NASCAR NOTEBOOK: CAMERON IN HIGH GEAR ENTERING QUALIFYING.

Byline: Louis Brewster Staff Writer

FONTANA - California Speedway is closed to the public today but not to NASCAR Winston West series drivers who will practice and try to qualify for Saturday's Pontiac 200.

Points leader Austin Cameron, who has won the first two races of the season in Phoenix and Las Vegas, leads the field into Fontana. Following a two-hour practice session, the West drivers will take two qualifying laps beginning at 3:30 p.m. The 32 cars that survive will practice for an hour to close the track.

Former Winston West champion Butch Gilliland of Chino Hills, one of three drivers from that city entered in the race, will make his return to the series. He and son David Gilliland, who led this race a year ago, and Tim Woods III are part of the Tri-Community Challenge put together by Fontana Mayor David Eshelman.

The elder Gilliland's car will carry the Spirit of Ontario banner on a Chevrolet owned by Eshelman, and David will fly the Spirit of Fontana colors on his Chevrolet. Woods will sport Spirit of Rancho Cucamonga decals on his Chino Hills Ford entry.

Also in the race is 74-year-old Herschel McGriff, who started his stock car racing career in Portland in 1945. Selected as one of NASCAR's all-time top 50 drivers, McGriff is best known locally for his 14 victories at Riverside International Raceway.

Cameron was third in the race last year and thinks the early-season momentum will carry over.

``As a team, we are coming together well,'' the El Cajon resident said. ``I hope it keeps going and the Orleans Racing team has worked hard to get the NAPA Chevrolet into victory lane.''

Brendan Gaughan, now racing in the Craftsman Trucks Series, won the race last year. He took over when Eric Norris ran out of fuel and dropped to 11th.

``I really feel like we should have won that race,'' said Norris, who resides in Dana Point. ``But we know that we're going to have a fast car again. I know how to get around there. We learned a good lesson.

``We're going to take what we learned there last year and hopefully not do it again and have a good race.''

--High flyer: It wasn't a long flight, compared to the one from North Carolina to Ontario, but Johnny Sauter's wild ride last Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama during the Aaron's 312 Busch Grand National race remains a topic of conversation.

Sauter's No. 2 AC Delco Chevrolet went airborne Saturday, the most spectacular image of the 27-car pileup. He started on the pole but finished 33rd after the accident.

``That was a wild ride,'' said Sauter, who races for Richard Childress, ``but I don't want to be doing it again any time soon. I'm definitely sore.''