The Girls of Summer
Win pushes Duncan into limelight
SCOTT LINESBURGH
Published Sunday, Jul 3, 2005

Paula Creamer reacts with a fist pump as her ball drops into the hole at the LPGA Women's World Match Play Championship in Gladstone, N.J. on Thursday, June 30, 2005. Creamer beat Maria Hjorth in the first round 4 and 3. (AP Photo/Tim Larsen). Photo Credit: AP

STOCKTON -- Sometimes Allison Duncan wonders what all the fuss is about. She is a race car driver, and she just went out and won a race.

But in these days of Danica-mania, that victory at a tough little track in Stockton is big news around the racing world.

Duncan won the Western Late Model main event at Stockton 99 Speedway on June 11, just two weeks after Danica Patrick's captivating fourth-place finish in the Indianapolis 500. Her victory was the first by a member of NASCAR's "Drive for Diversity" program in its two-year existence.
 

 

Paula Creamer, of Pleasanton, Calif., reacts after missing a putt on the 6th hole at the Women's World Match Play Championship in Gladstone, N.J. on Friday, July 1, 2005. Creamer lost to Karrie Webb, of Australia, 2 and 1. (AP Photo/Tim Larsen). Photo Credit: AP

Suddenly, Duncan, 26, was the subject of countless newspaper stories and television interviews, and she was invited to hang out on the red carpet with actress Lindsay Lohan at the Hollywood premiere of "Herbie: Fully Loaded."

Not bad for a woman who left her home in San Rafael four years ago and went to work as a waitress in North Carolina. She went to the hotbed of NASCAR to pursue her driving dream.

"Everybody's been so excited about the win. Who knew that everybody cared?" Duncan said.
 

 

Paula Creamer, golf: The 18-year-old rookie from Pleasanton has come out of nowhere to become a major player in women’s golf. She won the week before her high school graduation and has finished in the top five four times Photo Credit: AP

Deep down, she knows exactly why.

"It has surprised me a little bit that so many people care about what I am doing in my late model car in Stockton," Duncan said. "Because of Danica's performance, everyone is like 'Where's the new Danica?' And then everyone jumps on the fact that 'Hey, there's a female driver, and she won.' "

Duncan is one of eight drivers across the country who are members of NASCAR's diversity program. It was set up to help minority and women drivers get involved in the sport and eventually move into its upper echelon.
 

 

Michelle Wie watches her tee shot on No. 9 during the qualifying round for the men's U.S. Open in Kahuku, Hawaii, Friday, May 13, 2005. Wie shot a 4-over 76, failing to secure one of four berths in sectional play. But the high school sophomore still has a chance to play with the men at Pinehurst. She finished in a three-way tie for sixth and was declared the second alternate. (AP Photo/Ronen Zilberman) Photo Credit: AP

Many of the NASCAR Nextel Cup teams joined in the effort. Duncan drives for Bill McAnally, one of the most successful car owners on the West Coast, and famed Nextel Cup team owner Richard Childress, who won six titles with the late Dale Earnhardt.

That's a powerful combination any driver would want.

"She has this ride because she's a very talented driver with a very bright future," McAnally said. "I think she's helped the program, and I think she will keep moving up in the sport."
 

 

Maria Sharapova, of Russia, celebrates match point after her 7-6 (6), 6-3 win over Nadia Petrova, of Russia, in their quarterfinal match on Court 1 at Wimbledon Tuesday, June 28, 2005 (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus) Photo Credit: AP

No one knows whether Duncan will realize her ultimate goal of getting into a Nextel Cup car, but she has become a symbol of the success of the diversity plan.

"I think this helps the credibility of the program," said Tish Sheets, NASCAR's director of diversity. "Allison has done a wonderful job this season, and this victory thrilled all of us."

Duncan said she is fine with all the attention and has fun with it. She is a charismatic speaker who patiently answers the same question a couple of dozen times. She stood at the movie premier at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood next to Lohan and NASCAR driver Erin Crocker, and she answered questions that ranged from whether she has raced against Jeff Gordon to whether Lohan looks better with red or blonde hair.
 

