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Photos by http://www.GraphXDesigns.com
Taylor Simas caps season with runner-up in 4th annual Wingless Nationals at Silver Dollar Speedway
By Gary Thomas
Chico, CA – October 15, 2008…After finishing runner-up in the Joe Hunt Magnetos/John Padjen Motorsports wingless point standings this year, young Taylor Simas came back at the final event of the season at Silver Dollar Speedway and raced to a second place finish during the fourth annual Wingless Sprint Nationals this past weekend.
Opening night of the Wingless Sprint Nationals featured a 52 car field sign in at the back gate and a very wet track was put together to begin the night. In fact many couldn’t remember the last time the speedway had started out with that much moisture and with Simas going out early in the qualifying order, it didn’t work to his favor and his fastest lap of 16.148 placed the Care Free Pools, JP’s Paint & Body No. 7t, twenty-eighth quickest in the order.
Simas however, was able to charge up to a transfer spot in his heat race and make it into the main event where he started from the 18th position. Despite a strong wind during the day the track surface remained extremely hooked up and made passing opportunities very technical, but the 18 year-old racer was able to move forward and make late passes of winged sprint car driver drivers Mason Moore and Kyle Larson to carve his way into 11th where he would go on and finish.
Saturday evening then brought about more cool temps & high winds and after a number of cars had suffered either crashes or motor problems the night before, a shorter 38 car field showed up to finish off the fourth annual Wingless Nationals as well the 2008 Silver Dollar Speedway season. The track surface also came in much faster on this night and even though Simas drew another early number he was able to clock the fourth quickest lap of the qualifying session.
The Orland driver proceeded to charge from sixth to second in his heat race, which automatically locked himself into the dash where eventually went on to finish seventh. He was then scheduled to line-up on the inside of the fourth row, but with a couple cars in front of him having to be push started, it bumped the Power Trip Energy Drink, Kevin Sharrah Designs, Napa Auto Parts No. 7t up to the second row.
At the waving of the green flag Simas settled into third and ran there through a number of early caution flags that plagued the beginning stages of the 30 lap feature. The night before had seen the track extremely fast and hooked up, but by main event time on this night it had become very slick and treacherous as the bottom groove became the place to be. Simas however, was able to get underneath fellow youngster Cody Myers just before a fuel stop was needed right before the halfway point, due to the high amount of caution laps already run.
When the green lights came back on Simas hounded leader Bob Newberry and appeared to be a bit faster, but just couldn’t do anything as Newberry hit his marks and didn’t make any mistakes to let him underneath. Simas continued to make peaks to the inside of Newberry, but soon had to deal with a hard charging Darrell Hanestad and the former winged star was able to get under Simas with about 12 laps remaining in the race.
Hanestad then claimed the lead from Newberry on lap 21 and Simas regrouped to get back up on the wheel and carve his way underneath Newberry shortly after that to put himself back into second. The youngster ran smoothly over the final laps and was able to cross under the checkered flag in the runner-up spot to cap off a very successful season. “It feels good to be able to run second at this race and I just have to thank my dad and this whole team for giving me a great car all year,” Simas said.
With the second place finish at the Wingless Nationals it gave Simas his second runner-up in the two premier wingless sprint car events at Silver Dollar Speedway this season, as he also scored a second place finish at the Wednesday night Gold Cup Invitational, in which he led all the way till the last lap when veteran Billy Wallace got by to steal the win away. “It’s been a great season, but it seems like we keep getting these seconds this year,” smiled Simas, who also finished runner-up in the season long Hunt Magnetos point standings with four victories along the way. “We hate to see the year over, but we’re all looking to the banquet in November,” the 18 year-old concluded.
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Orland's Taylor Simas finished off the 2008 season with a runner-up finish at the fourth annual Wingless Sprint Nationals this past Saturday night at the Silver Dollar Speedway
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