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– LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Oct. 30) – It’s not very often that Danny Lasoski sits on the pole and doesn’t win.
Unfortunately for the veteran from Dover, Mo., last Saturday was one of those rare instances and it came in one of the biggest events of the season driving for Mark Burch Motorsports.
Lasoski finished fourth out of 100 drivers at the 24th annual Short Track Nationals – an ASCS National Tour event held at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark., last Thursday through Saturday.
“We’re very, very disappointed,” he said. “We feel how things were going, we had a legit opportunity of winning. We just didn’t do the right things that we needed to win.”
After earning his way into Saturday’s feature dash by virtue of winning his preliminary event on Friday, Lasoski charged from fourth to win the sixth-lap dash and grab the pole position for the 40-lap main event. However, he slid to fourth on the first lap and maintained that position throughout the race.
“This whole racing game is educated guessing,” he said. “We took an educated guess. The bottom line is that we just got fooled. We tightened the race car up way too tight. We got beat by three better cars.”
It was Lasoski’s 36th top-five finish this season, but the result was especially bitter after how the weekend started.
Competing against 48 other drivers during preliminary action on Friday, Lasoski drove from third to second in his heat race. He then charged from fourth to win his qualifier, giving Lasoski enough points to start the main event in fourth.
“Short Track Nationals is full of great competition,” he said. “Every time you hit the race track you had to be on. We were just fortunate to gain some points and win our qualifier.”
Lasoski quickly moved into second place by the second lap of the feature and he stalked Jason Sides for the first half of the race. After a restart midway through the 25-lap feature, Lasoski worked the middle of the track while Sides stayed on the bottom as the two raced side by side. With 11 laps remaining, Lasoski drove into the lead off turn four and pulled away for the preliminary win by nearly 3.5 seconds on the high-banked, ¼-mile track.
“We knew that Jason Sides and Sammy Swindell would basically be on the bottom because that’s where the grip was,” he said. “You can’t follow. You’ve got to get your car where they’re not.
“That’s what the whole goal is when you go there. Those top three positions will put you in a position to have an opportunity to win on Saturday.”
Lasoski’s preliminary victory was his 12th win of the season.
He will compete this Thursday through Saturday in his own car at the prestigious World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C., with the World of Outlaws.
QUICK RESULTS –
Oct. 28 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Heat race: 2 (3); Qualifier: 1 (4); Feature: 1 (4).
Oct. 29 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Dash: 1 (4); Feature: 4 (1).
SEASON STATS –
56 races, 53 features, 12 wins, 36 top fives, 44 top 10s, 48 top 15s, 50 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Thursday through Saturday at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C., with the World of Outlaws for the World Finals
FAVORITE NUMBER –
6: Feature result the last time Lasoski raced at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C., when he charged from 19th to earn the World of Outlaws Hard Charger Award.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS –
Website: www.dannylasoski.com
ON THE AIR –
Lasoski was a featured guest on the ASCS Show by Racinboys on Oct. 11 after winning an ASCS Warrior Region at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., on Oct. 7. His interview starts approximately 12:45 into the show.
http://www.meridix.com/mbp/general/index.php?liveid=Racinboys&recordid=21834
He was also 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
Check out this video of Lasoski’s victory at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., on Aug. 19, when he charged from 16th:
Here is video of Lasoski’s 96th career feature victory at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, on July 16:
Here are a couple of highlight videos of Lasoski’s win at the inaugural event for the Midwest Open Wheel Association – on April 23 at 34 Raceway in Burlington, Iowa.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Michael Ross Foundation
The Michael Ross Foundation is operated by Tony and Kathy Ross, longtime friends of Lasoski. The Foundation was established in honor of the Ross’ son, Michael, who passed away in 1990 at age 5 from a rare genetic disorder known as Tay-Sachs disease. For more information, visit www.michaelrossfoundation.com.
“Tony Ross is more of my family,” Lasoski said. “He made it possible through Ditzfeld Transfer to get a truck to get me up and down the road. Tony has stuck with me and has been a part of my racing the past 20 years.”
Lasoski would also like to thank Creason Pipeline Services, Eagle Motorsports, Hoosier, Wertz Designs, Kistler Engines and Ditzfeld Transfer, Inc. for their continued support.