COOS BAY - On an unseasonably chilly afternoon in July, Mark Pothoff emerged from his Richard Petty-esque red and blue Chevrolet Monte Carlo in his shop and pictured his name in type, as it currently reads atop the ASA Late Model Series point standings.

He paused for a second to gather his thoughts, then recalled his high-speed trip back to first place - a journey that has seen him achieve emphatic success following a 10-year break from auto racing.

Heading into Saturday's 100-lap North State Challenge Series race at Roseburg, Pothoff holds a 22-point lead over Adam Whitlock backed by four straight top-four finishes, including a win at the June 23 main event. It's one of eight main victories he's notched since his return in 2000.

“It's been a lot of fun this year,” said Pothoff, who spent the last four years driving in the Street Stock Series. “I remember moving to Minnesota after college, and I eventually moved back near Portland and didn't have many tools or even a garage for several years. But I decided to give it a go with the street stocks because I figured I'm not getting any younger, and if I didn't try now I don't know when I'll ever do it again.”

From Pothoff's early years watching his old man maneuver Lapping Stables to his high school days running cross county for Marshfield, racing has flowed through his body like a fine synthetic. It's one of the reasons why his return to auto racing didn't surprise many.

Nor did his success.

“He's never been able to stay away from it,” said his father and Pothoff Racing crew chief Mike Pothoff. “It came natural to him I guess.”

In less than five years, the 37-year-old Coos Bay native has gone from being named Douglas County Speedway's Street Stock Series Rookie of the Year in 2003 to capturing Most Improved Driver and Sportsman of the Year honors plus the series championship in 2004 - won on the last lap of the final race.

“He can do anything with a car,” Mike Pothoff said. “He's a smooth methodical driver, and he's a respected driver.

“Usually, rookie drivers start races in the back while the older drivers start up front. After one or two races, he started up near the front.”

Racing has been a mainstay in the Pothoff family just as Mark's dad has been a mainstay in his pit crew since he got behind the wheel. The two worked hand in hand in building Mark's Monte Carlo when he decided to make the jump to the premiere Late Model Series at the end of last season. That came after he finished second in points in 2005 and 2006 while driving his old car, a home-built 1979 Chevrolet Camaro.

It was a solid footnote to Pothoff's Street Stock résumé.

“I wanted to move up to the late models because it was a bigger challenge,” Pothoff said. “We didn't know how well we would do and what the learning curve would be like. I thought we'd do very well in the street stocks and we did.

“My father and I have always been meticulous, hard-working people.”

The Pothoff's attention to detail has paid off handsomely on the track. Midway through his debut season in the nine-race Late Model circuit, Pothoff is in the hunt for another series title and making a strong case for his second Rookie of the Year award.

“He's like no other driver out there,” said his long-time sponsor, Jon Inskeep, who provided Pothoff with his 406-cubic Chevrolet engine for the Monte Carlo. “You have to be halfway decent for me to deal with you, and I've been with him for 20 years now.

“Other drivers joke about him - they call him Matt Kenseth because - win or lose - he's always there at the finish.”

Success on the track starts in the garage, according to Pothoff.

“There's an old runners' saying, to finish first, you must first finish - the same goes for racing,” he said. “If you don't have a very good car, you can have Jeff Gordon in it, and he'll only be able to take the car to its limit. You have to have decent equipment and a good crew and decent knowledge and a good driver. I think we have a decent package.”

Pothoff, his father and several friends and crew members service the Monte Carlo, which reaches an average speed of just under 90 mph at Roseburg's quarter-mile oval - site of the Late Model circuit. Pothoff, the soon-to-be father of two daughters, makes the 3 1/2-hour drive to Mike's shop in Coos Bay from his home in Dundee, where he lives with his wife, Olivia.

According to Inskeep, the powerful Monte Carlo has boded well with Pothoff's style of driving.

“He's not over aggressive. He's patient,” Inskeep said. “He's getting used to what he can do and what the car can do, and he must be doing something right because he's leading in points.”

Beyond his machine, Pothoff attributes his top spot in the standings to his vision on the track. Pothoff, who is the dean of students at George Fox University, thinks of himself as a student of the sport, taking knowledge from years watching other drivers.

“Racing is a humbling sport. It's humbling when you win and humbling when you lose. Things can go wrong beyond your control - but that's just racing. It's something you don't hold on to very tightly,” Pothoff said. “Success can be fleeting. The fastest driver doesn't always win, but the smartest usually do.”

And the safest.

One of Pothoff's most prized records is his active streak of races without a DNF, which dates back four years. Pothoff said avoiding a wreck is top priority.

“It goes back to finishing,” he said. “It's a rush being out there, but you have to stay focused. Be aggressive but consistent. You learn not to drive starting with the car in front of you. You drive three cars ahead of you so you're always ready.”

Pothoff's racing techniques haven't failed him yet since joining the Late Model circuit, but they'll face their biggest test Saturday at the North State Challenge Series.

Although his Late Model standing won't be affected by the race, Pothoff is especially looking forward to it.

“It's a different series than late models, but it brings in some of the better drivers from Northern California, so it's going to be a challenge,” Pothoff said. “I just want to have a good race and finish.”