Tickets can be purchased on race day or by calling the track at 570-374-2999, with all major credit cards accepted
Press Releases
Dayton Auto Racing Fan Club
PO Box 641, Dayton, Ohio 45401
937 237-9254
DARF
http://DARF2005.tripod.com
_____________________________________________________________________
The Dayton Auto Racing Fan Club will conduct its annual Wally Scherer/DARF
Injured Drivers Benevolent Fund Auction on Tuesday night, October 25, at the
Christopher Club, 3150 South Dixie Drive, Dayton, starting at 7 p.m.
One of the club's main goals is to support and promote the sport of racing,
as well as the tracks, fans and sponsors involved. The club has many member
events throughout the year, such as club nights at various tracks, car
shows, family picnics, and more.
One of the club's main priorities, the Injured Drivers Fund, is to help
drivers financially, should they suffer an injury and loss of income while
racing. Much of the club's time is continually devoted to the various fund
raisers that provide the much needed monies for this fund. Thousands of
dollars have been paid out since the Injured Drivers Fund was founded.
This is a very important DARF activity, serving race drivers in time of
need. We are asking for any type of donation that you could provide to
us.
It will put a warm glow in your heart.
Many items crossed the auction block including a Ryan Newman Nextel team
shirt that was signed by Ryan and his crew members, racing jackets, shirts,
cardboard stand ups, gift certificates, die cast cars, and other related
items.
Contestants may win cash and prizes such as recording studio time."
Contact:
DIRT MotorSports™
Tony
Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
1-405-623-1442
tveneziano@dirtmotorsports.com
Familiar Territory: Becca Anderson Ready for National Open at Williams Grove
Mechanicsburg, PA—September 28, 2006—By: Tony Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
One thing Becca Anderson knew for sure heading into her rookie season with the World of Outlaws Sprint Series, was that she would race many a night on tracks that she had never seen let alone turned a single lap on.
In the last month and a half alone, Anderson has added eight more tracks to this list, bringing her total to over 30 for the year. This weekend though, she will return to a track she knows very well, the famed Williams Grove Speedway. Hailing from Houston , Delaware , the rookie driver has turned numerous laps at the track, many of those in a 360-sprint car.
On Friday Anderson will join the rest of the World of Outlaws Sprint Series drivers for the National Open at the track which is less than 200 miles from her hometown. This will be the third time this season she has raced at the half-mile in her freshmen year with the series.
Tickets will be on sale daily from 9 a.m. â€" 4 p.m. CST"
“It’s going to be a good thing to go back to ‘The Grove’,” said Anderson, driver of the Upstate Kenworth Maxim. “We’ve been on some big tracks that we can compare it to, and we’ve really been running pretty decent. I’m looking forward to going back to Pennsylvania .”
While competition is tough every night with the World of Outlaws, as is evident by the 14 different winners of A-Feature events this season, Anderson knows that the competition will be ratcheted up even more this weekend at Williams Grove against the always tough Pennsylvania Posse. Add to the mix an event record $50,000 payday on Saturday night, and it will be an exciting race not only for the drivers but also the fans.
“When you go to Pennsylvania , it is its own place,” Anderson explained. “You have 10-15 guys that can win on any given night, and could come out here on the road and win. It’s really tough and you have to be on your ‘A-Game,’ because every lap counts when you are in Pennsylvania .”
Anderson is very confident returning to Williams Grove, after leading nine laps at Jackson ( Minn. ) Speedway , another fast half-mile on Sept. 16. After finishing second in the dash that night, she took the lead on the first lap of the A-Feature from current championship point leader Donny Schatz and built an advantage of over a half a straight-a-way on the sprawling track, until she was slowed by lapped traffic and then sustained a broken left sideboard on her wing that ended her night. Rather than be disappointed, Anderson found many positives in the bad luck and things to build on.
“It is really exciting (going to Williams Grove),” Anderson said. “Our program has come full circle week in and week out. We are getting me more comfortable with the car and more experience. ‘The Grove’ is going to be tough. It is always tough racing in Pennsylvania with the guys they have running there.”
One of the biggest strengths of the team over the last couple months has been Anderson ’s ability to qualify up front. She has been the fastest qualifier twice recently, including at Eagle ( Neb. ) Raceway and her first fast time honor during the preliminary night at the Harvest Classic at Calistoga ( Calif. ) Speedway . Since suffering some engines woes on the opening night of a two-day event at Skagit ( Wash. ) Speedway in late August, Anderson has not qualified outside of the Top-10.
“The biggest thing (in qualifying) is to get the car to roll and being able to use every inch of the track,” said Anderson . “You have to be as smooth as possible. It’s one of those things that you have to be fortunate to draw a good numbers when the track is still good to go out and turn two good laps.”
While she has mainly visited tracks for the first time this season, as the year winds down, Anderson is heading back to some tracks for the second and in some cases, such as this weekend at Williams Grove, the third time in a 410-sprint car. Of the six tracks remaining on the schedule, she has raced at five of them.
“It helps going to some of these places for a second time,” said Anderson . “After you have seen it, it is not as much of a guessing game. You kind of know and can remember what happened last time, and you can use those things to help better yourself.”
The team made some changes to their equipment around the mid-point of the season, and they seem to be paying off now, as Anderson rolls into ‘The Grove’ with five Top-10 finishes on the year, including a strong ninth-place run last Sunday at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway, yet another track that she was racing at the first time. While it may be having more laps in the car, or even the equipment changes that has made the team so fast, Anderson believes it has been a little bit of all of that.
“I think it was a combination of everything,” Anderson commented. “We have some good running motors from Charlie Garrett and Maxim cars. It’s a combination of that and everything. Mike (Woodring) and myself working together longer, and getting me more comfortable to be able to race against these guys. It’s definitely hammer down all the time.”
Like most drives, Anderson wishes the season did not have to come to an end, especially as her team is hitting their stride as the calendar turns to fall. With the colder weather, she knows promoters face a tough task of competing with Mother Nature, as well as not wanting to take fans away from high school and college football games which dominate many parts of the country in the fall.
“My personal preference is that I would like to race every night of the week,” said Anderson . “That’s the only way that you will get better is to race. It’s understandable, with it getting cooler out, and in football areas it is tougher to get a crowd where we race.”
While she watched some of the racing from atop the teams hauler the last time the World of Outlaws Sprint Series visited Williams Grove during the Summer Nationals, Anderson learned even more about the track and what it takes to consistently be fast on it in a 410-sprint car, and hopes to bring that knowledge with her on Friday when she takes to the always demanding half-mile for her two qualifying laps.
“I like the track,” Anderson explained. “I definitely think we have a lot better program going right now than we did last time we were there. We didn’t make the feature there the second night last time there, and we definitely made some ground and got a lot better. I think we’ll be in the hunt.”
For ticket information about the National Open, visit: www.williamsgrove.com, or call 717-697-5000. On Friday September 29 adult reserved tickets will be $30, with general admission tickets $28. Tickets for students will be $15, and children 12-under will be admitted free.
On Saturday September 30, adult reserved tickets will be $35, with adult general admission tickets $30. Tickets for students will be $15, while children, 12-under will be admitted free.
Contact:
DIRT MotorSports
Chris Dolack, Vice President Public Relations
Phone: 815-735-6477 • Email: cdolack@dirtmotorsports.com
DIRT MotorSports Moves Headquarters to North Carolina
CONCORD, N.C. — Sept. 27, 2006 — North Carolina Governor Michael
Easley announced today DIRT MotorSports, Inc., the premier
sanctioning body and promoter of professional dirt track racing in
the United States, is relocating its corporate and operational
headquarters to North Carolina during the fourth quarter of 2006.
Featuring national major touring series the World of Outlaws Sprint
Car Series, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series and the Advance
Auto Parts Super DIRT Series, DIRT MotorSports has more than 30 years
of history behind it and is the only national sanctioning body of
Sprint Cars, Late Models and Modifieds. Additionally, DIRT
MotorSports operates two weekly sanctioning groups, four regional
series, seven race track facilities and a media production company.
With 30 million loyal dirt track racing fans around the world, the
future continues to be bright as the company moves its headquarters
to the heart of the auto racing industry in Concord, N.C.
“The motor sports industry calls North Carolina home so it’s only
appropriate that the largest dirt track racing organization in the
world makes its home there, too,” said DIRT MotorSports President
and CEO Tom Deery. “Governor Easley and the state of North Carolina
have demonstrated the importance of economic development for the
state and have made our decision on North Carolina very easy. The
entire staff, as well as the Regional Partnership and the local EDCs
have gone out of their way to attract leading motor sports
organizations.”
In 2004, a group of investors recognized the potential and acquired
the World of Outlaws and the DIRT Modified touring series in addition
to the UMP weekly sanctioning body. DIRT has since become one of only
four publicly traded companies in the motor sports industry.
The following year, DIRT purchased seven dirt track properties and in
2006 named the highly respected Deery, who has been part of the motor
sports industry all his life, as President and CEO, completing a
management team with a broad knowledge of motor sports.
By consolidating a billion dollar industry, DIRT MotorSports has
created several partnerships among leagues, properties and media,
including powerful outlets such as ESPN and SPEED. They all are key
to the more than 150 national events sanctioned by DIRT as well as
the 3,000 annual events run weekly at DIRT-owned tracks or under a
DIRT-owned sanctioning body.
About DIRT MotorSports(TM)
DIRT MotorSports(TM), Inc. is the premier dirt racing and sports
entertainment company dedicated to the promotion of competitive dirt
track racing. DIRT MotorSports is the largest sanctioning body for
sprint car, late model and modified dirt track auto racing in the
United States and also owns and operates seven dirt tracks. DIRT
MotorSports operates the industry’s most prominent national touring
series, including the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series(R) currently
broadcast on The Outdoor Channel(R) (Nasdaq: OUTD); the World of
Outlaws Late Model Series(R) currently broadcast on SPEED(R) and the
DIRT Big Block Modified Series(TM) currently broadcast by Time
Warner. “World of Outlaws” is a registered trademark of DIRT
MotorSports.
For further information on DIRT or this press release, contact Chris
Dolack at 1-877-5RACING (1-877-572-2464), email
cdolack@dirtmotorsports.com, visit us online at
www.dirtmotorsports.com or
see the Company's filings at www.sec.gov.
?
Contact:
DIRT MotorSports
Chris Dolack, Vice President Public Relations
Phone: 815-735-6477 • Email: cdolack@dirtmotorsports.com
DIRT MotorSports Moves Headquarters to North Carolina
CONCORD, N.C. — Sept. 27, 2006 — North Carolina Governor Michael Easley announced today DIRT MotorSports, Inc., the premier sanctioning body and promoter of professional dirt track racing in the United States, is relocating its corporate and operational headquarters to North Carolina during the fourth quarter of 2006.
Featuring national major touring series the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series and the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series, DIRT MotorSports has more than 30 years of history behind it and is the only national sanctioning body of Sprint Cars, Late Models and Modifieds. Additionally, DIRT MotorSports operates two weekly sanctioning groups, four regional series, seven race track facilities and a media production company.
With 30 million loyal dirt track racing fans around the world, the future continues to be bright as the company moves its headquarters to the heart of the auto racing industry in Concord, N.C.
“The motor sports industry calls North Carolina home so it’s only appropriate that the largest dirt track racing organization in the world makes its home there, too,” said DIRT MotorSports President and CEO Tom Deery. “Governor Easley and the state of North Carolina have demonstrated the importance of economic development for the state and have made our decision on North Carolina very easy. The entire staff, as well as the Regional Partnership and the local EDCs have gone out of their way to attract leading motor sports organizations.”
In 2004, a group of investors recognized the potential and acquired the World of Outlaws and the DIRT Modified touring series in addition to the UMP weekly sanctioning body. DIRT has since become one of only four publicly traded companies in the motor sports industry.
The following year, DIRT purchased seven dirt track properties and in 2006 named the highly respected Deery, who has been part of the motor sports industry all his life, as President and CEO, completing a management team with a broad knowledge of motor sports.
By consolidating a billion dollar industry, DIRT MotorSports has created several partnerships among leagues, properties and media, including powerful outlets such as ESPN and SPEED. They all are key to the more than 150 national events sanctioned by DIRT as well as the 3,000 annual events run weekly at DIRT-owned tracks or under a DIRT-owned sanctioning body.
About DIRT MotorSports(TM)
DIRT MotorSports(TM), Inc. is the premier dirt racing and sports entertainment company dedicated to the promotion of competitive dirt track racing. DIRT MotorSports is the largest sanctioning body for sprint car, late model and modified dirt track auto racing in the United States and also owns and operates seven dirt tracks. DIRT MotorSports operates the industry’s most prominent national touring series, including the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series(R) currently broadcast on The Outdoor Channel(R) (Nasdaq: OUTD); the World of Outlaws Late Model Series(R) currently broadcast on SPEED(R) and the DIRT Big Block Modified Series(TM) currently broadcast by Time Warner. “World of Outlaws” is a registered trademark of DIRT MotorSports.
For further information on DIRT or this press release, contact Chris Dolack at 1-877-5RACING (1-877-572-2464), email cdolack@dirtmotorsports.com, visit us online at www.dirtmotorsports.com or see the Company's filings at www.sec.gov.
Contact:
DIRT MotorSports™
Tony
Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
1-405-623-1442
tveneziano@dirtmotorsports.com
Looking to Add to History: Terry McCarl Strives for National Open Win
Mechanicsburg, PA—September 27, 2006—By: Tony Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
Names like Mario Andretti, Jimmy Bryan A.J. Foyt, Ted Horn, Gordon Johncock, and Troy Ruttman dot the history of Williams Grove Speedway. All of these drivers have raced at the legendary track at some point in their illustrious careers.
Terry McCarl is well aware of this storied history, and feels a great sense of pride to have raced at and won on the track where all of these legends of open wheel racing have also turned laps.
McCarl tasted victory at the famed track for the first time in July when he won a preliminary feature during the Summer Nationals, in which World of Outlaws Sprint Series drivers captured wins on all three nights.
With the National Open at Williams Grove on tap for the World of Outlaws Sprint Series this Friday and Saturday, McCarl is thrilled to return to a track that he has marveled at since he was just a boy growing up in the shadows of another famed track, Knoxville Raceway.
“It was big for me winning there in the summer,” said McCarl, driver of the Big Game Treestands Eagle. “I am a bit of a historian when it comes to sprint car racing. Growing up around Knoxville , I always thought that Williams Grove was the ‘ Knoxville of the East.’ It meant a lot for me to win a feature there, and I look forward to the National Open.”
When forming a list of the top sprint car races on the calendar, it does not take long for McCarl to mention the National Open. The event began in 1963, and was won by two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Gordon Johncock. This will mark the 44th straight year that Williams Grove will host the National Open.
“It’s one of the biggest races of the year,” McCarl said. “It’s definitely one of the top-three or four races that we race all year long. It’s definitely one that you want to win.”
Even though there is $50,000 on-the-line Saturday night to win, it’s the history and prestige of being mentioned in the same breath as past winners of the historic event that the always well-spoken driver seeks.
“That (the history) is what makes the Knoxville Nationals so big as well,” said McCarl, who has won six track championships at the famed track down the road from his Altoona , Iowa home. “The money is great, but money spends. It’s nice that the National Open is paying a lot of money this year to win. That definitely wouldn’t make us mad. On my end of it, I want my name on that list of winners, who have won there. Now we have that, and I want to add my name to the list that have won the National Open That would be big for me.”
Being one of 14 drivers that have won a World of Outlaws A-Feature event this season, McCarl knows that every one of the 24 cars that starts the main event on Saturday night will be capable of winning the $50,000.
“There has been a lot of parity with the Outlaws this year,” he said. “The money has been spread out a lot. (Donny) Schatz has won more than most, but Daryn (Pittman) has won a $50,000 race, and Brooke (Tatnell) won the $25,000 at Skagit ( Wash. ) Speedway . Joey (Saldana) won the $50,000 at the Kings Royal. I think it is Terry McCarl’s turn to pick up $50,000 so we can even out that money earnings list.”
When asked about the rivalry between the Outlaws and the Pennsylvania Posse, McCarl’s eyes light up. It not only motivates him on the track, but also being a promoter himself, he sees the benefit for sprint car racing as a whole when rivalries are formed in different regions of the country.
“I guarantee you that it matters,” said McCarl. “For some reason if you are not going to win, then you want an Outlaws guys to win. It’s the same with the Posse, if one of those guys can’t win, then they want one of the other Posse guys to beat the Outlaws. It’s a good deal for the fans and creates a lot of hype. Every track in the country really needs that to think they have a chance when the Outlaws come to town, and they do. They have the toughest weekly racers in the country, and they have a lot of good teams and guys. There are a lot of teams that could be racing on the Outlaws tour financially and talent wise.”
While McCarl has raced on countless tracks from coast-to-coast, there is not a single one that he can compare Williams Grove to. Like most drivers, he knows it is a challenge every time the series heads to the uniquely shaped half-mile. While the drivers that compete on the track on a weekly basis know it like the back of their hands, McCarl enjoys the challenge of having to adapting to it and re-learning it every time he takes a lap on it.
“That’s what makes Williams Grove what it is, is that it is a unique place,” said McCarl. “It’s really narrow, and has the long straight-a-ways and real tight corners, especially turns three and four. The car does some really funny things, even when you have a really good car and are winning the race. The car does crazy stuff that you are not use to, if you don’t race there very often. That’s something that we had to deal with last year, realizing that I was not going to be really comfortable in the car like I am at say a place like Knoxville . You have to be a race car driver at that track.”
McCarl who has raced at Williams Grove three times this season, picked up the preliminary feature win on the first night of the Summer Nationals in July, and he followed that up with an eighth-place run in the finale of that three-day show. This will be the third time the World of Outlaws have raced at the track this year, but when they visited for the first time in May, McCarl was at home in Iowa.
“Unfortunately I didn’t get to go to the first few races there this year. I broke my leg right before we went there this spring,” he said. “Last year I think we really came across a set-up that really made me feel as comfortable as I could. I feel a lot better going there. I think we have a good shot of running up front. If we have good track position, we have a good shot of winning it.”
McCarl enters the race with plenty of momentum, after he had one of the fastest cars all night long at Kokomo ( Ind. ) Speedway this past Sunday night and finished second in the non-stop 40 lap feature on the tight quarter-mile. It was his 16th Top-Five finish of the season.
In addition to his preliminary win at Williams Grove, the fan favorite has picked up A-Feature wins at Huset’s Speedway , where he has claimed six track titles over his career, and he also won in the World of Outlaws Sprint Series inaugural visit to Nodak (N.D.) Speedway . He will look to add to this total over the weekend at Williams Grove, and more importantly add his to the already list of legendary drivers that have won the National Open.
For ticket information about the National Open, visit: http://www.williamsgrove.com, or call 717-697-5000. On Friday September 29 adult reserved tickets will be $30, with general admission tickets $28. Tickets for students will be $15, and children 12-under will be admitted free.
On Saturday September 30, adult reserved tickets will be $35, with adult general admission tickets $30. Tickets for students will be $15, while children, 12-under will be admitted free.
Craig Murphy 9-27-06
NST Media Relations
Wing damage not enough to slow Kaeding
By Craig Murphy
PUTNAMVILLE, Ind. – Tim Kaeding sure likes the special Kinser-themed National Sprint Tour shows.
Kaeding won his 14th race of the season Tuesday night Sept. 26 in the Bob Kinser Fall Classic at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville , Ind.
Kaeding’s boss Steve Kinser wanted to win the race named after his dad, a seven-time track champion, but struggled to an eighth place finish.
At Bloomington Speedway June 2, Kinser also struggled with a seventh place run as he was honored for racing at his home track.
The winner that night? None other than Kaeding.
“I know Steve wanted to win his dad’s race,” Kaeding said following his latest triumph. “At least we kept it in the family. It’s great to be associated with the Kinser name.”
“At least that part of it went well,” Steve Kinser said.
Following Kaeding in the 40-lap main event were Travis Rilat, Brandon Wimmer, Paul McMahan and points leader Danny Lasoski.
Kerry Madsen took the lead on the initial green while Kinser, starting a disappointing 14th, bicycled and nearly flipped to bring out the yellow. Kinser was one of many drivers getting airborne on the night.
“We didn’t have much of a track to race on, but I messed up in qualifying so that’s what really hurt us,” the Hoosier driver said. “After that I was just trying to stay out and finish it.”
Wimmer took the lead on lap 2 and held the top spot until Rilat got by on lap 11.
For a while, it looked like Rilat was going to pick up his first NST win as Wimmer and Kaeding battled hard for second. During that battle, Kaeding suffered wing damage.
“A lapped car got sideways in front of Brandon , and then I hit Brandon ,” Kaeding said. “I’m glad (the contact) didn’t spin him out, because then he would have collected me. The damage was more mental than anything. My first year back home, I knocked off the front wing off about 30 of 32 races. We were good all night tonight.”
Kaeding showed just how good his car was, damaged wing and all, on a lap 18 restart following one of many caution periods that made an already long night even longer.
After nearly squeezing by a couple of times previously, Kaeding finally got around Wimmer for second on the restart.
The next lap, Kaeding went low in turns 1 and 2 to grab the lead from Rilat, who himself was battling a situation with his front wing.
“My wing was going back and forth, which definitely didn’t help,” Rilat said. “I would come off the corner, and the wing would come all the way back. I’d go into the corner, and it would go all the way forward. It took me a while to adjust to it. I slacked up a little, but then Brandon was showing me his nose a few times so I had to gas it.”
Following the last of four reds for a Jason Meyers flip on lap 29, Kaeding opened a gap while Rilat kept Wimmer at bay. Rilat pulled away from Wimmer in the closing circuits, but ran out of time as Kaeding notched the win at the 5/16-mile bullring.
Rounding out the top-10 were Wayne Johnson, Chad Hillier, Kinser, Madsen and Shane Stewart, who was the first out for qualifying but flipped during his run.
When Kaeding pulled to a stop on the frontstretch following his win, he pumped his fists a few times and pounded the damaged front wing in celebration.
“It was good,” Kaeding said. “I thought we were in trouble early, when I started bicycling real bad in turns 3 and 4. Travis and Brandon were real quick. I slid it in there and got both of them. It’s great. Anytime you get a win here it’s a feat in of itself. I have the opportunity of a lifetime here.”
Rilat, meanwhile, felt he squandered a great opportunity for a win.
“I think I could have done a better job,” Rilat said. “I slacked up a little there for a few laps. I started to catch Tim at the end. I feel we had the car to win the race, and I just didn’t do the job.
“Second is disappointing in that a win would have been nice, but that’s our best finish in the NST,” Rilat added. “We’ll take it.”
Wimmer had originally hoped to run the full NST schedule, but the funding didn’t materialize. Following Tuesday’s strong showing, he was left to wonder what could have been when one of the yellows cost him.
“We were by Rilat before that last red, but when the yellow came out it hurt us,” Wimmer said. “But as much as we’ve raced this year, a third is good. This deal with Alan Barton came together right before Knoxville . I ran against these guys all last year, and learned a lot. I hate to see the season come to an end.”
Heat races were won by Stewart, Kinser and Levi Jones. Jones, a Tony Stewart Motorsports driver in another series, ran a team car to McMahan and both raced with their boss in attendance. Lasoski was the fastest of 30 qualifiers with a time of 11.186 seconds, which broke the track record of 11.503 held by Kelly Kinser. The B-main was won by Kyle Cummins.
The NST next races Oct. 7 at Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces , New Mexico and finishes the season Oct 13-14 at Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare , Calif.
National Sprint Tour results at Lincoln Park Speedway
Putnamville, Indiana
September 26, 2006
Qualifying Results
1
DANNY LASOSKI 83 11.186
2 TIM KAEDING 11K 11.227
3 PAUL McMAHAN 20 11.253
4 Brandon Wimmer 7tw 11.310
5 Kyle Cummins 1h 11.326
6 Wayne Johnson 5 F 11.342
7 Paul May 71m 11.385
8 JASON MEYERS 14 11.400
9 TRAVIS RILAT 29 11.431
10 KERRY MADSEN 11H 11.450
11 CHAD HILLIER 5 11.486
12 Kelly Kinser 4k 11.543
13 SHANE STEWART 26 11.544
14 STEVE KINSER 11 11.588
15 Neil Shephard 4N 11.623
16 Lucus Wolfe 5w 11.630
17 Danny Smith 4 11.631
18 Levi Jones 20T 11.641
19 BRIAN PAULUS 28 11.654
20 JASON SOLWOLD R19 11.681
21 Tom Busch 4B 11.709
22 DEAN JACOBS 6 11.742
23 Greg Wilson w20 11.744
24 Matt Neely 17 11.748
25 JASON SIDES 7S 11.935
26 Bobby Stines 88 12.247
27 Scott Williams 17W 12.401
28 Patrick Haynes 5h 12.446
29 Shane Wade 4 F 12.496
Heat One Finish
1
SHANE STEWART 26
2 KERRY MADSEN 11H
3 Brandon Wimmer 7tw
4 Lucus Wolfe 5w
5 Paul May 71m
6 DANNY LASOSKI 83
7 DEAN JACOBS 6
8 BRIAN PAULUS 28
9 JASON SIDES 7S
10 Patrick Haynes 5h
Heat Two Finish
1
STEVE KINSER 11
2 JASON MEYERS 14
3 TIM KAEDING 11K
4 JASON SOLWOLD R19
5 Danny Smith 4
6 CHAD HILLIER 5
7 Greg Wilson w20
8 Kyle Cummins 1h
9 Bobby Stines 88
10 Shane Wade 4 F
Heat Three Finish
1 Levi Jones 20T
2 TRAVIS RILAT 29
3 Neil Shephard 4N
4 Wayne Johnson 5 F
5 Kelly Kinser 4k
6 PAUL McMAHAN 20
7 Matt Neely 17
8 Tom Busch 4B
9 Scott Williams 17W
Dash One Finish
1
KERRY MADSEN 11H
2 PAUL McMAHAN 20
3 Wayne Johnson 5 F
4 JASON MEYERS 14
5 DANNY LASOSKI 83
6 Kelly Kinser 4k
Dash Two Finish
1
Brandon Wimmer 7tw
2 TRAVIS RILAT 29
3 TIM KAEDING 11K
4 CHAD HILLIER 5
5 SHANE STEWART 26
6 Paul May 71m
B-Main Finish
1 Kyle Cummins 1h
2 DEAN JACOBS 6
3 Matt Neely 17
4 BRIAN PAULUS 28
5 Tom Busch 4B
6 JASON SIDES 7S
7 Patrick Haynes 5h
8 Bobby Stines 88
9 Greg Wilson w20
10 Shane Wade 4 F
11 Scott Williams 17W
A-Main Feature Line-Up
11H - 7TW
20 - 29
5F - 11K
14 - 5
83 - 26
4K - 71M
1H - 11
4N - 5W
4 - 20T
28 - R19
4B - 6
17 - 7S
A-Feature Finish
1 TIM KAEDING 11K
2 TRAVIS RILAT 29
3 Bransdon Wimmer 7tw
4 PAUL McMAHAN 20
5 DANNY LASOSKI 83
6 Wayne Johnson 5 F
7 CHAD HILLIER 5
8 STEVE KINSER 11
9 KERRY MADSEN 11H
10 SHANE STEWART 26
11 JASON SOLWOLD R19
12 DEAN JACOBS 6
13 Danny Smith 4
14 Lucus Wolf 5w
15 JASON MEYERS 14
16 Neil Shephard 4N
17 JASON SIDES 7S
18 Levi Jones 20T
19 Matt Neely 17
20 Paul May 71m
21 Kelly Kinser 4k
22 Kyle Cummins 1h
23 BRIAN PAULUS 28
24 Tom Busch 4B
Contact:
DIRT MotorSports™
Tony
Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
1-405-623-1442
tveneziano@dirtmotorsports.com
Looking for a Three-Peat: Donny Schatz Ready for National Open
Mechanicsburg, PA—September 26, 2006—By: Tony Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
It’s no secret that Williams Grove Speedway is one of Donny Schatz’s favorite tracks. After all, he won the National Open the last two years and has been victorious in the famed event three times so far in his career. In his 10 seasons of being on the road with the World of Outlaws Sprint Series, Schatz has won five A-Feature races at the track, including one each for the past three years.
In five events so far this season at Williams Grove, including preliminary features, Schatz has finished in the top-five in every race, including two second place runs.
The native of Fargo , North Dakota , is ready to take to the track this weekend, as he leads the World of Outlaws Sprint Series into the half-mile to battle the always tough Pennsylvania Posse. The winner on Saturday night will take home a hefty check for $50,000.
“We’re excited to get there,” said Schatz, driver of the Parker Store J&J. “We have a great race car, and our motors are unbelievable right now. I just can’t wait to get there and get it going on, and see if we can’t get this thing to victory lane and get that 50-grand.”
Winning at Williams Grove is no easy task, as many drivers battle their entire careers and never step foot in victory lane at the hallowed track. Schatz knows the history and aura of the track and the legends that have raced on it and more importantly won at it, and that makes him even more proud to have his name mentioned in the same breath as them.
“Anytime you can go to Williams Grove and get a victory, it’s unbelievable,” Schatz said. “It’s one of the toughest of the places in the country to figure out the race track. The locals are damn tough. To go there for the National Open, being a three-time winner is great, and there is one guy that has won it four times, and he is not going to be there obviously. We just have to go there and try to win.”
Schatz won his first National Open in 2000. In fact, that was the first A-Feature event he won at Williams Grove. He knows that it will take a very fast car from the time he hits the track on Friday for hot laps until the time the checkered flag falls on Saturday night to have a chance at the big pay day. It also will take a little luck as well, with a stellar field of car expected.
