Commonwealth Clash at Lernerville Speedway Quickly Approaching for the World of Outlaws on Saturday, September 25
Sarver, PA-August 31, 2010- With the races on the 2010 World of Outlaws schedule rapidly clicking off, every race and every lap for that matter is of the utmost important, as Joey Saldana, 20-time series champion Steve Kinser and Jason Meyers are waging one of the best title fights in series history. That battle will come to Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pennsylvania on Saturday, September 25 for the Commonwealth Clash as the best sprint car drivers in the world will take to the always racy four-tenths-mile with $10,000 awaiting the winner.
Saldana, who leads the series standings, was victorious in the finale of the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville back in July, while Meyers had the most consistent night of the title contenders during the Twin 30's, coming home fifth in the opener and third in the finale. He has won a couple of times in his career at the track. Kinser, who ran into some bad luck during the Silver Cup, has 17 career wins at Lernerville with the World of Outlaws to lead all drivers.
The trio is currently separated by just 38 total points, with Saldana leading Kinser by 26 markers, with Meyers third, only 12 points out of second. Saldana leads the series in wins with 12 through August 28, while Kinser leads the series with 47 Top-10, finishes with both drivers tied with 32 Top-Fives to lead the series, while Meyers has set fast time on eight occasions this season to lead the trio of title contenders.
When the World of Outlaws invade Lernerville Speedway for the Commonwealth Clash on Saturday, September 25 just seven events will remain on the season, which culminate with the World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, November 4-6.
Donny Schatz, the four-time and defending World of Outlaws champion, who is currently fourth in points, won the Commonwealth Clash in 2003, when the event was held in the spring. He is also a three-time winner of the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup, capturing that honor again season.
Jason Sides, who is fifth in points nearly won the opener of the Silver Cup last year and was third and sixth in the Twin 30's this season as he looks for his first win at the track.
Danny Lasoski, the 2001 World of Outlaws champion, won for the first time in his career at Lernerville in 2009 and also claimed the overall Silver Cup title last year.
Also in action at the Commonwealth Clash will be veteran Craig Dollansky, who finished second in the finale of the Silver Cup in July, Paul McMahan, who drives for Kasey Kahne Racing, Lucas Wolfe, who hails from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, third generation driver Kraig Kinser, young gun Sam Hafertepe Jr., Hall of Famer Jac Haudenschild, veteran Chad Kemenah, and rookie contenders Ben Gregg and Toni Lutar.
A strong contingent of drivers from Western Pennsylvania will contend with the World of Outlaws in the Commonwealth Clash including: Tim Shaffer, who won the 2010 Knoxville Nationals, along with multi-time Lernerville titlist Ed Lynch Jr., Brian Ellenberger, the reigning World of Outlaws Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award winner and Danny Holtgraver, the newly crowned 2010 Lernerville track champion.
Advance Reserved seats are $28 for adults and $24 for those ages 17-under. General Admission seating is $26 for Adults and $22 for students ages 11-17, with kids ages 10-under admitted free of charge in the General Admission section. Advance Reserved tickets include a FREE pit pass upgrade. This offer expires Friday, September 24. To purchase tickets online visit www.Lernerville.com or call 724-353-1511.
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Previewing the World of Outlaws at Cottage Grove Speedway
Cottage Grove, OR-August 31, 2010- Everything happens fast at the high-banked ¼-mile at Cottage Grove Speedway, which is one of just two tracks on the World of Outlaws circuit that boasts a single-digit track record. The Oregon facility awaits the best sprint car drivers in the world this week on Wednesday, September 1 as the 2010 Gold Rush Tour continues, with another of the best point races in series history shaping up, as just 38 markers separate leader Joey Saldana, Steve Kinser and Jason Meyers with 17 races remaining on the season. Every position will be hotly contested at the always thrilling high-banked bullring with a very strong contingent of drives expected.
Jason Meyers, who is currently third in points, just 38 markers out of the lead was victorious at Cottage Grove Speedway last season after nearly winning a couple of times prior at the track. He has six Top-10 finishes with the series at the track in eight starts, with four of those being Top-Five performances. The California native won last weekend in Edmonton to score his ninth A-Feature triumph of 2010 as he chases his first series title.
Joey Saldana won at Cottage Grove Speedway in 2007, the same year he set the new track record of 9.991 seconds in qualifying. He has seven career Top-10 finishes in nine starts at the ¼-mile bullring. The second generation driver leads the World of Outlaws in wins this season with 12, including last weekend in Canada and is currently on top of the standings as he too chases his first title.
Steve Kinser, who is just 26 points out of the lead in the series standings, has won three times at Cottage Grove Speedway in his career, with the most recent coming in 2003. The 20-time series champion has 12 career Top-10 finishes in 14 starts with nine Top-Five finishes at the ¼-mile bullring. He leads the series with 47 Top-10 finishes this season along with 32 Top-Fives.
Donny Schatz, the four-time and defending World of Outlaws champion, was victorious at Cottage Grove Speedway in 2008 and has two career victories at the track. He has finished on the podium in three straight starts at the track, including coming all the way from the 20th starting spot last season to finish. The North Dakota native has eight career Top-10 finishes at the ¼-mile in 11 starts.
Danny Lasoski has won three times at Cottage Grove Speedway with the World of Outlaws with the most recent coming in 2005. The 2001 series champion has finished in the Top-10 in all but one of his career starts at the track.
Kraig Kinser scored his first career World of Outlaws A-Feature win at Cottage Grove Speedway in 2004, battling his father Steve for the victory, with the pair coming home one/two.
The World of Outlaws competed for the first time at Cottage Grove Speedway in 1994 and have contested 14 A-Feature events at the track over that span, with nine different drivers picking up win. There has been a different winner in each of the series last six races at the track.
The Buzz:
Jason Meyers looks to make it two wins in a row at Cottage Grove Speedway and also looks to gain even more ground in the World of Outlaws standings as he did last year during the Gold Rush Tour.
Steve Kinser is tied for the lead with three wins at Cottage Grove Speedway and is the only driver that has competed in all 14 races the series had held at the track.
Danny Lasoski is tied with Steve Kinser for the series lead with three wins at Cottage Grove and has finished in the Top-10 in 10 of his 11 career World of Outlaws starts at the track.
Joey Saldana won at Cottage Grove in 2007 and has seven career Top-10 finishes in nine starts. He is the current track record holder, setting that mark in 2007, an event in which he swept the evening, setting fast time, winning a heat, winning the dash and winning the main event.
Donny Schatz, who has two wins at Cottage Grove Speedway, came all the way from the 20th starting spot last season to finish third in the 40-lapper to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award.
Jason Sides finished fifth last season at the track to earn his best career finish at Cottage Grove Speedway. He has three Top-10 finishes at the track in a handful of starts.
Paul McMahan will be making his first World of Outlaws start at Cottage Grove Speedway since 2008 this week.
Craig Dollansky has five Top-10 finishes including a runner-up performance in 2008 at Cottage Grove Speedway as he looks for his first win at the ¼-mile bullring.
Kraig Kinser, who scored his first career World of Outlaws A-Feature win at Cottage Grove Speedway in 2004, has an average finish of 9.5 at the track in four starts.
Jac Haudenschild has six career Top-10 finishes at the ¼-mile bullring, with a couple of those being Top-Five performances. The Hall of Famer who recently returned from an injury has won twice this season and has four straight Top-10 finishes since climbing back aboard the No.R19.
