Saldana Scores Second In a Row with Commonwealth Clash Win
This was Saldana’s seventh World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series win of the season
SARVER, Pa. – Sept. 20, 2014 – What a difference two days makes. Joey Saldana entered the weekend with a 41-race winless streak hanging over him. Then he won Friday at Eldora Speedway and followed that up with his second win in as many nights and seventh World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series victory of the season after he captured the Commonwealth Clash at Lernerville Speedway on Saturday.
With just one prior win at Lernerville and less than stellar 18th and 21st place finishes at the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at the track earlier this season, Saldana said it felt great to get this win for his Motter Equipment team.
“It’s just a great effort by our team,” Saldana said. “When we came here earlier this season I was absolutely terrible. So for them to look at the notes and make the car better – it’s the same car, the same engine – so you just have to work on what you have and make it better. Tonight we did and we had a car good enough to win an Outlaws show.”
The Brownsburg, Ind. native took the lead on the first lap of the feature and held it to the checkered flag, but spent much of the night fending off David Gravel.
“[Gravel] definitely made me get my elbows up to make sure I was going to win it,” Saldana said. “Otherwise I was going to get passed. We had a really good car, we could move around.”
Saldana also had a little luck on his side, benefitting from the heat inversion and the full field inversion of the dash that put him on the front row. He said track position meant a lot.
Following his win, Saldana moved into the fourth place position in the championship standings with a narrow one point lead over fifth place Kerry Madsen.
Harrisonville, Pa. native Logan Wagner, who is in his first year in a 410 sprint car, won his heat race and the Dash earlier in the night. He started on the pole for the A main next to Saldana. When the green flag waved, Wagner led the field into turn one. His hold on the lead was tenuous though as Saldana battled past him on the bottom of turn two and went on to lead the first lap.
As Saldana built up a lead, the battle for second commenced between Wagner and Gravel. The battle raged for much of the first ten laps with Wagner holding second. Just after the two crossed the start/finish line on lap 11, contact with Gravel sent Wagner into the inside wall and ended his night.
“Sorry for Logan, getting into him,” Gravel said. “It was a racing deal obviously, it wasn’t on purpose. He was having a great run.”
As the race returned to green, Saldana fought to hold off Gravel who was especially good on the exit of turn two. The two were side-by-side on laps 14 and 28 but Gravel could not make the pass.
“I felt like the bottom was better and I felt like behind lapped cars I was just out there slipping, not driving forward,” Saldana said. “So I went back to the top a couple of times and he got a run on me so I went back to the bottom.”
The bottom was good for Paul McMahan too. In the closing laps, after fighting his way forward from a seventh place starting position, McMahan got around then third place Shane Stewart on the bottom of turns three and four.
The checkered flag fell on Saldana with Gravel in second and McMahan in third.
Gravel said Saldana played a smart race, protecting his line and making it nearly impossible to get around him.
“We had a really good car,” Gravel said. “The motor wouldn’t take off that good but the car handled great. We had a lot of shots at Joey. I just couldn’t get by him on the straightaway. But with like three to go the motor was blowing up so I just thought I would maintain there and just had to finish. I can’t thank my guys enough and Dennis and Teresa Roth.”
It was a night of overcoming adversity for third place finisher McMahan whose CJB Motorsports team changed an engine just prior to the feature. McMahan said the previous engine had not yet failed but that it did not feel right.
“I’m just happy to be here right now,” McMahan said of his podium finish. “We were back there thrashing, changing motors after the dash. They were blowing horns before we’d even gotten heat in it and we’re still bolting headers on and everything else. Hats off to (crew members) Barry, Shane and Scotty for busting butt and getting that motor changed in the time of the B main there.”
From start-to-finish, McMahan said it took his team about 11 minutes to finish the motor change. This was the 42nd top-five finish of the season for McMahan.
Brad Sweet was the recipient of the KSE Hard Charger award Saturday night after advancing eight positions to finish in 11th.
The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series returns to Indiana for the final time this season for Indy Race Parts presents the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway on Friday, Sept. 26. The Outlaws then head north to take on Berlin Speedway in Marne, Mich. on Saturday, Sept. 27.