“There’s really no pressure after the first time you win something,” said Schatz. “The first one was tough and they have come a little easier since then. I hope we are in a good position when we go in there. We’re thinking about the 50-grand, not the name of the National Open, because we have been pretty lucky to win them a couple of times.”
While he has had plenty of success at Williams Grove, Schatz has also had his share of bad luck, and remembers early in his career coming to grips with the one-of-kind track. He and his crew have learned a lot about the half-mile in the last couple of seasons, and have been able to hit on a set-up that suit Schatz’s driving style very well. He still learns new intricacies of the track every time he turns laps on it.
“I think I am fast over there because of all the times I was so bad over there,” Schatz said smiling. “As a driver you have to adapt to a lot there. When it gets slow, you have to totally re-illustrate the way your race car rolls through the corners. That’s what we have been working on. We haven’t won a race there yet this year. We’re looking forward to hopefully getting to victory lane at Williams Grove before the year is out.”
While Schatz pocketed $140,000 for his Knoxville Nationals win this year, he feels like he should have picked up a few more victories in high paying events. He finished second at the Kings Royal that paid $50,000 to-win at Eldora Speedway earlier this season, and was also second at Skagit ( Wash. ) Speedway last month in an event that paid $25,000 to-win. To date, Schatz has won over $320,000 in World of Outlaws competition.
A few weeks back at the Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway, he escaped a very scary accident on the opening night of the three-day event to finish 8th in the A-Feature on the final night, a race that also had a $50,000 winner’s share, the same as the National Open will have this Saturday night.
“That $50,000 check would be a big bonus to me,” he said. “I feel like we had a chance to win a couple of the big races. At Skagit , we lost out a little, and the Gold Cup we had an all around bad weekend. To be able to get back there and be in contention will be a good thing.”
Only two days after his wreck at Silver Dollar (Calif.) Speedway, in which he sustained burns to his face and neck, Schatz was back in the car and stated 25th in the 53rd Annual Gold Cup and in only 40 laps on the quarter-mile track, he charged to an eighth place finish.
Showing no ill effects, he was back on track the following weekend, and swept events at the 1/3-Mile Short Track Nationals at Eagle ( Neb. ) Raceway, and also on the spacious half-mile at Jackson ( Minn. ) Speedway .
This past Sunday, the always popular driver started 16th at Kokomo ( Ind. ) Speedway and weaved his way up to third when the checkered flag flew on a 40-lap event on the tight quarter-mile. The race went non-stop from the green flag to the checkered flag, making Schatz’s charge through the field even more impressive of a feat.
“I was back at full strength last weekend (at Eagle Raceway and Jackson Speedway),” said Schatz. “Cosmetics are only skin deep, and we’ve had a few blemishes, but everything is pretty well healed up. I’m been home the last couple weeks, during the week and got rested up. I got back in the swing of my normal life at home. That is good, and that is probably what someone needs more than anything. It’s more mental than physical. I’m 100 percent.”
With eight race dates left on the calendar for the World of Outlaws Sprint Series, Schatz and his team have a simple goal. They have finished in the Top-10 in 43 of the 50 A-Feature events run so far this season, with 37 of those being Top-Five finishes, as he seeks his first ever series title.
“To be in victory lane eight more times is the goal, but I don’t think we will be able to do that,” he said. “We’re going to give it our best shot and see what happens. We really have to make a big mistake to lose the championship. Anything can happen though. We know that. We want to go out on top, and hopefully we can pick up a lot of victories between now and then.”
That quest for victories starts for Schatz on Friday night as the two-day National Open takes the green flag at one of his favorite tracks.
For ticket information about the National Open, visit: http://www.williamsgrove.com, or call 717-697-5000. On Friday September 29 adult reserved tickets will be $30, with general admission tickets $28. Tickets for students will be $15, and children 12-under will be admitted free.
On Saturday September 30, adult reserved tickets will be $35, with adult general admission tickets $30. Tickets for students will be $15, while children, 12-under will be admitted free.
Contact:
DIRT MotorSports™
Tony
Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
1-405-623-1442
tveneziano@dirtmotorsports.com
Fast Talkers: National Open at Williams Grove Speedway
Mechanicsburg, PA—September 25, 2006—By: Tony Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
After sweeping all three nights of the Summer Nationals in July, the World of Outlaws Sprint Series returns to Williams Grove Speedway for the third and final time this season to battle the Pennsylvania Posse this Friday and Saturday in the National Open. Current Championship point leader Donny Schatz who has 14 A-Feature wins along with the Knoxville Nationals title, will look to win the National Open for the third straight year and fourth time overall. The event will pay $50,000 to winner on Saturday night. Before making the trip east, World of Outlaws drivers shared their thoughts on the event, as well as racing at Williams Grove, and of course the rivalry between themselves and the always tough Pennsylvania Posse.
Becca Anderson, driver of the No. 19 Upstate Kenworth Maxim
“It’s going to be a good thing to go back to ‘The Grove.’ We been on some big tracks that we can compare it to, and we’ve really been running pretty decent. I’m looking forward to going back to Pennsylvania . When you go to Pennsylvania , it is its own place. You have 10-15 guys that can win on any given night, and could come out here on the road and win. It’s really tough and you have to be on your ‘A-Game,’ because every lap counts when you are in Pennsylvania .”
Jeremy Campbell, driver of the No. 10c Americas Best Values Inn/G-Force Racing Gear Maxim
“I like Williams Grove. I had been there a while back before this season and it was always fun. This year has been rough on us out there. Hopefully we can go out there and make it in the show, and try to do good. That is where we have been struggling, trying to make the show out there. We have another motor put together and hopefully that will help put us in the show…Those guys are tough out there. They race there every week and if you race somewhere every week you’re going to do good. It is tough, but we’ll just do out best and see how it goes.”
Brian Carlson, driver of the No. 18 Lincoln Electric Maxim
“Anytime you head to Pennsylvania you test out how your abilities are, and how much motor you have under the hood. Those guys have as strong of stuff as anyone in the country. It’s exciting just to go back there and run on a big race track. With the history that surrounds the National Open, it will be an exciting two-day event for us.”
Craig Dollansky, driver of the No. 7 Karavan Trailers/Team Race Chic Maxim
“It’s pretty much the last big paying event of the year left. We haven’t been able to pick one of those up yet this year, and we would love nothing more than to go into Williams Grove and win the National Open. It’s one of the biggest events that we run throughout the year. ‘The Grove’ is definitely one of my favorite places to go race, and we had a good strong run last time we were in there. We’ll just go in there and see what we can do.”
Randy Hannagan, driver of the No. 1x Penthouse Magazines Maxim
“It’s one of the really big races of the year for us. We’re going to Pennsylvania where the competition is really tough. We haven’t had that much luck out there, but we ran pretty good there in the summer. I did not get to run the spring race, but in the summer we made the show and we have some good stuff that we can build off of. I’m excited to go back and try it, and I think we can be competitive and run up front there.”
Jac Haudenschild, driver of the No. 35 Wright One Construction Maxim
“We’re looking forward to going back to Williams Grove. I like the race track and I like going over there and racing. We struggled a little bit the last time we were there. We are looking forward to it again this year, and hopefully we can get the Rick Wright car up front…I think everyone knows those guys are tough at that track. They are tough anywhere. The Outlaw guys have been running good this year, and I think everyone is pumped up and ready to go…It always is good when it pays the big money. You really don’t think about the money, you are just out there racing and trying to get up front.”
Justin Henderson, driver of the (No. D1 Jolt Energy Gum/Protected By Data Dots Schnee powered by Hollywood Racing Engines
“Last time we were there, we were getting better and better at Williams Grove. We’re ready to rock. I can’t wait to get back there, and am happy that Jolt Energy Gum and Schnee have kept a good car under us, so we can get back there…Of course it matters to battle those guys. It makes our jobs tougher. Normally when we race local competition, they are not nearly that good, plus the tracks are usually similar to other tracks that we go to around the country. When you go to Williams Grove, it’s different than anything you have ever seen. We are only there a couple times a year, and those guys race it all year long.”
Dion Hindi, driver of the No. 11D RealTruck.com/SniperTuning J&J
“I had a chance to win this race with Donny (Schatz) last year, and that was a really good feeling at that race track. We’ll see what this year has in store… Hopefully we’ll have another good night there. We have had good and bad nights, and that is seemingly what happens at Williams Grove. You are car is either really good or really bad…If you are paying attention to who is driving a car, then you are not paying attention to the race track and your own race car. Once you’re on the race track, like I have said before, a race track is a race track for the most part, and once you are on the race track they are just other cars you have to pass.”
Chad Kemenah, driver of the No. 15K Underground Utilities Inc. Eagle
“Hopefully we can go and get a good run. We haven’t had the best of luck at Williams Grove. The first thing out there is that you want to make the race. Hopefully we can get in the thing and come out with a good run…It has helped us with all the laps there this year. I had never really race out there too much. The more times we go out there, the more comfortable I feel. Hopefully we can put out some results when we get back…Anybody that roams into Pennsylvania will have a rivalry. The fans love their local drivers, and the local drivers are so good out there. Hopefully the Outlaws as a group, we can go in there, last time we faired really well, and repeat the same performance.”
Jason Martin, driver of the No. 36 NOS Energy Drink/Mafia Motorsports Maxim
“It’s a real big deal, and it pays so much money. We have been there so many times earlier this year that we were practicing and getting use to the track. A lot of us out here had never been there. It took me a couple times to get use to the race track itself. I think we were real confident last time we were there. We just had some bad luck. We were real fast and crashed. I think we will be good when we go back…It’s a big deal. We want to win no matter who is racing against us. The cars are just another car, but some of the guys have been around such a long time, and it’s something to put on your shoulders to say you beat them. We push pretty hard to win.”
Terry McCarl, driver of the No. 24 Big Game Treestands/Bosma Poultry/AmeriCash Advance.com Eagle
“It’s one of the biggest races of the year. It’s definitely one of the top-three or four races that we race all year. It’s definitely one that you want to win. It was big for me winning there in the summer. I am a bit of a historian of sprint car racing, and growing up around Knoxville , I always thought that Williams Grove was the ‘ Knoxville of the East.’ It meant a lot for me to win a feature there, and I look forward to the National Open.”
Daryn Pittman, driver of the No. 21 Titan Garages & Carports/ Hop-n-Sack Convenience Stores Maxim
“I would put it there as the second or third biggest race of the year. We finally got our first win there last time we were there. I think we have proved that the last three or four times we have been to Williams Grove that we are the car to beat. We’re going with a lot of confidence, but there are a lot of guys that can win there. We’re pumped about it, and obviously we will not be happy with anything but winning, but we can there second last year and there a lot of tough cars to beat. We have our work cut out for us and we are pumped, and hopefully we can go in there with a lot of confidence and have a good showing…Obviously the money is always great, but some of us were talking at Chico (the Gold Cup) and I think we would kill each other for $1500 to-win. The money is always great and the excitement makes you do a few things that maybe normally you would not do. I’m glad they put up the money. Having the title of National Open winner would be an awesome thing to put on anyone’s resume.”
Joey Saldana, driver of the No. 9 Dodge Mopar-powered/Curb Records JEI
“If we run as well as we did at Jackson ( Minn. ) Speedway , and I do what I am supposed to do as a driver, then I am very excited about going to Williams Grove. We had a really good performance there earlier this year. We got disqualified for weight, but the performance of the car and what we did to get to that point is what you need to do to win the $50,000. We went back for the Summer Nationals and ran top-five. If we can duplicate the performances that we have had and get a little better. When it comes to that kind of money everyone steps their game up. If we can get a little better and not do anything stupid, then I think we have a good shot at it.”
Donny Schatz, driver of the No. 15 ParkerStore J&J
“We’re excited to get there. We have a great race car, and our motors are unbelievable right now. I just can’t wait to get there and get it going on, and see if we can’t get this thing to victory lane and get that 50-grand…Anytime you can go to Williams Grove and get a victory, it’s unbelievable. It’s one of the toughest of the places in the country to figure out the race track. The locals are damn tough. To go there for the National Open, being a three-time winner is great, and there is one guy that has won it four times, and he is not going to be there obviously. We just have to go there and try to win… There’s really no pressure after the first time you win something. The first one was tough and they have come a little easier since then. I hope we are in a good position and can go in there. We’re thinking about the 50-grand, not the name of the National Open, because we have been pretty lucky to win them a couple of times.”
Troy Renfro, crew chief of the No. 8 Race Outfitters/Castrol/Steel Dreams Machine
“I’m real confident with Jeff (Shepard). Jeff and I grew up together in somewhat the same area. My pick was either him or Todd Shaffer to fill in for us, and that was Brooke’s pick also. I’m real confident to have Jeff in the car. I know he will do a good job, and he’ll give 100 percent.”
*Note: Jeff Shepard will fill-in for Brooke Tatnell at the National Open at Williams Grove Speedway, while Tatnell is back in his native Australia with his father George, who is battling cancer.
Contact:
DIRT MotorSports™
Tony
Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
1-405-623-1442
tveneziano@dirtmotorsports.com
A Kokomo Cruise: Craig Dollansky Captures 6th Win of 2006
Kokomo, IN—September 24, 2006—By: Tony Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
It is not very often that a 40-lap sprint car race on a quarter-mile track is completed without any cautions. It is even more surprising to have all 24 cars that start the feature still running when the checkered flag flies.
On Sunday at Kokomo Speedway as the World of Outlaws Sprint Series and the All Star Circuit of Champions proved that both of these can be done in the same night, as they completed a non-stop A-Feature in just over eight and a half minutes in their final co-sanctioned event of the season.
Craig Dollansky was the main benefactor of this, as he led all 40 laps to make his sixth trip of the year to RacinSoles Victory Lane .
Dollansky aboard the Karavan Trailers Maxim started on the pole got the jump on a hard charging and determined Justin Henderson and Joey Saldana to take the lead into the first turn. From there, he would set a blistering pace, lapping up to ninth place on the racy quarter-mile.
At some parts of the race, the native of Elk River , Minn. , built nearly a half a lap lead, until Terry McCarl methodically tracked him down in the final quarter of the race..
McCarl driving the Big Game Treestands Eagle made a late charge and worked his way to a runner-up finish, after starting the event in the eighth spot. The native of Altoona , Iowa got bottled up in traffic and lost some ground and ended up running out of laps.
Donny Schatz put in an impressive showing, powering his way from the 16th starting spot to come home third, all without a single caution to bunch the field.
Dale Blaney was fourth in the George Fisher Racing Maxim, with Joey Saldana rounding out the top-five in the Mopar-powered Dodge/Curb Records JEI.
For Dollansky the win snapped a streak of three straight third place finishes. It also was his 28th top-five of the season, as sits solidly in second spot in the championship standings.
“The car definitely felt real good tonight,” said Dollansky. “The crew worked hard all night. Having a good car helps get yourself in position to win. Starting on the front row helped, but we had a lot of lapped traffic to deal with. It was a good strong run for the Karavan team. I’m happy for the entire team.”
McCarl was proud of his team for all the hard work they put in all night. While he wanted to win the race for them, he knew he got everything out of his car and knew he helped the fans in the stands get their money’s worth.
“What a great race for the fans,” McCarl said. “What a great race track. I drove right up to second in about four laps. My car would go to the middle, bottom, and top, anywhere I wanted to go. I was pretty excited about that, and my guys gave me a great car.”
Donny Schatz kept the fans cheering all night long as he sliced his way through over half of the field to finish third after lining up in the eighth row on the tight quarter-mile.
“It was the best we could do,” said Schatz. “I was glad to see it go green-to-checkered. All night long that thing was so fast that it kept unhooking our car. I think we may have unhooked it too much for the feature. It’s just a guessing game. When you are that far back, you just have to try stuff and we did and it worked. We had a tire that the bleeder was not working. I don’t know what happened there, but it actually helped us. I am glad to leave here with a top-three. When you can’t win, you have to be consistent.”
Dale Blaney represented the All Star Circuit of Champions well, as he battled his way to a fourth-place finish. It was his seventh Top-10 finish this season in Outlaws competition.
“We’re happy,” Blaney said. “We were pretty decent all night. We qualified ok. We ran our heat ok. We struggled a little bit in the dash, but had a good starting spot and that was key. A couple guys moved up pretty good. We just hung around out there. We lost a few spots at the beginning and then picked off a few. It worked out pretty well.”
Joey Saldana battled the track and an ill handling car all night to round of out the top-five. He started the event in third and jumped to the second spot on the initial start getting around Justin Henderson.
“We put too soft of a right rear tire on, and too big of a left rear tire,” said Saldana. “We were tight early on. With that soft right rear tire, we tore it all to shreds. We didn’t have anything for those guys. We were just hanging on. Luckily we finished fifth. We’ll just keep trying and learning.”
The rest of the Top-10 was Daryn Pittman in sixth in the Titan Garages & Carports Maxim. Justin Henderson was seventh after starting a career best second in the Jolt Energy Gum Schnee. Wayne Johnson turned in his best run of the year in the Mopar Wirtgen Maxim. Becca Anderson who turned the third fastest lap in time trials came across the line ninth in the A-Feature aboard the Upstate Kenworth Maxim. Randy Hannagan rounded out the Top-10 in the Penthouse Racing Maxim.
The lowest number that Dollansky saw all night when a checkered flag waved was two. He qualified in the second spot. He then finished his heat race in the second spot. After winning his series leading eighth dash of the year, he earned his eighth pole position.
As was expected lapped traffic came into play early and often in the race. Dollansky was already lapping cars on only his fifth trip around the track.
“There were a few lapped cars in front of me that were hard on the binders, probably for someone in front of them, so I was hard on my brakes a few times out there,” he said. “I was able to work the top and work the bottom, and many times go where they were not.”
Traffic was not so beneficial to McCarl. The always well-spoken veteran was a little frustrated after he climbed out of his car on the chilly evening. While the run was his second straight top-five he wanted very badly to have been holding the trophy at the end of the night.
“We had a great car,” said McCarl. “Second or fifth, just depends on where you started, and how good your car was. It’s a pretty disappointing second. I feel like we should have been the feature winner. I had a couple of lapped guys, and they knew they were lapped when Craig (Dollansky) went by them, and they decided to race me like this was the Knoxville Nationals.”
While McCarl was chasing down Dollansky, Schatz was quietly yet quickly chasing him down. Schatz was able to negotiate traffic very well, and felt like it took him a few laps to get back in a rhythm in traffic, having not raced for over week, due to Saturday night’s rainout at Wilmot Speedway, which will be made up on October 14.
“Racing like that is what teaches you how to race,” said Schatz. “We have to learn how to race everyday, especially when we only race on weekends. We still have to learn every time we get in the car. I though I was a little behind in qualifying. I didn’t run the right line, and gave the wrong feedback. I cost myself there. We’re trying some stuff and it’s working for the better. It’s all about next year now. We have some big money coming up next week, and we are pumped about that and glad to be running good.”
In the last 10 races, Dollansky has won three times and finished third in the other seven, including preliminary features. He was ecstatic to see the race run from green-to-checkers without any stoppages, as this was a benefit to the set-up his crew had on the car.
“I definitely felt good,” he said. “With the way we were getting through lapped traffic, I was pretty comfortable and was not looking for any cautions. I was happy to that race go non-stop.”
One slight worry that Dollansky had even before the feature rolled off, was a dense fog that engulfed the track, but that quickly lifted once the 24 cars took to the track and unleashed their 850-horsepower.
“It definitely was a concern before the race got started,” said Dollansky. “When the fireworks went off, I was not sure what the heck was going on. Once we would the cars up a little bit and got the wings moving, that started to move that stuff out. After the green flag dropped, it wasn’t really a concern.”
While not much could slow Dollansky down on Sunday night, McCarl wondered afterwards if a caution that would have bunched the field up, would have made a difference.
“Early in the race, (a caution) it would have helped when I was close to Craig,” said McCarl. “Late in the race when he put some lapped cars between us, it would not have made a difference. He got through traffic a lot better than I did. Congratulations to him, he has been running really good lately. It feels good to get the Big Game Treestands car back on track these last few races.”
With eight races left in the season, Dollansky is second in points, which if he finished in that spot would mark his career best with the series. While he seeks to pick up a few more checkered flags this season, he is already thinking of the big picture and how this momentum from late in the season can carry over to next season.
“We’re all about preparing to go into 2007, and going into the season the way you need to go into a season,” said Dollansky. “This year we did not start off correctly and had to make a lot of changes. With those changes and the personnel changes we made, it is starting to pay off. I’m definitely encouraged by what I see from this team, and this car feels good to me night in and night out. It’s been a long time since I have had that. We just have to keep working hard going down the stretch. We have eight races left and we’re going to try to win as many as we can. We’ll just keep plugging away and see where we end up.”
The World of Outlaws Sprint Series heads east to take on the Pennsylvania Posse in the National Open at Williams Grove Speedway this Friday-Saturday. The winner of Saturday night’s finale will take home $50,000.
Contact:
DIRT MotorSports™
Tony
Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
1-405-623-1442
tveneziano@dirtmotorsports.com
World of Outlaws Sprint Series At A Glance: National Open
Norman, OK—September 23, 2006—By: Tony Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
WHAT
•After picking up victories on all three nights of the Summer Nationals in July, the
World of Outlaws Sprint Series returns to battle the Pennsylvania Posse in the National
Open at Williams Grove Speedway. The finale of the two-day event will pay the winner
$50,000. Current series championship point leader Donny Schatz seeks his third straight
National Open win and fourth overall, as he continues his quest his first ever series
title.
WHEN
• On Friday at Williams Grove Speedway, pit gates will open at 5:15 p.m., with
grandstand gates opening at 5:15 p.m., as well for those with advanced purchase tickets.
Grandstand gates will open at 5:30 for those purchasing general admission tickets at the
track. On-track activity will begin at 7:30 p.m.
•
On Saturday at Williams Grove Speedway pit gates will open at 5:15 p.m. as will the
grandstand gates for those with advanced purchase tickets. Grandstand gates will open at
5:30 p.m. for those purchasing general admission tickets at the track. On-track activity
will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Kinser family stars at Putnamville NST race
By Craig Murphy 9-23-06
PUTNAMVILLE, Ind. – The Tuesday, Sept. 26 National Sprint Tour race at Lincoln Park Speedway in will be all about the Kinsers.
And it’s not just because Steve Kinser is trying to track down Danny Lasoski for the NST points lead.
Tuesday’s race at the 5/16-mile Putnamville , Indiana track is named the Bob Kinser Fall Classic. That is in honor of Steve’s dad, who recorded seven track titles and 55 feature wins at the track.
The man with the great track record at Lincoln Park Speedway will return to the track to watch his son, with an unparalleled track record overall in Sprint cars, take on Lasoski, Tim Kaeding, Jason Meyers and the rest of the NST drivers.
Steve’s distant cousin Kelly Kinser will be among the local drivers on hand, and there’s a chance Steve’s son Kraig Kinser will be racing.
Before heading to Las Vegas to watch Kraig run in the Sept. 23 Las Vegas 350 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, Steve said he wasn’t sure if Kraig would be able to run Putnamville or not.
“He’ll try to do it,” Steve said. “If he runs, we’ll let him run. We’ll have to see if he can get out. I hope he can just come and be there with us, even if he can’t race.”
Bob wouldn’t mind seeing his grandson race on dirt again.
“I hope he is there, but we don’t know for sure,” the former track champion said. “It would be great to see him there.”
Even if Kraig is not able to run, Tuesday will still be a special night for the Kinser family.
“I think it’s quite the honor,” Bob said of the race being named after him. “I raced up there for several years, and won quite a few.”
Steve appreciates the track honoring his dad.
“Dad’s got a lot of stuff around here named after him,” Steve said. “It goes to show you how he won a lot of races. He was one of the best race car drivers. He won a lot of races there at Putnamville. It’s nice they recognized him.”
While the Kinser name is synonymous with dirt track racing, Bob was the only one who spent much time at Lincoln Park Speedway.
“I’ve raced there more than any of the rest of them did,” he said. “Steve was with the World of Outlaws, and (Steve’s brother) Randy was going different places. I raced there every weekend. For four years, maybe five years in a row, I made every race there. I had perfect attendance. I raced there every night, didn’t miss any. I’d run for the championship there about every year, and would usually run real good.”
Bob, now 75, lists a combination of factors to explain why he had so much success at the track.
“I got to run there every week,” he said. “At that time, it was a pretty nice race track, I had a nice race car, and I was in my prime.”
Steve will have to have a strong finish in the season’s final four races to catch Lasoski, who has a 92-point lead heading to Putnamville.
“It’s going to be pretty tough to beat him,” Steve said. “He’s got a pretty good lead, and he’s running pretty well. We’ll just see what happens.”
Bob is certainly looking forward to race night.
“I think people will see a good show there, and the weather is going to be nice,” he said. “Everything is looking nice.”
General admission tickets are $30, while reserved seats are $40. Tickets purchased by Sept. 25 include a free pit pass. On race day, pit passes costs $40. Tickets can be purchased by calling 317-831-4404.
On the evening of Sept. 25, there will be a racing-themed radio/Internet show at Kelly’s Pub Too in nearby Speedway , Ind. Several NST drivers and cars are expected to be on hand.
For more information on Lincoln Park Speedway, visit www.lincolnparkspeedway.com. For more information on the NST, visit www.nationalsprinttour.com.
Contact:
DIRT MotorSports™
Chris Dolack, VP Public Relations
815-735-6477 • cdolack@dirtmotorsports.com
Brooke Tatnell Heads Home To Help Father Battle Cancer
Wilmot, WI — Sept. 22, 2006 — By Chris Dolack, VP Public Relations
Everybody has a hero, somebody they look up to in life. For Brooke
Tatnell, that person is his father, George, a legendary sprint car
driver in Australia.
Having the best year of his career, Brooke battles with the other
World of Outlaws competitors night after night, as his dad beams with
pride while listening to the race broadcasts through the Internet.
That is why this season is especially difficult for Brooke. George
suffered a stroke in the spring, just as the World of Outlaws
schedule was picking up steam. The news was tough for the Tatnells,
but very difficult for Brooke as he was thousands of miles away
struggling with whether or not he should return home. He continued to
drive the Rush Racing machine on the Outlaws circuit because it’s
what his dad wanted.
But now Brooke will climb out of the car this weekend and return to
his native Australia for a few weeks to help his dad through the
battle of his life. George recently was diagnosed with pancreatic
cancer and begins treatment Wednesday. Brooke intends to see him
through the fight.
“It’s time for me to be the man of the family,” said Brooke,
whose
mom and sisters still live in Australia and helped George recover
from his stroke. “We have to keep our chins up and keep fighting
along. We’ll get through these tough times, but it’s the biggest
battle he’s going to fight.
“(Car owners) Tim Hanson and Bob Campbell have been unbelievably
supportive and I can’t thank them enough.”
Brooke expects to be back in the car on the World of Outlaws circuit
to compete Oct. 20 at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix. In the meantime,
Jason Johnson and Jeff Shepard will share the driving duties.
“It’s the toughest thing Brooke’s ever had to do,” Hanson
said.
“Every kid looks up to Superman and Brooke’s Superman is George. We
felt it was most important for him to be with his family right now
and we’re here to support him however we can.”
Best of Nextel
Cup and Late Model Worlds Collide at Knoxville!
by Bill Wright (www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com) The
field for Knoxville
Raceways 3rd Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals promises to be the
stoutest yet, as the best in the Late Model business will collide with a
couple of Nextel Cup legends on September 28-30. Sweeping three nights of
the program could net a driver $47,000.
2002 and 2005 Nextel Cup Champion Tony Stewart heads the pre-entry list
for the three-day event. Fellow Nextel Cup veteran, Ken Schrader, is also
expected to return to his old open wheel Knoxville haunt, to compete for
the $35,000 top prize that will be handed out to this years champion.
Defending Late Model Nationals champion and 2006 Eldora Dream winner,
Scott Bloomquist, will attempt to defend his title in a return to his Iowa
roots. Other Iowa natives expected to compete are 2004 inaugural Late
Model Nationals champion, Brian Birkhofer, and World of Outlaws legend,
Billy Moyer.
Eight of the top ten World of Outlaws Late Model pilots are expected to
sling Iowa gumbo at the end of September. Moyer will be joined by Chub
Frank, Darrell Lanigan, The Kentucky Colonel Steve Francis, Rick Eckert,
Dale McDowell, Kid Rocket Josh Richards and Clint Smith.
The WoOs leading Rookie of the Year contender, West Virginias Eddie
Carrier Jr., is expected to bring his cushion slamming style to Knoxville,
as is the late model one lap track record holder at this historic
half-mile, Justin Fegers. Fegers circled the half-mile in 17.673 seconds
in last years event. The Million Dollar Man, Donnie Moran, is also
expected.
Jimmy Mars, Jeep Van Wormer, Brady Smith, Mike Marlar, Shannon Babb and a
cast of others will make this the most competitive Late Model Nationals
field in the brief history of the event.
The event will comprise three nights of racing, and drivers will be
allowed to compete all three nights. Thursday and Friday night will be
qualifying nights, with points awarded for a full program of qualifying,
heats and features. Each driver will be allowed to keep his highest
scoring night, and that is how Saturdays events will be lined up.
Preliminary features will pay $6,000 to win.
An exciting opportunity for fans will allow pit access from 10 a.m. to 3
p.m. each day, free of charge! See the high-powered machines and the
drivers who wheel them close up and in person! Other events include the
popular Knoxville Late Model Celebrity Waiter Dinner & Auction. The event
takes place at noon on Saturday at the Nationals Sprint Car Hall of Fame
and Museum off of turn two at the Knoxville Raceway. Tickets are just $15
and can be reserved by calling the museum at 1-800-874-4488. Speed
Channel's Jeff Hammond, and young Illinois driver, Justin Allgaier, were
the 'Celebrity Waiters of the Year' in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Josh
Richards is among the waiters expected this year!
