Roth Team Scores Top-Five During Outlaws Debut at Cotton Bowl Speedway
Story By:PETERSON MOTORSPORTS MEDIA Photos By:PETE MACDONALD and TOMMY HEIN / RACERSGUIDE.COM
Las Vegas NV.- March 1, 2016- Heading West with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series and his Roth Motorsports team, Joey Saldana picked up a fourth place finish during the series’ debut at the Cotton Bowl Speedway before enduring a big hit at the Royal Purple Raceway en route to a 10th place finish during a weekend doubleheader in the state of Texas.
“We had a pretty good car both nights, and I just made some mistakes on Friday night,” Joey Saldana said. “Saturday night an issue with the scoring turned the program into a pill draw show and we didn’t draw well, but still ended up with a Top-10.”
Timing the Roth Enterprises/HR Livestock Transportation/Roth Investments No. 83 machine in fourth fastest on Friday night at the Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, TX, ‘The Brownsburg Bullet” would pick up the heat race win and earn a spot in the nightly Dash.
With the invert being a four, Saldana would line up on the front row of the six-lap shootout before picking up the win and gridding the field from the front row for the 30-Lap ATX Rentals Outlaw Shootout feature event.
When the green lights flashed, Saldana jumped out to the early lead as David Gravel, Daryn Pittman, and Brad Sweet all gave chase.
Strong out front, Saldana would find himself in lapped traffic early and often. As the race began it’s homestretch, Saldana once again found himself in thick traffic as he searched around the speedway trying to clear them.
On the 24th lap, Saldana would make a mistake and allow Daryn Pittman by him in turns one and two, as he found himself back in the second spot, and battling with Sweet and Gravel.
The final few laps would see Saldana slip back to the fourth spot when the checkered flag waived.
Finishing off the series’ Texas Two-Step on Saturday night at the Royal Purple Raceway Park, issues with the electronic scoring forced the World of Outlaws to line up heat races based on driver time trial pill draw.
A late pill would line the Brownsburg, IN driver up in the fifth row of his heat race, needing to finish inside the Top-Five to move into the night’s 40-lap A Main event. Working from ninth to sixth, Saldana would find himself on the outside looking in, and would be forced to take a trip to the night’s Last Chance Showdown.
Gridding the field from the second row, Saldana would find his way to the top spot early, and race his way to the win and successfully transfer to the A Main.
Lining up in the 11th row, Saldana would be patient during the 40-lap race as he navigated his way through dense traffic. During the duration of the race, debris would get into Saldana’s driver compartment and make hard contact with his helmet.
Causing damage to his helmet and hitting his face, Saldana would continue on has he picked up positions lap-by-lap. Abel to work his way inside the Top-10, Saldana would earn KSE Hard Charger honors for his charge from 21st to 10th.
“We were lucky to finish on Saturday,” Saldana said. “I don’t know what I got hit with but it did some damage to the my helmet and got me under my eye. My guys gave me a pretty good car again, and if I can limit my mistakes we will be in victory lane very soon. I have to thank Dennis and Teresa Roth for this opportunity and with us heading to California, I am looking forward to racing in front of them.”
The Roth Motorsports team would like to thank Roth Enterprises, HR Livestock Transportation, Roth Investments, 3H Cattle, Mobil1, FK Rod Ends, Weld Wheels, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Kent Performance, Kaeding Performance, and Astro Titanium for their support in 2016.
ON TAP: Joey and the Roth Motorsports team will be back in action on this Thursday and Friday at the Las Vegas Dirt Track in Las Vegas, NV and on Sunday at the Arizona Speedway.
2016 BY THE NUMBERS: Starts-12, Wins-0, Top 5’s-3, Top 10’s-9.
STAY CONNECTED: Stay connected with Roth Motorsports by checking out their website, www.rothmotorsports83.com, and stay connected with Joey by following him on Twitter @JoeySaldana.
