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NASCAR
GRAND NATIONAL DIVISION, AUTOZONE WEST SERIES
POST-RACE NOTES PHOENIX
UNITED
RENTALS 125, JAN. 22
Familiar turf
Ken Schrader (No. 99 Four
Winds Motorhomes/AXA Financial Chevrolet) scored his
fourth series win at Phoenix International Raceway
with a victory at the Copper World Classic in the
United Rentals 125 as the NASCAR Grand National
Division, AutoZone West Series kicked off its 53rd
season. Schrader, who has the most series wins at PIR,
now has 11 career series victories overall.
First Bud Pole
After coming close twice
last year, Spencer Clark (No. 26 Allegiant Air Ford)
won his first career pole award at Phoenix. Clark
lapped the one-mile D-shaped oval at a speed of
127.932 mph. The 18-year-old from Las Vegas went on to
lead the most laps, 64, and finished a career-best
fourth.
Record field at Phoenix
The 38 drivers
who attempted to qualify for this race established a
record for entries in a NASCAR Grand National
Division, AutoZone West Series event at Phoenix. The
previous high was 36, established in 1998 and equaled
in 1999. The largest turnout prior to that was in
1982, with 35 entries.
Busy weekend
It was a busy weekend for
several drivers, who did double duty competing in
the NASCAR Grand National Division, AutoZone West
Series race and the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division,
Southwest Series race. Schrader and Eric Holmes (No.
62 Sunoco Race Fuels/Paul Oil Chevrolet) had podium
finishes in both with Schrader finishing second in
the Southwest Series race, while Holmes finished a
career-best second in the AutoZone West Series race
and third in the Southwest Series event. Also pulling
double duty was Nick Lynch (No. 29 Baja
Motorsports/Mr. Gas Dodge) who qualified second
quickest in the AutoZone West Series race, but fell
behind early with a flat tire.
Impressive debuts
Among the six drivers
competing in their first AutoZone West Series race, a
couple had very impressive results at Phoenix. Last
years national champion in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly
Series Peyton Sellers (No. 16 NAPA Auto Parts/NAPA
Belts & Hose Chevrolet) of Danville, Va., -
started eighth and finished fifth. His teammate at
Bill McAnally Racing Brian Ickler (No. 20
Consolidated Electrical Distributors/NAPA Chevrolet)
of Poway, Calif. started 14th and finished sixth.
POWERade Power Move
Series rookie Justin
Lofton (No. 66 Bob Lofton Cattle Feeding Investments
Chevrolet) also had an impressive performance at PIR.
The West Morland, Calif., driver making just his
second start in the series charged forward from
34th on the grid to finish 12th and win the POWERade
Power Move of the Race Award. At each Grand National
Division event, POWERade presents the award to the
driver who advances the most positions.
Featherlite Most Improved
Jim Inglebright
(No. 1 Jelly Belly Chevrolet) won the Featherlite Most
Improved Driver Award at Phoenix. Featherlite presents
the award at each event to the driver who improves the
most finishing positions from the previous event.
BUD POLE AWARD STANDINGS
Spencer Clark 1
POWERADE POWER MOVE OF THE RACE STANDINGS
Justin Lofton 1
FEATHERLITE MOST IMPROVED DRIVER STANDINGS
Jim Inglebright 1
SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE YEAR STANDINGS
Driver Points
1. Peyton Sellers 10
2. Brian Ickler 9
3. Justin Lofton 8
4. Eric Humphries 7
5. Daniel DiGiacomo 6
6. Nick Lynch 5
7. James Bruncati 4
8. Eric Hardin 3
9. Brian Pannone 2
10. Bruce Betts 1
11. Ed Watson 1
For Additional Information, Contact:
Kevin W. Green, NASCAR Public Relations, (661)
392-8543 or kgreen@nascar.com
Jeremy Davidson, NASCAR Public Relations, (386)
253-0611 or jdavidson@nascar.com
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