Returning to a Track He Knows: Paul McMahan Looks Forward to Kasey’s King of Bulls Gap this Weekend at Volunteer Speedway

Bulls Gap, TN--March 19, 2010--Growing up in California, Paul McMahan had the chance to race at his home state tracks quite a bite with the World of Outlaws. Having called the Nashville, Tenn. area home for the last several years, it's not very often that McMahan gets to race close to home anymore. McMahan will have an opportunity this weekend as the World of Outlaws return to Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn. for Kasey's King of Bulls Gap Presented By Budweiser, which is being promoted by his car owner NASCAR star Kasey Kahne in partnership with the World Racing Group.

The two-day event on Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20 which will be co-sanctioned with the All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars will mark the first two races of a four-race mini-series being promoted by Kahne dubbed the Showdown for the Bud Crown. In addition to promoting this weekend, Kahne will also strap into an 850-plus horsepower machine and compete.

"I always enjoy getting to race close to home," McMahan said. "That's going to be a great race with Kasey (Kahne) putting it on. Hopefully I can do for Kasey what I did in the first time I was there and pull off a win for him. I'm really looking forward to it. That's a neat track over there."

McMahan won in his debut at Volunteer Speedway in 2000 in a Gumout Series race over Jason Meyers and Kraig Kinser. In his most recent start at the track in 2007 when the World of Outlaws competed at the ultra high-banked and blazing fast four-tenths-mile he charged from the 20th starting spot to finish ninth in the 35-lap main event.

"Bulls Gap kind of has its own characteristics," he noted. "I'’s flat on the bottom and has the high banks in the corners. The straightaways are also pretty high banked. You just have to have your car good and be comfortable. Last time I was there I didn't run as well, I think we were ninth. Going back this time, we'll see if we can run better than last time."

McMahan joined Kasey Kahne racing earlier this season to fill-in for Cody Darrah who was injured in a highway accident just prior to the season opener at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida. While Kahne will be promoting this weekend’s event at Volunteer Speedway, he will also being racing, though McMahan does not see that as any added pressure with the boss on the track. He had raced against him many times over the years and is looking forward to competing with him again this weekend.

"Kasey is a race fan and he understands racing," stated McMahan. "It would nice if one of the cars brought home a win for him there, but there are a lot of tough competitors out here. Joey’s (Saldana) been good there before and like I said, I've won there before, so hopefully we can get KKR a one-two finish there."

McMahan had a very strong weekend last weekend in Texas as he continues to get up to speed in the Great Clips Maxim. He led eight laps in the opener at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore before finishing sixth and followed that up with his best finish of the season, a fifth-place performance at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown last Saturday. Since joining Kasey Kahne Racing at Las Vegas he has four Top-10 finishes in five races.

"We're getting a lot better," noted the veteran driver. "We were pretty good at Tulare (Thunderbowl Raceway) and broke a motor running sixth (and wound up eighth). The final night we started 11th and got to sixth and were battling with the guys in third, fourth and fifth. I just caught a rut the wrong way in turn two and that allowed Steve (Kinser) to get by. Being a few races in now, we are getting better and better."

McMahan is teamed with fellow veteran Joey Saldana at Kasey Kahne Racing. The pair has known each other for years and are able to easily communicate and help each other and share information as they look to make both cars as fast as possible.

"It works great for me," shared McMahan. "Joey is probably my best friend out here on the road and we get along really well. We bounce things off each other and he has been at KKR for a while and he can explain to me what he is feeling in the car and I can bounce things off him and try to adjust the race car to how I drive and also adjust how I drive to the race car to get me comfortable."

McMahan heads to Volunteer Speedway on the heels of four straight runs of eighth or better and is just outside of the Top-10 in the series championship standings. After leading laps last weekend and picking up a season-best finish, he looks to be a contender this weekend at Volunteer Speedway, a track he knows very well having won there in the past and finished ninth or better in both of his starts at. His main goal right now is to return to Victory Lane. He began the 2010 season with seven career World of Outlaws A-Feature wins.

"Winning races," he deadpanned when asked what will make it a successful time filling in for Darrah. "We have to start contending to win races. You have to run in the Top-Five before you can win a race. If we start running consistently in the Top-Five, we'll get out fair share of wins."

On Friday, March 19 at Volunteer Speedway, reserved tickets will be $29 if purchased in advance and $35 the day of the race. General admission tickets for adults will be $29 if purchased in advance and $35 the day of the race, with general admission tickets for youth (ages 11-15) $15, with children 10-under admitted free of charge in the general admission section. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling the World of Outlaws at: 704-795-7223 or online at http://dirtcar.ticketforce.com.

On Saturday, March 20 at Volunteer Speedway, reserved tickets will be $29 if purchased in advance and $35 the day of the race. General admission tickets for adults will be $29 if purchased in advance and $35 the day of the race, with general admission tickets for youth (ages 11-15) $15, with children 10-under admitted free of charge in the general admission section. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling the World of Outlaws at: 704-795-7223 or online at http://dirtcar.ticketforce.com.

-end-

Kasey Kahne to Race in Kasey’s King of Bulls Gap Friday and Saturday Nights at Volunteer Speedway

Bulls Gap, TN -- March 17, 2010 -- Kasey Kahne is the ultimate multi-tasker. Already a NASCAR superstar, a World of Outlaws car owner, and this weekend a World of Outlaws promoter, today Kahne announced he also will race in his Kasey's King of Bulls Gap Presented By Budweiser on Friday and Saturday nights at Volunteer Speedway. This is all in addition to competing in NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide events during the day at Bristol Motor Speedway.

"I've really been looking forward to this race and I figured why not race in it too," said Kahne. "Bulls Gap is an awesome racetrack and I'm excited for Friday night. I haven't raced a Sprint Car since last year and this will be my first Outlaws race in a few years. It will be cool to have four KKR cars competing this weekend."

The two-night event at the historic four-tenths-mile oval featuring 35 degrees of banking is just off Interstate 81 at Exit 23, about 45 minutes southwest of Bristol. It is the first World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event at Volunteer Speedway since 2007, when Kasey Kahne Racing's Joey Saldana captured the checkered flag. Saldana, who drives the #9 Budweiser car, enters this weekend leading the standings for the 2010 World of Outlaws championship. In addition to Saldana and Kahne, Paul McMahan in the #91 Great Clips car and Brad Sweet in the #49 Auto Value Bumper to Bumper car also race for KKR.

