Steve Portenga knew that he was a hunted man prior to Saturday Night's NAPA 200 held at Stockton Speedway 99. He was holding on to a slim ( no, make that a one point) lead in the NASCAR Winston West championship points battle. The competition was fierce, hot, and all the money teams were hot on his tail. But wait, hold on there! Isn't this the two-time Featherlight Southwest Series Champion that we're talking about? Steve definitely had his hands full.
Driving the Smart and Final, King Taco, Mission Foods, Rudolph Foods, Superior Gear, Teamsignco, Stoughton Printing and Jan's Towing ( you gotta love all those sponsors) Ford Taurus in to the second spot was no easy feat. He qualified in the lucky seven spot for the start of the race and aggressively moved his way to the front. The # 77 Ford was in the second place position after the end of the first 100 lap segment. " I want to thank my sponsors, my team, my family, my friends and all the fans who showed up to root us on. I could feel the excitement up there and it made me want to put on a good show for all of them." said Steve. " I also want to congratulate Austin and his team for the remarkable comeback."
With his second place finish, Steve leads the series in points, with a 33 point lead, money won and best average finish for competitors that have competed in all the events. " My car owners also benefited by moving back up to the number one spot in owner points." continued Steve. "It sure feels good to have some breathing room."
The Grand National Winston West Series next event is at the Rocky Mountain Raceway on Saturday August 30, 2003
