BMR Drivers Look For Another Win At Monroe

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West travels to the Pacific Northwest this week for its traditional stop at one of the most historic tracks on the circuit – Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington. 

The NAPA AUTO PARTS 175 presented by the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame on Saturday marks the 58th series visit to the .646-mile track.

The venue is popular with Bill McAnally Racing, with BMR drivers winning the two most recent series events there. Todd Gilliland took the victory in 2016 and Chris Eggleston won last year.

This year’s lineup of drivers at BMR features Derek Kraus of Stratford, Wisconsin in the No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry; Cole Rouse of Fort Smith, Arkansas; in the No. 99 NAPA Filters Toyota Camry; and Hailie Deegan of Temecula, California in the No. 19 Mobil 1/NAPA Power Premium Plus Toyota Camry.

Sixteen-year-old Kraus and Deegan, who recently turned 17, are members of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights NASCAR’s rising stars.

Kraus finished 11th as a rookie in last year’s series race at Evergreen Speedway. He returns there third in the championship standings – with two wins, five top-five, and six top-10 finishes in eight series starts this season.

In his only start at Evergreen Speedway, Rouse finished sixth in his rookie year in the series in 2016. He is fourth in the standings – with three top-five, and seven top-10 finishes this year.

Here’s the wreck from last weekend @iowaspeedway @nascar pic.twitter.com/avVyYuVJCk

— Hailie Deegan (@HailieDeegan) August 3, 2018

Deegan is a series rookie who will be making just her ninth series start on Saturday. Nonetheless, she has already matched the mark for the best finish by a female driver in the series – coming home second at Roseburg, Oregon in June.

She leads rookie points in the series and is fifth in the overall standings – with three top-five and seven top-10 finishes.

NAPA AUTO PARTS will play a big role in this weekend’s race at Evergreen Speedway – with major activation, including as the title sponsor of the event.

Fans will get an early opportunity to see BMR’s NAPA team and driver Derek Kraus, as they make an appearance on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Michael’s Toyota in Bellevue in conjunction with NAPA Seattle. Later on Friday, Brian Keene, General Manager of NAPA’s Seattle Distribution Center, will bring a group of employees and customers out to the speedway for a special VIP meet-and-greet with the BMR team.

A VIP NAPA Hospitality will be provided at the track on Saturday, courtesy of NAPA Seattle. The VIP experience for NAPA guests on Saturday will also include special pit tours. NAPA’s role in the event will also include participation in driver introductions, giving the command to start engines, waving the green flag as honorary starter, and presenting trophies after the race.

In addition to the recent wins by Eggleston and Gilliland, BMR has five other victories at Evergreen Speedway. Brendan Gaughan won there in 2000 and 2001, Austin Cameron was victorious there in 2004, Brian Ickler won there in 2007, and Eric Holmes took home the checkers in 2012.

This year’s Evergreen Speedway race is scheduled to be televised on NBCSN on Aug. 15 at 3 p.m. PT.

Source

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NAPA Auto Parts and Hendrick Motorsports Grow Partnership

NAPA AUTO PARTS has grown its relationship with 12-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports with a new agreement that immediately expands its majority sponsorship of driver Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team in 2018 and extends its support for another two years through the 2020 racing season. 

The new agreement increases NAPA’s majority sponsorship of Elliott from 24 to 26 races annually beginning in 2018 and throughout the 2019-2020 extension. It guarantees primary sponsorship of the No. 9 team in the prestigious Daytona 500 each year and continues associate-level sponsorship in all non-primary events.

“NAPA is proud to expand our partnership with Hendrick Motorsports and Chase Elliott, which serves as a key component of our marketing efforts,” said Gaylord Spencer, senior vice president, marketing, for NAPA AUTO PARTS. “This relationship began with a storybook season in 2014 and has seen Chase grow into a top contender in the NASCAR Cup Series. The future looks bright, and we are excited to be a part of it for years to come.”

