Mopar-Powered Saldana Finishes Fourth in Final WoO Sprint Standings
Team Mopar driver Joey Saldana and his Kasey Kahne Racing team had a night which was typical of their 2008 fortunes when the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series ended its season with the "VAULT World Finals" on Saturday night, Nov. 1. A broken driveshaft just after the green flag knocked Saldana out of the A-main at The Dirt Track at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., concluding a year in which freakish circumstances and bad luck seemed to strike Saldana at the most inopportune times. Still, it was a season many Sprint Car drivers would envy, with Saldana reaching victory lane five times and placing fourth in the World of Outlaws points standings.
The "VAULT World Finals" did have one high point for the Kahne squad, with the announcement that it will in 2009 expand to a two-car team pairing Saldana with veteran Craig Dollansky. Both cars will be powered by Mopar engines, giving the brand a strong one-two punch on America's premier Sprint Car circuit.
Saldana opened his weekend with Thursday's qualifying program, time-trialing 18th of 46 cars. That night's program continued with a unique set of two-lap "run-off" style events, with Saldana surrendering in round two to Jason Meyers. Friday night saw a more traditional WoO event, but no turnaround in luck for Saldana. He advanced from 23rd to 19th in the 30-lap A-main, but was never able to overcome the deficit. On Saturday's final night, Saldana finished a solid third in his heat race before that recalcitrant driveshaft put him on the sidelines.
Saturday's final night of the "VAULT World Finals" was televised live on SPEED TV. In addition, the Oct. 31 program was taped by SPEED TV for later broadcast, and will air on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 9 p.m. For more information on the WoO Sprint Series, visit http://www.worldofoutlaws.com.