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LERNERVILLE SPEEDWAY NOTES: Joey Saldana scored his second win a row and seventh of the season at Lernerville Speedway… Paul McMahan finished in third in spite of an engine change earlier in the night… Joey Saldana, David Gravel, Shane Stewart and Logan Wagner all won their Heat races tonight… Brad Sweet received the KSE Hard Charger Award after advancing eight positions to finish in 11th.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz – 22 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 15, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 6, Devil’s Bowl Speedway on April 19, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 27, I-96 Speedway on May 31, River Cities Speedway on June 20, 34 Raceway on June 27, Cedar Lake Speedway on June 29, Lernerville Speedway on July 15, Autodrome Drummond on July 26, Cornwall Motor Speedway on July 27, Ohsweken Speedway on July 29, Knoxville Raceway on Aug. 9, Junction Motor Speedway on Aug. 12, Nodak Speedway on Aug. 17, Castrol Raceway on Aug. 22 and Aug. 23, Skagit Speedway on Aug. 29 and Aug. 30, Grays Harbor Raceway on Sept. 1, Kokomo Speedway on Sept. 16 and Terre Haute Action Track on Sept. 17); Daryn Pittman – 13(Thunderbowl Raceway on March 14, Calistoga Speedway on April 6, Devil’s Bowl Speedway on April 19, Williams Grove Speedway on May 16 and May 17, Orange County Fair Speedway, May 18, New Egypt Speedway, May 20, Dodge City Raceway Park on July 4 and 5, Lincoln Speedway on July 17, Fulton Speedway on July 23, River Cities Speedway on Aug. 15 and Southern Oregon Speedway on Sept. 3); Joey Saldana – 7(Perris Auto Speedway on April 12, Salina Highbanks on April 25, The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 23, I-80 Speedway on June 6, Jackson Speedway on June 13, Eldora Speedway on Sept. 19 and Lernerville Speedway on Sept. 20); Kerry Madsen – 6(Stockton Dirt track on March 22, El Paso Speedway Park on April 15, Lakeside Speedway on June 7, Eldora Speedway on July 12 and Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 3 and Antioch Speedway on Sept. 8); Paul McMahan – 5(The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 5, Tri-State Speedway on May 10, Limaland Motorsports Park on July 9, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 1 and Deer Creek Speedway on Sept. 13); Brad Sweet – 5 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Tucson International Raceway on March 8, Calistoga Speedway on April 5, Knoxville Raceway on June 14 and Beaver Dam Raceway on June 28); David Gravel – 4(Merced Speedway on March 28, Eldora Speedway on May 3, Wilmot Raceway on May 9 and Lebanon Valley Speedway on July 20); Cody Darrah – 2(Kings Speedway on April 11 and Lernerville Speedway on July 15);Shane Stewart – 2(Eldora Speedway on May 2 and Willamette Speedway on Sept. 2); Sammy Swindell – 2 (Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on April 26 and Eldora Speedway on July 11); Rico Abreu – 1 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 15); Jonathan Allard – 1 (Silver Dollar Speedway, Sept. 6); Christopher Bell – 1(Jacksonville Speedway on May 7); Dale Blaney – 1 (Attica Raceway Park on May 30); Roger Crockett – 1(I-94 Speedway on June 21); Lance Dewease – 1 (July 20 at Williams Grove Speedway); Greg Hodnett- 1 (July 18 at Williams Grove Speedway); Mark Dobmeier – 1 (Huset’s Speedway on July 2);Kraig Kinser – 1 (Clay County Fair Speedway on Sept. 12); Steve Kinser – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 16); Carson Macedo – 1 (Silver Dollar Speedway on Sept. 5); Stevie Smith – 1 (Lincoln Speedway on May 14).
World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Lernerville Speedway; Sarver, Pa.; Sept. 20, 2014
A-Main – (35 Laps) – 1. 71M-Joey Saldana [2] [$10,000]; 2. 83-David Gravel [3] [$5,500]; 3. 51-Paul McMahan [7] [$3,200]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [4] [$2,800]; 5. 10H-Danny Holtgraver [6] [$2,500]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz [5] [$2,300]; 7. 7-Craig Dollansky [12] [$2,200]; 8. 29-Kerry Madsen [11] [$2,100]; 9. 1s-Logan Schuchart [14] [$2,050]; 10. 45-Tim Shaffer [10] [$2,000]; 11. 49-Brad Sweet [19] [$1,500]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [9] [$1,200]; 13. 9-Daryn Pittman [15] [$1,100]; 14. 11-Steve Kinser [22] [$1,050]; 15. 19M-Brent Marks [16] [$1,000]; 16. 7S-Jason Sides [18] [$900]; 17. 4-Cody Darrah [21] [$800]; 18. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [24] [$800]; 19. 8-Rod George [20] [$800]; 20. 49X-Cole Duncan [13] [$800]; 21. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr [8] [$800]; 22. RG3-Logan Wagner [1] [$800]; 23. W20-Greg Wilson [17] [$800]; 24. 19-Paige Polyak [23] [$800]. Lap Leaders: Joey Saldana 1-35. KSE Hard Charger Award: 49-Brad Sweet [+8]
