NASCAR WEST SERIES NEWS AND NOTES HEADING TO EVERGREEN SPEEDWAY IN MONROE WASHINGTON

The race … This is the ninth event of a 13-race NASCAR Camping World Series West schedule for 2008.

The procedure … The starting field is 22 cars, including provisionals. The first 18 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials. The remaining four spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 150 laps (93.75 miles).

The track … Evergreen Speedway is a semi-banked .646-mile paved oval with turns banked eight degrees and four degrees banking in the straights.

The records … Qualifying: Mike Duncan, Aug. 4, 2007, 99.691 mph, 23.328 seconds; Race: Mike Chase, May 4, 1991, 72.283 mph, 2 hours 40 minutes 52 seconds.

Streak of consistent finishes … Jim Inglebright (No. 1 Jelly Belly Chevrolet) will be looking for a solid finish at Monroe to extend his string of six consecutive top-10 finishes. With his latest top-10 finish — the Fairfield, Calif., driver moved to fifth in the championship standings.

Former winners … The entry list for this year’s Monroe event includes two former winners — Austin Cameron (No. 18 NAPA AutoCare Toyota), who won in 2004, and Johnny Borneman (No. 8 Twisted X Boots/Red Line Oil Ford), who won in 2006.

Multiple victories … Jack McCoy and Ray Elder are tied for the most wins at Evergreen Speedway, with five each. McCoy won three consecutive races – once in 1967 and two in 1968 – and again in 1969 and 1973. Elder won in 1971, twice in 1972 and twice in 1975. Other multiple winners include Ron Eaton (1979, 1980 and 1982), Chad Little (1986, 1988 and 1989), Bill Amick (1964 and 1965), Dick Bown (1964 and 1970), Brendan Gaughan (2000 and 2001), Butch Gilliland (1996 and 1998), Harry Jefferson (1974 and 1977), Neil Newberry (1976 and 1979), Jim Robinson (1983 and 1984) and Bill Sedgwick (1990 and 1992).

Most poles … Eaton and Bill Elliott have the most poles at Monroe, with four each. Eaton won his in 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1985; Elliott won his in 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1990.

Best finishes … The late Roy Smith leads the lists for most top-five finishes (nine) and top-10 finishes (14) in competition at the track since 1971.

Most money … Bill Sedgwick leads in terms of money won at Monroe in the modern era. He has winnings of $108,351 in 10 races.

Out front … Chad Little has led the most laps around the Monroe track since 1971, staying out front for 1,183 circuits.

The Race: Toyota/Concept Race Cars and Parts 150
The Place: Evergreen Speedway, Monroe, Wash.
The Date: Saturday, July 26
The Time: 8:30 p.m. PT
Track Layout: .646-mile paved
Race Purse: $112,392
2007 Winner: Brian Ickler
2007 Pole: Mike Duncan
Schedule: Saturday: Practice 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Time Trials 4 p.m.
Track Contact:
Terry Buell
(360) 805-6100 2008 STANDINGS
Rk Driver Points
1 Eric Holmes 1,331
2 Jason Bowles 1,260
3 Mike David 1,211
4 Jeff Barkshire 1,182
5 Jim Inglebright 1,169
6 Austin Cameron 1,133
7 Moses Smith 1,084
8 Mike Gallegos 1,053
9 J. Borneman 1,028
10 David Mayhew 999

Last year’s event ... Brian Ickler took the victory in this event last year to capture his third win in four races. He led 163 of 300 laps, with his chief competition coming from Mike Duncan – who set a track record in winning the pole for the event. In addition to Duncan, Ickler also shuffled the lead back-and-forth through much of the race with Jeff Barkshire. While they challenged for the top spot, many competitors battled for a solid finish after losing a lap to the leaders. Ickler’s dominant performance put some a lap down on the track, while others fell a lap behind during a round of yellow-flag pit stops. Ickler moved into the lead for the final time on a Lap 226 restart, after the sixth and final caution period. He cruised to victory by a margin of 3.979 seconds. Duncan took second, with Mike David finishing third.

Final notes from Roseburg

Another win, another pole for Holmes: Eric Holmes (No. 20 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota) registered his fourth win of the season and the sixth of his career with a victory in the Toyota/Bi-Mart Firecracker 150 presented by NAPA at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Ore., on July 11. He also set a track record in capturing the Coors Light Pole Award for the event, his fourth pole of the year and the ninth of his career.

NAPA car in familiar site: With Holmes’ win in the No. 20 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, it marked the third different driver in three years to guide the blue and yellow NAPA-sponsored entry to Victory Lane at Roseburg. Holmes followed the wins of Brian Ickler (2007) and Peyton Sellers (2006). In addition, Austin Cameron scored back-to-back wins in the NAPA entry in 2002 and 2003.

BMR 1-2-3 in qualifying: The three Bill McAnally Racing teams swept the top three spots in qualifying, with Holmes on the pole, Austin Cameron (No. 18 NAPA AutoCare Toyota) on the outside of the front row and Moses Smith (No. 16 HASA Pool Products/White Flyer Toyota) in the third spot. They ran 1-2-3 until Cameron left with mechanical trouble.

Repeat finish for some: … This year’s finish at Douglas County Speedway was a replay of a year ago for two of the top five finishers. Johnny Borneman (No. 8 Twisted X Boots/Red Line Oil Ford) and Jason Bowles (No. 22 Sunrise Ford Ford) finished second and third, respectively — matching their finish in 2007 at Roseburg.

Another $50,000 in prize money: … The top 20 teams in the NASCAR Camping World Series West are receiving a combined $50,000 in prize money for the second portion of the championship program for this season. The prize money, part of the overall $350,000 point fund award for 2008, is being distributed based on driver championship standings after eight races.

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