ROSEVILLE, California — It was a night of two champions when the NASCAR Camping World Series West took on the All American Speedway, quarter mile, high banked asphalt oval with Paulie Harrake of Fairlawn, NJ. driving the #12 NAPA Auto Care/Adaptive One Brakes, Toyota, in a dominate run, leading all but one of this 150 lap. "Toyota/Compart 150" to victory, as well as setting fast time in qualifying for the pole position by setting a 13.677 second, 87.651 mph run, to earn this trip to victory circle.
"Our goal for the night was to win the Championship."— Jason Bowles
Jason Bowles of Ontario, CA, raced this final race of the season to collect his first NASCAR Camping World Series West Championship Title. Bowles, driving the #6 Sunrise Ford.Com, Ford, started the race with a seventy-eight point lead and scored a fourth place finish, to win this most coveted title, having raced three years in competition in this series.
It was an amazing night for both of these young drivers as fireworks hit the sky in celebration of a great night of racing for all.
"We unloaded really good and the guys worked really hard on the car all day. I led the whole race (except when Eric Schmidt took the lead just before the start finish line, enough to be credited for leading one lap, only to fall back into second, a half of lap later). When the other cars started to come on, I was able to hang on to my pace. I like Eric a lot. I appreciate that he raced me clean. I want to thank everyone who helped to get me here." said Harrake, who earned the $9,325. winners purse, the 21 Means 21 Pole Award by Coors Brewing Company, the Happy Camper Award, the Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award and the Wix Filter Lap Leader Award.
Chasing Bowles in the race for the title, was Eric Holmes of Escalon, CA. Holmes racing the #20 NAPA, Toyota, was racing in fourth when he got caught up in a melee of spinning cars just out of the first turn on the fifth lap, that ended in a trip to the pits, losing laps and any expectations that Holmes may have had for his last run of this season. In spite of of this, Holmes came backed, actually lapped the field, crossed the line in sixteenth and finished in a solid second place in the points race for the Championship.
Bowles raced out from a third place run when due to the caution flag, his Ford got out of line, losing valuable positions, to end up in twelfth. Bowles stayed focused, hanging in there for a fourth place finish, showing clearly that he had earned his Championship Crown.
"The car was good. I lost track position and had to take our time, moving back up to finish in fourth. Our goal for the night was to win the Championship. This is my third year of competition in this series. I want to thank my whole family. They supported me all the way through this season. My family has supported me 100% from the start (the onset of his racing career. I also want to thank Sunrise Ford Racing, Justice Bros., RM12 and Oakley. A big thank you to all the fans who have come out to support us, especially with our economic status." said Bowles. There was a hearty celebration in victory circle with hundreds of pictures, big smiles and it looked like the entire crew along with Bowles, were totally soaked from the shook up bottles of champagne.
An outstanding charge from an eighth place start, Eric Schmidt of Roseville, CA, racing the #34 RTD/AT&T Yellow Pages, Chevrolet, netted this driver a second place finish in only his third career start in the NASCAR Series West division.
"This is my home track. I've been here since 1997. I won lots of Late Model races here. He (Harraka) was a little better than I was off the corners. Around lap eighty, I lost most of my brakes. I all most gave up my second place position, because of the brakes. I did get around Harraka, at one time. I want to thank Golden State Racing, RTD/AT&T, Bill McAnnaly, all of my crew and all of the fans for coming out." said Schmidt, who was also awarded the Coca-Cola Move of the race award.
Greg Pursley of Newhall, CA, raced his #26 Gene Motor Sports/Star Nursery, Chevrolet to earn the final place on the podium with his third place run. Pursley started the race in seventh and worked his way forward to move into third on the sixteenth lap, then raced the balance of the race in the top three, scoring laps in second as well, to take third. Unofficially, Pursley will also finish third over all in the points race for the Championship.
Moses Smith of Tempe, AZ, took the checkered flag in fifth. With this finish, Smith earned the Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award, racing his #16 HASA Pool Products/Whit Flyer, Toyota.
The average speed of this race was 63.879 mph with caution flags flying out on the fifth lap, when racing out of the first turn, there was contact and spins, that collected Holmes, Blake Foch (FL) with Paul Pendroncelli, Jr (CA). catching the worst of it, having smashed the front end of his #0 Chevrolet. Once the race returned to green flag racing, four laps would score before the yellow flew out when Chris Johnson (CA), Jim Marchino (CA) and Koch, all spun in the first turn. It was reported that Greg Rayl (CA), Chris Scribner, Jack Sellers and Rodd Kneesland (CA), were involved in a wreck. From my vantage point, the only thought I have on it, is they must have stacked up on the front stretch when the flag came out.
On the forty-ninth lap, Rayl spun backwards into the wall between the first and second turns, just stopping his car inches before sustaining damage. Rayl's great save, had him racing on with out causing a caution. There was another yellow out when Kneeland spun on the backstretch and the final flag of this race came out with thirty-three laps to go, when Johnson spun again, this time between the third and fourth turn. No one was injured during this competition.
The margin of victory was 2.774 seconds and the posted awards for this Series West event, showed that $106,590. would be shared among the twenty-one car field.
Sixth place went to Brett Thompson (ID), followed by Jim Warn (OR), Johnson, Jim Inglebright (CA), Martin McKeefery (CA), Kneeland, Marchino, Jamie Dick (NM), Koch, Wes Banks (CA) Holmes, Rayl, Sellers, Troy Ermish (CA), Scribner and Pedroncelli, Jr.
