Daryn Pittman Charges to 11th Win of the Season at Fulton Speedway

   Jessica Zemken scores best ever World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series finish

FULTON, N.Y. — July 23, 2014 — Daryn Pittman charged to his 11th win of the season Wednesday night at Fulton Speedway, as Sprakers, N.Y.-native Jessica Zemken scored her best ever World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series finish.

Pittman, who sits just 55 points out of the championship lead, said the win was the most uncomfortable he has had this season.

“I just knew we were going to get smoked,” Pittman said in victory lane. “I honestly thought we were going to go from the lead to fourth or fifth in a lap. I just didn’t know what to do. I was lost as a driver. The pace of the race just changed dramatically there.”

“I was good on top in one and two and when I could run the top in one and two that really helped me hit the top in three and four.”

Pittman said as he approached lapped traffic in his Great Clips #9, he noticed the cars were getting away from him.

“When I started running the bottom all the way around, I started making really bad laps in three and four on the bottom,” he said. “I just kept waiting for somebody to show me their nose… It’s an uncomfortable feeling as a driver when you’re doing the wrong thing on the racetrack and you just don’t know what to do. I was looking for the checkered about five laps before that and luckily it was just enough.”

Pittman credited his crew chief Kale Kahne for making substantial changes after his dash win to give him the car he needed at the end of the feature.

Zemken said her Corr/Pak Merchandising team’s third place finish means a lot – especially against the competition.

“It’s like a win for us,” she said. “To come here with the budget we have and the equipment that we have and be able to be here and be competitive with these guys – it’s just awesome.”

Zemken, who won her heat race earlier in the night and started the A main in sixth, said her experience at the track helped her understand how the surface would change throughout the night. She said she knew the bottom would be good later after the middle and top went away.

After losing her brakes with four to go, Zemken said she figured her night would be over.

“As soon as the brakes went to floor, I said this is what always happens,” she said. “We have a good car, something bad’s going to happen… They held up just enough to slow me down to be able to catch the bottom. And when I came up on Schatz I got underneath him a couple of times and I didn’t even realize Saldana was a lapped car. I’ve got to say, that’s the first time that I’ve been able to come around and lap Joey Saldana. I stuck behind him a little bit. I’ll take third.”

After winning the dash, Pittman started on the front row with David Gravel. As Pittman jumped out to an early lead, Gravel had his hands full with Cody Darrah. The two battled through the opening laps but Donny Schatz looked to take advantage in his STP/Armor All car. He got around Darrah by lap 10, as Gravel maintained the second position.

Farther back, Zemken was making her push forward, getting around Kraig Kinser in the fifth position and then taking the fourth spot from Darrah.

With less than 10 to go, Schatz got around Gravel for the second spot and set his sights on Pittman. As the A main entered its final laps and Pittman battled through lapped traffic, Schatz took one last look at Pittman.

Pittman took the checkered flag in first with Schatz second, Zemken in third, and after a drag race down the front stretch, Gravel in fourth and Darrah in fifth.

Schatz said he worked all night trying to find the right line on the track. He said he wished his team had been able to make a few more changes.

“I tried – that’s all you can do,” Schatz said. “The car was OK… We’ll try harder next week.”

The race for the championship remains tight between Pittman and Schatz. 55 points separate the two just past the halfway point of the season.

The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series crosses the border on Saturday for the start of a three race swing through Canada. Autodrome Drummond in Drummondville, Que., hosts the Outlaws on Saturday, July 26. The Outlaws then make stops at Cornwall Motor Speedway in Cornwall, Ont., on Sunday, July 27 and Ohswheken Speedway in Ohswheken, Ont., on Tuesday, July 29.

FULTON SPEEDWAY NOTES: Following his win, Daryn Pittman is 55 points out the championship lead… Donny Schatz, Jason Sides and Jessica Zemken all won their heat races at Fulton… David Gravel scored his sixth quick time of the season – the third most of any driver… Larry Wight was the KSE Hard Charger of the night, advancing five positions to finish in ninth.

