2002 Southwest Tour Coverage

NASCAR has a broad reach with 1,800 racing events in 36 states at more than 110 tracks. The sanctioning body for stock car racing is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in New York City (Corporate Marketing), Los Angeles (Broadcasting Media and Entertainment), Charlotte, N.C. (Licensing and Aftermarket), and Concord, N.C. (Research and Development Center).

1. (36) Eddy McKean, Pontiac, 134, Running, $12,150;

2. (3) Jeff Jefferson, Chevrolet, 134, Running, $5,600;

3. (9) Steve Carlson, Chevrolet, 134, Running, $4,100;

4. (16) Eric Holmes, Chevrolet, 134, Running, $4,300;

5. (27) Brian Hoppe, Chevrolet, 134, Running, $3,200;

6. (19) Tim Schendel, Chevrolet, 134, Running, $2,800;

7. (2) Ben Walker, Chevrolet, 134, Running, $2,400;

8. (6) Jim Pettit II, Ford, 134, Running, $3,100;

9. (23) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 134, Running, $2,100;

10. (42) Eddy Mercer, Ford, 134, Running, $2,000;

11. (12) Ken Schrader, Chevrolet, 134, Running, $1,700;

12. (20) Zach Niessner, Chevrolet, 134, Running, $1,650;

13. (18) Auggie Vidovich Jr., Chevrolet, 134, Running, $2,500;

14. (26) Joe Herold, Chevrolet, 134, Running, $1,550;

15. (7) Burney Lamar, Chevrolet, 133, Running, $2,400;

16. (10) Dan Holtz, Ford, 133, Running, $2,375;

17. (13) Erik Darnell, Chevrolet, 133, Running, $1,425;

18. (4) Craig Raudman, Chevrolet, 133, Running, $2,300;

19. (24) Kevin Clark, Chevrolet, 133, Running, $1,375;

20. (22) Greg Potts, Chevrolet, 132, Running, $1,325;

21. (14) Doug McCoun, Chevrolet, 132, Running, $1,300;

22. (39) Chris Hines, Chevrolet, 132, Running, $1,275;

23. (34) Tom Sweatman, Chevrolet, 132, Running, $1,240;

24. (31) Mike Ledbetter, Chevrolet, 132, Running, $1,200;

25. (25) Steve Belletto, Chevrolet, 131, Running, $2,075;

26. (30) JR Patton, Chevrolet, 131, Running, $2,050;

27. (1) Joey Miller, Chevrolet, 129, Running, $1,450;

28. (11) David Gilliland, Chevrolet, 127, Running, $2,025;

29. (38) Richard Johnson, Chevrolet, 127, Running, $1,125;

30. (40) A. J. Rhoads, Chevrolet, 122, Running, $1,125;

31. (37) Nathan Thiesse, Chevrolet, 115, Running, $1,125;

32. (8) John Dillon, Pontiac, 113, Running, $1,125;

33. (5) Ed Hoffman, Chevrolet, 77, Flat Tire, $1,125;

34. (29) Todd Souza, Ford, 48, Accident, $1,125;

35. (28) Greg Voigt, Chevrolet, 47, Accident, $1,125;

36. (35) Michael Price, Chevrolet, 27, Transmission, $1,125;

37. (15) Thomas Martin, Chevrolet, 21, Accident, $1,125;

38. (21) Danny Burson, Chevrolet, 21, Accident, $1,125;

39. (33) Kevin Vernon, Chevrolet, 1, Accident, $1,125;

40. (32) Ed Belec, Chevrolet, 0, Accident, $1,125;

41. (41) Russell Butler, Chevrolet, 0, Accident, $1,125;

42. (17) Ray Skillman, Ford, 0, Engine, $1,125;

#Victory Circle Chassis Rookie-of-the-Year Contenders

Failed to Qualify: Brandon Bonnett, Eddie Bryans, Darren Crocker, Randy

Nelson

TIME OF RACE: 1 hour, 39 minutes, 19 seconds

AVERAGE SPEED: 80.953 mph

MARGIN OF VICTORY: .158 seconds

BUD POLE AWARD: Joey Miller, Country Joes Racing Chevrolet 27.796

seconds/129.515 mph

POWERADE POWER MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD: Eddy McKean, Wide World Of Maps

Pontiac

VICTORY CIRCLE CHASSIS ROOKIE-OF-THE-RACE AWARD: JR Patton, Las Cruces

Motorsports Chevrolet

CAUTION FLAGS: Six cautions for 51 laps (2-21, 22-28, 50-54, 11-113,

116-123, 125-133)

LAP LEADERS: Four lead change among four drivers. Ben Walker 1-41, Joey Miller 42-75, Jim Pettit II 76-121, Eddy McKean 122-134

. The NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown will feature the top 10 drivers

in each of the four series in the NASCAR Elite Division. The Elite Division consists of the Featherlite Southwest Series, International Truck and Engine Corporation Midwest Series, Kodak Southeast Series and Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series. The Toyota All-Star Showdown will be televised live on NASCAR TV on SPEED Channel, beginning at 8:00 p.m. (ET) Nov. 8.

MOVING UP

. Danny Burson of Albuquerque, NM sits just 57 points out of the

NASCAR Top 10 in 12th place entering the finale. Burson is coming off a career best finish of second at Mesa Marin in the series last event.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

. "Live to achieve, not to acquire." - the late Alan Kulwicki

PAGE FROM THE PAST

Ken Schrader and Rick Carelli each have four victories at PIR. Ron Hornaday Jr., Dick Trickle, and Garrett Evans each have two wins at PIR. Eight other drivers share one victory apiece. But it is Scott Hansen that leads all drivers in Featherlite Southwest Series competition with five wins on the one-mile oval. Hansen's wins have all come in this race with his last victory coming in 1999.

Ron Hornaday Jr. from Palmdale, Calif. driving the M&R Machine Pontiac cruised to victory in the GM Goodwrench 300 November 2, 1991. Hornaday beat Danny Crafton to the line by five seconds in a race that took two hours, 14 minutes, and 21 seconds to complete. It was Hornaday's 4th win of the season but it was not enough to close in on Rick Carelli who won the series title by just 56 points. Brett Bell was the top finishing rookie (10th). The event featured eleven lead changes among 10 drivers

Fast Facts

What: The Cruise America "125" Race 14 of 14 for the NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series.

Where: Phoenix Int'l Raceway, Phoenix, Ariz.

When: 3:30 noon MST, Thursday, October 30.

Track layout: 1-mile paved oval.

Race length: 125 laps, 125 miles.

Posted awards: $119,271

2002 winner: Paul Menard

2002 Bud Pole winner: Burney Lamar

Qualifying Record: Dan Holtz, Ford, 27.091 seconds, 138.885 mph, February 2, 2002.

Pre-race schedule (all times local): Tuesday 10/28 11:00 am Haulers Enter, 12:00 pm Registration and Inspection Begins, 3:30 pm Mandatory Crew Chief's Meeting, Wednesday 10/29 7:30 am Mandatory Rookie Meeting 7:30 am Qualifying Draw, 8:30-11:00 am, 1:15 pm Qualifying, Final Practice, 3:00 pm Practice, 6:00 pm Garage Closes, Thursday 10/30 7:00 am Garage Opens, 1:00 pm Mandatory Driver's/Crew Chief's Meeting, 1:45 pm Mandatory Spotter's Meeting, 11:00 am Mandatory Scorer's Meeting, 3:30 pm Cruise America "125".

Track contact: Mike Prusinski (602) 252-3833.

Ticket information: Available online at www.phoenixraceway.com or by calling

(602) 252-3833.

What: The John Baker"150". Race 11 of 14 for the NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series.

Where: Tucson Raceway Park, Tucson, Ariz.