Lucas Wolfe, who led early in the race at Cottage Grove in his debut at the track in 2008, has finished fifth and sixth in his two career starts at the high-banked bullring.
Sam Hafertepe Jr. and Chad Kemenah will both be making their first trip to Cottage Grove Speedway since 2008 this coming week.
Ben Gregg, the leading contender for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award, will be making his debut at Cottage Grove Speedway, while fellow rookie contender Toni Lutar will be racing at the track for the second straight year.
One year ago:
Jason Meyers scored his first World of Outlaws win at Cottage Grove Speedway, making up for a couple of near wins in years prior. The 40-lap contest began with Tim Kaeding, who started on the outside of the front row, using a strong run on the high side of the track in turns one and two to take the early lead.
On a second lap restart, Kaeding again shot out to a comfortable lead as Jason Sides moved into third and set his sights on Meyers. Just before Kaeding was about to get in lapped traffic on the fifth lap the caution flew. Kaeding would continue to lead as Sides was all over Meyers battling for the second spot in lapped traffic. Following a caution on the 16th lap, Meyers used a strong restart and looked low in turns one and two for the lead nearly taking it and again diving under Kaeding in turns three and four. On the 17th lap he made the pass stick going into turn three and would pace the field for the remainder of the 40-laps, to win over Kaeding, Schatz, Tyler Walker and Jason Sides.
Sides opened the night by setting fast time, with heat races going to Roger Crockett, Jonathan Allard and Tim Kaeding, with Meyers taking the dash.
By the Numbers: Cottage Grove Speedway
0.25- Miles around Cottage Grove Speedway
1- Race in the state of Oregon this season for the World of Outlaws; Driver that has competed in all 14 events for the series at Cottage Grove Speedway- Steve Kinser
6- Drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that have won at Cottage Grove Speedway
9- Drivers that have won A-Feature events at Cottage Grove Speedway with the World of Outlaws
9.991- Track record at Cottage Grove Speedway established by Joey Saldana in 2007
11- Drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that raced at Cottage Grove Speedway last year
12- Wins for Joey Saldana through August 28 to lead the series
14- A-Feature events contested by the World of Outlaws at the track dating back to 1994
15- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws
17- Drivers that have won A-Feature events with the series through August 28
24- Laps led by Jason Meyers en route to winning at the ¼-mile bullring last season
25- Drivers that have led laps in feature events this season with the World of Outlaws
26- Points that currently separate Joey Saldana and Steve Kinser at the top of the World of Outlaws standings
32- Top-Five finishes for Joey Saldana and Steve Kinser to lead the series through August 28
47- Top-10 finishes for Steve Kinser to lead the series through August 28
90.081- Track record in miles per hour set by Joey Saldana in time trials in 2007
310- Laps led by Joey Saldana in feature events this season to lead the series
1111- Miles from Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada , where the World of Outlaws competed on August 27-28 to Cottage Grove Speedway
1994- Year the World of Outlaws first competed at Cottage Grove Speedway
10,000- Dollars to win the A-Feature on Wednesday, September 1
51,690- Dollars in the total purse on Wednesday, September 1
Tickets: On Wednesday, September 1 at Cottage Grove Speedway, tickets in the grandstand will be $40, with tickets for kids ages 3-12 $20. For more information on tickets visit http://www.cottagegrovespeedway.com or call the track at 541-942-7561.
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At a Glance: Gold Rush Tour through the Pacific Northwest at Cottage Grove Speedway, Skagit Speedway & Grays Harbor Raceway
Concord, NC-August 30, 2010-
WHAT
•The Gold Rush Tour continues for the World of Outlaws this week with four races over a six-day period at three tracks in the always scenic Pacific Northwest, beginning on Wednesday, September 1 at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon. The series then heads north to Skagit Speedway in Washington, on Friday, September 3 and Saturday, September 4, before spending Labor Day at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington on Monday, September 6. Entering the week, Joey Saldana leads Steve Kinser by 26 points in the series standings, with Jason Meyers third only 38 markers back. Meyers is the defending race winner at Cottage Grove Speedway and won the finale at Skagit Speedway last year, while Saldana was victorious in the opener Skagit in 2009.
WHEN
•On Wednesday, September 1 at Cottage Grove Speedway, the pit gates will open at 2 p.m. Pacific, with the grandstand gates opening at 3 p.m. Pacific with hot laps set for 6 p.m. Pacific, with time trails to follow. Racing is set for 7 p.m. Pacific.
•On Friday, September 3 at Skagit Speedway, the pit gates will open at 2 p.m. Pacific, with the grandstand gates opening at 5 p.m. Pacific and hot laps are set for 6 p.m. Pacific with time trials to follow. Racing is set for 7 p.m. Pacific.
•On Saturday, September 4 at Skagit Speedway, the pit gates will open at 2 p.m. Pacific, with the grandstand gates opening at 5 p.m. Pacific and hot laps are set for 6 p.m. Pacific with time trials to follow. Racing is set for 7 p.m. Pacific.
•On Monday, September 6 at Grays Harbor Raceway, the pit gates will open at 1:30 p.m. Pacific, with the grandstand gates opening at 3:30 p.m. Pacific with hot laps set for 5 p.m. Pacific, with time trials to follow and racing is set for 6;30 p.m. Pacific.
WHERE
• Cottage Grove Speedway is located in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Take I-5 to exit 174, then one block south on Gateway, then one block south on North 19 th St., then right for 0.3 mile on Ostrander Lane, then 0.4 mile north on Douglas.
• Skagit Speedway is located in Alger, Washington, From the North, take I-5 South to the Lake Samish Road Exit 240 towards Alger. Turn left on Lake Samish Road. Go 1 mi to Old Highway 99 N. Turn right on Old Highway 99 N, go 3.3 miles. From the South, exit 232. Then north from the Cook Rd. Shell on Hyw 99 approx. 5 miles.
• Grays Harbor Raceway is located in Elma, Washington, just minutes from Olympia and Aberdeen on Hwy 12 on the grounds of the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds.
TICKETS
• On Wednesday, September 1 at Cottage Grove Speedway, tickets in the grandstand will be $40, with tickets for kids ages 3-12 $20. For more information on tickets visit http://www.cottagegrovespeedway.com or call the track at 541-942-7561.
•On Friday, September 3 at Skagit Speedway, Adults tickets (ages 18-64) will be $35, with tickets for Seniors (ages 64-over), Juniors (ages 7-17) and Military $25, with tickets for children (6-under) $10. For more information and to purchase tickets call the track office at 360) 724-3567.
•On Saturday, September 4 at Skagit Speedway, Adults tickets (ages 18-64) will be $35, with tickets for Seniors (ages 64-over), Juniors (ages 7-17) and Military $25, with tickets for children (6-under) $10. For more information and to purchase tickets call the track office at 360) 724-3567.
•On Monday, September 6 at Grays Harbor Raceway, reserved tickets will be $38, with premium tickets also available. To purchase tickets online visit: http://graysharborraceway.ticketforce.com.
ON THE INTERNET
•The World of Outlaws is at http://www.worldofoutlaws.com/sprint
• Cottage Grove Speedway is at http://www.cottagegrovespeedway.com
• Skagit Speedway is at http://www.skagitspeedway.com
• Grays Harbor Raceway is at http://www.graysharborraceway.net
•DIRTVision & the Dirt Radio Network are at http://www.DIRTVision.com
ABOUT THE TRACKS
•Cottage Grove Speedway is a high-banked 1/4-mile. The track record of 9.991 seconds at 90.081 mph was established by Joey Saldana on August 29, 2007.
