in the series. We can not overlook the fact that he has had eight wins in the series. And, how many remember he was not only the 1985-86 NASCAR Winston Racing Series Pacific Coast Region champion, but also the 1985 NASCAR Winston Racing Series national champion?

He is not a rookie he is not the points leader, but he is a silent threat at any track he fires his engine on. Currently 8th in the standings he has a comfortable lead over the 9th place position held by rookie, Scott Lynch, but the 7th place position of Darrell LaMoure could well be in jeopardy. There are only 21 points separating these two competitors. They may be friends off the track, but what is it they say about your friends during a race? Can LaMoure maintain his lead over McCoun? No one will want to miss this weekend's NAPA 125 at Colorado National Speedway. The silent hero may just be your winner.

Team: m.e.m. motorsports - #34
Driver: Doug McCoun

RacingWest: Is the set up for CNS the same as Utah?
Doug McCoun: No, actually the set-up in Colorado is more similar to the set-up we used at Altamont in the past.

RW: Does the thinner air give less down-force on the spoiler?
DM: In our experience, the thinner air really doesn't seem to have much effect on the aerodynamics on this track.

RW: I understand the late model division is good up there. Is this the best bunch of locals you see all year?
DM: We go to a lot of places where there are good local drivers, but I'd have to say that Colorado has the most locals who are really dialed into the track. It's never unusual to see several local drivers in the top ten when we go to Colorado.

RW: Does the altitude change the way you set the engine and aero packages?
DM: It basically just changes the jetting in the carburetor.

RW: Thin air equates to less horsepower how do you as a driver compensate for it?
DM: Actually, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. Less horsepower can actually make the car physically easier to drive, so as long as the thin air is affecting everyone's horsepower the same way, it's really not a problem at all.

RW: Do you do any extra exercise to get ready for this race?
DM: I wish I had time to, but I don't! I do always try to get in to Colorado a day early, though, because it takes about a day to get climatized to the altitude.

RW: How would you rate the track at Colorado?
DM: Since they repaved it, I think it's one of the better tracks we race on. We won there last year and had our best finish so far this year (2nd place) there in June, so I'd have to say I like it a lot!

RW: What is the trickiest part of the track?
DM: Going in to turn 3 - there's a bump

RW: What is your crew-chiefs name and what was his best call this year?
DM: Ray Brown is our crew chief. He made an excellent call at the last Irwindale race when I discovered I a problem with the steering on the parade lap just before our race started. I had to come in to the pits, and Ray decided to cut the power steering belt and get me back out on the track just in time to take the green flag. He had to make that decision very quickly, and it turned out to be a good one.

RW: The Southwest Series is one of the best things going. Do you see any way it could be made even better?
DM: I think televising more of our events would definitely help. It's a lot easier to sell sponsorships if you can promise t.v. time, and I think it would lead to an even more competitive field than we have now. There's also some tracks I'd like to see us go to - Pike's Peak and the California Speedway.

RW: What is your thought on wheel-tethers?
DM: I really don't think they're necessary in our type of racing. In all my years of racing, I have never seen a spindle break off one of our cars like they can in the open wheel cars. Safety should always be a priority, but in this case, I just don't see the need for it.

RW: Where can the fans catch you for an autograph?
DM: Just in the pits after the race. We don't have any special appearances scheduled for this trip.