Atlanta-based NAPA AUTO PARTS began its relationship with Elliott as primary sponsor during the driver’s historic 2014 Xfinity Series season when he became NASCAR’s youngest-ever national series champion while earning rookie of the year and most popular driver honors. Its support continued through another full Xfinity season (2015), Elliott’s five-race Cup Series debut (2015) and as majority sponsor of his first two years at the Cup level (2016 and 2017).

“The relationship with NAPA has been a major part of my career starting in 2014,” Elliott said. “Their support has been huge for me, and I’m very thankful for what they’ve done for our whole team at Hendrick Motorsports. They’re a committed partner, and it’s been a pleasure meeting the people involved with their business all over the country. I’m proud to represent all of those folks and look forward to having them part of our No. 9 team for many more years.”

Elliott earned 2016 Cup Series rookie of the year honors and is coming off his second playoff appearance in as many full seasons at NASCAR’s top level. In addition to his 2014 Xfinity Series title, the 22-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native has already posted seven wins and 107 top-10 finishes in NASCAR national series competition.

“NAPA made an incredible commitment early on in Chase’s career, and that has only grown over the years,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “They’re passionate about our sport, but the real key is that racing works for their employees, their customers and their overall business. The No. 9 team and all of us at Hendrick Motorsports are dedicated to NAPA’s success, and we look forward to working together and continuing to deliver in every aspect of our program.”

Source

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Martin Truex Jr . Signs Autographs

Martin Truex Jr. participated in the grand opening (March 21, 2012) of the second BMR Napa Care Store by signing autographs in Roseville, California.

For over 26 years, Bill McAnally Racing has brought to fans and partners a close-up NASCAR racing experience through its five championships in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.

Photo tweeted by @BMR_NASCAR

Scenes from the Spokane 200 K&N Pro Series West Race

Be sure to watch this wonder video of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. The boys (and girl) were at the Spokane County Raceway last Saturday for a 200 lap race. A “must see” six minutes of artistic fun and exciting NASCAR action. If you look closely, you will even see a couple of shot of NASCAR Race Mom . . . . .yup me!

If you like the video be sure to give it a “thumbs up” and leave a comment if you can! Let me know if you saw NASCAR Race Mom in the video.

Filmed and Edited by Rob Harris (@bobbychuck) for NASCAR Hometracks

The Spokane 200 Entry List

CAR	DRIVER	CREW CHIEF
1	Greg Rayl	Dan White
2	Carl Harr	Rudy Rech
3	Dylan Kwasniewski *	Jeff Jefferson
5	Thomas Martin *	Brian Carson
6	Luis Martinez, Jr.	Bill Sedgwick
7	Cassie Gannis *	John Gannis
14	Travis Milburn	Mike Holleran
15	Jack Sellers	Jim Hall
16	Moses Smith	Mario Isola
20	Eric Holmes	Duane Knorr
21	Michael Self	Steve Portenga
22	Jonathon Gomez	Craig Raudman
24	Cameron Hayley *	Rob Dixon
26	Greg Pursley	Jerry Pitts
38	Ryan Philpott *	Dwayne Koski
52	Dave Garber *	Fred Wilcox
61	Brett Thompson	Charlie Wilson
71	Daryl Harr	Mike Brown
88	Braeden Havens *	Dick Midgley
99	Chris Evans, Portland. *	TBD

Moses Finishes In Fourth

NKNPS West Race at Portland Road Course
by Lee Elder, Goodyear Racing

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Luis Martinez slipped into the lead on the last lap and won the Bi-Mart Salute To The Troops 125 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Portland International Raceway.

Martinez alertly took advantage when race leader David Mayhew spun in turn 12 on the final lap around Portland’s 1.967 road racing gem. It was the final drama of a green-white-checkers finish.

Goodyear is the exclusive tire provider for the K&N Pro Series East and West programs, as well as for the NASCAR Canadian Tires Series. The bias-ply tires Goodyear supplies the three series come from the same line, allowing competitors in NASCAR’s top development programs to race interchangeably without the need to learn about differing tire packages.

