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Saldana flies to Eldora All-Star win.
ROSSBURG, OH (April 26) – If Joey Saldana had gone any faster Saturday night at Eldora Speedway, he would have needed a pilot’s license, as the Brownsburg (IN) Bullet literally decimated a talented field of 37 winged All Star Sprints. Jon Henry duplicated last week’s Moser UMP-DirtCar Modified victory with a surprise pass on Jerry Bowersock in the late stages, while former Advance Auto Parts Stock Car champion Mike Dirksen completed the tripleheader program with a victory lane visit.
After setting quick time on the one-half mile clay oval, Saldana showed no mercy the rest of the night. He shot past Chad Kemenah with two laps to go in the their qualifying heat to take that win and then in the 30-lap finale he was literally in a different time zone. The non-stop event found Saldana lapping all by the first six finishers.
Daryn Pittman shot into the early lead and held that spot for the first five circuits before giving way to eventual winner Saldana. The torrid pace was to Pittman’s liking as well, as he was able to hold back a fast approaching Donny Schatz and Steve Kinser through the lapped traffic. Kinser had advanced through the B-Main, but the cagey veteran instantly regained his pace in the finale, while Paul McMahan turned in a stellar performance in the Rick Ferkel making to record a fifth place finish. Kemenah was the only other driver on the lead lap at the finish.
The win was Saldana’s 11th career All Star triumph at Eldora.
Joining Saldana in the pit area was team owner Kasey Kahne. Kahne, a former standout in winged Sprint racing and current regular on the NASCAR circuit, drove the team’s back up car to an 11th place finish.
If the early season action is any indication, there may be a changing of the guard in the works within the Moser UMP-DirtCar Modified ranks, as young sensation Jon Henry is making his mark.
Veteran Brian Ruhlman kicked off the season with a victory in the first week of action, but then Henry out paced Ruhlman and the balance of the field, including multi-time champion Scott Orr last week to take the win.
The odds were stacked against Henry this week, with perennial hot shoe Jerry Bowersock sitting on the outside front row – the preferred starting spot in any event at Eldora. Henry lined up in fifth spot.
As expected, at the drop of the green flag, Bowersock shot into the lead, with Mike Dirksen holding down second and Henry up to third at the end of one lap. That order remained intact for four laps, before Henry shot past Dirksen to set his sights on Bowersock. Meanwhile, Jeff Babcock was moving rapidly through the field from his 15th place starting position to move into fifth at the same time that Henry moved into second.
Henry continued to narrow down the distance between himself and Bowersock, while Babcock picked off two more cars to move into third on lap nine. That set up a wild three car battle that instantly heated up a chilled crowd. Henry rode inches from the concrete wall to shoot by Bowersock four laps from the end to set up the upset win. Babcock took a few shots at Bowersock, but had to settle for third at the finish, with Orr and rookie driver Eddie Shaner, Jr. completing the top five.
Doing double duty, Dirksen had plenty of lap time Saturday night. He use that to his favor to get past early leader Jerry Butler on lap three to take the lead and never look back. Unlike Saldana’s run away win, Dirksen’s triumph was no cake walk. Hounding throughout the distance was Earnie Woodard, while Barney Craig and Shawn Phillippi nosed in near the finish to set up a wild four car battle right to the checkered flag. Time ran out, with that foursome crossing the line in that order. Chad Barr completed the top five.
