Nick Joanides Pulling Double Duty at Irwindale

Bakersfield, CA – Nick Joanides will look to double down this weekend at Irwindale Speedway (CA), as the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series and the Spears Pro Late Model Series presented by Sigma Performance Services visits the ½-mile oval. Joanides is a three-time Irwindale Late Model track champion and will be gunning for $7,333 in the “Allie Bakes 100” and $2,500 in the “LiUNA Feel the Power 60” Joanides will be in the @Garcia Racing #25 FURY Race Cars Super Late Model and the Jan Quackenbush Jackson Race Cars Pro Late Model.

Joanides participated with the SRL at Kern County Raceway Park (CA) in June, finishing ninth in the same Garcia Racing Super Late Model. It had been several seasons since his last start in the series, but he felt the car was fast. With the series now at his home track, he hopes the team can find the setup to put the veteran racer in Victory Lane.

“I am looking forward to running the “Tour” car for Garcia Racing”, Joanides stated. “They always have great equipment. We had some bad luck with a mechanical issue the last time we ran it, but the car definitely had speed in it. If we can narrow in on the setup for my home track race, possibly we can make it two for two on the night and end the season on a very high note.”

Joanides has 57 career wins at Irwindale Speedway, putting him third on the all-time ½-mile wins list. He trails only Trevor Huddleston and Rip Michaels. His three championships include two in the Super Late Models and one in the Late Models. He was the championship runner-up on two occasions, just missing adding to his total. Joanides grabbed a win in the Spears Pro Late Models presented by Sigma Performance Services last September, in a thrilling finish. He is also coming off a strong second-place finish last weekend to Linny White. He hopes the team can find just a little more to grab a second win in-a-row at this event.

“Linny has dominated the Pro-Lates, both at Irwindale and in the SRL. It felt great to finally close the gap and at least make a race out of it with him. Hopefully we can find just one or two more small adjustments to get us over the top, to defend our race win from the Pro Late event last year. The Jan Qualkenbush / Jan’s Towing team, of Dave, Tony, and Matt Jackson, and the entire crew have been working so hard to close the gap, and it looks like we finally have. I can’t thank them all enough. After falling just short this past Saturday, I would love to reward them with a win!”

Joanides NASCAR touring series stats include 59 career starts in the NASCAR Southwest Tour with a best finish of third at the now defunct Mesa Marin Raceway (CA). That finish was during his 2001 season, when he finished fourth in the championship behind Craig Raudman, Auggie Vidovich, and Darrell LaMoure. He ran full-time in the NASCAR Midwest Tour Series in 2005, finishing ninth in the standings, with a series best fourth at Kentucky Speedway (KY). His “West” Series numbers include 22 starts with a best finish of fourth at All American Speedway in 2018.

He will team up with veteran series car owner Mike Garcia and Garcia Racing with his Super late Model effort. The team has fielded cars for SRL ROTY Zach Telford, Christian McGhee, Dylan Cappello, Brandon Farrington, Eric Humpries, Jonathan Mawhinney, Rod Johnson Jr., and Wes Miller. With his plans up in the air for next season, he would love to end this season on a high note.

“I don’t know what the plan is for next year yet, so I’m just taking them one at a time and trying to make the most out of each one, as if it’s the last one,” Joanides concluded.

The Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series will be joined by the Spears Pro Late Models presented by Sigma Performance Services and the Spears Modified Series. Admission Gates open at 4:00 pm with qualifying for all three divisions beginning at 4:15 pm. The Autograph Session is scheduled for 5:30 to 6:15 pm. The National Anthem is set for 6:40 pm with Main Events rolling off at 6:50 pm. Jr. Spec Late Models are first followed by the Spears Pro Late Models, Spears Modified Series, Spears SRL Southwest Tour, Auto Soccer, and FIREWORKS.

For those unable to attend, the evening events can be watched LIVE at SpearsRacing.TV.

Celebrating its twenty third season in 2023, the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series is a regional stock car series competing on paved ovals in the southwestern portion of the U.S. “The SPEARS Southwest Tour Series…Where the Champions Race”.