2003 99 Schedule
Press Contact: Erica Klomp (209) 537-7600 or email at ericak@clbryant.com
Aug. 16th, 2003 was an incredible evening of racing. The racing
brought the crowd to its feet as
they cheered on three big main events including
the Western Late Models, Grand American Modifieds and Pro 4 Trucks. The events
were followed by the NASCAR WINSTON WEST NAPA AUTO PARTS 200 DODGE COUNTRY BY
HAVOLINE. It was the richest night of racing in the 57-year history of the track
and an exciting evening at the high-banked quarter mile paved oval.
In the Western Late Model Division John Moore,
#27, of Granite Bay had a strong
start taking the
lead from the outside in the HAVOLINE C.L. BRYANT sponsored
division. Brock Monroe,#42, of Escalon used the same technique powered by Moore for
the lead in lap 4. A caution flag quickly followed, due the Dave Houge of Elk
Grove stalling on turn two. The commotion caused Danny Contessotto of
Stockton
to reverse into Modesto’s Harry Belletto, #74, ripping off part of his
car’s side
panel, exposing the frame and sending debris flying. Moore and Monroe went head
to head after the restart and were followed by points leader Eric Schmidt of
Roseville in lap 11. Moore went high on turn two opening up an opportunity for
Monroe to go low on lap 12 and hastily took the lead. Halfway
through the race
Dave Byrd, #9, of Pacific Grove bolted into first after the second caution flag and
was trailed by Monroe and Pete Anderson, Jr., #5, who battled it out until Anderson, Jr.’s engine abruptly burst into flames with four laps to go. Dave Byrd was
poised to grab the opportunity as he raced into the lead following the caution
flag, for his first victory of the season. Bryd was chased by Monroe who placed
2nd, Contessotto 3rd, Harry Belletto 4th and
Eric Schmidt finished 5th.
Jay Linstroth,
#10a, of Citrus Heights broke his own fast time track record last
Saturday. Linstroth
set the fast time record of 13.792 on July, 19 2003 and
broke it by one-hundredths of a second for the new fast time track record of
13.791. Linstroth followed his fast time with a dash win, but lost his momentum
in the main event and placed 5th. Chris Mays and Joey Stearns, #3s, both
from Stockton went two wide after the start, until Mays slowed allowing Stearns
to race into the lead. Angelo Queirolo, #100, of Ripon and Mays followed, battling for
second. Queirolo’s persistence paid off as he swiftly passed Mays and Stearns
jetting for first. With twenty-eight laps down Stearns abruptly stopped high on
turn two causing the caution
flag. After a great ride by Stearns he was out of
the race due to engine problems. On the restart, Queirolo set the pace and
Linstroth had the outside position. It was a close battle for the checkered
flag. Queirolo was on a mission for the victory and took the lead without
hesitation smoking the competition for the win. Linstroth was out maneuvered and
was passed by Jason Philpot of Sacramento who took 2nd, Sam Solari,
#6, of
Salida was 3rd, and Mike Regelman, #66, was 4th.
In
the Pro 4 Trucks division, dash winner Randy Jahoda, #71, of Tracy claimed his
second victory of the season. Jahoda put a lashing on the competition Aug. 16th
and will return to defend his spectacular finish and increase his 614 points on
September 13th. Trevethan and Jahoda rallied side by side for the
lead until Jahoda was bumped leaving the door wide open for Trevethan and Mike
Brooks of Manteca to slip by. Jahoda regained control and quickly passed Brooks
working his was to the lead. Trevethan’s truck started smoking and was out the
remainder of the race. After the caution flag, Jahoda captured the lead and the
victory. Points leader Carrie Miller of Saratoga was in hot pursuit for second
place, trailed Dave Wright of Manteca in third. Miller was working feverishly to
keep the persistent Wright from passing. In lap sixteen Miller look turn two a
little loose, opening up an opportunity for Wright to capture her position.
Wright took 2nd at the finish, Miller placed 3rd, Ron
Robeck of Milpitas was 4th, and Bruce Hopper of Manteca was 5th.
