What I Saw During Day One At The World Finals
Column By: JOHN ZACHARY / RPW – CONCORD, NC – Thursday Night kicked off the three-day World Finals at The Dirt Track in Charlotte. Let me start by saying WOW…what a place! Absolutely beautiful race complex.
As I drove into the gate, the Dirt Track was on my left and ZMax Dragway was to my right. On the other side of the dirt track sit the massive Charlotte Motor Speedway.
All three classes made laps on the very well-prepared clay oval. The Big Blocks hit the track first for their hot laps that determined where they would line up for the heat races later in the night. Forty-eight (48) Big Blocks were on hand for their year-ending event in North Carolina.
Following the Mods were the ever exciting World Of Outlaws Late Models. They too ran laps to determine their heat race starting spots. Approximately 72 of those machines were on hand for their last race of the season.
Meanwhile, the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars were putting heat in their engines. The events most popular class had 52 entries…all looking to stand in victory lane at Charlotte. Following that, the Sprints had their practice session before opening ceremonies.
The track was fast for all of the classes. Mike Mahaney, Brett Hearn, Matt Sheppard, Keith Flach, and Demetrios Drellos set fast times in their Qualifying Groups for the Big Blocks. Mahaney was fast time for Friday nights event.
Next up were the Late Models for their qualifying groups. #44 Chris Madden set fast time with T-Mac Tim McCreadie setting second quick in the last group. Dale McDowell, WoO point leader Brandon Sheppard and Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Champion Josh Richards rounded out the top five.
The Big Blocks took to the Speedway again for Saturday nights time trials. It was pretty amazing how they get all of the cars lined up and back to the pits after their runs without incident. It’s a well oiled machine at The Dirt Track.
Super DIRTcar Series point leader Matt Sheppard set fast time early only to have Mike Mahaney come out and reset fast time in his group. Mike swept both fast times for Friday and Saturday in Charlotte.
With a heavy cushion on the top of the track, the Sprint cars were up next for their practice sessions. David Gravel and newly-crowned 2017 WoO Sprint Champ Donny Schatz looked fast early in practice.
Next up was the opening ceremonies for the 2017 World Finals.
After the National Anthem, the first sprint car took to the track for two laps of Time Trials. The “Brownsburg Bullet,” Joey Saldana, set quick time for a bit until Gravel came out and ran a 12.530 lap. Wow, they were flying.
Schatz put down a fast lap just shy of Gravel’s quick time lap for night number one. Dave Blaney was first out for the second group of cars, setting the mark at 12.558. That lap stood for a while until Daryn Pittman put his Great Clips ride on the pole with a 12.551 lap. Last up was Tony Stewart in his white no 14. Smoke looked pretty fast sitting just outside the top ten in the 12th position.
Soon after the Sprint time trials, the Big Blocks made their way onto the track for the first of five heat races. The top four will qualify from the heats for Friday’s 40 lap feature. Winners redrew on Friday.
There is nothing like a Big Block. Mike Mahaney pulled out to a early lead with Brian Swartzlander and “The Doctor,” Danny Johnson, close behind. Jeremiah Shingledecker finished in the fourth spot locking him in to the show Friday night.
Heat number two was a good race with Mat Williamson, Tyler Siri, Ryan Godown and Jimmy Horton finishing in the top four spots.
Matt Sheppard and Larry Wight started on the front row for heat number three. Sheppard was looking to get some bonus points with a heat win. He is just 30 markers ahead of Billy Decker heading into the weekend.
Sheppard took the win wiht Wight, Billy Whittaker, and Gary Tompkins rounded out the top four.
Keith Flach had a impressive win over Yan Bussiere, Justin Hears, and #19 Tim Fuller in the fourth heat.
The fifth and final heat race for the Big Blocks had Billy Decker starting on the front row looking for a win to keep the point race close. Decker on the bottom and Demitrios Drellos on the high side battling for the lead.
Justin Wright and Peter Britten close behind in third and fourth.
Dale McDowell and Mike Marlar set fast times in their Friday night group qualifying for the late models. Saturday’s qualifying has Josh Richards, and McDowell sitting in the top spots for the Late models.
My first night at the World Finals was really enjoyable for sure. What do I have to look forward to the next two nights?
