DANNY SAMMONS WINS USAR POLE

> DANNY SAMMONS ACCOMPLISHES ONE GOAL,
> BUT HIS QUEST FOR FIRST USAR WIN REMAINS
>
> JENNERSTOWN, PA - Every race car driver has a list of goals. Danny Sammons
> can scratch one off his list after setting fast time to earn the pole for
> Saturday night's USAR Hooters ProCup 250 at Jennerstown Speedway.
> Unfortunately, the 19-year-old from Bordentown, N.J., ended the race
without
> scoring an important milestone first victory on the very tough
professional
> series.
>
> Sammons jumped out to dominate the first 30 laps of the event before the
> ignition box in his Ford Taurus went up in smoke.
> "I couldn't believe it," said Sammons. "My spotter was letting me know
when
> I built up a safe lead and then I was just cruising. I came off the turn
> with about a straightaway lead and the car just quit. The dash lights went
> out - I had no power. The cockpit filled with smoke."
>
> As Sammons's car rolled to a stop, the entire field passed him two times
> before he was pushed back to his pit spot. Crew chief Tom Bear quickly
> switched the car over to a spare ignition box and the car roared back to
> life.
>
> "We were two laps behind but as good as the car was I knew we still could
> win the race," said Sammons.
>
> On the restart he quickly made up his first lap and then began to circle
the
> track, catching the rear of the field on the fast, half-mile paved
speedway.
> Another yellow gave Sammons a chance to make up his second lap.
>
> "I knew I could get my second lap back," said Sammons. "But on the restart
> the brake pedal went to the floor and I fell back a few spots."
>
> A few laps later another yellow waved, giving Sammons another chance.
> "I had pumped up the brakes and gotten some pedal but it wasn't
consistent,"
> said the young driver, who is in his third year following the circuit. "I
> knew if I could have gotten out front I could have run away, but passing
> leader Hal Goodson first wasn't going to be easy."
>
> Sammons stayed side-by-side with Goodson on the restart for over a lap
> before an unfortunate incident occurred in turn one.
>
> "I just about had Hal off turn four but he hung outside and kept me
pinched
> to the bottom," said Sammons. "When I went into turn one I didn't have any
> front brakes at all. I didn't want to spin out the leader but any means,
but
> the back brakes locked up and I spun myself out and still got into Hal.
>
> "The worst part is Jay Fogleman, who was running second at the time, had
no
> place to go and crashed hard into me.
>
> "I hated it for all three teams. Believe me, it's the last thing I wanted
to
> happen to all of us."
>
> The crash knocked Sammons out of the race, leaving him short of his goal
of
> winning an USAR Hooters ProCup event.
>
> "We've run twice this year and have had a shot at winning both," said
> Sammons. "It's very disappointing for me and my team, but we're not
> quitting. We're very close and have proven we'll be a contender every time
> we race
>
> "Saturday's qualifying run was very satisfying. We were on top of the
> practice charts most of the afternoon until Hal Goodson knocked us off in
> the final half-hour. I knew I had a car that was fast enough to sit on the
> pole and I was able to show it on the second lap.
>
> "We were good right off the trailer," added Sammons. "Bill Boger had a
> set-up under our Billy Hess car that had everyone in the pits taking
notice.
> He had the car stuck to the ground getting all the horsepower out of our
> Automotive Specialists Engine. Bill, crew chief Tommy Bear and Jamie
> Campbell put in some long-hours leading up to the race and it paid off."
>
> Sammons's lap of 19.583 seconds (95.961mph average) just missed the track
> record for the USAR cars at Jennerstown held by Charlie Ford.
>
> Check out DannySammons.com for more information on this team.
>
> * * * * *
>
> Press Members wishing to talk directly with Danny may do so on Monday at
> 609-888-3618.
>
>