ROCKLIN, California -- Austin Cameron, pilot of the #16 NAPA Auto Parts/Martin Senour Chevrolet and the Orleans Winston West team, currently 2nd and now only 36 points out of 1st, in front of a sold out crowd, won the race at the Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Oregon for the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by NAPA Belts & Hoses and Royal Purple, making it the fifth win for the season.
Cameron, who started in the second position, was tapped from behind and spun putting the team a lap down early in the race. Finding himself in the 22nd position in a field of 22 cars, Cameron was able to climb his way back to midway in the pack when before the halfway break, he was spun a second time down the front straightaway. The team was quick to make any needed repairs and adjustments under a time limit of ten minutes. Undeterred and more determined, Cameron set his sites on the lead. Dicing through traffic, Cameron brought roaring fans to their feet, as he once again rocketed to the front, winning the race with the series points leader, Eric Norris finishing in second.
Brett Thompson, pilot of the #61 MBNA/Rich Thompson Trucking Chevrolet, holds on to third in the Stage 8 Locking Fasteners rookie standings. In the championship fight, the team is in tenth. After running in the top four, late in the race Thompson was spun in turn 4, which finished his night.
"Someone slowed in front of me and I backed off because I didn't want to take the points leader out," said Thompson. "That's when another car drove under me and stayed there until I was out. The team gave me a great car. This season, we always have had good runs but they have ended badly."
"The crowd we had here from NAPA Oregon/NAPA Portland was unbelievable," said team owner Bill McAnally. "We could do no less than win this race for them. Austin did a great job. We had all kinds of trouble the first hundred laps, to come back and win this in front of this sellout crowd tonight was just unbelievable, unbelievable! We picked up ten points and we're off to Las Vegas to make this Winston West Championship happen."
