Genna's Interview with Z and Moses Smith

A couple of months ago, I met a very neat lady through a friend of mine on Twitter. She goes simply by the name of Z. Her son is Moses Smith, driver of the number 16 HASA Toyota in the NASCAR Camping World West Series. Took me a while to think of it, but I finally asked Z if she and Moses would grant me an interview.

Let me first say, Z and Moses, I really appreciate that you both took the time to answer mine and a couple of fan’s questions. You guys are awesome.

Moses:

What is the best and worst part of being on a racing circuit?

Well, if we are comparing it to driving on the highway, the best part is that everyone on the track is there doing the same thing, and concentrating 100%. This makes things much more predictable. The worst part...I don't know I have never thought about it...Probably have to be that there is no Air Conditioning in the racecar, and it can sometimes reach temperatures in excess of 140 degrees F.

What got you started in racing?

My dad used to work on Off Road Trucks, so I got to go to races all the time. But my dad did it as a hobby, and I thought it would be cool if I could it for a living. My dad taught me how to drive the "PreRunner" when I was 10 years old...I couldn't push the clutch in and shift at the same time, so dad had to help.

What kind of sacrifices have you had to make to continue living this dream?

Sacrifices...what sacrifices...I am living the dream. Actually the only real difference is that there is not a lot of security in my line of work, therefore I have had to be very conservative in the way I live...nothing to extravagant, not to many vacations either.

*Submitted by Naomi* Has any part of your body ever gone numb while driving?

Just my Butt...you realize real quick if your seat is not mounted correctly, or there isn't enough padding...haha...

*Submitted by Aaron* What are your prospects for moving into the Big 3 in NASCAR?

Well, it really comes down to sponsorship. HASA and I have talked about doing some Truck or Nationwide races when they come to the west, to basically get my face out there. But that is a big step financially, I would definitely need to find some additional funding. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Z

So I know you go to all of Moses' races. How does that affect your life?

Well it makes me very very busy; but I must say that the affect has always been a positive one. Traveling to the races can be grueling. Sometimes we have three races in a month. nevertheless, I love NASCAR, I love racing, and I really adore my two sons.

It can be tough getting to the track at six in the morning and not leaving until after midnight, but the rewards are well worth it. I cherish the feeling of accomplishment I harvest from being part of the team, part of the racing community. Every achievement Moses reaches on the track is considered a team triumph. The team was delighted when Moses finished second at the NASCAR Camping World Series West season opener on March 14th. The activity does not stop on race weekend. I do a lot of my son's PR stuff also. I am in charge of his website, help process his hero card request, help with press releases and author my own blog NASCAR Race Mom. Like I said upfront, racing keeps me very busy!

You seem like a very supportive and dedicated mother. When you go to a race, how do you look at things as a driver's mother and as a race fan?

That is a very interesting question. In the beginning I approached my role more as a protective mother. Moses was on a 'pit crew' by the time he was three. He and his father would work long hours for Off-Road racer Malcolm Vinje. Moses started competing in organized go kart races at the age of twelve. Right off, I was struck by the level of competitiveness out there at the go kart track. I felt it was my role to level Moses' playing field, so to speak, by making sure everything was on the up and up. However, Moses has been on his own since he was eighteen. He has not only progressed as a driver, but as an astute businessman as well. He no longer needs his mother to protect him. So while I will always be a driver's mother when I am at the track, I do not mother him at the track.

It is hard for me to be a race fan when Moses is racing, because honestly, I never watch the race, I keep my eyes on Moses. I become the race fan when I watch a race that Moses is not participating in.

Is it hard knowing that when he climbs into the car he might not climb out?

Your choice of the word car (instead of race car) is very insightful. My thought on the matter is that Moses is probably safer in his #16 Hasa Pool Products/White Flyer Toyota Camry on the track than most of us are on the freeway in our family vehicles.

That is not to say that I do not worry. As a mom, I worry about my sons all the time. They still have to call me and let me know they made it home safe after a trip. However, I feel much better having Moses in NASCAR. It is nothing like Moses' Star Mazda Formula Mazda series races. Open Wheel racing can create some wicked crashes.

What kinds of sacrifices have you had to make to support Moses' career?

We are a working class family with modest means. So we have never been able to support Moses' racing financially. Even in the very beginning, Moses had to race with used equipment and on a tight budget. I personally feel it made him a both a better person and better driver. He knows how to race what he has - good or bad.