Kasey's King of Bulls Gap Presented By Budweiser is the beginning of the four-race Showdown for the Bud Crown, which includes events on June 16 at Missouri State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, Mo., and July 8 in the Chicago area, where a champion be named and the top three overall finishers will be honored.

Tickets can still be purchased online at http://dirtcar.ticketforce.com or by calling the World of Outlaws at 704-795-7223. Pit gates will open at 1 p.m. and main gates at 4 p.m.

For more on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, visit http://www.worldofoutlaws. For more on Kasey Kahne and Kasey Kahne Racing, visit http://www.kaseykahne.com and http://www.kkr9.com.

-end-

Previewing Kasey’s King of Bulls Gap at Volunteer Speedway

Bulls Gap, TN-March 16, 2010-Following another thrilling weekend for the World of Outlaws that saw two more drivers add their name to the 2010 win list last weekend, the series will return to the ultra high-banked and blazing fast Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tennessee this weekend for Kasey's King of Bulls Gap Presented by Budweiser, which will be a co-sanctioned event with the All Star Circuit of Champions on Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20.

The World of Outlaws have raced once at Volunteer Speedway with that coming in 2007, when current series point leader Joey Saldana won a thriller over Tim Shaffer before a huge crowd. A majority of the drivers currently competing full-time with the series in 2010 raced at Volunteer Speedway in 2007.

In seven World of Outlaws events so far in 2010, six different drivers have visited Victory Lane, with Jason Meyers being the only repeat winner. Saldana, Jason Meyers and Jason Sides are the only three drivers that have finished in the Top-10 in each and every race this year. A total of 10 drivers have led laps in feature racing competition, while five drivers have won the dash to earn a pole position, with five drivers also having been quickest in qualifying.

Kasey's King of Bulls Gap will be promoted by NASCAR star Kasey Kahne in partnership with the World Racing Group and will serve as the first two races of the four-race Kasey’s King mini-series that will continue at Sedalia's State Fair Speedway in Missouri on June 16. Then on July 8 at a track to be announced in the Chicagoland area, the final Kasey's King event winner and overall mini-series champion will be crowned by Budweiser. The top three point finishers across all four of the events will share a $15,000 bonus dubbed as the Showdown for the Bud Crown.

The Buzz-
Joey Saldana looks to make it two wins a row at Volunteer Speedway, where he has two career wins, one with the World of Outlaws and the other with the All Star Circuit of Champion.

Jason Sides will carry plenty of momentum from his first win of the season last weekend into Volunteer Speedway which is the only home state races this season for the Tennessee native.

Paul McMahan, who is Saldana's teammate at Kasey Kahne Racing, is a former winner at Volunteer Speedway with the Gumout Series. The California native has called Tennessee home for the last several years.

Saldana, Sides and Jason Meyers look to keep their streak of Top-10 finishes going this coming weekend.

Steve Kinser, who is the winningest driver ever with the World of Outlaws in the state of Tennessee will be seeking his first win at Volunteer Speedway, as will his Tony Stewart Racing teammate, four-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz.

There have been two new track records set in time trials at World of Outlaws event this year. Last time the series visited Volunteer Speedway, Joey Saldana set a new track record that stood for about a year before it was broken.

The 2010 season is shaping up to be another of the most competitive in World of Outlaws history, as six drivers have picked up wins in the first seven races of the season, with 10 different drivers leading laps in feature racing events, while five drivers have won dash and been fastest in time trials.

Tim Shaffer who nearly won the last World of Outlaws event will be in attendance as the event is being co-sanctioned with the All Star Circuit of Champions. The veteran from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania is the defending All Star champion.

Lance Dewease from Central Pennsylvania looks to make the trip to Volunteer Speedway after competing in both World of Outlaws events last weekend in Texas.

Cale Conley, who is always fast with the World of Outlaws will make the tow from Vienna, West Virginia to Volunteer Speedway this weekend.

Over the years
World of Outlaws A-Feature winner at Volunteer Speedway include:

2007- Joey Saldana on March 24, 2007

Last visit to Bulls Gap
Joey Saldana won a thriller over Tim Shaffer in 2007 by just 0.199 seconds. Saldana took the white flag in the lead with Shaffer closely shadowing him. Saldana was committed to the top side of the track, while Shaffer made up plenty of ground on the bottom. Coming off the third and fourth turns, Shaffer inched ahead of Saldana, but with the momentum he had coming off the ultra high banking in turn four, Saldana was able to inch out Shaffer at the line, with Donny Schatz third, Sammy Swindell fourth and Daryn Pittman fifth. Saldana began the night by setting fast time in qualifying, while the heat races went to Schatz, Kerry Madsen, Swindell and Shaffer, with Jason Meyers winning the dash.

Sound Bites

Joey Saldana: "That is a neat track. Having it on the (NASCAR Sprint) Cup weekend and Kasey (Kahne) promoting it, it's going to be a huge event. Hopefully we can put on as good of a show as we did last time we were there. It's a great place and a very unique race track. You never know what to expect, so hopefully we are at the front for these two races."

Paul McMahan: "Bulls Gap kind of has its own characteristics. It's flat on the bottom and the high banks in the corners. The straightaways are also pretty high banked. You just have to have your car good and be comfortable. Last time I was there I didn't run as well, I think we were ninth. Going back this time, we'll see if we can run better than last time."

Jason Sides: "It is in Tennessee, though it's about an eight hour trip. We haven’t been there for a few years so we’ll see what we can do. Hopefully we can get a couple of Top-Fives out of it. We haven't been home for about a month so we'll get home and do some work and maybe get some fresher motors. We'll keep plugging away and hopefully we can stay up front."

Danny Lasoski:"Last time we were there, we put on a great show, side-by-side with slide jobs. They got the place really slick and that seems to put on a good show when the World of Outlaws come to town. The one place I can compare it to in my racing past is I-70 Speedway (in Missouri) where it had the straight up banks and you could run all the way on the top or all the way on the bottom or in the middle and go just as fast."

