By Robert Haugh
Piloting the McQueen Racing #7 Spike/Esslinger, Bakersfield’s Shannon McQueen remained poised, undeterred by less-than-stellar track conditions to claim her ninth top 10 run of the season in the August 19 USAC-Western States Midget feature at the 3/8-mile Route 66 Motorplex in Victorville.
Lining up on the pole for 20-lap race, McQueen had an excellent start, pulling away to lead the opening four laps before getting shuffled back on the deteriorating track. After leading early, McQueen came home eighth in the 21-car field.
During her Heat race, an over aggressive competitor drove over the right side of McQueen’s mount, collecting the McQueen Racing #7. “We got collected by a crazy person who spun out and stood on the gas and then landed on the hood of our car and stayed on the gas,” says McQueen, who despite a severely damaged car, with next to no tire left on the right rear, finished fifth in the Heat, transferring to the main.
Citing little time to work on the chassis set up, due to having to repair damage from the Heat race incident, “it was not as terrible as it can always be worse, but it was most definitely not what we were looking for,” said McQueen. “What a rough night. We qualified well and then it went downhill from there thanks to someone else,” says McQueen.
Though qualifying on a very slick track, McQueen was the sixth fastest in qualifications, with a 15.853 mark, within a tenth of fast timer Ronnie Gardner.
McQueen extended her USAC-Western States points lead to 88 points heading into Labor Day weekend’s fifth Annual Louie Vermeil Classic, held Saturday and Sunday, September 1-2 at the ½-mile Calistoga Speedway where she will be piloting the McQueen Racing #7 Spike/Esslinger. McQueen trails David Prickett by 29 points in the Western-States Dirt standings.
McQueen has amassed three Heat race wins, seven Top 5 runs and nine 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: 6. McQueen, 15.853
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 5. McQueen
FEATURE: (20 laps) 8. McQueen