I really cannot think of any sacrifices I have had to make. My husband and I have always enjoyed watching Moses work towards his goals. While we have not made 'sacrifices' Moses has. He puts his all into his craft and has forgone a lot of the luxuries in life to pursue his profession
in auto racing.

story and photos originally posted on NASCAR in my own words

Life In Regional Series Can Be Very Rewarding...

They don't make millions, but benefits outweigh negatives
By Raygan Swan, NASCAR.COM

They don't make millions, have high-dollar endorsement deals or charge insulting fees for autograph sessions. They certainly don't wear Hollywood-sized sunglasses during interviews or wax their eyebrows before their hero card photo is taken.

These men still wear mustaches and buy their own Wranglers. They walk to their race cars with their wives, not a publicist with a clipboard. And they drink whatever the hell they want to.

They are the backbone of NASCAR's grassroots racing series, the veterans who choose a simpler existence over the high-maintenance lifestyle today's NASCAR Cup Series drivers endure.

Often overlooked by today's news media in favor of modern day racing heroes, the short-track veterans and regional racers are still deserving of accolades. Fans of all ages still want to know about the men who whooped up on Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch back in the day.
The series in which these veterans race, NASCAR's developmental series, is the foundation of NASCAR. Without them, you don't have the training grounds for the sport's three national series: Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck.

It's where the young drivers come to learn and the veterans are there to dole out the tough lessons and send them on their way with great pride. But some misinformed folks like to refer to these men as 'lifers,' older guys passed their prime unable to reach the big leagues -- has-beens if you will.

After hearing their stories, you'll realize it's quite the contrary. These veterans enjoy a greater personal satisfaction, spend more time at home with family and have the freedom of self expression without persecution.

They have a good life but are by no means lifers.

Click here for their stories...

NASCAR Top Developmental Series To Be Televised by SPEED In 2009

NASCAR announced the broadcast schedule for the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series race schedule on SPEED. It features coverage of NASCAR’s top developmental series on the leading cable network dedicated to motorsports.

The 22-race calendar kicked off with the NASCAR Camping World Series West opener from Thunderhill Raceway in Kyle, Texas. The March 14 race will air on SPEED Thursday, April 2. (Moses Smith finished the season opener on podium in second place.)

The races will be aired as a one-hour special each Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. (see complete schedule below)

“The NASCAR Camping World Series features the NASCAR stars of tomorrow locked in exciting, wheel-to-wheel competition,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR managing director of racing operations. “This comprehensive schedule allows fans to tune in the same time every week and catch all the action from their favorite track. Our partnership with SPEED provides an exceptional platform to showcase the tremendous talent as they tackle the challenging mixture of short tracks, road courses, and speedways.”

The annual East-West Challenge at Iowa Speedway Sunday, May 17 will air on Thursday, May 28. The last two years, fans have tuned in to watch the best NASCAR Camping World Series drivers from both coasts go head-to-head in addition to competing against one of the top drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In 2007, then-16-year-old Joey Logano outran Kevin Harvick, and last year Brian Ickler held off the challenge from Kasey Kahne. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch has already committed to run this year’s event.

The SPEED coverage will include 12 NASCAR Camping World Series West races, beginning with the season opener and concluding with the season finale at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., which will be run Saturday, Sept. 26 and air Thursday, Oct. 8.

The NASCAR Camping World Series East broadcast schedule will cover all 11 races beginning with the opener at Greenville Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C. The opener, scheduled for Saturday, April 11, will air Thursday, April 16. The season will conclude Friday, Sept. 25 at Dover International Speedway and the race will be broadcast Thursday, Oct. 1.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD SERIES TELEVISION SCHEDULE

Hasa Team On Podium With A Second Place Finish

The No. 16 Hasa Pool Products Toyota team has made huge gains in their finishing results at Thunder Hill Raceway in Kyle, Texas. Last season, driver Moses Smith finished in sixteenth. On March 14, 2009, Smith showed he had the skills to put the Hasa Toyota Camry at the top of the charts during the practice. He went on to drive hard to the front after qualifying in eleventh.

On the last restart of the race, the first three rows drove into turn one, hard and side-by-side. Moses took the green flag in fifth position for the final “Green, White, Checkered Finish.” The inside groove proved to be advantageous this Saturday night as Moses managed to skillfully weave his way through the confusion and into second position for the checkered flag.