Tim Kaeding: "We went there a few years ago while driver for Steve Kinser Racing and broke the track record and then everyone else went out and broke it after us. We get around there pretty good. I enjoy the bullrings. They are fun and enjoyable. Hopefully we can get a couple of decent finishes over there, maybe a couple of Top-Fives or Top-10's. You take what you get and you get what you take and we're out here trying to click along and stay in the Top-Seven in points and stay out here the rest of the year."

By the numbers- Kasey's King of Bulls Gap Presented by Budweiser
0.199-Margin of victory in seconds for Joey Saldana in the World of Outlaws debut at Volunteer Speedway in 2007
0.4- Miles around Volunteer Speedway
1- Driver competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that was born and raised in Tennessee- Jason Sides; Win for Paul McMahan at Volunteer Speedway in his career
2- Wins for Joey Saldana in his career at Volunteer Speedway; Drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that call Tennessee home- Jason Sides and Paul McMahan
3- Drivers that led laps in the feature event at Volunteer Speedway in 2007; Lead changes in the inaugural World of Outlaws event at the track; Career starts for Joey Saldana at Volunteer Speedway, the most of any driver competing full-time with the World of Outlaws this season
6-Drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws in 2010 that will be making their debut at Volunteer Speedway
7- Events scheduled this season for the World of Outlaws on four-tenths-mile tracks
8- Career wins for Steve Kinser with the World of Outlaws in the state of Tennessee to lead all drivers
10- Drivers that have won A-Feature events with the World of Outlaws in Tennessee dating back to 1979
11.672- Track record set by veteran Terry Gray in 2008
11.696- Fast time set by Joey Saldana in 2007 at the track in time trials, which at the time was a new track record and since has been broken
12- Drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that competed at Volunteer Speedway in 2007
14- Laps led by Joey Saldana en route to winning at Volunteer Speedway in 2007
18- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws
20- Laps led by Jason Meyers in the feature event at Volunteer Speedway in 2007
23- Points that separate Joey Saldana and Jason Meyers in the World of Outlaws championship standings
25- World of Outlaws championships accounted for by driver competing full-time with the series this season
35- Drivers that competed with the World of Outlaws at Volunteer Speedway in 2007
101- Career A-Feature wins for Donny Schatz with the World of Outlaws through March 13
553- A-Feature wins for Steve Kinser in his career with the World of Outlaws through March 13
965- Miles from Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas where the World of Outlaws compete on March 13 to Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tennessee
1979- Year the World of Outlaws first competed in the state of Tennessee
2007- Year the World of Outlaws last competed at Volunteer Speedway
10,000- Dollars the winner will receive on Friday, March 19; Dollars the winner will receive on Saturday, March 20

Tickets
On Friday, March 19 at Volunteer Speedway, general admission tickets for adults will be $29 if purchased in advance and $35 the day of the race, with general admission tickets for youth (ages 11-15) $15, with children 10-under admitted free of charge in the general admission section. Reserved tickets will be $29 if purchased in advance and $35 the day of the race. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling the World of Outlaws at: 704-795-7223 or online at http://dirtcar.ticketforce.com. In addition, fans that purchase two-day tickets in advance before Wednesday, March 17 for only $59 get access to a special question-and-answer session with Kahne, a reserved seat for both nights, and a free pit pass.

On Saturday, March 20 at Volunteer Speedway, General admission tickets for adults will be $29 if purchased in advance and $35 the day of the race, with general admission tickets for youth (ages 11-15) $15, with children 10-under admitted free of charge in the general admission section. Reserved tickets will be $29 if purchased in advance and $35 the day of the race. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling the World of Outlaws at: 704-795-7223 or online at http://dirtcar.ticketforce.com. In addition, fans that purchase two-day tickets in advance before Wednesday, March 17 for only $59 get access to a special question-and-answer session with Kahne, a reserved seat for both nights, and a free pit pass.

-end-

At a Glance: Kasey’s King of Bulls Gap Presented by Budweiser at Volunteer Speedway

Concord, NC-March 15, 2010-

WHAT
The World of Outlaws return to Volunteer Speedway in Tennessee for the first time since 2007 this coming weekend for Kasey’s King of Bulls Gap Presented by Budweiser on Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20, an event co-sanctioned with the All Star Circuit of Champions. It will be the first two races of the four-race mini-series that is being brought to the fans by NASCAR star Kasey Kahne in partnership with the World Racing Group. Joey Saldana, who is the current World of Outlaws championship point leader driving for Kasey Kahne Racing, was victorious in the last World of Outlaws race at Volunteer Speedway in a thriller over Tim Shaffer on the ultra high-banked and blazing fast track.

WHEN
Friday, March 19, the pit gates will open at 1 p.m. Eastern, with the grandstand gates opening at 4 p. m. Eastern, with hot laps are set for 6 p.m. Eastern and time trials to follow. Racing is set for 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

Saturday, March 20, the pit gates will open at 1 p.m. Eastern, with the grandstand gates opening at 4 p. m. Eastern with hot laps are set for 6 p.m. Eastern and time trials to follow. Racing is set for 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

WHERE
Volunteer Speedway is located in Bulls Gap, Tennessee. Take I-81 to exit 23 then 0.3 miles northeast on U.S. 11-E.

TICKETS
On Friday, March 19 at Volunteer Speedway, general admission tickets for adults will be $29 if purchased in advance and $35 the day of the race, with general admission tickets for youth (ages 11-15) $15, with children 10-under admitted free of charge in the general admission section. Reserved tickets will be $29 if purchased in advance and $35 the day of the race. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling the World of Outlaws at: 704-795-7223 or online at http://dirtcar.ticketforce.com. In addition, fans that purchase two-day tickets in advance before Wednesday, March 17 for only $59 get access to a special question-and-answer session with Kahne, a reserved seat for both nights, and a free pit pass.

On Saturday, March 20 at Volunteer Speedway, General admission tickets for adults will be $29 if purchased in advance and $35 the day of the race, with general admission tickets for youth (ages 11-15) $15, with children 10-under admitted free of charge in the general admission section. Reserved tickets will be $29 if purchased in advance and $35 the day of the race. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling the World of Outlaws at: 704-795-7223 or online at http://dirtcar.ticketforce.com. In addition, fans that purchase two-day tickets in advance before Wednesday, March 17 for only $59 get access to a special question-and-answer session with Kahne, a reserved seat for both nights, and a free pit pass.

