Four Fun Facts about Auggie Vidovich and the “Quad Squad”
California Speedway
1. Auggie on Returning Home:
“Returning home to So. Cal means In and Out Burgers, checking in on my favorite San Diego baseball and football teams, and hanging out with my family, friends, and all the guys I worked construction with earlier this year. Racing this season in the NASCAR Busch Series has been tough, but whenever I have gotten a little down, these people have always helped pick me back up. I am really looking forward to seeing them. My Mom and Dad go to a lot of the races back East, but a lot of my friends can only come see me at California Speedway because it’s my “home track”. It will be cool to have them around and see our GEICO team race in the NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday.”
2. Auggie on his Goals for the Rest of the Year:
“So far this season, I have had to learn a lot. Every weekend we race against the best in the business on tracks that I have never driven on. NASCAR does a lot to help the rookies, but there is nothing like getting a lot of laps under your belt. My goals are to get top-ten finishes and keep this GEICO team in the top-30 in points. Then, when next season comes and I have raced at most of these tracks, we will have something more for our fans to cheer for.”
3. Auggie on Racing out West:
“Mike Harvick guided me to victory in the Toyota All-Star Showdown less than a year ago at Irwindale Speedway. Racing at California Speedway, which is just a few miles from there, and racing in my home state where we won the NASCAR AutoZone Southwest Tour Championship in 2004 will be a good thing for me. When you race for the first time at places like Indianapolis, Chicago, and Nashville, everything can be so unfamiliar; sometimes it’s hard to even find your way to the track from the hotel. This weekend, my confidence will be up and I am hoping to put together a run that will be fun to watch for my friends and family in the grandstands.”
4. Auggie Captures Media Attention at Bristol Appearance:
Auggie signed autographs for fans at the Food City Family Race Night event held on Thursday, August 24th on State Street in downtown Bristol, Tenn. He also took part in a live television interview with News Channel 11 as well as a taped interview with the Coalfield newspaper. The event drew an enormous crowd of over 50,000 people with proceeds benefiting the Bristol VA/TN 2006 Sesquicentennial Celebration and ETSU College of Pharmacy.
Auggie Retrieves 32nd from Bristol’s Salvage Yard:
Auggie Vidovich had an action-packed day on Friday as the NASCAR Busch Series rumbled into “Thunder Valley” for Friday night’s running of the Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The 2003 NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series Champion finished 32nd in his debut at “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile” after a broken radiator forced the No. 4 GEICO Dodge to the garage for repairs. The “Quad Squad” was quick to change out the damaged radiator and return their Dodge to the track only 58 laps down in 35th spot. As the race continued, he picked up three spots to claim 32nd in his debut at the Tennessee short track.
