2002 NASCAR WINSTON WEST SERIES RACE FACTS

WHAT: PONTIAC WIDETRACK GRAND PRIX 200
NASCAR Winston West Series Race #3
WHERE: California Speedway, Fontana, Calif.
2-Mile Paved Speedway
WHEN: Saturday, April 27, 2002 – 9:30 a.m. PT

DISTANCE: 100 Laps, 200 Miles

POSTED AWARDS: $244,020

FIELD: 32 cars possible. Fastest 27 cars through time trials. Two provisional starting positions based on 2001 NASCAR Winston West Series Championship driver point standings, two additional provisional starting positions based on 2001 NASCAR Winston West Series Championship owner point standings, and one provisional starting position to NASCAR Winston West Series Champion.

SANCTION: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR)

PROMOTER: California Speedway Corporation

CONTACTS: Dennis Bickmeier, California Speedway, 909/429-5000
Kevin W. Green, NASCAR, 707/447-2743

TV: NASCAR TV on SPEED Channel (Tape Delay)
Air Time: April 29, 8:00 p.m. ET

SCHEDULE: Thursday, April 25
7:00 a.m. Registration Opens & NWWS Team Haulers enter
8:00 a.m. Inspection
9:00 a.m. Mandatory Rookie Drivers’ Meeting
11:30 a.m. Practice to 1:30 p.m.
3:30 p.m. Time Trials (2 laps), All positions
5:00 p.m. Practice to 6:00 p.m.

Friday, April 26
7:00 a.m. Garage opens
8:00 a.m. Final Practice to 9:10 a.m.

Saturday, April 27
6:30 a.m. Garage opens
8:15 a.m. Mandatory Drivers’ Meeting

THE RACE: California Speedway is a superspeedway with turns banked 14 degrees, 11 degrees of banking in the front straight and three degrees banking in the back straight. The track has hosted six NASCAR Winston West Series events.

RECORDS: Driver Date Speed Time
Qualifying: Mark Reed April 26, 2001 181.593 mph 39.649 sec
Race: Brendan Gaughan April 28, 2001 152.316 mph 1 hr, 18 min, 47 sec

2001 REVIEW: Bud Pole Award winner Mark Reed led the initial laps, before giving way to Rick Carelli. Young Jon Wood moved to the front by the ninth lap and set the pace for the rest of the field. The lead was shuffled during the first of only two cautions during the race. Brandon Ash and Carelli each led briefly, with Norris moving back out front on lap 47. Norris lost the lead, however, when he had to stop for fuel under green-flag conditions. Wood moved out front and appeared headed for victory, but Brendan Gaughan chased him down in the closing stages of the event and grabbed the win.

2001 TOP 10 IN THE EVENT: 2001 STATS:
1. Brendan Gaughan Bud Pole: Mark Reed
2. Jon Wood Time of Race: 1 hour, 18 minutes, 47 seconds
3. Austin Cameron Average Speed: 152.316
4. Steve Portenga Margin of Victory: 1.072 seconds
5. Jason Small Caution Flags: Two for eight
6. Ken Schrader Lap Leaders: Mark Reed 1-2, Rick Carelli 3-8, Jon
7. Kevin Richards Wood 9-39, Brandon Ash 40-43, Carelli 44-46, Eric Norris 47-72,
8. David Gilliland Wood 73-97, Gaughan 98-100.
9. Rick Carelli Seven lead changes among six drivers.
10. Sammy Potashnick

PAST RESULTS OF THIS EVENT:
Winner Bud Pole
2001 Brendan Gaughan Mark Reed
2000 Johnny Benson Ken Schrader
1999 Ricky Craven Austin Cameron
1998 Ken Schrader Ken Schrader
1997 Ken Schrader David Green

PARTICIPATING AWARDS SPONSORS:
Winston, Anheuser-Busch, Auto Meter Products, Clevite Engine Parts, Competition Cams, Edelbrock Intake Manifolds, Featherlite Trailers, Ford Motor Company, Gatorade, Goodyear Belts & Hoses, Holley Carburetors, Hoosier Tires, JE Pistons, Jesel Rocker Arms, MAC Tools, Moog Chassis Parts, MSD Ignitions, Raybestos Brakes, Stage 8 Locking Fasteners, Wix Air Filters, 3M Automotive, 76 Race Gasoline.

PONTIAC WIDE TRACK GRAND PRIX 200 SUMMARY:

· The Pontiac WideTrack Grand Prix 200 is the third race on the NASCAR Winston West Series 2002 schedule and the only visit by the series to California Speedway this season.

· This event is one of four superspeedway races on the series schedule this year. While the first was the season-opener at Phoenix, remaining superspeedway events on tap in 2002 include Kansas City and Las Vegas.

· With his victory at California Speedway last year, Brendan Gaughan became the first competitor other than a NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver to win this event.

· Jeff Jefferson is slated for double-duty in two NASCAR Touring events on Saturday, but has about 800 miles to cover between races. He plans to compete in the NASCAR Winston West Series race at California Speedway on Saturday morning and in a Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series, NASCAR Touring event at Tri-City Raceway in West Richland, Wash., on Saturday night.

