SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif., (October 18, 1996) -- The tightest battle for the NASCAR Winston West Series championship in recent years is heading to Phoenix, Ariz., and the Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on Oct. 27.
It is the next-to-last race for the series this year and the second of two NASCAR Winston Cup/Winston West combination races during the season.
Lance Hooper of Palmdale, Calif., has led the NASCAR Winston West Series championship standings since March, but has been shadowed in the last half of the season by Jeff Krogh of Kamiah, Idaho, and Larry Gunselman of Sierra Village, Calif.
Hooper, a 29-year-old rookie in the series, has 2,135 points -- giving him a 50-point advantage over Krogh with 2,085. Gunselman trails with 1,991. Hooper hopes to become the first driver in the 43-year history of the NASCAR Winston West Series to win the championship in his rookie year.
Although his lead is slim, Hooper has dominated at times this year in the Cinema Vehicle Services/Unocal-sponsored Pontiac. He heads to Phoenix with added momentum following his fourth win of the season, a record for victories by a series rookie. Overall, Hooper and the Ray Claridge-owned Golden West Motorsports team have nine top-five finishes and 11 top-10 finishes.
Although Krogh is yet to reach victory lane, the consistency of his Excel Motorsports team has been reflected with 10 consecutive top-five finishes in the Clearwater Forest Industry-sponsored Chevrolet. He also has 11 top-10 finishes. In addition, the 24-year-old rookie was the top finishing Winston West driver in the other NASCAR Winston Cup/Winston West race earlier this year.
Gunselman, meanwhile, has one win, seven top-five finishes and nine top-10 finishes in the RaceStuff/Olson Technology Ford this season.
Jeff Krogh's younger brother, Mark, is fourth in the championship standings with 1,851 points. Trailing him by 45 points is Rich Woodland Jr., of Templeton, Calif., with 1,806. Close behind in the standings are Scott Gaylord of Lakewood, Colo., with 1,776 and Joe Bean of San Diego, Calif., with 1,740. Rounding out the top 10 are Bill McAnally of Elverta, Calif., with 1,593, Butch Gilliland of Anaheim, Calif., with 1,525 and Jack Sellers of Sacramento, Calif., with 1,333.
The 1996 NASCAR Winston West Series final driver and car owner points standings will be determined by two events less than the total number of events on the schedule. If a driver or car owner compete in all 1996 scheduled events, the two lowest finishing positions will be deleted in order to determine the final point standings.
The Sears Point Raceway Rookie-of-the-Year Award, meanwhile, is based on a special point system counting stand-alone NASCAR Winston West Series events. Hooper leads those standings with 109 points, followed by Jeff Krogh with 105, Mark Krogh with 91 and Joe Bean with 86.
