David Mayhew (No. 17 MMI Services/Ron’s Rear Ends/KHI Chevrolet) surprised a lot of people last year when he won the Coors Light Pole Award for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway.
After all, Mayhew was known to many for his skills on an oval track and had never been to the 1.98-mile road course – which had last hosted a series race in 1986
But before winning the 2004 championship in the Late Model class at the now-closed half-mile oval of Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif., and prior to becoming the 2006 rookie of the year in the former NASCAR Southwest Tour – Mayhew spent plenty of time racing on road courses.
“That’s all I did growing up was road course racing,” said the 28-year-old driver who competed in go-karts and later raced formula cars. “It’s almost second nature to me and something we look forward to doing every year.”
Mayhew is hoping for another strong run when the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West returns to Portland International Raceway for the Bi-Mart Salute to the Troops 125 on Sunday, July 18.
The event, the seventh of a 12-race schedule for 2010, is slated to be televised to a national audience on SPEED at 3 p.m. PT on July 29.
Mayhew credits a well-prepared car for last year’s pole qualifying run. He also did a little homework in preparing for his first visit to Portland.
“We had a really good car last year,” Mayhew said of the Chevrolet prepared by the MMI team of car owner Steve McGowan. “I had never been there, so I watched some videos just to learn the track and know which way the corners went. From the first session on the track, we had a really good car. The guys put a good piece underneath me and it’s easy when the car handles as good as it did.”
Mayhew is looking forward to similar success this year, after coming off two races in which he finished outside the top 20. Now, he and the crew are working hard to turn things around.
“We’re hoping to, just by being better prepared in the shop,” he said of avoiding problems at Portland. “We’re working hard on the car. We just need to not have silly mistakes happen. That’s what’s been putting us out lately … mechanical at Sonoma and then an on-track deal at Irwindale. The biggest thing is we’re just trying to be more prepared and try to get to the end of the races without having problems. And then go race for the win, once you’re in the last five or 10 laps.”
Despite troubles in the past two events, Mayhew has managed to remain second in the championship standings. He is confident he can overcome a 64-point deficit and challenge leader Eric Holmes (No. 20 NAPA Toyota) for the title.
“Eric’s going to have to have some problems, obviously,” Mayhew said. “He runs up front every week. But neither one of us have been running real strong lately. So, whoever wants to go win this thing is going to have to step up and start running better and have better finishes.”
Mayhew expects that will be what determines the championship in the second half of the season.
“I predict somebody’s going to get their stuff together,” he said. “Hopefully, it’s us. You could say it’s easy right now, but it’s just because everybody is having problems. If any one team puts it all together and stops making mistakes, that’s who is going to win the championship. We’re working hard to make it what we do.”
“Nobody has consistently put the finishes together,” Mayhew said of the championship chase. “That’s what it’s going to take.”