•Skagit Speedway is a high-banked three-tenths-mile. The track record of 10.872 seconds at 99.338 mph was established by Jason Sides on September 4, 2009
•Grays Harbor Raceway is a high-banked 3/8-mile. The track record of 11.915 seconds was established by Craig Dollansky on Aug. 27, 2004 .
PREVIOUS WINNERS
World of Outlaws A-Feature winners at Cottage Grove Speedway include:
2009- Jason Meyers on September 8
2008- Donny Schatz on September 2
2007- Joey Saldana on August 29
2005- Danny Lasoski on August 30
2004- Kraig Kinser on August 31
2003- Steve Kinser on August 26
2002 - Danny Lasoski on August 27
2000 - Steve Kinser on August 29
1999 - Danny Lasoski on August 23
1998 - Donny Schatz on August 24
1997 - Sammy Swindell on August 25
1996 - Mark Kinser on August 27
1995 - Steve Kinser on August 29
1994 - Dave Blaney on August 31
World of Outlaws A-Feature winners at Skagit Speedway include:
2009- Joey Saldana on September 4, Jason Meyers on September 5
2008- Jason Solwold on August 30, Joey Saldana on August 31
2007- Brooke Tatnell on August 24, Craig Dollansky on August 25
2006- Brooke Tatnell on Aug. 26
2002 - Joey Saldana on August 23
1995 - Dave Blaney on August 26
1994 - Dave Blaney on August 27
1979 - Jack Hewitt on June 14, Sammy Swindell on June 15, Doug Wolfgang on June 16 1978 - Doug Wolfgang on June 17, Doug Wolfgang on June 18
World of Outlaws A-Feature winners at Grays Harbor Raceway include:
2008- Kraig Kinser on September 1
2007- Shane Stewart on August 27
2005- Donny Schatz on August 27
2004- Steve Kinser on August 28
2003- Jason Meyers on August 23
2002 - Tim Shaffer on August 17
2001 - Stevie Smith on August 18
2000 - Mark Kinser on August 20
1999 - Mark Kinser on August 21
1998 - Steve Kinser on August 22
1997 - Sammy Swindell on August 23
1996 - Dave Blaney on August 24
Note- The event in 2009 was rained out.
FEATURE WINNERS
• There have been 53 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events held in 2010. The winners include: Joey Saldana (Thunderbowl Raceway, Volunteer Speedway, I-55 Raceway, Eldora Speedway-twice, Dodge City Raceway Park, River Cities Speedway, LaSalle Speedway, Beaver Dam Raceway, Lernerville Speedway, Nodak Speedway and Castrol Raceway), Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Thunderbowl Raceway, Volunteer Speedway, Tri-State (Okla.) Speedway, Virginia Motor Speedway, I-96 Speedway, North Central Speedway, I-55 Raceway and Castrol Raceway), Steve Kinser (Volusia Speedway Park, Jackson Speedway, River Cities Speedway, Lakeside Speedway, Eldora Speedway, Autodrome Drummond and Fulton Speedway), Jason Sides (Houston Raceway Park , Tri-City Speedway, Missouri State Fair Speedway and Ohsweken Speedway), Craig Dollansky (Lone Star Speedway, Cedar Lake Speedway and Nodak Speedway), Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park, The Dirt Track at Charlotte and Ohsweken Speedway), Lance Dewease (Lernerville Speedway and Williams Grove Speedway), Jac Haudenschild (Paducah International Raceway and Knoxville Raceway), Sammy Swindell (Dodge City Raceway and Huset's Speedway), Brooke Tatnell (Knoxville Raceway and Junction Motor Speedway), Dale Blaney (Limaland Motorsports Park), Doug Esh (Lebanon Valley Speedway), Greg Hodnett (Williams Grove Speedway), Chad Layton (Williams Grove Speedway), Paul McMahan (Eldora Speedway), Fred Rahmer (Williams Grove Speedway) and Tim Shaffer (I-55 Raceway).
1/4-MILE WINNERS
•Cottage Grove Speedway is a high-banked 1/4-mile oval. The World of Outlaws have raced four times this season on a track that size. The winners include: Joey Saldana (River Cities Speedway and LaSalle Speedway), Dale Blaney (Limaland Motorsports Park), Steve Kinser (River Cities Speedway), and Jason Sides (Houston Raceway Park).
THREE-TENTHS-MILE WINNERS
• Skagit Speedway is a high-banked three-tenths-mile oval. The World of Outlaws raced twice on a track that size in 2009. The winners were: Jason Meyers (Skagit Speedway) and Joey Saldana (Skagit Speedway).
3/8-MILE WINNERS
• Grays Harbor Raceway is a high-banked 3/8-mile oval. The World of Outlaws have raced 14 times on a track that size this season. The winners include: Joey Saldana (Dodge City Raceway Park, Nodak Speedway and Castrol Raceway), Craig Dollansky (Cedar Lake Speedway and Nodak Speedway), Jason Meyers (Tri-State-Okla. Speedway and Castrol Raceway), Sammy Swindell (Dodge City Raceway Park and Huset's Speedway), Jac Haudenschild (Paducah International Raceway), Steve Kinser (Fulton Speedway), Donny Schatz (Ohsweken Speedway), Jason Sides (Ohsweken Speedway) and Brooke Tatnell (Junction Motor Speedway).
2010 World of Outlaws Championship Standings through August 28
1. Joey Saldana 7171
2. Steve Kinser 7145
3. Jason Meyers 7133
4. Donny Schatz 7022
5. Jason Sides 6958
6. Paul McMahan 6874
7. Craig Dollansky 6652
8. Lucas Wolfe 6627
9. Danny Lasoski 6464
10. Kraig Kinser 6441
11. Sam Hafertepe Jr. 6166
12. Jac Haudenschild 6080
13. Chad Kemenah 5971
14. Ben Gregg 5474
15. Toni Lutar 5253
16. Brian Ellenberger 4344
17. Sammy Swindell 3635
18. Kerry Madsen 3300
19. Tim Kaeding 2862
20. Daryn Pittman 2690
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Tight at the Top: Joey Saldana, Steve Kinser & Jason Meyers Separated by Just 38 Points After the Oil City Cup
Concord, NC-August 29, 2010- Only 38 points separate Joey Saldana, Steve Kinser and Jason Meyers at the top of the World of Outlaws standings following the Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway in Canada this past weekend. A total of 17 races remain on the 2010 calendar with a busy stretch of four races in a six-day period coming up later this week.
Saldana used a win on Saturday night along with turning the second fastest lap in time trials to earn four bonus points in the standings to extend his lead to 26 markers over Kinser. The native of Brownsburg, Indiana was caught up in a wreck on Friday night, relegating him to a 19th-place finish, which at that point cut his lead to just eight markers. The win on Saturday night was Saldana's series leading 12th and he also earned his 32nd Top-Five finish of the season which ties him with Kinser in that department.
Kinser finished seventh on Saturday night to pick up his series leading 47th Top-10 finish of the season and remain second in points. He worked his way back to 11th on Friday night after a spin while battling for the lead, which sent him to the work area for repairs. He too has 32 Top-Five finishes on the season to lead the series.
