By Susan Arnold
PERRIS, Calif. (April 12, 2014) – Motter Motorsports sponsor HE&M Saw played host to veterans from Workshops for Warriors tonight at the SoCal Showdown at Perris Auto Speedway. The veterans arrived early to meet driver Joey Saldana and the team. Crew chief Davey Whitworth provided a tour through the Motter Motorsports trailer.
Doug Harris, HE&M Saw’s president and CEO, along with Service Manager Bob Foster,
met the veterans at the track and joined them for the night of racing.
When it was time to get down to racing, Saldana continued his string of outstanding qualifying efforts, scoring his second consecutive quick time and his seventh of the season. The Motter Equipment HE&M Saw Workshops for Warriors Beltline Body Shop 71M went to the top of the qualifying order with a 13.997-second lap. Saldana was the only driver in the sub-14 second bracket. But the night was just getting started and the team was just getting warmed up.
In 2013, the Motter team notched seven quick times throughout the season. This year they have earned seven quick times in the first 14 events.
Fast qualifier Saldana started in the fourth position in the first heat. Brad Sweet assumed the lead at the drop of the green flag and led wire-to-wire. Saldana finished third and would take a starting berth in the dash.
Again tonight, Lady Luck played into the hands of Motter Motorsports. In the inversion draw for the dash, a ping pong ball with a zero was pulled out of the container solidifying a straight up start that put Saldana on the pole. When the field went green, outside front row starter Daryn Pittman took the lead with Saldana in pursuit while simultaneously fighting off third place runner Brad Sweet. The battle for second place raged until Saldana and Sweet crossed the finish line nearly side by side with Saldana edging Sweet for second place honors. Pittman took the dash victory.
The Brownsburg Bullet started on the outside of the front row in the 30-lap A-Main and took command of the field when the green flew. With only one lap in the books, Steve Kinser brought out the caution when he failed to get through turn 2. On the restart, Pittman took the lead with Saldana close behind but by lap 6 Saldana had taken the lead. Through cautions and restarts, and slide jobs by Pittman, Saldana didn’t back down and Pittman was never able to get around the Bullet. The crowd was on its feet as Saldana captured his first win of the season.
Pittman was second and Brad Sweet was third.
“The win is for the Workshops for Warriors who are with us tonight and all the veterans who work hard for us,” said Saldana. “It was a great night for us. It was all about timing and hitting the marks right. We were able to put it all together with quick time and the win.
“Our team owner Dan Motter is in Chile and I hope he’s listening. We are happy to have HE&M Saw’s Doug Harris and Bob Foster here at the track.
“I want to thank my wife Shannon and our boys, Reece and Ragan, for their support! We’re ready to get to Texas to keep the momentum going.”
Saldana led lap 1 and laps 6-30.
This is Saldana’s second career victory at Perris. His first win at the Southern California track came in 2012.
The event tonight concluded the Outlaws California Spring Break tour. The teams travel to Texas for a Tuesday night (April 15) event in El Paso.