Moses Smith, with his best ever finish in the Allstate Texas Thunder 150, also earned the Coca-Cola “Move of the Race" award for improving his eleventh place on the starting grid into an exciting second place finish.

The Bill McAnally Racing entry is second in the chase for the championship. This was Smith’s best finish in the NASCAR Camping World Series West since he made the transition to stock car racing two years ago.

“We’re thrilled with the outcome of this race,” said Smith. “It’s been a rough week. We lost an important member of the Hasa team. Unexpectedly transport driver Mike Curry passed away last week. The Hasa team dedicated this race in honor of his memory.”

“I’m so proud of the Hasa/White Flyer Toyota team,” said Smith. “They gave me a great Camry for this race. Crew Chief Mario Isola has been a great addition. In spite of the cold temperature and rain in Kyle this weekend, the team persevered. They didn’t give up and it showed with the results.”

The Texas AllState Texas Thunder “150” will be televised on April 2, 2009 on SPEED Channel at noon PST. The next scheduled NCWS race will be on April 4th at All American Speedway in Roseville, California. For ticket information, please visit www.allamericanspeedway.com.

BMR would like to thank the continued support of our race partners. 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 our sponsors’ websites at www.hasapool.com, www.whiteflyer.com, and www.tcitransportation.com.

information provided by Kaye Reshaw

Winner of the NASCAR Camping World Series West - Plantronic Discovery 925 Contest

The NASCAR Camping World Series West - Plantronic Discovery 925 Contest receive a nice response. A total of 313 comments were left before the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series West opener in Kyle, Texas.

The fashion-conscious headset is not only sleeker than average, but its comfortable and lightweight design makes it a pleasure to wear all day. The 925 has a diamond-shaped ear piece and a narrow V-frame microphone boom. Measuring 2.7 x 1.0 x 0.9 inches and weighing a less than half an ounce, the black and silver unit feels extremely light in your hands and in your ear.

Without any further ado, the winner of this modern marvel was Melissa (selected by random.org). Melissa's entry was a "tweet" left on Twitter. Twitter is a free social messaging utility for staying connected in real-time. Congratulations Melissa!

The depth of some of the entries was amazing.

Firecracker said... Moses finished the last seven laps of the Toyota All Star Showdown, this year, with a flat right rear tire, coming in 12th out of a starting field of 40 drivers. Why to hang, Moses!!! ;)

Dree said... Moses received his career break competing in a limited schedule of Formula Mazda events in 2001.

superdavefive said... The NASCAR Camping World Series West was formerly known as the NASCAR Winston West Series, NASCAR Grand National Division, Autozone West Series and the NASCAR West Series.

Excellent participation - I would love to send the authors of these three comments a Moses Smith Racing Mouse Pad as a consolation prize.

Thanks to all who participated in this giveaway. NASCAR Race Mom hopes to sponsor more contests in the near future - if you have any suggestion as to how to improve the experience, please leave me a comment.

Moses On Manifold Destiny w/ Mojo Nixon

Manifold Destiny w/ Mojo Nixon Mondays 8 pm – 10 pm ET

"Join the irrepressible wildman Mojo Nixon as he gets back to the racing roots of his youth with a wheel gripping thrill-ride of redneck ruminations that celebrate the world of NASCAR."

Moses Smith, driver of the #16 Hasa Pool Product/White Flyer Toyota Camry in the Camping World Series West, NASCAR’s top developmental series, is scheduled to appear on Manifold Destiny tonight at 8:30 pacific time.

Moses just returned from the Thunder Hill Raceway, in Kyle, Texas. He finished the 2009 season opener in second place.

“It was pretty exciting,” added runner-up Smith. “We started eleventh and knew we had a long night ahead of us. We were slow and steady out there and just kept digging. We ended up second, which was really good. It would have been nice to win and dedicate the victory to our truck driver, Mike Curry, who passed last week, but I think he'd happy with our second.”

A Second Place for the #16 Hasa Pool Products Toyota Camry Team

Moses parked his #16 Hasa Pool Products Toyota Camry in Victory Circle with a second place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Series West season opener in Kyle, Texas.

On the last restart of the race, race leaders Mike David and Eric Holmes roared side-by-side around the tight 3/8-mile with Greg Pursley nipping at their heels. Moses took the green flag in fifth position. On the second lap of the exciting Green, White, Checkered finish, David, Homes, and Pursley took the white flag and charged into turn one. David’s car spun as they came through turn two, leaving Moses to weave his way into second for the checkered flag.