Jason Meyers used a win on Friday night along with setting fast time to gain 43 points on Saldana in the opener of the two-day event. The California native followed that up with a fourth-place performance on Saturday night and is now just 12 markers behind Kinser for second and 38 markers out of the lead as he chases his first World of Outlaws title. He has 41 Top-10 and 27 Top-Five finishes on the season.
Donny Schatz, the four-time and defending World of Outlaws champion, used two very strong runs in Edmonton to remain fourth in points. He was third in the opener at Castrol Raceway and moved up a spot to finish second in the finale. Schatz has 41 Top-10 finishes on the season with 27 of those being Top-Five performances.
Jason Sides had a consistent weekend in Canada finishing fourth and 10th and now has 41 Top-10 finishes on the season of which 27 are Top-Fives, which is a career high. He remains fifth in points.
Paul McMahan came home fifth each night of the Oil City Cup to earn his 21st and 22nd Top-Five finishes of the season. The veteran remains sixth in points on the strength of 37 Top-10 finishes.
Craig Dollansky used a ninth-place finish on Friday night to move up to seventh in points. The native of Elk River, Minnesota has 29 Top-10 finishes on the season with 16 being Top-Fives.
Lucas Wolfe is currently eighth in points on the strength of a career-high 25 Top-10 finishes with 14 Top-Fives and is just 25 points behind Dollansky as the pair battles for the seventh spot.
Danny Lasoski used a sixth-place effort on Saturday night to move up a spot to ninth in points. The 2001 World of Outlaws champion finished eighth on Friday night and has 26 Top-10 finishes on the season.
Kraig Kinser rounds out the Top-10 points on the strength of 25 Top-10 finishes with seven Top-Five performances. The third generation driver is just 23 markers behind Lasoski as they battle for the ninth position.
The World of Outlaws return to action on Wednesday, September 1 at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon.
2010 World of Outlaws Championship Standings through August 28
1. Joey Saldana 7171
2. Steve Kinser 7145
3. Jason Meyers 7133
4. Donny Schatz 7022
5. Jason Sides 6958
6. Paul McMahan 6874
7. Craig Dollansky 6652
8. Lucas Wolfe 6627
9. Danny Lasoski 6464
10. Kraig Kinser 6441
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An Even Dozen: Joey Saldana Wins Finale of the Oil City Cup to Score 12th Victory of the Season
Edmonton, AB-August 28, 2010- After having some bad luck on Friday night in the opener of the Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway, and losing a significant amount of points in the battle for the World of Outlaws championship, Joey Saldana looked to rebound in the finale of the two-day event at the Canadian oval. He did exactly that, getting back on track in impression fashion winning a thrilling race on Saturday night over Donny Schatz and Sam Hafertepe Jr. that saw the trio trade countless slide jobs in lapped traffic.
Saldana slid Hafertepe in turn four in lapped traffic on the 30th lap to take the lead, after nearly taking the top spot a few laps earlier. The second generation driver would lead the remainder of the distance to earn his series leading 12th A-Feature win of the season and his third in his last four starts at Castrol Raceway. The victory for Saldana was his 71st with the World of Outlaws, moving him ahead of Dave Blaney for seventh on the all-time win list.
"That was an amazing race," said Saldana in Victory Lane. "I hope everyone here enjoyed it tonight. I had to really get my elbows up tonight. We had a great car and we had a great car last night and just got caught up in someone else's mistake. Tonight it showed how good of a car we had. We are doing the best we can and everyone on this team is working hard. We have had no luck this year and sooner or later it's got to turn around."
Saldana lined up eighth and methodically worked his way to the front. He used a strong restart on the ninth-lap to move into the Top-Five. A double file restart on the 13th go-around helped him move into the third spot, where he then set his sights on Schatz. Saldana moved into second aboard the Budweiser Maxim just before the halfway point of the 35-lap contest with a perfectly executed slide job on Schatz in turns one and two. The pair would continue a torrid battle for the runner-up spot before they caught Hafertepe in lapped traffic.
"When Donny (Schatz) showed me his nose, I definitely knew that I had to get going or I was going to get beat," admitted Saldana. "He was going to go by both of us. We were all running as hard as we could lap after lap. It was just a good race and I can't say enough about my team."
Saldana, the current World of Outlaws championship point leader, gained 18 points on Steve Kinser, who finished seventh on Saturday night and now has a 26-point advantage over the 20-time series champion. He also picked up 10 makers on Jason Meyers, who is finished fourth on Saturday night. Meyers remains third in the standings, and is now 38 points back. Saldana overcame a flat tire in his heat race to finish sixth to earn a spot in the dash by way of being second quick in time trials. He then had to give up the fifth starting spot in the dash and start at the tail by way of World of Outlaws rules for having to change a tire in a heat race.
"We are trying to win a championship and you can't win championships when you are falling out of races," deadpanned Saldana, who is a native of Brownsburg, Indiana. "We know we have a great car and are doing great things, we just get caught up in silly stuff and that's just racing. Sooner or later it will turn around."
Donny Schatz nearly took the lead a couple of time while he was battling Hafertepe for the top spot, including on the 14th lap on the low side of turn four. He battled Saldana for a number of laps for second. He then got by Hafertepe with three laps remaining to come home second in the Armor All/STP J&J.
"We had a great car," said Schatz. "The guys did a great job tonight. I just put myself in a bad spot in lapped traffic and let Joey (Saldana) get by us and kind of get away from us. I feel like I had a little better car than him and Sam (Hafertepe Jr.) and was trying to smart and it was tricky in (turns) three and four if you didn't hit it just right. Second place is where we were tonight."
Hafertepe started on the pole on Saturday night and quickly jumped out to an early lead over Jason Meyers. He extended that lead until the leaders hit lapped traffic, with Meyers and Schatz closing back in on him them. The native of Sunnyvale, Texas would go on to lead 29 laps aboard the Lone Star Speedway Maxim en route to a third-place finish.
"We just got beat fair and square and that's the name of the game out here," Hafertepe graciously stated. "These guys just ran lapped traffic a little better than I did and that's the bottom line. I got to them first. I guess I kind of helped the guys behind me out by clearing the path a few times. We'll come back and see if we can't get a chance at another one."
Schatz, who lined up third, worked the low side of the track for the first half of the race before switching his line. He and Saldana waged a thrilling battle that saw them trade numerous slide jobs including in lapped traffic when they were right on Hafertepe. For Schatz the runner-up finish was his 27th Top-Five of the season.
"Sometimes you just have to go where everyone else is not to see what is going on and gauge your stuff," explained the four-time and defending series champion. "I felt pretty good on the bottom, though the track kept getting faster and faster and it was wearing the bottom out so I had to go back up top. With a long race, you have to be good everywhere. Like I said, it was tricky in three and four for my car to enter there, so I enter there one time and made the best of it and did what we could."
Hafertepe was pounding the cushion in turns three and four for a majority of the race including in heavy lapped traffic. In open track he was able to easily pull away from the field, but in traffic, Saldana, Schatz and Meyers were able to close back up on him on several occasions. On each of the double file restarts that he was out front on, Hafertepe chose the low line of the track and brought the field up very slowly each time on the restart.
"We were probably hitting it (the wall) every other lap, but to get your first win, you'll do anything," Hafertepe said. "We were doing everything we could and if we would have been a little better of off (turn) two I guarantee we would have won this thing. That is where we were hurt coming off there. These guys were getting off there better than we were, but in (turns) three and four, I don't think anyone had anything for us."
