Woodside Makes the Cut on Winston West

Sean Woodside seems to have grown up in a hurry. Witness his performance and appearance.

Woodside, 26, a former two-time Saugus Speedway Sportsman division champion, is a rookie on the NASCAR Winston West series, the smaller, West Coast version of the NASCAR Winston Cup series.

In his first season in a touring division, Woodside is third in points through seven events entering Saturday’s 200-lap race at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash.

Woodside has four top-five finishes, winding up second at Altamont, Sonoma and Bakersfield.

The Winston West likewise has grown in recent years, adding stops at larger tracks in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Colorado Springs and the new California Speedway in Fontana.

“The racing is a whole lot different than I’m used to, especially this season with the super speedways,” Woodside said. “I was used to 75 laps where you really didn’t save anything. There is so much more strategy involved. You have to be a much smarter driver on the Winston West series.”

And more presentable.

Since earning rookie of the year honors at Saugus in 1992, Woodside, a lifelong Saugus resident, has been a highly identifiable driver because of his long, flowing brown hair that dangled halfway down his back.

Local drivers had to reconsider their commitment to racing with the closure of Saugus in 1995. Woodside decided he would make faster progress in racing if he cut a more conservative image.

So, he cut his hair.

“People were always telling me, ‘If you want to go far in racing, the stereotype [that goes with] having long hair is not what you want,’ ” Woodside said. “I’ve had long hair my whole life. But it’s hard to go in and talk to a big, corporate sponsors with really long hair. I don’t know if I did it for racing or just for me.”

Whether Woodside’s make-over was much ‘do about nothing, it proved pivotal in his landing a ride with Ray Claridge of Van Nuys.

Claridge’s Golden West Motor Sports team won the Winston West title last season with Lance Hooper of Palmdale driving. When Hooper, a former Saugus Sportsman champion, left after the season, Claridge hired Woodside.

“I’d been watching Sean and two or three other guys,” Claridge said. “When it came down to it, we needed someone who was personable, presentable to sponsors. Sean’s a good-looking young kid with a good personality and he’s a hell of a race-car driver. He doesn’t get rattled and his mannerisms are really good around the crew, which really likes him.

“But if he hadn’t cut his hair, I probably wouldn’t have hired him.”

Woodside won track championships at Saugus in 1994 and the abbreviated ’95 season when the track closed in July. Like many Saugus drivers, Woodside entered the Sportsman class at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, where he was second in points last season.

Several drivers over the years have parlayed their success at Saugus into rides on racing series. But most began by joining the NASCAR Southwest Tour, a smaller circuit in which Woodside has competed part-time.

“We kind of leapfrogged ahead of everybody,” Woodside said. “There have been a couple of driver errors, some rookie mistakes. But we’ve been competitive.”

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Ventura Raceway will play host to the inaugural Beach Party Nationals for dwarf cars today and Saturday. Dwarf cars are five-eighths sized 1930s and ‘40s sedans and coupes powered by motorcycle engines.

Two IMCA Sprint Car programs also will run on both days. Heats will be run today, main events Saturday. Information: (805) 985-5433.

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The NASCAR Southwest Tour resumes July 19 at Madera Speedway. Chris Raudman of Redding is the points leader after 10 events.

M.K. Kanke of Granada Hills, 11th in points, finished fourth last Sunday at Mesa Marin. Sean Monroe of Malibu, a former Saugus Sportsman driver, is sixth.

Steve Portenga of Sparks, Nev., won the main event at Mesa Marin.

Other area drivers in the top 20 include Jerry Cain of Canyon Country, Keith Spangler of Chatsworth and Frank Maronski Jr. of Quartz Hill.