BAKERSFIELD, California — With over 100 short track wins in his career, Greg Voigt is looking for his first win of the 2009 SRL Spears Southwest Tour Series this Saturday night at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, where he is a former NASCAR Super Late Model champion. Voigt currently sits second in the SRL championship standings, 42 points behind leader M.K. Kanke.
"I want to get a win soon to reward all the guys on the team for their hard work this year...and they have been really working hard this year"— Greg Voigt
“I’m glad to see Kanke having the year he is having after what he went through last year (Kanke suffered a work related injury and was unable to compete in 2008), he is doing everything right this season, he has been nearly unstoppable so far.” Voigt said of the series point leader. “My approach is to show up, race to win and the points will come with the wins…I want to get a win soon to reward all the guys on the team for their hard work this year...and they have been really working hard this year.”
At Madera Speedway on July 4th, Voigt placed third by a few inches after pitting just past the half-way mark due to contact with a lapped car. “We’ve had good cars, but things haven’t went our way this year…we always look forward to the bigger tracks on the schedule like Irwindale.” remarked Voigt on his season. “Last year at Irwindale, we were running up front with Rip (Michels) and (Jim) Pettit until we broke a rocker with ten to go and settled for fourth, so we’re looking forward to coming back.” Voigt continued. “I have found that if we can get the car comfortable on entry and it turns well in the middle, then you should have a good night at Irwindale.”
Voigt started his career in 1994 on the fairgrounds dirt track in Ventura where he won two Street Stock championships, the first in his rookie season. In 1998 he moved up to NASCAR Super Late Models at Mesa Marin Raceway, then onto Toyota Speedway where he won the 2000 track championship. In 2004, Voigt became a regular on the NASCAR Southwest Tour until it folded in 2006. “I thought we we’re finished racing once the NASCAR Tour stopped, but then someone suggested we try running one SRL event, and we had such a great time we haven’t stop running the SRL since.” Voigt commented.
During the week Voigt owns and operates Smitty’s Towing in Goleta, CA. He started the company with one truck and no employees, and has built it to fourteen trucks and sixteen employees. Greg’s longtime sponsors of his #4 car include; Auto Pro Racing Engines, Smitty's Towing, JN Designs and Custom Printing. He and his team do all the work on their cars at Voigt Race Cars, and the engines are prepared by Auto Pro Racing Engines who have been with Greg since the start of his career. “I enjoy the competitiveness of the sport. We take a lot of pride in building the cars and running well in the cars we build and prepare.” Voigt stated. Away from the track on the weekends you will find Greg enjoying time with his family, which may include a weekend at Glamis or Pismo Dunes in his 700 horse power sand buggy. “My wife and daughter really enjoy the sand car, we also have quads for everyone so it’s a great time for all of us.”
This Friday night the SRL Spears Southwest Tour Series will roll into Toyota Speedway at Irwindale for an open practice, and then return on Saturday night for the “Spears Manufacturing 100”, the fifth race of the 2009 SRL season. Last years Irwindale race winner was Jim Pettit II, who had to hold off the repeated challenge of Rip Michels.
SRL qualifying begins at 7:00pm on Saturday at Toyota Speedway, followed by racing featuring Vista Paint Super Stocks, Justice Brothers Mini Stocks, and Classic Stocks with the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series headlining the evening with the “SPEARS MANUFACTURING 100”.
For more information go to www.SRLSouthwestTour.com, or www.ToyotaSpeedwayatIrwindale.com.