When: 8:30 p.m. PDT, Saturday, September 20.

Track layout: 3/8-mile paved oval.

Race length: 150 laps, 56.25 miles.

Posted awards: $44,871

2002 winner: Event Not Held

2002 Bud Pole winner: Event Not Held

Qualifying Record: Jim Inglebright, Chevrolet, 14.434 seconds, 93.529 mph, September 25, 1993.

Pre-race schedule (all times local): Saturday 9/20 9:00 am Haulers Enter, 10:00 am Registration and Inspection Begins, 11:30 am Mandatory Rookie Driver's meeting, 11:45 am Mandatory Driver's/Crew Chief's Meeting, 12:15 pm Qualifying Draw, 1:30-2:15 pm Practice, 2:45-3:30 pm Practice, 5:00 pm Time Trials, 6:00 pm Fan Photo & Autograph Session, 7:00 pm Qualifying Race, 8:30 pm The John Baker "150".

Track contact: David Deery (520) 762-9200.

Ticket information: Available by calling (520) 762-9200.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 5, 2003) - On Sept. 4, 2003, the National Stock Car Racing
Commission heard and considered the appeal of Jerry Robertson. The appeal pertained
to a penalty issued by NASCAR following the NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite
Southwest Series race at Colorado National Speedway on August 16.

The penalty assessed by NASCAR was:

. a $2,500 fine ($500 for each of 4 four altered tires, and $500 for an altered
carburetor throttle body base plate)

. suspension from NASCAR until the fine is paid

. probation until December 31, 2003

Upon the conclusion of testimony and due deliberation, the National Stock
Car Racing Commission unanimously decided to modify the penalty as follows:

. the $2,000 portion of the fine for the four tires is rescinded

. the $500 portion of the fine for the carburetor throttle body base

plate is upheld; suspension until the fine is paid

. probation relating to this matter is rescinded

The Appellant has the right, under Section 15 of the NASCAR Rule Book,
to appeal this decision to the National Stock Car Racing Commissioner.

National Stock Car Racing Commission:

Clay Campbell

John Capels

George Silbermann, Chairman

IRWINDALE, Calif. (September 1, 2003) David Gilliland of Riverside, Calif. collected his fourth victory of the 2003 season in NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series competition at Irwindale Speedway Saturday night by winning the Advantage Ford "150" 2.188 seconds ahead of Kevin Vernon. Eric Holmes finished third, with Eddy McKean in fourth and series point leader Auggie Vidovich Jr. rounding out the top five finishers.

Kevin Vernon won his second career Bud Pole Award with a quick lap of 17.931 seconds/100.385 mph to top 36 qualifiers. David Gilliland, Ben Walker, Michael Price, and Darrell LaMoure rounded out the fast five in qualifying leaving Chris Hines, Greg Potts, Brandon Loverock, Don Kerr, Tommy Fry, Scott Calvin, Ryan Arciero, and Branden Bonnett to grid for the 12-lap non-qualifiers race. Hines and Potts finished one/two to fill out the 30-car starting grid.

Holtz and LaMoure started on the front row after Vernon drew a 6-car invert. LaMoure lost the handle on his NAPA/Yerf Dog Chevrolet as the field filed into turn one bring out the first of three caution periods. LaMoure's spin collected 2001 series champion Craig Raudman adding to his disappointing season. The action resumed on lap 8 with Ben Walker in Clarence Broussard's Chevrolet controlling the point. Gilliland moved into second place with Doug McCoun, Dan Holtz, and Kevin Vernon rounding out the top five in the running order at lap 10.

By lap 20, series point leader Auggie Vidovich Jr. started to make his move towards the front from his eighth place starting position, along with Greg Fowler, Nick Joanides, and Eric Holmes. The race stayed green through the one-third mark with Walker out to a commanding lead over Gilliland. Vernon moved up to third, with McCoun in fourth, and Vidovich in fifth place. Holmes, Holtz, Joanides, Fowler, and Herold maintained the second five positions, followed by Eddy McKean, Jim Pettit II, Steve Belletto, Mike Ledbetter, Thomas Martin, Todd Souza, Rick Ruzbarsky, Chris Hines, JR Patton, and Keith Spangler rounding out the top twenty in the running order.

The third and final caution came at the expense of race leader Walker as he tried to negotiate lapped traffic he tangled with the car of Martin and found the wall ending his night. Martin's night was also over. That gave the advantage over to Gilliland who had been riding a distant second to Walker over the first 75 laps.

Gilliland's advantage may have been cut short if another caution had come out as his SOCAL Pipe Trades Chevrolet dropped a cylinder on lap 80. Gilliland was able to flat foot the car around the half-mile oval and maintain his advantage over Vernon over the final fifty laps. Meanwhile, Vernon and Holmes waged a spirited battle for second place, but each time Holmes was able to get along side of Vernon, he slammed the door a powered his Chevrolet out of the corner.

By lap 106 defending series champion Eddy McKean made his way into the top five from his 25th place starting position and looked for a solid finish to boost his standing in the NASCAR Top 10. On lap 107 Doug McCoun lost power in his Truline Chevrolet and pulled into pits ending his evening.

Vidovich's luck started running out on lap 110 when the right front of his car started smoking. He radioed his crew and told him he had lost his front brakes essentially ending his march to the front. Vidovich stayed on track hoping to salvage a good finish.

Over the closing laps, Gilliland was able to handle the lapped traffic without difficulty and scored his fourth win of 2003 by a margin of 2.188 seconds over Vernon who held off a determined Holmes to finish a career best second place. Holmes finished third, with McKean and Vidovich rounding out the top five finishers.

"It has been a lot of fun racing for Rich Fountain this year," Gilliland said. "There is nothing like winning races and this series is the toughest around to win on. I am really thankful we did not have another caution as I lost a cylinder and don't know if I could have done anything on a restart. This is great. I love this place!"

Finishing a career best second was Kevin Vernon from Bakersfield, Calif. "This race was about the motor," Vernon said. "This Watkins engine was the difference. Eric was real tough, but we were able to power out of the corners so much better. It was fun racing him."

"Kevin (Vernon) drove a great race," Holmes said. "I tried everything I could to get around him, he was just stronger off the corner than I was tonight. A top five finish is great and keeps us in the championship race. I know I gained a few points tonight."

Scoring his second top five finish of the season and shedding a little light on an otherwise forgettable season was Eddy McKean. "Racing is so much more fun when you run good," McKean said. "We have not had much luck this season and to finish with a top five here means a lot to the whole team. We have not been very good here in the past and this finish will go a long way in turning our season around. We are going to racetracks that I am pretty good at, and tonight's finish gives me confidence when we come back in November."

Vidovich's point lead stands at 72 points over Pettit who struggled and finished 18th at Irwindale. Holmes maintains third place with Gilliland moving up to fourth place. Dan Holtz rounds out the top five in the overall standings. McKean moves back up to sixth place, followed by Steve Belletto in seventh, JR Patton in eighth, Craig Raudman in ninth, and Burney Lamar in tenth place. Doug McCoun sits just 26 points outside the NASCAR Top 10.

The race took 58 minutes, 7 seconds to complete and was slowed only three times for 22 laps of caution. The average speed was 77.430 mph and Gilliland's margin of victory over Vernon was 2.118 seconds. Kevin Vernon won the Bud Pole Award and the #325 bonus with a quick lap of 17.931 seconds/100.385 mph. Eddy McKean won the $750 Powerade Power Move-of-the-Race for improving the most positions in the event (25th to 4th). Kevin Vernon also scored Victory Circle Chassis' Rookie-of-the-Race honors for the first time this season. There were two lead changes between two drivers with Ben Walker leading the most laps (76).

