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Hodnett, Stewart Record Quick Time at World Finals

Greg Hodnett and Shane Stewart share the spoils of recording quick times for the first night of the Bad Boy Off Road World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Both will lead their respective heats into the green flag during the Friday and Saturday program.

Hodnett, who recorded the third fastest time in hot laps earlier in the program, bested the field with a 12.633. The Memphis, Tenn. sprint car veteran placed second earlier this month at the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series show at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway. This time, Hodnett will lead the 49-car field into Friday’s heat races.

“The track’s really nice. They did a great job,” said Hodnett, who learned in hot laps to cut through the bottom of turns three and four. “In hot laps we were running through the middle, but the bottom got a little better. In our last lap in hot laps, I moved down and it was pretty quick. We made it stick in [turns three and four]. I think that was the key in our qualifying lap.”

Hodnett, 41, topped World of Outlaws frontrunner Daryn Pittman in the first of two flights. Pittman, who was second fastest in hot laps, was beat by a .079-second margin. Stewart eventually split the two, clocking-in at 12.644 in the following group. Stewart ultimately recorded the second fastest time of both flights behind Hodnett.

“I was able to watch Hodnett’s lap before I went out,” Stewart said. “Being low on the racetrack helped us a little bit. [The track is] tricky. You got to be low, but you can’t be so low where you hit the tires. So, [turns] three and four I felt like I gave up a little time. I wish I would have been a little lower on the second lap in [turn] three and four. We probably would have had quick time.”

In the second session of qualifying to decide Saturday’s heat lineups, Stewart traded quick time honors with Hodnett. Hodnett, who followed-up his strong performance with the fastest time in the first flight, ultimately fell to Stewart and two other series regulars in the second flight. Stewart’s 12.826 lap time was .101 seconds faster than Hodnett’s mark. Platinum drivers Pittman and Joey Saldana jumped Hodnett for second and third fastest.

Hodnett said in turns three and four the track was slick, but fast enough where it “induced grip” with the winged sprints. Stewart admitted he could have wheeled his racecar deeper into the corners, and for the second session he did just that.

“It honestly felt like people were losing a little ground in [turn] four,” Stewart said. “I knew if I could get off that corner a little lower on the exit than the guys ahead of me, then I knew my lap was going to be pretty good. I knew the guys ahead were running the top in turns one and two and low in three and four. After I qualified, I felt like I could have run the car low in [turns] one and two. It’s all about getting in the front row of your heat. Confidence is crucial, and hopefully we can capitalize.”

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