The Doctor stays focused at Volusia

With Volusia DirtCar Nationals in the record books, it was definitely an amazing run for Tim McCreadie who picked up two Feature wins; the first being in the Late Model World of Outlaws show, along with the win in the big block feature. But quietly that week, in the background, there was an old master hard at work.

While all eyes were focused on the regular heroes of the day, the Doctor and Chris Gennarelli were quietly working their magic with the famed 27j car.

The Shakleton Auto & Truck Parts team set out for the Volusia Speedway on January 31 with a live Facebook post as they travelled through the rolling hills of New York State. Twelve days later, Danny would find his way to the podium.

With nights one and two cancelled do to inclement weather, the 27j Team was chomping on the bit to get out on the track. Danny would qualified fourth in time trials and would work his way to a second place finish in the feature race -- not bad for this small close neat team.

Night four saw the Doctor once again in true form and picked up another podium finish this time in third place. The day started off with a flurry of activity as team manager, Chris Gennarelli, explains:  “While checking the valve lash, we came across a broken rocker arm, so the scramble to change the motor was on. With just a few hours before hot laps and help from Steven Deinhandt and friends, we managed to get the new motor in with time to spare.”

The timed hop laps went well and the doctor would bring home the 27j in first place during his heat race. For the feature, Danny would start mid-pack but drove his way to another podium finish. The veteran was also proclaimed the hard charger of the night.

For the final night of racing, things, unfortunately, unraveled for the 27j Team.  All was good during time trials and the Doctor would finish fifth in his heat race, setting the stage for the feature event.

The 27j once again started mid-pack for the 50-lap feature.  From the start, the Doctor began moving forward but on lap 14,he took a hard hit from behind, causing damage to the rear shock support.  Chris explains, “We tried to fix the damage during a caution but it was unsuccessful.” The 27j would struggle for the remainder of the race, coming across the line in15th place. “Not the finish we were looking for,” Chris explains, “but coming home second in the points race definitely feels good. I feel we showed that we can compete at a high level this year, we had a great car at Volusia and George and Tami gave me everything I needed to make this happen. I believe we will have a great season ahead.”

All in all it was a good shakedown event for the 27j Team and if this is a prelude of things to come, the Doctor will surely be back in the winner’s circle once again this year.  

Writer / Photographer

Don Simpson 

360 Nitro