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Joey Saldana Dominates Lebanon Valley Feature By Richard Day WEST LEBANON, NY (May 27) – Joey Saldana lost his track record, but won the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series "A" Feature Tuesday at Lebanon Valley Speedway. Points leader Danny Lasoski opened the series’ 24th event of the year by slicing .167 seconds off the single-lap record Saldana set at the high-banked, ½-mile oval two years ago with a 109.870-M.P.H. lap. Saldana won the Second Dash Race and led all 25 laps to claim his second main event victory of the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series 25th Anniversary Season, however.
"At Charlotte (The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway) last weekend, we had the same situation happen," Saldana explained. "We timed sixth and the inversion put us up front for the dash, but we couldn’t win it. Tonight, I knew if I could win the dash and win the drag race out of turn four at the start, I’d have a pretty good chance. "I didn’t like seeing those yellows, especially at the end. Sprint cars like a track with a little bit of moisture in it, and with all the rain you’ve had up here I’m surprised we were able to race at all. We’ll take the win here and head to Rolling Wheels to try to do it again tomorrow."
Saldana encountered three cautions, including one with four laps remaining. The 1996 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year raced away from the field during the final restart and took the checkered flag with almost a straightaway to spare for the 11th "A" Feature victory of his O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series career. The $10,000 victory pushed him past Daryn Pittman in to third place in the point standings. Saldana, the sixth-fastest qualifier in the 27-car field, won his third Dash Race of the season for the privilege of starting the main event outside the front row. He drove his family’s #17 Eagle Raceway MCI past pole-sitter Paul McMahan on the front straightaway to take the lead as the green flag fell. The caution flag flew early in the second lap when Andy Snider stopped on the front stretch with a broken front end.
Lasoski challenged McMahan for second place between turns three and four as the race resumed, but was unable to surge ahead. Saldana was 18 car-lengths ahead of McMahan when he entered lapped traffic seven laps into the race. Pittman surrendered sixth place the next time around when the #21 Hop & Sack J&J slowed on the back straightaway and coasted into the pit area. Billy Pauch stopped in turn four with a broken rear end late in the 11th lap, bringing out the caution flag a second time. Second Heat Race winner Brian Paulus started inside the sixth row and passed three cars during the first 10 laps. He steered P and P Motorsports’ #28 Verdelli Farms Maxim into the high groove between the third and fourth corners to pass Jeremy Campbell for seventh place late in lap 13.
Donny Schatz, who won the "A" Feature at Lebanon Valley on May 28, 2001, drove his #15 Parker Stores J&J past First Heat Race winner Jason Meyers deep in turn four to take over fifth place the next time around. Curt Michael passed Campbell for eighth place in the low groove between the first and second corners early in lap 15. Saldana was a full straightaway ahead of his closest pursuers when he caught the back-markers two laps later. The first eight cars lined up nose-to-tail when the caution flag flew for Doug Emery’s turn-two spin early in the 21st lap, however.
