From Susan Arnold
Spencer, IA — (September 13, 2013) — If you are superstitious then Friday the 13th is an unlucky day. But for one driver of the 29 entered in the World of Outlaws event tonight at Clay County Fair Speedway, it would be a lucky day!
Preliminary racing action was delayed over an hour tonight while track personnel spent extra time trying to groom an overly wet track.
Joey Saldana was the last driver to hit the track for time trials. He piloted the Motter Equipment Beltline Body Shop Fatheadz Eyewear 71M around the 3/8-mile oval in 13.970 seconds, placing him No. 12 in the qualifying order, bumping him into the heat inversion. He started on the pole of the third heat.
As the nine starters in the heat came down for the green flag, Saldana jumped to the lead. With two laps complete he was beginning to pull away, stretching his lead over second-place Jason Sides by two seconds. It was a wire-to-wire victory for the Brownsburg Bullet with Sides second and David Gravel third.
Saldana started ninth in the dash. The track was slick with a thick cushion and it was still sloppy entering turn one. Pole sitter Kerry Madsen took the lead at the green, followed by Donny Schatz and Mark Dobmeier. With one lap complete, a determined Bullet blew past Paul McMahan, Cody Darrah, and Scott Winters to take sixth, the most aggressive move of the dash. At the checkered it was Madsen with the win, Schatz second and Dobmeier third. Saldana finished sixth which would be his starting position for the A-Main.
When the field went green for the 30-lap feature, Kerry Madsen took the lead but the yellow came out before a lap could be completed. Complete restart. Green again but Steve Kinser, Bronson Maeschen, and Davey Heskin tangled on the backstretch bringing out the caution again before a lap would go into the books. Third time was charm. This time at the green, Madsen took the lead, but Schatz charged by him to lead lap one. Dobmeier quickly challenged Madsen, taking second place. Saldana was riding in fifth place. With seven laps complete, Davey Heskin took a hard tumble in turn two bringing out the red flag. Heskin was okay.
Restart order: Schatz, Dobmeier, Madsen, Sides, Saldana. At the green Schatz jumped to the lead with Dobmeier dogging him, challenging for the lead. With nine laps complete Saldana had passed Sides and Madsen and was running third. With 16 laps in the books the yellow came out for Scott Winters who was sideways on the track. With all the cautions, starts and restarts, the teams had already logged more than 30 laps. Outlaws officials called a red flag so teams could refuel.
Restart order: Schatz, Dobmeier, Bullet. Schatz took the lead at the green, second-place runner Dobmeier drifted high and in a split second, Saldana dove by him. Dobmeier came back to challenge, but the Bullet had the momentum and retained second. At the checkered flag the lucky Friday the 13th winner was Schatz, with the Bullet the second happiest finisher. Dobmeier rounded out the podium.
It was Saldana’s third career second-place finish at this track (2007, 2009).
“Tonight’s performance was a great effort by the whole Motter Motorsports team. We couldn’t catch Donny (Schatz). This is his 20th victory this season and that’s spectacular. Hopefully he’ll retire soon,” joked the Brownsburg Bullet.
(Note: Saldana scored 20 wins in 2009)
Tomorrow night the Outlaws will compete at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn.