SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (May 23, 1998)-- The top 15 NASCAR Winston West Series drivers will share a combined $50,000 from the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. as prize money for the first leg of the schedule is distributed this weekend.
The early payout of money has met with tremendous enthusiasm from the teams, said Dan Henley, R.J. Reynolds' senior manager for the NASCAR Winston West Series.
"We have witnessed unprecedented growth in the NASCAR Winston West Series this year," said Henley. "The teams have responded to the increased prize money and the competition in the first five races has been fierce. It's been great to see the series move forwrad in fulfilling its potential."
Henley will present the prize money checks to the top 15 drivers in the championship standings on Sunday prior to the running of the Re-Refined Oil 200 at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif.
Bakersfield driver Kevin Harvick will receive $10,000 for leading the championship standings after the first five races. With the added prize money, he has already topped $57,000 in winnings this season. The 22-year old competitor, who drives the familiar white and blue number 75 Chevrolet owned by Wayne Spears, has one win and four top-five finishes in the first five races.
Sean Woodside, who holds the second spot in the points standings, will receive $6,000. It moves the Saugus, Calif., competitor into 14th on the list of NWWS career money leaders with $208,064. Woodside has one win and four top-five finishes this season, driving the Golden West Motorsports Pontiac owned by Ray Claridge.
Third in the standings after five races is series rookie Craig Raudman of Redding, Calif., who will collect $4,000. He has four top-10 finishes driving the Dave Reed Racing Chevrolet.
Another series rookie -- Tony Toste of Pismo Beach, Calif. -- will receive $3,750 for his fourth spot in the standings. Canadian Gary Smith, who is fifth in the standings, will get $3,500.
Receiving $3,250 for sixth in the standings is Kevin Richards of Spokane, Wash. Kelly Tanner of Woodinville, Wash., will receive $3,000 for seventh, while Brandon Ash of Umpqua, Ore., gets $2,750 for eighth; Butch Gilliland of Anaheim, Calif., gets $2,500 for ninth; and Jeff Davis of Anaheim Hills, Calif., gets $2,250 for 10th.
Drivers in 11th through 15th will also share in the prize money. They include Scott Gaylord, $2,000; Jerry Cain, $1,900; Ron Burns, $1,800; Austin Cameron, $1,700; and Eric Norris, $1,600.
In addition to the prize money for the first leg, the top 15 drivers who accumulate the most points from the sixth through 10th races will receive an additional $50,000. This is the first time in NASCAR Winston West Series history that teams are being rewarded for their performance immediately following the first five races and second five races of the season.
The prize money is part of the new $300,000 point fund award from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.'s Winston brand. Meanwhile, the bulk of the overall point fund, estimated at $500,000, will be distributed at the end of the season based on the final championship points standings.
The increased point fund has attracted an outpouring of interest in the series. The first five races of the season attracted an average of 34.6 teams to each event.
