Legends Nation ... And Justice For All

SUMMER SHOOTOUT: Round 10 Leftovers - 8/7/07

By Jason Buckley and Celita Turner

SIZZLER FINALE CAR COUNT JUMPS BACK UP

According to the official results and standings from Lowe’s Motor Speedway, the car counts for the Bandolero and Legends drivers jumped for the final Shootout event of the season.

At the start of the three-race "Sizzler", the car counts dropped. Many speculated it was due to the new "Sizzler" format. However, the final race of the season saw an increase in cars over the last two events, matching the same number of drivers that raced round seven, one week before the Sizzler started.

Below are the totals for the Legends and Bandoleros in attendance at the 2007 Shootout.

DIVISION

Bando Bandits

Bando Young Guns

Bando Outlaws

Leg Young Lions

Leg Semi-Pro

Leg Pro

Leg Masters

TOTALS >>>

Rd 8

-----

179

Rd 1

-----

211

Rd 2

-----

205

Rd 3

-----

198

Rd 4

-----

222

Rd 5

-----

212

Rd 6

-----

200

Rd 7

-----

184

Rd 9

-----

178

Scott Knox racing his #86. (Photo by Fastrac Images)

After the Legends Pro heat race on Tuesday night, Scott Knox was very irritated. As an older more seasoned driver he gets frustrated with the number of kids that run in the Pro division.

“I think they need to make a division for 14 year olds to 18 year olds in Pro,” Knox said. “There’s only about two of them that are smart enough to race. The rest of them are just a bunch of kids who think they’re going to be in NASCAR, running over everybody.”

After the checkered flag was in the air ending the first heat race, Knox got into the back of Max Gresham sending them both off into the barrels.

“The Gresham kid’s at the top of that list,” he said. “He’s gotten me three times in the Shootout so at the end of the race I just sent him through the barrels. I’ll do it again if he doesn’t like it.”

BAYNE SUPPORTING FRIENDS AT THE SHOOTOUT

Walking around the garage sporting a bright red Dale Earnhardt, Inc. shirt and a broad smile was the most recent USAR Pro Cup series winner, Trevor Bayne. The 16-year-old sensation, a development driver for DEI, got his first win last Saturday night at Hickory Motor Speedway (NC) and decided to return a favor to his buddies on Tuesday night.

“I just came tonight to check out the Summer Shootout,” said Bayne. “I ran it about two or three years ago and it was fun. I had to come back and check out all my friends and see how they’re doing. They came to the race at Hickory so I told them I’d come down here.”

SIZZLER BANDIT DRIVERS DRAW FOR RESTRICTOR PLATES IN FINAL RACE

Rd 10

-----

184

KNOX WANTS SEPARATE PRO DIVISION FOR KIDS

The "Plate". (LN Photo)

In a new twist for the final round of the Shootout, the Bandolero Bandits drivers in the top 10 in the points (Sizzler drivers) had to randomly pick a restrictor plate to run on their car for the feature event. Usually the teams buy their own plate from 600 Racing and use it during all races, but the INEX officials decided to change it up this week.

“It was much inspired by another competitor that I was speaking to last night,” said Scott Reinhardt, INEX National Tech Director. “We were talking about it and he suggested that we do a random issue of the plates for a night as another form of checks and balances to keep everyone on the same level.”

OUTLAW DIVISION PROTEST SITUATION CLARIFIED BY TURNER

LegendsNation.com received a phone call Friday from Mike Turner, who protested race winner Christopher McKinney’s Bandolero. Turner told LN that he spoke to Scott Reinhardt at INEX and that McKinney’s car passed and was declared legal.

Turner also told LN he has no ill-will towards McKinney, and that the protest was just to make sure everything was on the up and up. He said he gives his congrats to McKinney and the crew on the win and their racing this year in the Outlaws division.

STEVEN ROSS CLARIFIES HIS POSITION AFTER LAST LAP WRECK

Steven Ross has been fast all season long, but has also been a source of controversy. (Photo by Fastrac Images)

The Semi-Pro division feature ended in spectacular fashion. Steven Ross and Daniel Hemric lead the points going in, but contact between the two drivers sent Hemric off the track, forcing officials to give the black flag to Ross for rough driving. The incident cost both drivers the championship.

