Zero to Hero and BackA Favorite NASCAR Story Line

It's easy to go from “hero to zero” in NASCAR Racing. The reverse is usually much harder.

A general view of cars racing during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at
Sonoma Raceway on June 23, 2013 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

This weekend is a case in point. Yesterday Jamie McMurray, not known as one of NASCAR's top road racers, took advantage of a new qualifying format at Sonoma Raceway to take the pole position for Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350.

Jamie McMurray, driver of the #1 CESSNA Chevrolet, drives during qualifying for the
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 22, 2013
in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

By the end of the grueling 110 lapper, he drove his Cessna Chevrolet over the finish line in 25th place. McMurray had trouble with a broken shock late in the race.

Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, gets out of his car after spinning
during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway
on June 22, 2013 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Race Winner Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, on the other hand started the road course from fourteenth on the starting grid. He spun during the qualifying session.

Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, celebrates in victory lane
after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway
on June 23, 2013 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

His win breaks a 218 race winless streak. His first win was at Dover in June of 2007. Truex, Jr. also led the most laps on the day - 51 of 110.

Thorn Grabs K&N West Win At Sonoma

Makes Late-Race Charge To Capture First Road Course Victory

 

SONOMA, Calif. - Derek Thorn charged to the lead late in the event and held on in a green-white-checkered finish to win the Carneros 200 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday.

The victory on the 1.99-mile, 10-turn track marked the second win this season, fourth career victory and first on a road course for the driver from Lakeport, Calif.

Cameron Hayley slipped by Michael Self on the last lap to take second. David Mayhew followed in fourth, with Paulie Harraka finishing fifth.

POS	DRIVER
1	Derek Thorn
2	Cameron Hayley
3	Michael Self
4	David Mayhew
5	Paulie Harraka

Thorn, who finished second at Sonoma a year ago, appeared to save his tires as Hayley and Self battled for the lead. He became the sixth leader of the day when he charged past Self for the lead on Lap 53. Thorn pulled away in a late-race restart and then charged away again after the seventh caution of the day extended the race for a green-white-checkered finish. His No. 6 Sunrise Ford/Lucas Oil/Eibach Ford crossed the finish line 1.493 seconds ahead of Hayley.

Completing the top 10 were Travis Milburn, Kelly Admiraal, Dylan Lypton, Eric Holmes and Dave Smith.

With the victory, Thorn regained the lead in the championship standings. He leads with 258 points over Self, with 255. Hayley is third with 247. Greg Pursley, who faded to finish 21st after running up front at Sonoma, is fourth in points at 225. Lupton is fifth at 218. Rounding out the top 10 are Carl Harr at 195, Taylor Cuzick at 185, Dylan Hutchison at 182, Brett Thompson at 182 and Daryl Harr at 178.

This was the sixth of 15 races on this year’s series schedule and the second of three road course events on tap in 2013.

The Carneros 200 is scheduled to air on SPEED on Thursday, July 18 at 3 p.m. ET.

The next event on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West schedule is at Colorado National Speedway in Dacono, Colo., on July 27.

RACE RESULTS | LAP-BY-LAP RECAP | POST-RACE AUDIO: CAMERON HAYLEY & MICHEAL SELF | POST-RACE AUDIO: DEREK THORN

Derek Thorn records his second victory of 2013 and first at Sonoma Raceway.
Courtesy Getty Images for NASCAR

