By Susan Arnold
EDMONTON, Alberta (Aug. 20, 2013) – For the second and last time this year, the World of Outlaws swings North over the Canadian border, this time for the 7th Annual Oil City Cup double header Aug. 23-24 at Castrol Raceway.
Of the 12 events contested at this track since 2007, Joey Saldana has won three. He won both events in 2009 and backed that performance up with a victory in 2010.
“The Canadian fans love the Outlaws,” said Saldana, driver of the Motter Equipment Fatheadz Eyewear 71M, “and we enjoy racing at this track. It’s a 3/8-mile clay oval so it definitely keeps you busy because there is traffic all around you. It’s a challenge for the competitors and a good show for the fans.”
Saldana and the Motter team competed on the 3/8-mile oval in Minot, N.D. Sunday night (Aug. 18). Saldana blistered the race track and lowered his own track record, posting his fifth quick time of the season. He also collected a top 5 finish.
“At the beginning of this month we switched to a new GF1 chassis and we are just gathering data on what makes it happy. Despite the fact that we will run another 3/8-mile oval in Edmonton, track conditions vary and they change throughout the night. The trick is to anticipate those changes and adjust your set-up accordingly. It’s up to the driver to try various driving lines around the oval to see which one best suits the race car and where you have the most maneuverability and speed.
“I enjoy driving and I enjoy the challenge of this sport,” said Saldana. “You can’t play softball in this series. You have to bring your A game and hope you can hit one out of the park. Our next ‘at bat’ is Edmonton and we’re working on our swing.”
The Motter team is currently sixth in World of Outlaws point standings.