 

Morgan Pressel, golf: She joined the LPGA Tour’s group of “Dream Teens” by almost winning the U.S. Women’s Open. She lost her shot at a major on the last hole, but at age 17, the amateur proved she can handle the pressure Photo Credit: AP

"It was pretty crazy and funny," Duncan said. "We walked out on the red carpet and the photographers were shouting 'Allison! Erin! Look over here!' and we were just shocked they knew our name."

Childress said Duncan has "a ton of potential" as a driver, and he has studied how she has handled the media onslaught. NASCAR isn't just about driving a car. It also is about dealing with the media and sponsors.

"You have to be professional in everything, and you have to be professional in that area." Childres said. "You have to know how to handle it, and I think she does a great job with it. It gives us an opportunity to look at her in that area."
 

Focused on the job
 

Maria Sharapova, tennis: The 18-year-old Russian did not realize her dream of repeating as Wimbledon champion, but she remains one of the most popular and successful players in the world. She has talent, good looks and endorsements Photo Credit: AP

At Stockton 99 Speedway, the drivers are more worried about the points standings than publicity.

Going into Saturday's Tri-Holiday Classic, Duncan was locked in a tight four-way race for the Western Late Model title with Pete Anderson Jr. of Stockton, John Moore of Granite Bay and Chris Monez of Turlock.

"When I started I said I wanted to win the championship, that's why we're all here," Duncan said.
 

 

Danica Patrick, auto racing: At age 23, she got the attention of the national media by qualifying fourth at the Indianapolis 500, and then backed it up by leading late in the race and finishing fourth. It was the best finish by a woman at Indy Photo Credit: AP

Her biggest challenge is inexperience at the notoriously tricky quarter-mile oval. The only Stockton 99 rookie to win the Late Model title at Stockton 99 was Ernie Irvan in 1977.

Anderson is the points leader and a track veteran who has worked his way up to Stockton 99's top division. He said on the first day of the season in April that he only thought of her as another driver, and he hasn't changed his view.

"I understand the attention, but I don't pay too much attention to it," Anderson said. "I want to win the title, and so does she. I knew she'd be a serious contender because of her talent and the support she has, and she has been."
 

 

State track championships for Brittany Daniels and West High would not have been possible without the passage of Title IX Photo Credit: The Stockton Record

Monez said he has enjoyed the fact that Stockton 99 is in the spotlight and has been impressed with how Duncan has handled it.

"Allison has brought a lot of attention to Stockton, and I think it's great," Duncan said. "There's a lot of pressure there. The fact that she's done this well tells you that she is a great driver."

It's a job she's wanted since she was 9 years old. Her father, Bob Duncan, grabbed her by the hand and took her to the inaugural Nextel Cup race at Infineon in 1989.
 

"The cars went thundering by, and she was fascinated," Bob Duncan said. "She stood there covering her ears but loving it."

She raced cars as a teenager and after graduating from Cal Poly in 2001 with a degree in engineering. Then, she moved to North Carolina and worked at a place called Firebird's Rocky Mountain Grill and as a driving instructor before gathering enough money to put together a Late Model car at Hickory Speedway in Hickory, N.C., in 2003.

She was named the rookie of the year and returned the next season to Hickory as a member of the diversity program, finishing fifth in points.
 

McAnally offered her a chance to come back to Northern California to compete at Stockton 99. Next season, she could move up to the Grand National West Series. Childress said he wouldn't be surprised to see her in a Busch Series car in the next two years.

As a race car driver, Duncan appreciates that she is on the fast track. She doesn't mind being called the next Danica as long as she gets to be the first Allison in a Nextel Cup car.

And if the win at Stockton 99 helps her toward that goal, then she's happy.
 

"It's been fun, and, hopefully, this leads to good things," Duncan said. "My attitude is, let's keep it going."

Contact reporter Scott Linesburgh at 209 546-8281 or slinesbu@recordnet.com