You can order your Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals tickets online right now
by clicking the Online Tickets link at www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com, by
visiting the Knoxville Raceway ticket office, or by calling 641 842-5431.
Saturdays main event will be aired on SpeedTV on October 7. The rain
date for the 100 lap finale will be Sunday, October 1. Driver sign-in
will be open at 2 p.m. on Thursday, and 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
For more information on the 3rd Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals,
visit www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com,
or call 641 842-5431.
Bill Wright
editor, www.knoxvilleraceway.com
Bill W's Knoxville News www.hoseheads.com/billw.html
Putnamville set to host NST race Sept. 26
By Craig Murphy 9-20-06
PUTNAMVILLE, Indiana – The National Sprint Tour travels to a slighter larger than usual bullring next week.
The series makes a stop at the 5/16-mile Lincoln Park Speedway Tuesday, Sept. 26 in Putnamville for the Bob Kinser Fall Classic.
The race is named after the father of NST star Steve Kinser. Bob Kinser won seven track titles over the years at Lincoln Park , and won more than 60 feature races there.
“We are excited to have the NST at our track,” said track owner and promoter Dave Allison. “We are expecting these guys to put on a great show, one that I know our fans will enjoy. Everyone here is looking forward to the race.”
Allison realizes his track has a rather unique length.
“It is unusual, yes,” he said. “It’s a big quarter. It runs more like a ¼-mile than something bigger.”
There’s an added benefit to the size of the track.
“That way, we can be the world’s fastest 5/16-mile track,” Allison said with a laugh. “No one can be faster than us!”
With only four races left on the inaugural NST schedule, time is running out for second-place Steve ‘The King’ Kinser to catch Danny ‘The Dude’ Lasoski. Lasoski enters Putnamville 92 points ahead of the home state hero.
Those two will be battling fellow NST regulars such as Kinser’s teammate Tim Kaeding, Jason Meyers, Jason Solwold, Paul McMahan, Jason Sides, Shane Stewart, Brian Paulus, Kerry Madsen, Dean Jacobs, Chad Hillier, Travis Rilat and Jonathan Allard.
Kinser’s son Kraig Kinser is also expected to be racing, along with local drivers such as yet another Kinser, Kelly.
Allison said Bob Kinser might take some ceremonial laps around the track, like he did earlier this year in the NST race not far away in Bloomington , Ind.
For Allison, naming a race after Bob Kinser was a natural.
“The Kinser family has raced here for years and years,” the track owner said. “We figured since Steve’s what he is and Bob has won seven titles here, it would be a good thing. Bob was all hip when we talked about it. He was excited.”
General admission tickets are $30, while reserved seats are $40 each. Reserved seats are in the top three rows of the main grandstands, on the concrete pad behind the rail, and the top five rows of the backstretch bleachers. Lawn chairs are permitted on the concrete pad and in the grassy area outside of turn four, but not in the main grandstands.
Tickets purchased by Sept. 25 include a free pit pass. On race day, the pit pass costs $40. Tickets can be purchased by calling 317-831-4404.
On the evening of Sept. 25, there will be a racing-themed radio/Internet show at Kelly’s Pub Too in nearby Speedway , Ind. Several NST drivers and cars are expected to be on hand.
For more information on Lincoln Park Speedway, visit www.lincolnparkspeedway.com. For more information on the NST, visit www.nationalsprinttour.com.
Contact:
DIRT MotorSports™
Tony
Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
1-405-623-1442
tveneziano@dirtmotorsports.com
Fond Memories: Brian Carlson Recalls First Visit to Kokomo Speedway
Kokomo, Ind.—Sept. 20, 2006--By: Tony Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
Though it wasn’t the first time that Brian Carlson attended a World of Outlaws event, the night of July 29, 1984 is one that will always stick out in his mind. He made his maiden voyage to Kokomo Speedway on that warm summer night and vividly remembers what he saw while sitting in the stands as the Outlaws were in town to do battle.
A native of the sprint car hotbed of Pennsylvania , Carlson was calling Indiana home at that time, as he was studying engineering at Purdue University . Over 20 years later he still calls Indiana home, and will return with fond memories to the track that is only 60 miles from his shop. This time it will be as a competitor with the World of Outlaws Sprint Series on Sunday night.
“It’s kind of hard to forget anytime you go to a World of Outlaws show,” said Carlson, who calls Linden , Ind. home. “It is always very special. I was going to Purdue University in West Lafayette , and Kokomo was the closest track to us. I saw that they were on the schedule, with the World of Outlaws, so I went over and checked it out.”
While in college, Carlson never really gave much thought to the idea that one day he would be on the same track racing against the Outlaws. He had a full plate as he was taking very demanding classes, and also was heavily involved in another form of racing. In the back of his mind though, in the years to follow, it became his goal to one day race with the best drivers in sprint car racing.
“It’s always been my dream,” said Carlson, driver of the Lincoln Electric Maxim. “At that time though, I was pretty focused on going to college, with the engineering, math, and physics. I wasn’t as concerned about racing full-time. I was still racing karts at that time, and won a lot of races with them. That kept me pretty busy.”
Though some of the surroundings on the grounds of the track have changed over the years, the quarter-mile at Kokomo still provides some of the most exciting racing on a weekly basis. Carlson has raced at the track in the past with the All Star Circuit of Champions, and knows what it takes to turn a good lap around the bullring.
“It’s an exciting little race track,” he said. “It hasn’t changed a whole lot in all the years. It’s still a real competitive, ‘bump and run’ kind of race track. We haven’t been there for a few years, but I know they have made a lot of improvements to the facility. I’m anxious and looking forward to going back there.”
The race this year will be on a Sunday night, but Carlson recalls when it used to be a midweek event, with a stout field of cars. This year will be no different, as the All Star Circuit of Champions will join the World of Outlaws and will jam the pit area for the 40-lap event.
While Carlson is focused on what it will take to be fast at the quarter-mile, he also puts on his car owner’s hat, and realizes that there will plenty of close racing and some paint will be traded as well.
“I remember it was always like a Wednesday night before the Kings Royal when they would come into Kokomo ,” he said. “Like I said, it’s a ‘bump and run’ race track. Guys won’t pull out new cars to run there. They might bring their older wings or older cars, because you know you will use them up. It’s a very racy little quarter-mile, where you know you will get your elbows up and race hard.”
Carlson expects both the high and low side of the track to be worked in very well and provide thrilling racing all night long. He always enjoys racing on tighter tracks, and knows that some luck will come into play as well.
“The biggest thing is that you have to be smooth in the corners,” Carlson said. “A guy like (Brooke) Tatnell will probably be pretty exciting right up against the wall. Usually the bottom will get really good as well. You will see a guy that is really smooth, wheelie it off the corner. You can get a lot of traction on the bottom to squirt around the race track.”
After racing at the spacious half-mile at Jackson ( Minn. ) Speedway last weekend, Carlson is ready to return to a bullring. He knows for the fans, the tight track will put on an exciting show, and will be a place where the drivers will certainly keep their elbows up all night long.
“Anytime we get to a small quarter-mile track, it lessens the importance of a big motor,” he said. “You still have to have a strong motor to qualify, but it certainly puts it back in the driver’s hands after that.”
Prior to returning to the Midwest last weekend, Carlson along with his wife/crew chief Sarah and sons A.J. and Seth make the trek to the West Coast for the Gold Rush Tour. While they took in many sights along the way during the three-plus weeks away from home, the close-knit family was excited to get back to the Hoosier state and catch-up with their friends and neighbors.
“It’s always nice to get back home,” said Carlson. “I’ve been fortunate enough to get back and get my grass cut, and talk to my neighbors, to make sure everything is still here. To be able to sleep in your own bed is rare when you race with the Outlaws. We are probably more fortunate that we get through Indiana so often. Even so, it was a long trip out west and were anxious to get back home. We hurt one motor out west and we had to get it back to the engine builder right away. We’ll have another motor in the car for Wilmot and Kokomo this weekend.”
Just as when he was in college, Carlson still has a lot on his plate, and has very little time to sit back and relax. Not only does he race with the World of Outlaws Sprint Series, but he also has a business that builds kart engines. With only nine race dates left on the World of Outlaws calendar, Carlson has the chance to get caught up on some of the work that has been waiting for him while he and his family have been on the road racing all summer.
“We all want to race as many races as we can,” he said. “When we run like we were back in June and July four or five times a week that probably makes it a little better on the drivers and teams. With all the time off, the teams that are far from home will probably feel like a fish out of water, because they just have to hang out for the week in between races. It’s nice for us because we get back home every week. I can run my business and keep things rocking here.”
For
ticket information about the Kokomo Race on Sunday September 24 visit
http://www.slspromotions.com or call 815-344-2023. Adult reserved tickets for the upper
rows will be $35, while adult general admission tickets for the bottom 9 rows is $28.
Reserved seats for children ages 12-under will be just $15, with children general
admission tickets only $12. Pit pass combos will also be available for $38.
Lonny Parsons ready to return to the track
By Craig Murphy 9-19-06
URBANDALE, Iowa – National Sprint Tour co-owner and team owner Lonny Parsons continues to improve after being hit by a water truck Aug. 5 at Selinsgrove Speedway in Pennsylvania .
While Parsons has been slowed a bit during recovery, his wit is just as quick as ever.
Parsons was attempting to cross the track to the infield pits in turn 4 that Saturday afternoon when a water truck making a lap around the muddy track hit him. The impact, which sent the 65-year-old Parsons flying at least 25 feet, had many fearing the worst.
Parsons was airlifted by helicopter to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville , Pa. where he was in the intensive care unit.
Only thing is, Parsons was under heavy sedation and didn’t realize where he was.
“I thought I was in a hotel,” Parsons recalled Monday afternoon at his home in the Des Moines suburb of Urbandale . “I thought it was a cheesy hotel. The room didn’t even have its own shower!”
So Parsons left several times – his sons told him it was six or seven times – in search of a better room.
“I was dead set on finding a way out,” Parsons said.
Each time, the same nurse would guide Parsons back to his room. Due to the drugs like morphine, Parsons didn’t realize it was a nurse at the hospital.
“I thought this lady kept hitting on me,” Parsons said.
Parsons, well known for his smoking habit, had another reason to try and leave his room: he wasn’t allowed to smoke in the hospital.
“The hell of it was, I could see the nurses getting cigarettes out of their purses, and going out to smoke,” Parsons said. “I thought, ‘I wonder where they are going?’”
Parsons was released from Geisinger on Aug. 11 – the day before the Knoxville Nationals – and flown to the Iowa Heart Center in Des Moines . Parsons wanted to be released earlier, but kept getting delayed.
“The doctors found some irregular heartbeats,” Parsons recalled. “I said, ‘I got hit by a truck. Would that have something to do with it?’”
On a similar note, Parsons had an explanation for what might have poked a hole in his lung, which healed up in a couple of days.
“The water truck,” Parsons quipped.
The impact at Selinsgrove seemed to be the latest hard blow for the NST. Tim Shaffer, the Pennsylvania native who drove for Parsons until being injured at Knoxville in June, and Dean Jacobs, who has been filling in for Shaffer, both called it a miracle Parsons survived the impact.
Parsons, who lost both his wife and brother to sicknesses this year, doesn’t quite see it that way.
“You either survive it or you don’t,” he said simply. “Everyone says it’s miraculous. It doesn’t seem unbelievable to me. It is what it is.”
Parsons doesn’t spend time dwelling on why he wasn’t hurt worse than he was.
“It’s just one of those deals,” he said. “It’s just one of those things that happens. You don’t know why. I’m a quality of life advocate rather than quantity of life. I’m not crippled up. I’ve always been afraid of being crippled up. That’s my biggest fear.”
Since coming home the weekend of the Knoxville Nationals, Parsons has continued to improve.
“I’ve been doing a lot better,” he said. “I’m having trouble with my right leg, but that could also just be old age. My rib cage is sore on my right side. I’m just getting to where I can sleep on my side. The right leg is the biggest discomfort. My stamina is getting better, and that’s probably due to better sleep.”
Parsons was on a soft food diet for about three weeks, and could hardly open his mouth.
“My cheekbone was broken,” Parsons said. “They were talking about cutting my face open and fixing it. That didn’t sound like a good time to me.”
In talking with doctors and racers who have been in bad accidents, Parsons believes it’s likely his mind has mentally blocked out much of what happened at Selinsgrove.
“I remember getting my pit pass,” Parsons said. “I vaguely remember the truck coming. I looked to the left before crossing, but the truck came from the right. Bob Ward crossed the track ahead of me, and he said the truck driver didn’t blow his horn that time and was coming like hell.
“I was trying to run down the hill, because in that soft mud I wasn’t going to be able to go up the track,” Parsons added. “(The truck driver) probably jumped on the brakes and slid down the hill into me.”
Parsons, who does not recall the impact, briefly remembers being put into the helicopter. His next memory is being at the hospital.
“They were keeping me awake (at the hospital),” Parsons said. “That’s what my boys said. At that point, I had no idea what had happened.”
The day after the Nationals, August 13, Parsons was back at the shop. The next NST race is the Sept. 26 Bob Kinser Fall Classic at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Ind., and that is tentatively scheduled to be the first race back for Parsons.
Though he hasn’t been at the track, it’s clear Parsons hasn’t been forgotten by the racing community.
“People have bent over backwards,” Parsons said. “They sent a plane for my sons to come to the hospital, and another plane to pick me up. The racing community is pretty tight knit. We’re all pretty much willing to do whatever it takes to help one another.”
The support hasn’t come from just those in the pits.
“I’ve gotten cards from race fans and all that,” said Parsons, who got a big card from Knoxville with hundreds of signatures. “I get cards every day.”
The veteran car owner has kept busy by looking for new shop space in Urbandale , but is looking forward to returning to the tracks.
“I’ve missed it quite a bit,” he said. “It’s what I’ve done for a long time.”
September 19, 2006
J. R. Thompson Company
(317) 432-4110 Cellular
MOPAR® TICKET CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Center Line, Mich. — Mopar® is pleased to announce the winners of the Mopar Thunder Weekend ticket contest. Tim Barr of Saegertown, Pa.; Doug Meeks of Eaton, Ohio; James Behney of Dillsburg, Pa,; and Tom Wittmuss of Springfield, Ill., were randomly selected as the winners of ticket packages, which include four tickets for both nights of the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event at Eldora Speedway.
The contest was hosted by www.tjslideways.com. The Web site features a survey where race fans can vote for the driver they think will claim the USAC National Sprint Car Series portion of the two-day event.
The Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals, which will be held at Eldora Speedway in Ohio on September 22–23, coincides with the 25th anniversary of the historic 4-Crown Nationals. The event will offer an unprecedented $25,000 winner’s paycheck to each of USAC’s premier divisions (Midget, Sprint, Silver Crown) and $2,500 to the United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) Modified victor.
Intensifying the event is a $100,000 bonus being posted by Mopar®, to any driver able to sweep the three USAC non-winged events. Additionally, a $25,000 “Jack Hewitt Bonus” is being posted for a clean sweep victory in all four legs of the Mopar Thunder, a stunning feat accomplished by Hewitt in 1998. The total event purse is over $266,000, making the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals the second highest paying non-winged open-wheel race in history.
Tickets for the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event are now on sale online at www.eldoraspeedway.com. Race fans can purchase tickets for the marquee event in advance at the official Web site of Eldora Speedway. Tickets can also be purchased at the racetrack daily, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST., or by calling 937-338-3815.
For more information regarding Eldora Speedway, Mopar®, the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event or USAC Racing, log on to www.eldoraspeedway.com, www.mopar.com, www.moparspeed.com or www.usacracing.com.
Mopar® is based in Center Line, Mich. , and is the exclusive original equipment supplier of parts and accessories for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® vehicles
Contact:
DIRT MotorSports™
Tony
Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
1-405-623-1442
tveneziano@dirtmotorsports.com
On the Mark: Dion Hindi Takes Aim at Wilmot Speedway
Wilmot, WI—Sept. 19, 2006--By: Tony Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
Concentration, skill, and precision are all vital in wheeling a sprint car around a race track and being successful. These are also key elements for a marksman, when he is taking aim at a target. Dion Hindi uses his passion for shooting to keep his skills and reflexes keen in the cockpit of his race car as he competes with the World of Outlaws Sprint Series.
Hindi will showcase these skills Saturday night on the race track, as the series makes their inaugural appearance at Wilmot (Wisc.) Speedway .
With the amount of travel Hindi does, and the countless hours he spends working on the race car, he does not get to go shooting as much as he would like. While on the west coast for the Gold Rush Tour, the well-spoken driver had a chance to take his crew out shooting.
“There is a place that is only a couple of miles from Jac Haudenschild’s car owner’s house,” said Hindi, driver of the Realtruck.com J&J. “We had been there in the past and this year we had a week off, so we went out there a couple times. It’s like golf, but more exciting to us.”
Calling Albuquerque , New Mexico home, Hindi fondly recalls how he became interested in shooting. He cannot remember the exact age he was when he first took to the range, but he still learns something new every time he takes a shot. He also has become a collector of firearms, and takes great ride in explaining the intricacies of each unique gun.
“I grew up camping and being in the outdoors, and everything else,” he expounded. “My brother-in-law and I, when my sister got married, we got more involved in it. Now between us, we have quite a collection of rifles, handguns, and shotguns.”
The skills he utilizes in shooting are easily transferable to the seat of his race car. While it may seem that both shooting and racing are about getting from point A to point B as fast as possible, when broken down and analyzed, sometimes it is best to methodically reach these destinations, as Hindi explains.
“With the shooting, you have to slow everything down mentally,” he said. “That is kind of what happens in the race car. It does actually help with the focus in the car.”
Another similarity between racing and shooting is that one has to stay in control of the situation the entire time. Whether shooting at a target 300 yards away, or negotiating the second turn on a bullring, being calm and still is essential.
“If you have too much adrenaline going, you will not hit what you are aiming at,” he explained. “It’s actually about calming yourself down. That’s the same thing in the car. If you have too much adrenaline pumping, then you will be jittery and make mistakes. The same translates to shooting. If you’re not calm and you don’t have your hands steady and straight and have your mind relaxed, then you’re going to be all over the place, just like in the car.”
Racing like shooting presents many new challenges every time Hindi sits in the race car. This weekend he will visit two more tracks for the first time. On Saturday night he will take to the snug 3/8-mile at Wilmot (Wisc.) Speedway followed by a trip to the tight quarter-mile at Kokomo ( Ind. ) Speedway on Sunday.
Hindi has had plenty of success this season at tracks that he had never seen before. He started off the Gold Rush Tour with two consecutive Top-10 finishes at tracks where he was making his initial start at. He turned in an eighth place run at Black Hills (S.D.) Speedway and followed that up with a very solid sixth at Nodak (N.D.) Speedway . Both of those are 3/8-miles tracks, which will bode well for him when he pulls into the pit area at Wilmot.
“We haven’t been to a lot of the tracks we have raced at this year,” said Hindi. “We had never been to Rapid City (Black Hills Speedway), Minot (Nodak Speedway), or Skagit Speedway. We had never been to quite a few race tracks, and we have run well at them. You look at the track initially and compare it to other ones you have run in the past. Then after hot laps you just go from there. A race track is a race track, they all have four corners and two straight-a-ways.”
Hindi and his team have been very solid on short tracks this season, including picking up a dash win at Lawrenceburg ( Ind. ) Speedway to earn one of the two pole position he has had this season. He also showed his versatility on the fast and spacious half-mile at Calistoga Speedway, as he won the dash and pole position on the first night of the Harvest Classic and backed that up with sixth place finish.
When asked what makes him so fast on the short tracks, he pauses, smiles, and shrugs.
“I don’t know,” joked Hindi. “Maybe it is because I don’t have a lot of time to think about what I am doing,” he said. “A track like this (Jackson Speedway) has real long straight-a-ways, and you are looking at the corner for an eternity until you get there it seems. At a track like Wilmot, you just keep turning as much as you can.”
With nine race dates left on the calendar Hindi is focused on one thing. He sits 12th in series championship points in the strength of eight Top-10 finishes. In addition to this, he has set fast time on two different occasions. The fan favorite is excited not only to race on the bullrings this weekend, but to return to Williams Grove Speedway next weekend for the National Open. He set fast time on the always fast half-mile earlier this season with a stout field of 41 cars on hand.
“I still think we have a win coming,” Hindi said. “I don’t know if it will be here or at the Grove or at Tucson . We’ve been real close a few times this and we have been real off as well. Now we are getting more and more consistent and running up front. We are getting use to being up there. Sooner or later, we’ll get one.”
For ticket information about the race at Wilmot Speedway on Saturday September 23 visit http://www.slspromotions.com, or call 815-344-2023. Adult reserved tickets will be $35, with adult grandstand tickets just $12. All tickets for children ages 6-12 will be only $12, while kids 5-under will be admitted free of charge with a paying adult. Pit pass combos will also be available for $38.
September 19, 2006
J. R. Thompson Company
(317) 432-4110 Cellular
USAC TO HOST AUTOGRAPH SESSION DURING MOPAR THUNDER @ THE USAC 4-CROWN NATIONALS EVENT AT ELDORA SPEEDWAY
Center Line, Mich. — Race fans will have an opportunity to get up close and personal with the stars of the USAC National Silver Crown, Sprint & Midget Car Series during the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event at Eldora Speedway, as USAC will host an autograph session on Saturday, September 23. The event is scheduled to take place at 4:30 p.m. EST in the trade show building, located between Turns 3 and 4.
As the entries continue to roll in for the second running of the Mopar Thunder Weekend at Eldora, it is expected that up to 50 drivers could attend the autograph session. Josh Wise, Dave Darland, Levi Jones, Jerry Coons Jr., Tracy Hines, Darren Hagen and many more USAC stars will be on hand to sign autographs and pose for photos.
The Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals, which will be held at Eldora Speedway in Ohio on September 22–23, coincides with the 25th anniversary of the historic 4-Crown Nationals. The event will offer an unprecedented $25,000 winner’s paycheck to each of USAC’s premier divisions (Midget, Sprint, Silver Crown) and $2,500 to the United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) Modified victor.
Intensifying the event is a $100,000 bonus being posted by Mopar, to any driver able to sweep the three USAC non-winged events. Additionally, a $25,000 “Jack Hewitt Bonus” is being posted for a clean sweep victory in all four legs of the Mopar Thunder, a stunning feat accomplished by Hewitt in 1998. The total event purse is over $266,000, making the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals the second highest paying non-winged open-wheel race in history.
Tickets for the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event are now on sale online at www.eldoraspeedway.com. Race fans can purchase tickets for the marquee event in advance at the official Web site of Eldora Speedway. Tickets can also be purchased at the racetrack daily, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST., or by calling 937-338-3815.
For more information regarding Eldora Speedway, Mopar, the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event or USAC Racing, log on to www.eldoraspeedway.com, www.mopar.com, www.moparspeed.com or www.usacracing.com.
Mopar is based in Center Line, Mich. , and is the exclusive original equipment supplier of parts and accessories for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® vehicles.
Dear Media Members,
Greetings! The Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event is quickly approaching, and Mopar would like to extend an invitation for you to attend a pre-event media luncheon on Saturday, September 23. This email contains your invitation and RSVP information.
This year's 25th Anniversary of the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event features the second largest purse in non-winged racing history -- with over $266,000 up for grabs!
The purse for the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals features $25,000 to the winner of the USAC National Silver Crown, Sprint and Midget Series feature events. The UMP Modified feature event winner will take home $2,500. Any driver who can sweep all three USAC event will also earn an additional $100,000 bonus from Mopar. The driver who can win all four division features will also earn a $25,000 Jack Hewitt Bonus.
We hope you'll join us for the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event on September 22 & 23 at the legendary Eldora Speedway. It is sure to be 'the' racing event of the year!
Misha E. Geisert
Mopar Motorsports Program Manager
3215 Brighton Court
Kokomo, Indiana 46902
317-432-4110 Cellular
MoparPR@aol.com
September 18, 2006
J.R. Thompson Company
(317) 432-4110 Cellular
$5,000 MOPAR VIRTUAL DIRT TRACK CHALLENGE FINALE SET FOR SATURDAY
Center Line, Mich. — This Saturday at Eldora Speedway, sixty of the best virtual sprint car drivers in the world will battle it out for $5,000 in the Mopar Virtual Dirt Track Challenge finale. The competition, which has been hosted by Tim’s Dirt Track Simulators at events across the country, will pay $5,000 to the winner of the A-main finale on Saturday, September 23, at Eldora Speedway in Ohio .
Qualifying events have included USAC National Sprint Car Series and World of Outlaws Series events at Eldora Speedway, the Knoxville Nationals in August, and various other dirt track facilities based in Ohio , Pennsylvania and Indiana .
Prizes to be presented by Mopar for the Mopar Virtual Dirt Track Challenge include $5,000 to the A-main event finale winner, and $1,500 to the runner-up. Kears Speedshop will present $200 Fast Time Awards. The University of Northwest Ohio will present $100 B-main awards, and Hoservilleohio.com will present a $75 C-main award. Heat Race awards of $50 will be presented by L&S Express, LLC, and Tim’s Dirt Track Simulators will present $50 Hard Charger Awards during the event finale at Eldora Speedway on September 23.
The 60 eligible drivers must run five qualifying laps. Based on qualifying runs, they will be placed into six heat races, with ten cars making up each two-round heat group. Top point totals from each heat grouping will transfer to the A-Main. The next overall twenty totals will transfer to the C-Main. Two C-Mains will be held, with the Top five finishers from each C-Main transferring to the B-Main. The top four finishers from the B-Main will transfer to the 30-lap A-Main, which will start at 5 p.m. , Saturday, September 23.
Gates are scheduled to open for the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event at Eldora Speedway at 3 p.m. EST on September 22 & 23. Racing is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. EST on Friday, and 7:30 p.m. EST on Saturday. Tickets for this weekend’s event can be purchased at Eldora Speedway daily, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST , at www.eldoraspeedways.com, or by calling 937-338-3815.
For more information regarding Mopar or the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event, log on to www.moparspeed.com, www.mopar.com or www.eldoraspeedway.com
Mopar is based in Center Line, Mich. , and is the exclusive original equipment supplier of parts and accessories for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® vehicles.
Contact:
DIRT MotorSports™
Tony
Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
1-405-623-1442
tveneziano@dirtmotorsports.com
A Lesson in History: World of Outlaws Sprint Series Drivers Tour The Smith Collection
Lincoln, NE—September 18, 2006—By: Tony Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
It is not very often that World of Outlaws Sprint Series drivers are left speechless, but last Friday they were. Before taking to the track at Eagle ( Neb. ) Raceway for the 1/3-Mile Short Track Nationals; drivers, crews, and, series officials made a stop by Speedway Motors in Lincoln for an afternoon of reminiscing and sightseeing.
The afternoon began with a large catered lunch by “Speedy” Bill Smith, his wife Joyce, and the rest of the dedicated staff at Speedway Motors. After the meal, the drivers took a tour of the warehouse and manufacturing facilities on the 42-acre 500,000 square foot corporate campus of the company.
“This is always fun,” said Smith. “We did it last year as well and had a great turnout. We wanted to do it again, because we only see these guys in Lincoln once or twice a year.”
Greg Nicol made sure all the pieces were in place when the drivers and crew arrived, and that made for a very relaxing afternoon before the teams headed over to the track for a thrilling night of racing.
“We always enjoy the teams coming by,” said Nicol. “This is a chance for us to give something back to the sport.”
Bill Smith founded the company in 1952, and can be found each and every day in the office and warehouse along with his 165 other employees. Usually he is the first one to arrive in the morning and the last one to leave at night. This all at the tender age of 77.
Speedway Motors is the largest distributor and retailer of specialty products for the racing, street rod, sport compact, and pedal car markets. The company has long been involved in various types of racing from sprint cars to hill climb, to everything in between.
Smith’s passion for racing began in the late 1940’s when he took to the track for the first time. After finishing college at Nebraska Wesleyan University , he opened a tiny 400 square foot shop in Lincoln that was the original home of Speedway Motors.
It was about this time, that Smith began to accumulate his collection of racing engines. This would evolve into the collection of race cars, pedal cars and other racing memorabilia as well. In his collection, Smith even has one of the only 25 “Tucker’s” ever produced. The Smith Collection Museum was founded in 1992 and became the home to all of this priceless racing history.
“I though that thing (the Museum) would be impossible,” said Smith. “Through the passion I had, I would grab a Model A or a Model T. Most people collect stamps or coins. I started collecting antique racing engines. I have now by far, the largest collection in the world. That is not what I say, but what the historians around the world say.”
While walking around the museum all the drivers and crews had the same sentiment. Many of them could be seen gazing at the engines and early sprint cars, wondering how some of the exotic designs came into being, and marveling at the workmanship of these sleek machines.
“This place in unbelievable,” said Jason Martin. “‘Speedy’ Bill has a really elaborate collection of everything you can think of, from back in the day before they really even raced to now. Everything that you can think of that has been built is here. It is pretty neat to see all the innovative stuff that people have come up with.”
Being a fan of the history of not only racing, but also of the automobile, Dion Hindi was asking questions of the Museum staff all afternoon and sharing his findings with the other drivers.
“There is a lot more than I thought he would have here,” said Hindi. “I enjoyed talking to the historians they have. It was amazing to see how the cars have evolved from the early years until now.”