The next event for the Featherlite Southwest Series is Saturday, September 20 at Tucson Raceway Park in Tucson, Ariz. where the series will return after a one-year hiatus. This year's event will honor and pay tribute to John Baker who died 15 month's ago.

Official Finish (Corrected) Dan Holtz was credited with finishing 15th after review 6/21/03.

NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series

Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Calif., June 14, 2003 64-Laps/127.36-Miles on 1.99-Mile Paved Road Course, Purse: $92,971 Finishing position, starting position, driver, car, laps completed, reason out, money won.

1. (4) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 65, Running, $7,500;

2. (8) Boris Said, Chevrolet, 65, Running, $4,500;

3. (17) David Brown, Chevrolet, 65, Running, $3,500;

4. (7) Jim Inglebright, Chevrolet, 65, Running, $2,700;

5. (22) Tyler McQuarrie, Chevrolet, 65, Running, $2,500;	

6. (16) Dave Byrd, Chevrolet, 65, Running, $2,200;	

7. (9) Bryan Germone, Chevrolet, 65, Running, $2,000;	

8. (41) Jeff Bailey, Chevrolet, 65, Running, $2,700;	

9. (3) Eric Holmes, Chevrolet, 65, Running, $2,250;	

10. (27)# Nathan Thiesse, Chevrolet, 65, Running, $1,700;	

11. (20) Auggie Vidovich Jr., Chevrolet, 65, Running, $1,900;	

12. (23) Scott Busby, Chevrolet, 65, Running, $1,450;	

13. (35) Eddy McKean, Pontiac, 65, Running, $1,800;	

14. (25) Jim Pettit II, Ford, 65, Running, $1,775;	

15. (19) Dan Holtz, Ford, 64, Running, $1,725;	

16. (11) Mike Ledbetter, Chevrolet, 64, Running, $1,300;	

17. (29) Wes Banks, Chevrolet, 64, Running, $1,275;	

18. (30) Doug McCoun, Chevrolet, 64, Running, $1,225;	

19. (38)# JR Patton, Chevrolet, 64, Running, $1,600;	

20. (42)# Richard Johnson, Chevrolet, 64, Running, $1,150;	

21. (1) Todd Souza, Ford, 64, Running, $1,815;				

22. (36) Gail Chase, Chevrolet, 63, Running, $1,080;

23. (37) Joe Herold, Chevrolet, 63, Running, $1,070;

24. (18) Brandon Kraus, Chevrolet, 63, Running, $1,060;

25. (33)# Frank Deiny Jr., Chevrolet, 61, Running, $1,050;

26. (21) Ben Walker, Chevrolet, 60, Running, $1,040;

27. (12) Kenny Shepherd, Chevrolet, 59, Running, $1,030;

28. (28) Howard Ford, Chevrolet, 59, Running, $1,020;

29. (26) Steve Petty, Ford, 55, Running, $1,010;

30. (14) Stan Silva Jr., Chevrolet, 55, Running, $1,000;

31. (15) Craig Raudman, Chevrolet, 50, Accident, $1,400;

32. (2) Burney Lamar, Chevrolet, 49, Running, $1,400;

33. (6) Brandon Whitt, Pontiac, 48, Accident, $1,000;

34. (10) Troy Ermish, Chevrolet, 48, Running, $1,000;

35. (13) Steve Belletto, Chevrolet, 44, Running, $1,400;

36. (5) David Gilliland, Chevrolet, 41, Running, $1,000;

37. (40)# Greg Voigt, Chevrolet, 35, Accident, $1,000;

38. (34) Chris Evans, Chevrolet, 33, Transmission, $1,000;

39. (32) Darrell LaMoure, Chevrolet, 33, Accident, $1,000;

40. (31) Robby Gordon, Pontiac, 27, Suspension, $1,000;

41. (24)# Danny Burson, Chevrolet, 14, Accident, $1,000;

42. (39)# Thomas Martin, Chevrolet, 10, Engine, $1,000;

#Victory Circle Chassis Rookie-of-the-Year Contenders

Failed to Qualify: Michelle Nagai, Jeff Belletto, Curtis Lansing, Matt Reilly, M.K. Kanke

TIME OF RACE: 2 hour, 14 minutes, 29 seconds

AVERAGE SPEED: 60.037 mph

MARGIN OF VICTORY: 3.938 seconds

BUD POLE AWARD: Todd Souza, Central Coast Cabinets Ford, 78.072 seconds/91.761 mph

POWERADE POWER MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD: Jeff Bailey, Frank & Son Auto Body Chevrolet

VICTORY CIRCLE CHASSIS ROOKIE-OF-THE-RACE AWARD: Nathan Thiesse, Honda Cars of Corona Pontiac

CAUTION FLAGS: Eight for 25 Laps (16-19, 23-25, 33-35, 37-40, 43-44, 50-53, 57-58, 61-63)

LAP LEADERS: There were eight lead changes between six drivers .Todd Souza grid, Kevin Harvick 1-15, Souza 16-22,
Eric Holmes 23-25, Jim Inglebright 26, Dave Brown 27-28, Dan Holtz 29-31, Brandon Kraus 32-33, Kevin Harvick 34-65

UPDATED POINT STANDINGS Top 25

NASCAR Elite Division Featherlite Southwest Series

Standings as of June 21, 2003

Following the Snap-On Tools/Jelly Belly "200" at Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.

Laps Completed

Pos	 Driver	       Hometown	             Points $Won  Starts Wins  Top 5

Top 10	Out of 777

1 	 Auggie Vidovich Jr.Lakeside, Calif. 	 930 	 $13,700 	6

0 	4 	5 	 777 

2 	 Eric Holmes	 Escalon, Calif.	       831 	 $9,200

6 	0 	3 	5 	 769 

3 	 Jim Pettit II 	 Prunedale, Calif. 	 830 	 $11,500 	6

1 	2 	3 	 768 

4 	 Eddy McKean 	 Jerome, Idaho 	 	 809 	 $12,940 	6

0 	1 	3 	 772 

5 	 Dan Holtz 	       Pacific Palisades, Calif770 	 $11,320

6 	1 	2 	3 	 686 

6 	 Bryan Germone 	 Winsor, Calif. 	       754 	 $16,285

6 	1 	1 	3 	 698 

7 	 Todd Souza 	 Watsonville, Calif 	 752 	 $9,315 	6

0 	2 	3 	 727 

8 	 JR Patton 	       Los Cruces, NM 	       748 	 $9,065

6 	0 	1 	2 	 729 

9 	 Burney Lamar 	 W. Sacremento, Calif. 	 716 	 $8,030 	6

0 	1 	1 	 734 

10 	 Craig Raudman 	 Bakersfield, Calif. 	 713 	 $9,520 	6

0 	1 	2 	 706 

11 	 Doug McCoun 	 Prunedale, Calif. 	 709 	 $7,800 	6

0 	0 	1 	 773 

12 	 Steve Belletto	 Modesto, Calif.	       698 	 $8,650

6 	0 	1 	2 	 713 

13 	 David Gilliland 	 Riverside, Calif. 	 689 	 $9,510

6 	1 	1 	3 	 648 

14 	 Brandon Whitt 	 El Cajon, Calif. 	 655 	 $7,245 	6

0 	0 	2 	 677 

15 	 Frank Deiny Jr. 	 Mechanicsburg, Virg. 	 643 	 $7,825

6 	0 	1 	1 	 593 

16 	 Mike Ledbetter 	 Ceres, Calif. 	       622 	 $6,475

6 	0 	0 	1 	 546 

17 	 Scott Busby 	 Martinez, Calif. 	 620 	 $4,965 	4

0 	0 	1 	 475 

18 	 Greg Voigt 	 Santa Barbara, Calif. 	 603 	 $6,100 	5

0 	1 	1 	 601 

19 	 Thomas Martin 	 Auburn, Calif. 	       596 	 $5,180

6 	0 	0 	1 	 663 

20 	 Darrell LaMoure	 Phoenix, Ariz.	       589 	 $5,380

5 	0 	0 	1 	 614 

21 	 Danny Burson 	 Albequerque, NM 	       556 	 $5,220

5 	0 	1 	2 	 526 

22 	 Kevin Vernon 	 Bakersfield, Calif. 	 521 	 $3,925 	4

0 	0 	0 	 527 

23 	 Joe Herold 	 Poway, Calif. 	       513 	 $4,185 	4

0 	0 	0 	 357 

24 	 Greg Fowler 	 Longmont, Colo. 	       500 	 $3,505

4 	0 	0 	0 	 552 

25 	 Nathan Thiesse	 Brainard, Minn.	       497 	 $3,325

2 	0 	0 	2 	 265 

UPDATED VICTORY CIRCLE CHASSIS ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR STANDINGS

Pos

Name

Points

1

JR Patton

49

2

Frank Deiny Jr.

