NASCAR TOP 10 AT A GLANCE HEADING TO MESA MARIN RACEWAY

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- The following is a glance at the NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series Top 10 in the championship heading into the Star Nursery.Com 200 presented by Community Recycling at Mesa Marin Raceway March 22. This will be race 2 of 14 on the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series schedule:

• No. 1 - Bryan Germone (No. 89 Drivetech Chevrolet), Sebastiani Motorsports. Last week's ranking: N/A. Germone returns to the series full-time after four years away. He was the 1996 series champion and one of the most popular drivers the series has ever known. His win at Phoenix was his first victory in nearly five years and first on the famed desert oval.
• No. 2 - Eddy McKean (No. 19 Magic Valley Pipe Pontiac), McKean Racing. Last week's ranking: N/A. McKean has picked up right where he left on in 2002. His prowess for the big track is evident as he collected his third straight runner-up finish and fourth top-five finish at Phoenix. McKean is poised for another run a championship and knows a strong run at Mesa Marin Raceway is vital.
• No. 3 - Auggie Vidovich Jr. (No. 59 PG Series Chevrolet), Vidovich Racing. Last week's ranking: N/A. Vidovich finished third at Phoenix and returned to the NASCAR Top 10 after a disappointing 2002 season. Vidovich looks to lay claim to a championship in 2003 and eyes Mesa Marin Raceway as the next step in that quest. Vidovich has one win and two top-five finishes at the series charter track.
• No. 4 - Ed Hoffman (No. 8 Lisa Thomas Salon Chevrolet), Hoffman Racing. Last week's ranking: N/A. Hoffman is a regular on the NASCAR Elite Division, Int'l Truck and Engine Midwest Series, but travels to Phoenix twice a year to compete with the Featherlite Southwest Series. Hoffman is a former Midwest Series champion and multi-time winner.
• No. 5 - Frank Deiny Jr. (No. 70 Star Nursery.Com Chevrolet), Q Motorsports. Last week's ranking: N/A. Deiny will attempt to win Rookie-of-the-Year honors and the series championship in the same year, a feat no one has claimed before in series history. Deiny's fifth place finish at Phoenix has him right in the middle of the top-ten, a place where he intends to stay all season.
• No. 6 - JR Patton (No. 97 Las Cruces Motorsports Chevrolet), Las Cruces Motorsports. Last week's ranking: N/A. Patton finds himself in the top-ten for the first time in his career. After attempting to qualify for several races last season, Patton joins the Rookie class of 2003. After starting 19th and finishing sixth at Phoenix, Patton and his team are pointed in the right direction.
• No. 7 - Craig Raudman (No. 2 HPS Chevrolet), HPS/Victory Circle Racing. Last week's ranking: N/A. Raudman, the 2001 Featherlite Southwest Series champion, returns to the series in 2003 after partial campaign in 2002. Raudman finished seventh at Phoenix after gambling that a pit stop would win it. The gamble did not pay off as the leaders stayed out, but Raudman is in familiar territory in the top-ten. Mesa Marin Raceway is a track where Raudman has about as many laps as any active driver, and he has his sights squarely on a win and a higher ranking in the top-ten.
• No. 8 - Ken Schrader (No. 99 Federated Chevrolet), Schrader Racing. Last week's ranking: N/A. Schrader has owned Phoenix in recent years picking up four wins in Featherlite Southwest Series competition. Schrader will only run two races this season with the series, but when he does you can count that he'll be battling for the win. His finish of eighth at Phoenix was the first time in five races he has finished outside the top-five.
• No. 9 - Brandon Whitt (No. 28 MOEN Pontiac), Clean Line Racing. Last week's ranking: N/A. Whitt begins his sophomore season on the series right where he finished 2002. His ninth place finish at Phoenix was his fourth top-ten finish of his career and armed with a new car, new crew chief, and new attitude, he and his family owned team look for their first win.
• No. 10 - Darrell LaMoure (No. 94 Napa Chevrolet), Desert Thunder Motorsports. Last week's ranking: N/A. LaMoure returns to the series full-time after sitting out most of 2002 with an injury. He finished the 2001 season in third place, his best points position in his ten year career. His tenth place performance at Phoenix sets the stage for LaMoure as he is focused on a repeat victory at Mesa Marin Raceway, the track where he picked up his first career win.