LegendsNation.com was unable to locate Ross after the race, and wasn’t able to get his side of the situation before press time of the race story. Soon after it was posted, LN spoke to Ross as he explained what happened from his perspective.

“Under the red flag my brake pedal went to the floor,” said Ross. “I could pump it and get the brake pedal back and I thought I was going to be fine. I kept pumping them so I could get through the last lap. Going into one I pushed the pedal down and it went straight to the floor. I couldn’t stop and I ran right into Hemric. It looked real bad since Hemric was the points leader that I was trying to beat. I felt real bad but there was nothing I could do.

“He came over after the race and I told him to feel my brake pedal. He felt it and didn’t say anything. I could understand his frustration, but he knows I didn’t have any brakes. I know he and his crew are really mad right now and I can understand that, but I didn’t have any brakes and he knows that now since he felt my brake pedal. I hate it but there is nothing I could do.”

QUAKER STEAK & LUBE ANNOUNCED AS 2008 SHOOTOUT SPONSOR

For the last few seasons, the Summer Shootout at Lowe’s Motor Speedway has been absent a primary series sponsor. The 2007 season also saw the series without a sponsored name, but the series still had some sponsorship in the form of divisional naming.

In the final driver’s meeting, it was announced that Quaker Steak & Lube will be the primary sponsor of the 2008 Summer Shootout. According to Roger Slack, Director of Events at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, details of the new sponsorship are not available at this time, but they will be a primary sponsor of the series next season.

Quaker Steak & Lube in Concord, NC is one of many restaurants in the Lowe’s Motor Speedway area that drivers and teams visit before and after the racing events of the Shootout. They are also one of the restaurants that support LegendsNation.com, and are a part of our Restaurant Guide (click here).

THE RACER’S PRAYER RIDES WITH RODERICK

A lot of drivers tape sayings or words inside of their race cars on the dash for inspiration, knowledge or to help keep them focused as they race throughout the night. Casey Roderick is one of those drivers, having the “Racer’s Prayer” from Raceway Ministries attached to the dash of his Legends car, but the reason he has it is different than some.

“This car was originally Pete Horn’s car,” said Roderick. “He had all this stuff in here, including the Racer’s Prayer.”

While it isn’t something he put in the car, he still looks at it and uses it before he heads out to race.

“I try to say it every time I go out on the track and hope to keep safe. I know I have the Lord with me, so I just go out there and do my best and let him take care of the rest.”

Daniel Hemric reads before racing. (LN Photo)

JOHN STANCILL BACK IN YOUNG LIONS RACE, BUT FOR ANOTHER REASON

Earlier this season, John Stancill entered the Young Lions division for a race to try to obtain full points in Semi-Pro towards the National points chase. But after winning the event and 600 Racing / INEX rules were revealed showing he would only get half points, Stancill moved back up to the Semi-Pro division for a few races before sitting out the rest of the remaining Shootout events.

Tuesday Stancill was back in the Shootout and back in the Young Lions division, but it wasn’t for National points. Stancill was driving the #57 car in relief for fellow NPR teammate Bailey Freeman, who was injured the week before.

“I did run Young Lions once this year in my car,” said Stancill. “I did quit the Summer Shootout, but Bailey got in a wreck last week and hurt her arm. She couldn’t drive it so I am substituting for her. She is in the ‘Chase’ so somebody has to drive it for her.”

Even though Stancill is used to running up front and winning, it wasn’t so easy for him as the car still had her seat and her setup in it.

“It is a lot different for me,” said Stancill. “Everything in the car is still setup for her. It has her seat in it and everything. It is way uncomfortable for me, so I am doing what I can in the car for her.”

With the car not comfortable inside and setup-wise, Stancill still managed to finish fourth in the feature event, moving Freeman from 10th to eighth in the final Shootout points chase.