Jason Meyers kept pace with Hafertepe in the early going and ended up fourth in the GLR Investments KPC. He earned two bonus points in the standings for turning in the fourth-fastest lap in time trials and now trails Saldana by 38 points.
Paul McMahan was fifth in the Great Clips Maxim, with Danny Lasoski sixth aboard the Casey's General Stores JEI. Steve Kinser finished seventh in the Bass Pro Shops Maxim to remain second in points, 26 markers out of the top spot. Jason Solwold was eighth in the Extreme Oilfield Technology XXX. Jac Haudenschild was ninth in the Owens-Coning Fiberglass XXX, with Jason Sides rounding out the Top-10 aboard the Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim.
The World of Outlaws return to action on Wednesday, September 1 at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon.
OIL CITY CUP NIGHT #2 NOTES
•FAST QUALIFIER: Jac Haudenschild paced the 26 cars that took time with an AMB i.t. timed lap around the semi-banked 3/8-mile oval at 13.638 seconds at 98.988 mph. For his qualifying effort, Haudenschild earned five bonus points. The next four fastest qualifiers also earned bonus points, including: Joey Saldana (4), Donny Schatz (3), Jason Meyers (2) and Paul McMahan (1).
•CASTROL RACEWAY QUALIFYING WINNERS: Kerry Madsen, Jason Solwold and Sam Hafertepe Jr. won heat races. Sam Hafertepe Jr. won the dash. Ben Gregg won the Last Chance Showdown.
•FINES LEVIED: Brad Sweet has been fined $2,500 and suspended for five races for violating Section 2.2A of the World of Outlaws Rulebook regarding "Members acting in a professional manner," in addition to Section 11.1G in regards to "Members driving roughly," pertaining to an incident at Nodak Speedway on Saturday, August 21. Sweet also has been placed on probation for the remainder of the 2010 season. Kasey Kahne Racing has appealed the fine and penalty. Additionally, the No. 11 Tony Stewart Racing team was fined $500 for violating Section 11.1O in the 2010 World of Outlaws Rule Book regarding a "Team member on the racing surface" during a yellow flag on Saturday, August 21 at Nodak Speedway.
• FEATURE WINNERS: There have been 53 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events held in 2010. The winners include: Joey Saldana (Thunderbowl Raceway, Volunteer Speedway, I-55 Raceway, Eldora Speedway-twice, Dodge City Raceway Park, River Cities Speedway, LaSalle Speedway, Beaver Dam Raceway, Lernerville Speedway, Nodak Speedway and Castrol Raceway), Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Thunderbowl Raceway, Volunteer Speedway, Tri-State (Okla.) Speedway, Virginia Motor Speedway, I-96 Speedway, North Central Speedway, I-55 Raceway and Castrol Raceway), Steve Kinser (Volusia Speedway Park, Jackson Speedway, River Cities Speedway, Lakeside Speedway, Eldora Speedway, Autodrome Drummond and Fulton Speedway), Jason Sides (Houston Raceway Park , Tri-City Speedway, Missouri State Fair Speedway and Ohsweken Speedway), Craig Dollansky (Lone Star Speedway, Cedar Lake Speedway and Nodak Speedway), Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park, The Dirt Track at Charlotte and Ohsweken Speedway), Lance Dewease (Lernerville Speedway and Williams Grove Speedway), Jac Haudenschild (Paducah International Raceway and Knoxville Raceway), Sammy Swindell (Dodge City Raceway and Huset's Speedway), Brooke Tatnell (Knoxville Raceway and Junction Motor Speedway), Dale Blaney (Limaland Motorsports Park), Doug Esh (Lebanon Valley Speedway), Greg Hodnett (Williams Grove Speedway), Chad Layton (Williams Grove Speedway), Paul McMahan (Eldora Speedway), Fred Rahmer (Williams Grove Speedway) and Tim Shaffer (I-55 Raceway).
•3/8-MILE-WINNERS: Castrol Raceway is a semi-banked 3/8-mile oval. The World of Outlaws have raced 14 times on a track that size this season. The winners include: Joey Saldana (Dodge City Raceway Park, Nodak Speedway and Castrol Raceway), Craig Dollansky (Cedar Lake Speedway and Nodak Speedway), Jason Meyers (Tri-State-Okla. Speedway and Castrol Raceway), Sammy Swindell (Dodge City Raceway Park and Huset's Speedway), Jac Haudenschild (Paducah International Raceway), Steve Kinser (Fulton Speedway), Donny Schatz (Ohsweken Speedway), Jason Sides (Ohsweken Speedway) and Brooke Tatnell (Junction Motor Speedway).
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Castrol Raceway; Edmonton, AB; August 28, 2010
A-main (35 laps) - Starting Position [#]
1) 9-Joey Saldana[8] [$10,000]
2) 15-Donny Schatz[3] [$5,000]
3) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[1] [$3,000]
4) 14-Jason Meyers[2] [$2,700]
5) 91-Paul McMahan[4] [$2,500]
6) 6-Danny Lasoski[5] [$2,200]
7) 11-Steve Kinser[6] [$2,000]
8) 39c-Jason Solwold[9] [$1,800]
9) R19-Jac Haudenschild[10] [$1,600]
10) 7S-Jason Sides[12] [$1,450]
11) 7-Craig Dollansky[14] [$1,300]
12) 3-Kerry Madsen[7] [$1,200]
13) 63-Chad Kemenah[16] [$1,100]
14) 2B-Ben Gregg[18] [$1,000]
15) 4X-Toni Lutar[21] [$950]
16) 12-Casey Adams[17] [$900]
17) 38-Trever Turnbull[19] [$850]
18) 6m-Sean Moran[20] [$750]
19) 11 EH-Marc Duperron[15] [$725]
20) 31-Colton Akerstrom[23] [$700]
21) 5-Allan Green[24] [$700]
22) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[13] [$700]
23) 75-Jesse Dakus[22] [$700]
24) 11K-Kraig Kinser[11] [$700]
Lap Leaders: Sam Hafertepe Jr. 1-29, Joey Saldana 30-35
World of Outlaws Championship Standings through August 28
1. Joey Saldana 7171
2. Steve Kinser 7145 -26
3. Jason Meyers 7133 -38
4. Donny Schatz 7022 -149
5. Jason Sides 6958 -213
6. Paul McMahan 6874 -297
7. Craig Dollansky 6652 -519
8. Lucas Wolfe 6627 -544
9. Danny Lasoski 6464 -707
10. Kraig Kinser 6441 -730
-end-
Back on Top: Jason Meyers Wins Opener of the Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway in Canada
Edmonton, AB-August 27, 2010- Jason Meyers has always done very well during the annual Gold Rush Tour. Last season he was able to gain nearly 100 points during the swing through the Pacific Northwest and the West Coast to put himself in the thick of the closest ever three-way battle for the World of Outlaws title. He is in a prime position to do the same thing this year and was able to gain a significant amount of points on Joey Saldana and Steve Kinser on Friday night, by winning the opener of the Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway to earn his ninth A-Feature win of the season and the second of his career at the Canadian track. The trio is separated by just 28 markers with 18 events remaining on the 2010 calendar.
Meyers took the lead on Friday night on the 16th lap with a slide job on Steve Kinser in turn four and would lead the remainder of the distance to score his 44th career World of Outlaws A-Feature win, which was worth $10,000. He started sixth and was up to third just a handful of laps into the 35-lap contest, before getting around Kerry Madsen and setting his sights on Kinser.
