Craig Dollansky continues streaking up the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series standings, winning for the series-leading sixth time this year on Sunday night at Lebanon Valley Speedway.
After a rough start to the season when finishes did not equal the strength of his car or team, Dollansky has turned up the heat this summer in the Big Game Treestands Maxim. On Sunday night, with a little bit of help from a single-file restart with eight laps to go, Dollansky was able to get around leader Kerry Madsen and hold off Jason Meyers to the checkered flag. Steve Kinser was third with Madsen and Daryn Pittman rounding out the top five.
“Once again what an effort by everyone here on this team,” said Dollansky, of Elk River, Minn. “We ran a little harder compound (tire) than everyone else did tonight and the tires started to come in real good by the time we were up there battling Kerry (Madsen.) Unfortunately, Kerry got up in the cushion and that slowed him a bit but we were able to get by.”
Meyers, who won at Williams Grove on Saturday night, was the night’s fastest qualifier and tried to use his momentum for back-to-back victories. Like Dollansky, Meyers also made his way around Madsen when the Aussie bobbled on the cushion and was hunting Dollansky down when a yellow flag flew with eight to go. With the field bunched up for a double-file restart, Dollansky selected the outside line with Meyers to the inside. As soon as the green flag flew, Meyers took off like a rocket while Dollansky’s car hesitated and then took off.
“I spun the tires a bit on the restart and that allowed Jason to get around us and take off,” Dollansky said.
However, another caution flag was displayed before the field completed a lap and Dollansky’s car was sent back around Meyers to the lead. According to World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series rules, since the caution flag was prior to a completing a lap the field reverts to a single-file restart and to the running order of the last completed lap. Once the green flew again, Dollansky blasted away from the field and scored the checkers.
While he didn’t get the win, Meyers had a huge points night. His quick time combined with a runner-up finish enabled Meyers, of Clovis, Calif., to regain the series lead from four-time champion Donny Schatz. Trailing by 1 point entering the night, Meyers leaves Lebanon Valley with an 18-point lead over Schatz, who finished ninth.
“It’s always great to get the points lead back,” said Meyers, driver of the #14 DDNi/GLR Investments/Allstar Performance KPC. “It’s going to be a close battle all year long with Steve (Kinser) and Donny to see whose going to win this thing.”
Kinser finished third in the Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Chevrolet Maxim after battling hard with pole-sitter Madsen in the closing laps. All three Kasey Kahne Racing machines finished in the Top 10 with Cody Darrah leading the charge in sixth. Darrah, of Red Lion, Pa., sat on the outside pole for the event and was followed in the finish by veteran Paul McMahan and Brad Sweet, who continues to fill in for injured Joey Saldana in the Red Bull Maxim
The Outlaws next head north of the border for three races in Canada beginning on Wednesday at Oshweken Speedway followed on Friday at Brockville-Ontario Speedway and Saturday Autodrome Drummond.
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