Despite operating on a limited budget, an undeterred Jeff Barkshire is squeezing the most horsepower out of his gritty stock car team.

Barkshire, who made considerable noise as the top rookie driver on NASCAR Camping World Series West last year, ran into some misfortune earlier this season.

Two damaged cars – one crunched during practice for a Phoenix spring race, another at a winter all-star showdown in Southern California – defused Barskshire’s launch to a promising ’09 season. So the 26-year-old driver from Sumner – who grew up in Auburn – had to pull back and regroup before he could leave the garage again.

The Dodge team returned intact and came out with a bang at a Fourth of July race. Barkshire guided his Centennial Batteries Charger to a solid second-place finish at Irwindale, Calif. He led 68 of the 200 laps around the half-mile oval before relinquishing the lead to eventual winner Jason Bowles and his Ford.

It was Barkshire’s first series finish since last October when he settled for 15th on the tight quarter-mile oval at Roseville, Calif., completing a magical rookie campaign in which he won on Monroe’s big track, posting seven top-five finishes and 10 top-10 efforts in 13 tour races. Barkshire finished third in the final point standings.

Gone but not forgotten for the first half of this year’s series schedule, Barkshire immediately turned a few heads with his surprising return and subsequent finish.

“It’s pretty cool to show up at the track and finish the way that we did,” Barkshire said. “Some people weren’t expecting too much out of us. … Everybody is a little rusty out of the gate. We weren’t sure how it was going to work.

“Then, all of a sudden, we qualified second and everybody says, ‘Wow, you’re making an appearance coming back,’ ” Barkshire added. “It was a good day all around. It’s kind of gratifying to know we still got it. It’s cool to see our competitiveness is still there.”

The return to the cockpit has not been easy. The car was rebuilt with a new front clip and body parts. The driver, meanwhile, had to wait patiently until the resources came together.

“We hadn’t had anything going,” Barkshire said of the hiatus. “I went to watch a couple of races, which I don’t like to do at all. It’s hard being at the track knowing all of our stuff is staying at home. But it gives you the ambition to come back and run some more.”

Backed by sponsors Centennial Batteries and Pure Power Lubricants, the team made the most of its debut run. They hope it will translate into more races. Their planned next stop is Sept. 4 at Iowa Speedway, a race where young drivers from around the country converge to gain exposure.

“If you can run good there, you can get a lot more attention there than running at a short track (closer to home),” said Barkshire, who aspires to earn a big-ticket ride.

At Iowa last year, Barkshire shined against some NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regulars.

Barkshire, who qualified in the front row, led early and waged a duel with Enumclaw’s Kasey Kahne before a lapped car sent Barkshire’s Dodge into the wall.

Still, his performance caught the attention of at least one NASCAR team owner, Richard Childress. They shared pleasantries, leaving Barkshire encouraged about his prospects.

“Jeff has the desire and he works hard,” said Steve Dykman, the team’s crew chief. “He will stay up all night trying to figure something out if he has to. He’s not afraid to put in the work.”

Barkshire has competed in motor sports since he first was strapped inside a quarter-mile midget at age 9. He has won championships and big races regionally in open wheel and stock car series.

He was Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Elite Division Northwest Series, and even captured the prestigious Fall Classic on Yakima’s half-mile track.

Barkshire made an immediate and successful jump to the West series with the support of sponsorship and his dad, Bob, who owns the car.

Barskshire hopes to pick up speed for a full 2010 season.

“Our goal is pushing to run the entire season and run for the championship,” said Barkshire, who works as a truck driver for FedEx Freight when he isn’t competing on weekends. “A lot hinges on the economy.

“It’s such a hard time to race,” he added. “Some guys don’t have deep pockets … and so much of it is luck and relationships.”

Barkshire knows he has only so much time to attract offers to ride nationally. The competition is intense, the future uncertain.

“I am not getting any younger,” he said. “… But we’ll go out and show them. They’re always looking for the next guy to get it done.”