NASCAR WW NO. 77 TEAM RACE READY FOR PORTLAND

Source: Janet Peery
Date: 08/09/1999

Portland Speedway will play host this weekend to the NASCAR Winston West Series. The 1/2 mile paved oval is a favorite of several drivers and driver Joe Bean is among them. Bean, driver of the No. 77 Glendora Auto Tech/Jan's Towing Taurus especially likes the fans. Putting on a good show for them would be right up his alley.

Helping Bean fine tune his machine is veteran crew chief, Larry Lally. Dedicated and hard-working, Lally and the crew have spent long hours dialing in Bean's car. With owner Joe Nava being the extra set of eyes during the 200 lap event, this could be the team to watch.

Portland has been known for being a tough track. Bean is no stranger on the tougher 1/2 miles, his first win as a NASCAR Winston West driver came on the historic 1/2 mile Mesa Marin Raceway in 1996 while he was teamed with Winston West great, John Krebs.

If you are in the Portland area, don't miss the NASCAR Winston West. They only visit the area once a year. After the race fans will have the opportunity to come down to the pits and meet Bean and the other stars of the series.

RacingWest: Of all the tracks the Winston West travels to, how do you rank the Portland track?
Joe Bean: Great fans!!!!

RW: Considering the pit situation at Portland, how does this affect your race strategy?
JB: We just have to be real careful. You can win or lose this race in the pits.

RW: Does the bump on the track coming out of four change the way you race at this track?
JB: You have to adapt to all kinds of differences at the various tracks. This track is no different.

RW: Do you care to offer an opinion on wheel tethers?
JB: I don't think that they are necessary on the short tracks.

RW: What is your spotters name and how important is your spotter to you?
JB: My spotter is one of my car owners, Joe Nava. We work together pretty well, except for the times when I need to concentrate and I basically tell him to be quiet. (I don't always do it in a nice way)

RW: Do you prefer your spotter to talk you around the track or do you prefer to concentrate on your driving with less input from your spotter?
JB: Sometimes I need input and sometimes I really need to concentrate.

RW: What is your crew chief's name and what was the best strategy your crew chief exercised this season?
JB: My crew chief is Larry Lally. He has worked hard all this year on set-ups. He has also got our crew dialed in on our pit stop strategies.

RW: If you are lucky enough to win Portland, how will you celebrate?
JB: I would take my crew out for a night on the town, on me, of course.

RW: What do you feel could improve the Winston West even more?
JB: More TV time scheduled in advance so that we could use it as a marketing tool to attract sponsors

RW: Will you have time to do anything special while in Portland, and if so what will it be?
JB: We will probably have a team dinner the night before the race.

RW: Where can the fans find you for autographs and such?
JB: They can come in the pits right after the race and we will have driver cards for all the race fans.

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