A Tough Start Turns Into a Hard Fought Finish at Speedway at Pagoda
Some nights you just have to make the most of what you have.
After Mother Nature put a stop to our original plans, Dominic Slesinski Racing made a last-minute trip to Speedway at Pagoda on Sunday.
The field was stacked. Thirty cars were registered, but only 24 would make the A-Main. With a limited number of spots available, every lap mattered.
Searching for Speed in Hot Laps
Hot laps gave us our first clue that the 30s needed a change. Dominic and the team quickly realized the gearing needed to be changed to better match the track. The problem was timing. There simply was not enough time to make the change before the heat race.
Dominic would start P8 in Heat Race #2. With only one caution during the heat, there were not many opportunities to move forward. Dominic managed to pick up one position and finished P7, just one spot short of the transfer.
It was pretty clear what needed to happen next. The gearing change had to be made.
The B-Main: Time to Go to Work
After making the gearing change and a few setup adjustments, Dominic lined up P2 for the B-Main.
Only the top six would transfer to the A-Main. Six cars would go home. When the green flag dropped, the 30s came alive.
Dominic jumped out to the lead and quickly opened up some breathing room. He controlled the race for the first six laps of the eight-lap B-Main before the caution came out.
That meant a single-file restart with just two laps remaining. No room for mistakes.
The green flag flew, and Dominic picked up right where he left off.
He held onto the lead and brought the 30s home with the B-Main win, punching his ticket into the A-Main.
A-Main Feature: 25 Laps at Pagoda
The team went back to work once again before the A-Main, making another round of adjustments to the 30s.
Dominic would roll off P19 for the 25-lap feature.
Once the green flag dropped, the race stayed green for most of the distance. Only two cautions slowed the field, leaving little opportunity to reset and make big moves through the pack.
The adjustments we made did not give Dominic the grip and drive he needed for the changing track conditions. He fought hard, but gaining positions was difficult.
When the checkered flag flew, Dominic had moved forward one spot to finish P18. It was not the finish we wanted, but the night still had plenty to take away.
Starting the night with a heat race that left us one spot short of the transfer, fighting back to win the B-Main and earning a spot in the A-Main showed what this team is all about.
Trackside Takeaways
- Keep making adjustments. The car we unloaded with was not the car we needed by the end of the night. The team kept making changes and found enough speed to win the B-Main.
- Never count yourself out. One spot short in the heat could have ended the night early. Instead, Dominic came back and won the B-Main.
- Every track teaches us something. The A-Main did not go our way, but the experience of racing a strong field at Pagoda gives us another piece of the puzzle as we continue building this team.
Appreciation Lap
A huge thank you to everyone who continues to support Dominic Slesinski Racing throughout the season.
To our sponsors, family, friends, supporters, and everyone who followed the 30s from the grandstands or from home, we appreciate every bit of it.
- A2Z Mobile Maintenance
- Kurpakus Chassis & Fabrication
- Dietz Fabrication & Powder Coating
We’re not following someone else’s path. We’re building our own, one race at a time.
See ya at the next one!
Photos: MIKE KNAPPENBERGER PHOTOS
Join Our Trackside Support Crew and help a first generation team continue our journey.
