Gumout Racing Series Powercom Park report

Dollansky Records Meaningful Win at Powercom Park
By Kendra Jacobs

Beaver Dam, WI (July 3)-Craig Dollansky had his own cheering section at The Raceway at Powercom Park. Karavan Trailers, whose President is also the owner of Dollansky's sprint car team, was the main sponsor of tonight's event at Powercom Park. Karavan employees, friends, and family members crowded the suite area and grandstands continuously vocalizing their approval of Dollansky's racing talent.

"It is great to win with all of the Karavan people here, right in their backyard," Dollansky explained. "There are a lot of great people involved there. They are behind us 100%, and without them we wouldn't be here. I couldn't be happier to win one for them."

Dollansky qualified fourth quick with a time of 12.269. After winning his heat race, Dollansky went on to win the Weld Race Components Dash. That win earned him the outside front row starting position in the 30-lap "A" Feature, alongside of Huggins Fast Qualifier Paul McMahan.

As the green dropped, Dollansky took the early lead. McMahan dove low in turns one and two to reclaim the position, but couldn't get near the Karavan/Polydome #7. Fifth starting Shane Stewart jumped the infield berm in turn, dropping back several positions. On lap two, Jeff Shepard closed in on McMahan to battle for the second position. By turn four, Brad Furr had also joined in the fight. At the flag stand, Shepard and Furr were wheel-to-wheel for third position. Shepard held the position and set his sights back on McMahan.

Dollansky entered lapped traffic on lap four, leaving McMahan behind to defend his second running position. Shepard found himself on McMahan's bumper, but falls back as McMahan easily split two lapped cars on lap five. While McMahan worked the high side of the track, Shepard raced the bottom looking for any opportunity to get past the United Expressline #U2. By lap ten, McMahan and Shepard were racing side by side. For two laps the duo battled back and forth with Shepard becoming the victor on lap 12 when he passed McMahan at the flagstand.

Shepard had his work cut out for him now, as Dollansky had pulled out into a straightaway lead over the field. The top five at this point had evenly distributed themselves around the 1/3 mile oval. Steadily, Shepard began to close the gap between he and race leader Dollansky. By lap 19, Dollansky's lead had been cut down to eight car lengths. The following lap, Shepard dove low as Dollansky went high in turns one and two. On lap 21, both drivers went high in all four turns, allowing Dollansky to hold on to the winning position.

Dollansky re-opened a large lead on lap 23, as Shepard's CAT Construction/York Excavating #4J got hung-up in lapped traffic. Shepard fought his way through the pack and five laps later found himself on Dollansky's tail again. Coming around for the white flag, Dollansky once again raced high as Shepard closed in around the bottom. As the two drivers exited turn four, their cars were side by side. Shepard found a small gap in the field as they raced down the straightaway. As the #4J squeezed along the outside of Dollansky, he caught the rear tires on the #1R of Raymond Hensley. Hensley flipped down the front stretch stopping just feet from the flagstand. Hensley walked away from the accident, but was taken off the track by ambulance to be sure there were no injuries.

As the field lined-up single file to restart, Dollansky was directly in front of Shepard. There were no lapped cars between the two contenders. At the green, Dollansky jumped out into the lead with Shepard again taking the low side. Dollansky was all alone on top, with Shepard having no success on the bottom. In one lap, Dollansky had pulled ahead of Shepard by ten car lengths. At the checkered it was Dollansky, followed by Shepard, McMahan, Brad Furr, and Shane Stewart.

Dollansky's victory obstucted what could've been a clean sweep for Paul McMahan. McMahan set a quick time of 11.953. This qualifying time became the new track record, as it wiped out Todd Daun's previous record time of 12.196. Jeff Shepard and Shane Stewart also broke Daun's previous record. McMahan went on to win his heat race as well as the Weld Racing Dash.

Jimmy Carter, a new member of the Gumout Racing Series earned, the KSE Hard Charger Award. Carter passed 12 cars during the 30-lap event to finish ninth.

Kraig Kinser was forced to scratch for the night after he got upside down in turn one during the Weld Race Components Dash. Blake Feese also scratched when he suffered engine failure during the Weld Race Components Dash. Tony Engels and Bob Bennett both started as alternates respectively.

Following a three day show at Red River Valley Speedway this weekend, the Gumout Racing Series returns to Wisconsin on July 11th for a single-night event at Sunnyview Speed Zone in Oshkosh. The Gumout Racing Series will return to The Raceway at Powercom Park, in Beaver Dam, on September 29th and 30th.