Greg Pursley wraps up NASCAR West Series championship

With a runner-up finish at All American Speedway in Roseville, Greg Pursley won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship.
Pursley won six of the first eight West Series races en route to capturing the first West Series championship of his career.
Eric Holmes won the West Series race at Roseville, his second in a row.
Go to the K&N website for more on the West Series race from Roseville.

Photo: Greg Pursley finished second at All American Speedway in Roseville and won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship.(Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Part-timer Jason Fensler wins West Series race at Roseville

Jason Fensler doesn't race that often in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. In only his fifth career start, Fensler won his second race at All American Speedway in Roseville on Saturday night.
Fensler, a driver from Wilton, Calif., said he doesn't plan on racing again in the West Series until June in Las Vegas. He might want to reconsider given his track record in his first five West Series races.
The last time he won a race in the West Series was in 2008 at Altamont Raceway Park.
Go to the K&N website for more on the West Series race at Roseville.

Photo: Jason Fensler won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at All American Speedway in Roseville on Saturday night. It was his second win in five career West Series starts. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Jonathan Gomez's car doesn't pass inspection, drops to last place in West Series season opener

Jonathan Gomez, driver of the No. 22 Chevrolet that finished second in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season opener at All American Speedway in Roseville, was penalized and dropped to 23rd and last place.
His car was found to be in violations of three NASCAR specifications during post-race inspection. One of those violations was that the shock absorbers on his car would not extend to a specified distance.
Gomez’s crew chief Craig Raudman has been suspended for the next two West Series races and until May 26 by NASCAR. He was also placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31, 2010.
All the other drivers in the race, except for winner Paulie Harraka, moved up a spot in the final order. Rookie Josh Combs moved up to second, followed by Gary Lewis, David Mayhew and Luis Martinez Jr.

Photo: The No. 22 Chevrolet driven by Jonathon Gomez did not pass post-race inspection in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series season opener at All American Speedway in Roseville. He was penalized by NASCAR and dropped from second to 23rd and last place. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images for NASCAR)

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West driver Jonathan Gomez finishes second at All American Speedway

Jonathan Gomez led for 35 laps of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series season opener at All American Speedway in Roseville on Saturday night.
The race ended with a green-white-checker flag finish, with Gomez in second trying to chase down Paulie Harraka.
Harraka held on for the win, his second in a row at All American Speedway.
Gomez said he was little too aggressive in turn 2 on the final restart and that cost him the win.
Still, Gomez said his team has great momentum to start the West Series season.

Paulie Harraka starts where he left off in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West

ROSEVILLE – Paulie Harraka won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season opener at All American Speedway on Saturday night on a green-white-checker flag finish.
Harraka won the pole, but Jonathan Gomez took the early lead in the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts Bonus Challenge. The two drivers battled for the lead throughout the race. Harraka was able to pull away at the end. But a caution with two laps to go in the race turned the 150-lapper into a three-lap shootout.
“The car was really good,” said Harraka, the 2009 Sunoco Rookie of the Year in the West Series. “We banged wheels a lot, but we had fun.”
Harraka, from Wayne, N.J. and driver of the No. 12 Toyota for Bill McAnally Racing, won the 2009 West Series season finale race at All American Speedway and has won three of the past four West Series races.
Gomez, a driver from Twin Falls, Idaho, finished second. He was followed by rookie Josh Combs from Sacramento, Gary Lewis and David Mayhew.
The race went 10 laps over its scheduled 150. Gomez said, running in second with a green-white-checker flag finish looming, he thought he still had a chance to beat Harraka and win the race.
“I did. I really did,” Gomez said. “I thought I could pinch him down. I really thought I had a chance.”
Newhall’s Greg Pursley looked like he was on his way to a top-three finish, but was spun out on the last lap. He went from third place to seventh.
Eric Holmes, Harraka’s teammate at Bill McAnally Racing and the winner of the spring race at Roseville last year, collided with Jack Sellers midway through the race. Holmes’ car suffered severe damage on the right side and went into the pits for repairs. He finished 10 laps downs and in 21st.
Derek Thorn, a driver from Bakersfield, won the Spears Stockcar Racing League Southwest Tour Series season opener at All American Speedway.
Thorn won the pole and the Mo’s Gold 125. Frazier Park’s M.K. Kanke, the reigning Spears SRL champion and the second-fastest qualifier, blew his motor on the first lap of the race and had to withdraw.
Thomas Martin, a driver from nearby Auburn, was second. He was followed by Josh Combs from Sacramento in third, Ryan Foster from Redding in fourth and rookie Carlos Vieira from Livingston in fifth.

Photo: Paulie Harraka takes a victory lap with the checkered flag in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season opener at All American Speedway in Roseville. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Harraka prepares for NASCAR West Series madness in Roseville

In addition to racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, Paulie Harraka is a student at Duke University in North Carolina.

The West Series opens at All American Speedway in Roseville on Saturday night. While the Duke basketball team is experiencing its annual March Madness, Harraka will be experiencing NASCAR madness this weekend.

Harraka won the Sunoco Rookie of the Year in 2009 and is returning to the site of his season-finale dominant performance, winning at Roseville to close out the 2009 season.

Go to NASCAR Home Tracks to read more about Harraka as he prepares for the 2010 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season opener.


Photo: While the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown didn't pan out the way Paulie Harraka hoped, he enters the 2010 season on a roll. (Getty Images)

NASCAR West Series crew chief fined

Robert Dixon, the crew chief for Eric Schmidt's team in the NASCAR Camping World Series West, was fined and suspended after his driver's car did not pass post-race inspection at All American Speedway in Roseville on Saturday night.
Schmidt finished second in the West Series season-finale race, his best finish of the season.
Dixon was fined $500 and placed on suspension until the fine is paid.

Eric Schmidt, driving the No. 34 car in the Toyota/Copart 150 at All American Speedway in Roseville, finished second, but his car did not pass post-race inspection. (Photo Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)