JASON SMALL SHINING IN WINSTON WEST

You won't find Jason Small complaining about racing drivers from other divisions. In fact, the stronger the competition, the more the NASCAR Winston West driver likes it. For him every race is a hunt, every car a target and at this weekend's race at Rocky Mountain Raceways the biggest target in the field was NASCAR Winston Cup regular, Ken Schrader.

"I enjoy racing drivers from other series. Every time I watch them I gain some experience from them. There's no feeling like running with guys like Ken Schrader. I had some side by side with him this race and enjoyed it", commented Small after the race. "The racing was awesome."

It is this kind of upbeat attitude that is making Small a shining star in the NASCAR Winston West Series. The leader in the NASCAR Winston West Series Rookie point standings going into Monday night's race, Small looked to be on his way to a podium finish, when a tap in the rear from another competitor got him loose allowing that driver to squeeze by. Small had to settle for fourth.

That fourth gave Small his 6th top ten and although he hasn't dominated the racing world, just yet, considering it is his rookie year, he is doing better than okay. He is a young driver, in fact the youngest in the series, taking his first tentative steps into the competitive world of NASCAR Winston West racing.

Chris Dalton, team spokesman and mechanic said, "Jason's good, he's a natural, we've been trying to work hard on our program and I think we gave Jason a good car this weekend. We were running third, it looked like this might have been our night, but we ran out of brakes at the end, if not for that, Small might have been your winner."

Small, who resides in Bakersfield, Calif., began his driving career at age 6 racing quads. Within three seasons he won 2 track championships, progressed to go-carts and from there he went on to NASCAR's Late Model Stock Car division, where he fell shy of winning the track championship by one point in 1998.

In 1999 the decision was made to start him in the NASCAR Winston West. Said his father, Ken Small, "Putting Jason in the bigger cars was an easy decision to reach. We knew he had the skill. We didn't at the time know he would be this good this fast. The thing I'm most proud of is he's a decent person, and to see him race as good as he does makes me proud as can be".

"When Jason started the season we knew we had a capable driver, " Shane Thompson, his spotter said. "But, Jason knows as good as he is, he can't do it without a good crew and a good car and he appreciates the people that are helping him as he pursues his dream".

Crew chief Donnie Hubble acknowledged, "Jason is a good person. He's worked on these cars and he understands how hard it is and how hard his crew works. I have worked with some other drivers and Jason is one of the best to work with. I really enjoy working with him, of course having someone with as much talent as Jason makes my job a whole lot easier".

What happens next with this talented youngster? "Plans for 2000 are still iffy. Everything is still up in the air. Hopefully, we can get the right opportunities to run the full schedule again next season," Hubble said. "Certain things have to fall into place and go the right way. ... That's really a big question mark."

Ken Small knows what he would like to see happen. "I'd like to go to the Winston Cup banquet someday and watch him be honored as the champion," he said. " If Jason continues to gives it his best, I'm proud of him no matter what."

Until more solid plans materialize, Small will keep doing what he likes to do, hunting down cars and learning from the veterans.

The next race for the team is Las Vegas Motor Speedway on September 25th. Small Motorsports is currently seeking a marketing partner for that race. For information contact them via email or call the race shop at (661) 399-7666.