SWS: Mesa Marin fast facts

<pre> WHAT: Coors Light "125" Featherlite Southwest Series, NASCAR Touring Race No. 3

WHERE: Mesa Marin Raceway, Bakersfield, Calif. 1/2-Mile Paved

WHEN: Saturday, April 7, 2001 -- 9:00 p.m. PST

DISTANCE: 125 Laps/62.5 Miles

POSTED AWARDS: $33,720

FIELD: 30 cars possible. The fastest 26 cars through time trials with two provisional starting positions (27th & 28th) available to the top 30 drivers based on the final 2000 Featherlite Southwest Series point standings, who have not qualified for one of the original 26 starting positions, provided eligible drivers attempt to qualify. The 29th and 30th starting positions will be filled by the top two (2) highest finishing drivers from the Qualifying Race, electing to transfer.

SANCTION: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR)

PROMOTER: Mesa Marin Raceway, Inc.

SCHEDULE:

Saturday, April 7

10:00 a.m. Registration & Inspections 12:00 noon Mandatory Rookie Driver's Meeting 12:30 p.m. Drawing to determine Qualifying order 1:00 p.m.-3:15 p.m. -- Practice 3:30 p.m. Mandatory driver's meeting 5:30 p.m. Time Trials (2 Laps). All positions 7:00 p.m. Qualifying race 7:30 p.m. Trophy Dash

THE RACE TRACK: Mesa Marin Raceway is a 1/2-mile paved oval track.

RECORDS: Driver Date Speed Time QUALIFYING: Frank Adamo 10/16/98 100.903 mph 17.839 sec. RACE: 100-Laps Loren Kelley 6/30/90 81.743 mph 36 min. 44 sec.

FEATHERLITE SOUTHWEST SERIES NOTES:

* M.K. Kanke will surpass the $300,000 mark in career earnings at Mesa Marin and become the first Featherlite Southwest Series driver in history to achieve that milestone. Kanke needs just $118. Ron Hornaday Jr. is second with career earnings of $285,920.

* Bob Lyon, Aqua Dulce, Calif., is the iron man of the series with 221 appearances.

* Doug McCoun has the longest active streak of consecutive seasons finishing in the top 10 in the final standings. McCoun has managed top 10 finishes eight straight years.

* The record for most different Bud Pole Award winners in a season is 13, set in 1997 and tied in 1998.

* Matt Crafton, 2000 Featherlite Southwest Series champion, will not be back in 2001 to defend his title. Crafton has moved up to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to run for Rookie-of-the-Year driving the #88 Sealmaster Chevrolet.

* More than 12 Rookie -of-the-Year candidates have officially declared their intentions including Brandon Miller of Rancho Santa Fe, Burney Lamar, Troy Adams, Eddie McKean out of Jerome, Idaho, and Scott Brandt from Kalispell, Montana.

Current FSWS 2001 Point Standings 2000 FSWS Mesa Marin Raceway Top 10 1. M.K. Kanke 350 1. Sean Woodside 2. Auggie Vidovich Jr. 303 2. Jon Nelson 3. Darrell LaMoure 302 3. Matt Crafton 4. Greg Pursley 295 4. Jim Inglebright 5. Jim Pettit II 294 5. Doug McCoun 6. Frank Maronski Jr. 285 6. Keith Spangler 7. Scott Brandt 276 7. Bruce Bechtel 8. Steve Smith 272 8. Craig Raudman 9. Burney Lamar 258 9. John Baker 10. Bob Lyon 251 10. Darrell LaMoure

2000 RACE REVIEW: Jon Nelson won the Bud Pole Award with a time of 18.050 and started the event in the sixth position due to the invert. Frank Maronski led the first 18 laps from his outside pole starting position, then lost the lead to Auggie Vidovich Jr. on lap 19. Vidovich went on to lead the next 80 laps and looked to have the race won, when a hard-charging Sean Woodside made a last lap pass to record his first win of the season. The spring 2000 event at Mesa Marin Raceway was a 100-lap race.

2000 RACE STATS Bud Pole: Jon Nelson Time of Race: 53 min, 10 seconds Average Speed: 57.7423 mph Margin of Victory: .391 seconds Caution Flags: Five for 39 Laps Lap Leaders: Frank Maronski Jr. 1-18, Auggie Vidovich Jr. 19-98, Sean Woodside 99-100. Two lead changes among three drivers.

Previous FSWS Winners at Mesa Marin Raceway 2000-Sean Woodside 2000-Matt Crafton 1999-Kurt Busch 1999-Kevin Harvick 1999-Gary Lewis 1998-Kevin Harvick 1998-Bryan Germone 1998-M.K. Kanke 1997-M.K. Kanke 1997-Steve Portenga 1997-Mike Alsup 1996-Chris Raudman 1996-Mark Reed 1996-M.K. Kanke 1995-Craig Raudman 1995-Lance Hooper 1994-Jim Inglebright 1994-Bryan Germone 1994-Sean Monroe 1994-Doug McCoun 1993-Doug McCoun 1993-Bob Lyon 1993-D Williams 1993-Steve Portenga 1992-D Williams 1992-Doug George 1992-Doug George 1992-Rick Carelli 1991-Doug George 1991-Doug George 1991-Rick Carelli 1991-Mike Chase 1990-Jon Paques 1990-Ron Hornaday Jr. 1990-Mike Chase 1990-Mike Chase 1989-Loren Kelley 1989-Mike Chase 1989-Mike Chase 1989-Mike Chase 1988-Ron Hornaday Jr. 1988-Mike Chase 1988-Mike Chase 1988-Roman Calczynski 1987-Ken Pederson 1987-Gary Manlow 1987-Mike Chase

-Derrick Shannon