ABOUT THE TRACK
Volunteer Speedway is a high-banked four-tenths-mile oval. The track record of 11.672 seconds at 123.384 mph was established by Terry Gray on July 19, 2008.

PREVIOUS WINNERS
World of Outlaws A-Feature winners at Volunteer Speedway include:

2007- Joey Saldana on March 24, 2007

FEATURE WINNERS
There have been seven World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events held in 2010. The winners include: Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Thunderbowl Raceway), Craig Dollansky (Lone Star Speedway), Steve Kinser (Volusia Speedway Park), Joey Saldana (Thunderbowl Raceway), Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park) and Jason Sides (Houston Raceway Park).

FOUR-TENTHS-MILE WINNERS
Volunteer Speedway is a high-banked four-tenths-mile. The World of Outlaws raced five times in 2009 on a track that size. The winners included: Joey Saldana (The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway-twice), Danny Lasoski (Lernerville Speedway), Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway and Stevie Smith (Lernerville Speedway).

Up next: The World of Outlaws inaugural visit to Tri-State Speedway in Pocola, Oklahoma on Saturday, April 10, followed by a stop at Paducah International Raceway in Kentucky on Friday, April 16 and the always racy I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri on Saturday, April 17.

-end-

World of Outlaws Wrap-Up: Texas Two Step Weekend

Concord, NC-March 14, 2010-

A class act: Tim Kaeding was one of the first people to congratulate Jason Sides after his thrilling win on Saturday night, giving him a high-five on the front straightaway before a very enthusiastic crowd at Houston Raceway Park. The pair battled for the entire 40-lap distance trading slide job on countless occasions with Sides using a strong run through turns three and four on the final lap to score the win.

"I was happy to see him win," said Kaeding in Victory Lane. "He is one of the low buck teams if you will out here. He is quick all the time. I gave it as much as I could and I slipped up just a little bit. Jason did what he had to do and that was win the race. He didn't give it away."

A new track record : Lucas Wolfe lowered the track record at Houston Raceway Park on Saturday night blistering the ¼-mile in 11.561 seconds to break the existing mark of 11.996 that was set by Joey Saldana in 2007. A total of 13 cars broke the shattered the mark on the blazing fast track.

And then there were three: Joey Saldana, Jason Meyers and Jason Sides are the only drivers that have finished in the Top-10 in all seven World of Outlaws A-Feature events this season. The trio is first, second and fourth in points respectively. Saldana has six Top-Five finishes with all seven runs being sixth or better with one win. Meyers has five Top-Five runs and lead the series with two A-Feature wins. Sides has three Top-Five finishes including his win on Saturday night and has been in the Top-Five in time trials a series-best five races to earn bonus points in the championship standings.

A complete team effort: While Jason Sides does not have as many crew members as most of the teams on the road (he has just one full-time mechanic this season- Doug Rankin) he certainly makes the most of what he has. He also gets a helping hand from a couple of members of Kraig Kinser's crew when they are able. That trio joined Sides in Victory Lane on Saturday night and his entire family back home in Tennessee was cheering him on as they listened live on www.DIRTVision.com.

"I am so proud of this team and everyone that helps us," said Sides. "Doug (Rankin) does a great job and Mikey (Kuemper) and Stevie (Kinser) help us out. It's just great to win. My parents were listening online back home as well as Farrah and Skylar and my brother was tuned in also. It's great to win for all of them."

Another strong run: Jason Meyers opened the weekend with a fourth-place finish at Lone Star Speedway on Friday night. It was his third consecutive four-place finish at the high-banked track in East Texas and his fifth Top-Five finish of the season. He actually lost a spot in points after that race and fell to third, but moved back into second after wrapping up the weekend with a 10th-place effort at Houston Raceway Park to keep his streak of Top-10 runs in 2010 going,

"I feel good and it's a good start, but it's a long season and there are a lot of races to go," said Meyers on Saturday afternoon at Houston Raceway Park. "We've had our share of struggles and still been able to do that (finish in the Top-10 every race). We'll keep battling and staying up front, I think it's going to be a very tough year. Donny (Schatz) is always tough. Joey (Saldana) is tough again this year and Steve (Kinser) looks like he’ll be tough all year. You can't count out your other four or five contenders that are there every night. It's going to be a very competitive year and if you can believe it, a more competitive year that last year. It's going to be a great year and a good time. Hopefully we can keep the GLR No. 14 up front."

From the back to the front: Lucas Wolfe rebounded from engine trouble early in the night at Lone Star Speedway that forced him to change power plants and miss time trials. He would go on to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award in the main event after coming from 25th to finish 11th. He followed that up on Saturday night by setting fast time and a new track record at Houston Raceway Park. It was his second fast time honor in 2010. He wrapped up the weekend with a solid eighth-place performance to earn his third Top-10 finish of the season and is currently 10th in points.

"We've been fast almost every race this year and that's what we always shoot for," shared Wolfe. "Unfortunately we have had a few things that haven't gone our way, but we’ll get that together and have a good result. It was definitely a good night for us to come up through the feature after not being able to time trial."

Back in the saddle After sitting out the finale at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California on March 6, Brian Ellenberger, the reigning Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, returned to action in the Texas Two-Step Weekend. The native of Butler, Pennsylvania got into the wall very hard at Tulare and hit his head, thus leading him to sit that following race. Ellenberger was in action at both Lone Star Speedway and Houston Raceway Park, as he continues his sophomore season on the road.

"I'm getting pretty close to being back to normal, just a few aches and pains,"shared Ellenberger on Saturday afternoon. "I'm feeling a lot better than I did last week and I think another week of rest and I'll be back to normal. These cars as so fast that you definitely have to be on your game and sometimes the hardest thing after a hard wreck is getting everything functioning again."

First time visitor : Lance Dewease, one of the winningest drivers ever in Central Pennsylvania, made the tow south to Texas over the weekend to compete in both World of Outlaws events. He finished sixth on Saturday night at Houston Raceway Park in his debut at the racy ¼-mile. He’ll be with the World of Outlaws again next weekend at Volunteer Speedway for Kasey’s King of Bulls Gap on Friday and Saturday.

