Legends Nation ... And Justice For All

Rockingham Speedway 1/6/07: Bandoleros Racing Action

By Jason Buckley

OUTLAW: BAILEY DANIELS OUTDRIVES COMPETITION FOR FIRST BANDO VICTORY

Just one day prior to the Rockingham Speedway road course Legends and Bandolero event, Bailey Daniels finished third at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway Winter Heat road course event for the Bandolero Outlaws behind Kendall Sellers and Nathan Rodgers, two of the top Outlaws racing in the Carolinas. Neither driver showed up to race at the “Rock”, allowing Daniels and five other Outlaw racers to challenge each other for the victory.

Bailey Daniels put her #17 Bandolero in victory lane for the first time in her career. (LN Photo)

In a dominating performance, Daniels drove her #17 Bandolero to the victory, her first win in Bandolero competition.

“It was my first time out here,” said Daniels. “We went out in practice and we had some troubles with the motor. We fixed most of it and went out in the heat. I started in a good position and finished in a good position, then went out here and won it (in the feature).

“Yesterday when I raced at Lowe’s it was my first race on a road course. Today I got my first Bandolero win.”

Daniels hasn’t been a name many people have seen or heard of in the Bandolero ranks, but she isn’t new to the scene this year.

“I raced Bandos a couple years ago,” explained Daniels. “We really didn’t have anyone working with us. We didn’t have a good car or a good set up. Now we have these guys working with us and we have a good car. We came out here a few races ago and we are doing good.”

Kyle Donahue (#2) showed he was strong on the road course. (LN photo)

Since former racer Andy Hillenburg purchased Rockingham Speedway and revived it, racers have been waiting to put their name in the record books as winners at the “Rock” under his tenure, but only one driver gets to say they won the first feature race at the facility.

Nine Bandolero Bandit racers were the lucky ones to turn the first laps on the track in a feature event, and when the checkered flew it was Kyle Donahue beating out Brian Kolb for the first 2008 checkered flag at Rockingham.

“It was really good out there,” said Donahue. “The track was a little slick, but we did good out there.”

Donahue and Kolb both ran the #2 on the side of their cars, but only one could be the first across the line. Kolb settled for second, but was ok with where he finished, especially since his car was experiencing issues.

“Towards the end of the race my car got a little loose and the chain started to spin a little extra, causing me to slow down a little,” said Kolb. “I almost spun around at the end of the race. It was a good day for us coming all the way from Mooresville. The track was real fun.”

The final driver to get a podium finish in the first race at the Rock was winner Kyle Donahue’s sister Angela, who was ok with getting beat by her younger sibling.

“It was real fun,” said Angela Donahue. “It is alright. We normally do not fight about it, so it is good.”

The day did belong to the younger Donahue, and he couldn’t be more thrilled.

“It feels really good being the first winner at Rockingham Speedway this year,” said Kyle Donahue. “I had fun.”

Sean Shalvoy was declared the winner of the Bandits race. (photo credit: Rockingham Speedway)

BANDITS: CONFUSING FINISH PUTS SHALVOY IN VICTORY LANE

Most races during the Rockingham Speedway road course weekend went smooth with few problems from timing and scoring, but the Bandits division of Bandolero racing had a little controversy at the end, which put Sean Shalvoy in victory lane, even though Justin Carroll crossed the line first.

Blake Jones and Shalvoy spent time up in the front of the field, but a charging Carroll put pressure on the two at the end of the event.

“I was going into the corner and the #57 (Carroll) was close to me,” said Shalvoy. “He probably had a faster car. He just came behind me and tried to bump and run me. He didn’t take me out, but he cut through the grass. When he came back to the finish line they black flagged him and gave the win to me.”

Daniels was all smiles in the tech area after her win as her crew shouted “girl power” from across the wall. The celebration though will be short lived, said Daniels, due to her schedule the next day.

“I got school tomorrow, so it (the party and celebration) will be short.”

BEGINNER BANDITS: KYLE DONAHUE ETCHES NAME IN BOOKS AS FIRST 2008 WINNER

Jones, who thought he was going to end up winning the event, was knocked off the track and eventually recovered to finish second behind Shalvoy, giving him a win and a second in the two road course races of the weekend, despite the damage to his car after the latter race.

Blake Jones' car finished without a few pieces of it in tact.

“We had a really good weekend,” said Jones. “The car has been awesome both places we went. When the car spun me I got hit when I came back on the track. It bent my bumper down. Going into the last corner I slid up and tagged a car that was on my outside and the front hood came off.

“We are happy with a top five any day. It could have been worse.”

While Carroll’s crew was visibly upset after the event, it didn’t change the outcome as Shalvoy was awarded the win, his first career Bandolero victory.

“This is my first win ever, so it came at a good time,” said Shalvoy. “I am real happy.”

YOUNG GUNS: GLENSKI AND FINHUM ONCE AGAIN SHOW ROAD COURSE STRENGTH

At Lowe’s Motor Speedway Saturday, Ryan Glenski and Chad Finchum finished first and second respectively in the first Winter Heat road course event of the season. One day later, both drivers headed to Rockingham Speedway looking to repeat the feat, and that is exactly what happened as Glenski outran Finchum for the Young Guns victory.

“It was a good race,” said Glenski. “I started off in the lead and went from there. I had a little battle with Finchum and raced him clean. I had fun.

“I love this road course. I am glad Andy Hillenburg bought it. It is a good track.”

Finchum wanted to swap finishing positions with Glenski, but wasn’t disappointed with two second-place finishes during the weekend, being both were his first two road course races in a Bandolero.

“I am definitely happy with our performance today, especially being my second career road course race,” said Finchum. “I had never seen this road course before. When we got here and unloaded the car I adapted to it quick. The biggest challenge here is the “S” corner, turn four. We kept driving off the track right there.”

Chad Finchum was fast enough for second at Rockingham, but needed just a little more to catch Ryan Glenski. (LN Photo)

One addition both drivers had to get used to was a front stretch chicane Rockingham Speedway officials added for the Bandolero races. Glenski was able to get through there quicker than Finchum, which helped him get to victory lane.

Bandolero drivers had to negotiate the chicane by trying to miss the barrels. (LN Photo)

“The chicane was pretty hard, but I got through there pretty good,” explained Glenski. “Sometimes I had to avoid a barrel that was down, but it was fun.”

Finchum, who found the chicane to be fairly easy, didn’t have to avoid the barrels as much, but needed more speed through that part of the course.

“I didn’t have to dodge the rolling barrels much because they were either up or knocked out of the way by the time I got there,” explained Finchum. “The chicane was actually one of the easier parts of the track, but I just couldn’t quite get it figured out. I have been told that Ryan was flat footing it through there and I couldn’t. I just drove it the best I could.”

RESULTS

Outlaw:

Bailey Daniels

Marcus Limehouse

Jason Wells

Dawn Eagens

Scott Beaver

Ashley Hillenburg

Young Gun:

Ryan Glenski

Chad Finchum

Robert Poole

Tyler Lester

Kevin Donahue

Gregory Lang

Hunter Synan

Dylan Barbian

Chandler Levan

Bandit:

Sean Shalvoy

Blake Jones

Justin Carroll

Mason Hudson

Kyle Weatherman

Dillon Bassett

Charlie Stray

Clayton Weatherman

Beginner Bandit:

Kyle Donahue

Brian Kolb

Angela Donahue

Drew Whidby

Keegan Stray

Casey Hillenburg

Garrett Biggers

Anthony Berube

Reece Welch