Joanides seeks historic double

IRWINDALE - Expect to see a lot of Toyota Speedway at Irwindale podium finishes by Nick Joanides this season.

The ex-NASCAR touring driver is racing in the track's top two divisions this season, the ACDelco Super Late Model series and the Automobile Club of Southern California Late Model series.

"This has moved here and it stays here every week now," the Woodland Hills resident said of his recreational vehicle. "I told them we were going to pitch a tent in the corner."

Joanides will participate in 38 races this season and plans on being at the half-mile oval 34 Saturdays, including this Saturday when the Late Models race.

Also on the track Saturday will be the King Taco Super Truck series, Justice Brothers Mini Stocks series and Pick Your Part Demolition Derby will be making their 2008 debuts. Auto soccer also is scheduled; youths will be admitted free with their parents.

The original plan was for Joanides to run only in the Super Late Models for car owner Lloyd McGhee of Diamond Bar.

"They came out with the schedule and six of the races are Twin 50s, and that's actually only 14 dates," Joanides said. "So, (McGhee) was disappointed in that, so he changed his mind. The Late Model was supposed to be sold, so after he saw there were only 14 races, he decided to race both because he's got a (track) suite and with all his sponsors ..."

Joanides raced nine times last season in Darryl Wong's Super Late Model car and got three second-place finishes. Late in the season, McGhee and his Late Model driver, Aaron Staudinger, had a parting of ways and Joanides was offered that ride for the last four races. He had two consecutive victories in his first two times in the car and also finished second and fourth. They also competed in the 100 lap season ending open comp events at Irwindale and Las Vegas and won them both.

Joanides, 36, is second in Late Model points with second- and fourth-place finishes. In the Super Late Model opener, he lost a clutch going for the lead and finished 24th. He finished seventh last Saturday after battling for the lead and getting involved in a spin.

"We're going to try," he said of winning two titles in the same season, a feat never accomplished at the track. "But we've got a hole to dig out out of on (the Super Late Model) side."

It's quite a switch from just a few years ago when he was nearly out of the sport.

"When you do it right, it's a lot more fun," he said. "It was OK for what we had. We always had something less than what other people had. I was considering getting out of it. I couldn't afford to keep up with it financially with these guys. It was not a matter of not wanting to drive. It was just a matter of finances, and if you can't do it right, then it's not worth doing anymore."

Joanides worked for Wong last year and drove the car when it was not rented.

"This is a whole lot better than bouncing around every week," he said. "It's much nicer to work with one team and build consistency. Over there, it was hard to be consistent because you have different drivers. When you get back in it three weeks later, it's a little different setup. We can build on something and keep it going, hopefully.

"I had a good time with those guys. But as far as building consistency, it was hard. I had a lot of fun with them though."

McGhee and Joanides are considering racing in the SRL and West race at Irwindale this season because, Joanides said, he has "no time to go anywhere else. I'm here those days anyway."

But otherwise, he said his Tour career probably is over.