Randy Hannagan along with his fiancée Angie and son Mason toured the Museum and also were in awe of the sheer magnitude of all the items that Smith has accumulated over the years. The couple could be found along with many of the other drives looking at one of the walls of vintage lunch boxes that dot the stairwells in the immaculate building, trying to remember which of them they had when they were younger. Hannagan encourages all those interested in racing to make a trip out to Lincoln to take in The Smith Collection.
“This place is simply amazing,” said Hannagan. ”Bill Smith definitely has a work of art here. For the racing fans and racing enthusiast, that is the best place you find.”
Chad Kemenah had visited racing museums in the past, but nothing like what he saw on Friday. He along with his brother/crew chief Brian could be found looking at the pedal cars and also the other toys cars, thinking of which they had when they were growing up, and if they still had them in their basements or attics.
“The museum is one of a kind,” added Kemenah. “They did a really great job with it. You can tell the effort that went into it. The place is pretty phenomenal, to see all the stuff they have in it.”
For Jeremy Campbell, the day provided a history lesson in racing. While he is the youngest World of Outlaws driver, he was able to talk to the Museum staff and learn about countless cars and engines that were winning races on the track long before he was born.
“This thing is awesome,” said Jeremy Campbell. “There are so many things in it. Anything that has to do with cars or racing is here. He also has all the diecast cars. There is one of everything in there.”
Even people like Nicol that work at Speedway Motors and who have gone through The Smith Collection countless times, still are left speechless when they stroll through the three floors of racing and automotive history.
“Bill (Smith) has been working on this collection for over 60 years,” said Nicol. “It is a love to him. You cannot describe it to someone, Every time I go into it, I see something new. It’s just unbelievable. The Smith Collection is one of the most outstanding auto racing museums in the United States .”
For Smith who shakes hands and greets every person that walks in the Museum, it was a day to not only share what he has with others, but also to reminisce with some of the drivers that piloted his cars in the past. One of those drivers included Shane Carson, the Vice President of Race Operation for DIRT Motorsports. Carson won an IMCA Sprint Car title in 1979 driving Smith’s 4X machine.
“I played this game for 55 years,” said a smiling Smith. “I had 87 drivers in a short career of running cars for 40 years. A lot of my old drivers are even here. Shane Carson won a championship for me in 1979 in one of my cars. It’s just fun. I am still doing it at 77 years old. It’s been a passion and an ambition, and my whole life since I was 14 years old. It’s fun to share with everybody what I have been able to do.”
Smith capped off the night by taking in the action at Eagle Raceway aboard one of the New Signature 32 Series street rods that are being built and sold exclusively by Speedway Motors. He toured the pits and shared stories with competitors of his over 50-plus years of knowledge of the racing world.
After touring the Museum on Friday, the World of Outlaws Sprint Series drivers were already counting the days until they can come back next year to see what Smith will have added to his amazing and world-renowned Collection. “Speedy” Bill receives numerous phone calls every day from around the world from people that have items they would like him to add to The Smith Collection.
Even though the drivers and teams have now seen the Museum once, they will more than likely leave it again next year speechless, and in awe of what one man and his passion for the sport have accomplished and accumulated over the years.
For More Information Contact:
Paul W. Joiner III
Ideas & Images, Inc.
816-305-0450
www.jasonmartinmotorsports.com
Martin scores career best finish at Jackson !
September 18, 2006 ( Madison , WI ) For the most part the 2006 World of Outlaw season has been a tough one for the Hitman Jason Martin. While he is only 23 years old he has been racing and winning for over 10 years, this year has been one of learning thus far for the Rookie. At Jackson Speedway last Saturday night, Martin looked like anything but a rookie. A solid qualifying effort of 11th would see the NOS Energy Drink/Mafia Motorsports #36 Maxim start 3rd in the 2nd heat race.
While running a solid 3rd and in the transfer spot in the heat race the motor began to sputter and Martin would have to baby the car home. The bright spot was that there were 6 spots to transfer into the feature and Martin brought the car home 6th and back to the attention of his crew. A closer observation would find a ground wire for the mag bad and the NOS Energy Drink team would make the repairs and Martin would start 11th in the feature. From the drop of the green it was evident that it was going to be a good night for Martin.
Using the low side of the race track Martin would begin to climb through the field and up to 8th when a late caution would fly for debris. On the restart Martin began to use the high side of turns 3-4 and would pass the Forbrook #5 and take over 7th place. When the #8 Rush Racing would get a flat on the last lap of the race Martin would cross the strip taking the checkerd flag with a career best 6th place finish.
“That’s the way it’s supposed to be.” Said a smilimg Martin. “Jason and the guys gave me a great car this entire weekend. We had a good car at Eagle just lost the brakes in the heat and had to run the “B” and few bobbles on my part cost us a top ten down there. I was determined not to have that happen tonight. The NOS Energy Drink Maxim was on a rail tonight. With just a bit of luck if we could have made the Dash and started further up front who knows, but I am not complaining. This team is hitting on the right combination right now and really looking forward the 2007 season.”
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Contact:
DIRT MotorSports™
Tony
Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
1-405-623-1442
tveneziano@dirtmotorsports.com
World of Outlaws Sprint Series At A Glance: Wilmot Speedway & Kokomo Speedway
Norman, OK—September 17, 2006—By: Tony Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
WHAT
• The World of Outlaws Sprint Series will make their final stop of the season in
Wisconsin and Indiana , with a pair of races on bullrings. Saturday’s race at Wilmot
Speedway will be the series maiden voyage to the 3/8-mile track. The last time they raced
in the Badger State , it was Jac Haudenschild picking up the win in June at The Raceway @
Powercom Park. He also won the last Outlaws event in the state of Indiana back in July.
With nine race dates left on the schedule 132 points separate positions two through five
in the standings. There also is a tight battle between the drivers from eighth through
eleventh in points as the season winds down.
WHEN
• On Saturday at Wilmot Speedway, pit gates will open at 4:30 p.m., with grandstand
gates opening at 5 p.m., and racing beginning at 7:30 p.m.
•
On Sunday at Kokomo Speedway pit gates will open at 2 p.m., with the grandstand gates
opening at 3:30 p.m. On-track activity will begin at 6 p.m.
WHERE
• Wilmot Speedway is located Wilmot, Wisc. Take I-94 to Kenosha County C , then go
west on “C” for 12 miles to Wilmot. At the stop sign in Wilmot, turn right
(north) onto “W” then go ¼-mile to the track.
•
Kokomo Speedway is located in Kokomo, Ind. Travel two miles north of the junction of
SR 22 and US 31 on US 31. At Morgan Street go West 1.3 miles and then turn North on
Davis Road .
TICKETS
• For ticket information about the race at Wilmot Speedway visit
http://www.slspromotions.com, or call 815-344-2023. Adult reserved tickets will be $35,
with adult grandstand tickets just $12. All tickets for children ages 6-12 will be only
$12, while kids 5-under will be admitted free of charge with a paying adult. Pit pass
combos will also be available for $38.
•
For ticket information about the Kokomo Race visit http://www.slspromotions.com or call
815-344-2023. Adult reserved tickets for the upper rows will be $35, while adult general
admission tickets for the bottom 9 rows is $28. Reserved seats for children ages 12-under
will be just $15, with children general admission tickets only $12. Pit pass combos will
also be available for $38.
ON THE INTERNET
• Listen live as the Voice of the Outlaws, Johnny Gibson, calls the action at all
World of Outlaws Sprint Series events on the DIRT Radio Network at Dirtvision.com. Go to
http://www.dirtvision.com for more information on all the features, including updated
results from each night of racing as well as a chat room to interact with other fans
listening to the action.
• The World of Outlaws Sprint Series is at http://www.dirtmotorsports.com/sprint.
• Wilmot Speedway is at:http://www.wilmotspeedway.com.
•
Kokomo Speedway is at http://www.kokomospeedway.net
ON TELEVISION
• The Outdoor Channel will air the finale of the Harvest Classic from Calistoga
Speedway on Wednesday Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Aug. 30. The Outdoor
Channel is available nationwide through the DISH Network (Channel 153) and DIRECTV
(Channel 606). Through a special partnership with Sterling Commerce Group, World of
Outlaws fans can receive 120 channels of satellite programming on the DISH Network,
including The Outdoor Channel, free Starz premium channels, free equipment and
installation, a $100 rebate and a $30 gift certificate for World of Outlaws merchandise by
calling 1-800-951-9380 or logging onto http://www.outlawdishdeal.com to sign up. Even
better, when you’re at a World of Outlaws event, simply stop by the World of Outlaws
merchandise trailer to sign up.
ABOUT THE TRACKS
• Wilmot Speedway is a semi-banked 3/8-mile oval.
•
Kokomo Speedway is a semi-banked ¼-mile oval. Brooke Tatnell holds the track record of
11.461 seconds established on June 14, 2005.
Contact:
DIRT MotorSports™
Tony
Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
1-405-623-1442
tveneziano@dirtmotorsports.com
Reign Day: Points Leader Donny Schatz Weathers Jackson Speedway for 14th Win
Jackson, MN—September 16, 2006—By: Tony Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
Even Mother Nature could not stop Donny Schatz on Saturday night at Jackson Speedway from completing a weekend sweep of World of Outlaws Sprint Series races. With a fast approaching thunderstorm on the horizon, Schatz charged to his second straight win A-Feature win and series best 14th triumph of the season. He started the weekend on Friday night by winning the 1/3-Mile Short Track Nationals at Eagle Raceway.
Schatz started on the pole position for a series best eighth time this season after winning his series leading eighth dash.
The reigning Knoxville Nationals winner led the most laps on the night and received four bonus points for this, along with receiving one bonus point for being the fifth fastest qualifier on the night. This helped him extend his point lead with nine races remaining as he chases his first series title.
On the initial start, Becca Anderson in the Upstate Kenworth Maxim got a strong run on Schatz on the outside of turn two and took the lead. She would extend that lead to nearly a half straight-a-way during the first five laps. She got into lapped traffic on the sixth circuit and that gave Schatz the chance he needed to quickly close back in on her back bumper.
On the tenth lap, Anderson had to hit the brakes in traffic and that allowed Schatz to get a run on her down the straight and he dove low in turns one and two to make the pass for the lead and ultimately the win.
Anderson led the first nine laps of the 30-lap event and kept Schatz in her sights until a lap 18 caution for a broken left side board on the wing of her car. She restarted in the second spot, but had to pull into the infield a couple laps of laps later, as the car would not cooperate with the missing panel. She ended the night in 22nd.
Schatz pulled away on the final restart and encountered some traffic with four laps to go, but was able to slice his way through the slower car to make his way to RacinSoles Victory Lane . He held off Joey Saldana in the Mopar-powered Dodge/Curb Records JEI.
“We were in the right spot all night long,” said Schatz. “We qualified in the right spot and started the dash in the right spot. The race track was fast. It was hard to race on. We were just glad we started up there and we were able to get by Becca (Anderson) in lapped traffic.”
Saldana had a bittersweet night, as he was ecstatic with his second place run, but knew his team had some work to do, as the engine was severely damaged during the 30-lap A-Feature. Even with his engine going sour, he was able to keep pace with Schatz, as the pair sliced through lap traffic, lapping all the way up to 10th place.
“That is a good run for us,” said Saldana. “We definitely needed it after some tough races. This time of the year has not been too good to us, after Knoxville about the last 10 races. It’s good to get a good finish in. We blew up a motor about halfway through. We were pretty lucky to finish second. I’ll take it and we go back home finally after this big long swing.”
Craig Dollansky piloting the Karavan Trailers Maxim finished in the third spot in his native state. He battled with Saldana for the majority of the race, and was just behind him at the finish line.
“Another third place finish and it seems like we have had a lot of them,” said Dollansky. “You know what, that is not all bad. When you finish that far up front, the wins will come with it. It was a good run for the Karavan team and we’ll get ready for next weekend.”
Terry McCarl brought the Big Game Treestands Eagle home in the fourth spot. Not only was he happy for his team and all the hard work they put in day in and day out, but he was very pleased for his sponsors, of which many are based in the state of Minnesota.
“It was a tricky race track,” said McCarl. “My car was working the best we could have gotten it. We’re really happy to come home fourth. We’ve won a lot of races here at Jackson . We have a lot of sponsors around here. Big Game Treestands only lives about 20 miles away and Bosma Poultry is only 30 miles away. This is big for us. The bulk of our sponsorship comes from this area. It was an important race for us.”
Mark Dobmeier picked up his best career World of Outlaws finish with a fifth aboard the Kee Technology J&J. He started the A-Feature in eighth. He slipped around Wayne Johnson on lap 18 before making his way into sixth one lap later. He gained one more position on the final lap, after Brooke Tatnell had a tire go flat as he took the white flag.
Jason Martin turned in a very solid performance in the NOS Energy Drink/Mafia Motorsports Maxim as he powered his way from 11th to a career beat sixth in his first ever visit to the tricky and fast half-mile.
The rest of the Top-10 was Jac Haudenschild in seventh in the Wright One Construction Maxim. Wayne Johnson was eighth in the Mopar/Wirtgen Maxim. This was the second straight night he drove the car owned by Guy Forbrook.
Daryn Pittman kept his solid run of Top-10 finishes together with a ninth. Dusty Zomer, who turned the second fastest lap in time trials for the second night in a row, came home 10th in the Bargain Barn Tire Schnee.
Schatz and his team were battling engine woes all evening, after installing a new powerplant after Friday night’s event. There was a noticeable amount of smoke coming from the back of the car in the heat race and the dash, but that did not seem to hinder the performance of the car any. By the time the feature rolled off, the problem had been found and solved.
“We kept working on the engine all night long,” said Schatz. “It was kind of an experimental job that we did. It is good though, we just have to work on a few things here and there. We battled an oil leak. The guys found it after the dash.”
With only one caution the entire race, Schatz’s car got better as the race went on. He ended up lapping up to the 10th place car in the field.
“Anytime we have a long green flag race we like that. I think it’s better for the fans too,” said Schatz. “The thing was so fast tonight that I could barely get through lapped traffic. That’s just the way it goes. Sometimes you make mistakes and I did everything I could to get through a few guys. On a big half-mile, that’s sometimes the way it works.”
For the second night in a row Schatz and the other competitors were battling high winds. The wind did not matter to many people, as most were focused on another four letter word and that was rain. Thanks for the hard work of World of Outlaws and SLS Promotions Officials, the entire 30-lap feature was run.
“Mother nature made everyone go around there fast with the wind,” said Schatz. “She barely let us get it in before it started raining. We are glad to get tonight in, and keep going. Hopefully we’ll get some more victories before the year is out.”
Just a week removed from being in a horrific fiery crash at Silver Dollar Speedway, Schatz has racked up three Top-10 finishes, including wins the last two nights. While he still feels the effects of the burns on his neck and face, once he climbs in the race car and pulls his seatbelts tight, all of that pain leaves his mind as he focuses on what he has to do to pick up a win.
“Last night I was a little wounded. I felt a little warm and a little fatigue,” he said. “Tonight wasn’t that bad. I think sometimes you rest and you rest too much. I probably rested a little too hard this week and got myself out of sync. Monday morning I start back at the gym and I’ll go until I go to Australia . We’re ready to get back in the gym and be home every week. I look forward to that.”
With nine races left on the schedule, Schatz wants to win a few more for his Ricky Warner-led crew. He will get to the chance again next Saturday as the series heads to Wilmot (Wisc.) Speedway for the first time ever.
“Anytime you get to go to a new track it is great,” said Schatz. “The IRA (Interstate Racing Association) has been racing there a lot. It is a small quarter-mile place. On a short quarter-mile track it is pretty exciting. We’re ready to get there and to Kokomo and then my favorite place, Williams Grove.”
Saldana started in the fourth spot and jumped into the runner-up spot on the second lap, as he slid past Dollansky. While some sprinkles fell during the last few laps that did not seem to bother Saldana at all.
“It wasn’t too bad out there,” said Saldana. “I ‘m sure it was going to get bad.”
After spending the last month West of the Mississippi River, Saldana and his crew are excited to head back to their own shop in Indiana as they prepare for the race at Wilmot on Saturday and Kokomo on Sunday.
“We can gather up some parts and go through the car and hopefully come out these next 10 or so races strong and get back to where we were before,” Saldana said.
Dollansky ran in the up front all night and recorded his 27th Top-Five of the season. The Native of Elk River, Minn. has picked up seven third place finishes in the last nine races. The two finishes not of third, were wins at Calistoga Speedway and Silver Dollar Speedway.
“It would have been nice to get in lap traffic and stay in it for a littler longer,” said Dollansky. “It seemed like our car was handling really well there at the end, in the last couple laps.”
With his strong run on Friday night, Dollansky vaulted into the seconds spot in the championship standings. He is very optimistic for the rest of the season and is very confident with some of the changes he and his team have made recently.
“We got in a hole earlier in the season and made some changes,” said Dollansky. “We’ll just keep racing hard like we are. We have about nine races left and we will race them all hard and were we end up.”
McCarl bided his time and followed Wayne Johnson for the first half of the race, and then the six time Knoxville Raceway and Huset’s Speedway champion got around him and firmly established himself in the Top-five.
“It was better for me in traffic to get a few lapped cars to slow the guys down,” said McCarl. “I could run the top or the bottom really well. When we were out in the open we had to run right around the top. I wanted traffic pretty bad and the yellow actually hurt us a little bit.”
Being a promoter himself, McCarl was very grateful for the hard work everyone at SLS Promotion and the World of Outlaws did to make sure the fans got their money’s worth. While rain was the talk of the night, a crisply and efficiently run program had all the fans on their way home, well before 9:30 p.m.
“The SLS Promotions guys always do a great job,” said McCarl. “They along with the World of Outlaws officials really pay attention. It is important on these kinds of deals that we get it in. We probably would not have had a chance to come back this year with the weather changing. There are great fans up here. This is the Sioux Falls/Minnesota area, and it has always been big for sprint car racing for years and years. Since I was a little boy sprint car racing has been big here. That’s why we always get a great fan base.”
The World of Outlaws Sprint Series makes their maiden voyage to Wilmot (Wisc.) Speedway on Saturday followed by another race at bullring, the quarter-mile Kokomo ( Ind. ) Speedway
Contact:
DIRT MotorSports™
Tony
Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
1-405-623-1442
tveneziano@dirtmotorsports.com
LUCKY 13: Donny Schatz Wins 1/3-Mile Short Track Nationals for 13th Victory of 2006
Lincoln, NE—September 15, 2006—By: Tony Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director
Starting outside of the top-10 on a bullring usually makes for a long evening. Donny Schatz knew he had his work cut out for him after qualifying 15th on Friday night. After finishing third in his heat, he lined up in the 15th spot for the 40-lap 1/3-mile Short Track Nationals at Eagle Raceway driving car No.15. He knew he had a fast race car, and plenty of laps to make it to the front.
When it was all said and done, Schatz aboard his Parker Store J&J was in RacinSoles Victory Lane for the 13th time this season in World of Outlaws Sprint Series A-Feature competition to go along with two preliminary feature wins.
The reigning Knoxville Nationals winner methodically worked his way into the top-10 early in the race. While running fourth, he made a bold three-wide pass of Chad Blonde and Daryn Pittman to put himself in the runner-up spot.
A late red flag set up a four lap dash for the win between Schatz and the leader Brooke Tatnell in the Race Outfitters/Castrol machine. With two laps to go, Tatnell went high and jumped the cushion and that was the opening that Schatz needed to power his way to the lead.
“It was a great night,” said Schatz. “We changed the car all night long. It is a new car. Our primary car got wrecked at Chico (Silver Dollar Speedway) and we pulled out our back-up car. We decided to put the primary car back together when we got back to the shop. Every car is a little different. It was a real good car in the feature. We just couldn’t get it figured out early in the night.”
Tatnell who earned the pole position by winning his seventh dash of the season, led the first 38 laps of the race and settled for the runner-up spot. Despite being disappointed by not winning, the always affable native of San Souci, NSW, Australia was the first person to walk into Schatz’s trailer to congratulate him on the win.
“We ran a new car this weekend,” said Tatnell. “It was fast. The guys did everything right and we came up short.”
Craig Dollansky in the Karavan Trailers Maxim finished in the third spot, with Daryn Pittman in the Titan Garages and Carports Maxim just behind him. The pair staged an entertaining battle for a large part of the 40 laps.
“We didn’t have a very happy race car there all night long,” said Dollansky. “Especially in the feature, it seemed like I was struggling on the bottom or the top. We could maintain, but we were struggling. We’re going to go to work here and figure this thing out for tomorrow night. To end up third with what we had to work with, we are happy with that.”
Pittman was looking for a sweep of the season’s events at Eagle Raceway, having won both nights of the Eagle Nationals in June. While disappointed he did not win, he was able to look at the night optimistically and know that his team continues to be one of the strongest and most consistent in the series.
“It’s hard to complain about that (a fourth-place finish),” said Pittman. “We could kind of see the leaders there for a while. About halfway through the race, I though we were as good as we were going to get. We kind of had a little taste of victory in sight. All in all it was a good night. You want to win every night, but it was solid and we gained some points on a couple guys. We would have been happier with third rather than fourth, but we’ll take it.”
Chad Blonde rounded out the top five in the TLC Auto Collision Maxim. He ran as high as second after starting in the third spot, and diving around Dollansky on the second lap. He and Dollansky then battled for many laps trading the runner-up position, while keeping Tatnell in their sights. The native of Litchfield , Mich. , used a strong run in the dash to line up third for the A-Feature.
The rest of the top-10 was Randy Hannagan in the Penthouse Racing Maxim, in sixth. Justin Henderson in the Jolt Energy Gum Schnee charged his way from 17th to finish seventh. Terry McCarl in the Big Game Treestands Eagle was eighth. Jac Haudenschild in the Wright One Construction Maxim was ninth. Brian Brown in the McKenna Truck Center Maxim was 10th.
Schatz worked his way into the Top-10 only nine laps into the race. The native of Fargo , N.D. was running in the fifth spot by the lap 24. He made a bold three-wide pass on the 31st lap to get under both Dollansky and Blonde.
“My dad taught me how to race, and you never follow a guy in,” said Schatz. “If you follow a guy in, you follow him out. I ran it in the middle, and made a mistake and was able to get underneath them. It was a big advantage to get by two guys at once. It was a great race all around for us.”
Earlier this season, the current championship point leader came from the seventh starting spot to win an A-Feature on two different occasions. While he was not pleased to start in 15th, he knew his team was very capable of coming to the front, even on a very demanding track like Eagle where the leaders were in lapped traffic for a majority of the race.
“That is the furthest back we have come from in a long time to get a victory,” Schatz said. “The car was just awesome. It could go anywhere, the bottom, the middle, the top. We were in the catbird’s seat with two laps to go. Brooke (Tatnell) had everything to lose and we had nothing to lose. We’re glad to get another win. It has been a while since we were in victory lane.”
While Schatz was using multiple lines, Tatnell had his car glued to the high line and in order for Schatz to get to the lead, he has to disrupt Tatnell’s rhythm and the momentum he had riding the rim of the track. This is where his 10 years of experience on the road with the World of Outlaws Sprint Series came into play.
“We were coming and I could see where he (Tatnell) was running,” said Schatz. “I really forced him to get off the top. I got him on the inside of me and he had to change his line. If he would have stayed up there, you never know what could have happened. It’s just the way it goes. We have lost a lot of races and ended up second that same way. It’s just lucky for us that we ended up on the other end of the spectrum tonight.”
While he is still feelings the effects of a vicious accident last week at the Gold Cup Race of Champions in which he sustained burns on his face and neck, Schatz was able to block out the pain and concentrate on getting to the front, as he chases his first series title. With the season winding down, he wants to keep adding to the win total, and looks to made it a weekend sweep at Jackson Speedway on Saturday night.
“We’ve been trying a few things the last couple races for next year,” said Schatz. “We don’t want to get too overconfident. We were good there (Jackson Speedway) last year. I think we have a good baseline to get ourselves around there, and to get qualified better than we did last year. It’s all about learning from your mistakes. I’ve made a lot lately and learned from them.”
It was an emotional night for Tatnell, who received word earlier this week that his father George is ill in their native Australia . While coming up just a few car lengths short of the A-Feature win, he was victorious in his series leading seventh dash of the year to start from the pole position just as many times. He also crossed the 200-lap led mark on the year. He closed the gap with Pittman who in front of him in the point standings, by earning five bonus points for leading the most laps on the night.
“It was a night tonight that meant more to me than probably any other night, right now to win,” said Tatnell. “Monday we got a phone call that my dad is very sick again. I promised him I would win this one tonight. I told him I wanted to come home and he refuses to let me come home. He said we started off the run with the World of Outlaws and we are going to hold true to it. We’re going to run until he tells me to get on a plane.”
Dollansky used a late charge to slip around Pittman to finish in the final podium position. The strong night helped him move into the second spot in points. He looks to keep his momentum going as he heads up to his home state of Minnesota on Saturday to race at the spacious half-mile Jackson Speedway.
“It’s always nice to go close to home,” Dollansky said. “Going to Jackson , Minnesota will be a nice change. SLS Promotions always puts on a great show and it is a good race track. There are good fans there and I have family and friends in the area, so we are definitely looking forward to going there and racing.”
Pittman started seventh and worked his way around Hannagan for the sixth spot on the first lap and got to fifth on the second lap, as he powered around Haudenschild. After falling back to sixth, he used a daring three-wide pass to split McCarl and Brown. The native of Owasso , Okla. , battled tooth and nail with Dollansky for the third spot for the final quarter of the race, before settling for fourth.
“I would have rather stayed green and kept racing, but they did not hurt us,” said Pittman. “It brought the leaders back to us, so that helped if anything. We just didn’t have anything for them.”
Continuing his strong streak that has seen him finish outside the top-10 just once since July18, Pittman will seek his second straight win at Jackson (Minn.) Speedway on Saturday. Having already won this season on a half-mile at Williams Grove Speedway, he is confident he can repeat his win last season on the sprawling high-speed track.
“You need to qualify right, to put yourself in the first couple rows,” said Pittman. “It’s tough to win starting much further back than that, but (Donny) Schatz proved you can do it tonight. My hats off to them, it was a good rebound for them after Chico .”
Rock Springs NST weekend cancelled due to weather
By Craig Murphy 9-16-06
ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. – For the last 25 years, this particular September weekend had been dry in Rock Springs .
Until this year, that is.
Continued wet and cold weather has forced the cancellation of this weekend’s National Sprint Tour doubleheader at Sweetwater Speedway in Rock Springs .
Friday’s show was postponed due to rain showers throughout the afternoon. At the time, forecasts called for Saturday to be cold but dry.
Late Friday night, however, the forecasts changed. There was blowing snow and more rain Saturday morning, and the continued weather issues forced the cancellation of the entire NST weekend.
The NST will be running at Sweetwater Speedway next year, with a target date of mid-August. Tickets purchased for this year’s shows will be honored next year.
The next race for the series will be Tuesday, Sept. 26 at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville , Indiana . For more information on the NST, visit www.nationalsprinttour.com.
Friday NST Wyoming show postponed
By Craig Murphy 9-15-06
ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. – Weather has forced the postponement of Friday’s National Sprint Tour show at Sweetwater Speedway in Rock Springs .
Friday’s program, capped off by a 30-lap feature, will now be run on Saturday. Saturday’s program, highlighted by a 40-lap feature, will be run on Sunday.
Front gates will open at 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Qualifying is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, with racing at 7:30. Those times are bumped up an hour Sunday, with qualifying at 5:30 p.m. and racing at 6:30.
Tickets purchased for Friday will be honored on Saturday. Tickets previously purchased for Saturday’s show will be honored on Sunday. Tickets are $35 for each night.
Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.sweetwaterevents.com/specialeventsNST.html or by phone at 307-352-6789 ext. 200. Tickets purchased online can also be printed online.
Forecasts call for the weekend to be drier but cold. The NST souvenir trailer has sweatshirts and coats for the chilly evenings.
For more information on the NST, visit www.nationalsprinttour.com.
Dear Media Members,
Greetings! The Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event is quickly approaching, and Mopar would like to extend an invitation for you to attend a pre-event media luncheon on Saturday, September 23. This email contains your invitation and RSVP information.
This year's 25th Anniversary of the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event features the second largest purse in non-winged racing history -- with over $266,000 up for grabs!
The purse for the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals features $25,000 to the winner of the USAC National Silver Crown, Sprint and Midget Series feature events. The UMP Modified feature event winner will take home $2,500. Any driver who can sweep all three USAC event will also earn an additional $100,000 bonus from Mopar. The driver who can win all four division features will also earn a $25,000 Jack Hewitt Bonus.
We hope you'll join us for the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event on September 22 & 23 at the legendary Eldora Speedway. It is sure to be 'the' racing event of the year!
Misha E. Geisert
Mopar Motorsports Program Manager
3215 Brighton Court
Kokomo, Indiana 46902
317-432-4110 Cellular
MoparPR@aol.com
Convoy, autograph session tonight in Rock Springs
By Craig Murphy 9-14-06
ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. – The town of Rock Springs will be hopping this weekend as the National Sprint Tour comes to town.
The NST is scheduled to run a Friday and Saturday doubleheader at Sweetwater Speedway, located at the Sweetwater Events Complex.
It won’t take until Friday for things to start happening.
Tonight (Thursday), events start at the complex. NST teams and their haulers will gather in the complex’s parking lot, then receive a police and fire escort through town. The convoy is scheduled to start at 6 p.m., and will end at White Mountain Mall.
A meet and greet autograph session with several NST drivers is scheduled to start around 6:30 p.m., and will last until about 8.
For those unable to meet the drivers at the mall, there will be more chances this weekend. Drivers are scheduled to sign autographs at the track both Friday and Saturday, with the rotation starting at approximately 3 p.m. both days.
