McMahan Takes Win at the Big E

Rossburg, OH - Every since he began racing sprint cars, there have been three tracks that Paul McMahan has yearned to win at: Eldora Speedway, Knoxville Raceway and Williams Grove Speedway. He won at Williams Grove in 2000, and on Saturday night he checked Eldora off that list, as he won a thrilling battle with Jason Solwold and Dean Jacobs.

After lining up second for the 30-lap World of Outlaws event, he quickly moved into the third spot, passing Danny Lasoksi on the fourth lap. He slipped back to fourth on the 13th lap, and after getting around Joey Saldana on lap 17, he was in position for an epic duel with Jason Solwold and Dean Jacobs.

McMahan took the lead for the first time on the night on the 22nd lap, as he went to the low side of turn four. The next lap, Solwold went up the track and took the lead back again in turns three and four. They battled wheel-to-wheel the next couple of laps, with Solwold leading at the line each time, before the caution flag flew leading to a single file restart.

Solwold led on the final restart, with Jacobs briefly slipping past McMahan for the runner-up spot, only to have McMahan power back around him. On the 25th circuit, McMahan charged around Solwold on the high side of the track to make the pass for the lead and ultimately the win..

McMahan driving for NASCAR star Tony Stewart, who also owns Eldora Speedway, withstood a late flurry of challenges from Solwold as the laps wound down. Lap after lap Solwold tried everything he could to get around McMahan but each time McMahan fought off the challenges. All the while, Jacobs watched from third ready to pounce if the opening presented itself.

“I have been waiting a long time to win a race here at Eldora, ” said McMahan, driver of the Bass Pro Shops Eagle. “I’ve run second a number of times. To win a race in Tony’s (Stewart) cars at his race track, I can’t say enough. It was a great night.”

McMahan also had a little luck on his side on Saturday night, as he drove most of the race with a heavily damaged radiator. The win was the sixth of his World of Outlaws career and first of 2007.

“The temperature gauge was wrapped around zero and there was no more water left in the thing, ” he said. “I popped a hole in the radiator. That Chevy power just kept on coming though. ”

Late in the race, the leaders were close to encountering heavy lapped traffic when the caution flag flew on two separate occasions. This gave McMahan a clear race track ahead of him and put him right behind Solwold. Though Solwold led on each restart, McMahan kept pace with him through each turn.

“I wasn’t sure what Jason would do, ” said McMahan when looking back at the two late restarts. “He was running through the middle on the restarts and I was committed to the top. I ran to the top of him and he took the bottom away so I could not slide him. It pulled me up in the cushion and let Dean (Jacobs) get back in there for a battle among the three of us for the lead. I knew if he went to the bottom then I was going to the top or wherever he wasn’t. ”

While Tony Stewart was not able to be at the track due to other commitments, McMahan was ready to call him after he and his team finished their post-race celebration. He also had the utmost praise for the countless hours the track crew had put in since the last time the World of Outlaws raced at the track in April, as he and many other drivers were able to run on both the top and bottom of the racing surface..

“I think he might answer this one when I call, ” smiled the winner. “Usually I just text message him, but I guarantee tonight I’ll give him a phone call. ”

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