Infineon Raceway will play a large part in that battle when it hosts the West Series during the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup weekend, June 23-25, wtih the Blue Lizard Suncream 200. This marks the West Series' first visit to Sonoma since 1998 when NASCAR regular Kevin Harvick took the checkered flag ? the West Series raced at Infineon Raceway annually from 1978-1998.
The battle for the West Series crown will feature many top drivers of a year ago, as three well-known competitors will rejoin the series on a full-time basis. There will also be a large class of talented rookies mounting a challenge, as well.
Heading the list of veterans is two-time champion Mike Duncan, who is aiming for a third straight title. If successful, he would become the first driver to win three consecutive series championships since the late Jim Robinson scored three in a row (1983, 1984, 1985) more than two decades ago. After wrapping up last season as the runner-up in the championship standings, Steve Portenga returned to the Performance Motorsports Team he drove for in 2003 and is making another run for the championship.
Other top 10 drivers returning from last year include Mike David, Brett Thompson, Scott Gaylord, Tim Woods III and Andrew Myers. They finished fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively.
Two familiar faces return full-time to the AutoZone West Series: Austin Cameron and Fairfield's Jim Inglebright. Cameron, driving the Mark Golembeski entry, is returning after taking a year off from the series. After running few events the past two years, Inglebright has reunited with his long-time sponsor Jelly Belly and is making a run for the championship. Inglebright, a Fairfield resident, is a three-time winner of the Southwest Series event in Sonoma (2000-2003).
This year's freshman class is one largest in recent history, with 15 drivers registered for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award. Heading that list is the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series national champion Peyton Sellers. The 22-year-old Danville, Va., driver is part of a driver development program with Richard Childress Racing and Bill McAnally Racing. The Northern California-based BMR team also has two other rookies this year, with Brian Ickler and Eric Hardin.
A number of drivers have prior experience in Sonoma, including Gaylord, a road racer prior to joining the NASCAR ranks. He had a third-place finish and three other top-10 finishes in four previous AutoZone West Series appearances at Infineon. He also raced in six combination events there with the AutoZone West Series and the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.
The Blue Lizard Suncream 200 will headline the racing action on Saturday, June 24, taking the green flag at 1 p.m. The day will also include final practice for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, as well as the Touring Car feature for the SPEED World Challenge. For tickets, call 800-870-RACE or visit www.infineonraceway.com.
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