BRENDAN GAUGHAN GRABS SECOND VICTORY, EXTENDS LEAD IN NASCAR WINSTON WEST SERIES

Source: Kevin Green
Date: 07/17/2000

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (July 17, 2000) - Brendan Gaughan knew when he arrived in the Pacific Northwest that he needed to turn his luck around. Just prior to his trip - he lost a special ring, along with his cell phone and his wallet. What he did not want to lose was his lead in the championship standings of the NASCAR Winston West Series.

His worries seemed to end once he climbed behind the wheel of the NAPA/Martin Senour Chevrolet. Gaughan charged to the lead and held off several fierce challengers to win the Coors Light 200 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash., on July 16.

It marked his second win of the season and his second career victory in the series. It also helped him build a 172-point margin in his pursuit of the series championship.

Gaughan, who started from the fourth spot on the grid, won the Gatorade Front Runner Award - leading 105 of the 200 laps. He went on to win by a margin of .19 of a second at an average speed of 71.745 mph. The 25-year-old Las Vegas, Nev., competitor netted $13,665 in prize money and special awards.

While Gaughan was staking claim to his second victory of the season, three competitors were challenging for their first series win in the closing laps of the race. Sammy Potashnick of Sikeston, Mo., had the nose of his PTI Transportation Chevrolet alongside Gaughan at the finish to take a career best second - while the Chevrolet of Dan Obrist of Portland, Ore., was at his back bumper in third. John Metcalf of Aurora, Colo., challenged for the win in the Team RE/MAX Chevrolet, but ended up fourth after contact between the challengers sent his car into a half-spin on lap 196.

Jeff Jefferson, who fell two laps behind the leaders due to a green flag pit stop midway through the race, raced his sloot.com Ford back onto the lead lap to finish fifth. The series rookie from Naches, Wash., became the first driver to win two Bud Pole Awards this season, turning a lap of 97.579 mph in time trials. Rounding out the top 10 were Bill Sedgwick, Mike Duncan, Bobby Dotter, Kevin Richards and Scott Gaylord.

The race featured nine lead changes among six drivers -- Gaughan, Metcalf, Obrist, Jefferson, Sedgwick and Steve Portenga. The event was slowed by five cautions for 29 laps.

With the victory, Gaughan extended his lead in the series' championship standings. He leads with 1,343 points over Richards with 1,171. Portenga is third with 1,149, followed by Dotter with 1,138 and Metcalf with 1,130. Sedgwick at 1,078, Eric Norris at 1,075, Duncan at 1,031, Gaylord at 1,006 and Potashnick at 968 round out the top 10.

Duncan continues to lead in the chase for the Rookie-of-the-Year Award. He has 64 points over Rick Bogart with 55, Troy Cline with 49, Johnny Borneman with 45, Jefferson with 42, Mike Grady with 40, Gene Christensen with 40 and Don Holcomb with 21.

The next event on the NASCAR Winston West Series schedule is the Home Depot 250 at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway on Aug, 19.

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