Tough Luck at Summer Nationals

From CDR

A stretch of six races in eleven days across two states and two Canadian provinces commenced on Saturday at Williams Grove Speedway for Craig Dollansky and the Big Game Treestands #7 team. In the previous two events at ‘The Grove’ in early May ‘The Crowd Pleaser’ scored a fifth and ninth place finishes.

As the Summer Nationals got underway, Dollansky powering the Aggressive Hydraulics Maxim to the 3rd fastest time in qualifying among the 44 other drivers signed in. Battling a narrow track in heat races, the Eaton’s Aeroquip Performance Products backed sprinter started outside row two and challenged Danny Holtgraver for a spot in the dash but came up short finishing 3rd.

In the 30-lap A-Main the Big Game Treestands #7 lined up inside row six on the starting grid. A handful of cautions on the opening laps saw Dollansky run tenth by the first yellow on lap 1 and then three positions better before another caution three circuits later. Unfortunately the next caution would be for the Elk River, Minnesota native as he tried to motor around the high side in turns 1 & 2 but hooked a tricky cushion and looped the #7. Able to restart at the tail, Dollansky advanced a few spots before two red flags on lap 5. The rest of the main event would be a struggle as the right rear tire lost pressure and caused the MobileStar #7 to tip over in turn four on lap 13 and then brought out the red six laps later when a steering failure sent Dollansky into the wall. Luckily Dollansky escaped unharmed from the incident but was forced to retire from the event.

“The track conditions were somewhat challenging given the rain they had gotten,” explained Dollansky. “The car caught me off guard and spun me around and then the first time we tipped over we ran something over because I was getting a flat right rear tire. After that we were rolling around and something broke abruptly in the steering going down the backstretch and sent the car hard into the wall.”

Up next, Sunday night racing tonight at Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, New York.