NASCAR WWEST: Woodside Takes Pole and Sixth Place Finish Home From Colorado

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

July 15, 2001

(North Hollywood, Calif.) - Sean Woodside, driver of the #45 Team Walker/Ron's Rear Ends/NAPA Chevrolet in the NASCAR Winston West Series, won his third Bud Pole Award for the 2001 season in qualifying for today's NAPA 250 at Colorado National Speedway in Erie, Colo.

Woodside missed matching the track record set in 1996 by just .001 seconds.

At the start of the race, Woodside slipped to second place, and ran there for the most of the first half, except when he regained the lead for a handful of laps.

After the mid-way break, Woodside held second place for a few laps, but realized he was beginning to battle a tight car. He slipped a few spots, then held his position in the back half of the top ten for most of the last half of the race.

Woodside's track position improved as several of the frontrunners experienced mechanical problems or were caught up in wrecks and fell behind him, and he finished in sixth place.

"I knew within a few laps after the break that the second half was going to be a challenge," Woodside said after the race. "It's too bad, the car was great for qualifying and very strong in the first half. It just tightened up and we feel lucky that we finished where we did."

Team Walker Motorsports is a multi-team racing operation owned by Donna Walker and her son, Michael. The team fields the #45 Team Walker/Ron's Rear Ends/NAPA Chevrolet in the NASCAR Winston West Series, featuring driver Sean Woodside, and the #23 Team Walker/Ron's Rear Ends/Quixote/Sunset Expendables/NAPA 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.

Text provided by Donna Walker

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