By Kevin W. Green, NASCAR
June 22, 2013 - 6:55pm

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West At Sonoma

Fast Facts

• Sonoma has hosted 23 series races since 1978. In addition, the series participated in nine combination events with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at the Northern California road course between 1989 and 1997.
• The Sonoma track, located near the intersection of Highways 37 & 121, opened as Sears Point Raceway in 1968, with its inaugural event on Dec. 1, 1968. The road course was initially a 2.52-mile layout, but reconfigurations in 1998 and 2001 resulted in the current 1.99-mile design for NASCAR events.
• The Sonoma road course features more than 160 feet of elevation change from its highest to lowest points. The highest point at Turn 3a reaches 174 feet, while the lowest point at Turn 10 is just 14 feet.
• Fourteen different drivers have visited Victory Lane in series action at Sonoma. Three drivers – Hershel McGriff (1983, 1985, 1987), Jim Insolo (1978, 1979, 1980) and Bill Schmitt (1981, 1988, 1989) – lead the list of winners, with three wins each.
• Other multiple winners at Sonoma include Butch Gilliland, who scored back-to-back wins on the historic road course in 1996 and 1997, and his son, David Gilliland, who notched wins in 2007 and 2012. Jason Bowles had consecutive wins in 2008 and 2009. 
• Of the 14 drivers who won series races at Sonoma, 12 won NASCAR championships. Ten of those were NASCAR K&N Pro Series titles.
• NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers won the past two K&N West events at Sonoma – Joey Logano in 2011 and David Gilliland in 2012.
• No previous winners are entered in this year's event.
• Seventeen drivers have qualified on the pole. While Hershel McGriff leads with three poles at Sonoma – Butch Gilliland, Jim Bown, Roy Smith and Tim Williamson each had won two poles there.
• Bill Schmitt leads in terms of top-five finishes, with eight, and top-10 finishes, with nine.
• Hershel McGriff has led the most laps, meanwhile, running out front for 142 laps.
• McGriff and Jack Sellers have the most series starts at Sonoma, with 14 each. In addition, Sellers also competed in six combination events.
• The event in 2008 was the only series race at Sonoma that was extended for a green-white-checkered finish since the format was introduced.
• Five of the 23 series races were won from the pole position. Seven were won by the driver who started second on the grid. Jim Insolo came from the furthest back, charging from 19th to win in 1978.
• 265 different drivers have raced in series competition at the Sonoma track.

Source

Home Sweet Home For Gilliland

David Gilliland tastes victory for the second time at Sonoma (Calif.) in NASCAR K&N
Pro Series West action on Saturday in the Pick-n-Pull Racing To Stop Hunger 200.
(Getty Images for NASCAR)

California Driver Collects Second Career Sonoma Win

By Shon Sbarra, NASCAR
June 23, 2012 - 7:01pm
 

 

SONOMA, Calif. – David Gilliland used his experience on the road course at Sonoma to win the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Pick-n-Pull Racing To Stop Hunger 200 on Saturday.

It was a special win and weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular out of Riverside, Calif. On Thursday evening he introduced his father, Butch, who was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame. On Saturday, he collected his second K&N Pro Series win at the twisting 1.99-mile track, to match the two wins his father had there.

“We really had a great car today,” said the driver of the No. 25 Pick-n-Pull Chevrolet. “Track position is so important here and we were able to win that today.”

Gilliland, who competed at Sonoma as a winning crew chief with his father, expressed his infinity for the track and the race.

POS	DRIVER
1	David Gilliland
2	Derek Thorn
3	Greg Pursley
4	Jim Inglebright
5	Dylan Kwasniewski

“It’s an awesome race track for me,” Gilliland said. “I love it and love coming out here and racing. I’m originally from California. So I love coming out here and seeing my family and friends. It’s a very special race for me. It really means a lot for me to come out here and win and to have my dad and my family here.

“My dad has had a lot of success out here and I’ve had a lot of success our here as a crew chief and different things,” he said. “I got my career best (Sprint) Cup finish here; I finished second.”

Derek Thorn, in his first start at the track, followed Gilliland to a second-place finish while defending series champion Greg Pursley crossed the line in third. Jim Inglebright was fourth, followed by points leader Dylan Kwasniewski in the fifth position.

“I’ve never been here before,” Thorn said. “Working with the guys from the Sunrise Ford team, it was a consistent learning experience. As I made laps, I tried to make myself better. The car has always been underneath me. It’s just a matter of me catching up to it with the little amount of road-course experience I have.

“We had one final shot with Gilliland at the end,” Thorn said. “Following him helped me learn some stuff. With the experience he has, he was able to pull away from me a little bit. It was awesome to run up front like that. The whole combination of our team came together today. Second place, for this being my first time here, we’re ecstatic.”

Pursley, who won the pole in qualifying on Friday, led the first 23 laps before making his pit stop for fuel.

“We elected not to come in and pit on Lap 18,” he said. “It was a little too tight for us to go. The two front guys that got first and second did pit on that (caution). We elected not to. We were hoping it was going to go green flag, like it did the first half of the race and they would probably be in trouble if it did. But they got the cautions they needed.

“Track position is everything here and it put us back a little bit,” Pursley said. “We came out of here with third. It’s our best finish.”

