ROOKIE JEFF JEFFERSON CLAIMS VICTORY IN FINAL NWWS RACE AT PORTLAND SPEEDWAY

By Kevin Green, NASCAR Public Relations

NASCAR Winston West Series   

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif, (July 5, 2000) - Jeff Jefferson has not had the kind
of rookie season he had hoped for this year in the NASCAR Winston West
Series - with only one finish better than 20th in the first six races. The
outlook for his freshman season changed dramatically, however, with a
victory in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Portland (Ore.) Speedway on July 4th.
"You go to all the places you've never been to like Las Vegas (Motor
Speedway) and California (Speedway) and you struggle," said Jefferson, who
prior to this year competed primarily at NASCAR Weekly Racing Series tracks
in the Pacific Northwest and in NASCAR's Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series.
"But we finally got up here and we won. I knew it was a long race and I just
wanted to finish up front. I knew I had a good car and that if things went
right I'd be up front. And they did all day."
The event marked a milestone in racing in the Pacific Northwest as the
final race on the Portland Speedway's paved 1/2-mile oval. After 55 years of
racing, the asphalt is being removed as the track is converted to a dirt
surface. Jefferson, the first rookie to win a race in the series since 1997,
became the final driver to notch a NASCAR Winston West Series win on the
historic track. He joined a list of winners that includes Bobby Allison,
Hershel McGriff, Ken Schrader, Derrike Cope and Chad Little. Jefferson of
Naches, Wash., is the 26-year-old son of George Jefferson, a retired logger
who has been involved in racing for more than three decades and was
influential in the racing careers of such drivers as Cope and Little.
Jefferson grabbed the spotlight early in the event by winning the Bud Pole
Award with a lap of 87.125 mph in the sloot.com-sponsored Ford.
He went on to lead 124 of the 200 laps and clinch the Gatorade Front Runner
Award. Jefferson won by a margin of 1.32 seconds at an average speed of
62.718 mph. He netted $15,800 in prize money and special awards. Finishing
second was Steve Portenga of Sparks, Nev., in the Roto-Rooter Chevrolet;
followed by Brendan Gaughan of Las Vegas, Nev., in the NAPA/Martin Senour
Chevrolet. Bill Sedgwick of Acton, Calif., was fourth in the Arrowhead
Mountain Spring Water Chevrolet - followed by Sean Woodside of Saugus,
Calif, in the Team Walker Motorsports Chevrolet. Rounding out the top 10
were Eric Norris, Dan Obrist, John Metcalf, Jason Small and Kevin Culver.
The race featured three lead changes among three drivers - Jefferson,
Portenga and Gaughan. The event was slowed by six cautions for 34 laps.
Twenty-two of the 24 starters were still running at the finish. With his
third-place finish, Gaughan retained his lead in the NASCAR Winston West
Series championship standings. He leads with 1,158 points over Kevin
Richards of Spokane, Wash., with 1,033. Portenga moved to third with 1,023 -
followed by Bobby Dotter of Charlotte, N.C., with 996; and John Metcalf of
Aurora, Colo., with 965. Norris 957, Sedgwick 923, Mike Duncan 885, Scott
Gaylord 872 and Joe Bean 831 complete the top 10. The chase for the rookie
title in the series remains close with Duncan leading with 55, followed by
Rick Bogart at 48, Johnny Borneman at 45, Troy Cline at 41, Mike Grady at
40, Gene Christensen at 34, Jefferson at 32 and Don Holcomb at 21.
The next event on the NASCAR Winston West Series schedule is the Coors Light
200 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash., on July 16. <<...>>
Source: Kevin Green

NAPA AUTO PARTS 200 NASCAR Winston West Series Portland, Ore, July 4, 2000
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Final leaders of Tuesday's $102,691 NASCAR Winston West
Series stock car race
1. ( 1) Jeff Jefferson, Naches, Wash., Ford Taurus, 200, 62.718 mph, 15,8OO
2. ( 5) Steve Portenga, Sparks, Nev., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 200, $7,220
3. (17) Brandan Gaughan, La$ Vegas, Nav., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 200, $5,245

4. ( 2) Bill Sedgwick, Acion, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 200, $3,990
5. ( 4) Sean Woodside, Saugus, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 200, $2,875
6. ( 3) Eric Norris, Dallas, Tex., Ford Taurus, 200, 33,190
7. ( 7) Dan Obrist, Portland, Ore., Chsvrolet Monte Carlo, 200, $1,300
8. (16) John Metcalf, Aurora, Colo., Chevrolet Monte Carla, 200, $2,790
9. (1O) Jason Small, Bakersfield, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 200, $2,530

10. (13) Kevin Culver, Portland, Ore., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, ZOO, 32,205
11. ( 6) Bobby Dotter, Charlotte, N.C., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 199, $2,3911
12. (15) Kevin Richards, Spokane, Wash., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 199, $2,340
13. (11) Butch Miller, Coopersville, MI, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 198, $1,850
14. (12) Hershel McGriff, Portland, Ore, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 198, $1,000
15. ( 8) Rick Bogart, El Cajon, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 195, $1,565
16. (14) Troy Cline, Hawthorne, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 193, $1,340
17. (21) Jeck Sellers, Sacramento, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 191,
$1,240
18. (23) Gene Christensen, Garland, Tex., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 136, $1,235

19. ( 9) Scott Gaylord, Lakewood, Colo., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 185, $1,190
20. (20) Rod Bennett, Campbell, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 177, $725
21. (18) Mike Duncan, Lamont, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 131, $1,140
22. (19) Joe Bean, San Diego, Calif., Ford Taurus, B9, Accident, $1,890
23. (22) Gary Morris, Boring, Ore, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 84 , Transmission,
$700
24. (24) Sammy Potashnick, Sikeston, Mo., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 62, $1,140
Failed to Qualify: (0)
Time of race: 1 hours 35 minutes 40 seconds
Margin of victory: 1.32 seconds
Caution flags: Six for 34 (21 -24, 68-77, 93-98, 129-1 34, 164-1 68,
176-178)
Lap leaders: Jeff Jefferson 1-33, Steve Portenga 94-129, Brendan Gaughan
130-189, Jefferson 170-200.
Three lead changes among three drivers.
MASCAR Winston West Series Points- 1. Brendan Gaughan 1 ,1158, 2. Kevin
Richards 1,033, 3. Steve Portenga 1,013, 4. Bobby Dotter 996, 5. John
Metcalf 965, 6. Eric Norris 957, 7, Bill Sedgwick 923, 8. Mike Duncan 885,
9. Scott Gaylord 872, 1O . Joe Bean 831