Westsider Dakota Carlson wins the 1st annual East VS West Shootout 100

Written by Matt Prieur

Saturday, 13 June 2009 00:00

Birch Run, Michigan (Friday, June 12, 2009): Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame Driver and 2004 Dixie Cup Triple Crown Series Champion, Steve Sauve drew the pole position along-side Ken O'Connor and the two would lead the stout 22-car field to Chief Starter, Carl Wanks' green flag for the start of the 1st annual East VS West Shootout 100.

O'Connor used the momentum from the outside groove and would lead the first lap, but Sauve was determined on the inside and stayed neck and neck with the double duty regular on Fridays nights in the Top Notch Promotions Pro Late Models and Wieland Contracting Modifieds divisions. However O'Connor maintained the point and paced the field for the first 17 laps.

Sauve, who had followed O'Connor's tire tracks after the early race battle, maneuvered his way underneath O'Connor and took the lead to the approval of the stellar crowd on hand and pulled away from the rest of the field. The Saginaw, Michigan driver set a torrid pace throughout the middle stages of the feature as he built up to as much as a straightaway lead on the field.

In the meantime, O'Connor had his hands full with 22-year-old Dakota Carlson, the youngest driver in the veteran laden field. After several tries, Carlson finally negotiated his way around O'Connor and set his sights on the Hall of Famer, Sauve.

Carlson used some lapped traffic to his advantage and reeled in Sauve. From Lap 65 on, the two waged war all around the 4/10s (0.400) mile progressively banked d-shaped paved oval as Carlson searched for a way around the Two-Time Track Champion. Finally on Lap 83, Carlson got a great run off of Turn Two and did something very few drivers have done at Dixie Motor Speedway; Drove by the Hall of Fame pilot Sauve and take the lead!

The most serious incident of the night as well as the fourth and final caution of the night occurred on Lap 88 when Three-Time Pro Late Model Track Champion, Chad Bennett and Three-Time Defending Dixie Cup Triple Crown Series Champion and Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame driver, John Grega were collected in an incident in Turns 3-4. Both were done for the night.

On the restart, Carlson immediately pulled away and at that point there was no denying the Cedar Springs, Michigan driver as the youngest driver in the field showed that he's a force to be reckoned with in the world of Outlaw Super Late Models racing as the driver of the Express Signs Chevrolet scored the biggest win of his young career by winning the 1st annual East VS West Shootout 100.

Fellow Westsider, Mike Root finished second to give Western Michigan drivers a sweep of the Top Two finishing positions! Johnny Belott was the highest finishing driver representing the East in third while Sauve dropped back to fourth and Mike Luberda Jr., completed the Top Five.

O'Connor collected a sixth place finish as Steve Cronenwett Jr., Gene Quackenbush, Ron Allen, and Dennis Strickland finished off the Top 10. Harold Fair Jr., was the fastest qualifier over the 22-car field with a 14.640.

		TRACK: Dixie Motor Speedway	DIVISION: Super Late Models
		DATE: Friday, June 12, 2009	EVENT: Dixie Cup Triple Crown Series Round I - 1st Annual East vs West Shootout 100

Pos.	Start	Car # / Driver / Hometown	Sponsor / Make	Laps	Status
1	4	8 Dakota Carlson / Cedar Springs, MI	Express Signs / Chevrolet	100	Running
2	9	9 Mike Root / Grand Rapids, MI	Universal Graphics Solutions / Chevrolet	100	Running
3	5	0 Johnny Belott / Mt. Morris, MI	West Michigan Auto Auction / Chevrolet	100	Running
4	1	97 Steve Sauve / Saginaw, MI	Jack's Tree Service / Chevrolet	100	Running
5	8	40 Mike Luberda Jr. / AuGres, MI	LeClair Fuels / Chevrolet	100	Running
6	2	43 Ken O'Connor / Elkton, MI	Suzuki Honda Sales / Chevrolet	100	Running
7	15	21 Steve Cronenwett Jr. / Trenton, MI	Huron Turkey Farm / Chevrolet	100	Running
8	14	37 Gene Quackenbush / Fosters, MI	M-W Crane Service / Chevrolet	100	Running
9	16	88 Ron Allen / Lincoln Park, MI	Giles Auto Body / Ford	100	Running
10	13	90 Dennis Strickland / Carleton, MI	Pete's Garage / Chevrolet	100	Running
11	22	56 Guy Pritchard / Windsor, ON	Tim Horton's Donuts / Chevrolet	97	Running
12	20	63 Tim Ryan / Flushing, MI	B-L Truck Caps / Chevrolet	97	Running
13	19	32 Cliff Pulley / Swartz Creek, MI	Hogan Auto Sales / Chevrolet	93	Running
14	12	50 Chad Bennett / Caro, MI	Pringle-Bennett Racing / Chevrolet	88	Accident
15	7	71 John Grega / Fruitport, MI	Port City Race Cars ./ Chevrolet	88	Accident
16	11	4 Justin Schroeder / Canton, MI	Glass Unlimited / Chevrolet	70	Mechanical
17	10	71f Harold Fair Jr. / Milan, MI	Royal Truck and Trailer Sales / Chevrolet	64	Mechanical
18	21	p51 Scott Pemberton / St. Johns, MI	A-1 Auto Parts / Chevrolet	61	Mechanical
19	18	25 Chris Hettinger / Dryden, MI	Coast to Coast Construction / Dodge	55	Mechanical
20	6	5 Eric Lee / Macomb Township, MI	Arrow Uniform Rental / Chevrolet	55	Mechanical
21	3	7 Jared Allison / Coco Beach, FL	Royal Truck and Trailer Sales / Chevrolet	45	Mechanical
22	17	11 Jay Reinbold / Frankenmuth, MI	Feinhauer Farms / Chevrolet	27	Mechanical

Lap Leaders: 97 Steve Sauve POLE, 43 Ken O'Connor 1-17, 97 Steve Sauve 18-83, 8 Dakota Carlson 84-100
Cautions: 4 for 0 Laps
Time of Race: 1 Hour, 03 Minutes, 20.425 Seconds
DID NOT START: NONE

		Qualifying Results
		1. 71f Harold Fair Jr. 14.640
		2. 9 Mike Root 14.697
		3. 40 Mike Luberda Jr. 14.742
		4. 71 John Grega 14.759
		5. 5 Eric Lee 14.783
		6. 0 Johnny Belott 14.812
		7. 8 Dakota Carlson 14.821
		8. 7 Jared Allison 14.905
		9. 43 Ken O'Connor 14.922
		10. 97 Steve Sauve 14.971
		11. 4 Justin Schroeder 14.994
		12. 50 Chad Bennett 15.034
		13. 90 Dennis Strickland 15.154
		14. 37 Gene Quackenbush 15.160
		15. 21 Steve Cronenwett Jr. 15.185
		16. 88 Ron Allen 15.275'
		17. 11 Jay Reinbold 15.279
		18. 25 Chris Hettinger 15.311
		19. 32 Cliff Pulley 15.410
		20. 63 Tim Ryan 15.426
		21. p51 Scott Pemberton 15.461
		22. 56 Guy Pritchard 15.496

Last Updated on Monday, 15 June 2009 07:56

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