Michael Self, Jonathon Gomez, Austin Cameron, David Mayhew and Cameron Hayley completed the top 10. Three-time series champion Eric Holmes led 13 laps, but his day ended early when smoke erupted from his car. He finished 23rd.

The race featured three lead changes among four drivers - Gilliland, Pursley, Mayhew and Holmes. The pace was slowed by four cautions for 14 laps.

In the championship standings, Pursley closed to within eight points of his teammate Kwasniewski - 345 to 337. Mayhew is third with 317, followed by Thorn at 307 and Holmes at 281. Rounding out the top 10 are Gomez at 274, Self at 268, Hayley at 268, Austin Dyne at 256 and Ryan Philpott at 229.

The Pick-N-Pull Racing To Stop Hunger 200 will air on SPEED on July 12 at 3 p.m. ET.

The next event on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West schedule is the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by Gene Price Motorsports at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash., on July 14.

LAP-BY-LAP RECAP | RESULTS | DEREK THORN POST-RACE AUDIO | GREG PURSLEY POST-RACE AUDIO

David Gilliland (No. 25) charges back into the lead on a late race restart.
(Getty Images for NASCAR)

Pick-N-Pull Racing To Stop Hunger 200 Trophy

Pick-N-Pull Racing To Stop Hunger 200 Trophy

yfrog photo by MegMMiley

Pick-N-Pull Racing To Stop Hunger 200 Schedule

Thursday
10 a.m.	Registration opens
10:30 a.m.	Haulers enter
12 p.m.	Garage opens
Friday
6:30 a.m.	Garage & Registration open
8:30 a.m.	Practice
10 a.m.	Final Practice
1:50 p.m.	Qualifying
5 p.m.	Garage & Registration close
Saturday
9 a.m.	Garage & Registration open
10:30 a.m.	Driver/Crew Chief Meeting
12:45 p.m.	NKNPS West Race 200K (64L)

All times PT (local zone)  Subject to change

David Gilliland PreparesFor K&N Pro Series West Race

Photo via twitter from @NASCARHomeTrack

Tweet:  @NASCARHomeTrack #NASCAR #KNWest practice discussions for @davidgilliland @RaceSonomat. co/dLyUYVCN

Excited about Infineon Return

Moses Smith, pilot of the No. 16 HASA Pool Products/NAPA Gold Filters Toyota Camry for Bill McAnally Racing will be racing thru the turns of Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West makes its return to the 1.99 mile road course on June 25th. This will be the fifth visit to Infineon for Smith in the West Series.

“Heading back to my favorite road course is exciting,” said Smith. “My first three trips there were unlucky but the last year we came away with a top-ten finish. The first year we were taken out after leading the race, and the second year my car caught on fire. In 2009, I was able to lead the race but once again we were unable to finish the race. The No. 16 Hasa Toyota was wrecked during a late in the race restart attempt. Our day was done.”

“So we are ready to turn our luck around. We are second in the chase for the West Series championship and look to close the gap on the point leader. Infineon is the place to get that done.”

“This is a great track for the HASA Pool Products fans; they are really into the road courses,” continued Smith. “We’ve always had great support and the entire No. 16 Hasa/NAPA team is looking forward to this weekend.”

The Thunder Valley Casino Resort “200” at Infineon Raceway will be on Saturday, June 25th. This is a companion race to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. For ticket information, please visit the track’s website at www.infineonraceway.com. Think outside the oval and come cheer for your favorite team in the heart of California’s wine country.

DVR Alert: The O’Reilly Auto Parts 200 from the Bullring at LVMS can be seen on Thursday June 23rd on SPEED Channel at 3 pm PST. Please check your local listings.

For more information on Bill McAnally Racing and our race partners, please visit our website at www.billmcanallyracing.com. BMR is also home to the BMR NAPA AutoCare where customers can have their vehicle serviced by a championship winning team. Check our website for our latest discount coupons and to make an appointment for service. Bill McAnally Racing is now on Facebook. Become a fan and stay up to date with the latest happenings with your favorite race teams. Also follow the team on BMR_NASCAR on Twitter.

For more information on Moses Smith, please visit www.mosessmith.com. You can visit our sponsors’ websites at www.hasapool.com, www.napafilters.com, and www.whiteflyer.com. You can also follow Moses on Twitter.

by Kaye Reshaw

Action packed and very funny!

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Infineon
Action packed and very funny!

