8/24/2015
Craig Dollansky
Near Podium Finish at Fairmont With the NSL
For the first time in a long time, 410 sprinters returned to Fairmont Raceway this past weekend as Craig Dollansky and the TKS Motorsports team took to the ½-mile with the National Sprint League as part of the Martin County Fair.
With a beautiful, sunny day and a large crowd on hand, the race program got underway with hotlaps where Dollansky got his first feel for the track and then turned the 10th fastest lap in qualifying at 14.729 seconds. On the pole for heat three, ‘The Crowd Pleaser’ capitalized on the starting spot leading all eight circuits claiming the win and more importantly a spot in the dash redraw. Drawing the four pill, the Aggressive Hydraulics #2KS started outside row two and gained one spot in the dash finishing 3rd.
In the 25-lap A-Main the Casey’s General Stores backed entry lined up insider row two on the starting grid. When the field rumbled into turn one at the wave of the green flag, Dollansky battled Ian Madsen for the runner-up before a caution on lap 8. When action resumed, the Vahlco Wheels Maxim held third on a very fast and narrow racing surface with passing becoming very limited. As the field worked through lapped traffic and laps wound down, a flat left rear tire on the last go-around slowed the Elk River, Minnesota as he limped across the finish line in 8th.
“We had a good car all night long unfortunately we broke a left rear shock eight laps into the feature,” commented Dollansky. “After taking the white flag we blew a left rear tire but I was able to drive half way around the track on the rim to at least finish eighth.
“We have a good team that we need to keep ramping up and building. We have a few areas to strengthen that we’re working on. We’re looking forward to Knoxville this coming week and then the Jackson Nationals.”
All-in-all, car owner and crew chief Troy Renfro was also encouraged by the strong run the team had in Fairmont.
"It was a good night trying a few different things with the car and we were a third place car until the last lap but that’s racing, stuff happens,” explained Renfro. “We don’t dwell on it and will move on. It could have been better but it could have been a lot worse too."
The TKS Motorsports team will head to Knoxville Raceway this coming Saturday as the historic ½-mile puts a wrap on their 2015 season.
Article Credit: Reid VanEck
Submitted By: Craig Dollansky Racing