Tickets are $35 a night, and can be purchased by phone at 307-352-6789 ext. 200 or online at http://www.sweetwaterevents.com/specialeventsNST.html. Tickets purchased online can also be printed online.
For more information on the NST, visit www.nationalsprinttour.com.
Stevie Smith and the ‘Easter egg’ car ready for Wyoming
By Craig Murphy 9-12-06
There are various ways to describe the looks of Stevie Smith’s car.
With the light purple and white paint job and mustard yellow wheels, the car certainly stands out.
Perhaps Smith has the best explanation of the car, sponsored by the RAACE foundation. RAACE stands for Race Against Abuse of Children Everywhere.
“It’s all about the kids,” the veteran driver originally from Pennsylvania said. “That’s why the car looks like an Easter egg.”
Smith started regularly running National Sprint Tour shows early last month when the series made its second swing through PA Posse country. Smith and the other NST drivers will be in Rock Springs , Wyo. this weekend for a Sept. 15-16 doubleheader at Sweetwater Speedway.
Now based out of Oklahoma , Smith first became associated with the Baltimore-based RAACE last year. His uncle, Ken Smith, started the non-profit foundation in 2004 to raise public awareness of child sexual abuse and to fund educational programs to fight the epidemic.
It is estimated that 90 percent of child sexual abuse victims don’t come forward, a stat that led to the formation of RAACE.
“Raising awareness of child abuse is exactly what this is about,” Stevie Smith said. “That’s all they are after with us. They want us to spread the awareness, and let people know there is a problem. RAACE is trying to address that problem. They have different events and quite a few shows they do. The part we’re to do is spread awareness. We’re not trying to do anything else.”
Of course, Smith and his team – including father and crew chief Steve Smith – are trying to win as well. Smith finished a strong third in the last NST race at Kings Speedway in Hanford , Calif. The race before, Smith briefly took the lead in Cottage Grove , Ore. before a mechanical problem knocked him out.
Smith and Jason Sides won the trophy dashes that night in Oregon , and following the dashes the drivers gave their trophies to the children who drew their starting positions. Throughout the year, young fans have had the opportunity to draw starting positions for the NST trophy dashes. Children have pictures taken with the drivers, and get autographed NST stickers.
With an organization like RAACE behind him, having a child draw his dash starting position is a logical tie-in for Smith.
“It is, definitely,” Smith said. “The people at RAACE like the connection with the kids in the pill draws.”
For years Smith has raced with and won against top drivers like Danny Lasoski and Steve Kinser, who currently sit 1-2 in the NST points. Smith, who held off Kinser for third in Hanford , has enjoyed racing against like Lasoski, Kinser, Tim Kaeding, Jason Meyers and the other NST drivers.
“I think it’s the way to go,” Smith said of the NST. “I like the way they do things. I think it’s a team-oriented series. And the best drivers are there, so I want to be a part of that.”
Smith and some of the NST drivers raced in Rock Springs a few years ago, but it has been a while since they raced at the track which is 6,250 feet above sea level.
“I recall it was a pretty good track,” Smith said. “I recall it had a lot of bank in it, and was kind of sandy. It seemed like it was a good show. I’m sure this weekend will be a good show, too.”
Tickets for the Friday-Saturday doubleheader are $35 a night, and can be purchased by phone at 307-352-6789 ext. 200 or online at http://www.sweetwaterevents.com/specialeventsNST.html. Tickets purchased online can also be printed online.
For more information on the NST, visit www.nationalsprinttour.com. For more on the RAACE foundation, visit www.raace.org.
For More information contact:
Paul W. Joiner III
Ideas & Images, Inc.
816-305-0450
Henderson has a Golden Weekend!
September 11, 2006 ( Chico , CA ) World of Outlaws Rookie of the year contender Justin Henderson was all smiles Saturday night after climbing out of his Jolt Energy Gum Schnee #D1. Henderson had just finished 7th in his first ever Gold Cup Race of Champions. The Gold Cup is one of the the biggest winged sprint car events in the country and this year there were 103 other cars all vying for the $50,000 grand prize. Many of the best California drivers were on hand and many had either won races at the ¼ mile high bank race track or championships, none of that mattered to Henderson . The young Sioux Falls , ND hot shoe was unphased by the competition and was the highest finishing first time Gold Cup racer.
It all started on Thursday night where Justin was the 3rd fastest qualifier out of 45 cars, however it looked like that might be the highlight as the youngster was involved in an incident in his heat race and had to start at the rear and would only come up to 7th and forced to run the “B” main. All was back on track however as the Jolt Energy Gum #D1 jumped to the lead on the opening lap and never looked back to the checkers. In the preliminary “A” main from his 11th starting position he would finish 6th and be 11th in the points for Saturday nights “A” main event.
Henderson would start 11th in the “A” main of the 53rd annual Gold Cup Race of Champions. From the onset the rookie was moving forward. Through both the yellow and red flags Henderson continued to progress. When the chers flew on the 40 lap event the Jolt Energy Gum #D1 would finish 7th and continuing to impress fans.
“We were just a little too tight.” Said Henderson with a smile. “I am not complaining you do not want to be too loose on this track. Hey we just finished 7th at the Gold Cup Race of Champions. We had a bit of a late night at the Chili Feed so we just basically loaded up on the Jolt Energy Gum all afternoon and were pretty fresh for the feature. It’s great to come to prestigious event and have a good finish, it especially great that we did it right as the Outlaws announced it’s new TV Deal with ESPN 2. All in all this weekend was Golden.”
Chew More Do More! Jolt chewing gum contains caffeine PLUS Guarana and Ginseng to give you maximum energy. Jolt Gum is as safe as coffee (and arguably even safer). The caffeine is exactly the same molecule as in coffee– you can just subtract the spilling. By the way, no other gum or mint even comes close to the energy boost in Jolt Gum. www.joltgum.com www.justinhenderson.com
Sweetwater Speedway a high challenge for NST teams
By Craig Murphy 9-10-06
ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. – Breathe deep, if you can.
The National Sprint Tour teams travel to Rock Springs this weekend for a Sept. 15-16 doubleheader at Sweetwater Speedway, located on the Sweetwater Event Complex.
Deep breathing will be easier said than done during the weekend, as the elevation in Rock Springs is 6,250 feet above sea level.
That will force engine tuners to work harder than usual to massage speed out of the 800-horsepower machines.
“It’s just a matter of tweaking the engine,” said Larry Lloyd, CEO of the Sweetwater Events Complex. “Overall the speeds are good here. Tuning the engine is always a challenge. The air is a little thinner here, so you have to compensate for it. The same with tire pressures. It’s a fast track, and it’s high-banked.”
Chad Banks, marketing director at the Sweetwater Events Complex, agrees that engine tuning will be at a premium come Friday and Saturday nights.
“It is certainly different from racing at sea level somewhere like California ,” Banks said in reference to where the NST last raced Sept. 5.
Having a series like the NST in town is different for Rock Springs, and the upcoming weekend has excitement running high in town with the anticipation of watching Danny Lasoski, Steve Kinser, Tim Kaeding, Jason Meyers, Jason Solwold, Paul McMahan, Jason Sides, Shane Stewart, Brian Paulus, Dean Jacobs, Kerry Madsen, Travis Rilat, Stevie Smith, Jonathan Allard and Chad Hillier take on local racers.
“It’s a real big deal for us,” Banks said. “We’re very excited. We haven’t had a race of this caliber since 1999. It’s a real boost for our track and our community, and for Wyoming overall.”
Lloyd is among those sharing that excitement.
“I can’t tell you how excited we are,” Lloyd said. “There’s a great enthusiasm from the staff, and from people in town. When the drivers show up, they will see checkered flags along the main drive. People at most of the businesses in town have promotional buttons for this event.”
Drivers and team members will have a chance to see the enthusiasm first hand on Thursday evening, starting at 6 p.m.
“They will leave from our facility, and go through the main streets to White Mountain Mall,” Banks said. “People will have an opportunity to see the trucks and the cars.”
After the big rigs leave the track around 6 p.m., a meet and greet session at the mall is expected to run from about 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Lloyd said there is city participation in the event.
“We’re planning on a convoy,” he said. “The truck convoy will go through town, ending with a barbeque at the mall. The city’s fire department and police department will lead the convoy.”
Throughout Friday and Saturday, cars and drivers will be on display at various places around the town, giving fans multiple opportunities to the machines up close.
Come evening both nights, Lloyd is expecting many of those enthusiastic fans to be at the 3/8-mile track, based on past races.
“Everything sits in a bowl, so spectators have a great view of everything happening,” Lloyd said. “The crowds go wild over the speed and the technical driving.
“This is a racing community,” Lloyd added. “We get people from outside our immediate area for these big races. I believe the same thing will happen this time. We’re getting a lot of calls about this.”
Tickets are $35 a night, and can be purchased by phone at 307-352-6789 ext. 200 or online at http://www.sweetwaterevents.com/specialeventsNST.html. Tickets purchased online can also be printed online.
Banks encourages fans to get tickets now, as he anticipates a sellout for this event.
“Our community has really supported it greatly,” he said.
For more information on the NST, visit www.nationalsprinttour.com.
Contact:
Paul W. Joiner III
Ideas & Images, Inc.
816-305-0450
Noise hurts Hannagan’s night at the Gold Cup!
August 8th 2006 (Chico, CA) For Randy Hannagan and the Pnehouse Magazne team loud header pipes just go with racing, but last nigt it was just a little too noisy. The San Jose , CA native went out to qualify and after turning the 8th fastest lap was told that the car was too loud and he would have to requalify. The Silver Dollar speedway requires the cars to run mufflers to tone down the noise and they have to be at a certain decible level or risk disqualification. That is exactly what happened to Hannagan last night. After making some adjustments the team put the car back on the track where he would time in 18th quick and lose some valuable points. The Penthouse team would have to make it up in the heat race and the feature.
Starting 3rd in his heat, Hannagan quickly moved into the lead and never looked back locking him solidly into the “A” main. Hannagan would start 14th and put on a show for his local California fans. Using the low side of the track Hannagan would power past cars to the 10th running position. With the laps winding down he got a run out or 3-4 and made the move for 9th. The checkers flew and a top ten was in the books. That effort put the Penthouse Magazine #1x Maxim 10th in the points on night one and at least a solid shot at the tomorrow nights $50,000 to win “A” main.
“What are you going to do.” Hannagan said. “You would have thought that if I was loud in hot laps they would have said something. It is what it is. We had a pretty good car, needed to be a bit looser in the feature and we could have gained a few more spots. If we have to run the “B” tomorrow night we just have to come through it and get to the “A”. It will just depend on how things shake out tonight.”
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For more information contact:
Paul W. Joiner III
Ideas & Images, Inc.
816-305-0450
Henderson , so far so good at the Gold Cup!
August 10th 2006 ( Chico , CA ) For World of Outlaws rookie of the year contender, last night at the Gold Cup race of Champions went very well but there was a hiccup along the way. The night started on a very positive note for the driver of the Jolt Energy Gum #D1 Schnee with the 3rd fastest time of the night and valuable points. The only hiccup of the evening would come in the heat on the opening lap when the Sioux Falls native would dive low and tangle with Brooke Tatnel suffereing a flat right front tire. Starting in the back of the heat, Henderson would finish 7th and be relegated to starting on the front row of the “B” main.
All was not lost however as the young hot shoe bolted to the lead on the opening lap and never looked back, leading from green to checkers. Starting 11th in the feature, Henderson would use the horsepower being delivered by his Hollywood Engines to run low and high and move forward. Capitalizing on mistakes and using his own momentum Henderson and the Jolt Energy Gum D1 would make pass after pass and use lapped cars as cushions. By the time the checkers had flown the young smiling fan favorite had finished 7th and gained more valuable points towards the big payday tomorrow night.
“All in all not bad.” Said a smiling Henderson . “I guess we didn’t chew enough Jolt Energy Gum, cause I kinda goofed in the heat race. After we came in to change the tire the car was just too tight to pass and we had to run the “B”. Dad and the guys gave me a great car tonight. For some reason this year the short tracks have not been kind to us, and we should be stronger. Tonight we showed that we have learned quite a bit this season and are stronger. I am not sure how the points will shake out but we should be close to being locked in the “A” tomorrow night. This is a big money race and when you get the chance for that kind of pay day you want to give your self the chance to grab it. We did that tonight.”
Justin won the “B” main last night and fans can go to www.joltgum.com and get all products on the site for ½ off using coupon code Silver Dollar.
Cew More Do More! Jolt chewing gum contains caffeine PLUS Guarana and Ginseng to give you maximum energy. Jolt Gum is as safe as coffee (and arguably even safer). The caffeine is exactly the same molecule as in coffee– you can just subtract the spilling. By the way, no other gum or mint even comes close to the energy boost in Jolt Gum. www.joltgum.com www.justinhenderson.com
NST set for Wyoming doubleheader
By Craig Murphy
ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. – National Sprint Tour points leader Danny Lasoski has stressed all summer he doesn’t worry about the points.
The way Lasoski’s been running lately, the other drivers won’t have to worry about points soon, either.
As the NST teams get ready for the Sept. 15-16 doubleheader at Sweetwater Speedway in Rock Springs , Wyo. , Lasoski is on a roll and threatening to put the title out of reach.
Lasoski heads to Wyoming 92 points ahead of Steve Kinser in the chase for the inaugural NST championship. Lasoski has earned 2,783 points compared to 2,691 for Kinser.
That lead has come in large part to consistency, since Lasoski has finished in the top-10 an impressive 35 times this season.
For those keeping count, there have been 36 races run so far.
In recent weeks, Lasoski has added domination to the consistency. He entered August with six wins on the season, and now has 10 after winning four of the last seven NST races.
Even more impressively, Lasoski won three of the four races recently held on the West Coast. The wins included a sweep in Elma , Wash. and a convincing victory last time out in Hanford , Calif. At the other race in Cottage Grove , Ore. , Lasoski suffered steering damage but still came home fifth.
Following the Hanford win Sept. 5, Lasoski had a simple explanation for why the team has been especially strong of late.
“It’s because our guys are working hard, and because of our Kistler engine program,” Lasoski said. “We come into every race with a good attitude.”
Kinser has the same number of top-five finishes as Lasoski (25) but has half the wins and three fewer top-10s.
Kinser’s teammate Tim Kaeding sits third in points, 77 behind his boss. Kaeding leads the series with 13 wins to date, but has been plagued by some inconsistencies.
The last two races were a microcosm of the feast-or-famine season Kaeding is having. After a late race pass around Jason Sides to win in Cottage Grove , Ore. on his 28th birthday, the California native spun while running third in Hanford and ultimately finished 12th.
Two of the Jasons in the NST are comfortable in their positions. Jason Meyers, whose homecoming at Hanford included a car fire and contact with Kaeding before finishing sixth, sits fourth in the standings. He is 151 points behind Kaeding and 70 points ahead of fifth place Jason Solwold.
Solwold finished second at Hanford and is optimistic the good run means his Lon Carnahan-owned team is back in the groove. Solwold won Aug. 19 in Billings , Mont. but the Washington native struggled on the Northwest swing.
“We needed that run,” Solwold said following the Hanford race. “We’ve struggled the last few weeks. We just weren’t racing that well, so second is a great finish. We’ve been off on the car, and the driver has been a little off. I think we got back on track.”
The best points battle is for sixth between Paul McMahan and Sides. McMahan, still searching for his first win, currently holds a slim eight-point lead over Sides, who won at Sedalia , Mo. in June.
Rounding out the top-10 in points are Shane Stewart, Brian Paulus and Kerry Madsen, who scored his first NST top-five finish in Hanford with a fifth. All three of those drivers are still looking for their first NST win.
New paint, same finish for Lasoski at Kings Speedway
By Craig Murphy
HANFORD, Calif. – Not far from car owner Dennis Roth’s Fresno home, Danny Lasoski ran a mostly black paint scheme Tuesday night Sept. 5 as a tribute to Roth’s father.
New paint or not, the car looked much like it has lately: fast and out front.
Lasoski easily claimed his 10th National Sprint Tour win of the year, this coming at Kings Speedway.
Lasoski and fellow trophy dash winner Dean Jacobs started on the front row for the 30-lap main event, with Jacobs choosing to start on the outside.
“I knew he picked the right line to start,” said Lasoski, who extended his points lead. “I figured I was in trouble.”
Not for long.
After the initial start was called off for Jonathan Allard’s turn 3 tumble, Jacobs took the lead but was hounded by Lasoski. Following a few attempts, Lasoski got by on lap 5 while Stevie Smith also getting by Jacobs to take second.
While Lasoski cruised around the recently reopened 3/8-mile oval, there was plenty of action going on behind him to entertain the near-capacity crowd.
Allard wasn’t the only NST California native having a tough night. Fellow Golden State drivers Jason Meyers and Tim Kaeding got a little close for comfort while battling for third place, with Meyers dropping back several spots. Kaeding dropped back further when he spun on lap 17.
It was merely the latest saga of the night for Meyers, whose team promoted the race at his home track. He had to race a back-up car after hot laps, which were literally that as his primary car caught fire.
Later, Meyers had to argue his case after finishing sixth in his heat race. Only the top five from the heats advanced to the A-Main, and one of those finishers in Meyers’ heat race, Peter Murphy, was disqualified for losing his muffler.
Meyers was eventually moved up to the fifth and final transfer spot, which also allowed him to compete in the second trophy dash.
“Sometimes the breaks go your way,” Meyers said.
He finished second in that event, and came back to finish sixth in the main.
“This place has always been a gremlin to me,” said the native of Clovis , Calif. “We had a fuel leak, and the car caught on fire so we had to go to the back-up car. That’s the first time that has ever happened to me.
Meyers, who was glad to see the healthy turnout, placed blame for his main event incident on Kaeding.
“He run into the back of me,” Meyers said. “But we had a good car. I got back through some of the traffic.”
Having a better car was Lasoski, who has won three of the last four NST races following his sweep in Elma , Wash. late last month.
“It’s because our guys are working hard, and because of our Kistler engine program,” said Lasoski, who was not seriously challenged once up front. “We come into every race with a good attitude.”
That was especially the case Tuesday night, so close to the Roth home.
“It’s fantastic,” Lasoski said. “This area is home to Dennis Roth. It’s great to come to the West Coast and run so well for him.”
Even with the strong mount underneath him, Lasoski wasn’t comfortable following the final restart with 11 laps to go.
“You’re always concerned when you’ve got NST guys behind you,” he said.
Jason Solwold finished second with Smith, Steve Kinser and Kerry Madsen – returning his Knoxville patriotic paint scheme to the track near his Selma Shell Team’s home – rounding out the top-five.
Rounding out the top-10 were Meyers, teammate Ronnie Day, Jacobs, Paul McMahan and Brian Paulus.
“I was just patient enough to wait for a few of those guys to get out of the groove,” said Solwold, who gained a couple of spots when Meyers and Kaeding tangled. “We needed that run. We’ve struggled the last few weeks. We just weren’t racing that well, so second is a great finish.
“We’ve been off on the car, and the driver has been a little off,” Solwold added. “I think we got back on track.”
On more than one occasion, Solwold used the high line coming to restarts to gain positions.
“That was working really well,” he said. “I could get a good run up there. Everyone was running the bottom.”
Solwold felt Lasoski had the better car as the laps wound down.
“If we had got a lot closer, maybe we could have done something with him in traffic,” Solwold said. “But we were a straightaway behind him. We didn’t have anything for him there, except for restarts.”
Smith was willing to take third after intense battles on an evening when temperatures hovered around 100 degrees in the afternoon.
“I tried everything I could, and I still came up short,” Smith said. “It seems like the harder I raced, the slower I went. There was a lot of pretty hard racing going on out there. We got a third, so it could be a lot worse.”
Kinser finished fourth after a brief and tight battle with Smith on a restart.
“It was just a so-so run, that’s all you can say,” Kinser said. “It wasn’t much of a battle. I just sort of hung in there.”
Heat races were won by Robert Ballou, Brent Kaeding, McMahan and Paulus. Blake Robertson was the fastest of 35 qualifiers with a time of 12.769 seconds. The B-main was won by Peter Murphy.
The NST next races Sept. 15-16 with a doubleheader at Sweetwater Speedway in Rock Springs , Wyo.
National Sprint Tour at Kings Speedway results
Hanford, Calif.
Sept. 5, 2006
Qualifying Results
1 Blake
Robertson 15X 12.769
2 TIM KAEDING 11K 12.861
3 JASON SOLWOLD R19 12.890
4 JONATHAN ALLARD 0 12.896
5 STEVIE SMITH 19 12.904
6 CHAD HILLIER 5 13.006
7 STEVE KINSER 11 13.023
8 JASON MEYERS 14 13.039
9 Andy Gregg 46 13.052
10 JASON SIDES 7S 13.057
11 Ricci Faria 89 13.066
12 DEAN JACOBS 6 13.074
13 DANNY LASOSKI 83 13.078
14 KERRY MADSEN 11H 13.132
15 SHANE STEWART 26 13.140
16 Ronnie Day 1 13.145
17 Robert Ballou 12 13.170
18 Brent Kaeding 69 13.175
19 PAUL McMAHAN 20 13.203
20 BRIAN PAULUS 28 13.212
21 Tommy Tarlton 21 13.266
22 Brian Coelho 5C 13.371
23 Craig Stidham 3 13.391
24 Peter Murphy 1K 13.428
25 Garrett Ishii 71G 13.541
26 Jon Maiwald 6M 13.588
27 Danny Faria Jr 17V 13.725
28 Matt Shelton 44 13.729
29 TRAVIS RILAT 29 13.805
30 Mark Workentine 6W 13.985
31 Geoff Duppman 96 14.075
32 Mike Stallings 83M 14.091
33 Mark Barroso 78 14.563
34 Rick McCormick 98X 14.644
35 Brandon Wimmer 15 No Time
Heat One Finish
1 Robert Ballou, 12
2 Tommy Tarlton, 21
3 DANNY LASOSKI, 83
4 Blake Robertson, 15X
5 STEVIE SMITH, 19
6 Andy Gregg, 46
7 Garrett Ishii, 71G
8 Mark Barroso, 78
9 TRAVIS RILAT, 29
Heat Two Finish
1 Brent Kaeding, 69
2 TIM KAEDING, 11K
3 JASON SIDES, 7S
4 KERRY MADSEN, 11H
5 CHAD HILLIER, 5
6 Brian Coehlo, 5C
7 Jon Maiwald, 6M
8 Rick McCormick, 96X
9 Mark Workentine, 6W
Heat Three Finish
1 PAUL McMAHAN, 20
2 Craig Stidham, 3
3 SHANE STEWART, 26
4 JASON SOLWOLD, R19
5 STEVE KINSER, 11
6 Ricci Faria, 89
7 Danny Faria Jr., 17V
8 Geoff Duppman, 96
Heat Four Finish
1 BRIAN PAULUS, 28
2 DEAN JACOBS, 6
3 Ronnie Day, 1
4 JONATHAN ALLARD, 0
5 JASON MEYERS, 14
6 Matt Shelton, 44
7 Mike Stallings, 83M
8 Peter Murphy, 1K
** 1K is disqualified for losing his muffler during the heat, a mandatory rule in the state of California
Dash One Line-Up
7S - 83
15X - 19
11 - R19
Dash One Finish
1 DANNY LASOSKI, 83
2 STEVIE SMITH, 19
3 JASON SOLWOLD, R19
4 JASON SIDES, 7S
5 STEVE KINSER, 11
6 Blake Robertson, 15X
Dash Two Line-Up
0 - 6
5 - 14
11H - 11K
Dash Two Finish
1 DEAN JACOBS, 6
2 JASON MEYERS, 14
3 JONATHAN ALLARD, 0
4 TIM KAEDING, 11K
5 CHAD HILLIER, 5
6 KERRY MADSEN, 11H
B-Main Finish
1 Peter Murphy, 1K
2 TRAVIS RILAT, 29
3 Garrett Ishii, 71G
4 Andy Gregg, 46
5 Danny Faria Jr, 17V
6 Brian Coelho, 5C
7 Geoff Duppman, 96
8 Jon Maiwald, 6M
9 Mark Barraso, 78
10 Matt Shelton, 44
11 Rick McCormick, 96X
12 Mark Workentine, 6W
13 Mike Stallings, 83M
A-Feature Line-up
83 - 6
19 - 14
R19 - 0
7S - 11K
11 - 5
15X - 11H
46 - 26
1 - 12
69 - 20
28 - 21
3 - 1K
71G - 29
A-Feature Finish
1 DANNY LASOSKI 83
2 JASON SOLWOLD R19
3 STEVIE SMITH 19
4 STEVE KINSER 11
5 KERRY MADSEN 11H
6 JASON MEYERS 14
7 Ronnie Day 1
8 DEAN JACOBS 6
9 PAUL McMAHAN 20
10 BRIAN PAULUS 28
11 JASON SIDES 7S
12 TIM KAEDING 11K
13 SHANE STEWART 26
14 Brent Kaeding 69
15 Tommy Tarlton 21
16 CHAD HILLIER 5
17 Robert Ballou 12
18 TRAVIS RILAT 29
19 Blake Robertson 15X
20 Craig Stidham 3
21 Peter Murphy 1K
22 Andy Gregg 46
23 Garrett Ishii 71G
24 JONATHAN ALLARD 0
Meyers looks for change in success at Kings Speedway
By Craig Murphy
HANFORD, Calif. – Home tracks aren’t always the kindest tracks to drivers.
Case in point: National Sprint Tour driver Jason Meyers and Kings Speedway in Hanford .
Meyers and the 14 other NST regulars race at the 3/8-mile track Tuesday night, Sept. 5. The track was recently reopened, and Meyers’ Elite Racing Team has subleased the track from Frank Dias Jr. and Scott Woodhouse to handle Tuesday’s race.
“It’s nice to see the track back open again,” the 27-year-old Meyers said of the track that had been closed for about a year. “I know a lot of fans in the area are excited to see it open again. I grew up racing go-carts, micro midgets and Sprint cars here since the age of 8.
“This is pretty much where I started racing,” added the Clovis , Calif. native.
So with all of those races at the track, just how much success has Meyers had at Hanford ?
“I’ve only won here twice,” Meyers said. “I’ve raced here a million times, but only have the two wins. I won the 1993 national Micro Midget title here, and in 2003 I won my first Sprint car race here.”
Is this a case of a driver liking a track, but not necessarily the other way around?
“Exactly,” Meyers said with a laugh.
In the past, Meyers has competed in other big California races this time of the year, including the Gold Cup in Chico . Since that event and last weekend’s Harvest Classic at Calistoga have been announced as part of the World of Outlaw schedule for next year, the Elite team and others are not competing at those events this year.
As such, Tuesday marks a rare chance for Meyers and the Elite team to race at home.
“For us, it’s a chance to get in front of our fans and sponsors here in California ,” Meyers said. “With Gold Cup and the Harvest Classic being Outlaw events, this is our only chance to be in front of those fans and sponsors. The track looks real nice. I’m looking forward to the race.”
Meyers is excited to race at Hanford not just because of the local connection. He’s also hoping a trip home can help his team regain the form that saw Meyers knocking on the door of victory lane until late.
“Hopefully this is just what we need to get back on track,” said Meyers, who is looking for his second NST win.
Meyers isn’t the only California native looking for success in the Golden State on Tuesday. Other NST regulars from California are Paul McMahan, 2006 ‘King of California ’ Jonathan Allard, and Tim Kaeding, a 13-time winner this season. Kaeding won the most recent NST race, Aug. 29 in Cottage Grove , Ore.
The California natives will take on fellow NST regulars Steve Kinser, points leader Danny Lasoski, Jason Solwold, Jason Sides, Shane Stewart, Brian Paulus, Dean Jacobs, Kerry Madsen, Chad Hillier, Travis Rilat and Stevie Smith. In addition, expect several prominent other California drivers to be on hand.
Reserved tickets for the Sept. 5 Kings Speedway show can be purchased by calling 1-800-801-ELITE.
Main grandstand seats are $40, while bleacher seats are $35. Family passes are $120 for two adults and two children.
On Tuesday, ticket booths open at 3 p.m. Front gates open at 5, with qualifying scheduled for 6:30 and racing at 7:15.
Kings Speedway is located at 801 S. 10th Ave, south of Highway 198 at the Hanford Fairgrounds.
For more information on the NST, visit www.nationalsprinttour.com
Cole overcomes bad luck to win title in Elma
By Craig Murphy
ELMA, Wash. – Jay Cole had the Sprint division title firmly in his grasp Saturday night Sept. 2 at Grays Harbor Raceway.
Then he lost it to Nick Engberg, only to get it back. The title is his seventh at Elma, sixth in 360 Sprints.
Season championships were crowned in all five classes at Elma Saturday night. Jim Oien Jr. narrowly claimed the Hobby Stock title, Blair Shoemaker took the Modified title, Brian Thomas won the Focus Midget title and the duo of Brad Crawford and J.D. Boling won the Cruiser title.
Revised standings showed Cole just two points ahead of Engberg at the start of the 30-lap main event.
Cole started on pole after winning the trophy dash, and took the lead at the start of the caution-filled main. While leading Henry Van Dam and Engberg on lap 13, Cole exited the track under a red flag.
“The rear wing mount broke,” Cole said. “I knew it was going to break, and I wasn’t going to go anywhere like that. I was thinking maybe I should stay out, but I wasn’t going to win like that.”
Cole rejoined at the back of the pack, while Engberg was up to second and looking for more.
“I was thinking, ‘I’ve got to get past Henry,’” Engberg said. “A win is a win. I saw Jay’s wing, and I saw it was ready to come off.”
