NASCAR driver Jonathon Gomez has no plans to slow down anytime soon. For just a moment the champion stock car racer glances in his rearview mirror to recap his successful 2010 season, but then he quickly changes gears and looks to the future full throttle, steadily building new momentum toward more success in 2011.
NASCAR driver Jonathan Gomez
Gomez, who was born in Washington and grew up in Twin Falls, Idaho, developed an interest in racing when he started riding motocross in his early 20s. After joining a friend at the local Magic Valley Speedway to watch stock car races, he realized it would be cheaper to buy a street stock car for $1,500 dollars instead of investing in a expensive motorcycle for motocross racing.
After talking with a man he knew who raced NASCAR, Gomez had made his decision. He put the pedal to the metal, entered and competed in the final race of the Magic Valley Speedway season and placed second to last.
The next year, with his determination, he entered again and finished second place, but that wasn’t enough for Gomez. He came back for his third year and won a championship. With more practice, skill and vigor, a star was born.
Watching his son’s success, it didn’t take long for John Gomez to join as the team owner. Numerous local sponsors began to support his NASCAR racing career, including Century Boatland, Heritage Cattle and United Oil.
In 2010 Gomez was a regular on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series scene. This was his first full year in the West’s oldest stock car series. Gomez had three top-5 and six top-10 finishes. His best performance was placing second at the Iowa Speedway in May of 2010. He finished sixth in the final standings of the series. Since 2008 he has scored 10 top-10 finishes in the NASCAR series combined.
If that isn’t hot enough, Gomez’s career was really smoking when he won the Spears SRL Southwestern Tour championship in his first year of competition. Gomez closed out 2010 with two victories and eight consecutive top-5 finishes in West Coast racing.
Heritage Motorsports owner John Gomez Sr. and Jonathan celebrate a 3rd place win at the Toyota All-Star Showdown race in Irwindale, CA.
Gomez started 2011 right where he left off. He began revving up the campaign again at the K&N Pro Series All Star Show at the Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, CA., finishing third. On February 24th he finished second in the Sprint City series at the Phoenix International Raceways West series. He is looking forward to defending his Spears SLR title championship this year in spite of the fact no racer to date has ever won the title a second time running.
“I’m hoping to win this years championship and shake any bad luck from last year,” Gomez said.
Gomez plans to make it to the top division and win the Sprint Cup Series title, but in the meantime he is pleased with his accomplishments and is enjoying the ride. The championships aren’t all that attracts Gomez to the sport; he thrives on the people he meets, the NASCAR organization and how it has brought his family close together. Gomez speaks fondly of the relationship he has developed with his father through racing. “The only time I ever had a bad crash in racing was the day my dad wasn’t there,” he said.
Jonathan and his wife Chelsia
When Gomez isn’t racing, he owns and operates Century Boatland, along with his father. He is also a husband and an adoring father to his daughter, who already has some racing experience of her own.
“The only time she has ever raced was at Nazzkart in Twin Falls (indoor go-carting) and she crashed into the wall,” Gomez said.
Sponsorships and marketing opportunities for the 2011 season are available with Jonathon Gomez and Heritage Motor Sports. For additional information please contact Manager Eric Haggerty at 208-539-1887 or John Gomez at 208-731-1288.
