(Jan. 29, 2001) - Four NASCAR Winston West Series champions and a NASCAR Winston Cup Series competitor highlight the entry list for the season-opening NAPA Auto Parts NASCAR Winter Heat Presented by Bosch at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday.
The event, which is part of a big NASCAR weekend of racing at the one-mile speedway, marks the start of the 48th season for the NASCAR Winston West Series. The race is slated to be televised on Fox Sports Net on a tape-delay basis.
The entry list includes Ken Schrader, as well as past series champions. The race marks the return of legendary driver Hershel McGriff to full-time competition in the series. McGriff, who won the series championship in 1986, was named as one of the "50 Greatest Drivers of NASCAR." He will team with the 2000 series champion Brendan Gaughan, who will be returning to defend his title. The event will also mark the return of the 1999 champion, Sean Woodside, to the series full time. Also beginning his 2001 campaign will be two-time series champion Bill Sedgwick, who won the title in 1991 and 1992.
The entry list includes drivers from 13 different states. California has the most representation with competitors including Joe Bean of San Diego, Calif.; Austin Cameron of El Cajon, Calif.; Troy Cline of Hawthorne, Calif.; Jack Sellers of Sacramento, Calif.; Rick Bogart of El Cajon, Calif.; and last year's Rookie of the Year, Mike Duncan of Lamont, Calif. The entry list also includes Chicaparea native Bobby Dotter, who won four races in the series last season, and last year's event winner Kevin Richards of Spokane, Wash. Other entries include Jeff Jefferson of Naches, Wash.; Brandon Ash of Umpqua, Ore.; Sammy Potashnick of Sikeston, Ma.; Steve Portenga of Spark, Nev.; Scott Gaylord of Lakewood, Colo.; John Metcalf of Aurora, Colo.; Mike Grady of Farmington, NM; Eric Norris of Dallas, Texas; and Gene Christensen of Garland, Texas.
The entries also feature some talented rookie drivers in the Series. They include Mark Reed of Bakersfield, Calif.; Johnny Borneman of Ramona, Calif.; Brett Thompson of Jerome, Idaho; Scott Lynch of Burley, Idaho; and Tony Schmidt of Newburg, Ore.
Nineteen-year-old Jon Wood of the Wood Brothers Racing family of Stuart, Va., slated to make his debut in the NASCAR Winston West Series at Phoenix. a record lap of 120.394 mph around the one-mile paved oval.
The NASCAR Winston West Series is one of nine NASCAR Touring Series’ that blanket the United States, bringing special events to many NASCAR Weekly Racing Series tracks and same NASCAR superspeedways and road cour~es, NASCAR Touring Series can provide a competitor with an entire career or they can provide valuable experience to competitors moving through the NASCAR ranks.
Corporate sponsors make significant contributions to NASCAR Touring Series
point funds. These sponsors include Anheuser-Busch, Featherlite, Goody’s Headache
Powders, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Raybestos Brakes, RE/MAX International, Inc., Slim Jim,
and RJ Reynolds brand, Winston.
