Sedgwick Claims Winston 200 for 2nd Year in Row

Bill Sedgwick of Van Nuys started from the pole position and never looked back Saturday night at Saugus Speedway, leading all 200 laps to win his second consecutive Winston 200 before 4,377.

Sedgwick, the 1989 NASCAR Winston West Rookie of the Year and top qualifier, took over first place in the Winston West points standings.

The winner was never seriously challenged, as second-place qualifier Hershel McGriff of Green Valley, Ariz., was troubled by pit stops. That left Bill Schmitt of Redding and John Krebs of Roseville as the only true competition for Sedgwick, 35.

Schmitt finished second, two seconds behind Sedgwick, and Krebs was a close third.

Sedgwick had just one pit stop, changing two tires. He averaged 55.788 m.p.h. in a Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet Lumina.

“The guys did a great job in setting the car up,” Sedgwick said. “That’s the key, setting the car up. We were watching those left-side tires close. Normally you can’t go the whole race with tires like that, so we kind of lucked out on that.”

Sedgwick took home $5,850. Schmitt earned $3,000 and Krebs won $2,175.

Sedgwick’s victory never seemed in doubt after he established his lead.

He entered the pit on Lap 123 and thanks to his crew’s quick work was able to emerge still in first place. The race was slowed by seven caution flags for 34 laps.

In the Sportsman Division, Jerry Gay of Lakeside held off Larry Krieger of Reseda and Tom Eurton of Valencia, respectively.

Gay, who is fourth in the points standings at El Cajon, also was challenged by Simi Valley’s Craig Rayburn. Rayburn was in second place when he crashed on the second turn on Lap 13, damaging the front end of his car. He withdrew from the race.

Will Harper of Tarzana, the current points leader at Saugus, made a skillful pass on the final turn of Lap 40 to take fourth place.

John Cran of Reseda won the eight-lap Sportsman trophy dash after earning the pole position. Larry Krieger of Reseda won the fastest heat of the Sportsman division heat races.

In a pit-stop competition before the Winston 200, the crew of 1989 Winston West Series champion Schmitt was the fastest of five teams.

Schmitt’s crew changed tires and simulated adding a tankful of gas in 15.74 seconds, three seconds faster than the second-place team.

David Raatz contributed to this story.