OREGON RACE ADDED TO SCHEDULE

 FOR NASCAR WINSTON WEST SERIES

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 14, 2002) – Race fans in Oregon will get the chance to see the NASCAR Winston West Series in action this year with the addition of an event on the 2002 series schedule, NASCAR announced today.

The NAPA Auto Parts 200 Presented by NAPA Belts and Hose and Royal Purple on Sept. 21 will mark the first visit by the series in three decades to Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Ore.

"The NASCAR Winston West Series has a very strong following in Oregon and throughout the Northwest, and we’re very excited to add this event to the schedule," said Chris Boals, director of NASCAR Touring and the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge. "It’s great to see the series return to Oregon."

A recently completed $400,000 renovation to the Roseburg facility included expanding and widening of the track, as well as a complete resurfacing that increased the banking in the turns from nine to 11 degrees.

Douglas County Speedway – which was a .25-mile paved oval when it last hosted a NASCAR Winston West Series race in 1971 – was lengthened to a .333-mile oval, before being expanded again during its recent renovation to a "short half-mile."

The fairgrounds track was the site of four series races between 1966 and 1971. Legendary driver Hershel McGriff, who recently announced his retirement from the sport, won the 1971 event from the pole position.

Oregon resident Brandon Ash of nearby Umpqua is sure to be a crowd favorite for the September event. Fans from the state of Washington will also have plenty to cheer about, meanwhile, with Kevin Richards of Spokane and Jeff Jefferson of Naches expected to compete. California should be well represented – with drivers such as Austin Cameron of El Cajon, Eric Norris of Dana Point, Mike Duncan of Lamont, Tim Woods III of Chino Hills, Johnny Borneman of Ramona, Greg Pursley of Newhall, Mike David of Modesto, and Jack Sellers of Sacramento. Other drivers in the series include Scott Gaylord of Lakewood, Colo.; Scott Lynch of Burley, Idaho; Brett Thompson of Jerome, Idaho; G.J. Mennen of Cornelius, N.C.; and Bobby Hillis of Phoenix, Ariz.

In addition to the Roseburg event, a NASCAR Winston West Series race at Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway on Aug. 17, was previously added to the series schedule. The additional events boost the 2002 series schedule to 10 races. Six of the races are being televised nationally on SPEED Channel.

This year’s schedule features four superspeedway events. The series kicked off its season at Phoenix International Raceway on Feb. 2 and traveled to California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., on April 27. It will also visit Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., on June 1; and Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 12.

In addition to the Douglas County Speedway and Stockton 99 Speedway races, the 2002 schedule includes four other short track events. The series visited The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in April. Other short track events on tap this season include Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash., on June 29; Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway on July 27; and Rocky Mountain Raceways in West Valley City, Utah, on Aug. 31.

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