JEFFERSON SOLDIERS TO 11TH IN CAMPING WORLD SERIES OPENER

YAKIMA, Washington -- Jeff Jefferson of Yakima, Washington did not have the kind of day he envisioned before the race began, but managed to salvage an 11th place effort in the Toyota NAPA Autocare “150” Saturday night at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif. The race was the first of 13 for the newly named NASCAR Camping World Series.

Jefferson and team did not have much on-track time over the weekend after rain washed out practice on Friday leaving only one 45-minute practice session on Saturday before qualifying. Jefferson’s frustration turned to disappointment after posting a qualifying lap of 14.397 putting him in the 17th position on the starting grid for the 150-lap race.

Jefferson survived several caution and red flag periods along with getting tapped from behind by Jason Patison and Jamie Dick causing his MJ2 Racing Chevrolet to spin and lose the track position he worked so hard to gain throughout the event.

“It was really a tough night for us,” Jefferson said. “This was not how we wanted to start the season but at least we finished and finished on the lead lap. There is something wrong with the suspension causing the car not to turn. I had to get the thing loose just to get into the corner then it would just die trying to come off the corner. We will take it back to the shop and tear it apart and get it ready for Thunderhill.”

“We are not very satisfied with the way the car worked but we finished and we will go back and work on it,” stated team manager Chuck Carruthers. “I am a bit puzzled as we set both cars up identically, but this chassis just would not turn.” (During preseason testing the team primarily tested the team car driven by Jim Warn)

Completing his first NASCAR Camping World Series race weekend was rookie team owner Mike Warn. “I am real happy to leave All American with two cars that rolled into the hauler. We need to walk before we can run and I know Jeff is disappointed in the way the car ran but I know he will be tough the rest of the season. He is always good at Phoenix and we cannot wait to get down there and put the cars on the track.”

In the end, Jefferson was optimistic about the weekend. “It was great to see Jim run so well,” Jefferson said. “He held his own out with some guys that were driving pretty rough. I am real proud of his performance. Obviously this was not the kind of outing we wanted but sometimes you just have to bring it home. We did that. I am very excited about Phoenix. We have a real good car for the track and we were real good testing there earlier in the month.”

Jefferson enters the 2008 season with 25 career NCWS starts with one win and 12 top ten finishes. He drives a Chevrolet for MJ2 Racing sponsored by Gran Prix Imports and Leupold Optics. His chassis is a Hopkins drop snout and is powered by a Chevrolet NASCAR Spec engine.

Jefferson heads to Phoenix and the running of the Jimmy Johnson Foundation “150” Thursday, April 10 sitting in the 11th place point’s position just 60 markers behind leader Eric Holmes. Jefferson is looking for his first win at Phoenix after scoring several top five finishes in NASCAR Southwest Tour action over the years.

For all the latest news and information regarding Jeff Jefferson and MJ2 Racing please log onto www.mj2racing.com.

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