Riding an emotional high into Eldora Speedway on Friday night, Joey Saldana returned to the site of his greatest victories and scariest crashes with hopes of winning his second consecutive World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series race since missing nine weeks to injury.
Mission accomplished. Saldana dominated once again, winning for the second time this season at the historic half-mile dirt track that is beginning to define his career. Twice he has won the prestigious Kings Royal, but twice a potential championship run was decimated by injuries from a crash, most recently in July when he sustained a shattered arm, punctured lung and broken ribs that kept him out of the Kasey Kahne Racing Red Bull Maxim for nine weeks.
On Friday, just two days after winning at Hartford (Mich.) Motor Speedway his first race back, Saldana again was in victory lane at Eldora after leading 30 laps and holding off his best friend, Paul McMahan, to the checkered flag. It was his sixth win of the year overall.
“I have to thank God for this one,” said Saldana, the Brownsburg Bullet who now resides in Pittsboro, Ind. “It was only three weeks ago that I could barely run on a treadmill and tonight I outlasted a very physical race track. That’s a testament to my trainer at Pit Fit, Jim Leo. He ran me through my paces and pushed me harder and harder and it’s paid off. I couldn’t have imagined in a million years we would have won Hartford but now we’ve made it two in a row. It just shows how tough and good this team is. We were competitive earlier this season and they haven’t missed a beat since.”
Saldana started on the outside of the front row for the 30-lap main event alongside his teammate, McMahan. Despite a strong effort, McMahan could only watch as Saldana powered to the front and held on through 30 circuits and two double-file restarts.
“You hate losing but if I had to lose to anyone, I’m glad it’s my best friend,” said McMahan, driver of the #83 Roth Motorsports/H.R. Cattle Maxim that’s run out of Kahne’s Mooresville, N.C., shop. “Joey just had an awesome car again tonight and it’s great to have him back out here. We had a really good car all night long and maybe had a shot on the restarts. It’s just a great night overall for Kasey Kahne Racing.”
At different points in the race, it looked as if youngsters Cody Darrah and Brad Sweet were going to give KKR a sweep of the top-three or four positions, but tire woes on both cars opened the door for defending World of Outlaws champion and current points leader Jason Meyers to charge onto the podium. Meyers, of Clovis, Calif., started 13th and raced his way to third.
“I’m beginning to think Joey went to church every Sunday he was out,” Meyers chuckled after earning his series-leading 34th Top-Five of the season. “We really didn’t qualify where we wanted too but hit on something during the heat races. My guys never give up and always dig on this DDNi/Media-Tile/GLR Investments car. I really wished it would’ve been a 40-lap race because I think we could have had something for Joey but congratulations to him again. He’s really showing the type of competitor he is.”
Dale Blaney finished fourth with Craig Dollansky rounding out the Top Five. Title contenders Donny Schatz and Steve Kinser finished 6th and 13th respectively as Meyers widened his lead in the series championship standings. In his quest to repeat as champion at the season-ending World Finals in Charlotte, Meyers leads Schatz by 140 points and Kinser by 147 points.
Saldana will try to make it three wins in a row on Saturday night when the Outlaws roll invade Lernerville Speedway for the Commonwealth Clash.
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