By Robert Haugh
Bakersfield, CA – August 6, 2012
Piloting the McQueen Racing #7 Spike/Esslinger, Bakersfield’s Shannon McQueen encountered several incidents throughout the evening to claim her seventh Top 5 and eighth top 10 run of the season in the August 4 USAC-Western States Midget feature at the 1/3-mile Santa Maria Speedway.
Lining up sixth for 30-lap Don Roberts Memorial race, McQueen had an excellent initial start, to which was called back. On the full restart, McQueen was shuffled back to seventh, with most cars running the faster bottom groove.
With most cars were hugging the bottom cushion, McQueen began working the high side, moving up to fourth. On a late restart, McQueen passed a car down the front stretch when two cars checked up in front of her, leaving her to make contact with David Prickett, who spun. “I felt terrible to run into David, but I had nowhere to go. I know he was disappointed which if the situation was reversed I would have been too. I don’t race that way and don’t ever want to race that way so I definitely felt bad,” says McQueen.
“We had a great car, capable of winning it was just a really long way around on the top,” added McQueen, who was happy with her Top 5 run after the crew scrambled to repair the car from Heat race damage.
On the start of the her Heat race, the car immediately in front of McQueen slid to the bottom and slowed suddenly, leaving McQueen to make contact with that car, bending the lower right front radius rod. Later in the Heat, McQueen and Cody Swanson were fighting hard for fourth place, when with two laps to go, they made contact, with Cody flipping hard down the front stretch and McQueen bending the rear axel. The McQueen racing crew swiftly swapped rear ends and repaired the front end in time for the Feature.
Though qualifying last on a deteriorating slick track, McQueen was the second fastest in qualifications, with a 15.220.
McQueen extended her USAC-Western States points lead to 73 heading into the Sunday, August 19 race at the 3/8-mile Route 66 Motorplex in Victorville, CA where she will be piloting the McQueen Racing #7 Spike/Esslinger.
McQueen has amassed three Heat race wins, seven Top 5 runs and eight Top 10s on the year. McQueen Racing also boasts a feature win with Michelle Decker in April at Bakersfield Speedway.
McQueen Racing would like to thank all of our wonderful sponsors: Lucas Oil Products, K&N Filters, Simpson Race Products, JE Piston Company, Rod End Supply, Advanced Racing Suspensions, Eibach Springs, Ruth Engineering, Jet-Hot Performance Coatings, Butler Built Seating Systems, Schoenfeld Headers, American Fabrication, West Evans Motorsports and Esslinger Racing Engines by Duane McQueen.
SUMMARY:
QUALIFICATIONS: 2. McQueen, 15.220
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 5. McQueen
FEATURE: (30 laps) 5. McQueen
Visit www.shannonmcqueen.com for more information on McQueen Racing.