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Kelley Carlton
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (March 7) - After struggling with a brand new Rocket Chassis throughout the early season it seems as though Dillon Wood and his race team have finally hit their stride. The sixteen year old Florida racer piloted his number 26 to very respectable fifteenth place finish at this past weekend's O'Reilly Southern All Stars East sanctioned March Madness VI event at the Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC. But the task was not an easy one as the entry list for the event read like a whose who of dirt late model racing with names like Bloomquist, Smith, Madden, Owens, Clanton, Babb, Weaver, Lloyd, Franklin and Roberts just to name a few.
Wood's 15.518 second lap was good enough for sixth quickest in his group which would eventually become the fourth and final heat race of the day. On the start of the heat race Wood quickly moved into contention for fourth spot which was the final transfer spot in the heat. Wood hounded Austin Hubbard for the position and drew right up on his deck with just two laps remaining. But Wood's mount washed up the banking through turns one and two which allowed Travis Pennington to slip by. Hubbard spun coming to the checkers allowing Pennington to transfer to the feature and putting Wood on the outside of the front row for the second consolation race.
"I had a rock or something come up through the car and hit me in the helmet. It flipped my shield up and dazed me for a second. That's what happened when I let Travis get by me. What ever it was it was pretty big because it messed up the left front fender too. But it sure felt good to be in a car that was comfortable and I felt like I could turn it and race hard. I left some on the table in time trials. I was a little nervous about it. We have been having the same issues with being good in hot laps and then way to tight in qualifying. And at this place too tight usually means in the wall." said Wood.
After the four heat races were completed track and series officials made the determination to rework the tracks surface. The sun and wind had taken its toll and the surface had severely rutted up and had become dangerous. After the over one hour delay, Wood rolled off in the last chance race on the outside pole. To his inside was two-time OSAS champion and multi-time Cherokee winner Chris Madden. After a couple of botched starts the green finally waved. Wood took the advantage but Madden made the young man earn his ten lap victory with several spirited side-by-side battles.
Wood's last chance victory affixed him on the outside of row number nine for the sixty lap feature. Wood raced his way up to tenth at one point in the caution filled event but was eventually forced to retire from the event with ignition problems. "We think that the crank trigger was shorting out causing the engine to start missing. I wasn't sure what was going on with it so I just parked. That is a brand new Clements Engine and I wasn't going to take any chances with it. But a fifteenth isn't too bad given everything that has happened to us with the new car. We can head to North Georgia with a little confidence now." Wood stated.
Wood and his DWR Team will return to O'Reilly Southern All Stars competition on Friday, March 14th at the North Georgia Speedway in Chatsworth, GA. The fifty lap Ernest Young Memorial event will pay $5000 to the winner. Then Wood will make the short trip north across the state line to Cleveland Speedway for the Shamrock 60 on Saturday, March 15th. The Shamrock is also sanctioned by OSAS and will have $7500 winner's purse. Any driver which can win both events can collect the Car Smart of Cleveland $2500 bonus to make it a cool $15,000 possible. If no driver wins both events the high point driver for the two events will receive an extra $500.
Dillon Wood and the DWR Team would like to thank all of their loyal fans and supporters. Dillon would also like to recognize his 2008 sponsors which include: Bearden Oil Company, Screven Motor Speedway and Savannah River Dragway, RaceSource, KELCAR Motorsports Media, Clements Race Engines, Rocket Chassis, Dixie Dirt TV, Carlson Race Photos, Koury Race Engines, Vickery's Speedshop, Coleman Outdoors, Ohlins, Hypercoils, PPM Racing Products, Wa-Don Bert, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Tire South, Stealth Carburetors, Beyea Headers, Simpson Race Products, Racing Optics, Ultra Shield Products, Duralite Wheels, Phase II Sign Supply and Arizona Sport Shirts.
Up coming DWR events:
March 14 - North Georgia Speedway - OSAS Ernest Young Memorial 50
March 15 - Cleveland Speedway - OSAS Shamrock 60
March 22 - Lavonia Speedway - OSAS Late Model Extravaganza
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