Dillon Wins Contact-Filled Legends Feature at Caraway

By Jason Buckley

This weekend, many Legends drivers were focused on the Regional Qualifier at Anderson Motor Speedway (SC).  That left other tracks like Caraway Speedway with a low car count for their racing action, but even with the decrease in cars, the racing was intense.  A three-way battle between Ty Dillon, Steven Ross and Christian Pahud for the entire race had the fans on their feet.  When the checkered flag was in the air, Dillon held on to the top spot for his first-career Legends feature at Caraway Speedway.

“It was a great race,” said Dillon.  “I had a great car and it’s a great win.”

Dillon started off the evening with a victory in the heat race, placing him on the point for the start of the 25-lap feature.  When the green flag dropped, Dillon continued showing his strength by hanging on to the top spot after challenges Ross and Chad Hacketbract until the red flag was displayed when Hackenbract’s car smacked the wall on the front stretch, almost sending him tumbling down the track.

Ty Dillon won his first feature Legends race at Caraway Speedway. (LN Photo)

“I was loose the entire race and I got loose off turn four,” said Hackenbract.  “I was saving it and tapped the wall.  I got it back off the wall but then it climbed the wall, slammed it again then I went down and hit the inside wall. 

“It really was running good.  We probably shouldn’t have loosened the car up for the feature but we ended up doing that and it cost us.  It is a big disappointment.  I thought we were going to have a good run today.”

Chad Hackenbracht had a fast car until he slammed both the outside and inside walls. (LN Photo)

When the green flag resumed, Dillon had to fend off challenges from Ross and Pahud.  At one point, Pahud edged in front of Dillon to take the lead, but the stint out front was short-lived as Dillon muscled his way back by for the lead. 

Pahud continued to hound Dillon, running into his back bumper lap after lap going into turn three.  With a few laps to go, Pahud slammed Dillon’s car too hard, causing Pahud to chase his own car up the track and out of the second position.

“We loosened the car up right before the race and it got real good during the race,” said Pahud.  “We were so fast during the race.  Me and Ross were both faster than Dillon, but we couldn’t get around him.  Every lap we just ran it in there and couldn’t get around him. 

“When I got into him I couldn’t get on the gas as soon as I wanted to because I had to correct the car.  Then Ross got under me and I screwed up big time going into turns one and two.  I went all the way up the race track and was completely sideways.  Luckily, I saved it and went on and got third place.”

With Pahud out of the picture, Ross took a stab at Dillon, but was also unable to get around the fast black #2 Legends car, settling for second.  Ross wasn’t too thrilled with Dillon’s driving style after the race.

“The car was real fast,” said Ross, who was driving his brother’s #38 car.  “I couldn’t get around Ty Dillon because he was blocking.  That was the worst blocking I have seen ever.  He blocked the whole race.  I am trying to race him clean but it is hard to when someone is running the bottom.  It is impossible to pass someone on the outside.  He was decent and fast, but we were faster than he was, and when you run the bottom like that the only way you can pass him is to put him into the wall.  I try to race everyone clean, even if they are blocking.

Steven Ross used his brother's car to get a second-place finish.  (LN Photo)

“Me and #63 (Pahud) didn’t want to spin him out and have a chance of putting him into the wall and him getting hurt.  He said that was his last race and that is a pretty good thing because if he was going to Friendship tomorrow it might get a little rough.”

Dillon wasn’t too concerned about all the contact on the track.  In fact, he expected it.

“Everybody that got in second tried to knock my bumper off, but it is alright,” explained Dillon.  “They are great racers and I would have probably done the same thing because that is how you have to pass here. It (his rear bumper) got pretty hammered there.  As long as we didn’t wreck a car we are alright.”

Behind the three-way fight for the lead was Masters driver Jan Ingram.  His white #7 isn’t known to make a lot of noise, but has quietly been right up towards the front for the recent races, and in this night he came across the finish line in fourth.

“We made a big adjustment after the heat race,” said Ingram.  “I was just going to close my eyes and try it.  It worked and the car was a lot better.  I just didn’t have the motor to keep up with those three that were in front of us.  We were doing all we could do, but at least I kept them in sight.  We still had fun, and that is the main thing.  The car handled pretty good.”

Regardless where anyone else finished, it was Dillon’s day at the track.  The win couldn’t have come at a better time for the young driver as it appears he will be moving up and out of Legends car racing in the near future, or at least not running his Legends for the rest of the season.

“This is number one at Caraway,” said Dillon.  “We have kind of been in a slump here for a while.  We lose them on the last lap.  We finally got one. We will probably be finished with Legends cars here in a couple weeks.”

Results (top five)

1) #2 Ty Dillon

2) #38 Steven Ross

3) #63 Christian Pahud

4) #7 Jan Ingram

5) #87 Bill Price