Moses Smith, with his career-best finish in the Allstate Texas Thunder 150 also managed to earn the Coca-Cola “Move of the Race" award by improving his eleventh place starting position into the second place finish. In an emotional interview, Moses dedicated his race to Mike Curry, the #16 truck driver. “The team was really trying to win this race for Mike Curry, our truck driver who passed away last week. He would have loved this – we had a really good run.” Moses explained.

Mike Curry had been the Hasa Pool Products truck driver, team member, and friend since Moses signed on with Bill McAnally Racing two years ago. He will be greatly missed, not only by the team, his family and friends, but by all those who came to know him throughout the NASCAR Camping World Series.

The next NASCAR Camping World Series West race will be held at the All American Speedway in Roseville, California on April 4, 2009.

'At The Track' Allstate Texas Thunder 150

NASCAR At The 31st Annual Western Pool and Spa Show

NASCAR Driver Moses Smith has a busy weekend ahead of him. The Hasa Pool Products driver, is displaying his race car at the 31st Annual Western Pool and Spa Show on March 12 through March 14, 2009. With attendance topping 10,000, the Annual Western Pool and Spa Show has become one of the premier pool and spa industry trade shows in the United States. Yet it still remains faithful to its original purpose - to educate and train pool and spa service technicians and the trade while giving manufacturers and distributors the opportunity to reach this very specific and influential portion of the swimming pool and spa industry.

Moses Smith, the driver of the #16 NASCAR Camping World Series West Hasa Pool Products Toyota finished the 2008 season in sixth place. In the season finale at the All American Speedway in Roseville, California he recorded his career best finish and visited Winner's Circle in third. He went on to be named the NASCAR Camping World Series West Most Popular Driver of 2008.

Saturday, the Hasa Pool Products Toyota team, led by veteran crew chief, Mario Isola will take the green flag in the "AllState Texas Thunder 150" at Thunderhill Raceway in Kyle, Texas on March 14th. The 150-lap event will feature a 26-car field under the lights with the main event beginning at 8:45 pm. For ticket information, please visit www.TexasThunder200.com.

NASCAR Camping World Series West - Fantasy Racing Game

RacingWest Fantasy Racing Game

There is no better way to get involved and familiar with the Camping World Series West, one of NASCAR's Top Developmental Series, than to participate in a Fantasy Racing Game. This innovative fantasy racing game brings together the excitement of driver selections and the satisfaction of strategizing. You will accumulate points based on your NASCAR Camping World Series West Drivers' real-life performance. The best thing about this game is that it is easy to play!

Before each race the player (you) will be allotted $200,000 fantasy dollars each. A player will use his/her money to "hire" 5 drivers to compete for them in the next upcoming event, without exceeding the $200,000 budget. Each player must select exactly 5 drivers. You may spend up to $200,000, but you do not necessarily need to spend every dollar.

Driver prices are value based on his/her actual performance over the last 5 events. Drivers who have competed in fewer than 5 events in the select series, will have his/her performance averaged based on what is available. If a driver has never competed in the series before, than that driver will be in the lowest price tier. Driver prices will change throughout the season, depending on the individual performance, as well as the performance of the rest of the field. Drivers who have not competed in the series within the past 2 years will also get a performance penalty, severity depends on the number of years out of the series.

Each player must make your selections for each event before noon the day of qualifying. After each event, your driver selections are cleared out and the player is allotted another $200,000 dollars for the next event. Each player may make as many driver changes as they wish, before the selection close at noon the day of qualifying.

There is no cost to play any of RacingWest's fantasy racing games; just click here. {You will need to register.} Pick/Change Drivers; see Other Player Picks or review the Game Rules. If you want to see my pick for the upcoming season opener in Kyle, Texas, just scroll to the bottom of the player picks page to locate my username - zwriter. Can you guess who I picked as my favorite driver?

NASCAR CWS West - Thunderhill Raceway

The NASCAR Camping World Series West is set to kick off its 2009 season with the Allstate Texas Thunder 150 at Thunderhill Raceway in Kyle, Texas, on Saturday, March 14.

It marks the fifth consecutive year for Full Throttle Productions to put on the series event at the .375-mile Texas track and the second time for the series to launch its season at the facility just south of Austin.

Two drivers from California’s Central Valley account for the past three championships in the NASCAR Camping World Series West. Eric Holmes of Escalon took the title in 2006 and 2008, while his long-time friend and rival, Mike David of Modesto, was the 2007 champion. Both drivers have tasted success at Thunderhill, with Holmes scoring two wins there and David winning a Coors Light Pole Award there.