"It was fun," said Dewease. "I had never been to Texas before to race and we got to see a couple of different race tracks. Next weekend we'll get to see another new track at Bulls Gap, I have never been there either. We're going to have some fun this year and hit some more other shows and we are excited about this year."

On the air: Jason Sides will talk about his thrilling win at Houston Raceway Park and strong start to the 2010 season live on Monday night (March 15) on the long-running CARQUEST Gasoline Alley Show with hosts Steve and Ed Pados. The show airs between 6 -8 p.m. Eastern. Live audio of CARQUEST Gasoline Alley can be accessed at www.walncableradio.com, with live video available at: http:// livestream.com/walncableradio/old.

Also on the air: Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws champion, will be a guest on The Racing Zone on ESPN Radio out of Chattanooga, Tennessee on Monday (March 15) between 7-8 p.m. Eastern, with host Steve Hixson, a long-time racing journalist and broadcaster. The show can be heard via streaming audio online at http://www.espnchattanooga.com. Hixson will discuss the upcoming Kasey’s King of Bulls Gap at Volunteer Speedway among other things with the living legend.

Up next: The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20 at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tennessee for Kasey’s King of Bulls Gap Presented by Budweiser.

Keep up with all the action: The number of “Followers” keeping up with the World of Outlaws via Twitter online and through text messages on cell phones continues to grow and recently surpassed the 3,000 “Follower” mark. Updates are provided throughout race nights beginning with hot laps and continuing all the way through the final checkered flag of the night. To sign-up visit: http://twitter.com/worldofoutlaws and receive live race updates, anywhere, anytime.

2010 World of Outlaws Championship Standings through March 13
1. Joey Saldana 1021
2. Jason Meyers  998
3. Steve Kinser  996
4. Jason Sides  983
5. Donny Schatz  968
6. Kraig Kinser  924
7. Danny Lasoski  910
8. Tim Kaeding  903
9. Jac Haudenschild  886
10. Lucas Wolfe  884

-end-

Another Instant Classic: Jason Sides Wins Thriller over Tim Kaeding at Houston Raceway Park

Baytown, TX-March 13, 2010-Jason Sides drives as hard as he can anytime he takes to the race track, whether it’s for hot laps, time trials, a heat race, a dash or a main event. On Saturday night at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas, he drove 40 of the hardest and best laps he has ever turned as he and Tim Kaeding put on a phenomenal show at the ¼-mile bullring trading slide jobs lap after lap as they worked their way through traffic. In the end, Sides came out on top in the thrilling battle to win The Texas Showdown which was his first victory of 2010 and the fifth of his World of Outlaws career.

While there were only two official lead changes at the line, Sides and Kaeding swapped the top spot countless times over the course of the 40-lapper, sometimes multiple times on the same lap as they weaved in and out of traffic in an event that had just one caution on the third lap and went the remaining 37 circuits green-to-checkers. Sides took the checkered flag just 0.160 seconds ahead of Kaeding.

"It was a great race," said Sides. "Tim (Kaeding) was there the whole time and the track really got good and wide where you could run the bottom and the top made for a great race as well running up there. I felt like it was our race to lose and we kept plugging away and plugging away and came out on top. I am so proud of this team and everything that helps us."

Sides led at the start from the pole in the Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim with Kaeding, who started third quickly jumping into second and challenging him in the early going. The only caution of the night flew on the third lap setting up a double file restart with Sides choosing the low line. He used a strong restart to jump to a lead, though Kaeding was able to track him down just a couple of laps later as the pair entered lapped traffic.

In traffic is where they began their battle that raged for the remainder of the 40-lap contest. A couple of times they split a lapped car and ran side-by-side a number of times as the jockeyed for the top spot. Kaeding officially took the lead on the 10th lap in traffic, with Sides keeping pace with him for the next nine circuit and charging around him on the high side of the track on the 20th lap to take the lead officially for the final time.

"You try not to give it away and hope that you can get back by or get back in traffic," noted Sides. "You watch for opportunities where he isn't. If he goes to the top, then you got the bottom and vice versa. It was good we got in lapped traffic and that got us bottled up a little bit. We were able to get back by him."

Sides is one of just three drivers that has finished in the Top-10 in all seven World of Outlaws events this season, joining current series point leader Joey Saldana and Jason Meyers in that category. Sides has finished in the Top-Five in five of those events as well and is currently fourth in the series championship standings.

"It shows that our team is capable of running up front with these guys," he said after his win. "Hopefully we can keep plugging away and stay up there. It's been a great start to the season. I'm proud of everyone on the team and very thankful to everyone that helps us out."

Kaeding wound up second in the DTR Transport KPC to earn his third Top-Five finish of the season. After getting caught up in a couple of accidents last weekend in his home state of California, he was glad to finish and be in contention for the win at Houston Raceway Park, a track he had not competed at for a number of years.

"We have struggled the last few races and it was more racing incidents than anything, so to get a solid second place run tonight is great for the team," explained Kaeding. "Jason (Sides) raced me clean and I raced him clean and we battled hard and we put on a great show for the fans in my eyes."

Kaeding was a little surprised that there was only one caution in the 40-lapper, though he used lapped traffic to his advantage to track down Jason Sides a couple of times, after the latter jumped out to a lead in open track.

"As slick as it started getting toward the end of the race, I thought there would be a yellow or two," stated Kaeding. "There were a lot of good cars out there and I didn't have any problems with that. We made it through the night and had a good night. Everybody had fun and it's exciting. I have a great team behind me and now it’s my job to keep the thing going straight and have some fun."

After getting caught up in an early accident on Friday night at Lone Star Speedway which relegated him to a 14th-place finish, four-time and defending World of Outlaws champion, Donny Schatz turned in a very solid third-place effort on Saturday night in the Armor All J&J. It was his fifth Top-Five finish of the season.

"We've just been in the wrong spot at the wrong times lately,'" Schatz said. "It's good to have a strong run like this tonight and it's fun to get in the car every night when it's fast and rolling around like we had it here. We'll just keep working at it and see if we can pick up a win next weekend."