Eric Holmes, the former series champion, finished second to Martinez, just .352 of a second behind the winner. Derek Thorn started 11th and finished third. Moses Smith was fourth and Dave Smith took fifth. Martinez averaged 93.424 on his best qualifying lap.

It was a big points night for everyone except championship leader Greg Pursley. Pursley led the race when mechanical woes struck, knocking him out of the race on lap 46. He finished 26th in the big 30-car field. Pursley, who set a record with his fast start this season, still leads with 1,550 points. Moses Smith is next with 1,317.

More information about Goodyear Racing is available at www.racegodyear.com. More information about NASCAR is available at www.nascarhometracks.com.

2011 Most Popular Driver: K&N Pro Series West

Most Popular Driver Voting Begins

VOTE FOR MOSES HERE

Fans can vote for favorite drivers in K&N Pro Series West

Official Release
July 20, 2011 - 2:42pm

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – For the fourth consecutive year, fans can vote online for the Most Popular Driver of the Year Award in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West (Twitter hashtag: #KNWest).

The link to the 2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Most Popular Driver ballot will be hosted on www.nascarhometracks.com.

Fans may vote once per day and are encouraged to vote throughout the season. Voting continues through Nov. 20.

Last year, Moses Smith was voted by the fans as the Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West for the third straight year.

Voting for all regional touring series will be available on www.nascarhometracks.com, and voting for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series can be accessed by visiting www.nascar.com.

Results will be announced at the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Awards Gala on Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Charlotte Convention Center's Crown Ballroom in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

VOTE FOR MOSES HERE

Bi-Mart Salute The Troops 125 - Entry List

CAR	DRIVER	CREW CHIEF
01	Greg Rayl	Dan White
2	Carl Harr	Rudy Rech
03	Dylan Kwasniewski *	Jeff Jefferson
04	Hershel McGriff	Hershel McGriff Jr.
5	Justin Funkhouser *	Brian Carson
6	Luis Martinez, Jr.	Bill Sedgwick
07	Brady Flaherty *	TBA
7	Kyle Kelley	Rob Rucker
9	Derek Thorn *	TBA
10	Brandon Davis *	Chris Willes
12	Tomy Drissi *	TBA
13	Todd Souza	Michael Munoz
14	Travis Milburn	Mike Holleran
15	Jack Sellers	Jim Hall
16	Moses Smith	Mario Isola
17	David Mayhew	Terry Henry
20	Eric Holmes	Duane Knorr
21	Michael Self	Steve Portenga
23	Spencer Gallagher *	Chris Diederich
25	Tom Klauer *	Mike Naake
26	Greg Pursley	Jerry Pitts
35	Andrew Ranger	Harry Norcross
38	Ryan Philpott *	Dwayne Koski
52	Kevin Culver	Fred Wilcox
61	Brett Thompson	Charlie Wilson
71	Daryl Harr	Mike Brown
74	Scott Ivie	Tyler Dodge
81	Garland Self	Chris Drysdale
86	Rob Morris *	Jim Brown
88	Dave Smith *	Dick Midgley
99	Chris Evans *	TBA

Focused on Portland

Smith and the Hasa Toyota team Focused on Portland Smith returns to the road course Antelope, CA– The No. 16 Hasa Pool Products/NAPA Gold Filters Toyota Camry, driven by Moses Smith brought home a fifteenth place finish at his last run at Portland International Raceway after having a late in the race electrical issue. Smith and the Hasa team look to turn their Portland bad luck around as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series returns to the 1.967-mile road course. Smith has raced at the nearly perfectly flat twelve-turn road course which sits a short distance from the famous Columbia River in both a stock car and in an open-wheeled car.