Although Holmes and David would like to continue that trend in keeping the championship between them, other drivers are focused on claiming the 2009 title as the West’s oldest stock car circuit celebrates its 56th season.

One driver leading the title charge is Jason Bowles of Ontario, Calif. Bowles gave Holmes a fierce challenge in 2008 – matching his four race wins and five Coors Light Pole Awards, but coming up 48 points short in the championship standings. While Bowles returns with car owner Bob Bruncati and championship crew chief Bill Sedgwick, the team’s appearance is different as they change to No. 6 on their brightly-colored Sunrise Ford-sponsored Ford.

Holmes, meanwhile, remains with Bill McAnally Racing – behind the wheel of the No. 20 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota. David also remains in familiar surroundings, competing in his ninth season in the series for car owner Randy Lynch in the No. 2 Bennett Lane Winery entry.

Other series veterans expected to challenge for the title this season include Jim Inglebright of Fairfield, Calif., in the No. 1 ESEF Apparel/Jelly Belly Chevrolet; Moses Smith of Tempe, Ariz., in the No. 16 HASA Pool Products/White Flyer Toyota; and Brett Thompson of Jerome, Idaho, in his familiar No. 61 Rich Thompson Trucking Chevrolet.

Several hard-charging second-year drivers are also expected to be in contention this year. They include the 2008 Sunoco Rookie of the Year, Jeff Barkshire (No. 46 Centennial Batteries/SPE Dodge) of Auburn, Wash.; Jim Warn (No. 10 MJ2 Racing/Gran Prix Imports Chevrolet) of Aurora, Ore.; Jamie Dick (No. 88 Viva Auto Group/Johnnie Walker Performance Center Chevrolet) of Albuquerque, N.M.; and Wes Banks (No. 3 Valvoline Ford) of Oakdale, Calif.

Long-time competitor Jack Sellers of Sacramento, Calif., is celebrating his 25th season in the NASCAR Camping World Series West this year. Sellers – who has campaigned a multi-car effort of Jack Sellers Racing for many of those years – had Johnathan Hale of Rio Linda, Calif., behind the wheel of a second car for 10 events in 2008 and is returning with the talented teenager in a second car for 2009.

A talented West Coast veteran driver plans to step up his schedule in the NASCAR Camping World Series West this year, after running select events in recent years. Greg Pursley of Newhall, Calif., returns to the series where he ran full time in 2002. In the meantime, he won the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship in 2004. He also added to his racing resume with a win in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Super Late Model race at the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown in 2007.

Expected to compete for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award this year are several drivers who have already tasted a bit of success in the NASCAR Camping World Series West – Jonathon Gomez, Paulie Harraka and Blake Koch. Gomez, of Twin Falls, Idaho, registered top-10 finishes in both series starts he made last year. Harraka, of Wayne, N.J., set fast time and finished sixth in the season finale, one of three series events he competed in during 2008. Koch, of West Palm Beach, Fla., also captured attention in that event – qualifying fourth quickest.

Thunderhill 3/14/09 Entry List

Car	Driver, Hometown
1	Jim Inglebright, Fairfield Calif.
2	Mike David, Modesto Calif.
3	Wes Banks, Oakdale Calif.
5	Johnathan Hale, Rio Linda Calif.
6	Jason Bowles, Ontario Calif.
9	Bow Carpenter, San Antonio Texas
10	Jim Warn, Aurora Ore
12	Paulie Harraka, Wayne N.J. *
15	Jack Sellers, Sacramento Calif.
16	Moses Smith, Tempe Ariz.
17	David Mayhew, Atascadero Calif.
20	Eric Holmes, Escalon Calif.
21	Blake Koch, West Palm Beach Fla. *
26	Greg Pursley, Newhall Calif.
31	Jim Marchino, Modesto Calif.
34	Jonathan Gomez, Twin Falls Idaho*
61	Brett Thompson, Jerome Idaho
88	Jamie Dick, Albuquerque N.M.
TBA	Jeff Barkshire, Auburn, Wash.
	* Rookie

Thunderhill Raceway 03/14/2009 Event Page

25 And Counting For Sellers

West veteran doesn't let age slow him down

At NASCAR’s premier developmental level, the NASCAR Camping World Series serves as a stepping stone to many young drivers with aspirations of competing on a national stage. But for one driver, the series is his racing home and has been for nearly a quarter of a century.

