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NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour Series Featherlite Manufacturing 100 Preview -- Doug McCoun

16 July 1997

     SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. --  NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour driver
Doug McCoun is looking forward to the July 19 Featherlite Manufacturing 100
at Madera Raceway.

     After finishing third at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield,
Calif.,June 29, McCoun is eighth in the driver's standings. McCoun and his
Wynn's/Marina Motor Company/Havoline Pontiac finished fourth in the
previous event.

     "Madera is a two-groove track," McCoun said. "Of the little tracks we
race at, Madera is the one track that you can pass on."

     The Madera venue includes a 1/3-mile, banked racing surface. Its
corners require two distinctly different driving patterns, making the
chassis setup difficult.

     "Madera, even though it's small, there is lots of room to pass, so I'm
looking forward to it," McCoun said.

     Bryan Germone won the 1996 NFSWT race at Madera.

     McCoun has won four NFSWT races since his series debut in 1992. He has
finished in the top five in 23 of his 81 races. Prior to joining the Tour,
he won the 1985 NASCAR Winston Racing Series national championship and was
the Pacific Coast regional title in 1986.

     By profession, the 39-year-old from Prunedale, Calif., is a fire
fighter for the North County Fire Department in Monterey County. He is the
father of four.

     McCoun and the MEM Motorsports team struggled early in the 1997
campaign. After failing to qualify for the season opener at Tucson in
January, McCoun finished 20th or worse in three of the next five races.

     But he has rallied with the fourth- and third-place finishes in the
last two outings and feels now that the team is rolling.

     "We're getting a lot of input about chassis and the car has been real
solid," McCoun said. "Along with Brad Peter's motors, the car has been real
good."

     The MEM team plans to bring the same car to Madera it raced on the
road course at Las Vegas and the half-mile at Mesa Marin. The only thing
those three tracks have in common is a spot on the NFSWT schedule, but
McCoun and his team are very pleased with the way their primary car is
performing.

     The race at Madera will begin a five-race, four-state swing in which
the Tour will race on .4-mile or smaller tracks. The late- season,
short-track blitz has been a key to winning driving championships in the
past.

NFSWT NOTES:

     ** Mark Reed has led the most laps this season, 202.

     ** Former champions entered in the Featherlite Manufacturing 100
include Steve Portenga (1994) and Chris Raudman (1996). Former Rookies of
the Year expected to compete include Bryan Germone (1990), Steve Portenga
(1992) and Chris Raudman (1996).

     ** Chevrolet leads the Manufacturer Championship standings with 89
points. Pontiac is next with 51.

     ** M.K. Kanke (Granada Hills, CA) has 17 career Busch Pole Awards and
will tie Rick Carelli for second on the all-time list of NFSWT pole winner
with his next top qualifying run.

     ** The Featherlite Manufacturing 100 will be the 199th race in NFSWT
history. The 200th race is scheduled to be in Springville, Utah Aug. 9.


By NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour Public Relations