SHEPHERD AND SNAKE EYES ON WAY TO DACONO

Talent, personality and style. The No. 9 SaveMart/Huggies/Kleenex Team seems to have it all. With a dedicated crew that have stayed behind their driver, Kenny Shepherd, this team has slowly worked it's way up to the number 3 position in the standings and is only 29 points outside of 2nd place. The team under the guidance of veteran crew chief, Al Gonella has had the stamina to give their all to the fans, the sponsors and their racing effort.

This weekend Shepherd and his team are heading up to Colorado National Speedway in Dacono (Colo.) This is a track that Shepherd enjoys. And he confirms the opinions of other drivers that the fan support at this track is some of the best. Come on out and say hi to Shepherd and his team if you are in the Dacono area. And don't forget to say hi to Snake Eyes. If you don't know who Snake Eyes is, you are just going to have to ask the team after the race!

RacingWest: Is the set up for CNS the same as Utah?
Kenny Shepherd: We were fast at both track but our set up was a lot different.

RW: Does the thinner air give less down-force on the spoiler?
KS: I think the thinner air seems to give the motor the biggest headache.

RW: I understand the late model division is good up there. Is this the best bunch of locals you see all year?
KS: The late model class at CNS is very good. You have to tip your hat to Bruce Yackey on his victory the last time we were there. I think Madera will give them a run for the toughest late model class we will see this year.

RW: Do you do any extra exercise to get ready for this race?
KS: I have the same exercise program for all the tracks. We race at night at CNS and I find it very comfortable.

RW: How would you rate the track at Colorado?
KS: I would rate the track as one of the best we race on, the fan support is among the best we see all year. I think this is why you don't hear much moaning from the teams even though it is such a tough trip to make.

RW: What is the trickiest part of the track?
KS: The exit of turn 2 seems to be where the trouble happens a lot.

RW: What is your crew-chiefs name and what was his best call this year?
KS: Al Gonella is my crewchiefs name and the best call he made this year was for a large pizza from Pizza Villa one late night when the crew was hungry. I'm just kidding, he is one awesome spotter and has saved me a lot of money in broken parts with his handy work on the radio.

RW: The Southwest Series is one of the best things going. Do you see any way it could be made even better?
KS: If the Southwest Series could get more TV time it would give the drivers a chance to make a bigger name for themselves and in turn the promoters could fill every seat at all the tracks. That is all the series is missing we have the rest, hot cars, hot drivers and the NASCAR name.