Jack Sellers, who will turn 65 this summer, will be celebrating his 25th season when the NASCAR Camping World Series West kicks off its 2009 campaign with the Allstate Texas Thunder 150 at Thunderhill Raceway in Kyle, Texas, on March 14.

While he is three times as old as some drivers hoping to launch their racing career in the series, the good-natured Sellers does not let age be a deterrent.

“I didn’t start until I was 41 years old,” he said. “So, I was kind of over the hill when I started. But I was not one of the oldest. We had Hershel McGriff, Bill Schmitt and Jim Robinson … and there were a slew of other guys that had been in the series for a while.”

Sellers has competed in 220 events since his first series race in 1985. He is approaching Bill Schmitt’s modern era record of 237 series starts, a mark that he could break midway through the 2010 season. While acknowledging that goal, Sellers prefers to focus for now on the 2009 season.

“I’m looking forward to another good season,” he said. “We’re very optimistic. We’re probably more prepared now than we’ve ever been.”

“It just goes to show that sometimes it takes a quarter of a century for you to get your act together,” he said with a chuckle.

Sellers has registered 32 top-10 finishes, with a career-best seventh-place finish on four occasions. He has finished in the top 10 of the championship standings seven times, with a career mark of fifth in points in 1993.

“It’s like a life-long effort,” Sellers said of competing in the West’s oldest stock-car racing circuit. “I’ve watched this series evolve a long way from what it was 25 years ago to what it is now.”

While he’s seen many developments, the changes in safety have been among the most important in his viewpoint, according to Sellers.

“I’m very pleased with how the safety has grown,” he said. “When I first started in the series, you didn’t always walk away from a car wreck like you do nowadays. The cars are so much safer. I don’t give that a second thought any more. And I’ve hit a few walls.”

Sellers was known early in his career as the Coca-Cola Cowboy – due in part to his trademark cowboy hat and his family’s ownership of the Coca-Cola bottling plant in his hometown of Sacramento, Calif. While racing might appear as a hobby for some, it is a big part of life for Sellers.

“Although it’s only 13 to 15 weekends a year, it still takes quit a bit of your time – even though I’m not the one (actually) working on the car,” he said. “It does take a lot of your time, though it’s primarily a weekend deal.”

Sellers began competing in the NASCAR Camping World Series West, which was then known as the NASCAR Winston West Grand National Series, after being approached by series veteran John Krebs for sponsorship.

“John came to me and wanted a sponsorship about 26 years ago,” Sellers recalled. “I helped him out with a few things. In those days it was some gasoline, sodas and some T-shirts.”

The following year, Sellers decided to give the series a try and rented a race car from Krebs. One of his first races was on the quarter-mile oval in Stateline, Idaho.

“I had two of his crew members,” Sellers said. “We went up there. Back then, you did not have radios or communications. I had a flat tire and didn’t even know it was flat. I kept driving it and finally my crew had me black flagged. I came in and my arms were like butter.”

Sellers has been more than just a competitor in the NASCAR Camping World Series West the past 24 years, however, often stepping forward to support the series or a fellow competitor in need.

“There were times when the series just didn’t have enough cars,” he explained. “So, off and on we’ve had a second or third car going.”

When Sellers brought an additional car to an event, he did not always know who would drive it.

“One of the more prominent drivers that I put in for his first race in the series was Ron Hornaday (Jr.),” said Sellers.

“His first race was in one of my cars at Saugus. I got down there and didn’t have a driver and he was there,” Sellers recalled of his multi-car effort for the 1989 event at the now-shuttered race track in Santa Clarita, Calif.

Other times, Sellers came to the assistance of a driver in need of some help. Among those was Bill McAnally, who has since built his own multi-car race team and won four series championships. After vandals destroyed McAnally’s only race car and equipment just before the 1994 season opener, Sellers stepped in.

“He was left with nothing,” Sellers said. “So, we gave him one of my cars to race.”

Sellers continues to provide opportunities to others – such as Johnathan Hale, who competed in a second Sellers entry in 10 events last year and is returning as part of a two-car tandem this season. For Hale – a talented second-generation competitor who experienced success as a 17-year-old rookie in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model class at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., in 2007 – it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

“We were just practicing (at Roseville) a year ago in the winter and he and his dad happened to be there,” Sellers said. “We put him in the car to see how he would do. Then, we started practicing with him more and more.”

