By Susan Arnold
MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. (May 16, 2013) –The oldest continuously operated dirt track in the United States, the Orange County Fair Speedway, will host the World of Outlaws Sunday, May 19.
Originally constructed in 1857 for horse racing, the track this weekend will feature the likes of Joey Saldana and a host of other drivers, thundering around the five-eighths mile oval in winged sprint cars.
“This track traditionally runs Modifieds,” explained Saldana, driver of the Motter Equipment Fatheadz Eyewear 71M, “and this is usually the only sprint car race of the season.”
World of Outlaws events have been contested sporadically at this facility, with five completed since 2004.
“This will be our fourth event in five days and the last of three-in-a-row,” said Saldana.
“We hope to have some good momentum going so we can get in a groove and have a good night of racing on the hard clay in New York.”
With 90 races scheduled for the season, the Outlaws drivers are only about twenty five percent through the grueling year when they reach New York. For the most part,
the Motter Equipment Fatheadz Eyewear 71M team has been hovering in the top five positions in point standings, certainly within striking distance of their goal: the World of Outlaws championship.
Only time will tell. But when Dan Motter decided to get “all in” after a 15-year hiatus from owning a full-time team campaigning the World of Outlaws series, he felt he had hired the veteran crew members and the driver to get the job done. It’s looking good so far.