Steve Kinser, who has won seven main events at Lebanon Valley Speedway, took advantage of the late caution, driving his #11 Quaker State Maxim past Lasoski and McMahan during laps 22 and 24 to claim the runner-up spot. "The King of the Outlaws" was three-quarters of a straightaway behind when Saldana took the checkered flag. McMahan climbed into 18th place in the point standings with the third-place finish. Lasoski finished fourth, ahead of Schatz, Meyers, Michael, Paulus, Campbell and Brian Carlson. The ninth-place finish was Campbell’s first in the top 10 this season. WoO
2003 O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series Lebanon Valley Speedway, West Lebanon, NY Tuesday, May 27, Feature Program #24 Qualifying: 1. Danny Lasoski, Stewart 20, 16.383 (new single-lap record); 2. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 16.466; 3. Daryn Pittman, Sher-Don Motorsports 21, 16.479; 4. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 16.573; 5. Paul McMahan, Helm 11H, 16.611; 6. Joey Saldana, Saldana 17, 16.701; 7. Jason Meyers, Karavan Motorsports 7, 16.765; 8. Jeremy Campbell, Campbell 10C, 16.893; 9. Curt Michael, LRJ Racing 55, 16.946; 10. Jason Sides, Sides Motorsports 7S, 16.991; 11. Brian Paulus, P and P Motorsports 28, 17.043; 12. Billy Pauch, P&R Motorsports E7, 17.247; 13. Bob Bennett, Acme Trailers 3, 17.506; 14. Billy Wolf, Wolf 15W, 17.507; 15. Brian Carlson, Carlson 18, 17.664; 16. Erin Crocker, Woodring 16, 17.707; 17. Lance Yonge, Yonge 17L, 17.956; 18. Dan Kaszubinski, Kaszubinski 20K, 18.147; 19. Mike Woodring, Woodring 19, 18.287; 20. Russ Bennett, Bennett 65, 18.386; 21. Doug Emery, Patterson 33, 18.403; 22. John Karklin, Karklin 69K, 18.498; 23. Jeff Van Dusen, Van Dusen 56D, 18.561; 24. Dick Spadaro, Spadaro 29, 19.108; 25. Billy Pauch, Jr., Pauch 1P, 20.502; 26. Andy Snyder, Snyder 1S, 34.905; 27. Rick Hart, Hart 5, no time.
First Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jason Meyers, 2. Billy Pauch, 3. Danny Lasoski, 4. Bob Bennett, 5. Joey Saldana, 6. Dan Kaszubinski, 7. John Karklin, 8. Billy Pauch, Jr., 9. Mike Woodring. (all nine qualified for the "A" Feature)
Second Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Brian Paulus, 2. Paul McMahan, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Lance Yonge, 5. Jeremy Campbell, 6. Billy Wolf, 7. Russ Bennett, 8. Jeff Van Dusen, 9. Andy Snider. (all nine qualified for the "A" Feature)
Third Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Brian Carlson, 2. Donny Schatz, 3. Curt Michael, 4. Jason Sides, 5. Daryn Pittman, 6. Erin Crocker, 7. Dick Spadaro, 8. Doug Emery. (all eight qualified for the "A" Feature)
First Dash Race (five laps): 1. Paul McMahan, 2. Jason Meyers, 3. Danny Lasoski, 4. Daryn Pittman, 5. Curt Michael, 6. Brian Paulus, 7. Brian Carlson, 8. Bob Bennett. (finish determined the inside starting positions in the first eight rows in the "A" Feature lineup)
Second Dash (five laps): 1. Joey Saldana, 2. Steve Kinser, 3. Jeremy Campbell, 4. Donny Schatz, 5. Billy Pauch, 6. Jason Sides, 7. Billy Wolf, 8. Erin Crocker. (finish determined the outside starting positions in the first eight rows in the "A" Feature lineup)
A Feature (25 laps): 1. Joey Saldana [2] ($10,000); 2. Steve Kinser [4] ($5,500); 3. Paul McMahan [1] ($3,200); 4. Danny Lasoski [5] ($2,800); 5. Donny Schatz [8] ($2,500); 6. Jason Meyers [3] ($2,300); 7. Curt Michael [9] ($2,200); 8. Brian Paulus [11] ($2,100); 9. Jeremy Campbell [6] ($2,050); 10. Brian Carlson [13] ($2,000); 11. Bob Bennett [15] ($1,500); 12. Jason Sides [12] ($1,200); 13. Billy Wolf [14] ($1,100); 14. Lance Yonge [17] ($1,000); 15. Russ Bennett [20] ($900); 16. Dick Spadaro [24] ($800); 17. Doug Emery [21] ($800); 18. Billy Pauch [10] ($800); 19. John Karklin [22] ($800); 20. Daryn Pittman [7] ($800); 21. Erin Crocker [16] ($800); 22. Billy Pauch, Jr. [25] ($800); 23. Jeff Van Dusen [23] ($800); 24. Dan Kaszuinski [18] ($800); 25. Mike Woodring [19] ($800); 26. Andy Snyder [26] ($800).
Lap leader: Joey Saldana 1-25
