Schrader captures Winston West win at Phoenix.

Winston Cup veteran Ken Schrader made a winning return to the NASCAR Winston West Series last weekend, as he emerged victorious in the season-opening Bosch Spark Plug 150 at Phoenix.

Schrader held off a late charge by rookie Scott Lynch to win Sunday's season-opening event. It was Schrader's second victory on the one-mile oval in NASCAR Winston West Series competition and his eighth win in the series overall. It was also Schrader's 13th win at Phoenix International Raceway, dating back to his first victory in 1982 when he was still racing Midgets and Sprints.

The NASCAR Winston Cup Series regular led 124 of the 151 laps, taking the lead for good on lap 116 in his #99 Federated Auto Parts Pontiac. Lynch, a 22-year-old series rookie, finished just .200 of second behind in his #08 Yerf-Dog/Mr. Gas Dodge Intrepid.

"The kid's a good racer," said Schrader. "We rolled around on top of him in one and two, and I thought, "I hope this kid is as good as I think he is' because we were out there running in no man's land. I talked to him some this weekend and he's got a lot going for him. If he had been in front of us at the end we probably would have finished behind him like he did us."

Jim Inglebright charged from his 11th starting position to finish third in the #20 Jelly Belly Chevy. "I know Scott and Kenny's cars, they were staying down on the race track better than mine," said Inglebright. "But we learned a lot. We'll come back and I think it's going to be a good year."

Fourth went to Inglebright's teammate Austin Cameron, the defending Bosch Spark Plug 150 champion, in the NAPA Auto Parts Chevy. Steve Portenga brought his King Taco Ford home in fifth.

NASCAR Busch North standout Matt Kobyluck started third and ran in the top three until lap 40, when a right front tire went down sending him into the wall and out of the race.