SUMMER SHOOTOUT: Round 3 Leftovers - 6/26/07
By Jason Buckley, Matt Dillner and Celita Turner
POST-RACE REVIEW CHANGES PRO DIVISION FINISH
Roger Slack, Director of Events at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, has been very vocal in the driver’s meetings regarding contact that moves a driver over for a position. He stated if a driver moved another over for the win, the win might not stand.
#147 Roderick leans on #20 Green. (LN Photo)
On Tuesday, Casey Roderick took the checkered flag in the Pro division Legends race ahead of Tyler Green, but Thursday the official finishing order was changed, giving Green the win over Roderick.
On the last lap of the race, Roderick used the bumper to get by Green. While Roderick felt his move was just a push and not a bump, Green was upset over the contact that took him from the win.
On Wednesday, Slack told LegendsNation.com they were looking at the finish to determine whether the win would stand. A day later, the official results were sent out giving Green the win putting Roderick back to second place.
STARTING TIMES FOR ROUNDS FOUR AND FIVE RELEASED
For the second year in a row, Lowe’s Motor Speedway will have two Summer Shootout rounds in two days during the Fourth of July week.
Due to the holiday and the two-day show, the times for the daily activities have changed.
Monday, July 2nd – Pit Gates and Draw open @ 4 p.m., Rookie Practice @ 5:30 p.m., Controlled Practice @ 6 p.m. and Rookie Races @ 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 3rd – Pit Gates and Draw open @ 1 p.m., Draw closes @ 3:30 p.m.; Driver Meeting @ 3:45 p.m. and Heat Races begin @ 5 p.m.
Wednesday, July 4th – Pit Gates and Draw open @ 1 p.m., Draw closes @ 3:30 p.m.; Driver Meeting @ 3:45 p.m. and Heat Races begin @ 5 p.m.
RUMORS OF OUTLAWS RESTRICTED SQUASHED; YOUNG GUNS MIGHT GET THE PLATE
The Bandolero Bandits use the restrictor plate and the Young Guns might use them still this year, but not the Outlaws, according to Roger Slack. (LN Photo)
Over the last week or two, rumors have been circulating in the Shootout garage regarding the use of restrictor plate usage with the Bandoleros. Currently, only the Bandits division uses the restrictor plates. The rumor had the officials looking to put restrictor plates on the Young Guns division as well as the Outlaws, especially after a hard wreck in round two that sent a driver to the hospital in the Outlaw feature.
According to Roger Slack, Director of Events, the rumor isn’t true.
“That is the first I have heard of it,” said Slack. “The Outlaws are putting on great racing. Last week was just a freak accident. I think that as long as the Young Guns keep putting on great racing, they will not have a plate. It is an option we are keeping open for the Young Guns, but I do not foresee it for the Outlaws.”
The determination for using the restrictor plate in the Young Guns division will be on a week to week basis, according to Slack.
TWO DRIVERS SHAKEN FROM CRASH BACK IN ACTION TUESDAY NIGHT
Two weeks ago, a scary crash in the Bandolero Outlaws division put the field under a red-flag and one driver to the hospital. Dove Furr spun and was clocked by Nathan Rodgers. Furr refused to go to the hospital while Rodgers left the track on a backboard. Both drivers were on the mend this week and back in action this week.
Dove Furr. (LN Photo)
“It was wild, and it was rough,” said Furr of the wreck. “It was a hard hit. I led a couple of laps there and then got into three and four and got loose. The butt-end of the car just started sliding sideways. I was drifting. I was drifting sideways and that is when Nate in the 42 hit me in the side.
“I got banged, up but I am alright. That’s just part of racing. I was hurting. I should have gone to the hospital right then but I’m alright now. My neck was hurting. I took some Tylenol pain pills and I’m better, and my car is ready. I am ready to rock and roll.”
“I went down into the corner,” explained Rodgers, “and the person in front of me put on the brakes and I went high to not run in the back of him. Dove had spun and I had nowhere to go and I popped him. The next thing I know I was getting out of the car and going to the hospital. I remember it all. I got out of the car and my head and neck restraint system was pushed in the back of my neck. It was hurting me worse that what was hurting. So I got out of my car and they came right over and asked what was wrong. I said, ‘my freakin neck hurts,’ so they put me in a neck brace and put me on the backboard.”
Rodgers took the trip to the hospital and was released, but that was not the end of his story. Soreness and blurry vision sent him back to the hospital the very next day. After some days of rest, Rodgers felt better and was anxious on Tuesday to get back in the seat.
“I have a concussion and I sprained my neck,” said Rodgers. “I went (to the hospital) Tuesday and woke up the next morning and had a real bad headache and my neck and back hurt real bad. I felt like I was going to throw up. My vision was all blurry and everything. So I went back to the emergency room on Wednesday evening. They sent me to an eye doctor to check my vision and everything. My vision in my right eye was going in and out. It’s better now but it was real bad.
“All I did is rest; it was more work getting my car back together. I spent all day yesterday working on it because I brought the car down to 600 racing to get a clip on it. They kept the car until Monday to get it done and I only had yesterday to try and get it ready. I worked on it all last night and this morning just to be out here.”