This is the third time since 1986 that the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West has come to PIR. In 2008, track renovations were complete as two turns were widened and the track repaved with new asphalt. “The passing is tough but I think we will do pretty well,” said Smith. “The No. 16 Hasa Toyota team is focused on continuing to close the gap in the chase for the championship. We’re looking forward to getting onto the road course in Portland and having a great finish.” Smith is second in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series championship point standings. The Bi-Mart Salute to the Troops “125” is a two day event with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West teams qualifying and racing on Sunday July 24th.

Great seats are still available. Tickets to the July 23-24 Bi-Mart Salute to the Troops “125” are on sale at local Bi-Mart stores and available at the gate during the weekend. All grandstands are free and open, with free parking outside the front gates. For all the events and info go to www.portlandnascar.com. Set your DVRs. The NKNP West Series race from Toyota Speedway on Thursday July 21st and the race from Evergreen Speedway on Thursday July 28th.

by Kaye Reshaw
photo by z. smith

Road Racing At Portland

News & Notes:
Road Racing At Portland

Third and final road course event this season
for K&N Pro Series West

By Kevin W. Green, NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West visits Portland (Ore.) International Raceway on Sunday, July 24, for the Bi-Mart Salute to the Troops 125.

The event, which will be televised to a national audience on SPEED at 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 18, marks the third and final road course event of the season for the series.
Greg Pursley, who has a commanding 298-point lead in the championship standings, will be looking to keep his momentum rolling and add to the six wins he has scored in eight races this season. One of those wins was a victory on the road course at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah in April.

Second in the standings is series veteran Moses Smith. With a road racing background, Smith is hopeful of breaking through with his first career series win at Portland. Michael Self and Luis Martinez Jr. – who are third and fourth in points, respectively – are also looking for their first career win.

They are not the only ones hungry for a victory, however. With Pursley’s domination, it has left all the other series regulars without a win this season. Fifth in the standings is three-time series champion Eric Holmes – who had five wins a year ago, but has yet to visit Victory Lane in 2011.

In addition to the series regulars who will tackle the left and right turns on the 1.967-mile Portland track, the entry list is comprised of a contingent of drivers who each year focus primarily on the road course races. They include Brandon Davis, who won the Coors Light Pole at Infineon Raceway last month; Tom Klauer, who had a top-10 finish in his series debut a year ago at Portland; Kyle Kelley; Scott Ivie and Garland Self. The list also includes the legendary Hershel McGriff, who at the age of 83 has opted to just run the road course events in the series.

This event will also mark the return of Andrew Ranger to Portland International Raceway. Ranger, a two-time champion in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, competed at PIR with the Champ Car World Series in 2005 and 2006, finishing seventh and ninth, respectively.

Previous road course events this year were at Miller Motorsports Park and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., – where NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano took the win.

Podium – NASCAR K&N Pro Series WestBeacon Plumbing Freakin’ 200

Moses Smith, Trophy Girl, Greg Pursley, and Dylan Kwasniewski

Photo by Heidi Pursley

AUDIO: POST-RACE MOSES SMITH

AUDIO: POST-RACE MOSES SMITH

Click on the link above to listen to Moses Smith's post race interview clip.

Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images for NASCAR

Podium Finish At Evergreen Speedway

Moses Smith, driver of the No. 16 HASA Pool Products/NAPA Gold Filters Toyota Camry for Bill McAnally Racing, finished 3rd at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington. He remains solidly in second place in the 2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship.

With the second half of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West 2011 season underway, Smith made his third visit to the podium. Smith has made two previous visits to Evergreen Speedway with both being top-ten finishes. “It’s challenging track in that it has a lot of bumps and dips that upset the race car. It really makes you work at it,” said Smith.

On Saturday, the No. 16 Hasa Toyota team took to the track for two practice sessions and qualifying. Smith put the Hasa/NAPA Filters entry inside of row five to start the race. ”We didn’t qualifying where we wanted to but we have 200 laps to move up.” At lap 70, Smith was running in the top-five. He gained one more position at lap 90.

