Column By: MIKE TRAVERSE / RPW – MIDDLETOWN, NY – Even if you couldn’t crack the top six in Friday’s Eastern States 200 time trials, it was important to go as fast as possible to secure a good starting spot for their heat races.
A heat win would propel them into the starting lineup for Saturday’s Race for the Pole which will set the top 12 starting positions for Sunday’s 200 lap event.
After Anthony Perrego, Kenny Tremont, Stewart Friesen, Jimmy Horton, Tim McCreadie and Billy Decker claimed those spots, it was left to the 6 heat races to determine the final six to add to Saturday’s event.
Enter Mike Mahaney, Tommy Meier, Matt Sheppard, Dillon Steuer, Tim Fuller and Larry Wight. Each of these drivers grabbed qualifying race wins and will fall in line behind the top 6 fast qualifiers to make up the field for Saturday’s pole event.