By ohnson 
Racing enthusiasts all around the Volusia Speedway Park and across the entire Internet Nation were buzzing about Joey Saldana’s terrifying accident during which his World of Outlaw sprint car soared out of the park on Wednesday night.
Saldana was competing in the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions, and when his vehicle collided with Jason Johnson’s exiting turn two.
After the races, blue and black body panels lay in a heap beside the tow truck that had brought him to a halt.
As the crumpled car was being towed back to the pits, the crane on the tow truck malfunctioned, causing the car to drop to the ground.
So what was the next step?
Tyler Swank, the crew chief for the team, talked to DTD about the next actions.
He said, “The car wasn’t as bad as it could have been. It hit the fence, some grass, a part of the grandstand, and the tow truck, but J&J builds one of the safest Sprint Cars in the country. It held up quite well. The drop by the tow truck only further damaged what was already damaged.”
He gathered his team members and formulated a plan of attack.
Tyler explained, “We removed parts from the car at the track, loaded it, and went to the hotel where we disassembled it. We placed it upstairs in the trailer and then went to bed.”
Continuing, he said, “We all woke up early and were at the car by 7 a.m. It’s a kit car, and we put it back together and completed it by 12:30 p.m. This is where all the work you do during the winter comes into play. Everything was new. The accident had punctured a hole in the pan, so we set that aside.”
Swank said, “This car is an exact replica of the one we wrecked last night.”
He was disappointed as the team had been coming together after races at Bubba Raceway Park and Volusia.
Saldana was extremely fast on Wednesday night.
Swank said, “That car was incredibly good. I don’t know if we could have passed Donny (Schatz), but I think we could have given him a run for his money. Every night so far, we have been making progress.”
Regarding the accident, Joey Saldana said, “I didn’t feel a thing when it happened. It all happened so quickly. I’m okay.”
Swank wasn’t overly pleased with the situation the team faced after Wednesday night’s race.
He said, “It annoys me when someone deliberately drives into or over another driver on a regular basis. It really pissed me off.”
Continuing, he said, “This was Johnson’s first race, and it means nothing in terms of the bigger picture. It wasn’t like he was racing for the championship at Knoxville.”
So they were back in action on Thursday, and it wasn’t the night the team had perhaps hoped for.
He managed to qualify 11th out of the 31-car field, but missed qualifying for his heat by one position. He came back for the B-Main and won by over 3.5 seconds before ending the night in 16th place.
The team will return to action tonight to kick off the Craftsman World of Outlaw Sprint season at VSP.
Although it was a challenging night, Swank is living out a dream as the crew chief for the Stenhouse Jr.-Wood Racing team.
He said, “I’m from Newton, Iowa, and my dad was a drag racer. We went to Knoxville, and I loved it. Eventually, I helped out some local guys, and things just fell into place. A year ago, the team I was working for shut down after the Knoxville Nationals (Kerry Madsen’s team), and Joey and I got together. There were other plans, but plans change.”
When it comes to pressure, Swank said, “We probably put more pressure on ourselves than our owners do. They like to say have fun.”
Saldana has 99 World of Outlaw victories, and there is anticipation for another successful year for the Elk Grove Ford/Roth Investments sponsored team.
The team has already faced adversity this season, but Swank credits his crew with the determination and professionalism to get Saldana back on the track for Thursday night.