Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Paul McMahan has tasted victory twice this season. He’s also been close enough to touch it, just to see it fall out of reach. This week in World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Series action, he’ll be looking to not only taste and touch victory, but to enjoy the thrill of the winner’s circle once again.
With a stop at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix on tap for Friday, McMahan will be gunning to put the No. 20 TSR/Bass Pro Shops/Eagle back in victory lane. In McMahan’s last appearance at the half-mile speedway on March 3, 2007, he earned a fifth-place finish, while future TSR driver Donny Schatz won the A-main.
Friday’s event at Manzanita will also allow McMahan’s crewman, Mike Kuemper, a chance to return to his native ground. Kuemper, who hails from Phoenix, will make his first visit to his hometown since the series’ last event at Manzanita in February. Kuemper, who is wrapping up his fourth year as a member of the No. 20 TSR team, also competes in non-winged sprint car competition as a driver when his schedule allows.
The team will then head to Perris (Calif. ) Auto Speedway (PAS) on Saturday for the WoO only appearance of the season at the track. In his last appearance at PAS on Feb. 2, 2004, McMahan earned a solid sixth-place finish. The winner of that event was Jason Meyers.
In 70 starts this season, McMahan has earned two victories, eight fast time awards, 14 top-five finishes and 37 top-10s in WoO Sprint Series competition. He is ranked eighth in the WoO championship standings with 9,070 points. He trails series leader Schatz by 862 points and is only 48 markers out of seventh-place.
Quotes from Paul McMahan, driver of the No. 20 TSR/Bass Pro Shops/Eagle:
While it’s not your hometown, Phoenix is home for crew member Mike Kuemper. Can you relate to how nice it is get a few days at home after such a long period on the road?
“When we head to Manzanita, we always look forward to getting to spend a few days in Phoenix. It’s typically a one-day show, which means we’ve got some down time. It’s also great for Mikey, as he gets to see his family and sleep in his own bed for a few nights. Any time you can catch up with everyone and get to spend some time at home, it puts you in a good frame of mind. Hopefully we’ll all head into Manzanita with some solid rest behind us and with a little luck, we’ll be able to put Bass Pro Shops and Chevrolet back in victory lane again. ”
It’s been a while since you raced at the Perris Auto Speedway. What challenges does the track present to drivers and teams?
“Perris is something of a flat half-mile, which is usually the case with tracks that size in California. It doesn’t have a lot of banking and it’s not overly fast for the winged cars. It’s really a different facility, as it’s not a true half-mile, or it doesn’t feel like it is when you’re at speed. It usually gives us one lane to work with, as you really have to plan your moves and adjust the track accordingly. It’s a track that makes you work really hard all night and you really have to stay on top of it as it changes from the beginning to the end. Hopefully, we’ll draw a good qualifying number and be a little bit ahead at the start of the night. ”
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