41

3

Thomas Martin

41

4

Greg Voigt

37

5

Danny Burson

32

6

Kevin Vernon

27

7

Nathan Thiesse

19

8

Randy Nelson

14

9

Richard Johnson

 8

10

Mike Price

 7

UPDATED BUD POLE AWARD STANDINGS

Name

Points

Ken Schrader

1

Dan Holtz

1

Craig Raudman

1

Mike Ledbetter

1

JR Patton

1

Todd Souza

1

UPDATED POWERADE POWER MOVE-OF-THE-RACE STANDINGS

Name

Points

Craig Smith

1

Greg Voigt

1

Bryan Germone

1

Jim Pettit II

1

Todd Souza

1

Jeff Bailey

1

UPDATED MANUFACTURE' STANDINGS

Make

Wins

Points

Chevrolet

4

47

Ford

2

36

Pontiac

0

30

OTHER STATS

-Through six (6) events this season, the Featherlite Southwest Series has averaged 40 cars per event. -Auggie Vidovich Jr. is the only driver to complete all 777 laps contested to date. -17 drivers have started all six races this season. -Three former series champions are competing this season and all are currently in the top 10 in the point standings: Eddy McKean (2002) is in 4th, Bryan Germone (1997) is in 6th, and Craig Raudman (2001) is in 10th place.

A look at the NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series Victory Circle Chassis 2003 Rookie-of-the-Year Standings

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 4, 2003) - The following is a glance at the NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series Rookie class of 2003 heading into the Snap-On Tools/Jelly Belly "200" at Infineon Raceway Saturday, June 21. This will be race 6 of 14 on the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series schedule. After the race at Irwindale Speedway, JR Patton holds a three-point lead over Thomas Martin for the Victory Circle Chassis Rookie-of-the-Year Award.

No. 1 - JR Patton (No. 97 Las Cruces Motorsports Chevrolet), Las Cruces Motorsports. Last week's ranking: 3rd. Patton collected Rookie-of-the-Race honors for the first time this season with a podium finish of third place at Irwindale Speedway. Patton also jumped into the Victory Circle Chassis ROTY lead by three points over Martin. Patton won his first career Bud Pole Award at Irwindale and jumped back into the NASCAR Top 10 in 9th place.

No. 2 - Thomas Martin (No. Sierra Mist Chevrolet), Penney Racing. Last week's ranking: 1st. Martin dropped three points behind Patton after finishing 18th at Irwindale Speedway. Martin continues to finish races, which has kept him in the top 15 overall point standings all season. Martin has one top five finish in five starts this season.

No. 3 - Frank Deiny Jr. (No. 70 Star Nursery Chevrolet), Q Motorsports. Last week's ranking: 2nd. Deiny finished 28th at Irwindale dropping him in the overall point standings to 16th. In five starts this season, Deiny has one top five and one top ten finish. This will be Deiny's first visit to Infineon Raceway.

No. 4 - Greg Voigt (No. 09 Auto Pro Racing Engines Chevrolet), Voigt Racing. Last week's ranking: 4th. Voigt maintains his fourth place position in the rookie standings after a 15th place finish at Irwindale. Voigt has four starts this season and currently is 17th is the overall standings.

No. 5 - Kevin Vernon (No. 51 Action Towing Chevrolet), Vernon Racing. Last week's ranking: 6th. Vernon finished 16th at Irwindale and climbed back into the top 20 where he sits 19th. Vernon has no top ten finishes this season and looks to Infineon to change that stat.

No. 6 - Danny Burson (No. 56 Great Western Electric Chevrolet), Burson Racing. Last week's ranking: 5th. Burson scored a fourth place finish at Irwindale and got his season back on track. Burson has one top-five and two top-ten finishes and has moved into 20th place in the standings.

No. 7 - Randy Nelson (No. 68 Nelson Racing Ford), Nelson Racing. Last week's ranking: 7th. Nelson has dropped out of the ROTY program for 2003 after destroying his car at Cajon Speedway.

No. 8 - Nathan Thiesse (No. 88 Honda Cars of Corona Chevrolet), The Body Shop Racing. Last week's ranking: 7. Thiesse had another tough outing at Irwindale, failing to qualify for the third time this season. Thiesse has proven that he is competitive after finishing 6th at Mesa Marin Raceway earlier in the year. The 1.99 mile road course will provide even more challenges for Brainerd, Minn. native.

No. 9 - Mike Price (No. 3 AMI Metals Chevrolet), Price Racing. Last week's ranking: 9. Price finished 24th at Irwindale after qualifying 30th.

No. 10 - Chris Hines (No. 96 Ironeagle Chevrolet) Pro Dyno Racing. Last Week's ranking: N/A. Hines did not qualify for the Irwindale event.

No. 11 - Richard Johnson (No. 47 Auto Glass Chevrolet), Johnson Racing. Last week's ranking: N/A. Johnson did not qualify for the Irwindale event. Johnson is seeing many of the Featherlite Southwest Series tracks for the first time and learning that track experience can make the difference in qualifying. Johnson is a 20 year veteran of dirt racing in Northern California.

Fast Facts

NASCAR Rookies this week: 1. JR Patton, 40; 2. Thomas Martin, 37; 3. frank Deiny Jr., 34; 4. Greg Voigt, 31; 5. Kevin Vernon, 27; 6. Danny Burson, 27; 7. Randy Nelson, 14; 8. Nathan Thiesse, 9; 9. Mike Price, 7.

Weeks at No. 1: Frank Deiny Jr., 3. Thomas Martin, 1, JR Patton, 1.

Victory Circle Chassis' offers a season ending bonus of $5,000 to the top finishing rookie at season ending banquet in December. Each rookie competitor earns rookie points for each race they start. No rookie points are awarded for races a rookie fails to qualify for. Points are awarded on a declining scale with the top finishing rookie receiving 10 points then 9,8.7 and so on. Each rookie will count their best 12 finishes of the 14 race schedule towards the 2003 Rookie-of-the-Year championship.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 18, 2003) - Over the years, Infineon (Calif.) Raceway has become a favorite stop on the schedule, and this year's the race at the picturesque road course will offer added incentive for the NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series drivers. This Saturday, June 21, the Featherlite Southwest Series returns to the wine country of Northern California for the running of the Snap-On Tools/Jelly Belly "200".

In April, NASCAR, Toyota, and Irwindale Speedway announced the Toyota All-Star Showdown that will pit the best of the best in all four of NASCAR's Elite Divisions November 6-8 at the Southern California short track. The event will be broadcast live Saturday, November 8 on SPEED Channel. With a NASCAR Top 10 final points finish on the minds of many drivers at the midway point of the season, a good performance at Infineon makes the future look bright.

