(Photo by Matt Hill)
Inside Line Promotions – WEEDSPORT, N.Y. (May 23, 2016) – Jason Sides wrapped up his first weekend of the season in the Northeast with a top-10 finish on Sunday at Weedsport Speedway during the Empire State Challenge.
Sides kicked off the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series event by qualifying 19th quickest. He then advanced from seventh to fifth place in a heat race to start the main event on the inside of the seventh row.
“I got up to ninth or 10th and I got a little greedy trying to get to the bottom off turn two,” he said. “I caught the concrete barrier on the infield. It grabbed it, snatched it and turned it to a square. I wasn’t sure what it was until I was coming down the front straightaway and it spun me around.”
Sides went to the work area and had the left front tire replaced during the caution just before the midpoint of the race.
“We went back out and restarted 17th or 18th,” he said. “I got back to 10th on the last lap. Once the track somewhat freed up, they had it so wet and choppy for qualifying, it got a lot better. It was really wide in turns one and two and then in turns three and four it was halfway up the track.”
Sides used a last-lap pass to secure 10th place, which was his 12th top 10 of the season.
The trip to the Northeast began last Wednesday at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pa., where rain dampened the program throughout the night before racing was eventually postponed until the following evening. Sides returned to the 3/8-mile oval on Thursday and he qualified 10th quickest in his group. He then maneuvered from fifth to third place in a heat race, which was good enough to start 12th in the Gettysburg Clash feature.
“I just didn’t tighten up enough for the feature and we went straight to the back,” he said. “They were all running through the middle and I tried staying around the bottom and it wasn’t very good. We were too loose early and we started falling back pretty quick.”
Sides was credited with a 22nd-place finish.
Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., hosted a doubleheader starting on Friday. Sides timed in 16th quickest during his group before he charged from eighth to fifth place during a heat race to lock into the 20th starting position for the main event.
“We didn’t qualify real good,” he said. “We made some changes to the car from the heat race and it was way better (for the feature). I got going pretty good late, the last 10 laps or so. When you look at the cars right there with us, Sammy Swindell, David Gravel, Stevie Smith, Brad Sweet, it was tough passing all night.”
Sides posted a 17th-place finish.
Saturday’s Morgan Cup rained out at Williams Grove Speedway.
Sides will return to action with the World of Outlaws on Tuesday at New Egypt Speedway in New Egypt, N.J., for the Jersey Outlaw Classic before racing on Friday at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C., for the Circle K/NOS Energy Drink Outlaw Showdown and next Monday at Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, Ind.
QUICK RESULTS –
May 19 – Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pa. – Qualifying: 10; Heat race: 3 (5); Feature: 22 (12).
May 20 – Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa. – Qualifying: 16; Heat race: 5 (8); Feature: 17 (20).
May 22 – Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, N.Y. – Qualifying: 19; Heat race: 5 (7); Feature: 10 (13).
SEASON STATS –
31 races, 2 wins, 2 top fives, 12 top 10s, 22 top 15s, 29 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Tuesday at New Egypt Speedway in New Egypt, N.J., for the Jersey Outlaw Classic; Friday at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C., for the Circle K/NOS Energy Drink Outlaw Showdown; and Monday at Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, Ind., with the World of Outlaws Craftsman 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 – Clean Seal, Inc.
Clean Seal, Inc. has supplied extruded rubber products to the transportation industry since 1978. The company, which is based in South Bend, Ind., is a full-line, full-service source for standard and custom-designed seals and gaskets. For more information, visit http://www.CleanSeal.com.
“Clean Seal came on board last year and we’re excited to have them as part of our program,” Sides said. “I want to say thanks to Bill Dawson and the entire team at Clean Seal. We look forward to future success together.”
Sides would also like to thank Wetherington Tractor Service, Inc., King Racing Products, R.E. Enterprises, VRP Shocks, BR Motorsports, FSR Radiators, Dancer Logistics, Inc., Jim Schuhknecht, East Coast Logistics, 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 23, 2016
- Article Date: 5/23/2016 by Inside Line Promotions