Paul McMahan scores first All Star victory since 2002 during visit to Outlaw Speedway

Paul McMahan scores first All Star victory since 2002 during visit to Outlaw Speedway

Story By: Tyler Altmeyer/ASCOC

Photos By: Mark Ranalletta/RacersGuide.com

DUNDEE, N.Y. (June 8, 2018) – For the first time since 2002, Paul McMahan is a main event winner with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1, this time leading all 30 circuits around Dundee, New York’s Outlaw Speedway on Friday evening, solidifying a fourth-career main event victory with the traveling circuit, as well as a $5,000 top prize for car owner Tom Buch. The California native who now resides in Nashville, Tenn., never faltered during his campaign at the front of the field, ultimately surviving a first half that included a total of four cautions, two during the opening circuit resulting in three complete start attempts.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania’s Danny Dietrich, who climbed eight positions during the 30-lap program, chased McMahan to the final checkers, followed by Chad Kemenah, Aaron Reutzel, and Trey Starks.

“I just want to thank my boss for allowing me to take time off of work to come here and race,” Paul McMahan laughed in victory lane. “I owe this all to the guys standing behind me. It feels good to get back in All Star victory lane. This is my first time ever at Outlaw Speedway. It’s a cool, little track that offers a lot of racing room. I’m already looking forward to the next time we visit this place.”

After a pair of bad starts, one of which the result of red flag conditions involving West Virginia’s Cale Conley, main event action was finally underway at Outlaw Speedway with Paul McMahan earning the early advantage. Parker Price-Miller chased McMahan to the flagstand for the first time, followed by Brock Zearfoss and Chad Kemenah.

The main event would go caution-free for eight circuits until motor problems consumed Price-Miller, forced to retire to the pit area on lap nine after a short stint in the runner-up position.

During the same caution, Brock Zearfoss also had problems, losing a right-rear tire while battling within the top-five. Although forced to go to the work area, the Jonestown, Pa., native would soon rejoin the field on the speedway.

The green flag would fly for Paul McMahan for two more circuits until caution flags appeared for the final time on lap 11, this time for a bundle of cars that made contact at the entrance of turn one. All drivers involved, including Brock Zearfoss who just returned to the speedway, walked away unharmed.

From that point forward, main event action went undisturbed. McMahan continued to lead the pack, now with Chad Kemenah, Danny Dietrich and Dave Blaney on his heels. Dietrich worked around Kemenah on the following circuit to take the runner-up spot officially on lap 12, soon followed by Dave Blaney who also worked by Kemenah to take third officially on lap 14.

Slower cars came into the picture for the first time just beyond the midpoint of the 30-lapper forcing McMahan to maneuver off of his preferred line around the bottom of the speedway. Even when traffic started to intensify near the end of the main event, McMahan kept his advantage over the other front-runners by utilizing the top of turns one and two and the very bottom of turns three and four.

“This car was working from top to bottom,” McMahan continued, driver of the Apex Structures/DMI/DKW Transport/No. 13 sprint car. “Traffic really didn’t seem to slow us up at all. I was able to move around them without any trouble. When you can move around like that pretty flawlessly, it’s easy to build confidence and race hard. I’m proud of all of these guys. Hopefully we can do it again tomorrow at Stateline Speedway.”

A near-five lap battle for the runner-up spot between Dietrich and Blaney during laps 22 through 26 ended in Dietrich’s favor as Blaney would clip an inside tire forcing the Premier Motorsports entry to retire to the infield. Although moving in within a half-straightaway of McMahan, Dietrich would be forced to settle for second, followed by six-time and defending All Star champion, Chad Kemenah, at the line.

The All Star invasion of the Empire State will continue on Saturday, June 9, when the Series ventures to the southwest corner of New York and visits the “New” Stateline Speedway near Jamestown; the first visit to Stateline Speedway in nearly five decades. The last time Tony Stewart’s All Stars visited Stateline Speedway, the year was 1970 and the winner was Lee Osborne. The All Star victory was just one of 17 over the course of Osborne’s illustrious career.

Stateline Speedway near Jamestown, N.Y., will open pit gates at noon on Saturday, June 9, but the facility will be swept at 3:30 p.m. so passes can be purchased. A mandatory All Star drivers meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by hot laps at 6:10 p.m. Those seeking additional news and notes should visit Stateline Speedway live on the Web at www.newstatelinespeedway.com.

