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 Bakersfield, CA
– As the back-to-back and reigning champion of NASCAR’s Grand National
Division, AutoZone West Series, Mike Duncan has learned when the racing
gods are frowning and when they’re smiling. Last Friday night, as the
sun set on California Speedway, Duncan certainly realized it was time to
enjoy one of those heavenly smiles. With precious few laps left in the
Relocate Here 200, Duncan’s incomparable Crew Chief and legendary
Winston West champ, Bill Sedgwick pulled his driver into the pits for
the only two-tire change allowed. The Lucas Oil/Ron’s Rear Ends/Greenfrogroastingco.com
Chevrolet then mounted an historic race to the finish, as Duncan gripped
the wheel and held on for dear life. As the # 9 car crossed the line
first, Duncan could feel the warm smile from above.
“The guy upstairs opened a gap for me, and I just shot right
through there, “Duncan exclaimed as he composed himself for the instant
interviews in victory circle. When asked about the hungry pack of
drivers behind him on the final lap, Duncan grinned, and then laughed as
he said, “Man, it’s like having a gorilla behind you; you gotta go, and
you can’t let up!” The dashing and charismatic California racer had
just achieved one of his biggest goals – winning a super speedway race –
and the moment was not lost on anyone surrounding the MB Duncan Motor
Sports team. As he tried to encapsulate the magnitude of the moment,
Duncan immediately called for Sedgwick to join him in the celebration.
Commenting on his Crew Chief, Duncan simply said, “Bill worked
especially hard for this win, and the time and energy he put into this
race paid off for everyone – this was huge!”
As a former professional baseball player, Duncan compared
California Speedway to a big league park when he said, “Just driving in
here on race day is like arriving at a major league ball park . . . the
feeling you have when you get down here in the pits is thrilling, and
now that I’ve won here . . . well, it’s something I’ll never forget.”
When asked about the late pit strategy and how that paid off, Duncan was
clearly pumped up when he answered, “ Yeah, it’s something else when you
can be that aggressive at the end of a race, and that’s what we had
talked about earlier in the week: being aggressive and attacking when we
can.”
As Duncan was being interviewed for the national television
audience and the California Speedway fans, he gave special mention to a
specific crew member when he said, “Larry, we’re thinking of you bud –
this win was for you.” This emotional tribute was to Duncan’s
father-in-law, who has been diagnosed with cancer.
When reached on Sunday, Duncan acknowledged that his family is
embracing the news of their race team’s chef and all-around father
figure with high hopes. “Right now the news is pretty good . . . and it
helps us to remember that family time is so very precious”, Duncan
states, as he hints that the interview probably needs to wind down soon,
“. . . its Labor Day weekend, and my kids want their daddy . . .”
Somewhere, the racing gods are smiling.
Mike Duncan began racing in 1994, competing in the NASCR Weekly
Racing Series late model division at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield,
California and competing at various other short tracks in California. He
won Rookie-of-the-Year in 2000 in the NASCAR Winston West Series and he
won the track championship at Mesa Marin Raceway in the Late Model
Division that same year. As the defending and back-to-back champion,
Duncan currently competes exclusively on a full-time basis in the NASCAR
Grand National Division, AutoZone West Series.
For more insight on
Mike and his racing operation, please visit
www.mbduncanmotorsports.com.
Source: Vance Palm
MB Duncan Motor Sports |
