Driver: Rich Woodland Jr.
Birthdate: 8/5/70
Weight: 180
Height: 6' 1"
Hometown: Templeton, Calif.
Marital Status: Wife, Joelle
Best Finish: 1st -- Phoenix 150, April 19
Where are you in relationship to the goals you set in the beginning of the year?
Our goal at the beginning of the year was to finish in the top five of every race we ran as well as find sponsorship support for either a full ARCA or NASCAR Truck schedule for next year. We didn't have a motor ready for Atlanta. Phoenix was our first race of the year, so we've met our first goal so far. We're still looking for sponsorship.
Who is your crew chief and how long have the two of you been together?
We don't really have one single crew chief, it's a group effort. Our crew chief at the track is Craig Shinn of Charlotte, who volunteers a great amount of his time to help us out. His son, Jeff, works for Melling Racing in North Carolina and provides us with our setups at the shop. Scott Cambell also provides us with setups and technical advice.
Is there any one person in the Winston West Series that has been a major help to you and if so why?
Besides the outstanding work of the Cold Duck Racing team members, there are a lot of people in Winston West that have helped me throughout the years. Most of the officials and several of the drivers have helped or influenced me in some way. One person that has helped tremendously in the past with information on setups and driving is Butch Gilliland, who is always quick to share his knowledge and insight.
What do you like most about the California Speedway track and/or facility and why?
The California Speedway is one of the nicest tracks in the country. What I like most about it is its racing surface. It is one of the widest and smoothest tracks I've raced on.
What kind of run are you looking for at Fontana?
Coming out here I thought we would be a lot stronger at Fontana than at Phoenix. I think we have a good setup for California and we should be near the front at the end of the race.
What are your plans for the remainder of the year?
Two weeks after Fontana we run the ARCA race at Charlotte the night of the Winston. We plan to run all of the ARCA and Winston West superspeedway races throughout the summer.
Of the WW tracks you have visited so far in your Winston West career, do you have one track that is you favorite and if so, why?
My favorite track is Las Vegas. It is a great facility and the track itself is outstanding. We always seem to run well there.
What do you enjoy most about the Winston West Series?
There is no ONE thing I enjoy the most about Winston West. I like the competition, the facilities, the officials, and the people who run Winston West are great.
What do you feel would help grow the Winston West Series?
I think the more TV coverage Winston West gets the more it's going to grow.
Where do you see the Winston West Series 5 years from now?
If Winston West keeps growing at the rate it has grown in the past two or three years it may be as large as the Busch series five years down the road.
What do you think it would take for a driver to make a living running the Series?
For a driver to make money in the series he would need a good corporate sponsor. When more TV is introduced and the ratings start climbing and the attendance at the tracks gets to be 10,000 or more at every race, it would be worthwhile for sponsors to spend the amount of money it takes to run a full season. It would be beneficial to them for the amount of coverage and exposure they will get.
What do you see as being the biggest difference between ARCA and Winston West?
There's not a big difference between ARCA and Winston West. ARCA has more teams to draw from in the east and definitely has more high dollar teams with Winston Cup quality equipment than Winston West. They may have 15 or more guys that have a good chance at any race, while Winston West probably has 5 to 10.
What do you feel you could offer a potential sponsor? How could interested sponsors contact you?
We offer sponsors a full motorsports marketing program which would be mutually beneficial. We base our programs on the needs of a specific company, depending on their marketing goals. (i.e. who their customers are, the amount of exposure they are looking for, etc.) Any interested sponsors can contact Rich Woodland at (704)795-3458, or E-mail at CDRINC111@aol.com.
