AT RMR TO CAPTURE 4TH WIN IN 2002

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 3, 2002) – Austin Cameron went to Rocky Mountain Raceways hoping to gain ground in his chase for the championship in the NASCAR Winston West Series. He had his work cut out for him, however, after qualifying 17th – his worst start of the year. In fact, it was the first time this season that he had qualified outside of the top 10 and only the second time he would line up outside the top three on the grid.

(photo courtesy of Denny Strimple)

A combination of patience and aggressiveness by Cameron on the .375-mile paved oval, along with some strategic pit stops by his Orleans Racing team, provided a methodical march through the field and a win in the Young Automotive Group 250 on Aug. 31.

"I knew we were up to the last straw in the championship deal and I knew I had to get to the front and get there fast," Cameron said. "We kept adjusting on the car and I was also adjusting the brakes to get the car to handle on the high line or the low line. We ended up getting the car really good."

"The biggest thing was passing on the high line, where no one was going," Cameron said. "Our car really worked well on that high line and I wasn’t afraid to go by anybody, anywhere."

Cameron had made his way into the top 10 by lap 50 and was up to seventh by the 100th lap. His progress to the front was slowed after getting into the top three 50 laps later, however. He slipped into the runner-up spot by lap 200 and then muscled his way into first on lap 226.

Once out front, Cameron never relinquished the lead – despite a couple of late-race cautions that bunched up the field. His margin of victory was .807 of a second, at an average speed of 66.254 mph. For the victory, his fourth this season and the fifth of his career, Cameron won $16,117 in prize money and posted awards.


Kevin Richards of Spokane, Wash., finished second in the Monaco Enterprises Chevrolet. Third went to series veteran Scott Gaylord, who had captured the Bud Pole Award in qualifying. The Lakewood, Colo., competitor turned in a speed of 85.077 mph in the Oliver Gravity Separators/Denver Seminary Chevrolet. Series rookie Scott Lynch of Burley, Idaho, finished fourth in the Yerf-Dog/Mr. Gas Chevrolet; while fifth went to Mark Reed of Bakersfield, Calif., in the Royal Bath & Body Products Pontiac. Rounding out the top 10 were Mike David, Eric Norris, Johnny Borneman, Daryl Harr and Brandon Ash.

The race featured seven lead changes among six drivers – Gaylord, Cameron, Richards, Norris, Borneman and Clint Vahsholtz. The pace of the event was slowed by eight cautions for 43 laps.

Although the victory gives Cameron four wins in eight races this season, he still trails Norris in the NASCAR Winston West Series championship standings. The margin was narrowed to just 46 points, 1,320 to 1,274, with two races remaining. Richards remains a close second with 1,266. David moved to fourth, meanwhile, with 1,174. He is followed by Borneman with 1,166. Completing the top 10 are Mike Duncan at 1,157, Gaylord at 1,117, Ash at 1,107, Greg Pursley at 1,096 and Brett Thompson at 1,065.

David continues to lead the chase for this year’s Stage 8 Locking Fasteners Rookie-of-the-Year Award. He has accumulated 73 points, followed by Pursley with 68 and Thompson with 66. Lynch is fourth on the list with 35, followed by G.J. Mennen with 21.

Chevrolet has moved back out front in the battle for the Manufacturers’ Championship in the series. Chevrolet has 60 points and four wins, while Ford has 56 points and four wins. Pontiac trails with 32 points, followed by Dodge with 13 points.

The next event on the NASCAR Winston West Series schedule is the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by NAPA Belts & Hoses and Royal Purple at Douglas County Speedway at Roseburg, Ore., on Sept. 21.

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