(Photo by Jerry Gossel)
Inside Line Promotions – SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 4, 2016) – Dale Blaney has started 2016 with the same dominance that his Mainstream Holdings, Inc., backed CH Motorsports team showcased throughout last year.
Blaney dominated the opening round of the 2nd annual Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown at Cocopah Speedway on Friday before placing fourth on Saturday during Round 2, which puts him in the lead of the championship standings with three races remaining.
“To get a win that early is really special, knowing you can still get something done and keep the streak of winning a race every year alive,” he said. “I’ve won a race every year of my career. That’s at 27 years now.”
Blaney kept the streak alive on New Year’s Day when he advanced from third to second place in a heat race and from fifth to second place in a qualifier. That gave him the most combined points and put him on the pole of the 30-lap feature.
“The qualifier was the key, passing some good cars,” he said. “That put is in position to be the top point guy. It’s not like somewhere where there is an invert and you’re lucky to draw the pole. I felt like we gave ourselves a great opportunity. Somebody had to start there and we earned that spot. We didn’t make any mistakes (in the feature) and it paid off.”
Blaney led all 30 laps of the main event and held on during a green-white-checkered finish to record his first triumph of the season.
The action continued on Saturday at the 3/8-mile oval for the Mainstream Holdings, Inc., sponsored team, which rallied from seventh to third place in a heat race to start the night.
“We were fortunate on Saturday,” Blaney said. “A guy who started in front of me in the heat race fell out on the start so that moved me up a row. I was able to jump to fourth and then Bud Kaeding had a problem and it moved me to third.”
Blaney then placed third in a qualifier to rank fifth in overall points heading into the 30-lap main event.
“We were really good the first 15 laps,” he said. “I got freer and freer on exit. I didn’t get my wing back as far as I should have. I struggled the last 10 (laps) and lost a spot to (Danny) Lasoski. It was a good night though.”
Blaney, who spent most of the race in third place before he finished fourth, is the only driver out of the 46 competitors to register top-five finishes both nights.
The team returns to action on Tuesday for Round 3 of the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown before the event wraps up next Friday and Saturday.
QUICK RESULTS –
Jan. 1 – Cocopah Speedway in Somerton, Ariz. – Heat race: 2 (3); Qualifier: 2 (5); Feature: 1 (1).
Jan. 2 – Cocopah Speedway in Somerton, Ariz. – Heat race: 3 (7); Qualifier: 3 (6); Feature: 4 (5).
SEASON STATS –
2 races, 1 win, 2 top fives, 2 top 10s, 2 top 15s, 2 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at Cocopah Speedway in Somerton, Ariz., for the 2nd annual Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown
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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.
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- Shawn Miller on Jan 04, 2016
- Article Date: 1/4/2016 by Inside Line Promotions