By: Bill Foley
David Schilling was fast on opening night of the Short Track Super Series Sunshine Swing.
However, that speed almost bit him big time in his qualifying heat.
The Modified driver from East Greenbush, N.Y. finished fourth in the featured 30 finale, but the heat competition where he came from nowhere to pull alongside leader Larry Wight on the final lap was just the finish of the heat.
Then there was the beginning
Reflecting on the heat, Schilling, who started seventh, said, “The first lap was sort of dicey. I kind of walked off the bottom and a lot of guys split up. I passed a few cars down the backstretch and it seemed like me and Britten went around someone on both sides and when we got down to three we were both in the same spot. I got into him and I didn’t mean to do it. We both kind of drove down there at the same time. Once I got around him the track cleaned up and I was creeping around the bottom.”
Continuing he said, “The track felt good. I could launch off the bottom pretty good. Once I got to second I could see Larry Wight out there on the top and I figured I might as well try it. I didn’t want to hang around in second and I figured I would get passed. I moved up to the top and could turn down out of two and walk off the bottom down there and try to float through three and four. Next thing I knew I was right on Larry’s bumper. The last lap I messed up in three and four. I had gotten alongside of him on the backstretch, but a little driver error there. It’s all right.”
It was close as David explained, “I just drove it into three too hard. I was going to slide him, but I didn’t think I was going to clear him. I slid through the middle and didn’t slide or curl the tires. He got a good launch off the top. If it was for a feature win, I might have slid him, but not in a heat. It wasn’t worth it.”
Schilling is running one of the Wagner Open motors which is different from the one he had power his Modified a year ago and it definitely has some power.
In the feature he was contending for a podium finish but had to settle for fourth.
Afterwards a disappointed Schilling talked with Dirt Track Digest as the team watched a replay of a late race restart on Flo.
David said, “I definitely should have been third. I made some mistakes on restarts and let some guys get around me. I misjudged some of my lines. Overall, we had a good enough car to run up front which is always good. The driver just needs to do a little better job next time.”
