May 23 – PPMS and May 24 – Tyler County
Friday, May 29th, 2009Imperial, PA ….. May 23rd marked the 2009 maiden voyage for Dunn-Olivieri Racing as they traveled to Dirt’s Monster Half Mile, Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway (PPMS) for the first race of a Memorial Day Weekend doubleheader for the Kinzua Water Service United E Mod Series (UEMS). After the dust settled the season debut for the new Larry Shaw Race Chassis saw Russ Dunn bring the colorful # 47 home to a sixth place finish.
The fourth race in the Kinzua Water Service (UEMS) E Mod Series had thirty four (34) cars signed into the pits with drivers from New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia for the 20 lap special. Four heat races and one B-main would make up the 24 car starting field. Dunn would start third in the third 8 lap heat race and that is where he would finish, as the top three cars from each heat races would be eligible for the pill redraw. Lady luck would not be kind as Dunn pulled the 12th starting position.The feature would start off with two cautions on the initial start with Dunn just getting a flipping car on the second restart improving five positions to 7th.. The third restart proved to the lucky one as the next 16 laps saw green flag racing when caution came out for a car hitting the wall. Just like the initial start, it would take two tries to restart the field and it was on those final four laps Dunn was able to power his was on the top side of a very rough race track to finish in 6th place.
Middlebourne, WV….May 24th the team headed south to Tyler County Speedway for the second day of the Kinzua Water Services (UEMS) doubleheader for the Battle of the Bullring $3000 to win show in a battle of the stars from the Tri-State Modified Association and the United E Mod Series. with bragging rights on the line. At the end of very long evening in Tyler County with dust hovering over the track and in the stands, Dunn came home 11th.
A star studded field of 50 drivers from New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia had one thing in mind the $3000 dollar payout to the winner. Dunn-Olivieri Racing would be making their first visit to the 1/4 mile banked bullring with all 50 cars taking time trials to determine the starting positions for the six 10 lap heat races. Timing in the middle of the pack,and due to the invert system gave Dunn the pole for the third of six ten lap heat races with on two cars from each heat advancing to the feature. Dunn would never get a chance to run the heat, as he entered the track a bolt in the right rear trailing arm broke sending him back to the pits on the end of tow truck. After this misfortune repairs were made and Dunn made it out for his B-Main with two cars from each of the B-Mains advancing to the feature.They say sometime you have to have luck on your side as Dunn would have a high point man provisional from the series to use to start the if he did not advance through the heat or B-Mains . Knowing he had the provisional Dunn wanted to shake down the car from the repairs and get the car ready for the feature. A check of the car for the feature found a broken left rear shock, but with the clock literally ticking (2:30 am ) due to a two hour ran delay as the was not enough time to change it before the feature. Using the provisional Dunn would start 20th in the 40 lap feature. Tyler County Speedway has a set a two common rules : (1) If you have a problem you can not come back onto the track (2) after the initial start a restarts are single file (3) on a caution only the cat causing the caution goes to the rear of the field not all that were involved. Long green flag runs would see the field of cars stretch out around the track. The track was lighting fast, but passing was almost impossible and as cars were having problems Dunn stayed out of trouble and finished a respectable 11th .
Russ will be in the 222 Friday at Raceway 7 Saturday at Stateline and Sunday at Eriez.