"These guys did a heck of a job tonight," said Meyers. "We had a great race car. We got the lead early and the yellow came out and they put me back behind him. You don't get too many chances with 'The King' (Steve Kinser). This is incredible. This is a great race track and they had a great crowd. That was good racing right there. This was a complete team effort and that's a good team does, it wins races."
Meyers was out front on the final restart of the night, which was a single file restart due to there being a crash on a double file restart before a complete lap was in the books. He shot to a quick lead on the restart just before the halfway point and found himself in open race track for most of the remainder of the 35-lapper. Meyers initially took the lead from Kinser on the 12th lap coming off turn two, though the caution flag came out before that lap was complete, putting him back in second.
"I had a good race car and was ready for the double file (restart)," shared the winner. "Of course I liked the single file one we had. When you are leading, you never want to see a double file restart. I just had a good race car tonight and could put it anywhere, high or low and really get aggressive with it."
Meyers, who is a native of Clovis, California, opened the night by setting fast time aboard the GLR Investments KPC to earn five bonus points in the standings and wound up gaining a total of 43 points on current point leader Joey Saldana. Kinser spun in turn four on the 16th lap after Meyers passed him, collecting Saldana, who had nowhere to go. After a stop in the work area Kinser returned to the track and ended up 11th, while Saldana's crew was not able to complete repairs on his machine in the allotted two minutes, relegating him to a 19th-place finish.
"This is good old fashion short track racing and that's what I grew up on in California," Meyers said. "You can get aggressive and you can get it done on the short tracks, but you can get in trouble as well. It's real important to stay out of trouble and keep the car up front. We made up a lot of points last year and we are right in the hunt for this thing and closer than we have ever been. We want it bad and are going to go after it, but we are racing some good competition, so we have our work cut out for us. We'll keep digging each and every night and keep putting on great races in front of great sprint car fans and hopefully get this thing done."
Kerry Madsen started on the front row Friday night and ended up second in the Halls Haulage KPC to match his best finish of the year with the World of Outlaws. Madsen kept pace with early leader Steve Kinser, who started on the pole and was right on his rear bumper in traffic about seven laps in. He kept pace with Meyers in lapped traffic in the middle stages of the race.
"Second is great for us tonight," stated Madsen. "Congratulations to Jason (Meyers) and his team. They were quicker than us tonight and deserved it. We're happy for our team, especially our car owner Brian Hall. He went back down to Western Australia last week. Everyone here is doing a fantastic job."
Donny Schatz came all the way from the 14th starting spot to finish third in the Armor All/STP J&J to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award. He lined up eighth on the final restart of the night on the 16th lap and quickly made his charge to the front, with the final 20 laps of the contest going non-stop.
"My guys did a great job," said Schatz. "We played a little tonight and learned some things. My race car was only good around the bottom. I tried to go up top and just couldn't do it. I could see Jason (Meyers) leading and I thought we'd get a chance at the end with a yellow and be right in the mix. You can't ask for much better than that starting 14th and we won't put ourselves in that hole tomorrow night. We'll come back and try to get these guys a win."
Jason Sides finished fourth for the second consecutive race at Castrol Raceway in the Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim. Paul McMahan was fifth in the Great Clips Maxim, with Jac Haudenschild sixth aboard the Owens-Corning Fiberglass XXX. Sam Hafertepe Jr. finished seventh in the Lone Star Speedway Maxim, with Danny Lasoski eighth in the Casey's General Stores JEI. Craig Dollansky was ninth in the Big Game Treestands Maxim. Chad Kemenah picked up his third straight Top-10 finish coming home 10th in the Golden Flavor Sesame Sticks Maxim.
The World of Outlaws wrap up the 2010 Oil City Cup at Castrol on Saturday, August 28 with another full night of racing with $10,000 awaiting the winner.
OIL CITY CUP NIGHT #1 NOTES
•FAST QUALIFIER: Jason Meyers paced the 29 cars that took time with an AMB i.t. timed lap around the semi-banked 3/8-mile oval at 12.793 seconds. For his qualifying effort, Meyers earned five bonus points. The next four fastest qualifiers also earned bonus points, including: Kraig Kinser (4), Jason Sides (3), Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2) and Steve Kinser (1).
•CASTROL RACEWAY QUALIFYING WINNERS: Craig Dollansky, Ben Gregg and Lucas Wolfe won heat races. Steve Kinser won the dash. Chad Kemenah won the Last Chance Showdown.
• FEATURE WINNERS: There have been 52 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events held in 2010. The winners include: Joey Saldana (Thunderbowl Raceway, Volunteer Speedway, I-55 Raceway, Eldora Speedway-twice, Dodge City Raceway Park, River Cities Speedway, LaSalle Speedway, Beaver Dam Raceway, Lernerville Speedway and Nodak Speedway), Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Thunderbowl Raceway, Volunteer Speedway, Tri-State (Okla.) Speedway, Virginia Motor Speedway, I-96 Speedway, North Central Speedway, I-55 Raceway and Castrol Raceway), Steve Kinser (Volusia Speedway Park, Jackson Speedway, River Cities Speedway, Lakeside Speedway, Eldora Speedway, Autodrome Drummond and Fulton Speedway), Jason Sides (Houston Raceway Park , Tri-City Speedway, Missouri State Fair Speedway and Ohsweken Speedway), Craig Dollansky (Lone Star Speedway, Cedar Lake Speedway and Nodak Speedway), Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park, The Dirt Track at Charlotte and Ohsweken Speedway), Lance Dewease (Lernerville Speedway and Williams Grove Speedway), Jac Haudenschild (Paducah International Raceway and Knoxville Raceway), Sammy Swindell (Dodge City Raceway and Huset's Speedway), Brooke Tatnell (Knoxville Raceway and Junction Motor Speedway), Dale Blaney (Limaland Motorsports Park), Doug Esh (Lebanon Valley Speedway), Greg Hodnett (Williams Grove Speedway), Chad Layton (Williams Grove Speedway), Paul McMahan (Eldora Speedway), Fred Rahmer (Williams Grove Speedway) and Tim Shaffer (I-55 Raceway).
•3/8-MILE-WINNERS: Castrol Raceway is a semi-banked 3/8-mile oval. The World of Outlaws have raced 13 times on a track that size this season. The winners include: Craig Dollansky (Cedar Lake Speedway and Nodak Speedway), Jason Meyers (Tri-State-Okla. Speedway and Castrol Raceway), Joey Saldana (Dodge City Raceway Park and Nodak Speedway), Sammy Swindell (Dodge City Raceway Park and Huset's Speedway), Jac Haudenschild (Paducah International Raceway), Steve Kinser (Fulton Speedway), Donny Schatz (Ohsweken Speedway), Jason Sides (Ohsweken Speedway) and Brooke Tatnell (Junction Motor Speedway).