RANDOM ROLL CALL TARGETED CLAY HAIR, BUT NO MORE?
The drivers pile into the driver's meeting to listen to race procedures from Roger Slack. (LN Photo)
Most race tracks have a roll call during the mandatory driver’s meeting. The officials want to make sure all the drivers are there, and if they are not, they usually get sent to the rear of the field in their races as well as other potential penalties.
At Lowe’s Motor Speedway for the Summer Shootout, roll call would take too long if the officials called out all drivers, considering there is over 200 drivers every event. Instead, the officials use a random roll call, where they call out between 10 and 20 drivers’ car numbers to ‘spot check’ the crowd.
Over the last few years, Legends driver Clay Hair has been on the ‘random’ roll call list. The first two rounds of the 2007 Summer Shootout continued that trend as the familiar Masters #29 was called out both weeks. However, something strange happened during the round three drivers’ meeting as his number wasn’t called.
LegendsNation.com caught up with Clay Hair after the meeting, and with a large smile on his face, Hair tried to explain the situation.
“I guess you could consider that discrimination,” said Hair in a joking manner. “Me and Jesse Jackson had a talk so they cannot call my number every week. They did it for three years. Jesse said that was discrimination.”
All kidding aside, Hair thinks it is more about making sure he is visible to those that think he skips the meetings.
“I hide over there in the corner there and kind of keep my mouth shut and listen to what is going on,” said Hair. “They can’t see me, so they usually pick on me. A lot of people say I don’t come to the drivers’ meeting and I don’t listen to what is going on. I am here.”
NO HARD FEELINGS BETWEEN STROUPE AND HEMRIC AFTER WRECK
Zach Stroupe in the #51. (LN Photo)
With a wet race track under their tires, the Semi-Pro Legends drivers tried to make their way around the track without wrecking each other. Unfortunately for Zach Stroupe, contact sent him into the spin cycle and out of contention for the win.
“The guy in front of me was going a bit too slow in the rain,” said Stroupe. “I kind of bumped into him. When he got sideways I hit the brakes and Daniel Hemric had no where to go so I got spun out. But that is alright.”
Hemric felt bad about the contact, which wasn’t intentional.
“It was crazy out there in the rain,” said Hemric. “That was out of control. Everybody was slipping and sliding. I think a few people in front of me got loose and I actually got into Zach Stroupe. I would like to apologize to him. This racing in the rain is tough and stuff happens.”
After the incident, Stroupe parked his car, but that was his own call.
“We got spun out, and I knew we were going to be in the back,” said Stroupe. “There was no reason to tear our stuff up since we are not running for points.”
EIDSON ALL SMILES AFTER SEVENTH-PLACE FINISH
Trey Eidson (#53) had his best Summer Shootout finish.
While some drivers are only satisfied when they drive into victory lane, others are just happy to have a solid finish. Trey Eidson fits into the latter category after finishing seventh in the Legends Semi-Pro feature.
“It was slick out there,” said Eidson. “We put some rain tires on it for the main and started 21st. We drove it pretty good. I think we ended up seventh. It was my best finish at the Summer Shootout in three years. I am just trying to stay up in the top 10 for the last three races.”
Eidson’s racing resume only includes Legends cars, which makes his driving in the rain even more impressive.
“You just have to be easy getting into the turn, set it up for the exit and be easy on the throttle.”
DRIVERS HOPE THE BEST AND GET GOOD FINISHES AFTER LAST LAP WRECK
The Bandolero Bandits faced off in Round three of the Summer Shootout at Lowe’s Motor Speedway Tuesday night and it left some drivers with great finishes that didn’t seem possible as the laps wound down.
Matt Wallace was all smiles after a top-five finish. (LN Photo)
A last-lap wreck caused mayhem and left cars all over the track and in the grass, and allowed a few drivers to improve their positions.
Matthew Linker, who finished third, was watching and waiting for something to happen.
“I knew something was going to happen,” said Linker. “I’ve raced with these kids for three years and they’re just nuts. They got together and I just watched, and then I slowed down got under them.”
When the wreck happened, Linker was running fourth.
Matt Wallace was another driver that capitalized on others’ misfortune. He came from deep in the pack to fifth.
“I just avoided all the wrecks and hoped for the best,” said Wallace. “I basically held my line, and I saw a whole bunch of cars wrecking and I thought good thing I wasn’t one of them.”
DILLNER OK AFTER ROUGH RIDE THROUGH THE BARRELS
While some drivers had fortune, others felt the pain of misfortune after what could have been a good finish.
One of those drivers was Young Guns driver Meghan Dillner.
Dillner started the day off by drawing the number one spot, putting her on the pole for her heat race. After avoiding a wreck during the event, she brought her #51 Bandolero across the line in the second position.
Meghan Diller's #51 was missing parts after a wreck that took her out of contention. (LN Photo)
After the race was rain delayed until later in the evening, Dillner started the feature looking for a great finish. But before she could get settled in to race for a good finish, her car was turned, causing a spectacular wreck.
