WOODSIDE LEADS JUST FOUR LAPS IN FIRST SOUTHWEST SERIES WIN

Source: Gary Jacob
Date: 03/27/2000

Leading just the final four laps after leaders Augie Vidovich and Craig Raudman tangled and spun, Sean Woodside won the Foods Co sponsored 100 lap NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series event at Mesa Marin Raceway on Friday night. Woodside was the 1999 Winston West champion, but lost his ride and was hired to drive for Bob Farmer on the Southwest Series when business pressures forced Dennis Dyer to give up the ride. Vidovich had led from lap 19, but third row starter Raudman pulled alongside as they finished lap 96. They made contact in turn 1 and both spun. Surprise fast timer Jon Nelson ran second ahead of Matt Crafton, Jim Inglebright and Doug McCoun. The win was worth $2,400 plus contingencies and it was Woodside's first ever victory on this series. His mount uses a Maropolus engine. The evening opened the 3 days of racing that features the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and opens Mesa Marin's 2000 season.

A large 44 car field attempted to earn slots in the 30 car starting field. The very first car to time, Nelson turned fast time with a 18.050 lap. The founder of the Ultra Wheels Spec Truck series drives for Jim Smith of Ultra Wheels. One of the last cars to time, Raudman was second fast at 18.055. Crafton ran a 18.120 lap Greg Pursley a 18.138, Frank Maronski Jr a 18.142 and Vidovich a 18.182. Woodside was 7th fast at 18.186. The fastest 26 cars to time made the cut and provisionals were used by Scott Busby and Rocky Nash, who had crashed hard i time trials. The four fastest time trialers ran a dash with Pursley the winner ahead of Raudman and J Nelson. When Ben Walker scratched from the B, it left 15 cars to duel for just two transfer slots into the 100 lapper. Randy Nelson led the firt 2 laps of the B, but drifted high on lap 3 and Bruce Bechtel led the rest of the way with Ultra Wheels champion Steve Smith second ahead of Tucson's Paul Banghart, Phoenix racer Ross Thompson and dirt tracker Chris Wadsworth. Utah ace Jeff Hillock crashed hard to force a caution that ate up 7 of the 20 laps as the transponder scoring found even the yellow flag laps in a 20 lapper being scored. An incomplete track cleanup found contenders R Nelson and Vince Little both spinning on the restart.

The lineup for the 100 lapper was an invert 6 that put Vidovich and Maronski on the front row with Pursley and Crafton in row 2 and the fast time duo of Raudman and J Nelson in row 3. After scrambling to repair the right front suspension and make the call, Nash's night ended when a tap from Ed Coughenour sent him hard into the inside wall on lap 2. Maronski raced into the lead over Vidovich and Crafton's Ford. J Nelson took third from Crafton on lap 17 and Vidovich got underneath Maronski in turn 3 on lap 19 to take the lead. Tri-Track regular Mike Ledbetter spun for a lap 23 yellow flag. The restart attempt saw the rear end explode in the Maronski car, resulting in a huge ball of flame that engulfed the J Nelson car. Only Maronski was eliminated in the inident. Green flag racing resumed on lap 36 with Vidovich leading J Nelson, Crafton, Pursley, Raudman and Mark Reed. Raudman got underneath Pursley for fourth on lap 44 and he took third from Crafton at the midway mark. Woodside broke into the top five when Pursley spun for a lap 60 yellow flag.

On lap 67, Coughenour was spun by Crafton. As he tried to power through the spin, he made heavy contact with sixth place Reed forced Reed hard into the front wall. Jason Fensler, Scott Busby and Pursley got tangled up in the incident and Kenny Shepherd pitted. This lengthy caution saw green flag racing resuming on lap 80 and Raudman quickly took second from J Nelson and Woodside got around Crafton for fourth. J Nelson slipped high on lap 84 and lost third to Woodside. Eric Holmes crashed for the final yellow flag on lap 86. The green flag racing returned with just 7 laps to run and Raudman was able to get underneath Vidovich as they completed lap 96. They bumped in turn 1 and both cars spun with Woodside getting by for the lead and the win. J Nelson was second ahead of Crafton, Inglebright, McCoun, Keith Spangler, back row starter Bechtel, Raudman, Tucson's John Baker and Darrell LeMoure. Veteran M K Kanke and rookie Todd Souza just missed the top 10 as former super modified star Scott Backman from Colorado was 13th ahead of fellow Colorado long tow Greg Fowler and Irwindale Grand American Modified champion Larry Kreiger. The transponder scoring showed Raudman, Reed, Vidovich and Maronski with the fastest laps in the race, all in the 18.4's.

Summary Fast Time-Jon Nelson 18.050 Dash-Greg Pursley, Craig Raudman, J Nelson. B Main-Bruce Bechtel, Steve Smith, Paul Banghart, Ross Thompson, Chris Wadsworth, Harry Brady, Brett Thompson, Vince Little, Doug Elliott, Mike Bright, Randy Nelson, Steve Petty, Clint Curry, Gary Matranga, Jeff Hillock. A Main-Sean Woodside, J Nelson, Matt Crafton, Jim Inglebright, Doug McCoun, Keith Spangler, Bechtel, Raudman, John Baker, Darrell LeMoure, M K Kanke, Todd Souza, Scott Backman, Greg Fowler, Larry Kreiger, Jason Fensler, Carson Woods, Steve Smith, Vidovich, Scott Lynch, Kenny Shepherd, Scott Busby, Pursley, Mike Ledbetter, Bob Lyon, Eric Holmes, Mark Reed, Ed Coughenour, Frank Maronski Jr, Rocky Nash.

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