Madsen Guides Big Game Motorsports To World of Outlaws Win At Salina

Story By: SHAWN MILLER / BIG GAME MOTORSPORTS – SALINA, OK – Redemption was sweet on Saturday for Big Game Motorsports driver Kerry Madsen, who earned his fifth World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series triumph of the season on Saturday at Salina Highbanks Speedway.

The result was extra satisfying for the Muddy sponsored team after losing a shot to win an Outlaws race on Friday at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., for the FVP Platinum Battery Shootout.

“Usually when you have a race in hand and something goes wrong you’re pretty down,” he said. “Honestly I was having fun and we had a fast car. It didn’t work out on Friday, but the race on Saturday worked in our favor.”

Friday’s show began with Madsen qualifying second quickest. He won a heat race and placed fifth in the dash to start the 30-lap A Main on the inside of the third row. He quickly powered into a podium position before taking the lead on Lap 8.

Madsen led the next 13 laps and built more than an eight-second lead when disaster struck while he was battling through traffic with only 10 laps remaining. Madsen had lapped into the top 10 when he spun in turns three and four after contact with another driver. The incident resulted in a flat right rear tire and Madsen restarting at the back of the lead-lap cars.

“I got into it with a lapped car and we touched wheels,” he said. “I didn’t think it was going to be too bad, but it flattened the tire. It was a big disappointment.”

Madsen rallied in the closing laps to garner a fifth-place finish.

The weekend wrapped up on Saturday at Salina Highbanks Speedway for the Twister Showdown. Madsen timed in third quickest during qualifying before he won a heat race. He then advanced from fourth to third place in the dash to start the main event on the inside of the second row.

Madsen took second place on the opening lap and made a couple of bids for the lead on a track that favored the top groove.

“We started on the second row and you think the track could be hard to pass on,” he said. “We wanted to just try to get a good start, get in line and pounce if there’s an opportunity.”

One move for the lead resulted in another competitor passing Madsen and dropping him to third, but he maintained within striking distance of the top two. Traffic became thick in the second half of the race and Madsen took advantage. He maneuvered back into the runner-up position before pulling off a huge slide job for the lead on Lap 23.

“When I was sitting behind the two leaders I wasn’t pushing too hard,” he said. “It’s the Outlaws so they are going to try to pass, too. If you’re going to win these races you have to be aggressive. I think the leader was focused on traffic and knew he had a car behind. He tried to block. The minute you lost a bit of momentum it created the opportunity for people to pass you.”

Madsen led the final eight laps to capture his eighth overall victory of the season.

He and the Muddy backed team are scheduled to return to action Nov. 2-4 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C., for the Textron Off Road World Finals with the World of Outlaws.