SARVER, PA - Earlier this year, Donny Schatz and his ParkerStores team
were finding themselves in the right place at the right time. Lately, it seems they
continue be in the wrong place. After a solid beginning to the 10th Annual Don Martin
Memorial Silver Cup, Schatz finished seventh.
"We just can't catch any breaks right now," said Schatz. "We had a fast car in qualifications and things didn't work out for us in the heat race. If we would have made it through our heat, we would have started sixth in the Dash. Instead, we had to run the B and start 11th."
For the second race in a row, rain delayed the beginning of the program. Schatz piloted the #15 J&J to the second fastest qualifying lap. He started fourth in the second heat and on lap three, he challenged for the runner-up spot. He made two attempts and his second forced him off the track. Andy Hillenburg and Craig Dollansky relegated Schatz to sixth and out of a transfer spot.
Schatz easily won the B- Feature and worked his way from 11th to as high as sixth before finishing seventh in the evening’s main event.
The good news is that Schatz and the ParkerStores crew will return to Williams Grove Speedway on Thursday. Schatz won last fall's National Open and the preliminary feature in May. Schatz will start the make-up feature on the pole, so his chances to break his dry spell will be good.
Schatz and the ParkerStore team will be making an appearance at the Colliflower-ParkerStore in Baltimore on Wednesday. They have Wednesday night off, and the team can hopefully catch up on some sleep before the extremely busy weekend.
(Photo by Deb Gruel)
RESULTS FOR THE ‘A’ FEATURE (40 Laps)
1. Mark Kinser, 2. Jeff Shepard, 3. Tim Shaffer, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Andy Hillenburg, 6. Greg Hodnett, 7. Donny Schatz, 8. Craig Dollansky, 9. Dale Blaney, 10. Joey Saldana, 11. Paul McMahan, 12. Johnny Herrera, 13. Ed Lynch Jr., 14. Randy Hannagan, 15. Jac Haudenschild, 16. Daryn Pittman, 17. Danny Wood, 18. Brad Furr, 19. Steve Kinser, 20. James Chesson, 21. Stevie Smith, 22. P.J. Chesson, 23. Jason Meyers, 24. Jason Johnson, 25. Jamie Smith, 26. Jimmy Hawley.
