2007 WAS A YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENT IN NASCAR GRAND NATIONAL DIVISION, WEST SERIES

Source: NASCAR
Date: 11/01/2007

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – Track and series records and a pair of individual accomplishments set this year reflect a level of competition that continued to increase as the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series celebrated its 54th season.

Mike Duncan collected more than $77,000 in postseason awards to become the first driver to surpass the $1 million mark in career series winnings – with $1,040,109. And when Joey Logano won at Phoenix International Raceway at the age of 17 years, 10 months, he became the youngest driver to win a West Series race.

Track records were set in qualifying for nine events on this year’s 13-race schedule, while race records were set in six events.

Qualifying times were eclipsed at five tracks – Colorado National Speedway, north of Denver; Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Ore.; Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash.; Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.; and Thunder Hill Raceway in Kyle, Texas. Inaugural visits to new venues accounted for track records being established at the other four events.

Two series records were set, meanwhile, both at Infineon Raceway. The 27 drivers who finished on the lead lap at Sonoma topped the previous series high of 17. In addition, the 30 cars running at the finish in the northern California road course race surpassed the previous record of 28 cars.

The 2007 championship season included 13 events at 12 venues in nine states. Those events featured 2,021 laps of competition, which translated into more than 1,430 miles of racing.

Brian Ickler led the most laps of competition overall, keeping the No. 16 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet out front for 416 laps, or about 20 percent of the total laps run.

Two-time series champion Mike Duncan led the most races in 2007, pacing the field for 306 laps in seven events in the No. 9 Lucas Oil/Ron’s Rear Ends Chevrolet. He demonstrated his versatility by leading laps on short tracks, intermediate tracks and a road course. Justin Lofton was the only other driver in the series to lead on all three types of venues this year. He had his Lofton Cattle/Cometic/Klotz/Eibach Ford out front for 89 laps in five events.

This year’s series champion, Mike David, completed the most laps. The 2,017 laps of competition he registered in the No. 2 Bennett Lane Winery Ford were just four laps short of the total possible for the entire season.

The 2,021 laps of competition run by the series in 2007 translated into just over 1,430 miles of racing.

See Also .:

News Index | E-mail to a Friend