Joey Saldana finished fourth in the Budweiser Maxim to earn his seventh Top-10 of the season and extended his lead in the series standings to 23 markers over Jason Meyers as he chases his first series title.

Paul McMahan came home fifth in the Great Clips Maxim for Kasey Kahne Racing to wrap up a very strong Texas Two-Step Weekend. Lance Dewease was sixth in his debut at Houston Raceway Park aboard the Advanced Developments J&J. Terry McCarl was seventh piloting the Big Game Treestands Maxim. Lucas Wolfe, who began the night by setting a new track record in qualifying, was eighth in the Allebach Racing Maxim. Danny Lasoski was ninth in the Casey’s General Store JEI. Jason Meyers rounded out the Top-10 in the GLR Investments KPC and moved into second in the series standings in the process.

The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20 at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tennessee for Kasey's King of Bulls Gap Presented by Budweiser.

HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK NOTES

FAST QUALIFIER: Lucas Wolfe paced the 29 cars that took time with a record setting AMB i.t. timed lap around the semi-banked 1/4-mile oval at 11.561 seconds at 77.848 mph. For his qualifying effort, Wolfe earned five bonus points. The next four fastest qualifiers also earned bonus points, including: Kraig Kinser (4), Bill Rose (3), Joey Saldana (2) and Jason Sides (1).

LONE STAR SPEEDWAY QUALIFYING WINNERS: Sam Hafertepe Jr., Lance Dewease and Tim Kaeding won heat races. Jason Sides won the dash. Terry McCarl won the B-Main.

FEATURE WINNERS: There have been seven World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events held in 2010. The winners include: Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Thunderbowl Raceway), Craig Dollansky (Lone Star Speedway), Steve Kinser (Volusia Speedway Park), Joey Saldana (Thunderbowl Raceway), Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park) and Jason Sides (Houston Raceway Park).

1/4--MILE WINNERS: Houston Raceway Park is a semi-banked 1/4-mile oval. The World of Outlaws have raced once this season on a track that size. The winner was Jason Sides (Houston Raceway Park).

World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Houston Raceway Park; Baytown, TX; March 13, 2010

Qualifying
1) 5W-Lucas Wolfe 11.561
2) 11K-Kraig Kinser 11.732
3) 6R-Bill Rose 11.791
4) 9-Joey Saldana 11.796
5) 7S-Jason Sides 11.853
6) 83-Tim Kaeding 11.868
7) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. 11.869
8) 15-Donny Schatz 11.890
9) 24-Terry McCarl 11.897
10) 4X-Toni Lutar 11.908
11) 30C-Lance Dewease 11.914
12) 1-Bronson Maeschen 11.980
13) 44W-Austen Wheatley 11.985
14) 6-Danny Lasoski 12.002
15) 14-Jason Meyers 12.004
16) 10A-Ricky Logan 12.023
17) R19-Jac Haudenschild 12.041
18) 91-Paul McMahan 12.044
19) 51-Fred Rahmer 12.066
20) 11-Steve Kinser 12.070
21) 17-Daryn Pittman 12.082
22) 7-Craig Dollansky 12.161
23) 63-Chad Kemenah 12.162
24) 18-Tony Bruce Jr. 12.163
25) 45X-Johnny Herrera 12.222
26) 22-Brian Ellenberger 12.348
27) 2B-Ben Gregg 12.356
28) 51W-Wes Miller 12.479
29) 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek 12.654

Heat 1 (10 Laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature) - Starting Position [#]
1) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[2]
2) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[4]
3) 4X-Toni Lutar[1]
4) 9-Joey Saldana[3]
5) 10A-Ricky Logan[6]
6) 7-Craig Dollansky[8]
7) 44W-Austen Wheatley[5]
8) 45X-Johnny Herrera[9]
9) 51-Fred Rahmer[7]
10) 51W-Wes Miller[10]

Heat 2 (10 Laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature) - Starting Position [#]
1) 30C-Lance Dewease[1]
2) 15-Donny Schatz[2]
3) 11K-Kraig Kinser[4]
4) 7S-Jason Sides[3]
5) R19-Jac Haudenschild[6]
6) 11-Steve Kinser[7]
7) 6-Danny Lasoski[5]
8) 63-Chad Kemenah[8]
9) 22-Brian Ellenberger[9]
10) 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek[10]

Heat 3 (10 Laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature) - Starting Position [#]
1) 83-Tim Kaeding[3]
2) 91-Paul McMahan[6]
3) 14-Jason Meyers[5]
4) 18-Tony Bruce Jr[8]
5) 6R-Bill Rose[4]
6) 17-Daryn Pittman[7]
7) 2B-Ben Gregg[9]
8) 1-Bronson Maeshen[1]
9) 24-Terry McCarl[2]

Dash (8 laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature) - Starting Position [#]
1) 7S-Jason Sides[2]
2) 9-Joey Saldana[3]
3) 83-Tim Kaeding[1]
4) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[6]
5) 15-Donny Schatz[8]
6) 30C-Lance Dewease[9]
7) 11K-Kraig Kinser[5]
8) 91-Paul McMahan[10]
9) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[7]
10) 6R-Bill Rose[4]

B-main (12 laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature) - Starting Position [#]
1) 24-Terry McCarl[1]
2) 6-Danny Lasoski[4]
3) 63-Chad Kemenah[6]
4) 45X-Johnny Herrera[7]
5) 22-Brian Ellenberger[8]
6) 2B-Ben Gregg[9]
7) 51-Fred Rahmer[5] [$200]
8) 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek[11] [$180]
9) 44W-Austen Wheatley[3] [$175]
10) 51W-Wes Miller[10] [$160]
11) 1-Bronson Maeshen[2] [$150]