Stockton 99 Speedway will be closed on Aug. 23, 2003. Racing action will return on Saturday, August 30, 2003 for the "Hot Wood Tri-Holiday Classic 100" The evening will include four big main events including Western Late Models, BCRA Midgets, the popular Pure Stock and Legends.
CAMERON WINS EMOTIONAL VICTORY
IN WINSTON WEST SERIES ACTION AT STOCKTON 99 SPEEDWAY
STOCKTON, Calif. (Aug. 16, 2003)
– It did not take long for Austin Cameron, #16, to return to victory
lane in NASCAR Grand National Division, Winston West Series competition.
Cameron, who missed four races earlier this season while undergoing cancer
treatment, dominated the action at Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway on Saturday,
Aug. 16, in winning the NAPA Auto Parts 200 by Dodge Country and Havoline.
It was just his second race since returning to competition last month.
"It feels like the first one," the 26-year-old El Cajon,
Calif., driver said of the victory. "I don’t even know what to say. I wanted to
cry almost. Just to come back after everything my family has gone through and
what I’ve been through … it’s pretty emotional."
The dominant fashion in which he won was reflective of Cameron’s performance of a year ago in which he won five of 10 races on the series schedule. "I was on another level," he said after setting a track record and leading 154 of 207 laps. "I just felt awesome. The car was great."
Cameron did not go unchallenged, however. "The only slip up I
had was when Mike David, #2, got under
me," he said of being passed on lap 17. "That
was only because I was being very cautious. My spotter said there was a wreck.
There was a car up against the wall. So, I assumed a yellow was coming out.
David snookered me. He got underneath me."
Despite track position being so critical on the tight
quarter-mile Stockton track, Cameron said he was confident of being able to get
the lead back. "I could pretty much tell how David was driving the car," Cameron
said. "He was getting all of it out of it. I didn’t think I was using mine up
that much. He kept getting loose on the exit. I knew that if I gave it 20 or 30
laps that we’d be right there."
Cameron nosed his NAPA/NAPA Belts & Hose-sponsored Chevrolet
by David’s Ford on lap 70 and
paced the field to the midway point. He opened up
a bit of a margin in the second half of the race, as David and Steve Portenga,
#77,
battled for the runner-up spot.
Cameron saw his lead evaporate, however, when a late-race
caution caused the scheduled 200-lap event to be extended with a
green-white-checkered finish. Cameron held on to win by .806 of a second – at an
average speed of 46.645 mph. His victory netted him $8,241
in prize money and
posted awards, including the Bud Pole Award. Cameron led nine other drivers in
eclipsing the track record – with a lap of 63.672 mph. It marked
Cameron’s ninth
career Bud Pole Award, to go along with his seventh career victory in the
series.
"To come back and win the second time back is pretty phenomenal," he said. "I can’t say enough about NAPA Auto Parts and Bill McAnally for putting me back in the car."
Portenga, who led the championship standings by one point
coming into the event,
finished second in the King Taco/Smart & Ford. David,
#2, of
Modesto, Calif., took the third spot in the Injury Helpline.com Ford – with
Brett Thompson, #61, of Jerome, Idaho, coming home fourth in the Rich Thompson
Trucking Chevrolet. Johnny Borneman, #8, of Ramona,
Calif., finished fifth in the Borneman Plastering/Red Line Oil Ford. Completing the top 10 were Mike Duncan,#9,
Mark Reed, Kevin Richards, Scott Lynch,
#08, and Scott Gaylord.
The race was slowed by five cautions for 36 laps.
With his runner-up finish – Portenga,
#77, of Sparks, Nev., built
his lead in the championship standings to 33 points (1,238 to 1,205) over Lynch,
the leading
Raybestos Brakes Rookie of the Year Candidate. Duncan,
#9, remains third
in the standings with 1,201 – trailed by Gaylord with 1,173 and Richards with
1,162. Borneman at 1,138, Thompson at 1,096, Jim Inglebright at 1,093, Reed at
1,086 and Gene Woods at 970 complete the top 10 in the standings.
The next event on the Winston West Series schedule is the NAPA 200 at Rocky Mountain Raceways near Salt Lake City, Utah, on Aug. 30.
