McMahan Tames Charlotte from World of Outlaws Sprint Cars on Vimeo.
Paul McMahan from Elk Grove, California got his first win of the season in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and he did it with car owner, Kasey Kahne, in attendance. Kasey, the driver of the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota was in Charlotte to race in the Coca Cola 600 Sprint Cup race and took time out to watch his sprint car teams race at the Dirt Track at Charlotte. Paul qualified first, winning his 5th quick time of the year. Bobby and Sean McMahan, Paul’s brother and nephew, compete in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series, traveling around California.
The following is a media release from the World of Outlaws.
CONCORD, N.C. — May 28, 2011 — Paul McMahan had no idea what his 2011 racing plans were when he took off for a vacation in Cancun, Mexico, last fall. McMahan had filled in for injured Cody Darrah at Kasey Kahne Racing in 2010, even putting the car in victory lane at the famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. McMahan called Kahne and inquired about his future with the team.
“I called Kasey and asked him what the plan was for 2011 and he told me to give him a few weeks,” said a smiling and relieved McMahan. “Dennis (Roth) called me three weeks later and told me to call Kasey. When I did, he told me that he had found a ride for me.”
With Kahne looking on Saturday night at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, McMahan wheeled his #83 HR Cattle Maxim into victory lane in the Circle K NOS Energy Drink Outlaw Showdown at the Dirt Track at Charlotte. Heavy rains had delayed the event 24 hours, but as the ‘Greatest Show on Dirt,’ took to the speedway, McMahan was at the top nearly all night. A California native who resides near Nashville, McMahan set quick time for the fifth time on the season, which leads all drivers, and used the momentum to steer himself into a third-place starting position in the A-main.
Sammy Swindell, of Germantown, Tenn., started the A-main on the pole and led the first 14 laps until a restart bunched up the field and gave McMahan his shot. The two drivers raced feverishly and at one point made contact down the front stretch as the green flag flew.
“Sammy slid up into me a little bit and tried to block me but I was going to hold me ground,” said McMahan. “I wasn’t going to give an inch and I guess the old saying goes, “Rubbin’s Racin’.”
While Kasey Kahne Racing got to victory lane with McMahan, two of the four machines entered in to the nights events experienced trouble. Kevin Gobrecht a Rookie of the Year candidate and Cody Darrah experienced motor issues. The #49 of Brad Sweet from Grass Valley, CA also experienced an overheating motor after losing a left rear tire.
Early race leader Sammy Swindell was running second to McMahan until a flat left rear tire sent him into the pit area. When the Big Game Treestands crew arrived to change the tire, they discovered the front brake lines were broken which left Swindell with no brakes.
The Tony Stewart Racing tandem of Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz came home second and third respectively. According to Schatz, the race track lent itself to some great racing and tested the drivers stamina.
“We raced pretty hard tonight, there’s no doubt about that,” said the four time champion from Fargo, N.D. “The track widened out really well and we were just flat out the entire time. It was an extremely fast race track tonight.”
2010 Champion Jason Meyers from Clovis, CA came home fourth with Mechanicsburg Penn. native Lucas Wolfe rounding out the top-5. NASCAR star Tony Stewart made it around series points leader Joey Saldana to finish 10th on the night. Kinser cut into Saldana’s lead once again and now trails the Brownsburg, Ind. native by only nine points.
As always, our thanks to Steve LaMothe from Steve’s Racing Photos for the use of his photos.