Video by Greg Wilson

Moses Smith Racing: Formula Mazda-Indy Car Support Races

Race fans were treated to the Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear during the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway last weekend (August 21-22, 2010). This marked the first time the Formula Car Challenge Series was paired with the IZOD IndyCar Series in the Sonoma Valley.

The Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear is a multiple-region series with an annual national championship. The series features a multi-class format; Formula Mazda, Pro Formula Mazda, and the new FormulaSPEED2.0. All classes are powered by Mazda, and equipped with Goodyear Racing tires.

Twenty-three Standard Formula Mazda racers entered the double-header weekend. It made this one of the largest Formula Mazda races in North America this season.

On the Saturday, the first race in the standard Formula Mazda division, was won by Alan McCallum, of Houston, Texas. Alan found his way to victory lane lapping nearly a full second faster than his nearest competitor, Doug Peterson. Joe Colasacco rounded out the podium. Alan McCallum runs out of the Moses Smith Racing Shop. Unfortunately, Moses Smith, who is also the Formula Mazda class manufacturer, had to miss Alan’s historic win.

“What a great day. I had to leave the track to a ‘Support the Troops Benefit’ at a shooting range. Got to shoot a bunch of cool stuff. Mean while the MSR team was at Infineon racing...and subsequently winning the support race for Indy car! Life is good in the MSR camp!” Smith recounted.

Sunday proved to be a bit more challenging for the MSR Team. While Alan McCallum was able to place the MSR #19 on pole again, he was passed mid race. Lucas Barnett completed the pass halfway through the race and held on to the lead until turn 7 on the last lap.

McCallum barely held on as his FM got a little loose out of turn 11 headed for the checkered flag. He and Barnett crossed the finish line side by side, with Alan McCallum winning the race by a nose. Local veteran driver, Bill Weaver rounded out the podium.

McCallum is currently a student at Arizona State University, and races for Moses Smith Racing. "I came out here about a month ago and got acclimated with the track," McCallum said. "It's a relatively new car for me, but it was a lot of fun. Moses is a great guy, he helps me a lot. I learn a lot from him every day. (1)"

Formula Car Challenge – Formula Mazda

Infineon Raceway – Race 2

Sunday August 22, 2010

Complete Results:

1- Alan McCallum, 2-Lucas Barnett, 3-Bill Weaver,4-Matt Trudell,5-Stew Tabak,6-George Jackson,7-Cameron Parsons,8-Russell Hillenburg,9-Sam Lockwood,10-John Weed,11-Dale Swope,12-John Ertel,13-Bruce Carpenter,14-Derry O'Donovan,15-Tom Barnett,16-David Vanhooser,17-Darryl Wills,18-Ty Young,19-Perry Mele, 20-Joe Colasacco, 21-Steve Jenks, 22-Douglas Peterson, 23-Jamie Slone

Formula Car Challenge

Infineon Raceway – Race 1

Saturday August 22, 2010

Complete Results:

1-Alan McCallum, 2-Douglas Peterson, 3-Joe Colasacco, 4-Steve Jenks, 5-Lucas Barnett, 6-Bill Weaver, 7-Matthew Trudell, 8-Derry O’Donovan, 9-Stew Tabak, 10-Jamie Slone, 11-Perry Mele, 12-Russell Hillenburg, 13-Cameron Parsons, 14-Sam Lockwood, 15-Dale Swope, 16-John Weed, 17-George Jackson, 18-Tom Barnett, 19-John Ertel, 20-Bruce Carpenter, 21-Ty Young, 22-David Vanhooser, 23-Darryl Wills

(1) Quote borrowed from http://www.motorsportsmania.biz/

Podium 2 photo by Jeannie Broussal

Podium 1 photo Pat Brandon

Starting Grid Photo by Ryan – JuniorOpenWheelTalent.com

Video by Sloneracing

Pit Stall 13 Not So Unlucky

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Driver, Moses Smith really enjoys racing at Infineon Raceway. However, since switching over to NASCAR from the Open Wheel circuit in 2006, the twist and turns of the Sonoma Road Course has proven to be plagued with bad luck and unfortunate incidences. In the three K&N Pro Series West events he raced at Infineon, Smith recorded two 28th and one 29th place finishes.

