BARBERVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 6, 2003) – Starting from the front row, it was all Joey Saldana Thursday night at Volusia Speedway Park in the Haulmark All Star sprint car 20 lap season opening feature. Fresh off several feature wins in Australia over the winter, the Brownsburg, Indiana driver continued his hot streak stateside aboard Red Stauffer’s Shaw Chassis utilizing a Don Ott Engine. The win for Saldana, second on the All Star all time feature win list, was number 61 of his career.
Shane Stewart was on the pole beside Saldana for the start, with Danny Lasoski and Kelly Kinser in row two and Jeff Shepard and Greg Hodnett in row three.
On the lightning fast, expertly prepared half mile oval, Saldana rode into victory lane over Lasoski’s Eagle Chassis with a Kistler powerplant which is owned by NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart.
Maryland’s Jeff Shepard in Denny Ashworth’s Imperial Packaging No. 92 Eagle Chassis with a Kriner powerplant moved from fifth to third at the finish ahead of polesitter Stewart’s mIn Motorsports Gaerte powered Eagle Chassis. Passing honors for the night went to Minnesota’s ninth starting Craig Dollansky, who moved his Karavan Motorsports No. 7 to fifth at the end of the ten mile run. Seventh starter Lance Dewease moved Al Hamilton’s Kistler powered J&J into sixth at the checkered over Kelly Kinser’s No. 4K Gaerte powered Eagle Chassis out of Bloomington, IN.
Central Pa Star Greg Hodnett, racing out of Memphis, was next in the Bob Stewart Apple Motorsports Ott-powered Maxim, followed by NASCAR Busch driver Kasey Kahne’s No 51 and Iowa’s Terry McCarl, who started 11th in his own Wesmar-powered Eagle Chassis.
The Crown Battery heat fell to Fred Rahmer, the B&B Products heat went to Kenny Adams, the Engler Machine and Tool heat was won by Mike Erdley and the TP Wings heat fell to Canadian rookie Ryan Coniam. Lance Dewease won the United Aluminum Window Sales & Consulting B Main. Greg Hodnett was the Huggins Cams fast qualifier over a 39 car field.
“America’s Series, The All Star Circuit of Champions” will present a slate of 80 sprint car race dates in 2003 from February to October in action at 31 speedways in 17 states. America’s favorite dirt track series is in its’ 23rd year and has presented fans with the largest average car count and greatest number of different race winners in the United States over the past two decades.
RESULTS
Huggins Cams Time Trials: 1. Greg Hodnett, Apple 12, 13.430; 2. Jeff Shepard, Ashworth 92s, 13.500; 3. Lance Dewease, Hamilton 77, 13.587; 4. Kelly Kinser, Kinser 4k, 13.688; 5. Dean Jacobs, Pullins 29, 13.694; 6. Danny Lasoski, Stewart 20, 13.726; 7. Joey Saldana, Stauffer 2s, 13.727; 8. Shane Stewart, Min 4m, 13.764; 9. Craig Dollansky, Karavan 7, 13.779; 10. Kasey Kahne, Durst 51k, 13.793; 11. Terry McCarl, McCarl 24, 13.821; 12. Bill Rose, Rose 6r, 13.824; 13. Dale Blaney, Andrews 72b, 13.848; 14. Jim Neir, Jarrell 00, 13.857; 15. Sport Allen, Webb 51, 13.887; 16. Raymond Hensley, Dorn 7d, 13.903; 17. Fred Rahmer, Harz 88h, 13.928; 18. Kenny Adams, Adams 4, 13.944; 19. Mike Erdley, Lisi 11, 13.983; 20. Ryan Coniam, Coniam 6, 14.004; 21. Paul McMahan, Miller 2, 14.019; 22. Chad Kemenah, Harble 15k, 14.024; 23. Jason Johnson, Harrison 22, 14.052; 24. Craig Keel, Keel 9, 14.052; 25. Greg Wilson, Hampshire 63, 14.076; 26. Ben Rutan, Fisher 75, 14.122; 27. Kevin Frey, Kevlor 2k, 14.175; 28. Brian Brown, Parsons 6b, 14.202; 29. Jimmy Hawley, Grove 70, 14.246; 30. Bruce Robenalt, Robenalt 98, 14.310; 31. Tom Busch, Busch 4b, 14.345; 32. Daron Clayton, Clayton 92, 14.505; 33. Ed Neumeister, Neumeister 11n, 14.557; 34. Chuck Swenson, Swenson X, 14.705; 35. Brent Matus, Matus 33, 15.256; 36. Johnny Johnson, Johnson 72j, 16.068; 37. Jeff VanDusen, VanDusen 56d, NT; 38. Larry LaPointe, LaPointe 88, NT; 39. Travis Mize, Mize 29m, NT.
Engler Machine & Tool Heat (8 laps): 1. Erdley 2. McCarl 3. Jason Johnson 4. Saldana 5. Allen 6. Dewease 7. Frey 8. Matus 9. Busch 10. Mize.
TP Wings Heat (8 laps): 1. Coniam 2, Keel 3. Rose 4. Kinser 5. Stewart 6. Hensley 7. Clayton 8. Johnny Johnson 9. Brown
Haulmark Dash (4 laps): 1.
United Aluminum Window Sales & Consulting B Main (12 laps): 1. Dewease 2. Jacobs 3. Nier 4. Wilson 5. Swenson 6. Frey 7. Hawley 8. Robenalt 9. Clayton 10. Rutan 11. VanDusen 12. Matus.
Haulmark A Main (20 laps): 1. Joey Saldana 2. Danny Lasoski 3. Jeff Shepard 4. Shane Stewart 5. Craig Dollansky 6. Lance Dewease 7. Kelly Kinser 8. Greg Hodnett 9. Kasey Kahne 10. Terry McCarl 11. Kenny Adams 12. Dean Jacobs 13. Bill Rose 14. Fred Rahmer 15. Paul McMahan 16. Chad Kemenah 17. Jim Neir, 18. Mike Erdley 19. Ryan Coniam 20. Jason Johnson 21. Dale Blaney 22. Craig Keel 23. Greg Wilson 24. Sport Allen.
