Series Huset's spotlight - Paul McMahan

McMahan Back on World of Outlaws Trail; Ready to Head to Huset's Speedway

Brandon, SD-- July 2, 2008--Paul McMahan was waiting for "the call" all season long. While he was having a very successful season driving for Hall of Famer Rick Ferkel on the All Star Circuit of Champions trail, he was longing to return to the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, where he has competed full-time in four of the last five seasons. He received the call he had been waiting for last week, as he joined forces with car owner Lonnie Parsons to pilot the No. 6 Casey's General Stores Maxim.

The team will make their third start together on Thursday, July 3 as the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series opens a busy Fourth of July weekend at Huset's Speedway in Brandon, South Dakota. It will be the series final stop of the season at the track.

In his career at the high-banked 3/8-mile located just outside of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, McMahan has six Top-10 finishes, including a runner-up performance with the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series in 2003, as well as a third-place effort in 2000 in the Gold Cup, which at the time was sanctioned by the World of Outlaws Gumout Series. McMahan was quickest in time trials last season with the World of Outlaws in his most recent visit to Huset's Speedway, with a very strong 38-car field in attendance.

"Huset's is a great place to race at it," said McMahan. "It's a small track so there is always plenty of action. They have great fans up there as well. It's always nice to go to a place where the racing is good and where the fans support us as much as they do there."

McMahan competed with the World of Outlaws earlier this season at Attica Raceway Park in Ohio, which is a high-banked bullring very similar to Huset's. In that event, he led the opening 10 laps, before mechanical trouble ended his night. This gives him plenty of confidence heading into the event on Thursday, knowing that there are a lot more variables involved in a short track race, that gives the driver more control of their fate, rather than just holding their right foot down and having the most horsepower.

"Set-up and driver are important at Huset's," he noted. "The shorter the race track, it comes back to the driver more. Your motor has to run well also, but at a place like that it comes back to driver and mechanic."

The race at Huset's Speedway on Thursday will be McMahan's third start behind the wheel of the No. 6 Casey's General Stores Maxim. While the series competed at the track back on June 13, while he was racing elsewhere, McMahan does not see that as a disadvantage. In fact, he looks to the vast number of laps he has turned at that track in addition to other bullrings he has competed on in the Midwest this season as an advantage. He has raced 30 times thus far in 2008, picking up 16 Top-10 finishes, with nine of those being in the Top-Five. He picked up a win at Silver Dollar Speedway in California where the World of Outlaws will compete later this season, as he was victorious in the opener of the Mini Gold Cup back in early March.

"I have been racing plenty all season long, I just hadn't been out here with the Outlaws," explained the veteran driver. "I'm glad to be back with them. I have been to Huset's enough over the years, that it won't be anything new."

McMahan picked up his first Top-10 finish for the Parsons Motorsports team at Cedar Lake Speedway on Sunday, coming home ninth, after turning the second quickest lap in time trials. It was his first weekend working with crew chief Chris Strait, after joining the team prior to the event at River Cities Speedway. He is anxious to get three more nights of racing in this weekend beginning at Huset's Speedway on Thursday.

"Chris (Strait) and I have never really worked together all that much," he said. "We have a couple of nights under our belts now. The longer you work together, the better that you will be. It will take us a few races to get on the same page. He has worked with Tim (Shaffer) for a lot of years. Tim's driving style is a lot different than mine, so it will take a few races for us all to get on the same page."

McMahan won twice with the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series last season, once at Eldora Speedway and also at Cedar Lake Speedway. He has seven career A-Feature victories with the series, dating back to 2001.

"Every single year the World of Outlaws gets tougher and tougher," stated McMahan. "It wasn't too long ago that we had eight or may 10 cars that traveled every night and now you have almost 20 that are here every night. There is also 20 guys that can win a race each night. It's not easy by any means. These are the best race car drivers in the country, that travel around and do this night in and night out at so many different race tracks."

McMahan has driven a number of different cars this season, and is thrilled to have the opportunity to focus on driving one car and be back on the road with the World of Outlaws full-time. His main goal for the remainder of the season is to gel with the team and run strong.

"We just need to get going and win some races," he said. "We want to have this Casey's General Stores car up front. We know we can't win every night, but we know that when we roll into the race track we have an opportunity to win. If we can pick up some wins and run in the Top-Five, the rest will sort itself out."

The California native who now calls Nashville home has been close to winning a couple of times in his career at Huset's Speedway, and will look for his first win at the track on Thursday to open the busy Fourth of July Weekend, that will see the World of Outlaws visit three tracks in three states. The high banks at Huset's always provide plenty of fireworks, as was evidenced in the series last visit to the track on June 13.

"It depends on track conditions," McMahan commented when asked if a driver can come from the middle of the pack to win at Huset's. "When the track is prepared right it is a very racy place. We are excited to head up there."

On Thursday, July 3 at Huset's Speedway, all seats are general admission, which will be $35 for adults, $10 for juniors (Ages 8-14), with kids 7-under admitted free of charge & under are free. For tickets visit: www.husets-speedway.com or call (605) 582-3536.

-credit; woo