6/2/2015
Cornell Spun Out of Contention at Placerville
(Photo by Krazy KC Photography)
PLACERVILLE, Calif. – Scheduled for two more nights of California sprint car racing, Jonathan Cornell was edged out for a top-ten finish on Friday night at Keller Auto Speedway, taking 11th. Then, on Saturday night, the Sedalia, Mo. native looked able to challenge for the win at Placerville Speedway before tight quarters sent him spinning into an infield tire.
The Kings Fairgrounds held the first of a four-event series, the “Battle for the Milk Can,” on Friday, with an even full feature’s worth of sprint cars, 24, in the pit area. Cornell rounded out the top half in qualifying on the three-eighth-mile, going 12th-fastest, just under 15 seconds at 14.999. Starting front row in his heat race, he powered to the lead on the start, en route to the win.
From eighth on the grid in the 30-lap main event, Cornell moved into sixth on the seventh circuit. Steadily falling back to tenth by the halfway point, he gained two spots with a pass and another car dropping out of the race to earn back the eighth spot. He again slowly fell backwards, falling from the top ten for the first time when perennial California standout Bud Kaeding took the tenth position from him on lap 23. That pass would prove to be the final pass for anyone in the race, and Cornell crossed the finish line in 11th.
Hoping to improve on the finish and possibly take home a trophy to Missouri, Cornell was back in the H.A.M. Construction No. 35M for Civil War Series racing at picturesque Placerville Speedway. He would again stop the clock 12th-quick in qualifying with a 10.969-second lap around the quarter-mile. From the front row again in heat race competition, it was more of the same, as Cornell grabbed the top spot on the start and won. Garnering a spot in the dash, Cornell started seventh and moved forward one position to sixth, earning the outside row three grid position for the feature.
After settling in over the first five laps of the 30-lap main event, Cornell began his drive forward. By lap nine, he had already charged into the third position. After racing there for three more laps, heartbreak struck; hard racing for position into turn three was an ominous foreshadowing to what would happen next. Cornell and another racer nearly made contact in that corner, forcing Cornell to back off and try again in turn one. However, what happened in turn one was nearly identical, but it resulted in the No. 35M spinning to avoid a collision, instead hitting a tractor tire. Having to restart at the tail, Cornell mustered just a 15th-place result.
Jonathan Cornell Racing would like to thank Main Motorsports, Kiowa Line Builders, Starline Brass, Gas Monkey Tequila, VKCC Motorsports, Yeager's Cycle, Champion Brands, LLC Hi-Tech Lubricants, Ostrich Racing Engines, Peak Performance, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Weld Racing, Hoosier Racing Tire, Maxim Chassis, Rod End Supply, Lucas Oil, KSE Racing Products, ButlerBuilt, Factory Kahne Midwest, Duinkerken Farms, Steve Watt Enterprises, R2C Performance Products, Simpson Race Products, Don's Truck Towing & Truck Wash, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions LLC, Outlaw Wings, Sparks Electric Co., SureCoat, Xtreme Fuel Stick, and Steve and Charlie Smith, as well as all of his fans for their continued support.
Cornell is next scheduled to compete on June 7 at Double-X Speedway in California, Mo. in the No. 28 360ci winged sprint entry.
Quick Results
May 23 – Hanford, CA – 360ci Winged Sprint – Qualifying: 12th; Heat: 1st (2); Feature: 11th (8)
May 24 – Placerville, CA – 360ci Winged Sprint – Qualifying: 12th; Heat: 1st (1); Dash: 6th (7); Feature: 15th (6)
2015 Stats
6 races, 6 features, 2 wins, 2 top fives, 3 top tens, 0 DNFs
Social Media
Twitter: http://twitter.com/teamtwentyeight
Article Credit: Redbeard Promotions