Joey Saldana capped a memorable week for the Kasey Kahne Racing team by tacking victory in front of the team's home crowd at The Dirt Track in Concord, NC. The team opened its new race shop located in close proximity to the track just this week, and Saldana wasted no time in decorating it with a new trophy, picking up his series leading 6th win of the season with his boss watching.

“Tonight was a great night,” said Saldana. “I am so proud of this entire team. Kasey (Kahne) expects us to get results with all that he does, so this was a great one to get for him. It was a great effort by everyone involved here tonight.”

The win was not an easy one though, as drivers battled a slippery track that forced most drivers onto a tight inside line that made for difficult overtaking and caused traffic to be a big factor in the race. Series points leader and 3-time defending champ Donny Schatz, who had been running very strong all evening having scored the 2nd fastest lap in qualifying before winning his heat race and the Crane Cams Dash, started from pole and led the first 19 laps of the race. However on lap 20 he fell afoul of lapped traffic and Saldana was able to take the lead with a pass down the inside of turn 2.

“For me as a driver to be able pass Donny Schatz in lapped traffic and set him up to do it, is huge,” Saldana explained. “That is what he always does and he is the best at. Maybe I am learning from what he does to us. It was definitely a great run for us.”

Schatz who clearly had his sights set on victory was left to wonder what might have been: “It wasn't the night we wanted. We had a great car early and when it laid rubber, we were ok. I kept telling myself I had to get through every lapped car that I could and I caught myself out a little bit and Joey (Saldana) got by. We got racing a little bit and I felt like I was going to get back by him in lapped traffic and we had a yellow.”

The disappointment continued for Schatz as Jason Sides was able to pass him at the same turn with 2 laps remaining, relegating the champ to 3rd. Sides pushed hard to reel in Saldana but was unable to do it before the checkered flag waved.

“I am really getting to where I like this place,” said Sides. “Our SKR cars are really going pretty good here and we are figuring out what to do with the car. It seemed like we were running Joey (Saldana) back down. I felt like if we could have had a few more laps, we could have been better.”

Fast qualifier Daryn Pittman finished off a solid evening by finishing 4th while Outlaws King Steve Kinser used a couple well-timed passes to earn yet another top-5 placing.

The series continues tonight (Saturday 5/23) with a race from Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, VA, before heading to New York for a race at Canandaluga Speedway on Monday (5/25).


Race Results (Top 10 Finishers):

1) 9-Joey Saldana
2) 7S-Jason Sides
3) 15-Donny Schatz
4) 25-Daryn Pittman
5) 11-Steve Kinser
6) 14-Jason Meyers
7) 63-Chad Kemenah
8) 2L-Ed Lynch Jr.
9) 6-Danny Lasoski
10) 3C-Cale Conley


2009 Series Standings:

1.         Donny Schatz                        2630
2.         Steve Kinser                          2586
3.         Joey Saldana                         2566
4.         Jason Meyers                        2534
5.         Craig Dollansky                       2486
6.         Jason Sides                           2469
7.         Danny Lasoski                        2445
8.         Jac Haudenschild                    2411
9.         Kraig Kinser                           2341
10.       Lucas Wolfe                          2156

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