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Castrol Raceway; Edmonton, AB; August 27, 2010
A-main (35 laps) - Starting Position [#]- Starting Position [#]
1) 14-Jason Meyers[6] [$10,000]
2) 3-Kerry Madsen[2] [$5,000]
3) 15-Donny Schatz[14] [$3,000]
4) 7S-Jason Sides[3] [$2,700]
5) 91-Paul McMahan[11] [$2,500]
6) R19-Jac Haudenschild[15] [$2,200]
7) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[4] [$2,000]
8) 6-Danny Lasoski[13] [$1,800]
9) 7-Craig Dollansky[8] [$1,600]
10) 63-Chad Kemenah[16] [$1,450]
11) 11-Steve Kinser[1] [$1,300]
12) 11K-Kraig Kinser[5] [$1,200]
13) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[9] [$1,100]
14) 6M-Sean Moran[18] [$1,000]
15) 4X-Toni Lutar[17] [$950]
16) 11 EH-Marc Duperron[12] [$900]
17) 2B-Ben Gregg[10] [$850]
18) 31-Colton Akerstrom[20] [$750]
19) 9-Joey Saldana[7] [$725]
20) 5-Allan Green[22] [$700]
21) 38-Trever Turnbull[19] [$700]
22) 3T-Kelly Trerice[21] [$700]
23) 9X-Sean MacDonell[24] [$700]
24) 75-Jesse Dakus[23] [$700]
Lap Leaders: Steve Kinser 1-15, Jason Meyers 16-35
World of Outlaws Championship Standings through August 27
1. Joey Saldana 7017
2. Steve Kinser 7009 -8
3. Jason Meyers 6989 -28
4. Donny Schatz 6873 -144
5. Jason Sides 6828 -189
6. Paul McMahan 6744 -244
7. Craig Dollansky 6524 -493
8. Lucas Wolfe 6521 -496
9. Kraig Kinser 6339 -678
10. Danny Lasoski 6326 -691
-end-
Previewing the Fourth Annual Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton
Edmonton, AB-August 25, 2010- A little history will be made this weekend at Castrol Raceway as the World of Outlaws visit the track located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, marking the third different track north of the border that the series has competed at in 2010. For each of the last three years, the series has visited two track in Canada a year. The Fourth Annual Oil City Cup on Friday, August 27 and Saturday, August 28 will be the series only visit to the Western part of Canada and the series final appearance in the country this season.
Two full nights of racing are in store, with $10,000 awaiting the winner of each 35-lap A-Feature event. The Oil City Cup was first held in 2007, with 20-time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser winning the inaugural race at the track, while Donny Schatz was victorious in the finale that season. In 2008, Hall of Famer Jac Haudenschild won the opener, with Jason Meyers taking the finale.
Joey Saldana, the current series point leader, won both ends of the Oil City Cup last season, leading all 70 laps of feature racing competition to score his first career wins in Canada to go along victories in Australian and New Zealand. The second generation driver leads the World of Outlaws with 11 wins this season. He has finished in the Top-Five in five of his six career starts at Castrol Raceway.
Steve Kinser, who is just 25 points behind Saldana, has finished fourth or better in all six of his career starts at Castrol Raceway and has an average finish of 2.7 at the track to lead all drivers. He finished second in the opener last season and was third in the finale. The living legend leads the World of Outlaws in Top-Five and Top-10 finishes this season as he chases his record 21st title.
Jason Meyers, who is currently third in points, 71 markers out of the lead, won at Castrol Raceway in 2008. He has finished sixth or better in all six of his career starts at the 3/8-mile, with five of those being Top-Five performances. The California native has won eight times this year as he chases his first title.
Donny Schatz, the four-time and defending World of Outlaws champion, who is currently fourth in points, won in Edmonton in 2007 during the inaugural Oil City Cup weekend. The North Dakota native has finished ninth or better in all six of his career starts at the track, with five of those being Top-Five performances. He is the current track record holder, a mark he established in time trials in 2007.
Jac Haudenschild, who recently returned to action after suffering a broken hand last month, won at Castrol Raceway in 2008. The veteran has three Top-10 finishes at the track in four starts. He has won twice this season.
In six A-Feature events for the World of Outlaws at Castrol Raceway, five different drivers have picked up wins, with Joey Saldana being the only driver that has won more than once.
The Buzz:
Joey Saldana looks to make it three in a row at Castrol Raceway after winning both ends of the Oil City Cup in 2009. He recently won his 70 th career World of Outlaws A-Feature event.
Steve Kinser has an average finish of 2.7 at Castrol Raceway to lead all drivers and has finished in the Top-Five in all six of his starts at the track.
Jason Meyers has finished sixth or better in all six of his starts at Castrol Raceway and used a very strong Gold Rush Tour last season to gain significant ground in the series standings.
Donny Schatz has finished ninth or better in all six of his starts at Castrol Raceway, winning once.
Jason Sides finished fourth and eighth at Castrol Raceway last season and has three career Top-10 finishes at the track. He won earlier this season in Canada at Ohsweken Speedway and has three career wins north of the border.
Danny Lasoski finished fifth and sixth last season at Castrol Raceway and has three Top-10 finishes in four career starts at the track.
Craig Dollansky has finished seventh or better in five of his six starts at the track with three of those being Top-Five finishes. He heads to Edmonton as the most recent winner with the World of Outlaws.
Jac Haudenschild will make his first appearance at Castrol Raceway since 2008 this coming weekend. He won at the track in 2008 and three Top-10 finishes in four starts. He recently returned after missing some time with a broken hand.
Lucas Wolfe picked up his best-career Castrol Raceway finish last season coming home seventh. He has finished second, three times this season as he chases his first World of Outlaws win.
Sam Hafertepe Jr. makes his first start at Castrol Raceway since 2008 this coming weekend. The native of Sunnyvale, Texas has a couple of Top-10 finishes at the track.
Chad Kemenah returns to Castrol Raceway for the first time in a couple of years this weekend. He finished second and ninth in his last two starts at the track in 2008 and carries momentum from fifth and sixth-place finishes last weekend.
Ben Gregg, one of the contenders for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award this season, will make his first two starts at Castrol Raceway this weekend.
Toni Lutar, who hails from White Rock, British Columbia, Canada, competed in both nights of the Oil City Cup last season.
One year ago: Joey Saldana dominated the Oil City Cup, picking up the win on both nights, leading all 70 laps of feature racing competition. In the opener he bested Steve Kinser, Donny Schatz, Craig Dollansky and Danny Lasoski, while in the finale he finished ahead of Jason Meyers, Kinser, Jason Sides and Schatz. Sides opened the weekend by setting fast time, with heat races going to Paul McMahan, Donny Schatz and Danny Lasoski on night one, with Danny Lasoski winning the dash. In the feature event, Saldana beat Lasoski into turn one and would lead the remainder of the 35-lap contest. The finale saw Meyers set fast time, with heat races going to Travis Rutz, Jeff Hodgson and Craig Dollansky, with Meyers taking the dash. In the feature, Saldana again got the jump going into turn one from the outside of the front row and never looked back.
