Second Run Goes Better for Harvick

Kevin Harvick, 22-year-old former go-kart driver from Bakersfield, started from the pole, led 52 of 100 laps, and dominated the Winston West California 200 Saturday to win in Wayne Spears’ Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Another youngster, rookie Austin Cameron, 21, of El Cajon, finished second in a Chevy with Sean Woodside of Saugus third and Lance Hooper of Palmdale fourth, both in Pontiacs. The first Ford finisher was Jeff Davis of Anaheim Hills in sixth.

Harvick warmed up for the Winston West race by driving a Chevrolet pickup in the Craftsman Truck race, but he lasted only 64 laps before his engine let go.

“After all the troubles we had in the truck race, I had to come back and do something good,” said the winner. His only problems during the second race came when he dropped back as far as ninth before his crew found that a spark plug wire was disconnected. Once that was remedied, he moved straight to the front, passing Davis on lap 82 to take the lead for keeps.

It was Harvick’s third win this season, following victories at Las Vegas and Altamont. After nine of 14 races, he trails Woodside by only four points, 1,459-1,455.

There were five caution flags for 20 laps, the first when St. James Davis crashed on the third turn of the first lap while running last.

Harvick averaged 126.028 mph for the 1 hour 35 minute 13 second race, and finished 1.15 seconds ahead of Cameron, who led for 33 laps in a car owned by his father, Terry.

The win was worth $18,156 for Harvick, the latest in a long line of young drivers developed by the Spears Motorsports team of Acton. Three others also did double duty. Lance Norick finished seventh, Jay Sauter ninth and the old football coach, Jerry Glanville, 21st, after first racing their Craftsman Trucks.