In order to get an invite to the Toyota All-Star Showdown, drivers will have to finish in the top ten final point standings in their respective series. Through five races this season, the Featherlite Southwest Series drivers have only had to turn left but this race at Infineon Raceway will determine if drivers are on the right track. More than forty-five drivers expected to attempt to qualify for one of 42 starting positions in Saturday's 200K race and vie for their share of $92,971 in posted awards in race six of the 14-race championship series.

The twisting-turning 1.99 mile road course of Infineon Raceway will present many challenges to drivers who primarily turn left and may well serve as the most important race of the season.

Jim Inglebright of nearby Fairfield, Calif., the three-time winner and defending champion of the event, likes his chances. "Nothing in racing is easy," said Inglebright. "I have had a lot good luck here and I know we have a good setup for this place. Winning four in a row is definitely our goal."

The most recent winner on the series, David Gilliland of Riverside, Calif., missed last year's event, as he ran a limited schedule, but would like nothing more than to back it up with a win this weekend. "We have a great team and we are capable of winning," Gilliland said. "This series is so competitive that anything is possible at any given event. Kenny Shepherd helped us out testing and we feel real good about our car and our chances."

Kenny Shepherd of Merced, Calif. finished in the runner-up spot last year and will make his first start of the season this weekend at Infineon Raceway. "I can't wait to get this race started," Shepherd said. "This is an important event for my sponsors and we hope to get the win this time out. We were so close last year only to have it slip away. I have not felt this way about a race in 15 years."

JR Patton of Las Cruces, NM is riding high after a third place finish and a move into the NASCAR Top 10 after the race at Irwindale Speedway two weeks ago. He also knows that in order to stay in the top ten he has to complete every lap. "I do not have much experience on road courses," Patton said. "I just need to make the race and finish."

Current 2003 Featherlite Southwest Series point leader Auggie Vidovich Jr. knows the view from the top is makes each race a little easier to prepare for. "We are looking forward to racing on this challenging road course," Vidovich said. "This track provides us an opportunity to utilize the skills I acquired while racing in several karting series'. We have been competitive with the other teams in this series all season. We have been testing well, running strong and our team is looking forward to an exciting race Saturday afternoon for all our fans and sponsors who have supported us here at Infineon Raceway".

Defending Featherlite Southwest Series champion Eddy McKean from Jerome, Idaho is looking forward to a return trip to Infineon. "We had a tire go down last year," McKean said. "The road courses are a lot of work, but they are a lot of fun to drive. I think we will be real good this time out."

Other notable drivers that eye a good finish at Infineon include M.K. Kanke of Frazier Park, Calif. who sat on the Pole in last years event and will attempt to qualify for his first race of the 2003 season. Paul Menard of Eau Claire, Wisc., hopes to have another good run at Infineon. Menard led much of the race last year until he had to pit for fuel late in the race. Menard will also make his NASCAR Winston Cup Debut on Sunday in Andy Petree's Chevrolet.

The Snap-On Tools/Jelly Belly "200" is set to take the green flag at 1:00 pm PDT this Saturday with Jim Inglebright hoping to sweep the event for the fourth time and all others looking to make their own mark.

THE INSIDE LINE

. The race within the race . JR Patton tops the Victory Circle Chassis

Rookie-of-the-Year leader board after four events. Thomas Martin, Frank Deiny Jr., Greg Voigt, and Kevin Vernon, round out the top-five Rookies.

. How many cars? More than 45 cars have pre-entered the Snap-On

Tools/Jelly Belly "200" with several drivers looking to make their first start of the season. Drivers include M.K. Kanke, Paul Menard, Jim Inglebright, Wes Banks, and Kenny Shepherd.

. Jim Inglebright has three straight victories at Infineon Raceway and

will attempt to race in three races this weekend. The Featherlite Southwest Series on Saturday, The NASCAR Winston West Series Saturday night in Tri-City, Wash., and the NASCAR Winston Cup event on Sunday.

. Jeff Bailey, a Victory Circle Chassis Rookie-of-the-Year contender

on the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series will attempt to make his first start in the Featherlite Southwest Series and on a road course.

. Darrell LaMoure of Phoenix, Ariz. welcomes NAPA Auto Parts and

Yerf-Dog Fun Karts as sponsors to his team in 2003. LaMoure continues to bring awareness regarding missing children to fans through his Racing for the Missing program. At each series race this season LaMoure and Yerf-Dog will raffle a Yerf-Dog Fun Kart at the race. Proceeds will be spilt between the Racing for the Missing program and the track's selected charity.

. Driver to keep your eye on: Todd Souza has three straight top ten

finishes including a win this season. Souza has climbed into a 5th place tie with Dan Holtz, just 57 points out of second place.

. Hoosier Racing Tire is the official tire of the NASCAR Elite

Division in 2003 and will award 32 tires to eligible car owners at each series event. Hoosier will also award two tires to the highest eligible Rookie-of-the-Year candidate's car owner.

. Featherlite Southwest Series contingency sponsors include:

Anheuser-Busch, Auto Meter Products, Edelbrock Intake Manifolds, Featherlite Trailers, Five Star, Flowmaster, G-Force, Goody's Headache Powder, Holley Carburetors, Hoosier Tires, JR Pistons, Mac Tools, Mobil 1 Oil, Moroso, MSD, Penske Shocks, Powerade, Quarter Master, Quick Car, Raybestos Brakes, "76" Race Gas, Victory Circle Chassis, and Wix Air Filters. MOVING UP

. Craig Raudman of Bakersfield, Calif. moved back into the NASCAR

Top-10 after a runner-up finish at Irwindale Speedway. Raudman, the 2001 series champion, looks to make a run at the series championship. QUOTE OF THE WEEK

. "I am as excited for a race as I have ever been." - Kenny Shepherd

(No. 9 Mt. Dew Chevrolet).

PAGE FROM THE PAST

Ten years ago Ron Hornaday Jr. claimed the victory in the 50-lap event staged on the old 2.52 configuration. Hornaday drive the familiar #97 Palmdale Chiropractic Oldsmobile to a 12.200 second victory over Ken Pederson.

Fast Facts

What: Snap-on Tools/Jelly Belly "200". Race 6 of 14 for the NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series.

Where: Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, CA.

When: 1:00 p.m. PDT, Saturday, June 21.

Track layout: 1.99-mile paved road course.

Race length: 64 laps, 127.36 miles.

Posted awards: $92,971

2002 winner: Jim Inglebright

2002 Bud Pole winner: M.K. Kanke

Qualifying Record: Steve Petty, Chevrolet, 1 minute, 11.782 seconds, 97.746 mph, June 24, 2000.

Pre-race schedule (all times local): Thursday 6/19 12:00 pm Haulers Enter, and Registration begin, 1:00 pm Garage opens and inspection begins, 6:00 pm garage closes. Friday 6/20 7:00 am Garage Opens, 8:00 am Mandatory rookie meeting, 8:10 am Qualifying draw, 8:30 am Mandatory Crew Chiefs meeting, 9:00-11:15 am Practice, 1:30 pm Time Trials, 5:15 pm Final Practice, 7:00 pm Garage Closes. Saturday 6/21 7:30 am Garage Opens, 10:45 am Mandatory Driver and Crew Chief Meeting, 11:30 am Mandatory Spotter's Meeting, 1:00 pm Snap-On Tools/Jelly Belly 200.

Track contact: John Cardinale (707) 938-8448.

Ticket information: Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com or Order your tickets from Ticketmaster Charge-by-Phone by calling 707.528.TIXS .