Once racing resumed, Cole wasn’t able to advance through the field quickly.
“I thought it was all over, and we would have to try it again next year,” the Shelton driver said.
With 10 laps to go, Engberg coasted to a stop. Engberg returned after a quick trip to the pits, but retired shortly after that.
“This close, yet that far away,” Engberg said. “We busted out a u-joint. We had a good run. We had a fast car tonight. I think all the yellows broke the u-joint, because you’re on and off the gas so much. The car picked up a big vibration.”
Cole soldiered to a seventh place finish, while up front Steve Vague got by Van Dam for the race win.
“One of the lapped cars went up high and pinched (Van Dam) high,” said Vague, who also won the season opener. “I had a dream about this. I feel bad for Henry, but that’s the way it goes I guess.”
Cole was willing to take the title, even if it didn’t come down to an on-track showdown.
“I saw Nick stopped and thought, ‘that’s not good,’” Cole said. “He was in the right spot. It takes away a little from the title. I want to do it the right way.”
By contrast, the Hobby Stock title was decided on the track. Zack Simpson needed to finish three spots ahead of Oien, and did his part by winning the main event with Tim Isaacson in tow.
Behind them, Oien ran third nearly the entire race and knew he couldn’t drop back another spot. Fortunately for him, fellow McCleary driver Brandon Daniel moved into fourth and played blocker the rest of the night. That secured Oien’s second track title. His first came in 1992, the year his dad also won a title.
“Oh man, I was sweating it bad,” Oien said. “After it was over, it was a heck of a relief. That was a little too close, but it was fun.”
Simpson, who also came close to the title last year, gave praise to the champion.
“I did everything I could,” Simpson said. “Oh well, that’s okay. Jim is a great guy. Jim’s a real clean driver. You can go into the turn full throttle with him. He’ll never drive you dirty, no matter what.”
In Modifieds, Shoemaker and former division champions Scott Miller and Craig Moore battled up front. Moore fell back after an accident with Scott Dorie on lap 19.
“We had a good car,” Moore said. “One car (Dorie) just didn’t have a brake pedal.”
A few laps later, Glenn Vincent spun after contact with Dorie. Under yellow, Vincent sped around the track looking to take out Dorie, but mistakenly hit Morgan Creswell instead. Creswell was out for the night, while Vincent and Dorie were both disqualified.
Josh Muller took the lead late to defeat Shoemaker and Miller.
“It was an awesome year,” said Yakima ’s Shoemaker. “These guys are awesome competitors. It’s a real pleasure to be able to come here and race with these competitors. I’ve been turning left and having fun.”
Miller forgot the race was 25 laps, and shut the car off while under Shoemaker on lap 20 for the lead.
“That’s what happens when you can’t count,” Miller quipped. “But it wouldn’t have mattered. Points don’t mean anything. I just try to win everything.”
In Midgets, Thomas ended his season by finishing second to Samantha Taylor.
“When you get beat, you get beat,” Thomas said. “I wanted to finish off the year with a win, but I didn’t. I’m not complaining. I want to thank my car owner, Debbie Brownfield, for this opportunity.”
A beaming Taylor, who encouraged females to race because “girls are way better drivers than boys,” was definitely pleased with her win.
“I wanted it so bad,” Taylor said. “It was a little bit loose in the beginning, so I adjusted the shocks. I pulled away after that.”
In Cruisers, Crawford and Boling entered the night one point behind the duo of Gordon Faulkner and Bob Armanino, and won the title by finishing fourth to the seventh of Faulkner and Armanino.
“It’s always clean, fun racing with them,” Crawford said.
The fact Crawford and Boling could race – much less win the title – was remarkable.
“Our car was totaled two weeks ago,” Boling said. “We hadn’t run this car in a year.”
Allard looks forward to return to Kings Speedway
By Craig Murphy
HANFORD, Calif. – Jonathan Allard recently joined the National Sprint Tour, and already he’s going home.
Allard and the other NST regulars race at Kings Speedway in Hanford , Calif. on Tuesday, Sept. 5. Allard is just one of the NST drivers from California . The others are Jason Meyers, Paul McMahan and Tim Kaeding, who has 13 wins so far this year driving for Steve Kinser Racing.
The California natives will take on fellow NST regulars Kinser, points leader Danny Lasoski, Jason Solwold, Jason Sides, Shane Stewart, Brian Paulus, Dean Jacobs, Kerry Madsen, Chad Hillier, Travis Rilat and Stevie Smith. In addition, expect several prominent other California drivers to be on hand.
Allard, the ‘King of California’ for winning the 2006 Golden State Challenge Series, has a successful track record at Kings Speedway.
“Last year we won three of five races there,” Allard said. “We’ve been successful there. I’ve probably raced there 20 times, and have eight wins total. I like to be able to run up front. Consistency is the key. I won eight GSCS races there, and was always top-three.”
Allard had expectations when he and his Morrie Williams-owned Williams Motorsports Team joined the NST recently.
“We expect to be able to make dashes and get top-10s, then get top-fives. Then the goal is to be top-three, then win. My goals are realistic. Morrie has given me the equipment to win, so I need to go out and do that.”
In the last two years with the Williams Motorsports Team, Allard has racked up 19 wins and won the 2005 Dirt Cup.
Even with that track record, Allard is aware success will be harder to come against the likes of Kaeding, Lasoski and Kinser.
“It is tough to step up mentally,” Allard said. “I’m so used to being dominant. Then you come here and get whooped by guys like Lasoski, Kinser and Kaeding.
“These guys have accepted me into the group,” Allard added of the NST drivers. “It’s gone really well. I’ve run with a lot of them throughout the years at various shows. You earn their respect by being smart and in control of your car.”
Allard noted he isn’t sure what the rest of the season will look like for his team.
“We’ve had a couple of motor problems,” he said. “We don’t want to stretch ourselves out too thin. “We want to be doing it correctly next year,” Allard added. “We want to get our feet wet this year. We’re learning what it’s going to take. I don’t want to just be there. I want to be there to win.”
At Hanford , that just might happen sooner than expected. Allard finished third in the Aug. 29 NST race at Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove, Oregon and returns to one of his best tracks.
“It’s usually a pretty fast race track,” Allard said. “I’m pretty excited to be there again. The fans there are just tremendous.”
Reserved tickets for the Sept. 5 Kings Speedway show can be purchased by calling 1-800-801-ELITE.
Main grandstand seats are $40, while bleacher seats are $35. Family passes are $120 for two adults and two children.
On race day, ticket booths open at 3 p.m. Front gates open at 5, with qualifying scheduled for 6:30 and racing at 7:15.
Kings Speedway is located at 801 S. 10th Ave, south of Highway 198 at the Hanford Fairgrounds.
For more information on the NST, visit www.nationalsprinttour.com.
August 31, 2006
J. R. Thompson Company
(317) 432-4110 Cellular
REGISTER TO WIN ‘MOPAR THUNDER AT THE USAC 4-CROWN NATIONALS’ TICKETS AT TJSLIDEWAYS.COM
Center Line, Mich. — Race fans can register to win tickets to the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event at Eldora Speedway, in Rossburg , Ohio , September 22 – 23. Four ticket packages will be randomly awarded. A package includes four tickets for each night of the two-day event. Entries must be submitted by Noon on Friday, September 15. Winners will be notified on Monday, September 18.
To register: 1) log on to www.tjslideways.com, 2) Cast a vote for the driver you believe will win the USAC National Sprint Car Series portion of the event. 3) Click on the “Enter to Win” link on the poll results page. 4) Fill out the entry form. 5) Click “Send” to submit the entry.
The Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals, which will be held at Eldora Speedway in Ohio on September 22–23, coincides with the 25th anniversary of the historic 4-Crown Nationals. The event will offer an unprecedented $25,000 winner’s paycheck to each of USAC’s premier divisions (Midget, Sprint, Silver Crown) and $2,500 to the United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) Modified victor.
Intensifying the event is a $100,000 bonus being posted by Mopar, to any driver able to sweep the three USAC non-winged events. Additionally, a $25,000 “Jack Hewitt Bonus” is being posted for a clean sweep victory in all four legs of the Mopar Thunder, a stunning feat accomplished by Hewitt in 1998. The total event purse is over $266,000, making the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals the second highest paying non-winged sprint car race in history.
Also headlining the two-day event, the Mopar Virtual Dirt Track Challenge will see 60 virtual sprint car drivers clash head-to-head in the event finale at Eldora Speedway on September 23. Tim’s Dirt Track Simulators will travel to various events throughout the 2006 racing season, where competitors can qualify for the Mopar Virtual Dirt Track Challenge finale. Qualifying will take place at USAC National Sprint Car Series and World of Outlaws Series events at Eldora Speedway, and other events held at dirt track facilities in Ohio , Pennsylvania and Indiana .
Prizes presented by Mopar for the Mopar Virtual Dirt Track Challenge include $5,000 to the A-main event finale winner and $1,500 to the runner-up. Kears Speedshop will present $200 Fast Time Awards. The University of Northwest Ohio will present $100 B-main awards, and Hoservilleohio.com will present a $75 C-main award. Heat Race awards of $50 will be presented by L&S Express, LLC; Tim’s Dirt Track Simulators will present $50 Hard Charger awards during the event finale at Eldora Speedway on September 23.
Tickets for the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event are now on sale online at www.eldoraspeedway.com. Race fans can purchase tickets for the marquee event in advance at the official Web site of Eldora Speedway. Tickets can also be purchased at the racetrack daily, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. , or by calling 937-338-3815.
For more information regarding Eldora Speedway, Mopar, the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event or USAC Racing, log on to www.eldoraspeedway.com, www.mopar.com, www.moparspeed.com or www.usacracing.com.
Mopar is based in Center Line, Mich. , and is the exclusive original equipment supplier of parts and accessories for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® vehicles.
— 30 —
For More Information contact:
Paul W. Joiner III
Ideas & Images, Inc.
816-305-0450
Kemenah looks to extend top 5 streak!
August 30, 2006 ( Medford , OR ) Thus far the 2006 World of Outlaws season has been a rough one for Chad Kemenah the fromer 4 time All Star Sprint Champion. By most this would be a very successful year, leading the rookie of the year points battle, numerous top 5 and top 10 finishes, but for Kemenah and the team that is not good enough. The year started on a very positive not with a win at the season opener in Volusia, Fl but after that the RacinSoles.com/UUI Eagle has had an up and down ride. You name it and it has happened to the 15K team this season both on and off the track.
Just last week on the way to Skagit Speedway in Montana the team’s semi lost it’s transmission and the team spent 3 days in Montana waiting for repairs. Little things as well just seemed to keep creeping up during races that would have the RacinSoles.com/UUI team scratching their heads. However recently all of that has changed. Beginning with Nodak Speedway in Minot , ND the team has finished 5th three straight times and is looking to extend that streak if not improve upon it tonight at Medford Speedway in Medford , OR .
“You name it and it happens to us.” Said a Smiling Kemenah. “For a while there we just could not buy a break. It seemed that if it could go wrong it did. Brian (Kemenah) and the guys have held their heads up and continued to work their butts off and it looks like it is paying off. We have been running great these last few races and if we can keep that up victory lane will find us. All in all it has not been the season we had hoped for but when you step into this level of racing you have to expect some rough swings. I really hope ours is behind us.”
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NST heads to Cottage Grove , Ore. Tuesday
By Craig Murphy
National Sprint Tour teams continue their Northwest swing with a Tuesday, Aug. 29 race at Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove , Ore.
Danny ‘The Dude’ Lasoski, headed into the Aug. 25-26 NST races at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma , Wash. with his hot streak intact.
The streak only got hotter as Lasoski swept the Elma weekend. Lasoski has finished in the top-10 every race but one of the first 34 races this season, and has notched 9 wins along the way, including the Elma weekend sweep.
Lasoski is still being chased by Steve ‘The King’ Kinser. Kinser and Lasoski have both been running together up front the last few weeks, seemingly attached by magnets. Kinser was second in Friday’s Elma show, and finished third on Saturday after a desperate attempt to pass Lasoski in the final corner dropped him a spot.
Kinser’s teammate Tim Kaeding has notched 12 wins on the season, but inconsistent finishes dropped him to third place in points. Kaeding got by his boss in the final turn Saturday to take second.
Lasoski won last year at the ¼-mile Cottage Grove bullring. Steve Kinser’s son Kraig, now driving in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, won at Cottage Grove in 2004. He became the third Kinser to win at the track, where his dad has won three times (1995, 2000 and 2003).
The win at Cottage Grove last year was the first win in a difficult season for Lasoski, who rejoined the Roth Motorsports team in the off-season. Lasoski raced for the Dennis and Teresa Roth-owned operation from 1998-2000.
“It has always been a good track,” Lasoski said of Cottage Grove . “They let it get wide, so we are able to put on a good show.”
Despite winning there last year, Lasoski doesn’t approach Cottage Grove differently than any other race.
“There is basically no difference,” he said. “It’s a different year, and things are different. Dirt changes from year to year, so you’ve got to go in with an open mind.”
More so than last year’s win, Lasoski has a good feeling this year due to how strong his team has been running all season.
“I’ve got confidence in my guys, and they have confidence in me,” Lasoski said. “You’re confident every venue you go to.”
Other NST drivers racing at Cottage Grove are the talented trio of Jasons – Jason Meyers, Jason Sides and Jason Solwold – as well as Brian Paulus, Kerry Madsen Dean Jacobs and Shane Stewart, who drives for the Washington-based Rudeen Racing Team. Jacobs, who recently picked up his first two top-fives in NST competition, continues to fill in for the injured Tim Shaffer.
Four other drivers recently signed on to run the rest of the NST season, which moves to Kings Speedway in Hanford , Calif. on Sept. 5 after the Cottage Grove race.
The new drivers are Chad Hillier, Travis Rilat, Jonathan Allard and Stevie Smith. Hillier hails from Sedro-Woolley , Wash. and is the second Northwest native on the series. The other is Burlington , Wash. native Solwold, who won his second NST race of the year Aug. 19 in Billings , Mont.
For more information on the National Sprint Tour, visit www.nationalsprinttour.com. For more information on Cottage Grove Speedway, visit www.cottagegrovespeedway.com or call Russell Leach at 541-206-7111.
Tickets for the Cottage Grove NST race are $35.
NST Drivers reflect on Brownfield at Elma
By Craig Murphy
ELMA, Wash. – Over the years Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma , Wash. has been a favorite stop for many of the top Sprint car drivers.
The late August Elma weekend comes shortly after the Knoxville Nationals and gives drivers, families and teams a chance to enjoy the coast and other parts of Washington .
In 2004, promoter Fred Brownfield completed an extensive renovation on his Elma track. Immediately, the transformed track became a showplace track that drew wide acclaim.
Brownfield, founder of the National Sprint Tour, was killed while lining up cars on the track June 16.
The Aug. 25-26 NST doubleheader was not only the first visit for the series to Elma, but it also marked the first time for most racers to compete at Elma since Brownfield’s passing.
Approximately 6,000 fans came out both nights to catch the action, much to the pleasure of Fred’s widow Debbie.
“There are a lot of emotions,” said NST points leader Danny Lasoski, who swept the weekend. “This is Fred’s place. We know he is here. Our hearts are heavy right now. Fred had done a great job here, and with the NST.”
Lasoski not only swept the emotional weekend, he also won in front of car owners Dennis and Teresa Roth who drove up from Fresno , Calif. Dennis turned 61 on Friday night.
“It really was a very special weekend,” Lasoski said.
Dennis Roth called the weekend “just awesome,” but said his own birthday celebration paled by comparison to who he was able to spend time with Saturday.
“Fred did such a great job here, and Debbie is here tonight,” Roth said. “That is the epitome of everything. That was the most important thing.”
Steve Kinser, a longtime good friend of the Brownfields, clearly wanted to win Saturday’s 40-lap main and was disappointed with himself when he couldn’t get back by Lasoski late.
“I wanted to win, I just couldn’t get it done,” Kinser said. “It’s my fault. I had the race car to win, and I didn’t get the job done.”
Kinser’s teammate Tim Kaeding, who got by Kinser for second in the final corner, said Fred Brownfield was missed by all.
“It was hard,” Kaeding said. “You just expect to see Fred come through the gate. It was good to see Debbie, Carrie and the rest of the Brownfields here and doing well. It was a great weekend for the Brownfield family.”
Paul McMahan said the whole week had a different feel than the usual trip to the Northwest.
“It just wasn’t the same,” he said. “We got here Monday. You always come out and see Fred. It just wasn’t the same. The water truck was out Wednesday, but it was weird to not see Fred in it. It was tough to keep the emotions in check.
“He wasn’t just the promoter, he was a true friend,” McMahan added of Brownfield. “It was a tough weekend. It was good to see all of the fans come out, like they always do.”
Lasoski wins emotional NST finale at Elma
By Craig Murphy
Danny Lasoski used lapped traffic to get by Steve Kinser and sweep the National Sprint Tour weekend at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma , Wash.
Lasoski got by Kinser on lap 28 of 40 in the Saturday, Aug. 26 main event and stayed low the rest of the race to take the win.
Kinser’s desperate move on the high side in the final turn wasn’t enough to get by ‘The Dude’ and actually cost him a spot to teammate Tim Kaeding.
Paul McMahan recorded his second fourth place finish in as many nights, while Steve Kent took fifth.
Kinser took the early lead from pole and seemed ready to win at the track good friend and NST founder Fred Brownfield rebuilt a couple of years ago and turned into a showcase before dying on the track in June.
Lasoski began closing near halfway as Kinser struggled to lap Rick Fauver. Kinser moved into Lasoski’s low line as both tried to get by Fauver, who was driving a team car to NST driver Shane Stewart.
On lap 28, Kinser bobbled. Lasoski dove low to grab the lead as Kaeding and McMahan also moved in.
Over the final dozen laps, Lasoski stayed tucked in behind the slower Fauver, as the rest of the leaders played the waiting game. No one tried a move up high until Kinser’s last lap attempt.
“Steve was putting a good pace down,” Lasoski said. “I was trying to cut the track down by going low. When I closed in he went low to block. That’s patented Steve Kinser. That’s why he’s ‘The King’. You’ve got to try to find a way by.”
That is just what happened with 12 laps to go.
“He went high into turn 3, and I got under him,” Lasoski said. “Fauver was racing like he was racing for $50,000 to win. I was just trying to stay behind him at the end.”
Kinser was disappointed with himself following the race.
“I just had to ride it out, but I didn’t,” Kinser said. “I tried to pass (Fauver). There at the end rubber was on the bottom. There was nowhere else to run. I should have stayed on the bottom, behind that 26.”
It was easy to tell how badly Kinser wanted to win when he pulled the desperate last lap move.
“I wanted to win, I just couldn’t get it done,” Kinser said. “It’s my fault. I had the race car to win, and I didn’t get the job done.”
Kaeding tried hard to pass his boss, driving around the turn 2 berm at one point and nearly colliding with Kinser in a scrap for second.
“That’s just part of racing,” Kaeding said. “You just try not to hit too hard if you do hit.”
Early on, Kaeding fell back a bit before coming on strong.
“I was trying to save the tires and keep the tires under me,” said Kaeding, who rebounded from a 10th place run Friday. “I was trying to run around and save it. It was a good rebound (from Friday). We found some stuff we needed to change.”
In the end, Kaeding was hoping the leaders would force the issue a bit with Fauver.
“I was hoping the 26 (Fauver) would spin out in front of them,” Kaeding said. “I figured we would just settle for third. Steve was trying to get by Lasoski so we got second.”
McMahan knew he couldn’t do much from fourth.
“I got in line and waited for someone to make a mistake,” McMahan said. “That’s what I was waiting for. I knew Steve wouldn’t move up until the last minute.”
McMahan was upbeat after another fourth place run.
“That’s a good deal,” he said. “I always run good here. It’s one of the places I love coming to. It’s close to home, so it’s good. It’s a good run, and hopefully it can lead to more.”
Saturday’s race capped off three nights of racing at the 3/8-mile dirt track. Henry Van Dam won Thursday’s Northern Sprint Tour show, with Lasoski taking both National Sprint Tour shows.
Trophy dashes were won by Kinser and Kaeding, with Kinser choosing to start on the inside pole for the main event.
Heat races were won by Gary Taylor, Kent, Jason Sides and Brian Paulus. Jonathan Allard was the fastest of 44 qualifiers. The B-main was won by Travis Rilat, while the C-main was won by Ken Brogan.
The series next races Aug. 29 at Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove , Ore. Following that, the series next races Sept. 5 at Kings Speedway in Hanford , Calif.
For Lasoski, Saturday’s win not only gave car owner Dennis Roth a weekend sweep on the weekend of his birthday, but it also meant a sweep in a tough weekend when all thoughts were with the Brownfields.
“This really was a very special weekend,” Lasoski said.
NST Grays Harbor Raceway results
Elma, Washington
August 26, 2006
Qualifying Results
1 JONATHAN
ALLARD 0 12.226
2 JASON SOLWOLD R19 12.451
3 STEVE KINSER 11 12.456
4 TIM KAEDING 11K 12.478
5 PAUL McMAHAN 20 12.604
6 DEAN JACOBS 6 12.605
7 DANNY LASOSKI 83 12.714
8 Roger Crockett 11F 12.733
9 KERRY MADSEN 11H 12.853
10 Steve Kent 7N 12.858
11 STEVIE SMITH 19 12.907
12 BRIAN PAULUS 28 12.953
13 JASON MEYERS 14 12.971
14 SHANE STEWART 26 13.008
15 JASON SIDES 7S 13.083
16 Jared Ridge 12 13.152
17 Evan Funk 8E 13.153
18 Mitch Olson 98M 13.239
19 CHAD HILLIER 5 13.267
20 TRAVIS RILAT 29 13.287
21 Gary Taylor 5D 13.349
22 Shawn Rice 76 13.357
23 Jason York 5SP 13.363
24 Steve Vague 08 13.380
25 Chris Adams 4C 13.406
26 Brad Holmes 5H 13.418
27 Tayler Malsam 25M 13.431
28 Rick Fauver 26R 13.449
29 Henry Van Dam 33V 13.458
30 Toni Lutar 4X 13.533
31 Jay Cole 0J 13.641
32 Cale Carder 7C 13.696
33 Bill Nutter 3N 13.760
34 Glenn Borden 34 13.784
35 Ken Brogan 97R 13.788
36 Braden Etchison 24 13.891
37 Nick Engberg 4 13.899
38 Derek Ingalls 91 13.920
39 Rob Johnson 83R 13.938
40 David Gilmore 8D 14.454
41 Dan Dunlap 15 14.467
42 John Simmons 9 15.397
43 Pat Desbiens 4D
44 Randy VanAagten 7
Heat One Finish
1 Gary Taylor, 5D
2 JASON MEYERS, 14
3 JONATHAN ALLARD, 0
4 KERRY MADSEN, 11H
5 PAUL McMAHAN, 20
6 Henry Van Dam, 33V
7 Chris Adams, 4C
8 Nick Engberg, 4
9 Evan Funk, 8E
10 Glenn Borden, 34
11 Dan Dunlap, 15D
Heat Two Finish
1 Steve Kent, 7N
2 SHANE STEWART, 26
3 JASON SOLWOLD, R19
4 Shawn Rice, 76
5 DEAN JACOBS, 6
6 Toni Lutar, 4X
7 Derek Ingalls, 91
8 Bill Nutter, 3N
9 Brad Holmes, 5H
10 Mitch Olson, 98M
11 Josh Simmons, 9
Heat Three Finish
1 JASON SIDES, 7S
2 STEVIE SMITH, 19
3 STEVE KINSER, 11
4 DANNY LASOSKI, 83
5 CHAD HILLIER, 5
6 Jay Cole, 0J
7 Jason York, 5SP
8 Taylor Malsam, 25M
9 Ken Brogan, 97R
10 Rob Johnson, 83R
Heat Four Finish
1 BRIAN PAULUS, 28
2 TIM KAEDING, 11K
3 Roger Crockett, 11F
4 Ricky Fauver, 26R
5 Steve Vague, 08
6 Jared Ridge , 12
7 Cale Carder, 7C
8 Braden Etchison, 24
9 David Gilmore, 8
10 TRAVIS RILAT, 29
C-Main Finish
1 Ken Brogan, 97R
2 Nick Engberg, 4
3 Derek Ingalls, 91
4 Braden Etchison, 24
5 Dan Dunlap, 15D
6 Rob Johnson, 83R
7 John Simmons, 9
dns Evan Funk, 8
dns Pat Desbiens, 4D
dns Randy VanAagten, 7
Dash One Line-Up
11 - 0
11H - 83
20 - 19
Dash One Finish
1 STEVE KINSER, 11
2 DANNY LASOSKI, 83
3 STEVIE SMITH, 19
4 JONATHAN ALLARD, 0
5 PAUL McMAHAN, 20
6 KERRY MADSEN, 11H
Dash Two Line-Up
28 - 11K
R19 - 11F
6 - 7N
Dash Two Finish
1 TIM KAEDING, 11K
2 Steve Kent, 7N
3 JASON SOLWOLD, R19
4 BRIAN PAULUS, 28
5 DEAN JACOBS, 6
6 Roger Crockett, 11F
B-Main Finish
1 TRAVIS RILAT 29
2 Mitch Olson 98M
3 Evan Funk 8E
4 Jared Ridge 12
5 Taylor Malsam 25M
6 Jason York 5SP
7 Henry Van Dam 33V
8 Bill Nutter 3N
9 Nick Engberg 4
10 Cale Carder 7C
11 Derek Ingalls 91
12 Brad Holmes 5H
13 Glenn Borden 34
14 Ken Brogan 97R
15 Jay Cole 0J
16 Chris Adams 4C
17 Toni Lutar 4X
18 Braden Etchison 24
A-Feature Line-Up
11 - 11K
83 - 7N
19 - R19
0 - 28
20 - 6
11H - 11F
14 - 26
7S - 12
8E - 98M
5 - 29
5D - 76
08 - 26R
A-Feature Finish
1 DANNY LASOSKI, 83
2 TIM KAEDING, 11K
3 STEVE KINSER, 11
4 PAUL McMAHAN, 20
5 Steve Kent, 7N
6 JASON SOLWOLD, R19
7 JASON SIDES, 7S
8 DEAN JACOBS, 6
9 JASON MEYERS, 14
10 BRIAN PAULUS, 28
11 KERRY MADSEN, 11H
12 STEVIE SMITH, 19
13 SHANE STEWART, 26
14 Roger Crockett, 11F
15 CHAD HILLIER, 5
16 TRAVIS RILAT, 29
17 Rick Fauver, 26R
18 Mitch Olson, 98M
19 Gary Taylor, 5D
20 Jared Ridge , 12
21 Shawn Rice, 76
22 Steve Vague, 08
23 JONATHAN ALLARD, 0
24 Evan Funk, 8E
National Sprint Tour results
Grays Harbor Raceway
Elma, Wash.
