MIKE DUNCAN HOPES TO MAKE HISTORY IN PHOENIX

Source: Vance Palm/MB Duncan Motor Sports
Date: 04/19/2007

BAKERSFIELD, California -- Iconic NASCAR Grand National West driver, Mike Duncan heads to Phoenix (PIR) for the AlphaTrade.com 150 Thursday, and even before he gets behind the wheel his name is joined at the hip with another icon, Richard Petty. Mike Duncan and Richard Petty are tied for the most Budweiser Pole Awards in West Series competition at Phoenix, with three each. Duncan set the fast mark in this event the past two years, as well as in October of 2004. Petty won his Bud Poles in 1978, 1979 and 1980.

After posting a top-three finish in Texas last month at the season opener, Duncan is now looking to grab a record, fourth pole and shake off any PIR blues that the MB Duncan Motor Sports team has experienced in the past. After landing in the howling winds of the Arizona desert Wednesday evening, Duncan answered the annual questions about his lack of a rabbit’s foot at PIR. “We’ve just been unlucky here, and it’s not been the fault of anyone or any, one thing, “ he explained, and then added, “Having said that, this is still a track that Bill Sedgwick (Crew Chief) and I like to run at, and we both feel that we’ll always have a chance to finish out front here.”

When asked about the name association with the “King”, Richard Petty, Duncan paused, sighed and the paused again, finally expressing an honest feeling of it being, “…kind of weird…to read your name in the same sentence as his. Of course, it’s an honor, and it says a lot about my team that’s been with me for the long haul – I sure appreciate them.” The Lucas Oil/Greenfrogroastingco.com/Ron’s Rear Ends #9 Chevrolet will be racing hard tonight, live on HDTV at 8:15pm.

Duncan, a two-time NASCAR West champion recently ran in his first ARCA race, the ARCA 150, in Nashville, and his thoughts on that were limited strictly to the educational process involved. “That’s the type of deal where you just know that the top teams have an edge on us - we’re trying to learn what they already know!” Duncan continued by adding, “We took away a lot of notes, and Bill’s studious approach will get us there.”

Mike Duncan was the NASCAR Grand National Division Rookie-of-the-Year in 2000. Behind the leadership of two-time Grand National Champ, Bill Sedgwick, Duncan and team won the 2004 – 2005 championships. Together, they compete full time on the Grand National West series. To learn more about Mike and follow his season, please visit www.mbduncanmotorsports.com.

See Also .:

News Index | E-mail to a Friend