Point titles on line at LVMS

Monday, Sept. 20, 1999 | 10:53 a.m.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway's 1.5-mile oval could play a pivotal role in deciding the championships in two national touring series when the superspeedway plays host to the Indy Racing League and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this weekend.

Greg Ray holds a 44-point lead over his nearest competitor, Scott Goodyear, heading into Sunday's Vegas.com 500 -- the penultimate race of the Indy Racing League series. But 13 drivers mathematically still are eligible to win the championship.

"I think we have a lot of momentum, a lot of focus, a lot of desire and the team is having fun and we all work well together so I think that really bodes well for our future," Ray said.

Ray will be loaded with confidence coming into the race after posting two consecutive wins and three in the past four races.

"The biggest thing is there is a lot of confidence right now because of the people surrounding me," Ray said. "Winning these races is a very good feeling and I just kind of feel like I have found the zone."

Also contending for the IRL championship is 1998 series champion and 1999 Indianapolis 500 winner Kenny Brack; 1996 Indy 500 winner Buddy Lazier; Las Vegas residents Davey Hamilton and Sam Schmidt; and 1998 Indy 500 champ Eddie Cheever Jr.

The race also will mark the first IRL start of former CART driver Willy T. Ribbs. The 43-year-old Ribbs, the first and only black driver to compete in the Indy 500, signed a deal last week to drive for McCormack Motorsports.

In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Greg Biffle is sitting on a somewhat more comfortable 125-point lead over Jack Sprague going into Friday night's Orleans 250.

Biffle's 125-point lead is the largest, with four races remaining, in NCTS history. The previous greatest margin was 91 points, when Ron Hornaday led Mike Skinner in 1996.

And the points leader with four races remaining has won the NCTS title in each of the past four seasons.

Biffle said he is looking to capture the truck championship for more than personal reasons.

"A lot of things are riding on this championship," Biffle said. "It would be (team owner) Jack Roush's first championship in NASCAR -- Winston Cup, Busch or trucks -- so that will mean a lot to Roush Racing.

"And, it would be the first championship for Ford in the truck series -- actually, it would be the first year that anybody else has ever won but Chevy. There are a lot of things going on, a lot more than personal things. But I try not to think about it and don't let it add to the pressure."

Also on the weekend racing schedule is the Gold Coast 150 NASCAR Winston West Series race, which will take the green flag at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Several local drivers, including native Las Vegan Brendan Gaughan, Doc Faustina and Wayne Jacks are expected to compete in the 100-lap event. Gaughan is coming off a second-place finish in the Bank One 250 at Rocky Mountain Raceway in Salt Lake City, his career-best finish in the West Coast touring series.

Gaughan will attempt to do double duty this weekend, trying to qualify for both the Orleans 250 NCTS race and the Gold Coast 150 Winston West event.

Sean Woodside of Saugus, Calif., holds a 104-point lead over Brandon Ash of Umpqua, Ore., in the Winston West championship battle while Austin Cameron of El Cajon, Calif., is 110 points back in third.

Qualifying for the Orleans 250 NCTS race will begin at 5 p.m. Thursday. The Winston West stock cars will qualify at 3:15 p.m. Friday and the Orleans 250 will get the green flag at 5:30 Friday evening.

Qualifying for the Vegas.com 500 will begin at noon Saturday, with the race starting at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.