Inside Line Promotions – HAUBSTADT, Ind. (May 5, 2015) – Jason Sides enjoyed a successful weekend with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, which competed at three different tracks in three different states during a three-day span.
The weekend kicked off last Friday at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Okla., where Sides timed in 17th quickest.
“We went out early and I think the track cleaned off or laid a little rubber in qualifying,” he said. “It stayed that way all night. It was rubber down at the start of the feature.”
Sides finished fifth in his heat race and he advanced from 17th to 14th during the main event on the one-lane track.
His best performance of the weekend came on Saturday at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo., where Sides qualified fourth quickest and charged from fourth to win a heat race. He then placed third in the dash to start the main event on the inside of the second row.
“Something happened to (Rico) Abreu’s car so I started on the pole,” he said. “(Kerry) Madsen got the lead, which wasn’t a big deal. It was a 40-lap race. I fell back a few spots and then finally got back going. The middle went away and the bottom came in. You always tend to be a little bit tighter at the start of a race. They reworked the track and it was really good top to bottom. We ran right through the middle to the top the first 15 laps until that blew back off. Then the bottom came back in. When the fuel burned off it started handling better and then you could race on the bottom.”
Sides challenged for a podium position throughout the main event before he closed with a second-place result, which tied his best finish with the World of Outlaws this season.
The weekend concluded on Sunday at Tri-State Speedway, where Sides was tied for 16th quickest – the final spot in the heat race inversion – in qualifying but lost the tiebreaker based on the second fastest qualifying lap.
He then placed fifth in a heat race to garner the 17th starting position for the main event.
“The restarts were good for us,” he said. “There were a couple of cars on restarts that got together and that helped us. At the end of the race we were looking at fifth. Any time you can run in the top 10 with these guys after starting 17th it’s a good night.”
Sides and the World of Outlaws will compete this Friday and Saturday at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio.
“It’s a place that I like yet I hate,” he said. “If the track is good for me than we seem to have success. If it’s dry around the bottom and racing around the top than I’m just there. I need it to have a bottom or a middle. It’s not my style anymore to beat and bang off the wall.”
QUICK RESULTS –
May 1 – Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Okla. – Qualifying: 17; Heat race: 5 (6); Feature: 14 (17).
May 2 – Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo. – Qualifying: 4; Heat race: 1 (4); Dash: 3 (3); Feature: 2 (3).
May 3 – Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind. – Qualifying: 17; Heat race: 5 (5); Feature: 8 (17).
SEASON STATS –
26 races, 1 win, 8 top fives, 15 top 10s, 20 top 15s, 23 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday and Saturday at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio, with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.SidesMotorsports.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SidesMotorsport
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sides-Motorsports/283833970847?ref=br_tf
LIVE AUDIO –
Keep up with Sides Motorsports via free, live audio from DIRTVision at every World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event throughout the season. Select events also include live Pay-Per-View video. For more information, click http://www.DIRTVision.com.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Clean Seal, Inc.
Clean Seal, Inc. has supplied extruded rubber products to the transportation industry since 1978. The company, which is based in South Bend, Ind., is a full-line, full-service source for standard and custom-designed seals and gaskets. For more information, visit http://www.CleanSeal.com.
“Clean Seal came on board this year and we’re excited to have them as part of our program,” Sides said. “I want to say thanks to Bill Dawson and the entire team at Clean Seal. We look forward to future success together.”
Sides would also like to thank Wetherington Tractor Service, Inc., King Racing Products, R.E. Enterprises, VRP Shocks, BR Motorsports, Dancer Logistics, Inc., East Coast Logistics, Jim Schuhknecht, FSR Radiators, Driven Racing Oil, Ingles Racing Engines, Wings Unlimited and All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads for their continued support.