SHIREY CONTINUES MASTERY OF SANDUSKY SPEEDWAY

By Larry Boos Outlaw 350 Supermodified Sprint Series PR

SANDUSKY, OH (August 23) – While the record books will reflect another Danny Shirey (N. Ridgeville, OH) Team Willis Outlaw 350 Supermodified-Sprint Series (OSS) victory at Sandusky Speedway it simply won’t exemplify the intense battles throughout the 30-lap main event on the venerable one-half mile oval Saturday night.  Shirey’s charge to the front was via his methodical drive, but behind him, it was orchestrated discipline as the balance of the 15-car field fought tenaciously for position.

At the dropping of the green flag, with Todd Buchanan (Castalia, OH) breaking out to the lead, chaos broke out in turn one. Several cars tangled to bring out an early caution flag.  Rich DeWitt, Jr. (South Amherst, OH) received front nose wing damage from the melee and was towed to the pit ‘work area’ where repairs were made within the allotted time and he returned to the racing surface. During that process, Dale McQuillen (Mansfield, OH) and Kenny Sharp (Port Clinton, OH) dropped to the pits as well but did not return.

With everything in order and the field re-aligned, the green flag again appeared and was not to be lifted again for the course of the chase.

This time, it was Hunter Young (Orient, OH) charging to command of the field, with Buchanan ducking in behind him, while a fast-moving Kevin Mingus (Huron, OH) darted to the outside from his sixth position starting slot to third. Mingus, in one of only two upright Sprint Cars in the field battling against the low-slung offset Roadsters, quickly got by Buchanan for runner-up honors to set his sights on Young.

Young was on a rail and was executing flawless laps to extend his lead over Mingus and Buchanan, but behind them the battles ensued.

By lap eight, Shirey had moved from seventh to fourth bringing Sawyer Stout (Norwalk, OH) with him in fifth. Two laps later, Shirey picked off Buchanan for third and then another pair of laps were required to capture runner-up honors from Mingus.  Just as the field took the crossed flags to indicate the halfway point, Shirey got by Young and for him, it was smooth sailing to the finish.

But behind him, it was anything but smooth.  Discipline and skill were required as lapped traffic came into play and despite some extremely close calls, nary a caution was thrown.  In what resembled a well calculated chess game, the quintet of Mingus, Buchanan, A.J. Lesiecki (Bowling Green, OH), Stout and Cody Gallogly (Baltimore, OH) swapped positions back and forth, high and low, flawlessly.  Soon time ran out, the checkered flag flew, and it was Shirey, Young and Mingus holding down the podium positions, while Buchanan and Lesiecki completed the top five.

For his performance, Young captured the Snow Otter Rookie of the Race honors, while Shirey garnered the Lang’s Automotive Hard Charger Award.  Tyler Capodice was the recipient of the Quest Restoration Last Car on the Lead Lap Award and Rich DeWitt, Jr. was the Quest Restoration Last Car Running Award recipient.  Earlier in the night, Shirey set quick time (16.418) to gather the Jim Valentine Quick Time Ward, while Kevin Mingus was the Big & Little’s Cart 3^rd Quick Award beneficiary.  Brian’s Automotive/Gibson’s Hoosier Tire sponsored heat winners were Lesiecki and Shirey.

Earlier in the night, during the second round of practice laps, Doug Neubauer (Pickerington, OH), made hard contact into the concrete retaining wall, and was transferred to a local medical facility for observation. Following a thorough checkup, he was relaxed and later returned to the track.

–30—

Jim Valentine Qualifying:  Danny Shirey (16.418)

Brian’s Automotive/Gibson’s Hoosier Tire Heat One:  A.J. Lesiecki, Cody Gallogly, Sawyer Stout, Hunter Young, Kenny Sharp, Rich DeWitt, Jr., J.D. Evans, Dale McQuillen

Brians Automotive/Gibson’s Hoosier Tire Heat Two: Danny Shirey, Kevin Mingus, Todd Buchanan, Tyler Capodice, Frank Neill, Sam Stout, Joe Speakman

30-Lap A-Main:  1)Danny Shirey 2)Hunter Young 3)Kevin Mingus 4)Todd Buchanan 5)A.J. Lesiecki 6)Sawyer Stout 7)Cody Gallogly 8)Tyler Capodice 9)Sam Stout 10)Frank Neill 11)J.D. Evans 12)Joe Speakman 13)Rich DeWitt, Jr. 14)Kenny Sharp 15)Dale McQuillen 16)Doug Neubauer (DNS)