By Susan Arnold
Thirty days.
That is approximately how long Joey Saldana had to deal with the uncertainty of not knowing what was going to happen next.
Saldana spent seven years at Kasey Kahne Racing, and he was supposed to be in-house for another go-around. But on September 26 of last year, he found out he was going to be released and concern set in.
That emotion quickly changed to fear.
Fortunately, former Sprint Car owner Dan Motter stepped in. He tapped valuable resources and crunched the numbers. He came up with a plan that worked and kept Saldana in the life he has known for the better part of his adult life.
“You don’t know how you are going to support your family,” Saldana said. “Racing is how you have done it, and you grow accustomed to it. I didn’t have anything. It was nerve-racking.
“When Dan heard I got fired, it gave him time to get some things together. On November 1, he felt he had put a package together.”
Continued Saldana, “I appreciate that someone like Dan noticed what I had accomplished in racing. To get fired in September and have a ride in November, I appreciate what he did. I’m honored and humbled.”
It’s hard to imagine Saldana without a ride.
The Brownsburg, Ind., driver has 94 wins — 83 of which are A-main wins — on the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series. He has finished in the top five in points eight times and has a pair of victories in the prestigious Kings Royal at Tony Stewart’s palace, Eldora Speedway.
But Sprint Car racing has changed in the last three years. Rides aren’t plentiful, and Saldana was sweating bullets at the thought of being on the unemployment line.
Motter was the perfect answer. He owned cars in the 1990s for the likes of Kenny Jacobs, Stevie Smith and he even helped out Doug Wolfgang. A triumphant return with the likes of Saldana just made sense.
“We had been talking about Dan helping me out in Australia over the winter,” Saldana, 41, said, “but it was nothing at this level.
“Basically, it went from $1,000 to $500,000. Dan came up with the equipment and put the team in place. Dan did his part.”
The rest is up to the team itself.
Joey Saldana and his team have five top-five finishes this season.
It’s been an amazing journey through the first 21 races of the season. Saldana and Co. were behind from the jump competing against established teams that spent most of the offseason reloading instead of building.
Yet, Saldana and the Motter organization has closed the gap. There have been no Victory Lane appearances, but the team has five top-five finishes and is fourth in points heading into this week’s East Coast swing.
“We were lucky to make the first race at Volusia, so sitting where we are, it’s a great accomplishment for Dan and what he pulled off,” Saldana said.
“From my perspective, Dan provided everything we need. We need to pull together as a team. We need to run better and win some races. If you don’t want to do better, you shouldn’t be doing this. I feel we have the potential to do better.”
When Saldana was at KKR, he didn’t have to worry about the motor, set-ups and overall maintenance on the car. It wasn’t his job.
It’s not that he was out of his depth. The expectations were different. Saldana was a hired gun with one expectation: to drive.
That isn’t the case in this situation. Saldana is still focused on driving, but he takes a more active role in the overall success of the team.
“I felt like I had a home and thought I would be there another year,” Saldana said of KKR. “I wasn’t looking for change, but I think I took it for granted.
“I just have to step up and keep digging to make myself better. I have to do whatever it takes to compete at a high level.”
Saldana will succeed. He will accept nothing less.
Failure isn’t part of Saldana’s makeup. He is old school. He fights for every inch and he has plenty of motivation to remain a star in this sport.
“I appreciate the opportunity,” Saldana said. “In 2009, I won 21 races, and I want to be at that level.
“I’ve done this so long, and I work hard at it. I’m not 55-years-old, and I want to keep racing. I appreciate where I’m at.
“I want to win the Knoxville Nationals and a championship. I haven’t completed my main goals, and I have to keep working and hoping I can do it.”