There was a half-way break at lap 100 at which time crew chief Mario Isola and the Hasa team went to work putting on fresh tires and making minor adjustments. Back to green flag racing, Smith brushed the wall at lap 122. He kept pace and was still in the top-five. With less than twenty laps to go, the second thru fourth place cars went three wide going into turn one. There was a lot of close racing and more contact with the wall, but Smith is able to continue; now running in fourth. With less than five to go, Smith battled with his teammate Eric Holmes and moved into third, taking the checkered flag.

“We had some good competition here,” continued Smith. “Side by side racing for most of the 200 laps made it an exciting race. The Hasa Toyota ran great and we’re back on the podium. We’ll take it!”

Set your DVRs. The NKNP West Series race from Infineon can be seen on Thursday July 14th at 3 pm PT on SPEED Channel. Catch the race from Toyota Speedway on Thursday July 21st and the upcoming race from Evergreen Speedway on Thursday July 28th.

The next race will be on July 24th at Portland International Raceway. Smith and the Hasa team have made two previous visits to the road course in Portland.

For more information on Bill McAnally Racing and our race partners, please visit our website at www.billmcanallyracing.com. 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 and on Facebook.

Photo by Charly Porter/www.racingwest.com

Evergreen "200" Schedule

Race:	Evergreen 200
Place:	Evergreen Speedway
Date:	Sunday, July 10
Time:	3:15 p.m. PT
TV Schedule:	SPEED, July 21, 6 p.m. ET
Track Layout:	.646-mile paved oval
2010 Winner:	Event not held
2010 Polesitter:	Event not held
Event Schedule:	Saturday: Practice 12:30-1:30 p.m., 2–3 p.m., Qualifying 6 p.m.
Track PR Contact:	Traci Hobbs (425) 268-9994 doug@highroadgroup.com
Twitter:	WAStateNascar
NASCAR IMC Contact:	Kevin W. Green (661) 392-8543 kgreen@nascar.com

Evergreen "200" News & Notes

Fast Facts:
Series Returns To Monroe Track hosted 50 NASCAR K&N West events between 1964 & 2008

Race:This event is the eighth of 14 events on the 2011 schedule for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.

Procedure:
The starting field is 28 cars, including provisionals. The first 24 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials. The remaining four spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 200 laps (125 miles).

Track:
Evergreen Speedway is a semi-banked .646-mile paved oval with turns banked eight degrees and four degrees banking in the straights. This event marks a return to the historic speedway that hosted 50 series events between 1964 and 2008.

Records:
Qualifying: Mike Duncan, Aug. 4, 2007, 99.691 mph, 23.328 seconds; Race: Roy Smith, July 12, 1981, 86.197 mph, 1 hour 29 minutes 56 seconds.

Pursley winning at pace not seen in recent history:
With five wins in the first seven races this season, Greg Pursley is notching victories at a pace not seen in recent history in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.

The series record for wins in season is held by Hershel McGriff, who had 12 victories in a 30-race season in 1972. Jack McCoy came close to that with 10 wins the following year and Jim Insolo had nine wins in 1978, which featured a 22-race schedule.

Since then, however, the most wins by a driver in a season is six – accomplished by Doug George in 1995 and Brendan Gaughan in 2001.

With a 14-race schedule this season, Pursley would have to win all the races in the second half of the season to tie McGriff’s record for wins in a season. While that may seem out of reach, Pursley could get a shot at McGriff’s record of five consecutive wins, which was also set in 1972. Pursley had three in a row in the first half of the year.

Tough battle for positions behind Pursley:
This event at Evergreen Speedway marks the start of the second half of the season for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.

This year’s championship chase is much different than in recent years, with Greg Pursley charging to a lead of 278 points in the first seven races. While he has established a big lead, there is a tight point battle behind him in the top 10 of the standings.