Contingency Awards/Results: Outlaw Speedway – Friday, June 8, 2018:
EMi Driver’s Meeting: 24 entries
State Water Heaters Warm-Ups: Cale Conley – 11.896 seconds
Lincoln Electric Fast Qualifier: Brock Zearfoss – 11.703 seconds
Ford Performance Heat #1: Paul McMahan
All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Heat #2: Dave Blaney
Hunt Brothers Pizza Heat #3: Chad Kemenah
JE Pistons Dash #1: Parker Price-Miller
Daido Engine Bearings Main Event Winner: Paul McMahan
MSD Performance Hard Charger Award: Carson Macedo (+14)
(Lincoln Electric, Daido Engine Bearings, MSD Performance: Need decal to qualify for contingency award)

Qualifying

Group (A)
1. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 11.703; 2. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 11.757; 3. 14-Tony Stewart, 11.773; 4. 7K-Cale Conley, 11.803; 5. 13-Paul McMahan, 11.840; 6. 22-Brandon Spithaler, 11.910; 7. 35-Tyler Esh, 12.179; 8. 10-Joe Kata, 12.581

Group (B)
1. 48-Danny Dietrich, 11.903; 2. 3G-Carson Macedo, 11.941; 3. 11-Ryan Smith, 12.056; 4. 70-Dave Blaney, 12.097; 5. 35Z-Jared Zimbardi, 12.147; 6. 98-Carl Bowser, 12.234; 7. 5-Justin Barger, 12.353; 8. 51-John Garvin, 12.781

Group (C)
1. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 11.785; 2. 3-Jac Haudenschild, 11.886; 3. 44-Trey Starks, 11.919; 4. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 11.948; 5. O7-Gerard McIntyre, 12.245; 6. OO-Danny Varin, 12.263; 7. 97au-Mitchell Wormall, 12.293; 8. 98T-Joe Trenca, 12.568

Heat #1 – Group (A) (8 Laps) – Top 8 Transfer
1. 13-Paul McMahan [1]; 2. 7K-Cale Conley [2]; 3. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [5]; 4. 4-Parker Price-Miller [4]; 5. 14-Tony Stewart [3]; 6. 35-Tyler Esh [7]; 7. 22-Brandon Spithaler [6]; 8. 10-Joe Kata [8]

Heat #2 – Group (B) (8 Laps) – Top 8 Transfer
1. 70-Dave Blaney [1]; 2. 11-Ryan Smith [2]; 3. 48-Danny Dietrich [4]; 4. 35Z-Jared Zimbardi [3]; 5. 98-Carl Bowser [6]; 6. 51-John Garvin [8]; 7. 5-Justin Barger [7]; 8. 3G-Carson Macedo [5]

Heat #3 – Group (C) (8 Laps) – Top 8 Transfer
1. 10H-Chad Kemenah [1]; 2. 3-Jac Haudenschild [3]; 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel [4]; 4. 44-Trey Starks [2]; 5. O7-Gerard McIntyre [5]; 6. 97AU-Mitchell Wormall [7]; 7. 98T-Joe Trenca [8]; 8. OO-Danny Varin [6]

Dash #1 (6 Laps)
1. 4-Parker Price-Miller [1]; 2. 13-Paul McMahan [3]; 3. 10H-Chad Kemenah [2]; 4. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [6]; 5. 11-Ryan Smith [5]; 6. 70-Dave Blaney [8]; 7. 3-Jac Haudenschild [7]; 8. 7K-Cale Conley [4]

A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 13-Paul McMahan [2]; 2. 48-Danny Dietrich [10]; 3. 10H-Chad Kemenah [3]; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel [9]; 5. 44-Trey Starks [11]; 6. 14-Tony Stewart [13]; 7. 11-Ryan Smith [5]; 8. 3G-Carson Macedo [22]; 9. 3-Jac Haudenschild [7]; 10. 35Z-Jared Zimbardi [12]; 11. 5-Justin Barger [20]; 12. 98-Carl Bowser [14]; 13. O7-Gerard McIntyre [15]; 14. 51-John Garvin [18]; 15. 98T-Joe Trenca [21]; 16. 97AU-Mitchell Wormall [17]; 17. 10-Joe Kata [23]; 18. 22-Brandon Spithaler [19]; 19. 35-Tyler Esh [16]; 20. 70-Dave Blaney [6]; 21. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [4]; 22. 4-Parker Price-Miller [1]; 23. 7K-Cale Conley [8] Lap Leaders: Paul McMahan (1-30)

2018 All Star Circuit of Champions Driver Standings: (as of 6/8/2018)
1. Aaron Reutzel – 1328
2. Jac Haudenschild – 1290
3. Chad Kemenah – 1272
4. Carson Macedo – 1264
5. Parker Price-Miller – 1220
6. Dave Blaney – 1220
7. Carl Bowser – 1128
8. Brandon Spithaler – 1098
9. Cale Conley – 1096
10. John Garvin – 1038

About the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1:
All Star Enterprises, LLC, wholly owned by Tony Stewart, d/b/a the All Star Circuit of Champions, is a winged sprint car series. The All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series is one of the oldest traveling 410 sprint car organizations and is a staple of grassroots, open-wheel racing. Formed in 1970 by Bud Miller, the series has largely been considered the first ‘outlaw’ Sprint Car organization of the modern era. Motorsports entrepreneur Tony Stewart agreed to terms with Guy Webb to become the sole owner of the original winged sprint car tour in January of 2015. In 2018, MAVTV Motorsports Network will be the official television home of the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 and will broadcast eight high-profile events.