WWS: Woodside and Team Walker Motorsports ready for 2001

January 27, 2001 (North Hollywood, Calif.) - The Team Walker Motorsports race shop has been a busy place this week, as the team and driver Sean Woodside put the final touches on preparations to begin the 2001 season and the team's first full-time effort in the NASCAR Winston West Series.

Woodside became involved with Team Walker during the 2000 season, when he ran selected Winston West races for the team. He is involved with the team on a full-time basis now, and plans to make a run at his second Winston West championship.

Woodside won the 1999 Winston West championship, then drove for REF Motorsports ' Featherlite Southwest Series, NASCAR Touring team throughout the 2000 season, collecting its first-ever win, and adding four top-five and eight top-ten finishes to its list of accomplishments for a year-end finish of sixth place in the championship standings.

On rejoining the Winston West Series for a full-season effort in the 2001 season, Woodside said, "It feels like home. I learned a lot last year running the Southwest Series and really enjoyed it, but I'm looking forward to running again in the Winston West. I had three very successful years there. Maybe what I learned last year will make me that much better this year."

Woodside continued, "I've got about 80% of my old Winston West team working with me this year, so it feels like a homecoming to all of us. It's making it that much easier to get things rolling. We're even back in the same shop location that we used for Golden West Motorsports."

Woodside drove for Golden West Motorsports in the 1997 and 1998 Winston West seasons, finishing second in the championship standings in both. Several of the former Golden West crewmembers, including crew chief Jeff Schrader, have joined Team Walker Motorsports.

Woodside concluded, "I have enthusiastic new owners to work with, and we all feel the season will be a good one for us."

"I feel ours is a championship caliber team," said team owner Donna Walker. "With Sean as the driver and Jeff Schrader as crew chief, I believe we have the right combination to win the Winston West Series championship this year."

Team Walker Motorsports is a multi-team racing operation owned by Donna Walker and her son, Michael. The team fields the #45 NAPA, Ringers, Ron's Rear Ends Chevrolet in the NASCAR Winston West Series, featuring driver Sean Woodside, and the #23 NAPA, Ringers, Rons Rear Ends, Quixote, and Sunset Expendables Chevrolet in Irwindale Speedway's Super Late Model program, driven by Mike Walker. North Hollywood, Calif.-based Team Walker Motorsports debuted in 1999 with a limited Late Model schedule.

-Team Walker Motorsports