Pittman Picks Up Boot Hill Showdown Finale Honors!

by Lonnie Wheatley

DODGE CITY, Kan. (July 6, 2013) – Current World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car points leader Daryn Pittman was in prime position to take full advantage of opportunity to win Saturday night’s 30-lap Boot Hill Showdown finale atop the 3/8-mile Dodge City Raceway Park clay oval.

Owasso, Oklahoma native Pittman assumed the point when race-long leader Donny Schatz suffered a cut right rear tire under a lap 22 caution and then held off Paul McMahan over the final rounds to secure his sixth series win of the year aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing Great Clips No. 9.

“It seems like it’s been forever, it feels good to finally win one again,” Pittman commented of his first series triumph since a May 21 victory at New Jersey’s New Egypt Speedway.

For the initial two-thirds of Saturday’s Boot Hill Showdown, it looked as if Pittman would have to settle for chasing Schatz to the line as the reigning series champion made a bid for a sweep of the weekend after winning Friday night’s feature at the stripe.

But, when Schatz pulled to the work area with a cut tire under caution with just nine laps to go, Pittman was right there to take advantage.

“That was a tough break for Donny,” Pittman commented.  “Hate to win ‘em that way, but we’ll take ‘em any way we can get ‘em.”

Pittman and Schatz started alongside each other on the front row of the feature with Schatz gunning into the lead at the outset aboard the STP No. 15 with Pittman and third-starter Cody Darrah in tow.

With Schatz reaching traffic in just eight laps, Pittman closed in and pressured Schatz for several laps at the midway point only to have the fast-paced event interrupted when fast qualifier James McFadden came to a stop in turn one with a shredded left rear tire.

As the field realigned in double wide formation, Schatz ducked to the work area with a cut right rear and rejoined the chase at the tail.

With Schatz sent tailback, KKR teammates Pittman and Darrah led the way to the green flag with Pittman getting a good jump to snare the lead as Paul McMahan raced past Darrah for second.

McMahan closed in on Pittman for the lead but was unable to mount a serious challenge before taking the checkered flag a half dozen car-lengths behind Pittman at the stripe.

“We needed to get in traffic, I think we may have had something for him there,” McMahan commented after a runner-up finish in the CJB Motorsports No. 51.  “We had a good run in second, we’ll take it.”

Darrah settled for the show position in the KKR Sure Point Medical No. 4, with Jason Sides and Tim Kaeding rounding out the top five.  Joey Saldana was sixth, while 2012 Boot Hill Showdown finale winner Kraig Kinser raced from 14th to seventh.  Steve Kinser was eighth, Schatz rallied back to ninth and Kerry Madsen completed the top ten.

The first car out for qualifying, McFadden set the night’s quick time of 12.955 seconds in qualifying before Steve Kinser, Sides and Saldana topped heat race action.

Action resumes at Dodge City Raceway Park on Friday and Saturday, July 19-20, with the Inaugural Dodge City Modified Stampede featuring $1,200 to win IMCA Modified main events on both nights with United Wireless IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and Thunder Cars in action as well.

Dodge City Raceway Park Boot Hill Showdown Saturday Results:

World of Outlaws Sprint Cars:

Qualifying:  1. 55x-James McFadden, 12.955, 2. 51-Paul McMahan, 13.002, 3. 83-Tim Kaeding, 13.091, 4. 4-Cody Darrah, 13.095, 5. 1-Sammy Swindell, 13.161, 6. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.168, 7. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.199, 8. 6-David Gravel, 13.220, 9. 29-Kerry Madsen, 13.242, 10. 11-Steve Kinser, 13.258, 11. 7s-Jason Sides, 13.264, 12. 71m-Joey Saldana, 13.304, 13. 7-Craig Dollansky, 13.323, 14. 11k-Kraig Kinser, 13.333, 15. 63-Chad Kemenah, 13.363, 16. 77x-Wayne Johnson, 13.366, 17. 74x-Josh Hodges, 13.614, 18. E85-C.J. Johnson, 13.935, 19. 72-Ray Seemann, 14.075, 20. 1j-Danny Jennings, 14.185, 21. 97-Brian Herbert, 14.298, 22. 81-Jon Freeman, 14.468.

First Heat (8 Laps):  1. 11-Steve Kinser, 2. 15-Donny Schatz, 3. 55x-James McFadden, 4. 7-Craig Dollansky, 5. 77x-Wayne Johnson, 6. 4-Cody Darrah, 7. 72-Ray Seemann, 8. 81-Jon Freeman.

Second Heat (8 Laps):  1. 7s-Jason Sides, 2. 6-David Gravel, 3. 1-Sammy Swindell, 4. 51-Paul McMahan, 5. 11k-Kraig Kinser, 6. 74x-Josh Hodges, 7. 1j-Danny Jennings.

Third Heat (8 Laps):  1. 71m-Joey Saldana, 2. 9-Daryn Pittman, 3. 29-Kerry Madsen, 4. 83-Tim Kaeding, 5. 63-Chad Kemenah, 6. E85-C.J. Johnson, 7. 97-Brian Herbert.

Dash (6 Laps):  1. 15-Donny Schatz, 2. 9-Daryn Pittman, 3. 4-Cody Darrah, 4. 83-Tim Kaeding, 5. 51-Paul McMahan, 6. 55x-James McFadden, 7. 7s-Jason Sides, 8. 11-Steve Kinser, 9. 71m-Joey Saldana, 10. 6-David Gravel.

“A” Feature (30 Laps):  1. 9-Daryn Pittman (2), 2. 51-Paul McMahan (5), 3. 4-Cody Darrah (3), 4. 7s-Jason Sides (7), 5. 83-Tim Kaeding (4), 6. 71m-Joey Saldana (9), 7. 11k-Kraig Kinser (14), 8. 11-Steve Kinser (8), 9. 15-Donny Schatz (1), 10. 29-Kerry Madsen (12), 11. 1-Sammy Swindell (11), 12. 7-Craig Dollansky (13), 13. 6-David Gravel (10), 14. 63-Chad Kemenah (15), 15. 74x-Josh Hodges (17), 16. 55x-James McFadden (6), 17. 77x-Wayne Johnson (16), 18. E85-C.J. Johnson (18), 19. 72-Ray Seemann (19), 20. 81-Jon Freeman (22), 21. 97-Brian Herbert (21), 22. 1j-Danny Jennings (20).

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Category: Kansas / Nebraska