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April 26, 2008
All Star Sprints – 37 cars
Fast Time: Joey Saldana 13.419
Heat 1: Joey Saldana, Chad Kemenah, Phil Gressman, Donny Schatz, Brian Ellenberger, Chad Blonde, Steve Kinser, Kraig Kinser, Ryan Myers, Brandon Masrtin
Heat 2: Dean Jacobs, Randy Hannagan, Butch Schroeder, Ed Lynch, Jr., Daryn Pittman, Chad Hillier, Lee Stark, Kent Wolters, Bill Rose
Heat 3: Paul May, Kenny Jacobs, Dustin Daggett, Rob Chaney, Brian Paulus, Tony Bruce, Jr., Jimmy Stinson, Mark Aldrich, Brock Mayes
Heat 4: Greg Wilson, Paul McMahan, Lance DeWease, Kasey Kahne, Lucas Wolfe, Dale Blaney, Aaron McFadden, Ed Neumeister, Kevin Huntley
Dash: Randy Hannagan, Paul May, Brian Ellenberger, Rob Chaney, Paul McMahan, Lance DeWease
B-Main: Steve Kinser, Dale Blaney, Chad Blonde, Chad Hillier, Jimmy Stinson, Kraig Kinser, Lee Stark, Brandon Martin, Kevin Huntley, Tony Bruce, Jr., Kent Wolters, Ryan Myers, Mark Aldrich, Aaron McFadden, Ed Neumeister, Brock Mayes
A-Main: 1)Joey Saldana 2)Daryn Pittman 3)Donny Schatz 4)Steve Kinser 5)Paul McMahan 6)Chad Kemenah 7)Kenny Jacobs 8)Rob Chaney 9)Lucas Wolfe 10)Brian Paulus 11)Kasey Kahne 12)Butch Schroeder 13)Ed Lynch, Jr. 14)Dustin Daggett 15)Greg Wilson 16)Dean Jacobs 17)Chad Blonde 18)Chad Hillier 19)Brian Ellenberger 20)Randy Hannagan 21)Paul May 22)Lance DeWease 23)Phil Gressman 24)Dale Blaney
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Moser UMP Modifieds – 31 cars
Heat 1: Todd Sherman, Jon Henry, Lenny Guyton, David Smith, Shane Unger, Josh Greber, Gary Richard, Steve Billenstein
Heat 2: Mike Dirksen, John Brooks, Eddie Shaner, Jr., Ryan Sutter, Steve Brown, Josh Morton, Scott Orr, Mike Roediger
Heat 3: Jerry Bowersock, Jeff Harris, Tim Richardson, Jeff Babcock, Todd Sanders, Davey Gantt, Schuyler Nahre, Warren Shingleton
Heat 4: Justin Matson, Nick Katterhenry, Chad Rosenbeck, Chad Oberson, David Treon, Jr. Mike Chrisman, Tom Treon
B-Main: Scott Orr, Todd Sanders, Josh Morton, Gary Richard, Schuyler Nahre, Shane Unger, Tom Treon, Josh Greber, Steve Brown, Warren Shingleton, Davey Gantt, David Treon, Jr. Mike Chrisman, Steve Billenstein, Mike Roediger
A-Main: 1)Jon Henry 2)Jerry Bowersock 3)Jeff Babcock 4)Scott Orr 5)Eddie Shaner, Jr. 6)Jeff Harris 7)Mike Dirksen 8)John Brooks 9)Lenny Guyton 10)Todd Sherman 11)Gary Richard 12)Chad Rosenbeck 13)Justin Matson 14)Chad Oberson 15)Schuyler Nahre 16)Shane Unger 17)Josh Morton 18)Tim Richardson 19)Ryan Sutter 20)David Smith 21)Nick Katterhenry 22)Todd Sanders
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Advance Auto Parts Stocks: 23 cars
Heat 1: Bob Burch, Earnie Woodard, Shawn Phillippi, Chad Barr, Rodney Lacey, Terry Klopfenstein, Jason Kinney, Michael Barr
Heat 2: Barney Craig, Doug Thieman, Chad Thornhill, Jeremy Creech, Gabe Wombolt, Anthony Goode, Andy King, Jamie Heiser
Heat 3: Kevin Gossard, Mike Dirksen, Jerry Butler, Adam Schaeff, Jon Runyon, Glenn Knick, Bob Sutter
A-Main: 1)Mike Dirksen 2)Earnie Woodard 3)Barney Craig 4)Shawn Phillippi 5)Chad Barr 6)Jerry Butler 7)Chad Thornhill 8)Gabe Wombolt 9)Adam Schaeff 10)Doug Thieman 11)Jon Runyon 12)Jeremy Creech 13)Anthony Goode 14)Jason Kinney 15)Andy King 16)Mike Barr 17)Rodney Lacey 18)Kevin Gossard 19)Bob Burch 20)Jamie Heiser
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