Aug. 25, 2006
Qualifying Results
1 Roger
Crockett 11F 11.933
2 STEVE KINSER 11 11.950
3 Gary Taylor 5D 12.024
4 DANNY LASOSKI 83 12.074
5 PAUL McMAHAN 20 12.109
6 JASON MEYERS 14 12.119
7 Evan Funk 8E 12.133
8 JASON SOLWOLD R19 12.133
9 JASON SIDES 7S 12.161
10 BRIAN PAULUS 28 12.162
11 TIM KAEDING 11K 12.195
12 Rick Fauver 26R 12.241
13 JONATHAN ALLARD 0 12.286
14 Steve Kent 7N 12.315
15 SHANE STEWART 26 12.334
16 Tayler Malsam 25M 12.346
17 STEVIE SMITH 19 12.349
18 DEAN JACOBS 6 12.376
19 KERRY MADSEN 11H 12.387
20 Jared Ridge 12 12.441
21 Toni Lutar 4X 12.475
22 Jesse Whitney 88 12.512
23 TRAVIS RILAT 29 12.524
24 CHAD HILLIER 5 12.551
25 Seth Bergman 23 12.667
26 Jay Cole 0J 12.710
27 Mitch Olson 98M 12.737
28 Nick Enberg 4 12.738
29 Jason York 5SP 12.775
30 Bill Nutter 3N 12.803
31 Shaun Rice 76 12.805
32 Shawn Smith 32S 12.891
33 Chris Adams 4C 12.916
34 Cale Carder 7C 12.917
35 Steve Vague 08 12.929
36 Randy VanAagten 7 12.996
37 Henry Van Dam 33v 13.109
38 Brad Holmes 5H 13.125
39 Ken Brogan 97R 13.265
40 Rob Johnson 83R 13.283
41 Derek Ingalls 91 13.284
42 Braden Etchinson 24 13.285
43 Dan Dunlap 15D 13.531
44 Pat Desbiens 4D 13.652
Heat One Finish
1 JASON SIDES, 7S
2 JONATHAN ALLARD, 0
3 PAUL McMAHAN, 20
4 Roger Crockett, 11F
5 STEVIE SMITH, 19
6 Toni Lutar, 4X
7 Henry Van Dam, 33V
8 Derek Ingalls, 91
9 Jason York, 5SP
10 Seth Bergman, 23
11 Chris Adams, 4C
Heat Two Finish
1 BRIAN PAULUS, 28
2 STEVE KINSER, 11
3 DEAN JACOBS, 6
4 JASON MEYERS, 14
5 Jesse Whitney, 88
6 Steve Kent, 7N
7 Jay Cole, 0J
8 Bill Nutter, 3N
9 Cale Carder, 7C
10 Braden Etchinson, 24
11 Brad Holmes, 5H
Heat Three Finish
1 TIM KAEDING, 11K
2 TRAVIS RILAT, 29
3 SHANE STEWART, 26
4 KERRY MADSEN, 11H
5 Evan Funk, 8E
6 Shaun Rice, 76
7 Mitch Olson, 98M
8 Steve Vague, 08
9 Ken Brogan, 97R
10 Dan Dunlap, 15D
11 Gary Taylor, 5D
Heat Four Finish
1 DANNY LASOSKI, 83
2 JASON SOLWOLD, R19
3 CHAD HILLIER, 5
4 Rick Fauver, 26R
5 Tayler Malsam, 25M
6 Shawn Smith, 32S
7 Randy VanAagten, 7
8 Nick Engberg, 4
9 Rob Johnson, 83R
10 Pat Desbiens, 4D
11 Jared Ridge , 12
C-Main Finish
1 Randy VanAagten, 7
2 Steve Vague, 08
3 Derek Ingalls, 91
4 Henry Van Dam, 33V
5 Ken Brogan, 97R
6 Brad Holmes, 5H
7 Braden Etchinson, 24
8 Rob Johnson, 83R
9 Pat Desbiens, 4D
10 Dan Dunlap, 15D
B-Main Finish
1 Steve Kent, 7N
2 Gary Taylor, 5D
3 Jay Cole, 0J
4 Mitch Olson, 98M
5 Toni Lutar, 4X
6 Bill Nutter, 3N
7 Shawn Rice, 76
8 Nick Engberg, 4
9 Cale Carder, 7C
10 Steve Vague, 08
11 Shaun Smith, 32S
12 Henry Van Dam, 33V
13 Ken Brogan, 97R
14 Chris Adams, 4C
15 Jason York, 5SP
16 Randy VanAagten, 7
17 Derek Ingalls, 91
Dash One Line-Up
R19 - 11F
28 - 83
14 - 26R
Dash One Finish
1 Roger Crockett, 11F
2 JASON SOLWOLD, R19
3 DANNY LASOSKI, 83
4 JASON MEYERS, 14
5 BRIAN PAULUS, 28
6 Rick Fauver, 26R
Dash Two Line-Up
20 - 11
8E - 0
7S - 11K
Dash Two Finish
1 PAUL McMAHAN, 20
2 STEVE KINSER, 11
3 JONATHAN ALLARD, 0
4 JASON SIDES, 7S
5 Evan Funk, 8E
6 TIM KAEDING, 11K
A-Feature Line-Up
20 - 11F
11 - R19
0 - 83
7S - 14
8 - 28
11K - 26R
5D - 7S
26 - 25
19 - 6
11H - 88
29 - 5
0J - 98M
A-Feature Finish
1 DANNY LASOSKI, 83
2 STEVE KINSER, 11
3 Roger Crockett, 11F
4 PAUL McMAHAN, 20
5 JASON MEYERS, 14
6 JASON SOLWOLD, R19
7 JASON SIDES, 7S
8 JONATHAN ALLARD, 0
9 TRAVIS RILAT, 29
10 TIM KAEDING, 11K
11 Steve Kent, 7N
12 BRIAN PAULUS, 28
13 KERRY MADSEN, 11H
14 DEAN JACOBS, 6
15 SHANE STEWART, 26
16 Mitch Olson, 98M
17 Jay Cole, 0J
18 CHAD HILLIER, 5
19 Gary Taylor, 5D
20 Taylor Malsam, 25M
21 Evan Funk, 8E
22 STEVIE SMITH, 19
23 Jesse Whitney, 88
24 Rick Fauver, 26R
Lasoski holds off Kinser to win opening night in Elma
By Craig Murphy
ELMA, Wash. -- Danny Lasoski had the perfect 61st birthday gift for car owner Dennis Roth.
Lasoski took the opening night of the National Sprint Tour doubleheader Friday Aug. 25 at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma , Wash.
Dennis and Teresa Roth were on hand to watch Lasoski’s eighth NST victory of the year.
Lasoski grabbed the lead on lap 22 of 30 and led the rest of the way. Following Lasoski across the line were Steve Kinser, Roger Crockett, Paul McMahan and Jason Meyers.
Crockett took the initial lead, but it took the race a while to get going as multiple yellows slowed the action. One yellow between Jay Cole and Rick Fauver turned into a red when Fauver flipped on lap 5.
Paul McMahan took the lead in traffic on lap 8, while behind the front two Steve Kinser and Lasoski moved into position.
Crockett got back by McMahan on lap 15 in a battle between two drivers looking for their first NST win. Lasoski moved into second in traffic, while Kinser got by McMahan on lap 20 for third.
Up front, Crockett tried gamely to hold off Lasoski, as the two drivers nearly touched on lap 21. The next lap, Lasoski used traffic to get the lead.
Kinser got second on lap 24, but could not make a move on Lasoski.
A couple of late yellows gave Kinser two more chances, but Lasoski had enough to notch the win.
“I’m proud of this Roth Motorsports team,” said Lasoski, who hugged his car owners upon climbing out of his ride. “It’s pretty cool to have Dennis and Teresa here. They drove all the way up from Fresno .”
Dennis Roth was extremely pleased with Lasoski’s win.
“That’s a wonderful gift,” Roth said.
Lasoski and the other drivers stayed in close proximity and traded slide jobs throughout the race.
“It seemed like we were in lapped traffic from lap 5 on,” Lasoski said. “I just went where they weren’t.”
On the final restarts, Lasoski was fully aware of who was in second.
“Anytime you’ve got ‘The King’ behind you, you’re concerned,” Lasoski said. “I didn’t know which lane he might be coming from.”
Kinser came close to his fourth Elma win in his last five tries.
“We slid around a little bit,” Kinser said. “We missed it just a little. We had a slight miss in the engine, and we missed the setup. I was a little bit off, high and low.”
After Lasoski opened up a gap on the first restart near the end, Kinser knew the second restart offered him one last opportunity.
“I was going to try,” Kinser said. “Everybody was pretty close to the same out there.”
Crockett, a four-time Northern Sprint Tour champion, was trying to take a big impression and started off the night right by setting fast time with a lap of 11.933 seconds. He also won his trophy dash.
“We were pretty good,” Crockett said. “Traffic got me the lead back, and it cost me the lead back. But you can’t be disappointed to lose to Lasoski and Kinser.”
Still, there was a tinge of disappointment in the Oregon driver’s voice.
“It is a little bit disappointing,” he acknowledged. “We led more laps than anyone else. I wanted to win. If someone had said at the beginning of the night we would have been third, we would have been thrilled. This run was huge. It definitely gives us a lot of confidence.”
Crockett earned praise from Friday’s race winner.
“Roger Crockett did a good job, and was doing his job right,” Lasoski said. “Sometimes lapped traffic can bite you. Sometimes it’s better to be second.”
McMahan looked poised to collect his first win for a while.
“We were pretty good early,” he said. “We got held up in lapped traffic. I didn’t know which way to go. Obviously I didn’t pick the right line. We had a great car the first 15 or 20 laps. We were all pretty equal out there. Danny just got through traffic better.”
Trophy dashes were won by Crockett and McMahan, with Crockett choosing to start on the outside pole for the main event.
Heat races were won by Jason Sides, Brian Paulus, Tim Kaeding and Lasoski. Crockett was the fastest of 44 qualifiers. The B-main was won by Steve Kent, while the C-main was won by Randy Van Aagten.
The Elma doubleheader concludes Saturday evening at Grays Harbor Raceway. As usual with NST two-day shows, no spots are locked in from Friday. After Saturday, the series next races Aug. 29 at Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove , Ore.
August 24, 2006
J.R. Thompson Company
(317) 432-4110
PREPARATIONS HEAT UP FOR MOPAR THUNDER @ THE USAC 4-CROWN NATIONALS EVENT
Center Line, Mich. — The official entry forms have been mailed out, preparations are in full swing and race fans have less than a month before the kick-off of the second highest paying non-winged open-wheel event in history takes place at the legendary Eldora Speedway. The Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals, which will see the best non-winged drivers from around the country go head-to-head in two days of fierce competition, promises to be one of the most action packed events of the 2006 racing season.
The Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals, which will be held at Eldora Speedway in Ohio on September 22–23, coincides with the 25th anniversary of the historic 4-Crown Nationals. The event will offer an unprecedented $25,000 winner’s paycheck to each of USAC’s premier divisions (Midget, Sprint, Silver Crown) and $2,500 to the United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) Modified victor.
Intensifying the event is a $100,000 bonus being posted by Mopar, to any driver able to sweep the three USAC non-winged events. Additionally, a $25,000 “Jack Hewitt Bonus” is being posted for a clean sweep victory in all four legs of the Mopar Thunder, a stunning feat accomplished by Hewitt in 1998. The total event purse is over $266,000, making the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals the second highest paying non-winged sprint car race in history.
Also headlining the two-day event, the Mopar Virtual Dirt Track Challenge will see 60 virtual sprint car drivers clash head-to-head in the event finale at Eldora Speedway on September 23. Tim’s Dirt Track Simulators will travel to various events throughout the 2006 racing season, where competitors can qualify for the Mopar Virtual Dirt Track Challenge finale. Qualifying will take place at USAC National Sprint Car Series and World of Outlaws Series events at Eldora Speedway, and other events held at dirt track facilities in Ohio , Pennsylvania and Indiana .
Prizes presented by Mopar for the Mopar Virtual Dirt Track Challenge include $5,000 to the A-main event finale winner and $1,500 to the runner-up. Kears Speedshop will present $200 Fast Time Awards. The University of Northwest Ohio will present $100 B-main awards, and Hoservilleohio.com will present a $75 C-main award. Heat Race awards of $50 will be presented by L&S Express, LLC; Tim’s Dirt Track Simulators will present $50 Hard Charger awards during the event finale at Eldora Speedway on September 23.
Tickets for the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event are now on sale online at www.eldoraspeedway.com. Race fans can purchase tickets for the marquee event in advance at the official Web site of Eldora Speedway. Tickets can also be purchased at the racetrack daily, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST., or by calling 937-338-3815.
For more information regarding Eldora Speedway, Mopar, the Mopar Thunder @ the USAC 4-Crown Nationals event or USAC Racing, log on to www.eldoraspeedway.com, www.mopar.com, www.moparspeed.com or www.usacracing.com.
Mopar is based in Center Line, Mich. , and is the exclusive original equipment supplier of parts and accessories for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® vehicles.
For more information contact:
Paul W. Joiner III
Ideas & Images, Inc.
816-305-0450
Kemenah enjoying the view on the way to Skagit !
August 23, 2006 ( Misoula , MT ) Chad Kemmenah has seen his share of things this season with the World of Outlaws. Most of it on the track, but the drive to Skagit Speedway is providing some very nice scenery for the rookie of the year points leader. The 900 plus mile trip from Minot , ND passes through some of the most beautiful parts of the country and the Kemenah team is taking it all in. Usually there is a race to get to mid-week but this week gave the teams time to unwind and take in the offerings of cross country travel. So far though the trip has been a bit rough as the transmission in Kemmenah’s truck went out and put him behind. So Kemenah decided to hit the links.
The Kemenah team travels with Jason Martin and his team, and was lucky they were traveling together when the transmission went out. The truck is not due to be fixed until tomorrow night when the team hopes to leave for Skagit around midnight. Kemenah will not let that distract him from his mission this weekend which is to put the RacinSoles.com/UUI Eagle in victory lane. The team had a 5th place run at Minot last Saturday night and is looking to build on that momentum.
“Yeah I am frustrated with the truck.” Said Kemenah with a golf club in his hand. “Hey that is what happens when you travel as much as we do. I am glad Jason (Martin) was with us when it happened, we have transportation at least. I have never raced at Skagit but we are looking forward to it. We had a good run at Minot and with 20 races left we’d like another win. The scenery out here is unbelieveable, that is the best part so far of the trip. A win would be better though!”
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The Hurricane ready to blow into Skagit !
August 23, 2006 ( Alger , WA ) The last time the Hurricane Randy Hannagan visited Skagit Speedway was also the same time the World of Outlaws visited the track in 2002. Hannagan who has won 2 Dirt Cups at the track is really looking forward to his returning to the track. While in the Dakota’s, Hannagan had a 5th place finish and a 12th at Minot after his right rear went flat with one lap to go while running in the top 10. Hannagan has seen steady improvement in the Penthouse Magazine team and with 20 races remaining is ready to roll into victory lane.
“I like this place ( Skagit ).” Said Hannagan. “I have not been here since the Outlaws were and they have redone the track since then. We won 2 dirt cups here and it would be really cool to put the Penthouse Maxim in victory lane this weekend. We had good success in the Dakota’s and had we not blown a tire we would have had another top 5 finish, but it is just one of those deals. We stopped at the lake yesterday rented a boat for few hours to take our minds off racing for a bit. I definatley think we can win a race before the end of the year.”
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Four new drivers sign on with NST
By Craig Murphy
Just in time for this weekend’s doubleheader in Elma , Wash. , the National Sprint Tour has added a second Washington native to the driver roster.
Chad Hillier of Sedro Woolley , Wash. is one of four new drivers that will be competing with the NST for the rest of the season.
Jason Solwold of Burlington , Wash. is the other Washington native in the NST. Solwold won the NST finale last weekend in Billings , Mont.
The NST has a strong connection with the Evergreen State . Series founder Fred Brownfield was from Snohomish , Wash. and promoted races at Elma from 1998 until his untimely death in June.
In addition to Hillier, the other drivers signing contracts to race with the NST for the remainder of the year are Jonathan Allard, Travis Rilat and Stevie Smith.
Those four join Solwold, Steve Kinser, Danny Lasoski, Tim Kaeding, Jason Meyers, Jason Sides, Paul McMahan, Shane Stewart, Brian Paulus, Kerry Madsen and Dean Jacobs as regulars in the NST.
“This group is a great bunch of guys,” said Hillier, who drives for Dave DeWitt, a familiar name in the Northwest racing community. “Everyone has fun and has a good time. It’s nice to run against these guys.”
Both Hillier and Solwold joined the NST after years of competing at Northwest tracks such as Skagit Speedway.
“It’s good to see him out here,” Solwold said of his friend Hillier. “I’ve raced against him a lot. My first year of touring nationally, I struggled at new places. He’s going to have the same thing. Every place we’ve been to, I make suggestions to him whether it be on car setup or where to run on the track.
“I want to see Chad do good,” Solwold added. “I had people like Jimmy Carr tell me what to do and not do when I first came out here. Hopefully Chad will keep his head up.”
Chico , California ’s Allard and his Morrie Williamson-owned William Motorsports team are looking forward to the rest of the NST season.
“We’re excited to do it,” Allard said. “We were happy to go with the NST right from the get go because of Morrie’s friendship with Fred Brownfield. Because of how Fred’s treated us in the past, we wanted to do it. I was always impressed with how Fred treated you the same, whether you were a local guy or not. He made sure you were taken care of. It was always a class deal with him.
“These are the teams we want to run against,” Allard added of the competition in the NST field, which now includes 15 full-time drivers.
Rilat comes to the NST from Forney , Texas .
“It’s pretty neat,” Rilat said. “It’s fun to come run with good guys and for good prize money. Everybody seems to have their stuff together out here.”
Rilat recognizes he has long travels in front of him based on where he’s from, especially as the series has upcoming races in Washington and Oregon , followed by a date in California .
“It’s a heck of a long way, but anywhere I go is a long way,” Rilat said with a laugh. “That’s all I’ve done since I started in Sprint cars in 1997. I’ve been to Australia , Washington , Florida and Virginia so far this year. It’s really neat to see different parts of the country.”
Smith and the RAACE Foundation continue their partnership for the remainder of the 2006 NST season. Smith and his father, Steve Smith, first teamed up with the RAACE Foundation last year.
RAACE stands for Race Against the Abuse of Children Everywhere. The Baltimore-based charity is dedicated to raising public awareness and concern for the problem of child sexual abuse.
Smith, a 20-year veteran in the Sprint car ranks from New Oxford, Penn., has racked up more than 160 feature wins during his career. He first competed in NST competition during the series’ swing through his native Pennsylvania in June.
“It certainly is a tough field,” Smith said at the time. “These are some of the best drivers and teams in Sprint car racing. To run with these guys you have to bring your ‘A’ game.”
Kinser camping without his friend in Elma
By Craig Murphy
ELMA, Wash. – Every year since 1996, Steve Kinser has camped at Elma , Wash. in late August.
That will be the case again this week as Kinser and the other drivers in the National Sprint Tour race at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 25 and 26.
When Kinser parks his motorhome inside the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds property, he pretty much knows who else will be parked around him.
“There’s just something about being there and being with the fans,” Kinser said. “It is really special. You can just about tell who’s going to be parked where, because people park in the same place every year.”
One person Kinser particularly enjoyed camping with over the years was his good friend Fred Brownfield, who brought the 410 racing weekend to Elma for the first time in 1996.
Brownfield, a Washington racer turned businessman and promoter, took over promotions of the track’s weekly races in 1998, and started the National Sprint Tour last December.
In 2003, Brownfield began an extensive renovation of the county-owned facility. By the time Kinser swept the late August weekend in 2004, the track had been transformed into one of the premier dirt tracks in the country, widely praised by all who visited.
On June 16, Brownfield was struck and killed on the Elma track while lining up cars for a race. Brownfield’s death was a huge loss to many, including Kinser.
“I always look forward to going to the Northwest,” Kinser said. “But it won’t be the same this year. We always camped with Fred and Debbie. I’m sure I’ll still enjoy Elma, but I’m also sure when I get there it won’t be the same. Kind of like how the rest of the year hasn’t been the same.”
The eyes of the tough Sprint car “King” well up when mentioning Brownfield, just as they did in June when NST competitors observed a moment of silence in their first race since Brownfield’s passing.
“It’s hard not to think about it,” Kinser said. “We spent quite a bit of time traveling with Fred. It’s definitely going to be different.”
Kinser, who along with Guy Stockbridge, Lonny Parsons and Don Lamberti purchased the assets of the NST from Fred’s widow Debbie, doesn’t know what his emotions will be like once he gets to Elma.
“It will be hard to say,” he said. “I’ll see Debbie. I’m sure she’ll be at the track.”
Kinser had success at the track before it was reconfigured, and has had even more success at the track in the last couple of years. He swept the weekend in 2004, won last year’s preliminary night feature and was second in last year’s Saturday finale.
As someone who remembers what the facility was like before 2004, Kinser is still impressed by the changes.
“The track is unbelievable,” he said. “It’s not even the same race track from what it was. Fred did a lot of work on it, and fixed it up real nice.”
Though he is locked in a tight points battle with Danny Lasoski, Kinser said this time of year is more relaxing due to the Knoxville Nationals being over, cooler nights and a relaxing trip to the Northwest.
“We enjoy racing,” Kinser said. “Racing is a little more relaxing this time of year. We have friends on the West Coast we spend time with on the swing. (Wife) Dana and I enjoy it.
“It’s a combination of everything,” Kinser added. “We drive to it every year. That’s enjoyable for us to do. You can’t get much further away than there.”
The Elma weekend kicks off Thursday with a Northern Sprint Tour show, which is always one of the best races of the summer in the Northwest.
Kinser will be joined on the track Friday and Saturday by fellow National Sprint Tour drivers such as Lasoski, Tim Kaeding, Jason Meyers, Jason Sides, Washington native Jason Solwold, Paul McMahan, Shane Stewart, Brian Paulus, Dean Jacobs and Kerry Madsen. Travis Rilat, Jonathan Allard, Washington native Chad Hillier and Stevie Smith are also expected to be on hand, along with local weekly racers.
Besides the racing, plenty of other activities are going on in Elma, including a parade on Saturday.
For more information on the National Sprint Tour, visit www.nationalsprinttour.com. For more information on Grays Harbor Raceway, visit http://www.brownfieldent.com/GHR/GHR_home.htm. For a list of events being put on by the Elma Chamber of Commerce, visit www.elmachamber.org and click on the ‘Outlaw Days Festival’ link on the left.
Following Elma, the NST next races Aug. 29 at Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove , Ore.
Solwold looks to build on success in home state
By Craig Murphy
Fresh off a dominant victory Saturday night in Montana , Jason Solwold looks for more success at home.
Solwold and the rest of the National Sprint Tour drivers race at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma , Wash. this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 25-26. The weekend starts with a Northern Sprint Tour show on Aug. 24.
“I’m ready to go home,” said the Burlington , Wash. native. “I’m ready to race on the West Coast. I count my time going home by hours, not days.”
Solwold, who drives the Lon Carnahan-owned City Wide Insulation/Owens Corning Fiberglas Insulation R19 Maxim, will get a few chances in the upcoming weeks to race on the West Coast. The National Sprint Tour goes from Elma to Cottage Grove , Ore. for an Aug. 29 race and then to Hanford , Calif. on Sept. 5.
On Tuesday, Solwold will take some of his racing buddies to the water in Mount Vernon , Wash. for a fishing day.
“We’re doing our second annual fishing day,” Solwold said with a smile. “It gives everyone a chance to check out God’s country.”
After some relaxing time at home with family and friends, Solwold will be fishing for victory at Elma against the likes of Steve Kinser, Danny Lasoski, Tim Kaeding, Jason Meyers, Jason Sides, Paul McMahan, Brian Paulus, Shane Stewart, Dean Jacobs and more.
“It is definitely a fun race track. It turned out to be a really nice facility,” Solwold said of the track which was extensively remodeled in 2003 and 2004 by the late Fred Brownfield, who started the NST last December. “When I first raced there it had old ratty guardrail. When Fred changed the configuration, he put a whole new face on it.
“I always told Fred I liked the old track because it was flatter and it had spots you could pick off people,” Solwold added. “I still like the old track, but the facility is way nicer now. It’s one of the premier facilities in the country now. It’s always a good, racy show.”
Back when Solwold raced just in the Northwest, he had plenty of time for fishing – when he wasn’t dominating tracks like Elma, that is.
Solwold won Brownfield’s Northern Sprint Tour title in 1998, and won multiple track titles at Skagit Speedway. In 2003 alone, he won 23 features at Skagit .
Despite the success he had in the Northwest, Solwold was glad to start touring nationally last year.
“Racing is a lot different at home than out here,” Solwold said. “They race for a living here. It wasn’t as competitive at home. It teaches you bad habits. You don’t experiment as much, and you get used to one track. I ran for points at Skagit most every year.
“You learn to race at one place, so when you get to a new place you’re out to lunch,” Solwold added. “It took me a little to get used to it out here, going to a different track each night. I’m better at it now, but last year was more difficult.”
Running a touring series like the Northern Sprint Tour in 1998 was a sample of that for a younger Solwold.
“That was really neat,” he said of winning the 1998 title while running various tracks including Elma. “It was big for me at the time. It was a different track every weekend. It helped me out with adjusting to new tracks. It gives you somewhat of a feel for what it’s like, just a small taste.”
Solwold, who celebrated his 31st birthday Aug. 14 by setting a series-leading seventh fast time of the year in McCool Junction , Neb. , didn’t jump to a bigger touring series after that title.
“I don’t know if I was ready to run with these guys full-time back then,” Solwold said. “Now I’m more mature. I do not go out and crash race cars. There’s just a mental attitude for racing. That’s the biggest thing. Racing is 99 percent mental for drivers.”
Solwold has faced that this year. After a string of strong finishes, he had three straight races where he ran in the top-five until something happened. At other times, he has been mired in the middle of the pack.
“Sometimes you’ll run good for a couple of weeks, then you’ll be bad for a couple of weeks,” he said. “You’ve got to work through those times when you struggle. That’s the big thing. You can’t let yourself get down. When you run 12th or don’t finish, you take that and go to the next race.”
For Solwold, the next two races are in his home state.
“I would love to win Elma with all my friends and family there,” he said.
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Paul W. Joiner III
Ideas & Images, Inc.
816-305-0450
Martin back in top 10 at Nodak Speedway!
August 21, 2006 (Minot, SD) I has been a rough 45 days for the NOS Energy Drink/Mafia Motorsports team. It’s not that the team and it’s rookie driver Jason Martin have not been fast, no it’s been everthing else in between. Involved in crashes that were not of his making, minor mechanical failures and even a night where the yongster was so sick after the race he fell down flat while getting out of the car and be assisted by the crew. Well all of that changed this past Saturday night when the Liberal, KS native brought the NOS Energy Drink/Mafia Motorsports Maxim home for a 9th place finish. Drawing a late number in qualifying, Martin still managed a 15th place time.
In the 2nd heat, Martin would take the lead over current points leader Donny Schatz and maintain over a straight away lead when it seemed his old friend lady bad luck wouold surface. The left rear tire developed a leak and on the final lap Schatz would get by but Martin would finish 2nd and transfer to the feature. Martin would start 13th in the feature and use the low side of the track to climb to 11th when the caution would come out as Donny Schatz had blown a right rear while leading. Martin would stay conservative and while other drivers would drop out with blow tires Martin would capitalize and when the checkers flew the NOS Energy Drink/Mafia Motorsports Maxim would come home 9th.
“That feels good.” Said a happy Martin. “We guessed right tonight. We took on a lot harder tire than everyone else and new we just had to bide our time and the finish would come to us. On a harder tire your really loose so I could not chance running high and going off the track. Sometimes in these deals it’s better to be slower at the start and have the track come to you. We have learned a lot this season and tonights finish is due to gaining that experience out here. It is not always the fastest car that wins these deals but the one that makes the right calls when preparing the car. I hope this is the start of good things for the rest of the season.”
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Hindi keeps up short track mastery at Nodak Speedway!
August 21, 2006 (Minot, ND) Another short track another top 10 finish. This is getting old hat for Neon Dion Hindi. Saturday night at Nodak Speedway in Minot , ND the driver of the RealTruck.com J&J proved once again that he has short tracks figured out. The evening started on a positve with a 5th place qualifying effort. Hindi would finish 5th in his and transfer to the dash where he would start 7th and bring the RealTruck.com J&J home 8th and also start 8th in the feature.
On a very fast racetrack, Hindi would get a gret start and begin moving forward. While battling for 4th Hindi’s right rear slid off the track and caused a loss in momentum and let 3 cars past. Hindi would ride in 8th when leader Donny Schatz blew a right rear tire with 11 laps remaining. It was evident that the track had taken rubber, Hindi would ride on the concrete to cool his tires under caution laps and that proved to be a wise move. In the last 11 laps 5 more cars would blow right rears but Hindi would keep his cool and conserve just enough tire to bring the RealTruck.com car home 6th.
“I am a little disappointed.” Said the smiling Hindi. “We had a 3rd place car that we brought home 6th. We were passing cars and I made a mistake off 2 that let 3 cars back by me. I could see the rubber coming down so I decided that 8th was going to be better than a blown tire and possibly a wrecked race car. When Donny blew I knew we had to be conservative because we had virtually the same tire on. We have 24 races left our goal is to be battling in each of them for top 5’s and wins.”
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Solwold wins amid confusion in Montana
By Craig Murphy
BILLINGS, Mont. – Despite the confusion at the end of the Saturday, Aug. 19 National Sprint Tour race at Billings Motorsports Park , one thing was clear.
On this night, there was no catching Jason Solwold.
Solwold started the 40-lap main event from pole and never gave up the lead as he claimed his second NST win.
Behind him was the real excitement, especially at the end.
Points leader Danny Lasoski got by Jason Sides early in the race for second, and spent most of the race trying to track down Solwold. Following a lap 37 restart, Sides went low to reclaim second as Steve Kinser, the winner of Friday night’s preliminary feature, also looked to move up.
On the final lap, Shane Stewart slowed to a stop on the backstretch. The yellow lights came on, but NST officials immediately yelled for the green to stay out. Green lights came back on, but by then Sides had already slowed down and was passed by both Lasoski and Kinser.
After review, Lasoski was credited with second. Kinser was third, Sides fourth and Travis Rilat was fifth. Rounding out the top-10 were Tim Kaeding, Jason Meyers, Brian Paulus, Kerry Madsen and Paul McMahan.
“I remember seeing the white, the yellow and then the green, so I did an extra lap,” Solwold said. “Then finally they threw the checkered flag after we idled around four or five laps. It was mass confusion. We didn’t know if it was over or what.”
Sides, Lasoski and Kinser all had discussions with officials afterwards, trying to sort out the finish.
“The race isn’t over yet,” Kinser said later while signing autographs. “I didn’t see the checkered, so I don’t know happened. I have no idea.”
Lasoski seemed confident the race was indeed over.
“I moved up a little on that last restart, and that let Jason (Sides) by,” Lasoski said. “Then I got back by him on the last lap. I knew it was the checkered.”
Sides believed one of two things should have happened.
“When the caution comes out, they should either go back a lap for the finishing order or they should have kept everyone out and run the final laps,” he said. “I ran second a full lap or two, and slowed when the caution came out. When there’s a caution, that’s what you do. I slowed down, and two guys got by me.
“We came to turn 4, and they had the green back on,” Sides added. “Shane was still sitting there. If I was sitting there, I would want the yellow on.”
Solwold was dominant, but had Lasoski breathing down his neck while negotiating lapped traffic in the middle of the race.
“It was a little sketchy there in the middle,” Solwold said. “I had one of the best bottom line runners in the country right behind me. The track was real nice on the bottom.”
Solwold has had opportunities to win more races, only to have problems late. At one point last month, he was running top-five three straight races before dropping back.
“This feels really good,” he said. “We probably should have won a few more races. It’s been an up and down year for us. It was just our night tonight.”
Solwold used lapped traffic to his advantage. At one point he put two lapped cars between himself and Lasoski just before a caution came out.
“Anytime you can get a lapped car between you, it’s huge,” Solwold said. “Late in the race I kept a lapped car right next to me. I knew Danny couldn’t get by both of us.”
