Craig Raudman of Redding, Calif. will return to "full-time" competition in the Flashco Southwest Tour in 2008 driving the same Chevrolet he took to victory lane at Shasta Raceway Park in his only series start last year. Raudman has spent the last couple of years serving as crew chief for Brian Ickler on the NASCAR Camping World Series but has longed to leave the sidelines and return to the drivers seat.

Raudman (2001 Southwest Tour champion) will be driving a team car to 2007 series champion Dave Byrd and for new car owner Bob Strandwold of Modesto, CA in a Chevrolet sponsored by Performance Electrical Company, Approved Memory, J & S Plastering, ERC Fuels, and Redline Oil. The #2 car will have Raudman’s recognizable black and blue paint scheme from his glory days on the Southwest Tour. Reuniting with Raudman this season will also be former car owner and long-time friend Dave Reed. Reed will serve as Raudman's spotter and marketing manager.

Raudman was looking at several options this season and Strandwold came to him with the perfect arrangement. "Bob (Strandwold) bought the car I built last year and offered me the ride," Raudman said. "He wanted a two-car team and I wanted to race. I will prepare and house the car at my shop which was really the deciding factor for me."

For Strandwold's part it is the perfect situation. "I have known Craig for a long time and I really wanted a second car so I could not be happier that we were able to put a deal together."

Strandwold's started his racing career at the old Stockton 99 Speedway in 1978 after purchasing a car from Johnny Brazil. Strandwold climbed out of the driver's seat after winning the last race of the season at Stockton in 2001 and moved to the role of car owner.

Strandwold's brother Jeff, who is also the superintendant of Performance Electrical, will manage the race team operations out of their Modesto shop. With the upper divisions of NASCAR looking only at youth, Strandwold knows experience and maturity equals success. "Craig and Dave have so much experience and talent," Strandwold said. "I think they both bring so much to the series. Race car drivers want to beat the best and they are two of the very best to ever race in the West."

Top five finishes are certainly the expectation for this two-car effort but Raudman has winning on his mind. In two previous SRL starts, Raudman was the fastest qualifier and the won race as well, so expectations are high to start the season when the series visits All-American Speedway in Roseville, CA March 29.

"The only time I raced at All-American was in a Pro-Truck back when I owned Victory Circle," Raudman said. "But the track has been reconfigured and it is a lot faster today, so I am sure it will be action-packed and a great race for the series."

Raudman is also eyeing the series title and knows his experience at all the tracks on the schedule this season will be an advantage. Irwindale, Tucson, Vegas, and CNS are newer venues for the SRL and Raudman has a lot of laps around those facilities.

"I feel that we will be competitive at every track and hopefully we can string together a few wins along the way,' Raudman said. "I also can't wait to turn laps at the new Kern County track. It is going to be a great venue for the series."

Raudman earned 15 career Southwest Tour wins (under the NASCAR banner) for fifth all-time and 29 career fast times during his storied Tour career. Raudman is looking to produce the same kind of results this season in the SRL but knows the competition runs deep. "The best of the old Tour joining with the best of the SRL will make for probably the best racing that fans will see anywhere this season."

Raudman started 158 Southwest Tour races with 58 career top five and 89 career top ten finishes. Raudman’s biggest race win came at the LA Street Race in 2000 where he bested a field of NASCAR Sprint Cup regulars and the best of the Southwest Tour to claim the winner’s purse of more than $18,275.

In his brief SRL career, Raudman has been perfect but this season the dreams go beyond perfection. The goal is to have fun, be competitive, and perhaps hoist another Southwest Tour championship trophy.

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