From Susan Arnold
SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (Sept. 14, 2013) – With rain threatening the ‘Greatest Show on Dirt’ at Deer Creek Speedway, World of Outlaws officials fast-tracked the program, making an earnest attempt to complete the Clash at the Creek before the skies opened up.
Joey Saldana, driver of the Motter Equipment Beltline Body Shop Fatheadz Eyewear 71M Sprint car, had claimed the trophy at 50 percent of the events heading into tonight’s show, winning at the inaugural Deer Creek event in 2009 and trumping that with another victory in 2010.
Saldana was 11th quick in qualifying tonight with a best lap around the 3/8-mile high bank of 11.907 seconds, which earned him the pole position in the second heat.
Pole sitter Saldana brought the field down for the green and Craig Dollansky took the early lead with Saldana a close second. With three laps complete the caution came out for Dusty Zomer who had engine problems. On the restart, it was Dollansky, Saldana, Steve Kinser and Cody Darrah. When the heat race resumed, the running order did not change to the checkered flag.
Saldana’s second place finish in the heat earned him a starting spot in the A-Main and the ninth starting berth in the dash.
Ian Madsen took the dash lead, followed by Craig Dollansky and they finished in the one-two positions. Track conditions did not favor passing in short six laps and Saldana finished ninth.
Just as the cars began to line up for the feature, it started to sprinkle. The four-wide parade was eliminated in an effort to try to get the A-Main completed. At the green, Dollansky took the early lead with Ian Madsen second. With three laps complete the caution came out when Sammy Swindell and Donovan Peterson tangled. Quickly the field came back down for the green. Dollansky’s lead was short-lived as he broke while leading lap six and pulled to the infield. Ian Madsen assumed the lead with Daryn Pittman in second. A spin by Cody Darrah on lap 13 brought out the caution one more time while Dustin Selvage slowed, up in smoke.
Restart order: Madsen, Pittman, McMahan, Steve Kinser, David Heskin and Saldana.
Racing resumed with another yellow for Tasker Phillips on lap 18 when he brushed the wall. Back to green and Saldana passed Heskin for fifth. Schatz, behind Saldana, began to work the inside in an attempt to pass the Brownsburg Bullet, but Saldana protected his position.
In slightly over two hours from hot laps to the end of the A-Main, the Outlaws narrowly beat the rain which descended heavily as Ian Madsen drove to victory circle winning his first-ever Outlaws race. Pittman was second, McMahan was third, Steve Kinser fourth
and Saldana finished fifth.
“Joey drove his heart out and was challenging the car in front of him all race long,” said team owner Dan Motter who was in Spring Valley for the race. “Madsen had a good lead but second through sixth was nose-to-tail and Joey really drove aggressively to get another top 5.
“The team did a great job and they are headed to our Minnesota race shop to prepare for Eldora and Lernerville.”
The Outlaws return to Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, Fri., Sept. 20.