(Image Credit: Ben Thrasher)
26 Promotions – Peoria, AZ – (May 31st, 2017) – For the first time since April Dale Eliason Jr and the rest of the Power 600 Series drivers went wingless for two nights of racing at Canyon Speedway Park.
Keeping with his normal routine, Eliason Jr checked out the track conditions as soon as they arrived at the CSP on Saturday afternoon to get an idea on how to set up the car.
“I walked the track as soon as I got there and noticed it had more water on it than last time,” he explained. “So I told my dad to put the same setup in as the last Non-Wing race.”
Starting fifth in his Heat, Eliason Jr advanced one spot finishing fourth. That result lined him up in eleventh for the start of an eventful Feature.
“On the second lap one of the cars in front spun out and I had nowhere to go,” he said. “I slid up sideways and knocked my axle out of alignment.”
The damage wasn’t enough to end Eliason Jr’s night. He’d restart 15th but would only make it another handful of laps before running into trouble again.
“Someone spun out off the exit of turn four and I had nowhere to go again,” Eliason explained. “My right rear made contact with another guy’s right rear and I flipped.”
Eliason Jr ended night one of Salute to Indy with an 18th place finish.
After a late night and morning thrash session the Eliason Motorsport 04j was ready to for round two.
Eliason Jr checked out the track again to see if the conditions warranted any changes, but saw the track was like night one and decided to start with the same setup.
Picking up two spots in his heat to finish fourth from sixth, Eliason Jr started Sunday’s Feature from the tenth position.
The Iceman quickly picked up two spots in the opening laps and moved into seventh after a caution just before the halfway point. He’d spend most of the race in the seventh position trying to work his way around the sixth-place car. Eliason Jr completed the pass with three laps to go to finish night two in sixth.
“My dad worked his butt off to get the car ready for Sunday,” he said. “We could have had a better finish if I would have got around the sixth-place car faster.”
Eliason Jr bolts the wings back on when he returns to action on June 17th as the Power 600 Series runs the big third-mile oval at Canyon Speedway Park for the first time this year.
Dale Eliason Jr would like to thank Affordable Powder Coating, Copper State Bolt & Nut, DOLCRX, Guhl Motors, HJ Tile, Industrial Machinery Services, PMP Chassis, Seros Racing Engines and T & K Repair for their continued support.
Saturday’s Results:
Heat: 5th -> 4th
Feature: 11th -> 18th
Sunday’s Results:
Heat: 6th -> 4th
Feature: 10th -> 6th
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaleEliasonJr
Website: https://www.DaleEliasonJr.com
- Darren Ward on May 31, 2017
- Article Date: 5/31/2017 by 26 Promotions