"If we'd get the gorilla off our back we'd be ok," said Craig Dollansky after his second rough night in a row from the Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, CA

Stopping the qualifying clock at 12.708 seconds the Big Game, Karavan, Aggressive Hydraulics team sat in the runner-up position at the conclusion of time trials. Needing a top 6 finish in the heat, they were as good as in the dash, securing a prime starting spot for the main event.

Marking the heat race off their list by finishing in the 3rd position, Dollansky and crew waited for the invert to be drawn for dash. When a 6 was selected the team readied themselves to begin from position 5 in the 8 lap dash. Picking off one position Dollansky's Rider powered Maxim finished in the 4th spot.

With only 35 laps of racing to finish off the weekend at the Southern California 1/3 mile oval; Dollansky lined up in the 4th spot and prepared for the green flag to drop. "I was lined up behind Joey and as we took the green, I was right behind him. We both got a good start and I think that caught Kaeding (from the pole) off guard. As I was going to pass him on the front stretch he turned right into me, I crashed and that was it," said the disappointed driver. "It was too bad, we were fast and I think we had a good shot, for a good finish, we just barely got to start before it was all overwith. This is especially tough for the Big Game Motorsports team given we got crashed on the first lap the night before too. We'll just need to dig deep, put this behind us and get ready for the next race."

With numerous crashes, and much torn up equipment this weekend, the traveling teams that make up the Outlaw series will probably be glad to hear the thunder subside from the Thunderbowl Raceway.

QUICK STATS
29 Cars
Qualifying: 12.708 (2nd)
Heat Race 2: 3rd, start(4)
Dash: 4th, start(5)
A-Main: DNF, start(4)
notes: crash at start, frontstretch

Craig Dollansky and his Big Game Motorsports crew had to fight back from adversity last night when they suffered a flat right rear on the opening lap of the A-main in Tulare, California.
Dollansky started 9th, to the inside of California native Jonathan Allard for the 35 lap feature race. "I'm not sure what went on there," said Dollansky, I think he just drove up on my right rear on the start." The tangle brought out the red flag as Allard crashed into the outside retaining wall and Dollansky rolled to a stop before a lap was completed. The #7 crew went to work to repair the damages, which included a flat tire, and broken right rear shock, as Allard retired his ride for the night. "We had our work cut out for us after that," commented Craig, as the #7 Maxim was relinquished to the rear of the field. "The track was  rough," the driver also remarked, "I was bouncing around so much during the A I almost felt sick when it was over." Restarting from the 24th position, Dollansky had his elbows up as he wheeled his ride back towards the front. With 5 laps remaining he had cracked the top ten, eventually finishing in the 9th spot.

Earlier in the night the team powered to an impressive heat race win, stretching the lead to nearly seven car lengths over 2nd place running Joey Saldana in the 3rd heat.

A 12.883 was good qualifying effort for going out late, 11th overall: only fellow 'Big Gamer' Terry McCarl was faster after Dollansky later in the qualifying order.

Losing a spot in the dash, Dollansky finished  9th, and began the A-main from that position.

The team returns to the Thunderbowl tonight to try to better their previous night's effort.



QUICK STATS
32 Cars
Qualifying: 12.883 (11th)
Heat Race 3: 1st, start (2)
Dash: 9th, start (7)
A-Main: 9th, start (9)
notes: to tail (24th) at the restart of feature, flat tire after lap 1 incident.

"We were pretty fast in the A-main before the caution," said Craig Dollansky, "I packed my right rear with mud on about the second lap of the feature and had a pretty good vibration, but we weren't far behind Steve (Kinser) with about 12 laps in, from 14th."

According to Mike Woodring crew chief of the #7, Dollansky caught the cushion going into the corner and mud caved in his right rear wheel cover. It also tore the line off the bleeder valve that regulates the tire pressure. As a caution flag slowed action on the track midway through the race, Dollansky's tire lost pressure. When the race resumed the air pressure in his right rear tire was extremely low and the tire exploded. Just surpassing the halfway mark when the incident occurred, the team was not allowed any time in the work area and they were unable to return. "A few laps earlier and we would have gotten time in the work area to change the tire," commented the driver, "that was unfortunate."

Early in the night Dollansky was the fastest in hot laps with a lap time of 14.417 but going out late in the qualifying order, his 14.495 second lap was only good enough for fourteenth.  "Quick time was a 14.344 and we weren't that far off," said Dollansky, "but there were a lot of cars in the 14.4's and that put us out of the heat race inversion with only 3 heats."

The Big Game Treestands, Karavan Trailers, Aggressive Hydraulics sponsored team would start from 5th in heat race number two and finished in fourth.

Although, the DNF in their 3rd official race at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will set the team back in the points battle, they are confident they can get back on track as the season continues to get rolling with over 80 races yet to go.

The team travels to Tulare, California next for 2 day at the Thunderbowl Raceway.

QUICK STATS
28 Cars
Qualifying: 14.495 (14th)
Heat Race 2: 4th, start (5)
Dash: (no start)
A-Main: DNF, start (14)
*blown right rear, past halfway, no restart

Mother Nature frowned on Volusia Speedway Park on Friday night forcing the cancellation of the start of the World of Outlaws season. With a better forcast for Saturday, they hope to kick off their year on what was scheduled as night 2 at the 1/2 mile near Barberville, Florida.

Nosewing damage on Big Game Treestands #7 makes for ill handling race car in feature race for the 'All Stars' finale at DIRTCar Nationals.

Posting the 3rd fastest qualifying time with a 14.205 around the Volusia 1/2 mile, Craig Dollansky would begin his night from the 6th starting spot in heat race number three. Picking up two spots in the heat he would qualify his Rider powered Maxim for the A-main draw.

With the assistance of a child from the audience and for the second night in a row, Dollansky found himself with a pole starting position.

At the drop of the green flag signally the start of the A-main, a wide swath of sprint cars headed into turn one. Shuffled from his starting spot Dollansky would have to work his way back towards the front in the 30 lap race. "On about the 10th lap I got into a slower car and got the left sideboard of my nosewing taken off," Craig commented. Later in the race he regained the runner-up position and worked on catching the leader, Joey Saldana. "I caught up with Joey in traffic, but with my nose wing messed up I needed to have the right opportunity if I was going to try to slide him," Dollansky said. A few late race cautions kept Saldana in open track and Dollansky did not have the opportunity he had hoped to get to pass the #9. Dollansky finished in the runner up spot for the final night of All Star competition.

QUICK STATS
41 Cars
Qualifying: 14.205 (3rd)
Heat Race 3: 4th, start (6)
Draw for A: 1 pole position
A-Main: 2nd, start (1)