Lasoski complimented Solwold for how he used traffic to his advantage.
“That’s good racing on his part,” Lasoski said. “Early in the race, we waited and just bided our time until we got to lapped traffic.”
Kinser, who had won four of his previous five races at the Billings track, twice gained spots on restarts by going high.
“I was trying to get something to work,” he said. “There wasn’t much on the bottom. I was trying my thing to gain a spot.”
Trophy dashes were won by Solwold and Sides, with Solwold choosing to start on the inside pole for the 40-lap main event.
Heat races were won by Solwold, Paulus, Kaeding and Chad Hillier. Lasoski was the fastest of 34 qualifiers with a time of 13.290 seconds, his fifth fast time of the year. The B-main was won by Tony Bruce, Jr.
Saturday’s race concluded a weekend doubleheader in Billings , where Kinser won on Friday. The ‘Wild Wild Northwest Tour’ continues next weekend with an Aug. 25-26 doubleheader at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma , Wash. followed by an Aug. 29 show at Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove , Ore.
Solwold, a Washington native, certainly wouldn’t mind getting a streak going in his home state.
“That would be huge,” he said. “I would love to win Elma with all my family and friends there.”
Billings Motorsports Park National Sprint Tour results
Billings, Montana
August 19, 2006
Qualifying Results
1
DANNY LASOSKI 83 13.290
2 JASON MEYERS 14 13.349
3 JONATHAN ALLARD O 13.429
4 STEVE KINSER 11 13.437
5 JASON SOLWOLD R19 13.470
6 SHANE STEWART 26 13.665
7 Tony Bruce, Jr 18 13.731
8 KERRY MADSEN 11H 13.732
9 JASON SIDES 7S 13.763
10 Kyle Hirst 99 13.829
11 DEAN JACOBS 6 13.941
12 STEVIE SMITH 19 13.984
13 TRAVIS RILAT 29 14.032
14 PAUL McMAHAN 20 14.037
15 TIM KAEDING 11K 14.163
16 Brandon Johnson 14J 14.297
17 Jerry Brey 17J 14.399
18 BRIAN PAULUS 28 14.437
19 Brent Kronfuss 9K 14.485
20 CHAD HILLER 5 14.612
21 Josh Ostermiller 12 14.755
22 Darrell Brink 90 14.829
23 Bill Boyce 1 14.926
24 Jeremy Mc Cune OJ 15.083
25 Teri Snedigar 240 15.126
26 TONY KAUS 3K 15.261
27 Paxton Lambrecht 7X 15.279
28 David Hoiness 27dd 15.352
29 Michelle Dodge 36 15.566
30 Bob Peterson 34 15.788
31 Rick Jacobs 5J 15.833
32 Don Stoutner 57 16.372
33 Russ Kosten 7 16.745
Heat One Finish
1
JASON SOLWOLD R19
2 TRAVIS RILAT 29
3 DANNY LASOSKI 83
4 JASON SIDES 7S
5 Jerry Brey 17J
6 Josh Ostermiller 12
7 Teri Snedigar 240
8 Michelle Dodge 36
9 Russ Kosten 7
Heat Two Finish
1 BRIAN PAULUS 28
2 PAUL McMAHAN 20
3 SHANE STEWART 26
4 JASON MEYERS 14
5 Kyle Hirst 99
6 Darrell Brink 90
7 Bob Peterson 34
8 TONY KAUS 3K
Heat Three Finish
1 TIM KAEDING 11K
2 DEAN JACOBS 6
3 Brent Kronfuss 9K
4 JONATHAN ALLARD O
5 Bill Boyce 1
6 Tony Bruce, Jr 18
7 Paxton Lambrecht 7X
8 Rick Jacobs 5J
Heat Four Finish
1 CHAD HILLER 5
2 KERRY MADSEN 11H
3 STEVIE SMITH 19
4 STEVE KINSER 11
5 Jeremy Mc Cune OJ
6 Brandon Johnson 14J
7 David Hoiness 27dd
8 Don Stoutner 57
Dash One Finish
1
JASON SOLWOLD R19
2 DANNY LASOSKI 83
3 STEVIE SMITH 19
4 KERRY MADSEN 11H
5 JONATHAN ALLARD O
6 Kyle Hirst 99
Dash Two Finish
1 JASON SIDES 7S
2 TRAVIS RILAT 29
3 JASON MEYERS 14
4 STEVE KINSER 11
5 DEAN JACOBS 6
6 SHANE STEWART 26
B-Main Finish
1 Tony Bruce,
Jr 18
2 Brandon Johnson 14J
3 Paxton Lambrecht 7X
4 Darrell Brink 90
5 Josh Ostermiller 12
6 David Hoiness 27dd
7 Rick Jacobs 5J
8 Michelle Dodge 36
9 Teri Snedigar 240
10 Bob Peterson 34
11 Russ Kosten 7
12 Don Stoutner 57
A-Main Line-Up
R19 - 7S
83 - 29
19 - 14
11H - 11
0 - 6
99 - 26
18 - 20
11K - 14J
17J - 28
9K - 5
90 - 1
0J - 7X
A-Feature Finish
1 JASON SOLWOLD, R19
2 DANNY LASOSKI, 83
3 STEVE KINSER, 11
4 JASON SIDES, 7S
5 TRAVIS RILAT, 29
6 TIM KAEDING, 11K
7 JASON MEYERS, 14
8 BRIAN PAULUS, 28
9 KERRY MADSEN, 11H
10 PAUL McMAHAN, 20
11 Tony Bruce Jr, 18
12 Stevie Smith, 19
13 Bill Boyce, 1
14 Brent Kronfuss, 9K
15 Brandon Johnson, 14J
16 SHANE STEWART, 26
17 Jerry Brey, 17J
18 Paxton Lambrecht, 7X
19 Darrell Brink, 90
20 CHAD HILLIER, 5
21 DEAN JACOBS, 6
22 Jeremy McCune, 0J
23 Kyle Hirst, 99
24 JONATHAN ALLARD, 0
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RAIN DATE: NOVEMBER 2 - 4
National Sprint Tour returns home
By Craig Murphy
ELMA, Wash. – The National Sprint Tour is coming home.
The series races Aug. 25-26 at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma , Wash. as part of the 13th annual ‘Wild Wild Northwest Tour.’ The weekend is kicked off Aug. 24 with a visit by the Northern Sprint Tour.
The City of Elma is putting on a variety of activities for the weekend including a parade, celebrity go-cart races, live music and more.
Both the Elma track and the Northern Sprint Tour are still operated by Brownfield Promotions Inc., which was started by Washington native Fred Brownfield in 1993. Brownfield brought the World of Outlaws back to the Northwest in 1994, following an absence of 15 years.
Brownfield, one of the most respected racing promoters in the country, moved the Outlaw date to Elma in 1996, and started promoting weekly races at the track in 1998.
Last December, Brownfield started the National Sprint Tour, and the traditional Northwest late August two-day weekend was on the schedule.
Brownfield’s death on June 16 at the Elma track adds even more special significance to next weekend, which was already the biggest weekend of the year for Brownfield Promotions.
Debbie Brownfield, Fred’s widow, said the weekend marks a way for fans to support the Brownfield family.
“I am coming up on Fred’s biggest and most special race weekend of the year, ‘The Wild Wild Northwest Tour’ at Elma, and for me, it marks the very last big event Fred had planned and set up for Grays Harbor Raceway,” Debbie wrote this week. “It is HIS three most joyous adventures, the Northern Sprint Tour and the National Sprint Tour kickin’ up the dirt at HIS race track.
“I would love for that weekend to be a fantastic finale to his promoting career, something God will let him look down on and be proud of and that we can all remember,” Debbie added. “Many of you did not get to attend his memorial service (in June); well, attending this special weekend at Grays Harbor Raceway would be a spectacular and fun way for racers to honor and support him one last time.”
That support goes both ways, as the NST has established a 360 bonus and a non-NST 410 bonus for the top-10 finishers in those respective cars for the Brownfield-promoted NST races. In addition, the B-main and C-main purses are doubled.
The weekend gives fans and racers alike another chance to witness the house that Fred Brownfield rebuilt. Grays Harbor Raceway Park was a 3/10-mile track when Brownfield took it over.
In 2003, in cooperation with Grays Harbor County , Brownfield began to extensively remodel the track by changing it to 3/8-mile in length. He also put in new lights, walls, sound system, booth and more. So much was new, even the name changed to Grays Harbor Raceway.
Since the remodel, racers and visitors from across the country have heaped praise on the facility. No less an authority than Ted Johnson, the World of Outlaw founder who has seen hundreds of tracks around the country, called Elma one of the top three facilities in the country when he visited in 2004.
The Thursday Northern Sprint Tour show is always one of the best races of the summer in the Northwest, and will feature special appearances by National Sprint Tour Jason Sides and others.
Sides and others such as current National Sprint Tour points leader Danny ‘The Dude’ Lasoski, Steve ‘The King’ Kinser, Tim Kaeding, Jason Meyers, Washington native Jason Solwold, Paul McMahan, Shane Stewart, Brian Paulus, Dean Jacobs and Kerry Madsen will take to the high-banked track the next two nights for plenty of tight competition.
Tickets for the weekend of racing are still available by calling 1-800-825-4832, and will be available the day of the races.
For more information on the National Sprint Tour, visit www.nationalsprinttour.com. For more information on Grays Harbor Raceway, visit http://www.brownfieldent.com/GHR/GHR_home.htm. For a list of events being put on by the Elma Chamber of Commerce, visit www.elmachamber.org and click on the ‘Outlaw Days Festival’ link on the left.
Following Elma, the NST next races Aug. 29 at Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove , Ore.
Kinser wins opening night in Montana
By Craig Murphy
BILLINGS, Mont. – There was no stopping Steve Kinser Friday night in Billings , Montana .
Literally.
Kinser’s flag-to-flag victory in Friday’s National Sprint Tour preliminary feature at Billings Motorsports Park was his fourth win in five races there.
In addition, Kinser had no brakes.
Kinser still had enough to easily win his fifth race of the year. Behind him, Dean Jacobs took second from Jason Meyers at the line, with Danny Lasoski right behind in fourth. Rounding out the top-10 were Jason Sides, Paul McMahan, Kerry Madsen, Jason Solwold, Shane Stewart and Stevie Smith.
In the one race Kinser didn’t win at Billings Motorsports Park , he finished second in last year’s Saturday finale.
“We sort of tiptoed around the high line,” Kinser said. “I had no brakes. I don’t know what happened with them. I lost them about halfway through the race. As long as I could run on open track, it was not bad. I needed all the track.”
Despite the brake problems, Kinser was pleased with the car.
“It worked out,” he said. “The car was working really good. I was better up high. Once I lost my brakes, I had no choice but to run up there. We just sort of picked our way through them. We finished, and we’ll fix the brakes for (Saturday).”
Throughout the evening, Kinser would pull away on restarts, including one for a tangle involving Kinser’s teammate Tim Kaeding and Brandon Johnson. Kaeding came back to finish 11th.
“I felt like I was in good shape,” Kinser said of not having pressure for the lead. “That helps a lot. I didn’t want to go through more cars than I had to.”
Jacobs, meanwhile, used the low line to move up from his 14th starting position. Following a red flag for a fuel stop on lap 23 of 30, Jacobs was fifth. Jacobs got by Lasoski for fourth, then both drivers got by Sides. Coming to the checkered flag, Jacobs grabbed second by inches over Meyers.
“Things are starting to click,” said Jacobs, who scored a fourth place finish Monday in Nebraska , which was his first NST top-five. “I knew this team had good equipment. We’re starting to have fun now after a change in personnel. The guys on the team are talking to me. It’s a night and day difference. I wish we were going to Knoxville this week.”
Jacobs, who continues to fill in for the injured Tim Shaffer in the Lonny Parsons-owned ride, figured he would keep trying the low line following the last restart.
“I knew I had a good car,” Jacobs said. “I kept trying the bottom, and no one else did. It’s not bad to finish second to Steve Kinser. Normally I like running high, but you’ve got to do what the race car tells you. I hoped to get by Danny and Jason Sides, but I never thought I would get second.”
Would the result have been different up front if the race had gone 40 laps, as Saturday’s will?
“Steve’s the best,” Jacobs said. “It’s hard to beat Steve. He ran without brakes and still beat us. That says a lot.”
Meyers was frustrated after almost finishing second.
“Almost sucks,” he said. “We were second until the last six inches. We can’t keep giving them away like that. After that red, the tire sealed up a little bit. Steve was just better than we were altogether.”
Lasoski spent much of the race trying to get by Sides, and was surprised to see Jacobs scoot by on the bottom.
“It seems like I was tight all race long,” the NST points leader said. “Jason was where I needed to be on the track. I had a run on Dean on the last lap to get back by him, but a lapped car was there. We’ll take a fourth and come back (Saturday).”
Trophy dashes were won by Meyers and Kinser, with Kinser choosing to start on the inside pole for the 30-lap main event.
Heat races were won by Stewart, Jacobs, Jonathan Allard and Smith. Sides was the fastest of 32 qualifiers with a track record time of 13.063 seconds, his fourth fast time of the year. The B-main was won by Bill Boyce.
The Montana doubleheader concludes Saturday evening at Billings Motorsports Park . As usual with NST two-day shows, no spots are locked in from Friday. After Saturday, the series next races Aug. 25-26 at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma , Wash.
Billings Motorsports Park National Sprint Tour results
Billings, Mont.
Aug. 18, 2006
Qualifying Results
1
JASON SIDES 7S 13.063
2 STEVE KINSER 11 13.093
3 DANNY LASOSKI 83 13.181
4 JASON SOLWOLD R19 13.243
5 JASON MEYERS 14 13.363
6 PAUL McMAHAN 20 13.387
7 TIM KAEDING 11K 13.448
8 Tony Bruce 18 13.452
9 TRAVIS RILAT 29 13.500
10 Brent Kronfuss 9K 13.547
11 KERRY MADSEN 11H 13.559
12 Brandon Johnson 14J 13.563
13 SHANE STEWART 26 13.624
14 DEAN JACOBS 6 13.657
15 Jonathan Allard O 13.713
16 BRIAN PAULUS 28 13.878
17 Jerry Brey 17J 13.897
18 Chad Hillier 5 13.915
19 Kyle Hirst 99 14.007
20 Stevie Smith 19 14.071
21 Darrrell Brink 90 14.269
22 Bill Boyce 1 14.319
23 Paxton Lambrecht 7X 14.405
24 Josh Ostermiller 12 14.550
25 Jeremy Mc Cune OJ 14.600
26 Tony Kaus 3K 14.692
27 Rick Jacobs 5J 14.726
28 Phil Dietz 72 14.791
29 David Hoiness 27dd 15.020
30 Teri Snedigar 240 15.300
31 Bob Peterson 34 15.722
32 Danielle Ossenfort 10 16.108
Heat One Finish
1
SHANE STEWART 26
2 JASON MEYERS 14
3 TRAVIS RILAT 29
4 JASON SIDES 7S
5 Jerry Brey 17J
6 Jeremy Mc Cune OJ
7 David Hoiness 27dd
8 Darrrell Brink 90
Heat Two Finish
1 DEAN JACOBS 6
2 STEVE KINSER 11
3 PAUL McMAHAN 20
4 CHAD HILLIER 5
5 Brendt Kronfuss 9K
6 Bill Boyce 1
7 Tony Kaus 3K
8 Teri Snedigar 240
Heat Three Finish
1
JONATHAN ALLARD O
2 TIM KAEDING 11K
3 DANNY LASOSKI 83
4 Kyle Hirst 99
5 KERRY MADSEN 11H
6 Paxton Lambrecht 7X
7 Rick Jacobs 5J
8 Bob Peterson 34
Heat Four Finish
1 Stevie Smith 19
2 Brandon Johnson 14J
3 JASON SOLWOLD R19
4 BRIAN PAULUS 28
5 Tony Bruce 18
6 Phil Dietz 72
7 Josh Ostermiller 12
8 Danielle Ossenfort 10
Dash One Finish
1 JASON MEYERS 14
2 JASON SIDES 7S
3 TIM KAEDING 11K
4 DANNY LASOSKI 83
5 TRAVIS RILAT 29
6 KERRY MADSEN 11H
Dash Two Finish
1 STEVE
KINSER 11
2 Brendt Kronfuss 9x
3 PAUL McMAHAN 20
4 Brandon Johnson 14J
5 JASON SOLWOLD R19
6 Tony Bruce 18
B-Main Finish
1 Bill Boyce 1
2 Darrrell Brink 90
3 Paxton Lambrecht 7X
4 Josh Ostermiller 12
5 Jeremy Mc Cune OJ
6 Phil Dietz 72
7 Rick Jacobs 5J
8 David Hoiness 27dd
9 Tony Kaus 3K
10 Teri Snedigar 240
11 Bob Peterson 34
12 Danielle Ossenfort 10
A-Feature Line-Up
11 - 14
9K - 7S
20 - 11K
14J - 83
R19 - 29
18 - 11H
26 - 6
0 - 28
17J - 5
99 - 19
90 - 1
7X - 12
A-Feature Finish
1 STEVE KINSER 11
2 DEAN JACOBS 6
3 JASON MEYERS 14
4 DANNY LASOSKI 83
5 JASON SIDES 7S
6 PAUL McMAHAN 20
7 KERRY MADSEN 11H
8 JASON SOLWOLD R19
9 SHANE STEWART 26
10 Stevie Smith 19
11 TIM KAEDING 11K
12 BRIAN PAULUS 28
13 TRAVIS RILAT 29
14 Tony Bruce 18
15 Brent Kronfuss 9K
16 Chad Hillier 5
17 Kyle Hirst 99
18 Bill Boyce 1
19 Jerry Brey 17J
20 Brandon Johnson 14J
21 Josh Ostermiller 12
22 Darrrell Brink 90
23 Paxton Lambrecht 7X
24 JONATHAN ALLARD O
For More Information contact:
Paul W. Joiner III
Ideas & Images, Inc.
816-305-0450
Hannagan getting closer to that first win of the season!
Rapid City, SD (August 18th, 2006) The Hurricane, Randy Hannagan was rolling last night in the Black Hills behind the wheel of the Penthouse Magazine #1x Maxim. Hannagan was fast all night long. Beginning in qualifying where the San Jose native would time in 6th quick and start 5th in the 4th heat. Using a great start at the drop of the green in the heat, Hannagan would be up to 2nd in the first two laps and on lap 3 take the lead and never look back. With a 6 pill being drawn for the dash Hannagan would start on the pole. Battling a tight condition the Hurricaine would hold onto finish 3rd and start inside the 2nd row of the feature.
Hannagan would use that starting position to his advanatage and stay in the top 5 through the entire race. Using mainly the bottom line Hannagan would run with the leaders the entire race. Lap traffic became a factor on lap 15 and getting pinned behind a slower car, Hannagan would lose 2 spots but no more. The Penthouse Magazine #1x would stay in 5th and cloing in on 4th when the checkers flew giving Hannagan another top 5 finish.
“We were decent tonight.” Said Hannagan. “After a disappointing Nationals it was good to come in and get a top 5. The Penthouse Magazine car was good on long runs no douobt the cautions hurt us a bit. The guys have worked their butt off giving me good stuff night in and night out. All we can do is keep working hard and I think that win is getting closer and closer.”
Penthouse Media Group Inc. is an international, multimedia entertainment company that is globally recognized as one of the premier brands in adult entertainment and publishes one of the most widely circulated groups of men’s lifestyles publications. Fans can log onto www.randyhannagan.com and click on the Penthouse link for a special subscription rate to Penthouse Magazine, receive 12 issues for only $17.99. Also find merchandise and other specials on the site.
For More Information Contact:
Paul W. Joiner III
Ideas & Images, Inc.
816-305-0450
Hard Charging Hindi takes 8th in the Black Hills !
Rapid City, SD (August, 18th 2006) Neon Dion Hindi proved once again last night that short tracks are where the RealTruck.com team shines. Hindi overcame a less than stellar qualifying effort which saw the 11D time in 20th quick. Hindi would start outside the front row of the 2nd heat and capitalize with a 4th place finish and a starting position of 18th in the feature. At the drop of the green flag Hindi would show the field that the RealTruck.com J&J was a car that would be heard from. Using whatever line was available at the time Hindi would move up to 12th within 5 laps and continue to climb.
Using the high side of the track for most of the race Hindi would find himself in 9th after 25 laps of the 35 lap feature. A caustion would fly on lap 29 with Hindi in 9th and wanting more. Again using the high side Hindi would once again pick off another spot and finish 8th when the checkers flew. Could a victory be close at hand for the RealTruck.com team?
“That was fun!” said a smiling Hindi. “I messed up in qualifying or who knows what the results would have been had we started closer to the front. This is the same car we flipped at Pevely. I really like this car. The motor, by the way is named rooster, and belive me it is every bit of that name. This RealTruck.com team has come along way and we are definitely sitting pretty well right now. The track really came in after the rain and my car could use the high side or the low side it was just that good. Bring on Minot , let’s go!”
RealTruck.com in the undisputed leader in Truck aftermarket accessories. Right now when you use coupon code DH#11 you can save 5% on your total order. Just log onto www.realtruck.com and find everything from performance chips to bed covers and everything in between. When your at the races you can also pick up a FREE Realtruck.com catalog in Dion Hindi’s pit.
NST ready for Montana doubleheader this weekend
By Craig Murphy
The wide-open National Sprint Tour points race continues this weekend in the wide-open land of Montana .
The NST runs a doubleheader Friday and Saturday, Aug. 18 and 19, at the 3/8-mile Billings Motorsports Park in Billings , Mont.
There will also be a meet and greet Thursday, Aug. 17 from 4-6 p.m. at A To Z Tire, located at 912 4th Avenue North in Billings.
Danny ‘The Dude’ Lasoski, who had an eventful night in the Knoxville Nationals last Saturday, finished second in Monday’s NST race at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction , Neb.
Lasoski, a seven-time winner this year, enters Montana with a 64-point lead over Steve Kinser. Lasoski passed Kinser late to finish second on Monday, while Kinser’s teammate Tim Kaeding won his 12th race of the season. Kaeding enters Montana third in the standings, 94 points behind Lasoski.
Not only are the top-three in close proximity, there are plenty of other battles going on in the NST points race. Jason Meyers and Jason Solwold sit comfortably in fourth and fifth, but sixth place Paul McMahan is only 15 points ahead of Jason Sides.
Other NST drivers racing both nights at Montana are Shane Stewart, Brian Paulus, Kerry Madsen and Dean Jacobs. Jacobs, who continues to fill in for the injured Tim Shaffer, picked up his first NST top-five finish Monday night.
Jacobs drives for Lonny Parsons, who was injured when hit by a water truck while crossing Selinsgrove Speedway in Pennsylvania on Aug. 5. Parsons was released from the hospital last Friday.
Other drivers expected to follow the NST out west include Chad Hillier, Travis Rilat and Jonathan Allard.
“Obviously we are extremely excited about hosting the best drivers in the world,” said Syl Schied, co-promoter at Billings Motorsports Park . “We built this track from the ground up three years ago. When you have the best drivers at your track, when you see them in action you’re awe.
“When you have them in your home town, it’s amazing,” Schied added. “You’re looking at speeds of 110 mph plus on this track. The group of guys is phenomenal. It’s awesome to watch them in person.”
Les Kraft, co-promoter with Schied, is also excited about the doubleheader.
“This is a real opportunity for Billings and Montana overall to get these drivers in,” Kraft said. “They put on a great show. We’re fortunate to have a two-day show. It’s a pretty slick deal.”
Kinser swept the 2004 feature events at the track, and won the Friday show last year. He finished second in last year’s finale to Daryn Pittman.
Both Schied and Kraft are appreciative of comments Kinser made about the track last year.
“Kinser said this is one of the finest tracks in the nation,” Schied said. “He’s been to a lot of them, so that made us feel extremely good.”
Kraft recalled, “Kinser said Friday night it is a really nice track, and you can run two-wide, three-wide or four-wide. That’s a neat deal coming from the best Sprint car driver in the world.”
The Billings weekend has traditionally kicked off Brownfield Promotions Inc.’s post-Knoxville ‘Wild Wild Northwest Tour’. Teams travel to Montana on the way to a doubleheader Aug. 25-26 at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma , Wash. The National Sprint Tour then travels to Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove , Ore. for an Aug. 29 date.
“The nice part is it brings cars from the Midwest in our direction,” Kraft said. “We’re kind of the start of Northwest Tour. We’re kind of the kick off point. If it wasn’t for Northwest Tour, it would be difficult for guys to come out in this direction.”
As in Nebraska on Monday, top finishers at Montana in 360s and non-NST drivers with a 410 will get bonus money. The top five finishers in each category are eligible for up to $1,500 with the top finisher getting $500.
Ticket sales for both nights at Montana start at 2 p.m. the day of the event. Tickets can also be purchased in advance by calling the track at 406-256-7511, or they can be bought at A To Z Tire.
Tickets are $30 for Friday and $40 for Saturday. Children 10 and under are half price, while children young enough to sit on a lap are admitted for free. Gates open at 5 p.m. both nights, with racing set to start around 7. The track’s Super Stocks will be the supporting class both nights.
For more information on Billings Motorsports Park , visit www.bmpracer.com. For more information on the National Sprint Tour, visit www.nationalsprinttour.com.
Kaeding shows hot hand at McCool Junction
By Craig Murphy
McCOOL JUNCTION, Neb. – After a crazy Saturday night at Knoxville, things returned to normal for the National Sprint Tour Monday night, Aug. 14 at Junction Motor Speedway.
In other words, Tim Kaeding won with Danny Lasoski and Steve Kinser close behind.
Lasoski started from pole and led early in the 30-lap main. The lead lasted until lap 15, when Kaeding trapped Lasoski in traffic to grab the lead.
“It’s sometimes better to be in second,” Lasoski said. “Tim did a good job there. He got me caught behind traffic. I wasn’t aware it was that good up high.”
Neither was Kaeding.
“I really didn’t think the top was going to be that good,” said Kaeding, who went on to claim his 12th win in the 30th race of the season. “I wanted to get some momentum up. I got lucky, because it stuck up there.”
Kaeding was glad to see Lasoski mired in traffic.
“Traffic can help out big time,” Kaeding said. “We’ve got 12 wins. Unbelievable. I just wish those two guys (Lasoski and Kinser) would have a bad night.”
As it was, both Lasoski and Kinser battled up front yet again. Kinser got by Lasoski for second on lap 20, though Lasoski regained the position for good on lap 28 while Kinser was third. Dean Jacobs posted his first top-five NST finish with a fourth, while Wayne Johnson was fifth.
Rounding out the top-10 were Jason Meyers, Shane Stewart, Kyle Hirst, Jason Solwold and Travis Rilat.
Even with the lead, Kaeding was aware it was anything but safe with Kinser breathing down his neck late.
“You can’t ever count Steve out,” Kaeding said. “That’s why he’s The King.”
Kinser, meanwhile, had his hands full both with his tires and Lasoski.
“I just didn’t make it,” Kinser said. “There’s not much to tell. They laid rubber. I killed my tires and got real loose. Again.”
Lasoski, who maintained the NST points lead, enjoyed the battle with Kinser.
“It was a really good battle,” Lasoski said. “After Tim got by I tried to shorten the track, because it wasn’t doing any good to follow. That let Steve get by. But it was a great race. The guys here did a great job and made a great track.”
For Jacobs, his first top-five was the latest stroke of good news. Car owner Lonny Parsons, hit by a water truck Aug. 5, was released from the hospital last Friday and is back at home near Des Moines , Iowa .
“He was at the shop quite a while today,” said Jacobs, who continues to fill in for the injured Tim Shaffer. “He’s going to his doctor in Des Moines . We got to see him finally, and we got to see that he’s doing well. He’s back to the Lonny I knew.”
On the track, Jacobs was back to the driver fans have come to know over the years.
“We finally had a decent run,” he said. “We made a lot of changes, and went to Pro Shocks. Tim and I are night and day different. It feels real nice. We’ve got a new crew guy, and that’s working out. I thought I was going to get Danny and Steve at the end there.”
Trophy dashes were won by Lasoski and Paul McMahan, with Lasoski choosing to start on the inside pole for the 30-lap main event. McMahan’s night came an end on lap 8 in the main when he tangled with a lapped car and flipped multiple times on the frontstretch. He was uninjured.
Heat races were won by Kerry Madsen, Jonathan Allard and Rilat. Jason Solwold, celebrating his 31st birthday, was the fastest of 26 qualifiers with a time of 14.487 seconds, his series-leading seventh fast time of the year. All 26 cars raced the main event.
For Kaeding, the win was a nice bounce back from a tough night Saturday at the Knoxville Nationals, where he spun on the first lap.
“We’ll take this win and enjoy it, just like we would have with a Knoxville win,” said Kaeding, who proclaimed how much he loved his car upon climbing out in victory lane. “That’s how our year has been. When we’re bad, we’re 10th or worse. When we’re good, we’re top-three and can win on any given night.”
NST teams next compete at Billings Motorsports Park in Billings , Mont. for an Aug. 18-19 doubleheader.
Junction Motor Speedway National Sprint Tour results
August 14, 2006
McCool Junction, Nebraska
Qualifying Results
1
JASON SOLWOLD R19 14.487
2 STEVE KINSER 11 14.576
3 DANNY LASOSKI 83 14.774
4 PAUL McMAHAN 20 14.890
5 SHANE STEWART 26 14.926
6 JASON SIDES 7S 14.935
7 DEAN JACOBS 6 15.023
8 Kyle Hirst 99 15.079
9 BRIAN PAULUS 28 15.091
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