Pittman Holds Off Fierce Challenge from Schatz to Win Night Three of DIRTcar Nationals Sprint Week
The Kasey Kahne Racing with Mike Curb driver scores victory with UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions
BARBERVILLE, Fla. – Feb. 12, 2015 – The last lap, side-by side battle between Daryn Pittman and Donny Schatz in Thursday night’s UNOH Circuit of Champions feature at Volusia Speedway Park was the culmination of a fierce fight that lasted through the final third of the race. When the dust settled on the third night of DIRTcar Nationals sprint week, it was Pittman edging Schatz to the finish line in thrilling fashion.
“If the fans didn’t enjoy that, you might as well not even bother to come back,” Pittman said in victory lane. “It was a lot of fun.”
Pittman, who built up a sizable lead through the middle portion of the race, faced a strong challenge from his Kasey Kahne Racing with Mike Curb teammate Brad Sweet. Utilizing the high line, Sweet charged forward to second from his seventh place starting position.
By lap 14, as Pittman worked his way through lapped traffic, Sweet closed the gap and began challenging for the lead. Two laps later Sweet got the run he needed and passed Pittman off of turn 4 to lead the lap. The move was short lived though as Pittman took the lead back before the two hit the backstretch.
“[My crew chief Kale Kahne] kept telling me to run the top down there,” Pittman said. “And I’m sitting there second guessing, going I don’t know if that’s a good move or not. We just stuck with it and glad that we stuck with our line.”
Through three late cautions in the final ten laps, Schatz, who started in 15th, worked his way up to third and then around Sweet for second. He and Pittman battled through the final five laps, Schatz on the bottom in turns one and two and Pittman on the high side. Each time Schatz tried to make a run, Pittman held him off.
On the final lap, Schatz was side-by-side with Pittman down the backstretch and into turns three and four. When the two moved onto the frontstretch, Pittman had the edge, beating Schatz by a slim margin.
“It was a good enough racecar to win,” Schatz said. “I just gave it everything I had there, I just didn’t use up enough racetrack. It’s fun to be able to race two wide. Daryn races you clean. It was fun to be up there to at least race for the checkered.”
Sweet finished the night in third ahead of the previous night’s winner Greg Hodnett and Kerry Madsen.
Pittman sounded a note of confidence going into Friday night’s World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series season opener.
“Big win to get the year started off right,” Pittman said. “Hopefully we can come back in the next three nights and get another one.”
Racing returns to Volusia Speedway Park Friday night as the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series opens its 2015 season on night four of DIRTcar Nationals sprint week. The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds also take on the half-mile oval. Tickets are still available for DIRTcar Nationals at http://www.WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets or by calling 1-877-395-8606. Watch and listen live to DIRTcar Nationals at http://www.DIRTVision.com.
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UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions Statistical Report; Volusia Speedway Park; Barberville, Fla.; Feb. 12, 2015
A-Main – (30 Laps) – 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [1]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [15]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [7]; 4. 27-Greg Hodnett [8]; 5. 29-Kerry Madsen [3]; 6. 71M-Joey Saldana [11]; 7. 83-David Gravel [9]; 8. 4-Cody Darrah [23]; 9. 7S-Jason Sides [10]; 10. 24-Terry McCarl [13]; 11. 98H-Dave Blaney [5]; 12. 41-Jason Johnson [20]; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart [17]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [14]; 15. 59-Danny Holtgraver [12]; 16. 63-Kody Swanson [16]; 17. 12-Robbie Stillwaggon [24]; 18. 2L-Danny Lasoski [2]; 19. 1-Lucas Wolfe [6]; 20. 11-Steve Kinser [22]; 21. 51-Paul McMahan [4]; 22. 7-Craig Dollansky [21]; 23. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. [19]; 24. 45-Tim Shaffer [18]. Hard Charger: 4-Cody Darrah [+15]
Qualifying – 1. 29-Kerry Madsen, 12.912; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.992; 3. 2L-Danny Lasoski, 13.013; 4. 1-Lucas Wolfe, 13.022; 5. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.031; 6. 98H-Dave Blaney, 13.039; 7. 51-Paul McMahan, 13.066; 8. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.072; 9. 27-Greg Hodnett, 13.072; 10. 83-David Gravel, 13.094; 11. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.111; 12. 71M-Joey Saldana, 13.123; 13. 59-Danny Holtgraver, 13.186; 14. 24-Terry McCarl, 13.193; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.201; 16. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.204; 17. 63-Kody Swanson, 13.215; 18. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.223; 19. 45-Tim Shaffer, 13.272; 20. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr., 13.279; 21. 14K-Dale Blaney, 13.297; 22. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.345; 23. 7-Craig Dollansky, 13.376; 24. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.389; 25. 11-Steve Kinser, 13.405; 26. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.407; 27. 77X-Wayne Johnson, 13.417; 28. 4S-Danny Smith, 13.443; 29. 4-Cody Darrah, 13.457; 30. 12-Robbie Stillwaggon, 13.496; 31. i07-Steve Buckwalter, 13.585
Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1]; 2. 59-Danny Holtgraver [2]; 3. 51-Paul McMahan [4]; 4. 83-David Gravel [3]; 5. 29-Kerry Madsen [6]; 6. 1-Lucas Wolfe [5]; 7. 41-Jason Johnson [8]; 8. 45-Tim Shaffer [7]; 9. 11-Steve Kinser [9]; 10. i07-Steve Buckwalter [11]; 11. 4S-Danny Smith [10]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 24-Terry McCarl [2]; 2. 63-Kody Swanson [1]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [6]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [4]; 5. 7-Craig Dollansky [8]; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [3]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [5]; 8. 4-Cody Darrah [10]; 9. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. [7]; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen [9]
Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2]; 2. 27-Greg Hodnett [4]; 3. 2L-Danny Lasoski [6]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1]; 5. 71M-Joey Saldana [3]; 6. 98H-Dave Blaney [5]; 7. 14K-Dale Blaney [7]; 8. 12-Robbie Stillwaggon [10]; 9. 10H-Chad Kemenah [8]
Dash – (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 6 starting positions of A-feature) – 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [1]; 2. 2L-Danny Lasoski [2]; 3. 29-Kerry Madsen [3]; 4. 51-Paul McMahan [5]; 5. 98H-Dave Blaney [4]; 6. 1-Lucas Wolfe [6]
Last Chance Showdown – (12 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 41-Jason Johnson [5]; 2. 11-Steve Kinser [7]; 3. 4-Cody Darrah [11]; 4. 12-Robbie Stillwaggon [12]; 5. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. [3]; 6. 45-Tim Shaffer [2]; 7. 77X-Wayne Johnson [9]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 9. 2-Shane Stewart [1]; 10. 4S-Danny Smith [10]
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