WWS: Brendan Gaughan season finale Irwindale preview

The Championship Comes Down To The Wire

When the Green Flag signals the start of the final round of the 2001 Winston West Series, November 10 at Irwindale Speedway, Brendan Gaughan and Orleans Racing will be ready to go full bore for the victory and the coveted Championship title.

Piloting the No. 16 NAPA/Martin Senour Chevy Monte Carlo, Gaughan is highly optimistic about this last battle of the season. "We've won at Irwindale twice this year," says Gaughan, "and I'm confident we can do it again. "We are using the same NAPA Chevy that we ran here before - 'Bad Andy' - and he is definitely one mean machine. Now all we need is a little smile from Lady Luck and we will be set."

Holding down a 40 point lead over second place Food 4-Less driver Mark Reed, Gaughan needs to finish 7th or better if Reed should win. So far this season, Gaughan has led the most laps, earned the most wins (five), and taken home the lion's share of the prize money.

"Irwindale has always been one of my favorite tracks," continues Gaughan, who recently inked a contract with NAPA Auto Parts to run next season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. "It's extremely fast, fun to drive and is a good three-groove track which makes for some dynamite passing. The best scenario would be to qualify up front, go for the lead right away and stay there for the entire race. However, I've learned a lot about patience over the past two years and if that doesn't happen, we will just have to keep digging and chipping away 'til the end. While I really want to win the race, the championship is far more important and that's definitely our overall goal."

One of the toughest teams in the industry, Orleans Racing has more than proven themselves over the past to years. "It has been said time and time again that a driver is only as good as his crew," says Gaughan, "and, boy is that true. Lucky for me I have one incredible crew from our crew chief Shane Wilson all the way down. I can't say enough good things about them - awesome pretty much does the trick."

"We have had another great year with NAPA as our major sponsor," adds team owner Bill McAnally. "You couldn't ask for a better company to work with in racing today. Their commitment, involvement and enthusiasm is a big plus for our team and we are looking forward to presenting them with their third NASCAR Winston West title. In short, we have a great sponsor, a top-ranked championship driver, one of the best crews in the racing industry and a winning car."

Qualifying for this final race of the season will get underway at 4PM with racing action starting at 7:30 PM.

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