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Saldana Dialed in at Antioch, Finishes Sixth in Feature

Fans,
Fans,

ANTIOCH, Calif. (March 29, 2015)— The Motter Equipment HE&M Saw Beltline Body Shop team hoped to rebound tonight at Antioch Speedway after a rocky start last night at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif.

Tonight, Saldana returned to his normal qualifying groove, navigating the 3/8-mile oval in 11.652-seconds, good for the No. 2 spot!

In the second heat, Saldana rolled to the green flag from the fourth position. This heat was loaded with A-listers with the top six finishers scheduled to transfer to the A Main. When the track went green, front row starter Daryn Pittman assumed the lead. Saldana succeeded in challenging polesitter Donny Schatz for second position. Kraig Kinser was fourth. It appeared that the strategy implemented at the start of the race was key. The top four maintained their positions throughout the 10-lap event. Saldana’s second place finish earned him a starting berth in the dash as well as the feature.

In the inversion draw, the No. 8 ping pong ball was pulled, totally reversing what would have been a front row starting position for Saldana in the all-important dash. Beginning on the back row in the seventh position, the Brownsburg Bullet also finished seventh. Polesitter Paul McMahan was the wire-to-wire winner of the dash. The way the drivers finished the dash was the way they started the feature.

The World of Outlaws drivers took the green flag for the sixth time at Antioch Speedway. Daryn Pittman led the field followed by Paul McMahan and Kerry Madsen. Saldana was seventh.

The only caution in the event was on lap 11. On the restart, the running order remained Pittman, McMahan and Madsen. Rico Abreu, running sixth, bicycled, and the split second bobble allowed Saldana to claim that position.

Early in the evening, the track surface was greasy but by the A Main, it began to get tacky and fast, but narrow. You could throw a blanket over the top eight, but passing was sparse. Even the leaders couldn’t pass lapped cars.

Pittman was the wire-to-wire winner, McMahan was second and Madsen finished third.
Saldana was sixth.

“Tonight’s track was the polar opposite of last night’s. Chico was a rubbered down track and tonight’s was fast,” said team owner Dan Motter. “Track position was very important.

“The team did a great job preparing the car tonight and keeping up with the track conditions. We were fast all night.”

The Outlaws will not race during the Easter holiday, but will be back in action Wednesday, April 8 at the Brad Sweet Placerville Showdown followed by an April 11-12 Calistoga doubleheader.
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