DOTTER GRABS FIRST NWWS VICTORY ON ROAD COURSE AT LAGUNA SECA RACEWAY

Source: NASCAR Media Relations
Date: 05/23/2000

As a stock car driver, Bobby Dotter knows it's important to be in the right place at the right time. And that approach paid off with a win in the Salinas 250 at Laguna Seca Raceway near Monterey, Calif., on May 21. It was Dotter's first victory in the NASCAR Winston West Series and his first win on a road course.

"It's pretty surprising to me to win on a road course," Dotter said. "I've run about four or five times in the (NASCAR) Busch Series (Grand National Division) at Watkins Glen, but I didn't do that great. This is a very pleasant surprise."

The real surprise for Dotter came in the final two circuits around the picturesque 2.23$-mile California road course, as the race leader Johnny Borneman slowed with a left rear tire going flat.

"As I was catching him so fast I felt he had to have same kind of problem," Dotter said. "So, I really increased it. My brakes were getting really low. At the end there I was just on kind of a conserve mode, just trying to finish. When I saw him slow that last lap or so, I pushed it. It was definitely John's race."

Dotter quickly closed in and charged into the lead coming out of turn four on the white flag lap. He streaked to victory in the People Against Drugs Chevrolet, which is owned by Gene Christensen. Dotter, who established a race record with an average speed of 65.425 mph, won $17,765 in prize money and posted awards.

Kevin Richards of Spokane, Wash., was second in the Monaco Enterprises Chevrolet, while Borneman of Ramona, Calif., struggled to get his Red Line Oil/Borneman Plastering Ford back across the finish line to take third. BI Cajon, Calif., competitor Austin Cameron, who established a track record at 86.911 mph and won his second career Bud Pole Award in qualifying, finished fourth in the Mar-Con/Creative Touch Chevrolet. He was followed across the finish line by two-time series champion Bill Sedgwick in the Arrowhead Spring Water Chevrolet. Completing the top 10 were Eric Norris, Steve Portenga, Garland Self, Gaughan and Joe Bean.

The race featured six lead changes among five drivers - Dotter, Borneman, Richards, Cameron and Scott Gaylord. It was slowed by five cautions for 14 laps.

The event marked Dotter's 11th race in the series. A current resident of Charlotte, N.C., Dotter was a short track champion in the Chicago area and later competed and won in the NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division - as well as other stock car divisions.

Gaughan was able to retain his lead in the NASCAR Winston West Series championship standings. He has 818 points, followed by Richards with 746, Portenga of Sparks, Nev., with 701, Dotter with 681 and Norris of Dallas, Texas, with 680. Others in the top 10 of the standings are John Metcalf 677, Gaylord 648, Bean 637, Cameron 634 and Mike Duncan 620.

Duncan continues to lead in the chase for the Rookie-of-the-Year Award in the series. He has 39 points, followed by Borneman with 37, Mike Grady with 36, Rick Bogart with 34 and Troy Cline with 24. They are trailed by Don Holcomb with 21, Gene Christensen with 20, Travis Powell with 16 and Jeff Jefferson with 16.

The next event on the NASCAR Winston West Series schedule is the Home Depot 250 at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway on June 24.

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