by Mike Prusinski
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Feb. 2, 2003) - Ken Schrader held off a late charge by rookie Scott Lynch to win the Bosch Spark Plug 150 at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday.
It was Schrader's second victory on the one-mile oval in NASCAR Winston West Series competition and his eighth win in the series overall. It was also Schrader's 13th win at Phoenix International Raceway, dating back to his first victory in 1982 when he was still racing Midgets and Sprints.
The NASCAR Winston Cup Series regular led 124 of the 151 laps, taking the lead for good on lap 116 in his #99 Federated Auto Parts Pontiac. Lynch, a 22-year-old series rookie, finished just .200 of second behind in his #08 Yerf-Dog/Mr. Gas Dodge Intrepid.
"The kid's a good racer," said Schrader. "We rolled around on top of him in one and two, and I thought 'I hope this kid is as good as I think he is' because we were out there running in no man's land. I talked to him some this weekend and he's got a lot going for him. If he had been in front of us at the end we probably would have finished behind him like he did us."
Jim Inglebright charged from his 11th starting position to finish third in the #20 Jelly Belly Chevy.
"I know Scott and Kenny's cars, they were staying down on the race track better than mine," said Ingelbright. "But we learned a lot. We'll come back and I think it's going to be a good year."
Fourth went to Inglebright's teammate Austin Cameron, the defending Bosch Spark Plug 150 champion, in the NAPA Auto Parts Chevy. Steve Portenga brought his King Taco Ford home in fifth.
NASCAR Busch North standout Matt Kobyluck started third and ran in the top three until lap 40, when a right front tire went down sending him into the wall and out of the race.
RESULTS
Results Sunday from the "Bosch Spark Plug 150" NASCAR Winston West Series race at Phoenix International Raceway, showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, make and model of car, laps completed, reason out (if any) and money won:
1. (2) Ken Schrader, Fenton, Mo., Pontiac Grand Prix, 151, $13,350
2. (1) Scott Lynch, Burley, Idaho, Dodge Intrepid, 151, $11,700
3. (11) Jim Inglebright, Fairfield, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 151, $8,750
4. (5) Austin Cameron, El Cajon, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 151, $7,750
5. (12) Steve Portenga, Sparks, Nev., Ford Taurus, 151, $6,250
6. (6) Kevin Richards, Spokane, Wash., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 151, $6,200
7. (13) C.T. Hellmund, Austin, Tex., Pontiac Grand Prix, 151, $4,450
8. (18) Jimmy Kitchens, Hueytown, Ala., Pontiac Grand Prix, 151, $5,000
9. (15) Scott Gaylord, Lakewood, Colo., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 151, $4,950
10. (9) Clint Vahsholtz, Woodland Park, Colo., Ford Taurus, 151, $3,900
11. (8) Johnny Borneman, Ramona, Calif., Ford Taurus, 151, $4,350
12. (14) Scott Schmidt, Fort Lupton, Colo., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 150, $3,300
13. (16) Brett Thompson, Jerome, Idaho, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 149, $3,000
14. (20) David Eshleman, Fontana, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 149, $2,300
15. (19) Gene Woods, Ontario, Calif., Dodge Intrepid, 148, $2,600
16. (17) Jack Sellers, Sacramento, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 147, $3,250
17. (4) Paul Wolfe, Mooresville, N.C., Dodge Intrepid, 123, accident, $6,900
18. (23) Wayne Jacks, Las Vegas, Nev., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 111, transmission, $1,800
19. (24) Carl Harr, Canada, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 99, accident, $2,200
20. (7) Mike Duncan, Lamont, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 86, accident, $2,900
21. (21) Daryl Harr, St Canada, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 66, accident, $2,100
22. (26) Jeff Davis, Anaheim, Calif., Pontiac Grand Prix, 52, electrical, $2,050
23. (3) Matt Kobyluck, Uncasville, Conn., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 45, accident, $6,500
24. (22) Ken Weaver, Dallas, Tex., Ford Taurus, 37, accident, $2,200
25. (27) Jeff Barrister, Scottsdale,Ariz., Ford Taurus, 21, accident, $1,400
26. (28) Bobby Hillis, Phoenix, Ariz., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 16, engine, $2,600
27. (10) Brandon Miller, Bakersfield, Calif., Pontiac Grand Prix, 4, accident, $1,300
28. (25) Takuma Koga, Nagoya, Japan, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 1, accident, $1,300
TIME OF RACE: 1 hour, 44 minutes, 30 seconds.
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.2 seconds.
CAUTION FLAGS: 8 for 41 laps.
LAP LEADERS: Schrader 1-88, Harr 89, 90-115, Schrader 116-151.
AVERAGE SPEED: 86.699 mph.
LEAD CHANGES: 4 among 3 drivers.
NASCAR Winston West Series points standings:
1. Ken Schrader 185
2. Scott Lynch 175
3. Jim Inglebright 165
4. Austin Cameron 160
5. Steve Portenga 155
6. Kevin Richards 150
7. C.T. Hellmund 146
8. Jimmy Kitchens 142
9. Scott Gaylord 138
10. Clint Vahsholtz 134
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Feb. 2, 2003) - Ken Schrader held off a late charge by rookie Scott Lynch to win the Bosch Spark Plug 150 at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday.