A-main (40 laps) - Starting Position [#]
1) 7S-Jason Sides[1] [$10,000]
2) 83-Tim Kaeding[3] [$5,500]
3) 15-Donny Schatz[5] [$3,200]
4) 9-Joey Saldana[2] [$2,800]
5) 91-Paul McMahan[8] [$2,500]
6) 30C-Lance Dewease[6] [$2,300]
7) 24-Terry McCarl[11] [$2,200]
8) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[4] [$2,100]
9) 6-Danny Lasoski[13] [$2,050]
10) 14-Jason Meyers[14] [$2,000]
11) 17-Daryn Pittman[18] [$1,500]
12) 11-Steve Kinser[17] [$1,200]
13) 11K-Kraig Kinser[7] [$1,100]
14) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[9] [$1,050]
15) 45X-Johnny Herrera[22] [$1,000]
16) 7-Craig Dollansky[19] [$900]
17) 18-Tony Bruce Jr.[21] [$800]
18) 6R-Bill Rose[10] [$800]
19) 10A-Ricky Logan[15] [$800]
20) R19-Jac Haudenschild[16] [$800]
21) 2B-Ben Gregg[24] [$800]
22) 22-Brian Ellenberger[23] [$800]
23) 4X-Toni Lutar[12] [$800]
24) 63-Chad Kemenah[20] [$800]

Lap Leaders: Jason Sides 1-9, 20-40; Tim Kaeding 10-19

KSE Hard Charger Award: Daryn Pittman

Penske Power Position Award: Lance Dewease

World of Outlaws Championship Standings through March 13

1. Joey Saldana 1021
2. Jason Meyers 998
3. Steve Kinser 996
4. Jason Sides 983
5. Donny Schatz 968
6. Kraig Kinser 924
7. Danny Lasoski 910
8. Tim Kaeding 903
9. Jac Haudenschild 886
10. Lucas Wolfe 884

-end-

Back in Victory Lane: Craig Dollansky Wins at Lone Star Speedway

Kilgore, TX-March 12, 2010-Craig Dollansky had been fast right out of the box in 2010, but had been plagued with bad luck in nearly every one of the first five World of Outlaws events of the season. He put all of that behind him on Friday night at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, Texas, turning in a very strong performance from start to finish en route to picking up his first World of Outlaws victory of the season.

For Dollansky, the $10,000 win over 20-time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser and current series point leader Joey Saldana, was the 32nd of his World of Outlaws career. It was his second career victory in Texas and his first in the state since 2001.

"This is a great way to get this monkey that has been on our back off it," said Dollansky. "This is a great team effort and we had to work for it. We started in the fourth row of the dash and when you can win races that way, it shows you have a strong team."

Dollansky used a strong restart on the 19th lap in the Big Game Treestands Maxim to dive under Jac Haudenschild in turns one and two as Haudenschild bounced through a couple of holes and nearly got upside down, somehow keeping the car going and getting it back on all fours, though he lost six spots in the process.

Dollansky then opened up a comfortable lead in open track before a yellow flag bunched the field up. He withstood two double file restarts in the late going, which he chose the low line each time with Kinser lined up to his outside. A single file restart with five laps to go gave Kinser one final shot at Dollansky, but the native of Elk River, Minnesota was too strong and wound up winning by about a second and a half.

"Obviously those are great race cars and we had to deal with strong cars all night long," Dollansky said. "Steve (Kinser) has definitely been strong and Joey (Saldana) coming from 17th to third, that’s a great run for his team. Thanks to everyone that supports us and digs deep to make this happen, especially my wife Julie who is back home in Minnesota."

Dollansky began Friday night by turning in the second quickest lap in time trials. He followed that up with a solid third-place finish in the second heat race to pick up a spot in the dash, where he charged from seventh to third to earn a second row starting spot in the 30-lap main event.

"I'm fortunate to have some great people behind me, starting with Tod Quiring," said Dollansky. "I'm so happy to join with him as our car owner and Big Game Treestands, along with the great sponsors we have in Karavan Trailers and Aggressive Hydraulics. It's always a team effort when you win races and hopefully the fans enjoyed the race tonight. There was a lot going on there, and I’m just glad to bring home a win."

Kinser ended up second in the Bass Pro Shops Maxim to earn his fifth Top-Five and sixth Top-10 finish of 2010 and also move up to second in the championship standings, just seven markers behind Joey Saldana as he chases his record 21st title. Kinser tried everything he could on the late restarts, but could not quite get a run on Dollansky.

"I had to hang on and not hit those holes coming off (turn) four," shared Kinser. "Craig (Dollansky) was able to pick it back up pretty good. I might have tried to get a run on him, but he blocked the bottom and he was a little faster than us in the front. To come home second after starting way back in the dash isn't too bad. We missed a couple of wrecks and have been running pretty good. We just need to move up a spot or two."

Joey Saldana, the current World of Outlaws point leader, who was victorious last weekend in California, powered his way through the field to come from the 17th starting spot to finish third in the Budweiser Maxim.

"It was a great night," Saldana said. "That is definitely the kind of night that you have to have when you start out having a bad night. We had a really good car, we just started really far back. We’ll go to Houston and try to get two spots more."

The race began with Paul McMahan jumping to an early lead from the pole, with Jac Haudenschild in second, though the first caution of the night flew on the opening lap for an incident involving Donny Schatz and Terry McCarl. On the complete restart, McMahan again led with Dollansky battling Haudenschild for second.

Haudenschild moved into the lead on the ninth lap diving under McMahan in turn one and quickly put some distance between the pair, with Dollansky moving into the runner-up spot on the next circuit. Haudenschild was strong in lapped traffic, though a caution on the 19th lap set up a double file restart with him choosing the outside line and Dollansky lining up down low.

Jason Meyers had a consistent night finishing fourth in the GLR Investments KPC to earn his fifth Top-Five finish of the season. He has finished sixth or better in all six races in 2010 and is just nine points behind Joey Saldana as he chases his first World of Outlaws title.

Jason Sides picked up his third Top-Five finish of the season coming home fifth in the Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim, which moved him up to fourth in the series championship standings after Donny Schatz finished 14th.

Paul McMahan ended up sixth in the Great Clips Maxim after leading the first eight laps, to score his best finish of the season and his best since joining Kasey Kahne Racing filling in for the injured Cody Darrah.

Jac Haudenschild finished seventh in the Owens-Corning Fiberglass XXX. Haudenschild, who led 10 laps crossed the line in fifth, but was docked two positions at the finish by way of World of Outlaws rules for passing a car before the restart cone on the front straightaway on the final restart of the night, which was a single file restart due to consecutive yellow flags flying before a lap was completed on the double file restart. Kraig Kinser was eighth in the Quaker State Maxim, with Tim Kaeding ninth piloting the DTR Transport KPC. Danny Lasoski rounded out the Top-10 in the Casey’s General Stores JEI.

