RYAN DANIEL TAKES LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL FEATURE AT THE ORANGE SHO


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Dec 1, 2008

ORANGE SHOW SPEEDWAY

Source: Dave Grayson
Date: 06/02/2008

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When Ryan Daniel arrived at the Orange Show Speedway, on the afternoon of May 31st, he had no idea just how good of a night he was going to have. He started the evening by setting a new track record during qualifying. He ended the night by winning the 50 lap, ASA sanctioned, feature in the Lucas Oil Late Model Series. But to get to the Orange Show's victory lane Daniel had to work his way through a very intense main event that was loaded with door to door racing.

Robbie Brand and John Mattie led the 17 starters under the initial green flag with Brand jumping into the lead for the first two circuits around the quarter mile paved oval. On lap three Jim Conklin took command of the race.The 2006 and 2007 series champion appeared to have the race under control despite having to fend off repeated challenges from Brian Malone. Conklin's race rhythm was disrupted on lap 21 by the first of three yellow flags when Randy Wilkins spun through turn three after being hit in the bumper. Under green again Conklin continued to pace the field but his winning effort unraveled after he went spinning through turn two. Malone inherited the lead but it turned out it wasn't going to be his winning night either. With the green flag waving the field through a restart, Malone's Chevrolet suddenly faltered and the remainder of the field had to take quick aversive action to avoid a multi car crash on the straightaway.

John Mattie, Malone's team mate, became the new race leader but he had a rear view mirror full of Ryan Daniel. By lap 41 the two cars were side by side. One lap later Daniel made his race winning move only have to slow down for the race's final yellow flag when Malone went spinning across the front stretch. Under green again for the final time Daniel made quick work of running out the final seven laps. Mattie, Austin Murphy, Steve Smith and Kevin James followed him under the checkers to complete the top five.

Daniel was in the celebration mode after parking his Lucas Oil, San Jacinto Construction, Finish Line Motor Sports Chevrolet in the Orange Show victory lane. "A big thank you goes out to Chris Greeney from Finish Line Motorsports who set up one heck of a race car he's the man," the winner said adding "then there's my dad, Ron Daniel, who leads the team." When asked to comment on Brian Malone's engine problem that bottled up the field Daniel said "I really didn't know what happened. I just thought here's my chance and here we go. I knew that I was faster than the 24 car,(John Mattie), and I knew it was just a matter of time when I could get by him clean. That's what I did and it feels good that I didn't have to get on him."

Proudly posing for pictures in victory lane with the race winner was his young son Ryan Daniel Jr who was balancing the trophy and the checkered flag while giving the photographers the thumbs up sign. When asked if the young man was going to become the next member of the Daniel racing family, a very proud dad smiled and said "as a matter of fact we're getting him a quarter midget race car. We're in the process of that right now so in the next year he going to be racing." ####