NORRIS MAINTAINS FAST PACE WITH TELEVISION SERIES AND RACING SERIES

SCOTTS VALLEY, California (Aug. 16, 1999) -- Life is in high gear for Eric Norris. Whether he is busy at work on the set of the television series "Walker, Texas Ranger or competing in his stock car in the NASCAR Winston West Series, the 34-year-old is accustomed to keeping a fast pace.

Norris will focus on the NASQAR Winston West Series again this week, as the circuit returns to Irwindale (Calif) Speedway for the Snap-On 250 for the benefit of City of Hope on Saturday, Aug. 21. It is the second of two visits by the series this year to the beautiful new Southern California facility.

With his television series on a break from filming this month, Norris has been able to spend a little extra time preparing for this event. "About two weeks ago it went on hiatus," Norris said of the TV production. "Since then, we went back to irwindale and tested and we went to Utah to test. So I’m trying to get caught up on a lot of these short tracks - getting the cars set up and getting some practice.

In his second full season in the series, Norris is eighth in the NWWS championship standings. He is 188 points out of first and only 70 back from fifth. Despite his success in the series this season, Norris said he is looking for better results. "I thought we’d be doing a little bit better than where we are this year," he said. "I really expected to win a race this year, but it’s not over.

"We’ve been hit with some bad luck," Norris continued. "But I’m happy with some of the stuff we’ve done. We’re getting there. We kind of started all over again with our crew, but we’re starting to gel."

The increasing level of competition in the series has made it tougher to run up front, said Norris, who has had his JaniKing-sponsored Ford out front in several races this year. ‘This series is so competitive. There are a lot of guys out there that can win everyweek. There are a lot of good people that haven’t won yet. it just shows you what a great series Winston West is and how strong it’s becoming,"

Norris would like to use his experience in the series to prepare him for competing in one of NASCAR’S top three circuits, he said. "I don’t know how many more years of ‘Walker’ that we have,’ Norris pointed out. Following the TV series he would like to pursue his racing career full-time, ha said.

"But what works well with me right now with Winston West is that until we make that move I’m able to do both," Norris continued. "With a 14-race schedule I’m able to do ‘Walker’ and make all the races. And when I’m directing, it takes two weeks to do a show. So for all the shows I’ve directed, the scheduling has worked out perfect, where we’ve had a break."

Norris, a graduate of Arizona State University who worked as a stuntman in feature films and television between college semesters, will go back to juggling two careers later this month when he returns to the set of the CBS hit series " which stars his father, legendary martial arts star and actor Chuck Norris.

His enjoyment of his film work and his racing is what Norris says allows him to successfully pursue both endeavors. "I think the main thing is that I love to do both of them," he said. "The job I have on ‘Walker as a stunt coordinator, I really enjoy doing. And it’s something I look forward to. Because I really enjoy that part of it, it’s fun for me. So, it’s easy to stay focused on it. Racing is the same way for me. I love to race. I get consumed in both of them."

Norris said the hours put in on the set of the television series are similar to the hours put in at a race track. "Most days we start at seven o’clock in the morning and finish up at seven o’clock at night," he said. "What’s tough about ‘Walker’ is that as the stunt coordinator on the show, when you’re shooting one show, you’re prepping for the next one. As soon as one show ends, we start the next show the very next day. So if I’m not on the set for the 12 hours, I’ve got to run off and look at locations for the next show. Between the two of them it takes a lot of time."

It results in a fast-paced life, Norris admitted. "It keeps me real busy," he said. "Its make for a lot of getting on and off of airplanes. But so far it’s all worked out."

Being involved with a racing series on the track, and a television series off the track, does indeed keep life in high gear for Eric Norris.