Inside Line Promotions - KNOXVILLE, Iowa (Aug. 13, 2013) - The biggest event of the season didn't go the way Big Game Motorsports teammates Craig Dollansky and Sammy Swindell hoped.
Both the Eyecon Trail Cameras and Big Game Treestands cars failed to advance to the $150,000-to-win feature on Saturday at Knoxville Raceway.
"It's extremely disappointing," said Dollansky, who didn't make the main event for the first time since 2003. "We will learn from it and be back next year."
After a busy last couple of weeks, Swindell opened the premier event on Wednesday with preliminary action by qualifying 17th quickest.
"The biggest thing was time," he said. "We had a lot to do and not a lot of time. We had a lot of driving and a lot of work to do. It boils down to not being ready or prepared as well as we needed to be. It didn't start off very good because the first corner (of hot laps) the right wing side folded up the wing. I didn't really get the practice to figure out where we needed to be or what we had. That didn't let us qualify very well."
Swindell dropped from fifth to seventh place in his heat race, which relegated him to start ninth in the B Main in his Big Game Treestands car. He made a late charge to sixth place, but lost the position in the closing laps to end seventh - three spots out of a transfer.
Dollansky fared better on Thursday during his preliminary night by timing the Eyecon Trail Cameras car in 16th quickest and maneuvering from fifth to third place in his heat race, which locked him into the feature. Dollansky entered the 25-lap main event ninth in points to start on the inside of the fifth row and he finished one position higher in eighth.
"From the start of our qualifying night we weren't where we needed to be with our car," he said. "We lacked speed. Our qualifying effort was poor. We didn't have a very good mile per hour in the heat race and we struggled through the entire A Main."
Dollansky earned enough points during preliminary action to start Saturday's finale sixth in the B Main, which transferred the top four to the 50-lap feature.
Swindell took advantage of Friday's program, which locked the top-four finishers into Saturday's feature. However, issues plagued the team throughout the night, when the Big Game Treestands car qualified third quickest of the 71 competitors and finished fourth in the heat race - one spot out of a transfer.
"On Friday night we were running without any brakes," he said. "We had a steering mount that came off. We were always behind or had a problem. It just carried right through."
Swindell started on the pole of an extended B Main and led until the final lap, when he ran out of fuel. He held on to claim the third-and-final transfer position, but was disqualified for being two pounds light at the scales.
"It was a marathon and lasted forever and we ran out of fuel," he said. "We hadn't had a chance to weigh this car and we hadn't been light with our other ones at all. They said we were two pounds light and they took all those points away. One gallon (of fuel) is going to weigh almost eight pounds. You're looking at a quarter of a gallon (to make weight)."
That started the Big Game Treestands car fourth in the E Main. Swindell won that to advance to the D Main, where he charged from 18th to third to earn a transfer to the C Main. Swindell then rallied from 22nd to place seventh in the C Main, which transferred the top four to the back of the B Main.
"We had it a lot better on Friday and a lot better on Saturday," he said. "I wished we could have started where we finished on Saturday. I believe it would have changed the outcome. We were starting so far back. To run through that D like we did that shows the potential. If we could have got some yellows or got a better start, we only missed the B by three positions."
Dollansky didn't catch any breaks during the B Main, when a car got sideways in front of him. That cost him several positions and the Eyecon Trail Cameras car finished 11th in the consolation.
"Come Saturday we didn't get any better handling on the race car," he said. "To be in the top three rows of the B Main we should have been able to get ourselves transferred out of the spot to the A Main, but we didn't. I think we know some of the areas we struggled in."
The Big Game Motorsports teams will continue with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series on Tuesday at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., for the NAPA Auto Parts Outlaw Showdown. On Friday, they will race at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., and then on Sunday at Nodak Speedway in Minot, N.D.
QUICK RESULTS -
DOLLANSKY:
Aug. 8 - Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa - Qualifying: 16; Heat race: 3 (5); Feature: 8 (9).
Aug. 10 - Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa - B Main: 11 (6).
SWINDELL:
Aug. 7 - Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa - Qualifying: 17; Heat race: 7 (5); B Main: 7 (9).
Aug. 9 - Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa - Qualifying: 3; Heat race: 4 (4); B Main: DQ (1).
Aug. 10 - Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa - E Main: 1 (4); D Main: 3 (18); C Main: 7 (22).
SEASON STATS -
DOLLANSKY : 55 races, 6 wins, 17 top fives, 33 top 10s, 44 top 15s, 52 top 20s
SWINDELL : 56 races, 2 wins, 14 top fives, 32 top 10s, 45 top 15s, 49 top 20s
UP NEXT -
Tuesday at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., Friday at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., and Sunday at Nodak Speedway in Minot, N.D., with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series
LIVE AUDIO -
Keep up with Big Game Motorsports via free, live audio from DIRTVision at every World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series event throughout the season. For more information, click http://www.DIRTVision.com.
MEDIA LINKS -
Big Game Treestands: http://www.BigGameTreestands.com
Aggressive Hydraulics: http://www.AggressiveHydraulics.com
MobileStar: http://www.MobileStar.us/mobilestarwebsite
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Big_Game_TS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Game-Treestands/251832101535076?fref=ts
BIG GAME TREESTANDS -
Established in 1977 in Windom, Minn., Big Game Treestands has grown to be a leading company in the outdoor industry. Big Game Treestands offers a Rock Solid™ line of field tested, safety certified above TMA requirements, welded steel stands & free standing elevated platforms that gives you not only a safe and extremely sturdy vantage point, but also reliable all-day comfort at a great value. Large, non-slip standing platforms, top-notch fastening systems, and our innovative pinned, sleeved ladder sections provide the Rock Solid™ stance, twist free climbing, and all around silence that Big Game Treestands® is known for. Non-glare, powder coat finish keeps our products hidden from nature's wary eye.
For over 30 years, it has been our goal and our philosophy to provide the most innovative and practical treestands and hunting accessories in the field. As tradition continues, we are Exceeding Limitations and once again providing new models that challenge Mother Nature. In 2012 Big Game extended the line into Trail Cameras known for the easy to set, great picture quality, and over all great camera Eyecon Trail Cameras exceeds the expectations of consumers. Big Game Treestands® and Eyecon Trail Cameras® offers undeniable quality on time-tested favorites as well as new innovations for 2013.
For more information on Big Game Treestands, visit http://www.BigGameTreestands.com.
EYECON TRAIL CAMERAS ® -
Eyecon Trail Cameras® are premier trail cameras for hunters and outdoorsmen. The Black Widow Trail Camera, Storm Trail Camera and Quikshot Trail Camera provide a variety of options that are user-friendly with exceptional imaging. To learn more about or purchase Eyecon Trail Cameras®, visit http://www.EyeconTrailCameras.com.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS -
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations, media management and merchandising services for sprint car teams. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and your sponsors' return on investment.
To meet the media relations needs of your team, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or sprintcarreporter@yahoo.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.insidelinepromotions.com.
- Admin Account on Aug 19, 2013
- Article Date: 8/13/2013 by Shawn Miller