Results tagged “Nationwide Series” from Haddock in the Paddock

Kyle Busch won the pole for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.
It was the 14th pole of his Nationwide Series career and his third Nationwide pole this year.
Jeff Burton will start second. It is his eighth top 10 Nationwide Series start of the year and his fifth in 10 races at Fontana.
Busch and Burton are also in the Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday.
Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, qualified third for the Nationwide Series race. It is his first top 10 start at Fontana and his ninth top 10 start in 11 Nationwide Series this year. He was the highest qualifying driver who is not a regular on the Cup Series.
The Nationwide Series race starts at 7 p.m.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series race will be run after the Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Auto Club Speedway.
Rain delayed the start of the race Saturday and NASCAR officials decided to postpone the race.
The weather has affected the NASCAR schedule all weekend. Rain washed out qualifying for all three NASCAR divisions racing at the track Friday.
The Cup teams were able to practice at the track for about 30 minutes Saturday, but it has been the only time the Cup cars have been on the track all weekend.
The Truck Series completed its race Saturday afternoon. Kyle Busch won driving the No. 51 Toyota Tundra for Billy Ballew Motorsports. Todd Bodine was second and Johnny Benson was third.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is scheduled to start at 1:10 p.m. Television coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. on Fox.

Kevin Harvick has NASCAR teams in the Craftsman Truck Series and the Nationwide Series. Every once in while, he races one of his own trucks, but never the cars on his Nationwide Series team, and formerly the Busch Series.
Until now.
When Harvick did race in the Busch Series, it was usually one of the Richard Childress Racing cars, the No. 21 more often than not.
But he will be in his own No. 33 Chevrolet for today's Nationwide Series race at the newly named Auto Club Speedway.
He was asked about why he decided to race his own car after racing for Childress all these years.
"I will be honest with you, I just got bored," Harvick said. "I know it is all about winning races, but Saturday is something that I don't have to do, but I was bored. I know that sounds funny but I really wanted the challenge of driving my own car."
His Truck Series team won the championship last year with Ron Hornaday Jr. as driver. It is a two-truck operation with Hornaday and Jack Sprague who have a combined six Truck Series championships.
"If we can succeed, I know how rewarding it was with the truck program to get it to the point with Ron," said Harvick, who drives the No. 29 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. "To me that was as rewarding as anything I have ever done. So that is what I wanted to do with the car. The ultimate goal is to win the Cup championship. The Saturday is something that I enjoy, well I thought I did, well; I think I do."
Juggling driving for one NASCAR owner and running two NASCAR teams can be challenging. Harvick said he embraces the challenge, even though it can be overwhelming at times.
"It is something I enjoy to put all of those pieces together and the people together with the challenges of getting a sponsor," Harvick said. "Participating in the sport. I like being around the cars, I like being around the people and I like what I do. I enjoyed winning races and championships with Richard; he is probably the greatest boss in this sport that you could drive for. Saturday wasn't something that I necessarily had to do and just needed to do something different."

NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Jason Leffler, who calls Long Beach his hometown, will be honored at Smooth's Sports Grille in Long Beach on Wednesday.
The restaurant, owned by John Morris, will hang Leffler's firesuit and helmet and keep them on display in tribute to the driver.
“I always look forward to coming home to California but this trip is going to be even more special for me. Smooth’s Sports Grill is a staple in Long Beach and has been for the last 26 years," said Leffler, driver of the No. 38 Toyota for Braun Racing. "John Morris has made it a point to celebrate and pay tribute to other athletes from this area and I am honored to now be a part of that history. To be recognized for years of had work in such a way with my wife, Alison, and son, Charlie Dean as well as other family and friends there means a lot to me.”
Leffler will be in Saturday's Nationwide Series race at California Speedway.
He finished third in what was then the Busch Series standings last year and won the first race for Toyota in the Busch Series, at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis in July.
Before racing in NASCAR, Leffler won three USAC Midget National championships and a Silver Crown championship.
"We're excited to have Jason back home in Long Beach and to have him share his success with his fans, friends and family,” Morris said. “Jason will be inducted into the Smooth's "Legends of Long Beach" display and we'll be honored to have his photo and memorabilia adorning the restaurant's walls."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be pulling double duty at Daytona with his new team, Hendrick Motorsports.
Earnhardt Jr. will race the team's No. 5 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway, the season opener for the series.
The car is being prepared jointly by Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports, the team owned by Earnhardt Jr. Landon Cassill will drive the No. 5 car for 19 Nationwide Series in 2008. Earnhardt Jr. will race in two, Daytona and the season-ending race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The car is sponsored by the Army National Guard for those 21 races.
"We are extremely proud to have the Army National Guard as such a prominent partner with us, not only in support of the No. 5 Nationwide cars in 2008, but also as a co-primary for Dale in the Sprint Cup Series," said Kelley Elledge, vice president and general manager of JR Motorsports. "They have an unquestionable commitment to this program, and the enthusiasm they exude with both the JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports teams is extremely gratifying."
JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports combined NASCAR oerations following the conclusion of the 2007 season. The No. 5 Chevrolets will be fielded full-time under the JR Motorsports banner in 2008.
Cassill, 18, will make his first start for the team at the Nationwide Series race at California Speedway Feb. 23. He will be a candidate for the Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the Nationwide Series.
"I know Dale and Landon will represent the men and women of the National Guard well as drivers of the No. 5 Chevrolet, and we look forward to an exciting 2008 season for JR Motorsports," Elledge said.

Jimmie Johnson, the two-time NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion, will race in three Nationwide Series races in 2008. One of those races will be Aug. 30 at California Speedway.
Johnson will drive the No. 5 Chevrolet Impala in both races at Lowe's Motor Speedway in North Carolina in addition to the California Speedway race.
“I always love running the Nationwide car,” said Johnson, whose No. 5 Chevrolet will be fielded by JR Motorsports in partnership with Hendrick Motorsports. “We have raced in this series a few times over the last few years and performed pretty well. It’s a fun series to drive in. I want to have fun, but I would like to get a few more victories there. I have one from 2001, but I would like a lot more.”
Johnson has raced these same three races, in what was the Busch Series, in each of the past two years. Johnson has won the past two Cup Series championships. Last year, he won 10 races, the most of any driver in the series, and has 33 career Cup victories, which ties him for 18th in NASCAR history.
“We are very pleased to sponsor Jimmie in this series again in 2008,” said Bob Gfeller, Lowe’s senior vice president of marketing and advertising. “Our customers, employees and race fans love to see the two-time NASCAR champion on the track on Saturday as well as Sunday.”
Johnson has 87 starts in the old Busch Series and won the Chicagoland Speedway race in 2001.