ROOKIE JEFF JEFFERSON CLAIMS VICTORY IN FINAL NWWS RACE AT PORTLAND SPEEDWAY

Source: Kevin Green
Date: 07/05/2000

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif, (July 5, 2000) - Jeff Jefferson has not had the kind of rookie season he had hoped for this year in the NASCAR Winston West Series - with only one finish better than 20th in the first six races.

The outlook for his freshman season changed dramatically, however, with a victory in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Portland (Ore.) Speedway on July 4th.

"You go to all the places you've never been to like Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) and California (Speedway) and you struggle," said Jefferson, who prior to this year competed primarily at NASCAR Weekly Racing Series tracks in the Pacific Northwest and in NASCAR's Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series. "But we finally got up here and we won. I knew it was a long race and I just wanted to finish up front. I knew I had a good car and that if things went right I'd be up front. And they did all day."

The event marked a milestone in racing in the Pacific Northwest as the final race on the Portland Speedway's paved 1/2-mile oval. After 55 years of racing, the asphalt is being removed as the track is converted to a dirt surface. Jefferson, the first rookie to win a race in the series since 1997, became the final driver to notch a NASCAR Winston West Series win on the historic track. He joined a list of winners that includes Bobby Allison, Hershel McGriff, Ken Schrader, Derrike Cope and Chad Little.

Jefferson of Naches, Wash., is the 26-year-old son of George Jefferson, a retired logger who has been involved in racing for more than three decades and was influential in the racing careers of such drivers as Cope and Little.

Jefferson grabbed the spotlight early in the event by winning the Bud Pole Award with a lap of 87.125 mph in the sloot.com-sponsored Ford. He went on to lead 124 of the 200 laps and clinch the Gatorade Front Runner Award. Jefferson won by a margin of 1.32 seconds at an average speed of 62.718 mph. He netted $15,800 in prize money and special awards.

Finishing second was Steve Portenga of Sparks, Nev., in the Roto-Rooter Chevrolet; followed by Brendan Gaughan of Las Vegas, Nev., in the NAPA/Martin Senour Chevrolet. Bill Sedgwick of Acton, Calif., was fourth in the Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water Chevrolet - followed by Sean Woodside of Saugus, Calif, in the Team Walker Motorsports Chevrolet. Rounding out the top 10 were Eric Norris, Dan Obrist, John Metcalf, Jason Small and Kevin Culver.

The race featured three lead changes among three drivers - Jefferson, Portenga and Gaughan. The event was slowed by six cautions for 34 laps. Twenty-two of the 24 starters were still running at the finish.

With his third-place finish, Gaughan retained his lead in the NASCAR Winston West Series championship standings. He leads with 1,158 points over Kevin Richards of Spokane, Wash., with 1,033. Portenga moved to third with 1,023 - followed by Bobby Dotter of Charlotte, N.C., with 996; and John Metcalf of Aurora, Colo., with 965. Norris 957, Sedgwick 923, Mike Duncan 885, Scott Gaylord 872 and Joe Bean 831 complete the top 10.

The chase for the rookie title in the series remains close with Duncan leading with 55, followed by Rick Bogart at 48, Johnny Borneman at 45, Troy Cline at 41, Mike Grady at 40, Gene Christensen at 34, Jefferson at 32 and Don Holcomb at 21.

The next event on the NASCAR Winston West Series schedule is the Coors Light 200 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash., on July 16.

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