Saldana Steers to Last Lap Win at U.S. 36 Raceway
Mopar-powered World of Outlaws Sprint Series driver Joey Saldana traded the top spot with driver Johnny Herrera countless times over the course of the 40-lap Missouri High-Banked Nationals at U.S. 36 Raceway in Osborn, Mo., on Friday night, June 26. Saldana, however, would go on to lead the most important lap, the final one, en route to picking up the win.
The triumph was Saldana's 11th A-Feature win of the season and the 50th of his World of Outlaws career, making him just the 10th driver in the 30-plus year history of the series to accomplish the feat. Saldana was running second in his Mopar-fueled Kasey Kahne Racing Budweiser Maxim machine coming to the white flag lap as he and Herrera charged into turn one. Herrera was bottled up for just a split second with a lapped car, giving Saldana the opening he needed as the pair headed for turn two. Saldana took the lead and would stay out front for the final half a lap.
"I don't know what to say," said Saldana in Victory Lane. "I'm very proud of this team and this is a great team. It's great to win. My dad just got inducted into the BCRA (Big Car Racing Association) Hall of Fame today so it's pretty cool to win here tonight."
Saldana also earned a 14th-place finish in World of Outlaws action on Saturday, June 27 at the famed Knoxville Raceway in Iowa. The Kasey Kahne Racing driver is second in the WoO Sprint point standings.