All for one, one for all
Auggie Vidovich II's great opportunity in NASCAR's Busch Series will get a helping hand from another San Diego County driver.
Vidovich will take over the wheel of the No. 4 Dodge fielded by Biagi-DenBeste Racing starting with the June 3 race at Dover, Del.
But Carlsbad's Boris Said will be driving the car Saturday night in the Carquest Auto Parts 300 prelim to NASCAR's famed Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway outside Charlotte, N.C.
Vidovich won NASCAR's Southwest Series title in 2003. He finished second in the final standings last season for the third time.
His recent win at Shasta Speedway was the second straight at that track and his seventh on the Southwest Series, which is being eliminated by NASCAR after the 2006 season. Vidovich will run the season and series finale for Southwest cars in November in Phoenix.
Bill DenBeste, who fielded Vidovich's Southwest Series car, joined Biagi Brothers Racing to form a new team with the 25-year-old Vidovich as the driver.
“I couldn't be happier and this could not have happened at a better time,” said Lakeside's Vidovich.
Meantime, Said will be driving the car this Saturday while helping Vidovich for the full-time job.
“I've known Auggie for a long time,” said Said. “I've kind of helped him every time he's gone road racing. He's a good kid and I think he's really fast. I'm glad he's getting an opportunity.”
Vidovich has never been in a Busch race. He ran in three Craftsman Truck races in 1998 and 1999 without cracking the top 10.
Miscellany
Ron Capps will drive in a rare doubleheader this weekend. After defending his Funny Car points lead in the National Hot Rod Association's O'Reilly Summer Nationals drag races at Topeka, Kan., Sunday, the Carlsbad driver will move to the other side of the Heartland Motorsports Complex Monday to race a modified on the dirt oval.
Rancho Santa Fe's Liz Halliday and teammate Clint Field placed third in the LMP2 class in the American Le Mans Series race at Monterey last weekend. The event was dominated by Penske Racing's two new Porsche Spyders, which finished 1-2 overall as well as in the LMP2 class. Halliday and Field had won the first two races of the season.
James Stewart won the opener of the AMA Motocross season Sunday outside Sacramento, ending the record 27-event win streak of Ricky Carmichael. Carmichael finished second. This is the first time since early in the 2003 season that anyone but Carmichael has led the outdoor series.
Off-road legend Ivan Stewart will be honored tonight by the Lakeside Chamber of Commerce at the 67 Bar & Grill on Maine Avenue.