The team arrived at the track determined to change that trend. Conversely, Friday’s practice was inundated with problems. While the team warmed up the engine of the #16 Hasa Pool Products Toyota Camry, it blew. This sent them into action. Although they missed the first practice; the race car was in pit stall 13 for the start of the second practice. Unfortunately, a malfunction in the machine’s “kill switch” delayed the start of practice two for them.

With only four laps of practice, Moses qualified a respectable twentieth in the field of thirty-seven. Due to the engine change however, the #16 Hasa Pool Products Toyota Camry was drop to the back of the field for unapproved adjustments.

“This team had a lot of issues to overcome,” Crew Chief Mario Isola reported. “I know that we will do well tomorrow.”

On Saturday at 12:28 p.m., the race engines fired up. With sixty-four laps of racing, Moses knew he had no time to waste in the back of the field. By lap thirteen, Smith had passed twenty-one competitors and was running in sixteenth position. Moses then pitted for fuel on lap twenty.

Moses continued to smoothly and patiently make his way through the pack and up to the front. With just two thirds of the race completed, he had worked himself into the top-ten. By lap 54 Moses was in sixth position fighting for fifth.

Unfortunately, a few laps later, the team noticed that the car was billowing smoke. They feared that the Infineon curse had struck again with just three laps remaining. Moses broke the stunned silence by reporting that his power steering pump went out and the race car was almost impossible to maneuver. “Man up!” Mario instructed.

Moses did what he could to remain competitive, but a couple of cars managed to pass him in the turns of Infineon. Moses took the white flag in eighth position. As he entered the last turn before the start/finish line, the #16 Hasa Pool Product’s Toyota Camry ran out of gas. As another car passed him, Moses just manage to coast across the finish line in ninth place before coming to a complete stop.

“I am real proud of the team and the hustle they put into the weekend. The cards were stacked against us, but none of us gave up and it showed.” Moses expressed.

Moses’ finish moved the team up one position in the championship points to the fifth place. The next event on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West schedule is the King Taco 200 at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) on July 3.

“Two good races in a row really helps boost my confidence for our race at Irwindale in two weeks . . . . looking forward to it.” Moses stated.

photo by Getty Images

Smith On The Right Road

Looking to translate past success at Infineon to West Series

Moses Smith’s track record at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma is pretty impressive. He was all but a lock to finish in the top five when he raced there in the Star Mazda Series. He raced in the Toyota Atlantic Series and Indy Lights on the 1.99-mile road course in Northern California with a relative amount of success.

Stock cars are a different story.

Smith will be making his fourth career NASCAR K&N Pro Series West start at Infineon Raceway in the Thunder Valley Casino Resort 200 on Saturday. When asked about his most memorable moment at Infineon Raceway, Smith said, “Any time I won there.”

“A win’s always good. It means typically you’re in a car that’s fun to drive,” said Smith, driver of the No. 16 Toyota for Bill McAnally Racing. “We used to run with the Indy cars or American Le Mans Series. It’s fun to show off in front of the big guys.”

Smith spent nine years of his career racing open-wheel cars before making the switch to stock cars. He won the Star Mazda West Coast championship in 2002 and was the Star Mazda West Coast rookie of the year in 2001.

He started driving for Bill McAnally Racing in 2006 and has made three starts in the West Series at Infineon Raceway.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Scott Speed and Nationwide Series driver Michael McDowell took the open-wheel route to stock cars. Smith raced against and beat both in the Star Mazda and Formula Mazda series. He said he would like the chance to race against them again in NASCAR at Infineon Raceway.

But winning a stock car race at Infineon Raceway has been challenging for Smith. He was 29th in last year’s West Series race in Sonoma after he was collected in a three-car crash on lap 55. His best finish at Infineon Raceway in the West Series has been 28th place. He’s had good cars for Sonoma, even led the race in his rookie season in 2006, but the same can’t be said for his luck.

Smith said he is coming off his best race of the season. He was fourth at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Ore., two weeks ago. It was his first top-five finish of the season and his best finish since coming in eighth place in the West Series season opener at All American Speedway in Roseville.

“It definitely was our best race of the year,” Smith said. “We’ve had some tough luck, getting caught up on other people’s wrecks.”

Smith made a last-lap pass on his Bill McAnally Racing teammate Paulie Harraka at Douglas County Speedway to finish fourth. It was a clean pass, but he was worried how Harraka was going to react to it.

