Barberville, Fla. (2-16-12)By Brian Liskai Last year at VolusiaSpeedwayPark, Craig Dollansky thought he had a couple of wins but saw them disappear. On Thursday, The Crowd Pleaser charged from his eighth starting spot to pass Daryn Pittman on a lap 9 restart to take the lead and went on to score the win on the second night of the University of Northwestern Ohio All Star Circuit of Champions competition at the 41st Annual UNOH DIRTcar Nationals presented by Summit Racing Equipment.
It was a beautiful race track tonightthey worked hard on it was racey..obviously if I came from eighth. This was a total team effort, said Dollansky beside his Big Game Tree Stands, Aggressive Hydraulics, Aeroquip Performance Products backed #7. This one is for Anita Zwernshe was the biggest World of Outlaws fanthe biggest sprint car fan in the world.
Last year we led a lot of laps herewe should have come out of here with at least two wins. So to get a win here to night heading into the World of Outlaw race is huge, added Dollansky of his sixth career UNOH All Star win and his fourth career win at Volusia.
Current UNOH All Star point leader, who opened the series with a win a week ago in Georgia, was disappointed with his runner-up finish aboard his Heffner Racing, Lelands.com backed #27.
To lead that many laps and not win.we just got beat. During that caution (lap 9), I heard a seven car was in second on the radio. I was waiting to hear if it was a 7s or 7. If it was the 7s (Jason Sides) I knew he would be on the bottom. Then I saw it was the 7 (Dollansky) and I knew he would be up top. After he passed me I went up there and tried to get to him but it was too late, said Pittman.
Wednesday nights winner Danny Lasoski, who has won more sprint car races at Volusia than any other driver, would come home third.
Im happy with a third with our own car. I have to thank Penske Shocks, Kistler Engines and Triple X along with Todd Creason and Tony Ross for getting us down here, said Lasoski beside his Klein Motors and RVs backed #33.
Daryn Pittman and Cody Darrah would bring the field of 24 to the green with Pittman grabbing the top spot over Lasoski. Dollansky was flying around the top, passing cars wholesale as he moved from eighth to third in the first lap. Dollansky would take second on the second circuit. As Pittman continued to lead, Lasoski would battle back to challenge Dollansky for second with Cody Darrah and Brad Sweet in tow. Pittman would hit the back of the pack on lap eight and this allowed both Dollansky and Lasoski to close.
The first caution would fly on lap nine as three time UNOH All Star champion Tim Shaffer spun in turn two. Dollansky narrowly escaped disaster as he squeezed between the spinning Shaffer and the outside wall. The restart order was Pittman, Dollansky, the lapped machine of Glenn Styres, Dollansky, Sweet, Darrah, Greg Hodnett, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Joey Saldana, Kraig Kinser and Steve Kinser, up from 17th. During the caution, three time series champion Dale Blaney would go to the work area and was unable to restart.
On the ensuing restart, Dollansky would blast to the outside and take the lead while Darrah moved into third as Lasoski fell to fourth and Hodnett moved into fifth. That would remain the running order until lap 14 when Lasoski regained the third position.
Dollansky would hit lapped traffic by the 17th circuit but held a 1.25 second lead over Pittman with Lasoski, Darrah and Hodnett in tow. As Dollansky tried to negotiate through the traffic, Pittman slowly reeled him in and with five laps to go, was on the leaders rear bumper. Dollansky and Pittman battled for the lead over the next two circuits with Lasoski, Hodnett and Darrah chasing. Dollansky would clear the traffic with two laps remaining and would power away for the win. Pittman, Lasoski, Hodnett, Sweet, Saldana (up from 13th), Darrah, Sammy Swindell, Sam Hafertepe and Steve Kinser (up from 17th) would round out the top 10.
The UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions now head to BubbaRacewayPark in Ocala, Fla. to wrap up their Southern Swing with three nights of racing, Feb. 23-25.