One thing led to another and Hale was soon competing in the NASCAR Camping World Series.

While his enjoyment of racing keeps Sellers coming back year after year – he seems to also thrive on seeing those around him, like Hale and members of their team, enjoy being part of the sport.

“It kind of gets in your blood and is hard to give up,” Sellers said. “I’ve been meaning to give it up for four years. But the crew is still with me and we’ve got two guys coming on. I’ve still got the basic skeleton crew of Mark (Posey), Kevin (Williams) and Charlie (Silva) and sometimes Billy (Croucher) and John (Krebs). I’m doing it as much for them as for me, in fact more so for them. But I still enjoy it. It’s not easy to say, ‘okay, that’s enough.’ It’s just not that easy to do. I’ve been meaning to.”

Asked how he would like to be remembered when he does finally retire, Sellers responded, “About the only thing they’re going to remember about me is that I was there an awfully long time,” he chuckled. “You could call me Last Man Standing.”

By Kevin Green, NASCAR

Looking Forward To The Season Opener At Thunderhill

Moses Smith, the driver of the No. 16 Hasa Pool Products Toyota Camry, begins his third season in the NASCAR Camping World Series West. The Bill McAnally Racing driver finished sixth in the chase for the series championship last season and is looking for his first series win. The first race of the season will be the "AllState Texas Thunder 150" in Kyle, Texas on March 14th.

"This year is going to be awesome," said Smith. A recent addition to the No. 16 Hasa team is veteran crew chief Mario Isola. He was the crew chief of the No. 20 BMR entry beginning in 2003 working with drivers Jim Inglebright, Clint Bowyer, Kerry Earnhardt and IRL driver Sarah Fisher. His accomplishments include a NASCAR West Series championship in 2007.

"I am really looking forward to our first official race of the season," continued Smith. "This 3/8th mile track is challenging with no wall on the back straight away, so it always makes for good racing." At Smith and the Hasa team's last visit to Thunderhill Raceway, Smith was third quick in second practice and qualified the No. 16 HASA Pool Products Toyota on the outside of row four to start the 150-lap race. He ran solidly in the middle of the pack thru six cautions when at lap 124, he and a competitor made contact after battling for position for several laps. A great driving effort by Smith kept the No. 16 HASA Pool Products Toyota on the pavement, but not without damage to the front of the car. On the white-flag lap, the damaged oil cooler let go, coating his tires with oil, making the No. 16 Toyota virtually impossible to drive. Moses briefly went off-track after he spun in the oil and was struck by a competitor. He quickly regained control finishing the race in sixteenth and on the lead lap. Smith left the 2008 AllState Texas Thunder third in the chase for the championship.

The Hasa Toyota team will take the green flag in the "AllState Texas Thunder 150" at Thunderhill Raceway in Kyle, Texas on March 14th. The 150-lap event will feature a 26-car field under the lights with the main event beginning at 8:45 pm. For ticket information, please visit www.TexasThunder200.com.

You can visit our sponsors' sites Hasa Pool Products, White Flyer, and TCI Transportation.

For more information about Moses Smith, please logon to Moses Smith Racing.

For more information on Bill McAnally Racing and our race partners, please visit their website.

Written by Kaye Reshaw

The 2009 Camping World Series West Season - Just A Month Away

The 2009 Camping World Series West season is just a month away. The first race on the schedule is in Kyle, Texas. The Allstate Texas Racefest is the only place in the country where fans will see both a NASCAR race and a USAC race at the same facility on the same day. The over-whelming success of the first four years has prompted officials to schedule the 2009 edition as the first race of the year for the NASCAR Camping World Series West on the unofficial but extremely coveted NASCAR “bye” weekend of March 14th.

Last year, Moses qualified eighth out of a field of twenty-two. He ran solidly in the middle of the pack thru six cautions when at lap 124, he and a competitor made contact after battling for position for several laps. A great driving effort by Smith kept the No. 16 HASA Pool Products Toyota on the pavement, but not without damage to the front of the car. On the white-flag lap, the damaged oil cooler let go, coating his tires with oil, making the No. 16 Toyota virtually impossible to drive. Moses briefly went off-track after he spun in the oil and was struck by a competitor. He quickly regained control finishing the race in sixteenth and on the lead lap.

Please visit our sponsors’ websites Hasa Pools, White Flyer and TCI Transportation.

Click on Bill McAnally Racing for more team information.