“We were just off the trailer fast and ready to go,” Smith said. “Toward the end there – it’s always tough when you’re racing a teammate. I pushed him along. All in all, it was a good run. We finished fourth. It was nice to finish up there and get our team back on track.”

Smith said he is hoping some of the momentum he built in Oregon will carry over to the race in Sonoma. The West Series race accompanies the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Infineon Raceway. The West Series race attracts some road-course specialists as well as some Cup drivers who are looking for some extra seat time.

Last year’s West Series race at Sonoma included Sprint Cup Series drivers Joey Logano and David Gilliland. Road-course veterans Boris Said and Patrick Long were also in the race.

Smith said because the West Series race attracts such a talented and diverse group of drivers, it will be tough to win. Gilliland and Said are entered in this year’s race. Because of his success in open-wheel cars at the track, Smith said a top-five finish is possible.

“My strength is road courses,” Smith said. “There still a blast to drive. I’m hoping my experience on road courses will play in my favor.”

Smith will get his chances to show off his road-racing skills in the West Series. Infineon Raceway is one of three road courses on the West Series schedule. He likes his chances of winning either the race at Portland International Raceway or Miller Motorsports Park in Utah.

The car his team is bringing to Infineon Raceway is an older one. It is a car Jim Inglebright tried to qualify for a Cup race at Sonoma in 2001. Smith said there will be other West Series teams with newer cars and more current equipment. But he also said his equipment might be a little better than the newer cars.

“My goal for Sonoma is to finish in the top five,” Smith said. “The other road courses, we have a better shot at going for the win. I’d like to finish in the top three in points. That’s something we’re digging at.”

By Tim Haddock June 18, 2010 - 12:46pm
Follow Tim Haddock on Twitter @thaddock and
at www.haddockinthepaddock.com

Photos by Getty Images

At the Track - Thunder Valley Casino Resort "200"

Infineon Entry List

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
Infineon 6/19/10 Entry List

	CAR	DRIVER	CREW CHIEF
1	0	Paul Pedroncelli Jr.	Paul Pedroncelli
2	1	Jim Inglebright	Rodney Haygood
3	2	Daryl Harr	Jeff Wernham
4	3	Wes Banks	Scott Griffith
5	4	Dennis Dyer	Bob Farmer
6	5	Johnathan Hale	Lyn Hale
7	6	Luis Martinez Jr.*	Bill Sedgwick
8	7	Greg Rayl *	David Fanning
9	8	Brad Lloyd	Dave Lloyd
10	9	Josh Combs *
11	10	Brandon Davis
12	11	Auggie Vidovich
13	12	Paulie Harraka	Duane Knorr
14	13	Todd Souza *	Michael Munoz
15	14	Travis Milburn *	Mike Holleran
16	15	Jack Sellers	Charlie Silva
17	16	Moses Smith	Mario Isola
18	17	David Mayhew	Terry Henry
19	19	Tony Toste	Allen Montes
20	20	Eric Holmes	Matt Goslant
21	21	Blake Koch	Steve Portenga
22	22	Jonathon Gomez	Steve Graham
23	26	Greg Pursley	Jerry Pitts
24	31	Jason Bowles	Ty Joiner
25	33	Brian Jackson	Ed O'Hayre
26	35	Andrew Ranger
27	38	Troy Ermish *	Brian Boell
28	45	David Gilliland
29	57	Boris Said
30	60	Rick Boysal	Aaron Brown
31	65	Stan Silva Jr.	Shaun Capener
32	74	Scott Ivie
33	81	Garland Self	Chris Drysdale
34	82	John Davis	Craig Inman
35	84	Mattias Ekstrom	Randy Cox
36	86	Tom Dyer
37	88	Michael Self*	Mike Naake
38	89	Brian Wong	Dave McCarty

*Series Rookies

Sacramento's NASCAR Day

On Saturday, June 12, the 6th annual NASCAR Day in Sacramento returned to the State Capitol. In just five years, this has developed into one of the biggest celebrations leading up to the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend at Infineon Raceway, June 18-20 (Father’s Day weekend). The day was highlighted by a drive of NASCAR stock cars around the streets of Sacramento under a full police escort, winding its way to the State Capitol, site of the festival.

Moses Smith, the 2008/2009 NASCAR Most Popular Driver for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West represented his series by displaying the #16 Hasa Pool Products Toyota Camry at the event. Moses was also on hand to chat with the fans and sign autographs.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will be racing their Thunder Valley Casino Resort "200" the day before the Sprint Cup race. Qualifying will be held at 1:50 p.m. on Friday, with the race starting at 12:30 on Sunday.