Qualifying – 1. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr, 12.687; 2. 51-Paul McMahan, 12.826; 3. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.859; 4. 10H-Danny Holtgraver, 12.926; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.937; 6. 45-Tim Shaffer, 12.945; 7. 29-Kerry Madsen, 12.962; 8. 7-Craig Dollansky, 12.992; 9. 49X-Cole Duncan, 12.998; 10. 83-David Gravel, 13.027; 11. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.030; 12. 1s-Logan Schuchart, 13.049; 13. 71M-Joey Saldana, 13.080; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.082; 15. 19M-Brent Marks, 13.124; 16. RG3-Logan Wagner, 13.132; 17. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.134; 18. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.139; 19. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.142; 20. 8-Rod George, 13.156; 21. 4-Cody Darrah, 13.183; 22. 11-Steve Kinser, 13.192; 23. 19-Paige Polyak, 13.194; 24. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.209; 25. 35-Jared Zimbardi, 13.242; 26. 10-Carl Bowser, 13.276; 27. 13-Brandon Matus, 13.284; 28. 5K-Adam Kekich, 13.300; 29. 27X-Brandon Spithaler, 13.310; 30. 7K-Dan Shetler, 13.425; 31. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.436; 32. O8-Dan Kuriger, 13.456; 33. 76-David Jones, 13.653; 34. 33-Gerald Matus, 13.668; 35. 2AJ-A.J. Flick, 13.857; 36. 36D-Wayne Dadetto, 14.053; 37. 5-Robert McMillin, 14.544; 38. 4K-William Kiley, 14.587; 39. 1R-Gale Ruth, 14.703; 40. 2S-Francis Sesco, 15.088; 41. 27-Chad Kemenah, NT
Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 71M-Joey Saldana [1]; 2. 49X-Cole Duncan [2]; 3. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3]; 4. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr [4]; 5. 4-Cody Darrah [6]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [5]; 7. 27X-Brandon Spithaler [8]; 8. 35-Jared Zimbardi [7]; 9. 76-David Jones [9]; 10. 5-Robert McMillin [10]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 83-David Gravel [2]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [1]; 3. 51-Paul McMahan [4]; 4. 45-Tim Shaffer [3]; 5. 11-Steve Kinser [6]; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [5]; 7. 7K-Dan Shetler [8]; 8. 10-Carl Bowser [7]; 9. 4K-William Kiley [10]; 10. 33-Gerald Matus [9]
Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 2-Shane Stewart [2]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 3. 29-Kerry Madsen [3]; 4. 19M-Brent Marks [1]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [5]; 6. 19-Paige Polyak [6]; 7. 13-Brandon Matus [7]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 9. 2AJ-A.J. Flick [9]
Heat 4 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. RG3-Logan Wagner [1]; 2. 1s-Logan Schuchart [2]; 3. 7-Craig Dollansky [3]; 4. 10H-Danny Holtgraver [4]; 5. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [6]; 6. 8-Rod George [5]; 7. 5K-Adam Kekich [7]; 8. 36D-Wayne Dadetto [9]; 9. 2S-Francis Sesco [10]; 10. O8-Dan Kuriger [8]
Dash – (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of A-feature) – 1. RG3-Logan Wagner [1]; 2. 71M-Joey Saldana [2]; 3. 83-David Gravel [4]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [3]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [6]; 6. 10H-Danny Holtgraver [5]; 7. 51-Paul McMahan [7]; 8. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr [8]
Last Chance Showdown – (12 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 7S-Jason Sides [2] [-]; 2. W20-Greg Wilson [1] [-]; 3. 19-Paige Polyak [4] [-]; 4. 8-Rod George [3] [-]; 5. 10-Carl Bowser [6] [$200]; 6. 35-Jared Zimbardi [5] [$180]; 7. 27X-Brandon Spithaler [9] [$175]; 8. 5K-Adam Kekich [8] [$160]; 9. 13-Brandon Matus [7] [$150]; 10. 2AJ-A.J. Flick [15] [$150]; 11. 36D-Wayne Dadetto [16] [$150]; 12. O8-Dan Kuriger [12] [$150]; 13. 2S-Francis Sesco [19] [$150]; 14. 5-Robert McMillin [17] [$150]; 15. 1A-Jacob Allen [11] [$150]; 16. 76-David Jones [13] [$150]; 17. 7K-Dan Shetler [10] [$150]; 18. 4K-William Kiley [18] [$150]; 19. 33-Gerald Matus [14] [$150]; 20. 1R-Gale Ruth [20] [$150]; 21. 27-Chad Kemenah [21] [$150]