VolusiaSpeedwayPark
Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012
Kistler Engines Qualifying: 1. Sammy Swindell #1 13.203; 2. Kraig Kinser #11k 13.224; 3. Danny Lasoski #33-13.228; 4. Daryn Pittman #27 13.229; 5. Joey Saldana #9 13.258; 6. Cody Darrah #4 13.293; 7. Tony Stewart #14s 13.317; 8. Fred Rahmer #51 13.344; 9. Jac Haudenschild #5 13.348; 10. Sam Hafertepe Jr. #1z 13.364; 11. Brian Ellenberger #20e 13.400; 12. Brad Sweet #49 13.404; 13. Craig Dollansky #7 13.422; 14. Dale Blaney #2 13.447; 15. Greg Hodnett #39 13.352; 16. Jason Sides #7s 13.460; 17. Terry McCarl #24 13.474; 18. Bronson Maeschen #96 13.486; 19. Steve Kinser #11 13.490; 20. Kerry Madsen #29 13.509; 21. Dave Blaney #59 13.523; 22. Tim Shaffer #83 13.532; 23. Pete Miller III #3 13.537; 24. Glen Styres #0 13.538; 25. Lucas Wolfe #5w 13.542; 26. Mark Smith #M1 13.568; 27. Mark Coldren #07 13.596; 28. David Gravel #89G 13.598; 29. Donny Schatz #15 13.637; 30. Jason Meyers #14 13.666; 31. Danny Smith #4s 13.727; 32. Brian Paulus #28 13.756; 33. Paul May #71m 13.770; 34. Cap Henry #54 13.797; 35. Chad Kemenah #63 13.836; 36. Dustin Morgan #2x 13.841; 37. Aaron Ott #77 13.880; 38. Alan Krimes #87 13.894; 39. Paul McMahan #45 14.041; 40. Luke Hall #33m 14.117
Kears Speed Shop Heat 1 (Top 5 transfer to A): 1. Craig Dollansky #7; 2. Terry McCarl #24; 3. Dave Blaney #59; 4. Lucas Wolfe #5w; 5. Jac Haudenschild #5; 6. Sammy Swindell #1; 7. Aaron Ott #77; 8. Joey Saldana #9; 9. Donny Schatz #15; 10. Paul May #71m
All Pro Cylinder Heads Heat 2 (Top 5 transfer to A): 1. Tim Shaffer #83; 2. Cody Darrah #4; 3. Dale Blaney #2; 4. Sam Hafertepe Jr. #1z; 5. Jason Meyers #14; 6. Kraig Kinser #11k; 7. Mark Smith #M1; 8. Cap Henry #54; 9. Bronson Maeschen #96; 10. Alan Krimes #87 (DNS)
Dragon Race Fuel Heat 3 (Top 5 transfer to A): 1. Steve Kinser #11; 2. Greg Hodnett #39; 3. Pete Miller III #3; 4. Danny Lasoski #33; 5. Brian Ellenberger #20e; 6. Tony Stewart #14s; 7. Danny Smith #4s; 8. Paul McMahan #45; 9. Chad Kemenah #63; 10. Mark Coldren #07.
Kinsler Fuel Injection Heat 4 (Top 5 transfer to A): 1. Kerry Madsen #29; 2. Brad Sweet #49; 3. Jason Sides #7s; 4. Daryn Pittman #27; 5. Glen Styres #0; 6. David Gravel #89G; 7. Fred Rahmer #51; 8. Luke Hall #33m; 9. Dustin Morgan #2x; 10. Brian Paulus #28.
Outerwears Performance Products Dash (Determines A-main starting position, starting position in [*}): 1. Daryn Pittman #27 [1]; 2. Cody Darrah #4 [4]; 3. Danny Lasosk #33 [6]; 4. Brian Ellenberger #20e [2]; 5. Sam Hafertepe Jr. #1z [3]; 6. Jac Haudenschild #5 [5]
MSD Ignition B-Main (Top 4 transfer to A, Starting position in [*]): 1. Joey Saldana #9 [3]; 2. Sammy Swindell #1 [1]; 3. Kraig Kinser #11k [2]; 4. Tony Stewart #14s [4]; 5. Mark Smith #M1 [7]; 6. Danny Smith #4s [11]; 7. David Gravel #89G [9]; 8. Donny Schatz #15 [10]; 9. Fred Rahmer #51 [5]; 10. Paul McMahan #45 [18}; 11. 11. Cap Henry #54 [14]; 12. Chad Kemenah #63 [15]; 13. Aaron Ott #77 [17]; 14. Bronson Maeschen #96 [6]; 15. Brian Paulus #28 [12]; 16. Mark Coldren #07 [8]; 17. Paul May #71m [13]; 18. Dustin Morgan #2x [16]; 19. Luke Hall #33m [19]
UNOH A-main (30 laps, staring position in [*]): 1. Craig Dollansky #7 [8]; 2. Daryn Pittman #27 [1]; 3. Danny Lasoski #33 [3] 4. Greg Hodnett #39 [10]; 5. Brad Sweet #49 [7]; 6. Joey Saldana #9 [7]; 7. Cody Darrah #4 [2]; 8. Sammy Swindell #1 [11]; 9. Sam Hafertepe Jr. #1z [5]; 10. Steve Kinser #11 [17]; 11. Jason Sides #7s [15]; 12. Kraig Kinser #11k [12]; 13. Tony Stewart #14s [14]; 14. Terry McCarl #24 [16]; 15. Kerry Madsen #29 [18]; 16. Tim Shaffer #83 [20]; 17. Jason Meyers #14 [24]; 18. Lucas Wolfe #5w [23]; 19. Brian Ellenberger #20e [4]; 20. Dave Blaney #59 [19]; 21. Pete Miller III #3 [21]; 22. Jac Haudenschild #5 [6]; 23. Glenn Styres #0 [22]; 24. Dale Blaney #2 [9]