· One other driver is planning to make a slightly shorter commute of nearly 400 miles on Saturday. David Gilliland is to compete at Fontana on Saturday morning and in a Featherlite Southwest Series NASCAR Touring event at Stockton (Calif.) Speedway on Saturday night.

· Three cars entered at California Speedway are part of a Tri-Community Challenge – put together by the Mayor of Fontana, David Eshleman. The three cars will be representing the communities of Fontana, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga. Butch Gilliland, the 1997 series champion, is to drive the Spirit of Ontario. His son David, the championship crew chief in 1997, is entered in the Spirit of Fontana. Both cars are owned by Eshleman. Meanwhile, series regular Tim Woods III will carry the Spirit of Rancho Cucamonga banner on his entry.

· Last year marked the first time that Ken Schrader did not finish in the top five of this race. His sixth-place finish in 2001 followed top-five finishes in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. This is the first year, meanwhile, that Schrader has not entered this event.

· Schrader is the only driver with more than one series victory at California Speedway. He won this event the first two years it was held – 1997 and 1998.

· Schrader is also the only driver to win more than one Bud Pole Award at the Southern California superspeedway – setting the fast lap in this event in 1998 and 2000.

· With $61,940 in winnings, Schrader has won the most money in NASCAR Winston West Series competition at the two-mile track. Although he failed to lead any laps in last year’s race, Schrader also still leads the most laps of series competition, with 188.

· Scott Gaylord is the only driver to compete in all six NASCAR Winston West Series races that have been held at California Speedway.

· Ninety-two different drivers have competed in the six series races at California Speedway.

· Eric Norris and Greg Pursley are slated to take part in a special kick-off party for the big NASCAR weekend at California Speedway. The party will be at Dave & Buster’s in the Ontario Mills Mall on Wednesday, April 24.

· Seven series drivers are scheduled to participate in the “NASCAR After Dark” program at California Speedway on Thursday, April 25. Austin Cameron, Tim Woods III, Johnny Borneman, Mike David, Scott Lynch and Brett Thompson will appear at the special autograph session at the speedway.

· Chevrolet has the most wins among manufacturers at California Speedway, with four. A Ford was in victory lane in 1999 and a Pontiac won in 2000.

NOTES OF INTEREST:

· Cameron has won five Bud Pole Awards in the series, placing him in a tie on the career list with Rick Carelli, Derrike Cope and Gaughan.

· Norris has passed Mike Chase to move into the top 10 on the list of series career money leaders. His series winnings total $370,178.

STATS OF THE WEEK:

· Last year’s event marked the first time the winner came from outside the top five on the grid. Gaughan lined up eighth.

Series Race Winners in 2002: Series Bud Pole Winners in 2002:
1. Austin Cameron 2 1. Austin Cameron 1
2. Eric Norris 1

Stage 8 Locking Fasteners
Series money winnings for 2002: Rookie-of-the-Year Standings:
1. Austin Cameron $31,655 1. Mike David 19
2. Sean Woodside 14,430 2. Greg Pursley 19
3. Eric Norris 13,965 3. Brett Thompson 15
4. Sammy Potashnick 12,330 4. G.J. Mennen Jr. 13
5. Kevin Richards 9,555 5. Scott Lynch 8
6. Greg Pursley 8,751
7. Johnny Borneman 7,805
8. Mike David 7,078 Series Manufacturers’ Championship
9. Hershel McGriff 6,505 Points Wins
10. Scott Gaylord 6,430 1. Chevrolet 18 2
2. Ford 10 0
3. Pontiac 10 0

Lap Leaders Top 10 Laps Completed (372):
1. Austin Cameron 174 1. Austin Cameron 372
2. Greg Pursley 95 2. Greg Pursley 372
3. Kevin Richards 58 3. Kevin Richards 372
4. Sean Woodside 29 4. Sean Woodside 372
5. Eric Norris 16 5. Eric Norris 371
6. Mike David 370
7. Brandon Ash 363
8. Mike Duncan 362
9. Bobby Hillis 361
10. Daryl Harr 357

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:
2002 2001 (After two races)
Driver Points Wins Driver Points Wins
1. Austin Cameron 365 2 1. Mark Reed 345 1
2. Sean Woodside 335 0 2. Austin Cameron 330 0
3. Greg Pursley 315 0 3. Kevin Richards 315 0
4. Eric Norris 304 0 4. Mike Duncan 297 0
5. Kevin Richards 301 0 5. Joe Bean 273 0
6. Mike David 290 0 6. Eric Norris 272 0
7. Brandon Ash 247 0 7. Scott Gaylord 272 0
8. Scott Gaylord 246 0 8. Bill Sedgwick 263 0
9. Hershel McGriff 246 0 9. Steve Portenga 261 0
10. Jeff Jefferson 245 0 10. Johnny Borneman 261 0

MEDIA SERVICES:

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