415.421.TIXS . 510.625.TIXS, or log onto www.infineonraceway.com

NASCAR TOP 10 AT A GLANCE

A look at the NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series Top 10 Drivers

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 18, 2003) - The following is a glance at the NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series Top 10 in the series championship standings heading into the Snap-On Tools/Jelly Belly "200" at Infineon Raceway June 21. The race in Sonoma, Calif. will be race 6 of 14 on the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series schedule:

No. 1 - Auggie Vidovich Jr. (No. 59 PG Series Chevrolet), Vidovich Racing. Last week's ranking: 1st. Vidovich tallied another top-five performance with a fifth place finish at Irwindale Speedway. Vidovich also increased his points lead to 91 markers over Pettit going into the race at Infineon Raceway. Vidovich has been at the top spot for four straight races.

No. 2 - Jim Pettit II (No. 03 Hall Kinion.Com Ford), Bay Pac Racing. Last week's ranking: 2nd. Pettit maintains second place in the standings for the second straight race. This is the first time in his career that he has held down second place in the point standings. Pettit scored a 9th place finish at Irwindale to record his third top ten finish of the season.

No. 3 - Eric Holmes (No. 62 Wild Cherry Pepsi Chevrolet), Beebe Motorsports. Last week's ranking: 3rd. Holmes has scored his fourth top-ten finish in five races this season with a tenth place effort at Irwindale. Holmes maintains third in the overall standings and strengthens his bid for the series championship in 2003.

No. 4 - Eddy McKean (No. 19 Magic Valley Pipe Pontiac), McKean Racing. Last week's ranking: 4th. McKean stays in fourth place in the standings after a 12th place performance at Irwindale. McKean had a top five finish in the making at Infineon last season until a tire let go with five laps to go dropping him to 13th place finish.

No. 5 - Dan Holtz (No. 23 Rialto Concrete Ford), Thompson

Motorsports. Last week's ranking: 5th. Holtz had his string of top-ten finishes end after he finished 17th at Irwindale. Holtz maintains the fifth spot for the third consecutive race. Holtz did not compete at Infineon last season and has limited road course experience.

No. 6 - Todd Souza (No. 6 Central Coast Cabinets Ford), Souza Motorsports. Last week's ranking: 9th. Souza continues his march to the top of the standings after an 8th place finish at Irwindale. Souza has tallied three top ten finishes this season and looks to better his 12th place performance last season at Infineon.

No. 7 - Burney Lamar (No. 98 Joiner Motorsports Chevrolet), Joiner Racing. Last week's ranking: 7th. Lamar maintains 7th place in the NASCAR Top 10 after five races. Lamar finished 11th at Irwindale and closed to within 60 points of second place. Lamar finished 26th last season at Infineon after qualifying 6th.

No. 8- Craig Raudman (No. 2 HPS Mechanical Chevrolet), Victory Circle Racing. Last week's ranking: 13th. Raudman moves back into the NASCAR Top 10 after a runner-up finish at Irwindale speedway. Raudman has experienced uncharacteristic bad luck and hopes another strong finish is in the cards at Infineon Raceway this weekend ad he vies for a second series title.

No. 9 - JR Patton (No. 97 Las Cruces Motorsports Chevrolet), Las Cruces Motorsports. Last week's ranking: 12th. Patton makes his way into the NASCAR top-ten for the second time this season after a spectacular 3rd place run at Irwindale. Patton also collected his first career Bud Pole Award at Irwindale. Patton will attempt to make his first start at Infineon Raceway this weekend.

No. 10 - Steve Belletto (No. 30 California Hot Wood Chevrolet), Belletto Racing. Last week's ranking: 8th. Belletto drops a couple of spots in the standings after a 13th place finish at Irwindale. On the season Belletto has two top ten finishes and sits just 160 points out of first.

Fast Facts

NASCAR Top 10 this week: 1. Auggie Vidovich Jr., 800; 2. Jim Pettit II, 709; 3. Eric Holmes, 693; 4. Eddy McKean, 685; 5. Dan Holtz, 652; 6. Todd Souza, 652; 7. Burney Lamar, 649; 8. Craig Raudman, 643; 9. JR Patton, 642; 10. Steve Belletto, 640.

Races at No. 1: Auggie Vidovich Jr., 4, Bryan Germone, 1.

New arrivals in the NASCAR Top 10 this week: Craig Raudman (8th), JR Patton (9th).

Most weeks in the NASCAR Top 10: Three drivers tied at 5 races.

Biggest mover among the Top 10: Todd Souza (9th to 6th)

Dropped out of the NASCAR Top 10 this week: Bryan Germone (12th), Doug McCoun (13th)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 8, 2003) David Gilliland of Riverside, Calif. won his second career NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series race in dominating fashion Saturday night at Irwindale (CA) Speedway. Gilliland led all laps of the King Taco "150" en route to a .449 second victory over second place finisher Craig Raudman. The victory boosted Gilliland to eleventh place in the Featherlite Southwest Series point standings, just six points outside the NASCAR Top 10.

JR Patton of Las Cruces, NM collected his first career Bud Pole Award with a quick lap of 18.207 seconds/98.863 mph to pace all 39 drivers in qualifying. Patton drew an invert pill of six, which put local Irwindale Speedway "hotshoe" Ben Walker on the front row to start the race in Clarence Broussard's CBA Motorsports Chevrolet. Following Patton in qualifying were Auggie Vidovich Jr., Brandon Whitt, Craig Raudman, and Gilliland rounding out the top five qualifiers.

Ten cars were relegated to the 15-lap non-qualifiers race which saw Tony Gomez of Lakeside, Calif. and Mike Price of Harbor City, Calif. transferring to the feature race. Failing to qualify for the event included drivers Scott Busby, Chris Hines, Nathan Thiesse, Stan Silva Jr., Jeff Seifert, Don Kerr, Richard Johnson, Keith Spangler, and Mark Meech.

Gilliland got the jump on Walker and led the first lap as the drivers quickly set a torrid pace. The action was slowed almost immediately when the car of Todd MacLauchlan from Alpine, Calif. broke his transmission and dumped a trail of fluid down the front stretch ending his night in the 30th position. As MacLauchlan exited the track, Greg Potts and Tony Gomez lost the handle on the slippery track and found the turn one wall. Potts left on the hook and finished 29th while Gomez Made repairs and finished 26th 13 laps down.

Gilliland led the field to green on the lap 21 restart and quickly distanced himself from second place Walker. Brandon Whitt moved up to third, with current points leader Auggie Vidovich Jr. in fourth, and Craig Raudman rounding out the top five. JR Patton led the second five with Steve Belletto in sixth followed by Mike Ledbetter, Dan Holtz, Bob Lyon, and Danny Burson.

Lyon made his 250th career start Saturday night and first start of the 2003 season. Lyon leads all drivers in career starts, but saw his top ten run end with a lap 60 spin. Lyon would finish 19th.

Caution flew for the second time on lap 28 for Frank Deiny Jr. as he spun exiting turn two after contact with Ryan Arciero. Deiny rejoined the rear of the field and did not loose a lap. Deiny, after early season success, would finish in the 28th position on the night and fall out of the NASCAR Top 10 to 16th in the point standings.

At the one third mark of the race, Gilliland extended his lead to as much as two seconds over Vidovich who was working on his fifth straight top ten finish of the season. Walker dropped to third, with Whitt in fourth, and Raudman rounding out the top five. Over the next fifty laps the top ten maintained their respective positions while Todd Souza and Jim Pettit II made their way to the front.

Vidovich closed the gap and pressured Gilliland for more than sixty laps. Vidovich made a move for the lead on lap 117 but last the handle spinning the car in turn one. Vidovich blended back in line in the 10th position as the caution flag flew. Over the final third of the race Raudman would close to the back bumper of Gilliland but could never mount a serious bid for the lead as his HPS Mechanical Chevrolet developed a push late in the race.

