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– KNOXVILLE, Iowa (July 24) – For anyone who doesn’t believe race car drivers are athletes, look no further than Danny Lasoski.
The Dover, Mo., native was nearly mangled in a vicious crash last Tuesday in the second feature at the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Penn.
“I remember them telling the leader to pick his lane on the restart and then I remember my girlfriend in the ambulance,” he said. “They told me I climbed out of the car on my own, but when I started to walk toward the woods instead of the pits they decided to take me to the ambulance.”
Lasoski, who had charged from 15th to seventh in the first 11 laps of the World of Outlaws’ event, spent the night in a Pittsburgh hospital after the hard crash. It was such a nasty impact that Lasoski’s helmet broke and his left hand was crushed. His left index finger received six stitches and the entire left side of his body was torqued violently.
When Lasoski was discharged Wednesday morning, he then drove more than 13 hours back to his shop in Higginsville, Mo., to rebuild his race car – which he raced on Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa.
“That’s what we do,” he said. “We race. We’re athletes. You play football hurt, so you can race hurt. You just adapt and go on with it.”
Lasoski, who qualified sixth best and piloted from seventh to third in his heat race, drove to third before settling for a fifth-place finish.
“I got back in the race car on Saturday and I realized I’m not ready to run any marathons,” he said. “I drove about half of the feature with my left hand in my lap.”
Lasoski maintains more than a 200-point advantage in the standings at the Knoxville Raceway.
Prior to his crash on Tuesday, Lasoski was having a vintage night with his former touring group. He qualified 13th best, won his heat race and claimed the dash to earn the pole position for the first of twin features.
In the first main event, Lasoski placed fourth in a loose race car. The cars finishing on the lead lap were then inverted for the second main event, which started Lasoski 15th.
“We were operating pretty good,” he said. “I was passing a lot of cars on the top of turns one and two and on the bottom in turns three and four.”
He was up to seventh for a restart on lap 12 when a four-car pileup in turn one ended his night with a visit to the hospital. He was credited with a 22nd-place finish in the second feature.
QUICK RESULTS –
July 19 – Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Penn. – Qualifying: 13; Heat race: 1 (1); Dash: 1 (1); First Feature: 4 (1); Second Feature: 22 (15).
July 23 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Qualifying: 6; Heat race: 3 (7); Feature: 5 (5).
SEASON STATS –
37 races, 36 features, 8 wins, 25 top fives, 29 top 10s, 32 top 15s, 34 top 20s
FAVORITE NUMBER –
8: Cars Lasoski passed in the first 11 laps of last Tuesday’s second feature at the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Penn., before he was involved in a crash.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS –
Website: www.dannylasoski.com
ON THE AIR –
Lasoski was a featured guest on the ASCS Show by Racinboys on April 12. Click on the link below to listen to Lasoski’s interview, which begins around the 22-minute mark.
http://www.meridix.com/mbp/general/index.php?liveid=Racinboys&recordid=18548
Here is video of Lasoski’s 96th career feature victory at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, on July 16:
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Ditzfeld Transfer, Inc.
Established in 1960, Ditzfeld Transfer, Inc., is a trucking company based in Sedalia, Mo. Owner Ron Ditzfeld has been instrumental in helping Lasoski and numerous other racers for years. For more information, visit www.ditzfeldtransfer.com.
“Ronnie has kinda been the behind-the-scenes guy that helps a lot of racers,” Lasoski said. “He makes sure we have a truck to get from point A to point B. And if we need engines or anything picked up across the United States, he’s there. We appreciate all his help.”
Lasoski would also like to thank Creason Pipeline Services, the Michael Ross Foundation, Eagle Motorsports, Hoosier, Wertz Designs and Kistler Engines for their continued support.