(Photo by Collin Markle Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – WEEDSPORT, N.Y. (May 18, 2015) – The pill draw played a key role last weekend for Jason Sides.
Sides didn’t draw within the top 30 during three World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series events in the Northeast, where the competition was as challenging as the track conditions.
“When you draw bad at some of those places it gets you out of it the entire night unless you get a lucky break in the heat race and cars crash out,” he said. “It’s hard to make that deficit up after you qualify bad.”
That was the case during two races for Sides, whose highlight was on Friday at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa. Sides drew the No. 33 in the pill draw to qualify in the middle of the pack. He timed in eighth quickest, which locked him into the heat race inversion.
Sides finished where he started – third – in a heat to advance into the 25-lap main event.
“I qualified really well for us,” he said. “In the feature it was a nice, wide track. When I went to the bottom the first lap or two I lost one spot there. I stayed on the bottom about three laps and lost another spot. Then I decided to get back up top. The race went nonstop. I felt like it was a decent run just because the racing line was that far out on the race track. I’d rather run on the bottom if there’s good moisture. To rip around the top like that was pretty good for me.”
Sides earned a 14th-place finish, which was his best result at the half-mile oval since 2013.
The week of racing kicked off last Wednesday at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pa., for the Gettysburg Clash. Sides drew the No. 45 in the pill draw to go out in the second half of qualifying.
Sides timed in 36th quickest on a track that slowed down throughout qualifying. He then placed eighth in a heat race, won the C Main and maneuvered from 17th to 10th in the Last Chance Showdown.
“We made progress throughout the night,” he said. “Having clean air during the C Main certainly helped and the changes we made helped the car in the Last Chance Showdown as well.”
Following Saturday’s rain out of the Morgan Cup at Williams Grove Speedway, Sides closed his weekend on Sunday during the Empire State Challenge at Weedsport Speedway by drawing the fourth-highest number – 55 – to qualify toward the end of the pack.
“It’s a beautiful facility,” he said. “As far as the race track I think it was lacking a little grip. I got a little too wide going into turn one (in qualifying) and it took a four-wheel skate. I lost a little ground there. I got better and better as the night went on. We made huge improvements on it.”
Sides advanced from eighth to sixth place in a heat race and then from ninth to fourth place in the Last Chance Showdown to garner a transfer into the main event. He rallied from last – 24th – to a 15th-place result during the feature.
“Most of my passes came when they would slip up off the bottom and we were good on the bottom,” he said. “I’d have been happier with a top 10, but the further you get to the front of the pack the more quality cars they are.”
Sides is scheduled to compete on Tuesday at New Egypt Speedway in New Egypt, N.J., for the Jersey Outlaw Classic and on Friday at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C., for the Circle K/NOS Energy Drink Outlaw Showdown with the World of Outlaws.
QUICK RESULTS –
May 13 – Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pa. – Qualifying: 36; Heat race: 8 (9); C Main: 1 (1); B Main: 10 (17).
May 15 – Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa. – Qualifying: 8; Heat race: 3 (3); Feature: 14 (12).
May 17 – Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, N.J. – Qualifying: 29; Heat race: 6 (8); B Main: 4 (9); Feature: 15 (24).
SEASON STATS –
31 races, 1 win, 8 top fives, 17 top 10s, 24 top 15s, 27 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Tuesday at New Egypt Speedway in New Egypt, N.J., for the Jersey Outlaw Classic and Friday at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C., for the Circle K/NOS Energy Drink Outlaw Showdown with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.SidesMotorsports.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SidesMotorsport
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sides-Motorsports/283833970847?ref=br_tf
LIVE AUDIO –
Keep up with Sides Motorsports via free, live audio from DIRTVision at every World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event throughout the season. Select events also include live Pay-Per-View video. For more information, click http://www.DIRTVision.com.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Dancer Logistics, Inc.
Dancer Logistics, Inc., is a full-service transportation logistics provider specializing in dedicated fleet, brokerage and warehousing. For more information, visit http://www.DancerLogistics.com.
“Shawn Dancer of Dancer Logistics has been with us for many years and he’s helped us a ton,” Sides said. “It’s grown to be more of a friendship than a partnership.”
Sides would also like to thank Wetherington Tractor Service, Inc., King Racing Products, R.E. Enterprises, VRP Shocks, BR Motorsports, Clean Seal, Inc., East Coast Logistics, Jim Schuhknecht, FSR Radiators, Driven Racing Oil, Ingles Racing Engines, Wings Unlimited and All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on May 18, 2015
- Article Date: 5/18/2015 by Inside Line Promotions