Series veteran Moses Smith has maintained the second spot and has 992 points. The four drivers behind him, meanwhile, are separated by just 15 points. David Mayhew is third with 934, Michael Self is fourth with 931, Luis Martinez Jr., is fifth with 921 and Brett Thompson is sixth with 919. Just 37 markers back in seventh is three-time series champion Eric Holmes at 882 points. Teenager Dylan Kwasniewski, the leading Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, is ninth with 828; followed by fellow rookie Ryan Philpott at 777.

Race Notes:
Barkshire back in action: Jeff Barkshire, who scored his only career series win as a rookie when the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West last visited Evergreen Speedway in 2008, is set to return to competition. The Auburn, Wash., driver went on to win the Sunoco Rookie of the Year title in ‘08 – but since then has only made four series starts.

Local competitor:
The entry list for the Evergreen 200 includes local driver Jason Fraser of Snohomish, Wash. Fraser made his first and only series start at Monroe in 2007, starting fifth and finishing 14th.

Source

It was the best of times,it was the worse of time . . . . .

It was the best of times, it was the worse of time . . . . . Saturday's race at the Toyota Speedway in Irwindale brings this quote to mind. The #16 Hasa Pool Products / NAPA Filter Toyota Camry was just too loose to generate any real speed. This made the Southern California Toyota Dealers "200" very frustrating for both the driver and crew. However, in a tight point’s battle for second place, NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Driver, Moses Smith found himself battling with the two drivers directly behind him in the championship points standing. The side by side / nose to tail racing lasted right up to the checkered flag, with Moses just edging across the finish line ahead of the other two competitors.

Smith’s twelfth place finish allowed him to remain second in the K&N Pro Series West Point’s Standings. His action filled performance also thrilled the five hundred Hasa customers in the audience who were on hand to cheer on their favorite driver.

“It was definitely a tough night. Sometimes you have a defensive game, sometimes an offensive game, but tonight, we had no game. Although it turned out to be a good points night, the HASA team was there to Race, and we just didn’t have it. Although I was a little bummed after the race, the HASA team didn’t seem to be discourage, and are just looking forward to our next race…these guys are awesome!”

The Southern California Toyota Dealers 200 will air on SPEED on Thursday, July 21 at 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) The next NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race will be Sunday, July 10 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington.

K&N Pro Series West Point’s Standings:

1) Greg Pursley – 1270; 2) Moses Smith – 992; 3) David Mayhew – 934; 4) Michael Self – 931; 5) Luis Martinez, Jr. – 921; 6) Brett Thompson – 919; 7) Eric Holmes – 882; 8) Daryl Harr – 834; 9) Dylan Kwasniewski – 828; 10) Ryan Philpott - 777

Toyota Speedway put on a spectacular fireworks show

photos by Charly Porter/www.racingwest.com

Tough Battle for Positions

This upcoming event at Evergreen Speedway marks the start of the second half of the season for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.

This year’s championship chase is much different than in recent years, with Greg Pursley charging to a lead of 278 points in the first seven races. While he has established a big lead, there is a tight point battle behind him in the top 10 of the standings.

Series veteran Moses Smith has maintained the second spot and has 992 points. The four drivers behind him, meanwhile, are separated by just 15 points. David Mayhew is third with 934, Michael Self is fourth with 931, Luis Martinez Jr., is fifth with 921 and Brett Thompson is sixth with 919. Just 37 markers back in seventh is three-time series champion Eric Holmes at 882 points. Teenager Dylan Kwasniewski, the leading Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, is ninth with 828; followed by fellow rookie Ryan Philpott at 777.

Photo by Heidi Pursley

Smith Set To Make 60th Start

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Moses Smith is set to make his 60th career start in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West on Saturday, July 2, at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) in the Southern California Toyota Dealers 200 presented by King Taco.

It’s appropriate that Smith, who drives the No. 16 HASA Pool Products/NAPA Filters Toyota for Bill McAnally Racing, celebrate this milestone at Irwindale. He made his series debut at the state-of-the-art half-mile track on July 22, 2006.

