1/12/2015
Craig Dollansky
Podium Finish to Close Out Action in Arizona
This past week ‘The Crowd Pleaser’ returned to Cocopah Speedway for a trio of nights in the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown. Scoring a top-ten on the opening weekend, the Destiny Motorsports #7 team continued to gain speed and chemistry and get stronger for the 2015 season.
Starting on the pole of heat three, Dollansky kept the #7 up front pacing the field in the 8-lap event to take the win. In the qualifier round of heats the Rick Rogers Construction backed entry started inside row three and gained one spot finishing 4th.
In the 30-lap A-Main for Tuesday’s program the Elk River, Minnesota native started seventh and ran just outside the top-five before a yellow on lap 10. After another caution five laps later, Dollansky maneuvered into the top-three and closed the gap on Steve Kinser and runner-up Paul McMahan. Working the cushion with less than ten laps to go, Dollansky reeled in the #51 until getting over the cushion in turn 1, flipped hard and ending his night.
“We were solid in the top-three with a few laps to go and got into the wall hard and junked our car by over driving the car and trying to get the win,” explained Dollansky. “I opened up my entry into turn one trying to get more speed and help get off the corner better but didn’t make it.”
Led by crew chief Scott Benic, the Destiny Motorsports #7 team made repairs and returned to night four of the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown on Friday as the night got underway by finishing third in heat three from the sixth starting spot. Qualifier round of heats would see the Aggressive Hydraulics Maxim start fifth and finish 6th in the 10-lap event.
Ready to go for 30 laps of A-Main competition, Dollansky lined up mid-pack outside row seven on the starting grid. Unfortunately the feature would be short-lived as the top-wing valve in the cockpit started leaking two laps into the race spraying oil all over. With visibility diminishing and the leak increasing, Dollansky began to get drenched in fluid and pulled in a few laps later retiring from the event.
Aiming to end the five-day event strong, the #7 team headed back to Cocopah Speedway on Saturday for the finale. After scoring his third heat victory in Winter Heat, the MonDak Portables backed sprinter lined up outside row three in his qualifying round of heat competition and finished 5th.
Set to go for 30 final laps, Dollansky lined up outside row two for the A-Main on Saturday and raced into third by turn one of the opening lap. After working around Kasey Kahne on the highside of turn four two laps later, ‘The Crowd Pleaser’ closed on leader Aaron Reutzel until using the same move in turn four to rocket down the frontstretch and lead lap 9. Not backing down easily, Reutzel returned the move the next go-around reclaiming the top spot on lap 10. Waging a great battle, Dollansky stalked the #87 as the main event continued with passing becoming very difficult as the field was pinned to the inside berm. Managing his tires on the abrasive rubber-down surface, Dollansky held the runner-up spot until the checkered flag when David Gravel just nosed the Aggressive Hydraulics #7 at the checkered flag.
“Up until Saturday I hadn’t felt very comfortable in the car and really just wanted to get a good finish and leave Arizona knowing we learned some things and have direction to get prepared for Florida,” explained Dollansky. “I feel we definitely sorted things out and have a good baseline going forward.
“We got our car in the game come feature time and took the lead for one lap from Reutzel who seemed to be the class of the field all week but couldn’t catch a break. Our car was capable of winning on Saturday but I ran too conservative. Scott Benic and the rest of the team worked hard all week and I’m looking forward to getting to Florida and starting the season.”
Be sure to check out the all NEW www.dollanskyracing.com for pictures from Arizona and new merchandise that will continue to be added as the year progresses.
The Destiny Motorsports #7 team will now return to their Indiana shop as they apply what they learned from Arizona and continue to prepare for the 2015 World of Outlaws season that commences in Florida next month.
Article Credit: Reid VanEck
Submitted By: Craig Dollansky Racing
