(Photo by Paul Arch)
Inside Line Promotions – PERRIS, Calif. (April 3, 2017) – Jason Sides closed the first swing of the season through California on a positive note last week when he earned three top-10 finishes.
“I think we’re getting some consistency and where we should be,” he said. “We’ve had speed all season, but haven’t got the finishes. I think we could have had three top fives, but I was happy to leave California with three top 10s.”
The action began last Wednesday at Placerville Speedway in Placerville for the Brad Sweet Placerville Short Track Showdown presented by NAPA Auto Parts.
Sides qualified fifth quickest and he finished third in a heat race to miss locking into the dash by only one position. That lined him up on the inside of the fifth row for the main event at the bullring.
“We qualified pretty decent and made it through the heat,” he said. “I think we could have been in the dash, but I got chopped a bit on the first lap. It wasn’t a big deal, just a racing deal. We had a caution and I didn’t get the jump like we did the first one.
“In the feature we had a red flag with a few laps to go. I don’t know if it sealed the tires or let them cool off too much, but on that last restart we lost a couple of spots.”
Sides battled for a top five throughout the main event before he hung on to a ninth-place finish.
Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford hosted the Kings Outlaw Shootout on Friday. Sides timed in 18th quickest and he ended sixth in a heat race to miss locking into the main event by only one spot. However, he placed third in the Last Chance Showdown to garner a transfer into the back of the main event.
“We had a great car and I got to fifth with three laps to go,” he said. “I started moving around to see if I could go better. Where I was running on the bottom (David) Gravel got by me and James McFadden. I got to McFadden for fifth at the checkered, but ran out of time.
“Just like Logan (Schuchart) and Donny (Schatz), we were on the bottom. The cushion would hold you nice in turn one all the way to the exit of turn two, but there was a spot that would grab you and spin your front around. It was the same thing in turn four. I think a lot of guys kept trying to run it. We just stayed on the bottom.”
Sides charged from 23rd to the sixth-place result.
The weekend concluded on Saturday at Perris Auto Speedway for the SoCal Showdown. Sides qualified fourth quickest and he finished second in a heat race to advance into the dash. He gained a position in the dash to end third, which started him on the inside of the second row for the main event.
“They went out and worked the track before the non-wing feature and it looked good, but they didn’t do anything to the track before our race,” he said. “I tried running the bottom too long. By the time I moved up we were about sixth and got in the rubber. On some late cautions it was like a big wasps nest going into turn one. It was slide jobs from hell in the rubber. You want to make sure you get to the rubber and someone would bonsai in there and either you lift or you both crash.”
Sides capped the night with an eighth-place finish, which marked his sixth top 10 of the season.
He will make his debut at Cocopah Speedway in Somerton, Ariz., this Friday for the Yuma Valley Showdown before racing on Saturday at Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek, Ariz., for the Arizona Desert Shootout with the World of Outlaws.
QUICK RESULTS –
March 29 – Placerville Speedway in Placerville, Calif. – Qualifying: 5; Heat race: 3 (3); Feature: 9 (9).
March 31 – Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, Calif. – Qualifying: 18; Heat race: 6 (5); B Main: 3 (3); Feature: 6 (23).
April 1 – Perris Auto Speedway in Perris, Calif. – Qualifying: 4; Heat race: 2 (2); Dash: 3 (4); Feature: 8 (3).
SEASON STATS –
15 races, 0 wins, 1 top five, 6 top 10s, 6 top 15s, 9 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday at Cocopah Speedway in Somerton, Ariz., for the Yuma Valley Showdown and Saturday at Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek, Ariz., for the Arizona Desert Shootout 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
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Jim Schuhknecht
“Jim started helping out a couple of years ago,” Sides said. “He’s a really good guy and has helped me when I’ve needed it the most.”
Sides would also like to thank Wetherington Tractor Service, Inc., East Coast Logistics, Dancer Logistics Inc., VRP Shocks, King Racing Products, Clean Seal, Inc., R.E. Enterprises, BR Motorsports, FSR Radiators, Mid-States Equipment, Pat Hanley Auction Co., Brad Roller, 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 Apr 03, 2017
- Article Date: 4/3/2017 by Inside Line Promotions