“I knew Ronnie Bassett was on the inside of me and I knew somebody was right behind him so I wasn’t going to be able to get down,” said Dillner. “I knew it was wet on the outside, so I was trying to be careful, but I wasn’t going to let up a ton. Then somebody, and I'm not sure who, came and rammed me from behind. He ended up taking me out. My front and rear bodies flew off. I went up on two wheels and ended up in the barrels and had to bring it in under yellow for a pit stop.”
Dillner's crew, including her father, SPEED Channel personality Bob Dillner, was able to get her back out on the track. However, her car suffered mechanical issues thereafter, forcing her to park her car for the night.
EXTRA DRIVERS’ MEETING FOR MASTERS AND PROS CAUSED LINEUP CHANGES
One week after Roger Slack praised the Masters drivers for their clean racing on the track in their feature, the Masters were in hot water with Slack after their race that night concluded with numerous caution flags being thrown.
In the Tuesday afternoon drivers’ meeting, Slack held the Masters and Pro division Legends drivers over for a secondary meeting.
Both groups of drivers were told to discuss with themselves on what they could do to create better racing without wrecking on the track. Slack then left the room, telling both groups to stick around and interact with each other.
“They are not just racing against each other, they are racing with each other,” said Slack. “They’ve got to get along with each other and know each other and have some respect for each other.
While the Masters drivers stayed and discussed the racing on the track, many Pro drivers left as soon as Slack left the room, causing him to make lineup changes for the heat races.
“The Masters stayed and had a really good conversation. I have talked with a number of them since, and they’re really glad that they did that. It showed on the race track.
Most of the Masters drivers hung around to chat in the extra drivers' meeting (top), but only a few Pro drivers stayed to discuss the racing (bottom). (LN Photos)
“For the heat races, the guys that stayed (Pro division), we moved them up ahead of the drivers who left. We told the drivers we were revising the race lineups and we told them on the RACEceivers why we did it. There were seven or eight drivers that obviously take pride in being called a Pro division driver and enjoy being a part of the program and recognize there is a problem and something needs to be done. We are more than willing to talk about it and how they can improve their racing and the entertainment value of the show. They stayed and the rest of them walked out. It was very disheartening to those guys for sure, that it appeared the majority of their fellow drivers didn’t care about their program.”
PHONE CALL ON RACE DAY PUTS JERNIGAN IN THE SHOOTOUT
Ryan Jernigan in the #111. (LN Photo)
Sometimes it pays to be in the right place at the right time, ready to race.
Ryan Jernigan wasn’t planning on racing Tuesday night. But a phone call shortly before the drivers’ meeting put him behind the wheel of a Nick Pistone Racing Legends car in the Semi-Pro division.
“Nick Pistone called me about 10 minutes before the drivers’ meeting wanting me to drive for him,” said Jernigan. “I was already at the track and had to run back (home) and get my stuff.”
Jernigan was able to get in the heat races and the B Main, but couldn’t quite get to the feature.
“He gave me a great car, but there were a lot of good cars in the heat race,” said Jernigan. “I couldn’t make any progress. I had to run the B Main and was running in the transfer spot and I got loose, running up over the back of somebody and spun through the infield. It cost us the race. But he gave me a good car, so I cannot complain about that.”
Even though it was a quick call to put him in the seat, Jernigan is hoping the ride will last the rest of the Summer Shootout.
“We talked about next week. I just need to get the rust knocked off and maybe be in the car the rest of the year.”
THREE DRIVERS DQED FOR CLUTCH SHOE INFRACTIONS
Three Bandolero drivers were disqualified after their clutch shoes were found too thin, according to the INEX rulebook.
INEX National Tech Director Scott Reinhardt measures a clutch shoe. (LN Photo)
Outlaws driver Jake Morris was the first in the night to get disqualified after a top-five run.
“We have a wear minimum on the clutch shoes,” said Scott Reinhardt, INEX National Tech Director. “It is listed in the rulebook as .180. In measuring the shoes on the #03 car, they measured less than the .180.”
Following Morris was Young Guns drivers Josh Langley and Dylan Pack. Langley was initially credited with third and Pack in fourth, but the disqualifications moved them to 26th and 27th respectively.
While Reinhardt doesn’t classify the thin clutch shoes as a performance-based violation, it is a rule placed in the book due to safety reasons.
“We have never had a major incident (with the clutch shoes), but we did have some come apart,” said Reinhardt. “We attributed some of that to them wearing so thin and developing cracks. So we established that minimum at .180, and that seemed to keep them from cracking and coming apart.
“It is important due to the clutch being mounted right behind the driver. One that we did see coming apart happened to put shrapnel through sheet metal. We had to do something to keep the clutch from coming apart.
“It is absolutely not a performance deal; however, we do feel strongly enough that we do apply the disqualification if they let them go beyond that. I did tell them specifically in the drivers’ meeting that I would be testing clutch shoes tonight. Some of the rules have to deal with safety and some have to do with performance.”
