Phoenix…Showing off his behind-the-wheel expertise, Scott Lynch powered his Lynch Mob Motorsports/Yerf-Dog sponsored Dodge to a second place finish in the Bosch Spark Plug 150, Round 1 of the 2003 NASCAR Winston West Series at Phoenix International Raceway.
Narrowly missing the victory by 0.200 seconds, Lynch drove an outstanding race from start to finish. "Naturally, we would have preferred to be first," said Lynch. "But being edged out by top-ranked Winston Cup driver Kenny Schrader makes it hard to complain. We took the pole away from him and he took the win away from us. He has a lot more experience than I do, and once he got the lead, he just didn't slip, not even for a second. Much of the credit for being here in Winner's Circle goes to Orleans Racing, especially crew chief Shane Wilson and Kroyer Racing Engines. They gave me a great piece and their pit stops were flawless. Their knowledge and hard work played an all-out role being able to finish so well."
Pulling off the startline, Lynch took it easy for the first few laps. "We knew we were going to be loose in the beginning," explained Lynch. "So our plan was to take it easy and let our Yerf-Dog Dodge come it and that's what we did."
Showing extreme patience, Lynch dropped back to 5th and bided his time before beginning his charge to the front. "We pitted under yellow just before Lap 50," he said, "and took on two tires and fuel and that's when I began my charge. Moving through the fray, Lynch took over the lead around Lap 94. "Things were really looking good," he said. "I was hoping I could hold on to it all the way, but Schrader managed to get by and although it was close, I just couldn't take him."
In addition to second, Lynch also earned top Raybestos Rookie honors. "Not
only do we want the championship, but we want Raybestos Rookie of the Year,"
continued Lynch. "This is really a great start for us. Coming into the next
round, I will be in first in the point in both categories and that's where we
plan to stay."
