By Susan Arnold
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (June 8, 2013) – Coming off a third place finish last night at 34 Raceway in Iowa, Joey Saldana and the Motter Equipment Fatheadz Eyewear 71M team hoped to keep the momentum going tonight at the FVP Outlaws at Lakeside Speedway.
On the second of three consecutive nights of World of Outlaws racing, Saldana qualified sixth, lapping the semi-banked track in 14.201 seconds.
In the third heat race, Saldana started on the inside of the second row. As the green waved, all competitors were trying the high and the low side, evaluating the racing surface, trying to find the quickest way around. Saldana claimed third position with Daryn Pittman in hot pursuit. Saldana held off Pittman’s charge for the eight-lap event and crossed under the checkered flag in third position.
With weather rolling into the area, Outlaws officials fast-tracked the show, giving competitors five minutes between the final heat and the dash and five minutes between the dash and the A-Main.
Saldana rolled off in the 11th position for the A-Main. When the green was unfurled, Daryn Pittman surged to the lead but officials threw the yellow and penalized him one row for jumping the start. This time when the green flew, Jason Sides took the lead followed closely by Craig Dollansky. With two laps complete the yellow came out for Kerry Madsen who was sideways in turn two. On lap three, Dollansky took the lead and began to pull away from the field and at one point had a 5.5-second lead on second place Sides. Though his progress was impeded by traffic as he closed in on the back of the field, Dollansky scored a decisive victory, his second in as many nights. Crossing the finish line next was Jason Sides while Sammy Swindell took third.
Saldana finished in 15th position.
“We were just off in the setup a little bit,” said Saldana. “We know what we need to do to fix it, and I think we’ll be in good shape tomorrow for our run at I-80 Speedway.”
The weekend racing activities conclude tomorrow at the NAPA Auto Parts Outlaw Showdown at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb.