SEDGWICK RETURNS TO VICTORY LANE IN NASCAR WINSTON WEST

SCOTTS VALLEY, California (Aug. 14, 1999) -- Victory lane is familiar territory for Bill Sedgwick. When he competed in the NASCAR Winston West Series on a regular basis he visited it quite often - 16 times to be exact between 1989 and 1995.

When the two-time series champion returned to the circuit full-time this year, everyone anticipated his return to victory lane. Sedgwick made it back to that familiar spot, winning the Grainger Industrial Supply 200 Presented by TCI Digital Cable at Portland (Ore.) Speedway on Aug. 14.

"This is a lot of fun, but it’s not as easy as it use to be," Sedgwick said after the race. "We’ve led the last three or four races. In the past when I got the lead, you could give me the money and the trophy. It’s not that way anymore.

"My hat’s off to NASCAR and Winston for making this series so awesome," the 44year-old Acton, Calif., competitor said. "it’s come a long way and I just can’t believe how competitive it is now. It’s not easy."

That was an understatement for this race, considering Sedgwick had to overcome a two-lap deficit to notch his latest victory. He got behind when he went to the pits to repair damage from an early tangle. "They put two tires on, pulled out the fenders and we went on," Sedgwick explained.

Taking advantage of a series of cautions and some pit strategy, Sedywiok was able to get back onto the lead lap lust past the midway point of the race. He chased down Sean Woodside, who had led from the drop of the green flag, and slipped by on the inside on lap 149. Sedgwick held a 3.8-second margin at the finish, to win $10,242.

Portland driver Dan Obrist crossed the line second in the Dan Obrist Recycling Chevrolet. Mike Chase of Redding, Calit, took third in the People Against Drugs Chevrolet Steve Portenga of Sparks, Nev, was fourth in the Golden Gate/Rote Rooter Plumbing Chevrolet, followed by Kevin Richards of Spokane, Wash., in the Monaco Enterprises Chevrolet. Woodside, who won the Bud Pole Award in time trials with a lap of 87.818 mph in the Napa/Martin Senour Chevrolet, was sixth - the final car on the lead lap. Rounding out the top 10 were Austin Cameron, Wayne Jacks, Davy Lee Liniger and Joe Bean - all one lap down.

Sedgwick became the eighth different driver in nine races this season to reach victory lane in the NASCAR Winston West Series. The win moved him from 10th to seventh in the NWWS championship standings.

Woodaide’s sixth-place finish was enough to move him into the lead in the standings with 1,339 points. Chase is second with 1,303. Brandon Ash of Umpqua, Ore., led the standings coming into the event - but a 22nd-place finish dropped him to the third spot with 1,293 points. Portenga is fourth with 1,269, followed by Cameron at 1,221. Rounding out the top 10 are Bean 1,189, Sedywick 1,176, Eric Norris 1,161, Jason Small 1,137 and Butch Gilliland 1,122.

Small extended his lead in the chase for the Sears Point Raceway Rookie-of-the-Year Rookie Award. Small leads with 71. Others near the top of the standings include Sammy Potashnick 62, John Metcalf 58, Jerry Cain 49, and Brendan Gaughan 48.

The next event on the NASCAR Winston West Series schedule is the Snap-On 250 for the benefit of City of Hope at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway on Aug. 21.