THE SNAKE IN A NEW SKIN

Jake “The Snake” Crum came back to Legends cars this season while also competing in the UARA-Stars Late Model Stock Car series. Usually Crum drives the familiar #1 car with the snake logo, but Tuesday he was in a different looking car, which caught many off guard.

“The reason we are in this car is because last week the timing chain broke and I blew the motor up,” said Crum. “We were not fortunate enough to run that car this week, so we are in a Craig Goess / Nick Pistone Racing car for this week. You can tell it is one of Craig’s cars because the seat is laid back.”

MILLWOOD AND HOFFMAN EXCHANGE BUMPERS AND WORDS

Tyler Millwood and Nick Hoffman are both newer drivers in the Legends racing world. Both raced in the Young Lions division, and in the final race of the Shootout season they had an incident on the track that sent both drivers off the track.

“I got in a little tangle with the #24 car (Hoffman),” said Millwood. “I guess he didn’t like it too much and he came into the next corner and spun me. He hit me pretty good. Then we got into a little argument with them out here (in the pits).

“The last rain race I hit a dry spot and got into him, then I got into him a little bit here so I don’t think he was happy with us.”

After Millwood was sent spinning off the track by Hoffman’s bumper, officials black-flagged Hoffman for rough driving. Hoffman admitted the retaliation contact was intentional.

“Well two weeks ago in the rain on lap one we got together which wrecked me for the rest of the race,” said Hoffman. “It made me mad. Tonight he drove into three and four hot and heavy and drilled me, so I was showing him I didn’t appreciate it.”

After the on track incident, it carried over to the pit area as both drivers were parked next to each other.

“He drove by me and pointed at me,” said Hoffman. “I looked and walked away but when we got to the pits he never said anything and his dad just started saying stuff so we got into it. I mainly just told him that if he goes and talks to every driver in Young Lions none of them like him.”

THOMAS HARTENSVELD RACED HIS FINAL LEGEND’S RACE?

When a driver accomplishes just about everything they can in a series, it is time for them to move up to the next level of racing.

Thomas Hartensveld has been bad fast in his Legends car over the last few years. Tuesday night at the Summer Shootout, Hartensveld revealed to LegendsNation.com that the night might be one of his final Legends races as his cars were sold and he was moving up to bigger cars in the future.

“We just bought a Late Model,” said Hartensveld. “That is going to be what we are going to focus on the next couple weeks and next year. I learned a ton in Legends, but it is time to move on now.”

Even though Hartensveld has his Legends cars already sold, he isn’t quite ready to say he will not be in a Legends car in the future.

“Who knows what is going to happen next year, whether I will drive the Summer Shootout or not. I would like to get back in a Legends car, but this maybe my last race this year.”

Hartensveld will race a Late Model Truck this weekend at Hickory Motor Speedway, then run some UARA-Stars Late Model Stock events at the end of this year as well as some NASCAR Busch East shows next season.

Thomas Hartensveld waits for what might be his final feature Legends race of 2007.

JAKE DALLENBACH OK AND SMILING AFTER WILD WRECK

Jake Dallenbach was ok after rolling his Legends car in the Semi-Pro feature. (LN Photo)

A few races back in the Summer Shootout, Wyatt Dallenbach decided to put his car upside down on the race track. This week, brother Jake Dallenbach couldn’t end the Summer Shootout without trying to one-up his brother. In spectacular fashion in the Semi-Pro feature, Jake flipped his car at the finish line, heavily damaging the car.

“I was on the outside of someone,” said Jake Dallenbach. “Being the last lap I was trying to get everything I can. I got on the gas a little early and it snapped the rear end around a little bit. I tried to catch it, but the rear end hit the wall and it snapped and rolled me.

“I don’t think the car is too bad. All the front suspension is junk and it tore the body up pretty good, but I don’t think we need new clips, which is more than I can say for my brother’s car when he flipped in week seven.”

Although the car suffered damage, Dallenbach was just fine after the incident. In fact, he seemed like he wanted to get back in and do it all over again.

“It kind of feels like being put in a cup, putting another on top of it and shaking it really hard. If anything, it was real fun.”