The race went extra laps after Bryan Germone drove low on Mike Ledbetter as the pair battle for third. Germone's car washed up and collided with Ledbetter sending the 1997 series champion into the turn three wall on lap 149. The race was red flagged while Germone's badly damaged Wine. COM Chevrolet was attended to. Germone walked away unhurt, but the car left on the hook. Ledbetter was having a career run going in third but dropped to eighth on the lap 159 restart.

Gilliland paced the green, white, checker finish to give car owner Rich Fountain his first career Featherlite Southwest Series victory. Raudman finished second to record his first top five finish of the season, while Bud Pole Award winner Patton finished a career best third and also collected the Victory Circle Chassis Rookie-of-the-Race honors. Fellow Victory Circle Chassis ROTY contender Danny Burson rallied to finish fourth, with Vidovich making it back to fifth.

Brandon Whitt had his best run of the season in sixth, followed by Ledbetter in seventh, Todd Souza in eighth, followed by Jim Pettit II, and Eric Holmes.

In victory lane Gilliland was received an enthusiastic ovation for his efforts. "We had a great car tonight," Gilliland said. "We have been really good here at Irwindale in the past and tonight we were able to close the deal. This was a big win for us and our sponsors. This really turns our season around and gives us a bunch of momentum going into the Infineon race."

Finishing second and returning to form was 2001 series champion Craig Raudman. Raudman has struggled on track this season, and the finish at Irwindale Saturday night was just what the doctor ordered. "I am real happy and proud of my team," Raudman said. "We have had little problems that took away solid runs all year. My hats off to David, he ran a great race and we just got too tight at the end to have anything for him. I am real happy with this finish and to get back into the top ten in the points."

Having a career night, JR Patton finished third after collecting the Bud Pole Award. "It was a lot of fun out there tonight," Patton said. "My crew has done a great job all season and I am learning a lot about finishing races. Tonight it all came together."

Vidovich might have shown disappointment for the spin on lap 117, but was pleased to finish fifth. "We keep having good finishes like this and who knows what can happen at the end of the season."

Continuing his charge to the top of the standings, Jim Pettit II finished ninth to record his third top ten finish of the season. Pettit had to claw his way back into the top ten after a lap 101 spin sent the Stockton race winner back to the 17th position. "It is bitter sweet and darn frustrating to work so hard," Pettit said. "If we could improve on our qualifying efforts, maybe we would not have to work so hard in the race. I know we can race good everywhere we go, but it is just frustrating to get taken out."

Vidovich extends his lead in the 2003 championship race to 91 points over Pettit on the strength of four top five and five top ten finishes in the first five races. Eric Holmes maintains the third spot after finishing tenth on Saturday, followed by Eddy McKean and Dan Holtz. McKean finished 12th after a rear suspension bracket broke early in the race forcing the 2002 series champion to just hang on throughout the race.

Souza jumps to sixth place in the standings followed by Lamar, Raudman, Patton, and Steve Belletto rounding out the NASCAR Top 10. The race took 1 hour, 20 minutes, and 6 seconds to complete at an average speed of 60.037 mph. There were nine caution periods for 54 laps and no lead changes as Gilliland led flag to flag. JR Patton collected both Bud Pole Award and the Victory Circle Chassis Rookie-of-the-Race honors, with Todd Souza claiming the Powerade "Power Move-of-the-Race with his eighth place finish after starting in the 26th position.

The next race on the Featherlite Southwest Series schedule is Saturday, June 21 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. with the running of the $92,971 Snap-On Tools/Jelly Belly "200" where current NASCAR Winston West competitor Jim Inglebright will attempt to win his fourth race in a row.

A look at the NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series Victory Circle Chassis 2003 Rookie-of-the-Year Standings

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 4, 2003) - The following is a glance at the NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series Rookie class of 2003 heading into the King Taco "150" at Irwindale Speedway Saturday, June 7. This will be race 5 of 14 on the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series schedule. After the last event at Stockton 99 Speedway, Thomas Martin holds a one-point lead over JR Patton and Frank Deiny Jr.for the Victory Circle Chassis Rookie-of-the-Year Award.

No. 1 - Thomas Martin (No. 21 Sierra Mist Chevrolet), Fred Penney Racing. Last week's ranking: 3rd. Thomas Martin collected Rookie-of-the-Race honors for the first time this season with a solid 12th finish at Stockton 99 Speedway. Martin also jumped into the Victory Circle Chassis ROTY lead by one point over JR Patton. Martin has completed 491 of 550 laps contested this season.

No. 2 - JR Patton (No. 97 Las Cruces Chevrolet), Las Cruces Motorsports. Last week's ranking: 2nd. Patton is one point behind Martin after finishing 16th at Stockton 99 Speedway. Patton failed to qualify in both races last season at Irwindale Speedway. Former series regular, Scott Brandt, joined Patton's team this year and so far the combination is working as Patton has proven to be a strong qualifier.

No. 3 - Frank Deiny Jr. (No. 70 Star Nursery Chevrolet), Q Motorsports. Last week's ranking: 1st. Deiny finished 21st at Stockton dropping him from the Rookie point lead. In four starts this season, Deiny has one top five and one top ten finish. This will be Deiny's first visit to Irwindale Speedway.

No. 4 - Greg Voigt (No. 09 Auto Pro Racing Engines Chevrolet), Voigt Racing. Last week's ranking: 6th. Voigt jumps up two spots in the Rookie standings after a 15th place finish at Stockton. Voigt has also cracked the top twenty in the overall point standings in 18th place. Voigt is a former Late Model track champion at Irwindale Speedway and looks forward to using his past track experience to climb further in the standings. Voigt finished fourth in last fall's event.

No. 5 - Kevin Vernon (No. 51 Action Towing Chevrolet), Vernon Racing. Last week's ranking: 4th. Vernon failed to qualify for the Stockton event dropping him out of the top twenty in the overall point standings. Vernon has many laps around Irwindale Speedway in Late Model competition and won the Bud Pole Award last August for the Featherlite Southwest Series race.

No. 6 - Danny Burson (No. 56 Great Western Electric Chevrolet), Burson Racing. Last week's ranking: 5th. Burson failed to qualify for the race at Stockton 99 Speedway after breaking a motor in practice. Burson has one top ten finish in three starts this season and looks to turn his luck around at Irwindale.

No. 7 - Randy Nelson (No. 68 Nelson Racing Ford), Nelson Racing. Last week's ranking: 7th. Nelson wrecked his car in the non-qualifiers race at Cajon Speedway and did not make the show at Stockton, thus dropping him from contention in the 2003 Victory Circle Chassis Rookie-of-the-Year title chase.

No. 8 - Nathan Thiesse (No. 88 Honda Cars of Corona Chevrolet), The Body Shop Racing. Last week's ranking: 7. Thiesse had another tough outing at Stockton, failing to qualify for the second time this season. Thiesse has proven that he is competitive after finishing 6th at Mesa Marin Raceway earlier in the year. The wide ultra-fast oval of Irwindale Speedway suits his driving style, so look for Thiesse to make a showing this weekend.

No. 9 - Mike Price (No. 3 AMI Metals Chevrolet), Price Racing. Last week's ranking: 9. Price did not attend the race at Stockton 99 Speedway.

No. 10 - Chris Hines (No. 96 Ironeagle Chevrolet) Pro Dyno Racing. Last Week's ranking: N/A. Hines did not attend the race at Stockton 99 Speedway.

No. 11 - Richard Johnson (No. 47 Auto Glass Chevrolet), Johnson Racing. Last week's ranking: 11. Johnson did not qualify for the race at Stockton 99 Speedway. Johnson is seeing many of the Featherlite Southwest Series tracks for the first time and learning that track experience can make the difference in qualifying. Johnson is a 20 year veteran of dirt racing in Northern California.

