From CDR
The last time the World of Outlaws raced at Belleville High Banks the series was competing in just it’s third season. The 30 year hiatus was broken on Friday as Craig Dollansky and the Big Game Treestands #7 team opened up the month of June on the famous half-mile.
With just 20 cars signed into the pit area at the track located outside Belleville, Kansas, Dollansky powered the Eaton’s Aeroquip Performance Products Maxim to 5th fastest overall. The qualifying effort would position ‘The Crowd Pleaser’ inside row two of the second heat where he would go on to finish 4th but earn a spot in the dash. A little luck was on Dollansky’s side for the dash inversion as the six pill was drawn meaning the Aggressive Hydraulics #7 would start outside pole. In the 6-lap event, Dollansky took the lead in the first corner and never looked back to capture in the pole for the main event.
Starting from the pole in the 25-lap A-Main, Dollansky and Paul McMahan raced side-by-side down the frontstretch with McMahan grabbing the earlier lead. The highside of the track proved to be the preferred position for the double-file restarts as McMahan pulled away from the Karavan Trailers #7 after a lap 3 caution and Steve Kinser assumed the second spot. Rubber developed on the track around lap 15 and tire wear became an issue as a caution came for Donny Schatz on lap 18 followed by Don Droud Jr. on the ensuing restart. Kinser became the last victim as his left rear tire exploded with five laps to go. When action resumed, ‘The Crowd Pleaser’ lined up along side McMahan with one last chance at taking the lead but would finish a very strong 2nd and record the team’s fourth straight finish of sixth or better.
“That 83 car took off very fast and they did a great job. On the restarts I was just fortunate to maintain position. We have some work to do to get our motor taking off a little better but it’s a great team effort tonight with Big Game Treestands, Aggressive Hydraulics, Karavan Trailers, and Aeroquip,” commented the native of Elk River, Minnesota. “We ran a softer compound tire and I was just trying to be aware of that and watch fuel consumption and get to the end of the race. We would have loved to win the race but to come home second with some of the stuff we were dealing with is a great effort. What a great crowd here tonight at Belleville and a fast race track, we enjoyed coming here tonight and hopefully we can come back!”
Next up, a trip to Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas on Saturday.
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