Tim Kaeding Takes Lead on Final Lap in Minnesota to Capture ‘FVP Outlaws at Elko’
Californian charges from 13th to earn fourth World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series win
ELKO, Minn. – May 10, 2013 – Tim Kaeding was in the right place at the right time to win the rain-shortened FVP Outlaws at Elko on Friday night in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series inaugural event at Elko Speedway.
A packed house saw Kaeding charge through the field from 13th to finally take the lead on lap 34, just as a red flag came out for a flipped car in turn two. Immediately after the wreck, the skies opened and a downpour forced series and track officials to call the race, handing Kaeding his fourth victory of the season.
While Kaeding was working his way to the front at Elko, a paved track that was covered in dirt for this special event, Craig Dollansky and Kerry Madsen waged a back-and-forth battle for the second consecutive Friday night. Dollansky started on the pole for the second time this season and led the first 14 laps with Madsen relentlessly hounding him. Finally, Madsen was able to get around Dollansky in a tight move going into turn one to lead laps 15 through lap 33. Kaeding, though, was too strong and Madsen was unable to hold him off on the 34th lap, which was ultimately the final lap.
“The last lap is always the best lap to lead,” said Kaeding, a native of San Jose, Calif., who drives the Roth Enterprises KPC. “The red came out right when we needed it and Mother Nature didn’t want us to finish this race I guess.
“It was a two grove track. The bottom took rubber and you had to stay in the rubber to run around or you could run the top and try not to run through the little bit of moisture that was left up there. We moved around a little bit, we were better on the top, I could carry a lot more momentum so I stayed up there and just picked the guys off.”
Madsen was trying to win his second consecutive Friday night event after taking the checkered flag last week at Eldora Speedway in his Keneric Racing KPC, but a mechanical issue in the waning laps nearly cost him his runner-up finish.
“The track was fantastic, we just had an issue and we’re very lucky to finish at all,” said Madsen, a native of St. Marys, NSW, Australia, who is trying to turn around his season after a slow start. “It’s been a nightmare, but to give away a race like that, Tim’s good, but these races are hard to win.”
Dollansky tried to take charge of the event early in his special Aggressive Hydraulics/Eyecon Trail Cameras Maxim, but after a dozen laps he knew it was going to be a struggle in front of his home state fans.
“About 12 or 13 laps in our motor laid down and I feel like we’re pretty fortunate to make it to the end,” said Dollansky, of Elk River, Minn. “It was a great race and I know Tim started fairly deep so again I hope these Minnesota fans got to see a good race.”
World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship points leader Daryn Pittman logged another solid top-five run, finishing fourth after starting 12th to continue his incredible season in the Kasey Kahne Racing Great Clips Maxim. It was Pittman’s 17th top-10 finish and his 14th top-five run with four wins in 20 events this season.
Next up, the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series heads south to historic Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway on Saturday night for the Mediacom Shootout.