By the Numbers: Fourth Annual Oil City Cup
0.375- Miles around Castrol Raceway
1- Driver hailing from Canada competing full-time with the World of Outlaws in 2010- Toni Lutar
2.7- Average finish for Steve Kinser in six starts at Castrol Raceway to lead all drivers
3- Drivers that finished in the Top-Five both nights at the track last season- Joey Saldana, Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz
5- Total races for the World of Outlaws in Canada this season; Drivers that have won at Castrol Raceway with the World of Outlaws
6- A-Feature events contested by the World of Outlaws at Castrol Raceway dating back to 2007
9- Fast time honors for Paul McMahan to lead all drivers; Track records that have been established in qualifying at World of Outlaws events in 2010
11- Drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws this season that raced at Castrol Raceway in 2009; Wins for Joey Saldana this season to lead all drivers
12.693 - Track record established by Donny Schatz in time trials in 2007
15- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws
17- Drivers that have won A-Feature events with the World of Outlaws in 2010; Drivers that have been quickest in time trials in 2010
18- Drivers that have won a Dash this season to earn a pole position
25- Points that separate leader Joey Saldana and Steve Kinser in points; Drivers that have led laps in feature events this season
31- Top-Five finishes for Steve Kinser this season to lead all drivers
46- Top-10 finishes for Steve Kinser this season to lead the series
51- A-Feature events contested by the World of Outlaws through August 21
70- Laps led by Joey Saldana en route to winning both events at Castrol Raceway last season
106.358 - Track record in miles per hour set by Donny Schatz in 2007
304- Laps led by Joey Saldana in feature events this season to lead all drivers
732- Miles from Nodak Speedway in North Dakota where the World of Outlaws race on August 20-21 to Castrol Raceway in Edmonton
2007- Year the World of Outlaws first competed at Castrol Raceway
10,000- Dollars the winner will receive on Friday, August 27; Dollars the winner will receive on Saturday, August 28
229,900- Dollars earned by Steve Kinser this season to lead the series
Tickets: On Friday, August 27 at Castrol Raceway, adult general admission will be $40, with general admission tickets for youth (ages 6-12) $15, with kids 5-under admitted free of charge in the general admission section. Adult reserved tickets will be $50, with reserved ticket for youth (ages 6-12) $25. Two-day tickets are also available. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.CastrolRaceway.com or by calling 780-468-3278.
On Saturday, August 28 at Castrol Raceway, adult general admission will be $40, with general admission tickets for youth (ages 6-12) $15, with kids 5-under admitted free of charge in the general admission section. Adult reserved tickets will be $50, with reserved ticket for youth (ages 6-12) $25. Two-day tickets are also available. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.CastrolRaceway.com or by calling 780-468-3278.
-end-
World of Outlaws At a Glance: Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway
Concord, NC-August 24, 2010-
WHAT
•The 2010 Gold Rush Tour continues this weekend, as the World of Outlaws make their final stop of the season north of the border for the Fourth Annual Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Joey Saldana, the current World of Outlaws point leader, was victorious both nights last season in Edmonton. He carries a 25-point lead over 20-time series champion Steve Kinser into the Oil City Cup, as he chases his first series title. Kinser won the inaugural World of Outlaws event at Castrol Raceway in 2007, while Jason Meyers, who is currently third in points was victorious at the track in 2008. Donny Schatz and Jac Haudenschild have each won in Edmonton as well.
WHEN
•On Friday, August 27 at Castrol Raceway, the pit gates will open at 2 p.m. Mountain, with the grandstand gates opening at 4 p.m. Mountain and hot laps are set for 6 p.m. Mountain with time trials to follow. Racing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Mountain.
•On Saturday, August 28 at Castrol Raceway, the pit gates will open at 2 p.m. Mountain, with the grandstand gates opening at 4 p.m. Mountain and hot laps are set for 6 p.m. Mountain with time trials to follow. Racing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Mountain.
WHERE
• Castrol Raceway is located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Travel south of town on Highway 2, then 1.3 miles west on Highway 19.
TICKETS
•On Friday, August 27 at Castrol Raceway, adult general admission will be $40, with general admission tickets for youth (ages 6-12) $15, with kids 5-under admitted free of charge in the general admission section. Adult reserved tickets will be $50, with reserved ticket for youth (ages 6-12) $25. Two-day tickets are also available. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.CastrolRaceway.com or by calling 780-468-3278.
•On Saturday, August 28 at Castrol Raceway, adult general admission will be $40, with general admission tickets for youth (ages 6-12) $15, with kids 5-under admitted free of charge in the general admission section. Adult reserved tickets will be $50, with reserved ticket for youth (ages 6-12) $25. Two-day tickets are also available. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.CastrolRaceway.com or by calling 780-468-3278.
ON THE INTERNET
•The World of Outlaws is at http://www.worldofoutlaws.com/sprint
• Castrol Raceway is at http://www.castrolraceway.com
•DIRTVision & the Dirt Radio Network are at http://www.DIRTVision.com
•World of Outlaws on Twitter are at: http://www.twitter.com/worldofoutlaws
ABOUT THE TRACK
•Castrol Raceway is a semi-banked 3/8-mile. The track record of 12.693 seconds at 106.358 mph was established by Donny Schatz on August 19, 2007.
PREVIOUS WINNERS
World of Outlaws A-Feature winners at Castrol Raceway include:
2009-Joey Saldana on August 28, Joey Saldana on August 29
2008-Jac Haudenschild on August 22, Jason Meyers on August 23
2007- Steve Kinser on August 17, Donny Schatz on August 19
FEATURE WINNERS
• There have been 51 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events held in 2010. The winners include: Joey Saldana (Thunderbowl Raceway, Volunteer Speedway, I-55 Raceway, Eldora Speedway-twice, Dodge City Raceway Park, River Cities Speedway, LaSalle Speedway, Beaver Dam Raceway, Lernerville Speedway and Nodak Speedway), Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Thunderbowl Raceway, Volunteer Speedway, Tri-State (Okla.) Speedway, Virginia Motor Speedway, I-96 Speedway, North Central Speedway and I-55 Raceway), Steve Kinser (Volusia Speedway Park, Jackson Speedway, River Cities Speedway, Lakeside Speedway, Eldora Speedway, Autodrome Drummond and Fulton Speedway), Jason Sides (Houston Raceway Park , Tri-City Speedway, Missouri State Fair Speedway and Ohsweken Speedway), Craig Dollansky (Lone Star Speedway, Cedar Lake Speedway and Nodak Speedway), Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park, The Dirt Track at Charlotte and Ohsweken Speedway), Lance Dewease (Lernerville Speedway and Williams Grove Speedway), Jac Haudenschild (Paducah International Raceway and Knoxville Raceway), Sammy Swindell (Dodge City Raceway and Huset's Speedway), Brooke Tatnell (Knoxville Raceway and Junction Motor Speedway), Dale Blaney (Limaland Motorsports Park), Doug Esh (Lebanon Valley Speedway), Greg Hodnett (Williams Grove Speedway), Chad Layton (Williams Grove Speedway), Paul McMahan (Eldora Speedway), Fred Rahmer (Williams Grove Speedway) and Tim Shaffer (I-55 Raceway).
3/8-MILE WINNERS
• Castrol Raceway is a semi-banked 3/8-mile oval. The World of Outlaws have raced 12 times on a track that size this season. The winners include: Craig Dollansky (Cedar Lake Speedway and Nodak Speedway), Joey Saldana (Dodge City Raceway Park and Nodak Speedway), Sammy Swindell (Dodge City Raceway Park and Huset's Speedway), Jac Haudenschild (Paducah International Raceway), Steve Kinser (Fulton Speedway), Jason Meyers (Tri-State-Okla. Speedway), Donny Schatz (Ohsweken Speedway), Jason Sides (Ohsweken Speedway) and Brooke Tatnell (Junction Motor Speedway).
2010 World of Outlaws Championship Standings through August 20
1. Joey Saldana 6905
2. Steve Kinser 6880
3. Jason Meyers 6834
4. Donny Schatz 6729
5. Jason Sides 6683
6. Paul McMahan 6593
7. Lucas Wolfe 6397
8. Craig Dollansky 6392
9. Kraig Kinser 6209
10. Danny Lasoski 6192
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