Hershel McGriff - In His Own Words

Hershel McGriff and NASCAR Race Mom
Infineon Raceway, June 2009

Born December 14, 1927 in Bridal Veil, Oregon, Hershel McGriff launched his stock car racing career in September of 1945 at the dirt Portland Speedway. He finished thirteenth in his family’s sedan.

With 35 victories, McGriff has the most wins of any Winston West active competitor. He won the 1950 Mexican Road Race and competed in the first Southern 500 at Darlington International Raceway. McGriff also competed in a stock car at LeMans, France, in Australia and in Japan. He won the 1986 NASCAR Winston West Series Championship and tops the list of pole awards in Winston West Series poles with thirty -five. Additionally, Hershel McGriff was voted ‘Most Popular Driver’ twelve times over his long NASCAR career.

McGriff was inducted in the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in its first class in 2002. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2006. McGriff, who had retired from driving at age 74 (in 2002) said, "This is fantastic, getting in the Hall of Fame, but, hey, I might not be through yet. When I turn 80 [in two years], I just might go out to a short track and show the young guys that I can still do it."

True to his word, NASCAR Race Mom had the pleasure of first meeting Racecar Driver McGriff at the NASCAR Camping World Series West Infineon Race on June 20, 2009. The eighty-one year old had enough of retirement, and the legendary driver made his return behind the wheel for the Bennett Lane Winery 200, presented by Supercuts. Unfortunately, Hershel McGriff failed to make the field.

Not to be discouraged, on July 19, 2009 McGriff qualified his 04 Park Corporation Chevrolet in twenty-first position and finished thirteenth. A couple of weeks later, he qualified twenty-second at 2.2-Mile Road Course of Miller Motorsports Park and took the checkered flag in nineteenth place after suffering a late race flat tire.

Moses Smith, z. & McGriff
Miller Motorsports Park, August 2009

In His Own Words - Hershel McGriff

NRM - What is the biggest difference between when you returned to racing after not racing for around 10 years in 1967 and your return to the NASCAR Camping World Series West in 2009?

Hershel McGriff – “The biggest difference would be rules pertaining to the race cars - in the 60's & 70's, we ran stock body cars as they came from the factory, so that made it easy to get a car and enter races. Now, they are more technical with rules which makes it expensive to race, especially when the purses don't amount to much. Also, a big difference in my latest return was press coverage because I'm 81, what's the big deal?"

NRM - What do you do to keep yourself race ready?

Hershel McGriff - "I keep busy, get up early, ride a bicycle 4 or 5 times a week. I still work, and my wife watches my diet."

NRM - What does the Most Popular Driver Award, which you have won twelve times, mean to you? "

Hershel McGriff - “The most popular driver award means a lot when your competitors are the ones voting. It was quite an honor to win it twelve times in a row. Maybe I didn't ruffle any feathers, so they voted for me. HA!"

NRM - What is your advice to the current drivers in the Camping World Series West Championship?

Hershel McGriff - "My advice to the younger drivers in the West series is to not drive like it's a destruction derby. These cars are expensive to fix. The old saying, "you can't win on the first lap" is true."

NRM - What are you plans for 2010

Hershel McGriff - “I would like to run all road courses for both East & West series. I'm working on it now.”

Catherine Hicks' Race Fan Experience

Photo by Catherine Hicks

Just like most of my work days started, I grabbed a cup of coffee, sat down at my computer and begun my day. Part of that day is monitoring twitter for my clients, so I opened my twitter client.

My personal twitter account is full of many different kinds of people. As an avid NASCAR fan, I follow many people and topics related to NASCAR. This is how I found out about Moses.

Moses’ mom, Z, is a very active on NASCAR twitter streams. I’d always been a cursory fan of the Camping World West series, since there is a track that hosts races in my hometown, but being able to follow the trials and tribulations through a NASCAR mom’s eyes gave me a lot different perspective that I wouldn’t have been able to get otherwise.

Knowing that the Camping World race was going to race alongside Sprint Cup at Infineon, which is near where I live now, I was very anxious to meet Z and see Moses race.

Let me tell you, he didn’t disappoint.

