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Second No
More: Joey Saldana Scores First Win of 2010 at Thunderbowl
Raceway
Tulare, CA-March
6, 2010-For many drivers, picking up the first win of a new
season is one of the toughest feats to accomplish in racing.
After being victorious 21 times overall last season with the
World of Outlaws, Joey Saldana certainly knew the way to the
winner s circle heading into 2010. He came close to winning each
of the first four races this season, finishing in the runner-up
spot in three of those.
Saldana broke though in a big way on Saturday night at Groppetti
Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California before a
huge crowd to score his first A-Feature win of the season to
earn $10,000 in the 35-lap contest aboard the Budweiser Maxim.
It was the 60th A-Feature triumph of his career with the World
of Outlaws.
"It was a great effort by my team," said Saldana. "We blew up in
the dash and they worked hard to get the motor changed, so we
really didn't get to work on our car too much. My car was pretty
good for 35 laps and the motor held in there. It was a total
team effort by everyone involved."
For Saldana, the win was his third at Thunderbowl Raceway with
the World of Outlaws, which is the most of any driver dating
back to the series debut at the track in 2003. The second
generation driver scored his first victory at the track in 2007
and followed that up with a triumph last season at the
high-banked 1/3-mile. He used a couple of strong starts to jump
to the lead over pole sitter Tim Kaeding.
"It's very hard to win out here," shared Saldana. "Last year we
won the second race of the season and it just rolled. Once you
win one, it seems like it comes easier and easier. It seems like
you are not thinking about winning as much and worrying about
racing. Now, we can focus on racing and hopefully win some
more."
In addition to winning on Saturday night, Saldana took over the
top spot in the World of Outlaws championship standings after
four-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz had some
trouble and wound up 20th after making a couple of trips to the
work area after earlier contact led to him getting upside down.
Schatz was tied with Steve Kinser entering the event. Kinser
came all the way from 21st to finish sixth, though fell a couple
of spots in the standings to third. Saldana has a seven point
lead over Jason Meyers, and is nine markers ahead of Kinser.
"When I'm leading in October, then I'd be happy," Saldana stated
when asked about leading the points. "This is so early in the
year that points don't matter yet. We just want to win races and
keep our sponsors happy. As long as we are doing good and
keeping everyone happy, I can continue to race and that's my
goal."
After his win on Friday at his home track, Jason Meyers lined up
eighth in the finale and after a first lap tangle involving
Craig Dollansky and Jac Haudenschild that led to a complete
restart, he took the green flag on the outside of the second
row. Meyers got around Donny Schatz early in the race and the
pair battled for the fourth spot for a number of laps. He moved
into third on the ninth lap getting around Lucas Wolfe and was
up to second on the 11th lap after Tim Kaeding's night came to
an end while in the runner-up spot.
"This team worked hard all night," said Meyers. "D.J. (Lindsey-
crew chief) made a few points before we went out and changed the
car around a little bit and we had a much better race car. That
thing was scary to drive in the dash. To have a weekend like
this at home in front of all of my sponsors, family and friends
is awesome."
On the second restart on the 11th lap, after a yellow and then
red flag, Meyers inched ahead of Saldana in turn one down low,
but Saldana used the momentum of the top side of the track to
blast back around him and quickly opened a comfortable lead. One
final restart on the 14th lap after Lucas Wolfe broke a
driveshaft while running third, gave Meyers another chance at
Saldana on a restart. He looked low in turns one and two, but
was not able to get a run on the leader. Meyers wound up second
in the GLR Investments KPC.
"That may have helped, but the bottom line is that he was
getting through traffic as well as we were," shared the native
of Clovis, California when asked if heavy lapped traffic would
had helped. "We had a good race car tonight and it was good
enough for second. We just couldn't get a good enough run on
him. Thanks to all of the fans for coming out tonight. It was
another great crowd tonight and another great point night
tonight. It looks like we are going to have a great year and I
am looking forward to it."
Fred Rahmer finished a very strong third in just his second
career start at Thunderbowl Raceway on Saturday night after
making his debut at the bullring on Friday night. He started
14th and moved up a couple of rows after the first lap tangle
between Dollansky and Haudenschild. He found himself in the
Top-Five by just the 11th lap of the 35-lap affair aboard the
C&S Lawn & Landscape machine.
"I really enjoyed being out here and meeting some new people,"
said Rahmer. "We don't have anything like this back in
Pennsylvania. I have never seen any place like this. I
appreciate everyone for having me out."
Rahmer and his team had a helping hand over the weekend, as
multi-time King of California and fellow Hall of Famer Brent
Kaeding, who has won 20 times over the years at the high-banked
bullring, was helping them with their set-up.
"It's a lot of pressure, because when you get advice from
someone like that, you have to live up to it," Rahmer stated.
"Last night my car was better than my finish so I had to try and
make up for it tonight. The guys had the car very good and we
were very fortunate."
Kraig Kinser picked up his best finish of the season on Saturday
night coming home fourth in the Quaker State Maxim. Jason Sides
continued a very consistent start to the 2010 campaign by
finishing fifth in the Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim. He is
one of just four drivers that has finished in the Top-10 in
every race this season.
Steve Kinser was the KSE Race Products Hard Charger after coming
all the way from the 21st starting spot to finish sixth in the
Bass Pro Shops Maxim.
Sam Hafertepe Jr. was seventh in the Lone Star Speedway machine,
with Paul McMahan eighth in the Great Clips Maxim. Tommy Tarlton
was ninth piloting the Corporate America Lending Eagle, with
Daryn Pittman rounding out the Top-10 aboard the Hunter Truck
Sales Maxim.
The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, March 12 at
Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, Texas and on Saturday, March 13
at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown as part of the Second Annual
Texas Two-Step Weekend.
THUNDERBOWL RACEWAY NIGHT #2 NOTES
*FAST QUALIFIER: Lucas Wolfe paced the 29 cars that took time
with an AMB i.t. timed lap around the high-banked 1/3-mile oval
at 12.692 seconds at 94.453 mph. For his qualifying effort,
Wolfe earned five bonus points. The next four fastest qualifiers
also earned bonus points, including: Craig Dollansky (4),
Jonathan Allard (3), Kraig Kinser (2) and Donny Schatz (1).
*THUNDERBOWL RACEWAY NIGHT #2 QUALIFYING WINNERS: Tim Kaeding,
Jac Haudenschild and Joey Saldana won heat races. Tim Kaeding
won the dash. Evan Suggs won the B-Main.
* FEATURE WINNERS: There have been five World of Outlaws Sprint
Car Series A-Feature events held in 2010. The winners include:
Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and
Thunderbowl Raceway), Steve Kinser (Volusia Speedway Park), Joey
Saldana (Thunderbowl Raceway) and Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway
Park).
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