No. 12 - Ken Weaver (No. 93 Weaver Racing Chevrolet). Weaver Racing. Last week's ranking: N/A. Weaver did not compete at Stockton 99 Speedway.

NASCAR ELITE DIVISION, FEATHERLITE SOUTHWEST SERIES DRIVERS RETURN TO ACTION JUNE 7 AT IRWINDALE

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 4, 2003) - In only five years, Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway has become the marquee motorsports facility on the West coast, and this year the races on this half-mile paved oval will add great significance for the NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series drivers. This Saturday, June 7, the Featherlite Southwest Series returns for the 11th time in the running of the King Taco "150".

In April, NASCAR, Toyota, and Irwindale Speedway announced the Toyota All-Star Showdown that will pit the best of the best in all four of NASCAR's Elite Divisions November 6-8 at the Southern California short track. The event will be broadcast live Saturday, November 8 on SPEED Channel.

In order to get an invite to the Toyota All-Star Showdown, drivers will have to finish in the top ten final point standings in their respective series. Through four races this season, qualifying has been key in the Featherlite Southwest Series and this race at Irwindale is no different with more than 45 drivers expected to attempt to qualify for one of 30 starting positions in Saturday's 150-lap race. Drivers will vie for their share of $53,721 in posted awards in race five of the 14-race championship series.

The wide-open spaces of Irwindale Speedway's half-mile means there is plenty of room for passing, which will produce non-stop racing action. With Irwindale Speedway being a favorite stop on the series, many drivers are looking to get their season back on track.

Craig Raudman of Bakersfield, Calif., the 2001 winner of the August event, likes his chances after a successful test last week. "Irwindale is a fun track to race," said Raudman. "The track is wide and smooth. It drives like a speedway, but forces you to be aggressive on the wheel. We have had some unfortunate luck this season and a solid finish at Irwindale will put us back in the top ten."

The most recent winner on the series, Jim Pettit II from Prunedale, Calif., would not trade his victory at Stockton 99 Speedway in April, but would like nothing more than to back it up with a win this weekend. "We are still riding pretty high after Stockton," Pettit said. "I finished fourth there last year and the crew tells me they have chased all the gremlins away. I am confident we'll race well, but it will all come down to qualifying."

David Gilliland, of Riverside, Calif. picked up his first career victory in last year's event and knows that his season hangs in the balance as he fights to move into the top ten in the point standings. "The win last season was a big confidence builder for me," said Gilliland. "This season my team is even stronger and more prepared thanks to Rich Fountain."

Dan Holtz, who hails from Pacific Palisades, Calif., has added several Super Late Model races to his schedule this season as he chases his first series championship. "Running the late model is about seat time," Holtz said. Holtz hopes to continue his streak of top ten finishes and knows every lap around Irwindale Speedway will greatly benefit the second year series driver.

Burney Lamar, of Arcadia, Calif., who won last year's race, has made several changes over the past month in preparation for the Irwindale event. Lamar parted ways with CBA Motorsports in favor of a reunion with Junior Joiner and his 2002 championship runner-up team. "Getting back with Junior (Joiner) was the best thing for me to do," Lamar said. "I know I can win and be competitive and finishing in the top five at the end of the season is my ultimate goal. I am not going to miss the Showdown."

Defending Featherlite Southwest Series champion Eddy McKean, from Jerome, Idaho, likes his chances at Irwindale. "We continue to learn new things about our car," McKean said. "We are pretty good at Irwindale, but luck just has not been on our side. I have a new car that I know will race real well. You have to have your best stuff at each race, and I am bringing the best."

Other notable drivers that have experience at Irwindale include Bryan Germone, of Winsor, Calif. who holds the one lap qualifying record of 17.363 seconds set back in May of 1999. Ben Walker, from nearby Sun Valley, Calif., fills the seat vacated by Lamar in the #16 CBA Chevrolet. Walker has several wins at Irwindale Speedway over the past few seasons and will be a car to beat along with Chatsworth, California's Keith Spangler, who always is a tough competitor when the series comes to town.

The King Taco "150" is set to take the green flag at 8:30 pm PDT this Saturday with the Ron Strmiska Jr. looking to see if lightning indeed strikes twice.

THE INSIDE LINE

. The race within the race . Thomas Martin tops the Victory Circle

Chassis Rookie-of-the-Year leader board after four events. JR Patton, Frank Deiny Jr., Greg Voigt, and Kevin Vernon, round out the top-five Rookies.

. How many cars? More than 45 cars have pre-entered the King Taco

"150" with several drivers looking to make their first start of the season. Drivers include Zach Niessner, Greg Potts, Shawn Calderwood, and Bob Lyon.

. Zach Niessner has 3 top three finishes at Irwindale Speedway

including a runner-up finish in 2000.

. Darrell LaMoure of Phoenix, Ariz. welcomes NAPA Auto Parts and

Yerf-Dog Fun Karts as sponsors to his team in 2003. LaMoure continues to bring awareness regarding missing children to fans through his Racing for the Missing program. At each series race this season LaMoure and Yerf-Dog will raffle a Yerf-Dog Fun
 Kart at the race. Proceeds will be spilt between the Racing for the Missing program and the track's selected charity.

. Driver to keep your eye on: Dan Holtz has three straight top ten

finishes including a win this season. Holtz vaulted into 5th place in the point standings. Holtz is in his second year on the Featherlite Southwest Series.

. Hoosier Racing Tire is the official tire of the NASCAR Elite

Division in 2003 and will award 32 tires to eligible car owners at each series event. Hoosier will also award two tires to the highest eligible Rookie-of-the-Year candidate's car owner.

. Featherlite Southwest Series contingency sponsors include:

Anheuser-Busch, Auto Meter Products, Edelbrock Intake Manifolds, Featherlite Trailers, Five Star, Flowmaster, G-Force, Goody's Headache Powder, Holley Carburetors, Hoosier Tires, JR Pistons, Mac Tools, Mobil 1 Oil, Moroso, MSD, Penske Shocks, Powerade, Quarter Master, Quick Car, Raybestos Brakes, "76" Race Gas, Victory Circle Chassis, and Wix Air Filters.

MOVING UP

. Todd Souza of Aromas, Calif. moved into the NASCAR Top-10 for the

first time this season after a career best 2nd place finish at Stockton 99 Speedway April 26. Souza sits 9th in the overall point standings.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

. "Irwindale is where "Chicken Bone" was born." - Jim Pettit II (No.

03 Hall Kinion Ford).

PAGE FROM THE PAST

Kurt Busch won the inaugural race at Irwindale Speedway the spring of 1999. In ten events staged since 1999, nine different drivers have found victory lane with M.K. Kanke the only repeat winner with two wins in 2001.

Fast Facts

What: King Taco "150". Race 5 of 14 for the NASCAR Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series.

Where: Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale, CA.

When: 8:30 p.m. PDT, Saturday, June 7.

Track layout: 1/2-mile banked paved oval.

Race length: 150 laps, 75 miles.

Posted awards: $53,721

2002 winner: Burney Lamar

Qualifying Record: Bryan Germone, Chevrolet, 17.363 seconds, 103.669 mph, May 15, 1999.

Pre-race schedule (all times local): 9:00 am Haulers Enter, 10:00 am Registration and Inspection begin, 12:00 pm Mandatory Rookie Drivers Meeting, 12:30 pm Qualifying Draw, 1-2:00 pm Practice, 2:30-3:30 pm Practice, 3:45 pm Mandatory Driver's and Crew Chief's Meeting, 4:00 Mandatory Scorer's Meeting, 5:00 pm Time Trials, 7:30 pm 25-lap Qualifying Race, 8:00 pm Mandatory Spotter's Meeting, 8:30 pm King Taco"150".