Rick Carellis Winston West #37 On The Move

[superstroke]

From the Rick Losh collection, Rick Carelli, driving the Chesrown Chevrolet sponsored Winston West car through a corner. I am not sure where this photo was taken, but it may have been Coos Bay, Oregon in 1993. If it was, Carelli qualified first and finished first in the race. The team also won the Winston West Championship the same year.

For those of you who do not know, the Winston West division of NASCAR, hosts a number of races which mainly take place on the west coast. Although some of the teams do not have the means monetarily to commit to all the races, such as Phoenix (PIR), enough cars seem to be on hand even with todays economy. The Winston West cars are metal bodied cars and are built to the same rules as Nextel Cup cars. But if you get the opportunity to compare the craftsmanship of the WW cars to the Nextel cars, WOW, what a difference. I remember looking at the fit of our windows compared to the Winston Cup cars in the 90's. Theirs are exacting. Everything they do looks as good as the work of modern day aircraft manufacturers. With that being said, it was fun when the Chesrown team was able to win at Evergreen Speedway in Washington state. We were competing against some of the elite teams, such as Davey Allison, Ken Schrader, Sterling Marlin, Bill Elliot, Hershel McGriff, and many of that eras top teams. It was a $50,000.00 payoff and the biggest win for any Colorado based team. Let the good times roll....

Photograher: Ultimate Racing Photos

[cheyetown_oldtimer]

Enjoying your posts...great stuff!
What is the history behind Rick C. using the #37 vs. his tried-and-true #6?
cheyetown_oldtimer

[superstroke]

The number 6 was being ran by Mark Martin. There were two occasions when the Winston West would run with their big brothers. This took place first at Sears Point in Sonoma, CA and at the end of the year they would compete at Phoenix International. Both of these races are still regular stops on the Nextel schedule. If you read the lineup for those events, you will see the (I guess its called the Nextel West) cars, usually at the back of the pack. It is very tough to compete with the Nextel regulars. I remember many people from Colorado commenting on how the Chesrown team did not qualify for this race or that race when they went to Winston Cup racing in 1993. They absolutely have no idea how close the Winston Cup cars ran. The regulars were so close that many of them, including some huge teams did not qualify as well. With todays technology, it is easy to follow the times on television and it is easier to understand why this team or that team ended up out of the race. I hope this answered your question and I am glad you are enjoying everyones posts. This is a great opportunity for all of us race enthusiasts to look back at the days when the sport was real, and not some pork fed reality show. Sorry..I will now step down from my soap box.

[cheyetown_oldtimer]

Thanks for your reply. Makes sense. I watched the #37 run at Saugus Speedway and Sanoma road race course several times along with drivers Ron Hornaday & Jack Sprague. Never made it to a WW race up in Oregon or Washington. Yeah, I agree about the days when the sport was real, not a boogty-boogaty-boogaty gofer-cartoon show. cheyetown_oldtimer