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October 13, 2016 at
09:51:21 PM by SpcJay
Craig Dollansky Looking To a Win, Aims to Please, in trip to PA
PA Sprint Car News| By Justin Snyder
Fans from all over were upset when rain from storms forced the postponement of the 54th annual Champion Racing Oil National Open.
As a result, the racing spectacle that was originally scheduled to be a three-day event at the end of September was rescheduled as a one-day event for October 14th. The payout also changed for what was originally two preliminary nights paying $10,000 to the winner and a grand finale night paying $50,000 to a one night, winner take all, $25,000 40-lap event.
While the unfortunate turn of events forced race fans to wait an extra two weeks to see the program, it opened the door for a rare late season two nights of racing, with nearby Port Royal Speedway also hosting an Outlaw-sanctioned event the following night.
The sudden change also piqued the interest of various drivers from out west and Ohio who may not have previously been able to attend due to scheduling conflicts.
Brian Brown, a Knoxville standout, will be making the tow along with Florida transplant, and Midwest young-gun, R.J Johnson. Wisconsin’s Bill Balog is also making the 800 mile journey, while All Star Circuit of Champions legend, Dale Blaney, will be hoping to contend as well.
One name familiar with both the Outlaws and Pennsylvania Posse who will be coming in to take a shot at winning the historic race is Elk River, Minnesota native and seasoned veteran, Craig Dollansky.
Dollansky will be piloting the Trey Hodgkins owned #49 for the second time this year and plans to race both Williams Grove and Port Royal.
He will also pilot the car at the end of the month during the World Finals in Charlotte.
"It really was a last minute deal that we were able to put together thanks to the rain rescheduling things and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity,” said Dollansky, who in his only other appearance in the car piloted it to a 11th place finish at Oshweken Speedway in late July. “The National Open has always been one of my favorite races and it’s always special to be able to run at Williams Grove.”
After many years running on the World of Outlaws tour and racking up victories throughout the country, Dollansky has spent the past few seasons running with the National Sprint League and at Knoxville Speedway on a weekly basis in the TKS Motorsports #2KS machine owned by Troy Renfro.
He finished the season second in points with the NSL, fourth in points at Knoxville, and third in points at Jackson Speedway. Along the way he collected five A-Main feature victories and qualified for the illustrious Knoxville Nationals.
"We’ve had a pretty good year or so racing out west and I’ve really enjoyed my time out there with that race team," said Dollansky. “This sport can be a rough one if you are not running well and I’m grateful to have had a great team that works hard and put me in contention to win each night.”
"The Crowd Pleaser," as he’s affectionately known throughout the racing community for his aggressive style of driving, is hoping to capitalize on this season’s momentum while in the Keystone State.
"Williams Grove has always been a track that I just really loved running since the first time I ever ran there,” said Dollansky, who has three career victories at the historic half-mile banked oval. “We are going to come in here and try and get ourselves a win. If we work hard and I do my job as a driver, we’ll have a good shot.”
However, he understands that he will have a stout field of drivers to contend with if he hopes to be sitting in victory lane at the end of the night.
"Whether it’s the World of Outlaws or the PA Posse, I have a ton of respect for each and every driver out there,” said Dollansky. “Anytime you have that many great drivers and teams at the same track, you are in for quite the challenge. So it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
One of the things he is most looking forward to is having the opportunity to race for and interact with the faithful Pennsylvania fans.
"In all my years of racing, some of the greatest fans I’ve ever met were in Pennsylvania and throughout the east coast,” said Dollansky. “The Posse fans can make quite the hostile environment for an outsider like me when it comes to these shows.
"They are as passionate and loyal as it gets and I always look forward to getting back to PA and seeing the fans. I can’t wait to get out there and hopefully we can put on a good show for them."
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