JACKSON, Minn. (Saturday, July 27, 2013) By Brian Liskai – Travis Whitney has watched several University of Northwestern Ohio All Star Circuit of Champions victories slip through his hands. But on Saturday everything fell went his way and the Minneapolis, Minn. driver stormed to his first career series win during the 145th edition of the Jackson County Fair.
The second ever visit of the UNOH All Stars highlighted the All Star Triple Play night of races thanks to AGCO of Jackson, AGCO’s Intivity Center, State Bank of Fairmont and Loren Fick Farms.
Whitney started on the front row with UNOH All Star regular Caleb Helms of Findlay, Ohio. And after the first start was called back, Whitney got the advantage on the second start and benefitted from cautions at opportune times to score his first win of 2013. It wasn’t easy though, as Wooster, Ohio’s Jac Haudenschild tried a last lap, last corner move.
“I’ve had so many of these All Star races get away from me…I’ve been chasing this for a long, long time. I probably should have won one back in 1997 and had so many stupid things like flat tires, or ignition wires come off. This is awesome to finally get an All Star win. I was so nervous that my stomach was still in knots half the drive home,” said Whitney beside his DeWall Enterprises/LevWings/Hoosier Tire/Weld Wheels/Oakley backed machine.
“Once I got into the lead I just tried not to make a stupid mistake. I got to traffic and it took me a lap or two to figure out how to get around him and then the caution came out. I decided after that I wasn’t going to mess around with traffic any more. The cautions broke the race up into three nice segments that helped me. The longer I ran the looser I got. The cautions let my tires cool,” added Whitney.
Wooster, Ohio’s Jac Haudenschild continued his season-long good runs with the UNOH All Stars aboard the Tom Leidig owned #59. “The Wild Child” would get to Whitney in traffic but could not find a way to make the pass for the lead and settled for a runner-up finish.
“We are going pretty good. Bonzai and I have just worked together so long…he knows what I like in a car. We started seventh and it took a few laps to get going but once we got rolling the car was good. Travis got through traffic pretty good and the cautions fell his way,” said Haudenschild beside his Rick’s Auto Body/ Southern Pacific Farms/Auto Electric backed machine. “I got to him in the last corner, but he was just too strong.”
Current UNOH All Star national point leader Dale Blaney would salvage a third place finish to hold on to the series’ $10,000-to-win Western Region point lead.
“There’s just some tracks where a driver feels good at and some where a driver struggles. I haven’t raced at this place much, but I seem to struggle here. I think we over-adjusted the car between the dash and the feature and I was too free. Balance is very critical with sprint cars right now. We were just a little off all night. I was in a position to do very well but Jac got by us and Travis ran a great race,” said Blaney beside his Ti22 Performance/GF1 Chassis backed #2.
All Star regulars Danny Holtgraver and Cap Henry were fast throughout the night but suffered engine woes. Henry was scheduled to start on the pole of the dash which determines the starting position of the first three rows of the feature, but had engine issues.
UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions 410 Sprints – Feature – 30 laps – 19 cars 16 – Travis Whitney, Coon Rapids, MN 59 – Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, OH 2 – Dale Blaney, Hartford, OH 40 – Carter Helms, Findlay, OH 83 – Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, PA 35 – Skyler Prochaska, Lakefield, MN 93 – Derrik Lusk, Jackson, MN 75C – Casey Heser, Jackson, MN 45 – Danny Holtgraver, Pittsburgh, PA 7 – Kaley Gharst, Decatur, IL 4W – Matt Wasmund, Jackson, MN 80 – Trey Gustin, West Union, OH 4X – Eric Schulz, Sioux Falls, SD (DNF) 82 – Scott Winters, Butterfield, MN, (DNF) 21K – Lou Kennedy, JR, Winnepeg, Manitoba Canada (DNF) 97 – Alan Gilbertson, Kasson, MN (DNS) 54 – Cap Henry, Bellevue, OH (DNS) 09 – Matt Juhl, Estherville, IA(DNS) 33GL – Nick Lusk, Apple Valley, MN (DNS)
UNoH All Star 410 Sprints – Heat Race 1 – 8 laps 97 – Gilbertson 59 – Haudenschild 82 – Winters 2 – Blaney 80 – Gustin 7 – Gharst 45 – Holtgraver (DNF)
UNoH All Star 410 Sprints – Heat Race 2 – 8 laps 83 – Shaffer 21K – Kennedy 4W – Wasmund 16 – Whitney 93 – D. Lusk 09 – Juhl
UNoH All Star 410 Sprints – Heat Race 3 – 8 laps 75C – Heser 35 – Prochaska 54 – Henry 40 – Helms 4X – Schulz 33GL – N. Lusk (DNF)
UNoH All Star 410 Sprints – Outerwears Performance Products Dash – 6 laps 40 – Helms 16 – Whitney 83 – Shaffer 82 – Winters 2 – Blaney 45 – Henry (DNF)