Moses had a rough struggle at Infineon, with two penalties and a crash. Throughout it all he handled himself on the radio with the ease and grace of someone who had been there before. Not a hot head about it. Not yelling and screaming or making a fuss about how it was not fair. He just continued driving with head towards the horizon, racing his race.

It was at this point that Moses had me as a fan. I was very impressed with the way he and his entire crew handled the race. Even though he didn’t win, he was a definite winner in my eyes, showing the sportsmanship and dignity that I am sure will take him far in the NASCAR world.

Moses has a fan for as long as he’s racing. I will get out to see him at All American later on this year and I hope if you have the chance to see him race that you will too.

-Catherine Hicks

You can view Photos from the Infineon race on Photographygirl.com

Follow me on twitter at @nascargrrl

Note from NASCAR Race Mom:

You can view Catherine Hicks' photos from the Camping World Series West Race Here

Car #28 Spins at Infineon

The NASCAR Camping World Series West Car #28 spins at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California on June 20, 2009. Rick Boysal started the race from thirty-third position and rallied to finished in ninetenth.

Sonoma, California - Hasa Hospitality

The Hasa Pool Products personnel were again able to provide the perfect NASCAR race experience for their clientele at the Infineon Raceway (Sonoma, California) on June 20, 2009. Over six hundred Hasa customers filled the huge hospitality tent that was strategically located in the infield of turn two.

After receiving their Moses Smith T-shirt and hat, the crowd enjoyed a buffet style lunch. The #16 Hasa Pool Products / White Flyer Toyota Camry had qualified eleventh in the field of forty. The Hasa crowd created quite a roar when Moses led the race.

“This is a great track for the HASA Pool Products fans; they are really into the road courses. We had 600 plus Hasa customers in the stands all around the track. It was great to have so much support. I want to thank them for coming out. It was a beautiful day in Sonoma. I wish we could have had a better finish for them.” Moses finished in 29th position, ten laps down.

After the race, the fan’s favorite driver made the rounds for a personal meet and greet session. Moses signed autographs and discussed his disappointing finish with his fans.

Hasa Hospitality would like to thank Lisa and Edic, from the Liquid Shade company. They were kind enough to supply six of their remarkable portable and self-contained misting systems to reduce the outdoor heat. The units were easy and effective!

Click here for Event Photo Gallery

Moses Gets Wrecked At Infineon

Moses Smith, pilot of the No. 16 HASA Pool Products/White Flyer Toyota Camry for Bill McAnally Racing’s day ended early when he was collected coming to the green flag restart on the final turn of the twelve-corner road course of Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California at lap 55. This was the third visit to Infineon for Smith in the West Series.

“My luck continued at Infineon. This is my favorite road course but luck has not been on my side,” said Smith. “The first year we were taken out after leading the race, and then last year my car caught on fire. Once again I was able to lead the race on Saturday, and once again we were unable to finish the race. The No. 16 Hasa Toyota was wrecked during a late in the race restart attempt. Our day was done.”

“This is a great track for the HASA Pool Products fans; they are really into the road courses. We had 600+ Hasa customers in the stands all around the track. It was great to have so much support. I want to thank them for coming out. It was a beautiful day in Sonoma. I wish we could have had a better finish for them.” Moses finished in 29th position, ten laps down.

With the 2009 season coming to the halfway point, Smith is anxious to record his first win. He is currently ninth in the chase and only 70 points out of the top-five.

The NASCAR Camping World Series West Bennett Lane Winery “200” presented by Supercuts will be televised July 2nd on SPEED Channel’s Racing Across America noon pacific time. Please check your local listings. The next race event will be on July fourth at the Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, California.

BMR would like to thank the continued support of our race partners. We would like to welcome Copart Auto Auctions, a web-based automotive reselling agency, to the BMR family. For more information on Bill McAnally Racing and our race partners, please visit our website at www.billmcanallyracing.com.

For more information on Moses Smith: please visit www.mosessmith.com. You can visit Moses’ sponsors’ websites at:
www.hasapool.com
www.whiteflyer.com, and
www.tcitransportation.com.

ABOUT COPART:

Copart, founded in 1982, sells more than 1 million vehicles each year online for insurance companies, banks, finance companies, fleet operators, dealers, the general public and others. Copart’s extensive inventory allows buyers to browse more than 50,000 vehicles each day.

(photo by Catherine Hicks, Nascargrrl Photography http://www.catherinehicks.com)