SEASON WINNERS:Daryn Pittman – 11(Thunderbowl Raceway on March 14, Calistoga Speedway on April 6, Devil’s Bowl Speedway on April 19, Williams Grove Speedway on May 16 and May 17, Orange County Fair Speedway, May 18, New Egypt Speedway, May 20, Dodge City Raceway Park on July 4 and 5, Lincoln Speedway on July 17 and Fulton Speedway on July 23); Donny Schatz – 9(Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 15, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 6, Devil’s Bowl Speedway on April 19, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 27, I-96 Speedway on May 31, River Cities Speedway on June 20, 34 Raceway on June 27, Cedar Lake Speedway on June 29 and Lernerville Speedway in July 15); Joey Saldana – 5 (Perris Auto Speedway on April 12, Salina Highbanks on April 25, The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 23, I-80 Speedway on June 6 and Jackson Speedway on June 13);Brad Sweet– 5 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Tucson International Raceway on March 8, Calistoga Speedway on April 5, Knoxville Raceway on June 14 and Beaver Dam Raceway on June 28);David Gravel – 4 (Merced Speedway on March 28, Eldora Speedway on May 3, Wilmot Raceway on May 9 and Lebanon Valley Speedway on July 20);Kerry Madsen – 4 (Stockton Dirt track on March 22, El Paso Speedway Park on April 15, Lakeside Speedway on June 7 and Eldora Speedway on July 12); Paul McMahan – 3 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 5, Tri-State Speedway on May 10 and Limaland Motorsports Park on July 9); Cody Darrah – 2 (Kings Speedway on April 11 and Lernerville Speedway on July 15);Rico Abreu – 1 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 15);Sammy Swindell – 2 (Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on April 26 and Eldora Speedway on July 11); Dale Blaney – 1(Attica Raceway Park on May 30); Christopher Bell – 1 (Jacksonville Speedway on May 7); Lance Dewease – 1 (July 20 at Williams Grove Speedway); Greg Hodnett – 1 (July 18 at Williams Grove Speedway); Roger Crockett – 1 (I-94 Speedway on June 21); Mark Dobmeier – 1 (Huset’s Speedway on July 2); Steve Kinser – 1(Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 16); Stevie Smith – 1 (Lincoln Speedway on May 14);Shane Stewart – 1 (Eldora Speedway on May 2).

World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Fulton Speedway; Fulton, N.Y.; July 23, 2014

A-Main – (25 Laps) – 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [1] [$6,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [5] [$3,500]; 3. 1Z-Jessica Zemken [6] [$2,000]; 4. 83-David Gravel [2] [$1,800]; 5. 4-Cody Darrah [3] [$1,500]; 6. 51-Paul McMahan [10] [$1,400]; 7. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [8] [$1,350]; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser [4] [$1,300]; 9. 99L-Larry Wight [14] [$1,250]; 10. 7S-Jason Sides [7] [$1,200]; 11. 29-Kerry Madsen [9] [$900]; 12. 5-Justin Barger [17] [$800]; 13. 49-Brad Sweet [12] [$700]; 14. 1s-Logan Schuchart [16] [$650]; 15. 11-Steve Kinser [13] [$600]; 16. 1A-Jacon Allen [15] [$550]; 17. 71M-Joey Saldana [11] [$500]; 18. 2-Steven Hutchinson [18] [$500]. Lap Leaders: Daryn Pittman 1-25. KSE Hard Charger Award: 99L-Larry Wight [+5]

Qualifying – 1. 83-David Gravel, 13.711; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.839; 3. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.875; 4. 4-Cody Darrah, 13.879; 5. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.913; 6. 29-Kerry Madsen, 13.950; 7. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.093; 8. 51-Paul McMahan, 14.094; 9. 71M-Joey Saldana, 14.124; 10. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.141; 11. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.154; 12. 1Z-Jessica Zemken, 14.172; 13. 11-Steve Kinser, 14.321; 14. 99L-Larry Wight, 14.391; 15. 1A-Jacon Allen, 14.421; 16. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.579; 17. 5-Justin Barger, 14.744; 18. 2-Steven Hutchinson, 15.262

Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 3. 4-Cody Darrah [3]; 4. 83-David Gravel [4]; 5. 11-Steve Kinser [5]; 6. 1s-Logan Schuchart [6]

Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 7S-Jason Sides [1]; 2. 51-Paul McMahan [2]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [4]; 4. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [3]; 5. 5-Justin Barger [6]; 6. 99L-Larry Wight [5]

Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 1Z-Jessica Zemken [1]; 2. 71M-Joey Saldana [2]; 3. 29-Kerry Madsen [3]; 4. 1A-Jacon Allen [5]; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [4]; 6. 2-Steven Hutchinson [6]

Dash – (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of A-feature) – 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [2]; 2. 83-David Gravel [1]; 3. 4-Cody Darrah [4]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [6]; 6. 1Z-Jessica Zemken [8]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides [7]; 8. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [5]