By Robert Haugh
Gaining momentum after a rough start to the season, Bakersfield’s Shannon “Lightning” McQueen is rebounding strong, scoring her second consecutive Top 5 finish aboard the McQueen Racing #7 Lucas Oil/Simpson Race Products Spike/Esslinger by Duane McQueen in the Bay Cities Racing Association event at the ¼-mile Placerville Speedway on Saturday, August 3.
Starting strong by moving from sixth to second in Heat 2, McQueen ran out of time in the 8-lap Heat, unable to catch outside pole sitter Matt Streeter, with McQueen taking some time to get by third place finisher Sean Becker in one of Mike Sala’s mounts.
Starting sixth in the main event, McQueen was content with her third place finish. “Finally … we got a podium finish. We did not have any bad luck for once this year which allowed us to actually have a decent finish,” stated McQueen.
McQueen states that she wasn’t bold enough to rim ride the cushion, so the team set the car to run the bottom groove. “Hopefully we will take the momentum from the last two weeks to Petaluma,” says McQueen, who will be joined by Oklahoma young gun Trey Marcham in the McQueen Racing #37 Spike/Esslinger by Duane McQueen on Saturday, August 10 at the BCRA event at the 3/8-mile Petaluma Speedway.
Friday before the Placerville race, McQueen Racing learned of the passing of Esslinger Engineering founder Dwaine Esslinger. “I have run an Esslinger engine since my first year running the Midget in 2003. Early in my career Dwaine was always at the track to give me words of encouragement. The last few years he has not been at the track. Dwaine had an infectious smile and laugh that I will never forget and can still see today. We will go into Petaluma this weekend and see if we can put our Esslinger in victory circle. Hopefully Dwaine will give us the strength and wisdom to make the right calls on Saturday and get a W in his honor. Thanks for the memories Dwaine you will never be forgotten,” stated McQueen.
Thus far in 2013, McQueen has two fast time awards and seven top-10 finishes and sits fourth in the USAC-Western States Midget overall and Dirt standings.
McQueen became the first woman to win a BCRA Midget championship in 2011 when she claimed the BCRA Dirt Midget crown, then claimed the 2012 USAC-Western States Midget championship, amassing four Heat race wins, nine Top 5 runs, three fast time awards and 13 Top 10s in 2012. McQueen also holds five track records at the 99 Dirt Track in Stockton, Calistoga Speedway, Petaluma Speedway, Silver Dollar Speedway and Orange Show Speedway.
McQueen is also the first female owner to boast a win with a female driver when Oklahoma’s Michelle Decker won a USAC Western States Midget Feature in April 2012 at McQueen’s home track of Bakersfield Speedway at the helm of one of McQueen’s potent Spike/Esslinger entries.
McQueen Racing would like to thank all of our wonderful sponsors: Lucas Oil Products, Simpson Race Products, Eibach Springs, DMI, Rod End Supply, K&N Filters, Advanced Racing Suspensions, MPD, Ruth Engineering, Jet-Hot Performance Coatings, Butler Built Seating Systems, Schoenfeld Headers, American Fabrication, West Evans Motorsports, Western Open Wheel Racing News and Esslinger Racing Engines by Duane McQueen.
McQueen Racing has dedicated the entire 2013 season to Kenny Speck, a McQueen Racing team member who lost his life earlier this year.
Visit www.shannonmcqueen.com for more information on McQueen Racing.
Marcham, a senior Engineering student at Oklahoma University, with experience in Micro Sprints, Ford Focus Midgets, 360 Non-Wing Sprint Cars and asphalt Late Models, has shown amazing poise and talent in limited Midget starts in the McQueen Racing entry earlier this year. Marcham has been seen passing drivers with thousands more laps and experience than he in a Midget. Marcham has amassed six Championships at I-44 Riverside Speedway in Newcastle, Oklahoma, as well as having claimed both the A-Class and Non-wing A-Mains at the Inaugural Donnie Ray Crawford Memorial/Race4Life in Tulsa in 2012. Marcham has compiled several wins and podium finishes thus far in 2013.
Select Coatings, RD Marcham Energy, Inc., Simpson Racing Products, Pinnacle Energy Services, Best Western Tulsa Airport, Metals Supermarket Oklahoma City, J & B Digital Graphics and Mud-X support Marcham.
Visit http://marchamracing.com/ for more information on Trey Marcham.