By Bill Sullivan/Sullivan Images Media
ELK GROVE, CA – If each incident of tough luck was worth championship points, Elk Grove's Billy Strange may have already locked up a championship title in his past two events with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. After a tough outing in last month's Mini Gold Cup in Chico, Strange traveled to Merced last weekend where lady luck once again was blowing kisses in another direction.
"I was hoping to put the bad luck at Chico behind me when we went to Merced, I've been carrying that bad weekend with me for weeks, " said Strange, who had a goal of qualifying for the A feature. "Things just didn't go our way again, if I didn't have tough luck I'd have no luck at all."
Making his first ever appearance at the Merced track, Strange qualified 20th in Friday's event, his second World of Outlaws event of 2011 in a season that will feature a menagerie of different venues for the former rock star that traded his strings for a steering wheel several years ago to follow in the footsteps of his father, Billy Strange Sr. who continues to help his son today.
In heat racing competition, Strange took to the track in the Strange Motorsports #28x with his sights set on a transfer position. He finished just outside of the ranks after he unavoidably became collected in a collision and finished 7th in the preliminary event.
After making the necessary repairs, Strange returned to the track for a final chance to qualify for the money race in the B feature. It was in this race that both he and the team knew they had the ability to muscle into a transfer position and reach their set goals. However, ill fated luck once again crossed the path of the #28x and Strange nearly defeated the adversity until the very end when the checkered flag waved.
Halfway through the race Strange was maintaining a transfer position for the A feature when he traveled down the backstretch and allowed himself to drift too close to the wall where his right rear tire struck the barrier. The collision was a hard one that bent the w-link of the car but Strange held on for the ride.
After a caution flag flew for an unrelated incident, the ensuing restart would become the moment where all hopes of making it into the A feature came to a close for Strange. After hanging on so well with the handicapped car, Strange was passed for the final transfer position and then suffered a spin. He finished ninth in the B main event.
"It was really disappointing not make the feature when we had so many opportunities, " said Strange. "We will go back after it again this week and see if we can capitalize on those opportunities."
On Friday night, Strange plans to race at Placerville Speedway for the upcoming championship opener in his 360 sprint car. This Saturday night, he will return to 410 sprint car racing once again. This time it won’t be with the Outlaws, but rather the King of the West Sprint Car Series. The event will be in the North Bay at the famed Antioch Speedway.
In 2011, Strange has a varied schedule and aims to compete in a total of ten King of the West Sprint Car Series events including Antioch, Tulare, Watsonville, Marysville, Chico, Medford and Cottage Grove Oregon along with Hanford and Santa Maria.
"Last winter we considered running this whole series but then we just decided the traveling would be way to much both financially as well as on my family," said Strange. "So I'm sticking to my California Outlaw schedule for the year and on this particular week we’re going to see what this series is all about. Hopefully I can turn my luck around this week."
Strange plans to join the World of Outlaws tour once again as they make their Gold Rush tour through the Pacific Northwest and into California. This stint will include appearances at Alger Washington, Cottage Grove Oregon and back to Silver Dollar Speedway for the famed Gold Cup Race of Champions. Strange will also be making several appearances in the coming months at Placerville Speedway and in the Civil War Series.
Currently, Strange is seeking additional sponsorship for the 2011 racing season. Last year they had a number of marketing partners that supported their efforts in which will return. Among their supporters are Kevin Sharrah Designs, ART Enterprises, Swepco Lubricants, Pronol Race Fuels, High Country Painting and Amerikote.
To learn more about Billy Strange or to contact them about sponsorship opportunities, visit his official website at www.billystrangejr.com. Publicity materials for Billy Strange are a production of Sullivan Images Media.
- Bill Sullivan on Apr 05, 2011
- Article Date: 4/5/2011