It was Schrader's second victory on the one-mile oval in NASCAR Winston West Series competition and his eighth win in the series overall. It was also Schrader's 13th win at Phoenix International Raceway, dating back to his first victory in 1982 when he was still racing Midgets and Sprints.
The NASCAR Winston Cup Series regular led 124 of the 151 laps, taking the lead for good on lap 116 in his #99 Federated Auto Parts Pontiac. Lynch, a 22-year-old series rookie, finished just .200 of second behind in his #08 Yerf-Dog/Mr. Gas Dodge Intrepid.
"The kid's a good racer," said Schrader. "We rolled around on top of him in one and two, and I thought 'I hope this kid is as good as I think he is' because we were out there running in no man's land. I talked to him some this weekend and he's got a lot going for him. If he had been in front of us at the end we probably would have finished behind him like he did us."
Jim Inglebright charged from his 11th starting position to finish third in the #20 Jelly Belly Chevy.
"I know Scott and Kenny's cars, they were staying down on the race track better than mine," said Ingelbright. "But we learned a lot. We'll come back and I think it's going to be a good year."
Fourth went to Inglebright's teammate Austin Cameron, the defending Bosch Spark Plug 150 champion, in the NAPA Auto Parts Chevy. Steve Portenga brought his King Taco Ford home in fifth.
NASCAR Busch North standout Matt Kobyluck started third and ran in the top three until lap 40, when a right front tire went down sending him into the wall and out of the race.
RESULTS
Results Sunday from the "Bosch Spark Plug 150" NASCAR Winston West Series race at Phoenix International Raceway, showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, make and model of car, laps completed, reason out (if any) and money won:
1. (2) Ken Schrader, Fenton, Mo., Pontiac Grand Prix, 151, $13,350
2. (1) Scott Lynch, Burley, Idaho, Dodge Intrepid, 151, $11,700
3. (11) Jim Inglebright, Fairfield, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 151, $8,750
4. (5) Austin Cameron, El Cajon, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 151, $7,750
5. (12) Steve Portenga, Sparks, Nev., Ford Taurus, 151, $6,250
6. (6) Kevin Richards, Spokane, Wash., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 151, $6,200
7. (13) C.T. Hellmund, Austin, Tex., Pontiac Grand Prix, 151, $4,450
8. (18) Jimmy Kitchens, Hueytown, Ala., Pontiac Grand Prix, 151, $5,000
9. (15) Scott Gaylord, Lakewood, Colo., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 151, $4,950
10. (9) Clint Vahsholtz, Woodland Park, Colo., Ford Taurus, 151, $3,900
11. (8) Johnny Borneman, Ramona, Calif., Ford Taurus, 151, $4,350
12. (14) Scott Schmidt, Fort Lupton, Colo., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 150, $3,300
13. (16) Brett Thompson, Jerome, Idaho, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 149, $3,000
14. (20) David Eshleman, Fontana, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 149, $2,300
15. (19) Gene Woods, Ontario, Calif., Dodge Intrepid, 148, $2,600
16. (17) Jack Sellers, Sacramento, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 147, $3,250
17. (4) Paul Wolfe, Mooresville, N.C., Dodge Intrepid, 123, accident, $6,900
18. (23) Wayne Jacks, Las Vegas, Nev., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 111, transmission, $1,800
19. (24) Carl Harr, Canada, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 99, accident, $2,200
20. (7) Mike Duncan, Lamont, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 86, accident, $2,900
21. (21) Daryl Harr, St Canada, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 66, accident, $2,100
22. (26) Jeff Davis, Anaheim, Calif., Pontiac Grand Prix, 52, electrical, $2,050
23. (3) Matt Kobyluck, Uncasville, Conn., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 45, accident, $6,500
24. (22) Ken Weaver, Dallas, Tex., Ford Taurus, 37, accident, $2,200
25. (27) Jeff Barrister, Scottsdale,Ariz., Ford Taurus, 21, accident, $1,400
26. (28) Bobby Hillis, Phoenix, Ariz., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 16, engine, $2,600
27. (10) Brandon Miller, Bakersfield, Calif., Pontiac Grand Prix, 4, accident, $1,300
28. (25) Takuma Koga, Nagoya, Japan, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 1, accident, $1,300
TIME OF RACE: 1 hour, 44 minutes, 30 seconds.
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.2 seconds.
CAUTION FLAGS: 8 for 41 laps.
LAP LEADERS: Schrader 1-88, Harr 89, 90-115, Schrader 116-151.
AVERAGE SPEED: 86.699 mph.
LEAD CHANGES: 4 among 3 drivers.
NASCAR Winston West Series points standings:
1. Ken Schrader 185
2. Scott Lynch 175
3. Jim Inglebright 165
4. Austin Cameron 160
5. Steve Portenga 155
6. Kevin Richards 150
7. C.T. Hellmund 146
8. Jimmy Kitchens 142
9. Scott Gaylord 138
10. Clint Vahsholtz 134