THOUSAND OAKS, California -- Doug McComb, the reigning champion of the annual Mesa Marin (CA) Speedway's October Classic will be returning to defend his title Sunday afternoon in the running of the NASCAR Late Model "RacingWest.com 125". Billed as the richest late model event ever held at the half-mile oval, several dozen of the West Coasts top late model drivers will be competing for a purse of over $21,000, with a beautiful eagle trophy and $3,000 going to the winner.
The 27 year old Thousand Oaks resident also brings to the event two other titles, those being the 2003 California Late Model Champion, as well as the 2004 Irwindale (CA) Speedways Auto Club Late Model Series champion.
The former local high school basketball coach had a stellar year in winning his Irwindale championship. In a sixteen race season, he had four wins, finished in the top five twelve times, in the top ten fourteen times, and was the fastest qualifier on twelve occasions.
McComb, who has a wife, Amanda, and 15 month old son, Braden, got involved in racing when he was about eleven years old at the now-closed Saugus (CA) Speedway as a spectator. A few years later, "I got involved with a couple of drivers in the street stock division the last year it was open. When it closed there were some cars available for purchase. I had a job then and had saved up some money and bought the track champions car. We went to Mesa Marin and competed in the Super Stock division and in my rookie year, I finished seventh in the points. That's when I knew I wanted to be a racer".
In 1999, the Irwindale Speedway opened, and being closer to home, McComb raced Super Stocks there for a couple of years. Three years ago, Les DenHerder and Craig Raudman of Victory Circle Chassis and Parts in Bakersfield, decided they wanted to be represented at Irwindale in the late model division and selected McComb to be their "in-house" driver. His car will be the blue and silver #4 2004 Victory Circle Chassis/Pick-A-Part/Finish Line Motorsports Dodge Intrepid.
Having raced, and won, at both speedways, Doug says, "The biggest difference is in the turns and the formation of the track. At Irwindale, the corners are not so tight and you can get on it a little quicker to start down the straight-aways, whereas at Mesa you've got to have the set-up right for the tighter turns".
"Right now, we're doing the little things to get the car ready. Putting in a different Ron's rear-end, changing some shocks and springs, the things we need to do to make the change from one track to the other".
The BG Products/PetroSpecs Inc. sales representative would like to make auto racing his lively-hood. "I realize that at my age it's going to be an uphill climb, but I'd love to bang fenders with Stewart and Earnhardt and be a Nextel Cup driver. My short term goal is to find somebody like Les and Craig did, who will take a chance on me to move up to the next level. I think I can be competitive in either the Southwest or Grand National West Series and hopefully go up to one of the premier divisions like Busch or Craftsman Trucks".
As for the upcoming race this Sunday. "This is a big event. It's got a lot of history and prestige behind it, which makes it a huge race for both me and my team. Bakersfield is Victory Circle's home base, and you know what that would mean to win it. I cut my teeth and learned how to drive at Mesa and it means a lot to go back there and race. I know there's going to be a lot of competition, but me and that old lady get along really well and we fully intend to defend our championship".
