Back in the Pack, Cain and Sedgwick Could End Up Near the Front

Although the starting order doesn’t reflect it, the two local drivers entered in the Pontiac Wide Track Grand Prix 200 NASCAR Winston West Series race today at California Speedway figure to be competitive.

Bill Sedgwick of Acton will start 18th, on the outside of the ninth row, and Jerry Cain of Canyon Country starts 31st, on the inside of the 16th and last row.

Sedgwick qualified at 172.994 mph, and Cain had no qualifying time after spinning into the wall during the second practice session Thursday.

Cain was sixth fastest in the first practice session Thursday at 174.372 mph, and was fifth fastest in the second session at 173.348. He was fifth fastest in practice Friday at 172.894, and Sedgwick was 13th at 171.261.

Ken Schrader and Johnny Benson, NASCAR Winston Cup regulars who will start from the front row, were both clocked at over 177 in Thursday’s practice, but Schrader slowed to 175.187 and Benson clocked 174.123 Friday. Schrader qualified at 180.424 mph and Benson qualified at 179.995.

Cain’s crew worked Thursday night and Friday installing the engine, transmission and rear end from the wrecked car into the team’s backup chassis. He took responsibility for the wreck, which occurred after the crew made adjustments to the suspension in an effort to get more speed out of the car.

“I think we loosened it up just a little too much,” Cain said. “In turns one and two, I felt it get loose and I should have taken that as a warning to come back in, but I tried to stay out for one more lap.

“Coming out of turn four, she didn’t just get loose, she snapped loose.”

Cain figured he had heated the tires up to an operating temperature that could handle the speed he was traveling at the time of the crash.

“We probably should have run a few more laps before getting up to those speeds,” Cain said. “I haven’t made a mistake like that in a long time, and I won’t make that mistake again.”

Sedgwick, who has 22 years of short-track experience, attributed his showing to a lack of experience on superspeedways.

“The car is pretty comfortable,” Sedgwick said. “Right now, the car is probably faster than I am.”

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For Sedgwick, the race is also a chance for him to renew acquaintances.

Ron Hornaday Jr., who is an old rival from Saugus Speedway and used Sedgwick as crew chief in two seasons of Winston West competition, will compete in the Auto Club 300 NASCAR Busch Series race.

Sedgwick, who drove in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Darrel Waltrip in 1996, said he caught up with Hornaday and some of Waltrip’s former crew members.

“I talked to Ron on Thursday, mostly about chassis and setups,” Sedgwick said. “James Inch, who was Waltrip’s crew chief and is now Benson’s crew chief, has been helping me out a lot too. He has been a big help with the superspeedway setup.”