RacingWest: How was the racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
Nick Joanides: It was pretty awesome! I finally learned what
they meant on TV when they talked about "the wall of air". It was a blast
drafting in a pack of 20 cars. For us not doing any testing there and
myself never being on the track, to go out and pass 18 cars and finish 8th
was pretty good for us. Too bad they don't have a hard charger award in the
SWS!
RW: Now that you have raced with the restrictor plate on the racecar,
how was it?
NJ: I guess I didn't really notice it too much. Since we race with the foot to the floor all the way around the track, you don't notice the loss in acceleration because you're going the same speed all the way around.
RW: Where is your favorite place to pass at Mesa Marin Raceway?
NJ: Off the corners. We always set our car up to run good from the center of the corner to the exit, since that's where you do most of your passing.
RW: Do you set your car up for any particular turn or section of the
track at Mesa Marin Raceway?
NJ: Both corners are pretty similar, however Turn 4 generally seems to be a little bit looser off of the corner.
RW: What is the strength of your team?
NJ: Jackson Race Cars, Ed Hansen Engines and the guys that have put up with me all year long! I couldn't have done it with out them. We are on a very low budget and these guys deserved so much more in terms of money, yet they have stuck with me and it's starting to show. We've been running better and being consistent and are now only 34 points out of 4th place in the standings.
RW: Do you use a HANS or similar device. Why or why not?
NJ: No, but I should. Will probably look into one before Phoenix. I've just been struggling financially to make the races and it's an added expense. But I guess my life is worth that expense.
RW: 8) What has been your toughest challenge this season?
NJ: Just trying to financially make it to all the races and be competitive without testing. So far, so good. We've met both challenges. Only three more to go!
RW: Is there any rule in NASCAR you would like to see changed?
NJ: I think at this level, we need to do away with testing. While some of the teams in the SWS have plenty of money to work with, many of the teams do not. And further, most of us work full time jobs and can not afford to take off work all the time to go test. This is not Winston Cup, Busch or Trucks, we can not make a living at this level of racing.
Just trying to financially make it to all the races and be competitive without testing. So far, so good. We've met both challenges. Only three more to go!
RW: How have the tires been this year?
NJ: No problems. I do wish NASCAR would use the same tire however at all of the short track races, that way you can use tires from the previous week for practice.
RW: What sport besides NASCAR do you enjoy?
NJ: Football, basketball
RW: Do you ever play the NASCAR racing video game and if so does it
help you when you race?
NJ: I do play the game, but the game is based on Winston Cup cars, so it doesn't help a whole lot. I did think it was an advantage for Sears Point though, because since most of the corners there are blind corners due to the hills, it let me learn whether I had to turn left or right over the next hill.
RW: Is everyone on a level playing field in the NFSWS?
NJ: I think NASCAR does a great job at keeping the cars on a level playing field. The only differences are the teams with higher budgets can afford to spend more money within the rules to make the cars faster.
RW: Mike Helton said, "We have 13 Touring Divisions and thousands of
races each year. We've got to grow both (referring to the Touring & Winston
Cup) of these. And that's what makes NASCAR so fun and challenging." Do you
feel Mr. Helton is doing a good job of growing the NFSWS? Why?
NJ: Not this year. Our coverage has been at an all time low this year.
RW: Now the important question! Where can the fans see you at Mesa
Marin? Will you be at the autograph session? Will you stay late for
autographs?
NJ: Mesa Marin usually has an autograph session before the race and also allows the fans in to the pits after the race.
