PASS South drivers feel that the Dillion Speedway is one of the toughest oval on the circuit.
Short track racers from across the Southeast and Northeast are busy building and testing their machines as they prepare for the upcoming South Carolina Clash for the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South Super Late Models at Dillon Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 5.
The 4/10 mile, egg-shaped speedway in South Carolina’s Pee Dee region has long been one of the toughest tracks on the PASS South schedule and this year’s 125 lapper looks to be an equally tough task.
Darlington, SC’s Hayes Goodson is the third generation from his family to race at Dillon Motor Speedway. His grandfather, Howard, raced and won on the original dirt track back in the 1960’s, while his father, Hal, has been a consistent winner in the Truck and Late Model divisions at Dillon throughout the 2000’s. Goodson is excited for the opportunity to step back behind the wheel of the #16, reminiscent of the machines his father campaigned in the 1990’s, but knows it will not be easy.
“Dillon can be very tricky to get around,” said Goodson, driver of the Florence-Darlington Technical College/AAR entry. “Turns 1 and 2 differ from turns 3 and 4 a great deal. It’s easy to overcharge the corner or pick the gas up too early. Dillon also has very tight straightaways, which tends to cause problems exiting the corner. Without much leeway between the walls, a single car spin can quickly turn into a multi-car pileup.
Kannapolis, NC’s Kodie Conner is making the jump in 2016 from the Pro Late Model division, where he won the championship last year, to racing full-time in PASS South Super Late Models. Despite a top 10 finish in the season opener at Greenville-Pickens, the learning curve is steep and it’s made even tougher when racing at quirky speedways like Dillon.
“Going from a Pro Late Model to a PASS Super Late Model has been a big step in my driving career,” says Conner, driver of the Jerry Conner Insurance #45 Toyota. “At Greenville, it took me a few laps to adapt to the car on the track. Dillon is not my best track and it will take a practice or two to get used to the car again. My team and I have been working hard to be able to make it to victory lane. This season my goal is to get a win and finish top 5 in points. I will stop at nothing to reach my goal.”
This year’s 11th Annual South Carolina Clash will be 125 laps, which is 25 laps shorter than in years past. Goodson recently tested at Dillon and believes the shorter race will put more of an emphasis on qualifying.
“The PASS race at Dillon is always a good show so we’ll try to secure a decent starting position, find a place in line, keep the fenders and nose on all 125 laps, and hopefully find ourselves battling near the front at the end,” said Goodson.
Goodson and Conner will not only have to deal with a tough race track, but also by another stellar field of racers led by defending PASS South Super Late Model champion Tate Fogleman, who led 82 laps there last year, and defending South Carolina Clash winner Tyler Church.
Veterans Jeff Batten and Jimmy Doyle will be joined by PASS South rookies Kyle Desouza and Derek Scott, Jr. at Dillon. Washington state’s Nicole Behar will make her first PASS South start, along with teammate Raphael Lessard from Quebec. Fellow Canadian JP Josiasse will also be making the trek from Ontario for his first start at Dillon Motor Speedway.
All the action gets under way on Friday, March 4 at Dillon Motor Speedway with open practice for all competing divisions from 3 – 6:05 PM. On Saturday, March 5, practice will begin at 12 Noon with qualifying starting at 3:30 PM for the PASS South Super Late Models, DMS Late Models, and Pro 4-Cylinders, followed by main events starting at approximately 5 PM.
Source: Pass Tour PR