SCOTT LYNCH SCORES NASCAR VICTORY AT ROSEBURG OREGON

Source: NASCAR
Date: 09/19/2004

ROSEBURG, Oregon -- Scott Lynch appeared almost surprised to be in victory lane at Douglas County Speedway after the NAPA Auto Parts 200 Presented by NAPA Belts and Hose on Sunday, Sept. 19. The NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series defending champion had suddenly inherited the lead when the two front-running cars came in contact and spun just after a lap 120 restart.

Lynch took advantage of the opportunity to cruise to victory, scoring his first win in a season in which he has endured a typical "sophomore slump," after winning the series championship as a rookie last year.

"I don't know if we had anything for the 16 (Austin Cameron) and the 9 car (Mike Duncan)," Lynch said of the cars that ran one-two for the first 119 laps. "We just kind of played it smart and lady luck was on our side for once. Every time we come to Roseburg, we always have a decent car to run in the top five, but we never feel we have a winning car here. Just the way our luck went, we ended up with a win. It's pretty cool."

Lynch started the race from the fourth spot on the grid and remained fourth through most of the first half of the race. Duncan and Cameron - who entered the event one-two, respectively, in the championship standings - ran one-two in the race. Duncan, who has dominated qualifying this season, had won his fifth Bud Pole Award during time trials with a lap of 117.607 mph in his Lucas Oil/Ron's Rear Ends Chevrolet.

Although Duncan stretched out his lead just past the midway point of the race, it was erased by a caution on lap 110. Just after the restart, Duncan and Cameron spun to the inside of the track as they came off turn two - leading to a wild scramble as drivers swerved to avoid the pair. Their two cars, along with several others, were damaged in the incident, but all were able to continue after visiting the pits for repairs.

Lynch, meanwhile, avoided the incident and took over the lead. The 24-year-old driver from Burley, Idaho, paced the field to the finish in the Yerf-Dog/Orleans Racing Dodge, with a margin of victory of 1.675 seconds. The win, his fifth career victory, netted him $7,166 in winnings.

Series rookie David Gilliland of Riverside, Calif., took the runner-up spot in the RaceCarCeilingFans.com Chevrolet. Duncan of Bakersfield, Calif., recovered for third. Series veteran Scott Gaylord of Lakewood, Colo., was fourth in the Oliver Gravity Separators/Denver Seminary Chevrolet - followed by Brett Thompson of Jerome, Idaho, in the Rich Thompson Trucking Chevrolet. Completing the top 10 were Cameron, Kerry Earnhardt, Mike David, Daryl Harr and Carl Harr.

The first portion of the race was run on Saturday night, but inclement weather halted the action on lap 68 and postponed the conclusion of the 200-lap event until Sunday.

With his third-place finish, Duncan stretched his lead in the championship standings to 83 points over Cameron - 1,496 to 1,413. David and Gaylord are next in line, each with 1,333 points, followed closely by Gilliland with 1,331 points. Rounding out the top 10 are Lynch at 1,271, Daryl Harr at 1,178, Carl Harr at 1,131, Tim Woods III at 1,104 and Gene Woods at 1,089.

Gilliland, meanwhile, added to his lead in the chase for the Auto Meter Rookie of the Year Award. He tops the list with 83 points, followed by Daryl Harr with 71; Carl Harr with 69; Nick DeFazio with 63; Jose Luis Ramirez with 60; Tavo C.T. Hellmund with 32; Brian Richardson with 15; Alfredo Tame with 3 and Takuma Koga with 2.

The next event on the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series schedule will be the Subway 150 at Phoenix International Raceway on Oct. 3.

See Also .:

• Scott Lynch Driver Card
• Douglas County Speedway Track Page

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