Since then, the 35-year-old former open-wheel competitor from Tempe, Ariz., has registered 14 top-five and 35 top-10 finishes. He is currently second in the championship standings. But he’s still looking for that elusive first career series win. Smith has come close on several occasions, especially earlier this season when he had back-to-back runner-up finishes at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., and Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.

He knows that first win could come this weekend at Toyota Speedway, where he has registered a string of strong finishes. Of his six starts at Irwindale, Smith finished out of the top 10 only once. His best finish there was fourth last year.

“Irwindale’s always a fun track,” said Smith, who has won the Most Popular Driver Award in the series the past three years. “We’ve had some pretty good finishes at Irwindale. Hopefully, we’ll get our first win there. It would be cool to have our first start and our first win there.”

By Kevin W. Green, NASCAR

Finesse, Patience, And Luck.

The #16 Hasa Pool Products / NAPA Filter Toyota Camry felt right straight off the trailer after arriving at the Infineon Raceway on 06/24/2011. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West was in Sonoma for a combination event with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Infineon Raceway has hosted twenty-one series races since 1978.

Driver, Moses Smith recorded ninth fastest in the first practice and seventh fastest in the last practice. The team was looking forward to qualifying for the Thunder Valley Casino Resort “200.”

Unfortunately, as Smith took the green flag on his qualifying run, his motor failed (threw a rod through the block). The resulting “no time” on the qualifying sheet and required engine change put the #16 Hasa Pool Products / NAPA Filter Toyota Camry to the back of the forty-one car field.

The Infineon race which typically attracts one of the largest entry fields of the year, can easily contribute to a driver losing ground in championship points standings. Consequently, the poor qualifying result could have proved very detrimental to the team.

“Whoopsie daisy.....blew the darn thing up....didn't even get a lap in. Starting last tomorrow....Hard Charger Award, here I come.” Smith Facebook'ed after his qualifying attempt. The #16 Hasa Pool Products/NAPA Filters team was able to change the engine before leaving the track after qualifying. Starting the race with an untested motor, Smith knew that maneuvering the winding road course in Sonoma from the back would require finesse, patience, and luck.

However, the race did not proceed exactly as planned. The team completed their scheduled fuel stop as planned on lap twenty-two. After moving up into the top-ten by lap thirty, it became necessary to pit again for tires, in an attempt to improve the race car’s handling. With almost half of the race completed, Smith restarted the race from the back of the field again.

Moses had worked his way back up into seventh place on lap fifty-seven of the sixty-four lapper when a tap from a competitor sent the #16 Hasa Pool Products /NAPA Filter Toyota Camry into a full 360 spin. Smith succeeded in holding on to it and continued without causing a caution. Unfortunately with just seven laps remaining, he had fallen out of the top-ten and was back to twelfth position.

The eighth yellow flag on lap sixty-two allowed the cars to group together and Moses was able to regain his positions and finish the race in seventh place.

“It was a pretty good day. Finishing seventh made it a really good day for points also.... Now off to Irwindale next week.” Moses stated.

As Moses predicted the day before, his charge from the back to the front earned him the contingency award – “Coca-Cola Move of the Race,” commonly known as the hard charger award. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regulars Joey Logano and David Gilliland finished the race first and second respectively.

The Thunder Valley Casino Resort 200 will air on SPEED on Thursday, July 14 at 6 p.m. ET

This event is the sixth of fourteen events on the 2011 schedule for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. They return to the track Saturday, July 2 for the Southern California Toyota Dealers “200” presented by King Taco at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.

Point Standings:
1. G. Pursley, 1080; 2. M. Smith, 865; 3. E. Holmes, 822; 4. B. Thompson, 804; 5. L. Martinez,Jr., 797; 6. D. Mayhew, 792; 7. M. Self, 771; 8. D. Harr, 725; 9. D. Kwasniewski, 663; 10. R. Philpott, 656.

Photo 1 by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
Photo 2 by Chris Graythen-Getty Images

Action packed and very funny!

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

Video by Greg Wilson