The World of Outlaws return to action on Saturday, March 13 at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown for The Texas Shootout to wrap up the Texas Two-Step Weekend.

LONE STAR SPEEDWAY NOTES

FAST QUALIFIER: Donny Schatz paced the 29 cars that took time with an AMB i.t. timed lap around the high-banked half-mile oval at 14.411 seconds at 124.905 mph. For his qualifying effort, Schatz earned five bonus points. The next four fastest qualifiers also earned bonus points, including: Craig Dollansky (4), Jason Sides (3), Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2) and Kraig Kinser (1).

LONE STAR SPEEDWAY QUALIFYING WINNERS: Jac Haudenschild, Terry McCarl and Steve Kinser won heat races. Paul McMahan won the dash. Brian Ellenberger won the B-Main.

FEATURE WINNERS: There have been six World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events held in 2010. The winners include: Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Thunderbowl Raceway), Craig Dollansky (Lone Star Speedway), Steve Kinser (Volusia Speedway Park), Joey Saldana (Thunderbowl Raceway) and Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park).

HALF-MILE WINNERS: Lone Star Speedway is a high-banked half-mile oval. The World of Outlaws have raced four times at a track that size in 2010. The winners include: Craig Dollansky (Lone Star Speedway), Steve Kinser (Volusia Speedway Park), Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway) and Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park).

World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Lone Star Speedway; Kilgore, TX; March 12, 2010

Qualifying
1) 15-Donny Schatz 14.411
2) 7-Craig Dollansky 14.549
3) 7S-Jason Sides 14.617
4) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. 14.670
5) 11K-Kraig Kinser 14.689
6) 6-Danny Lasoski 14.703
7) R19-Jac Haudenschild 14.725
8) 91-Paul McMahan 14.750
9) 14-Jason Meyers 14.760
10) 21-Brian Brown 14.769
11) 24-Terry McCarl 14.773
12) 11-Steve Kinser 14.774
13) 51-Fred Rahmer 14.815
14) 83-Tim Kaeding 14.816
15) 2B-Ben Gregg 14.824
16) 6R-Bill Rose 14.881
17) 9-Joey Saldana 14.881
18) 18-Tony Bruce Jr. 14.887
19) 22-Brian Ellenberger 14.897
20) 4X-Toni Lutar 14.904
21) 17-Daryn Pittman 14.940
22) 30C-Lance Dewease 15.010
23) 45X-Johnny Herrera 15.144
24) 44W-Austen Wheatley 15.167
25) 10A-Ricky Logan 15.294
26) 1-Bronson Maeschen 15.369
27) 63-Chad Kemenah 15.467
28) 4-Eric Baldaccini 15.811
29) 85-Josh Hawkins 16.447
30) 5W-Lucas Wolfe -.---

Heat 1 (8 Laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature) - Starting Position [#]
1) R19-Jac Haudenschild[2]
2) 21-Brian Brown[1]
3) 15-Donny Schatz[4]
4) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[3]
5) 51-Fred Rahmer[5]
6) 6R-Bill Rose[6]
7) 10A-Ricky Logan[9]
8) 22-Brian Ellenberger[7]
9) 30C-Lance Dewease[8]
10) 4-Eric Baldaccini[10]

Heat 2 (8 Laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature) - Starting Position [#]
1) 24-Terry McCarl[1]
2) 91-Paul McMahan[2]
3) 7-Craig Dollansky[4]
4) 11K-Kraig Kinser[3]
5) 9-Joey Saldana[6]
6) 83-Tim Kaeding[5]
7) 4X-Toni Lutar[7]
8) 45X-Johnny Herrera[8]
9) 1-Bronson Maeschen[9]
10) 85-Josh Hawkins[10]

Heat 3 (8 Laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature) - Starting Position [#]
1) 11-Steve Kinser[1]
2) 14-Jason Meyers[2]
3) 6-Danny Lasoski[3]
4) 7S-Jason Sides[4]
5) 18-Tony Bruce Jr.[6]
6) 2B-Ben Gregg[5]
7) 63-Chad Kemenah[9]
8) 17-Daryn Pittman[7]
9) 44W-Austen Wheatley[8]
10) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[10]

Dash (6 laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature) - Starting Position [#]
1) 91-Paul McMahan[3]
2) R19-Jac Haudenschild[4]
3) 7-Craig Dollansky[7]
4) 14-Jason Meyers[2]
5) 7S-Jason Sides[6]
6) 15-Donny Schatz[8]
7) 11-Steve Kinser[10]
8) 24-Terry McCarl[9]
9) 21-Brian Brown[1]
10) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[5]

B-main (12 laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature) - Starting Position [#]
1) 22-Brian Ellenberger[1]
2) 4X-Toni Lutar[2]
3) 30C-Lance Dewease[4]
4) 17-Daryn Pittman[3]
5) 44W-Austen Wheatley[6]
6) 10A-Ricky Logan[7]
7) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[12] [$200]
8) 63-Chad Kemenah[9] [$180]
9) 45X-Johnny Herrera[5] [$175]
10) 4-Eric Baldaccini[10] [$160]
11) 1-Bronson Maeschen[8] [$150]
12) 85-Josh Hawkins[11] [$150]

A-main (30 laps) - Starting Position [#]
1) 7-Craig Dollansky[3] [$10,000]
2) 11-Steve Kinser[7] [$5,500]
3) 9-Joey Saldana[17] [$3,200]
4) 14-Jason Meyers[4] [$2,800]
5) 7S-Jason Sides[5] [$2,500]
6) 91-Paul McMahan[1] [$2,300]
7) R19-Jac Haudenschild[2] [$2,200]
8) 11K-Kraig Kinser[11] [$2,100]
9) 83-Tim Kaeding[14] [$2,050]
10) 6-Danny Lasoski[12] [$2,000]
11) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[25] [$700]
12) 51-Fred Rahmer[13] [$1,200]
13) 24-Terry McCarl[8] [$1,100]
14) 15-Donny Schatz[6] [$1,050]
15) 63-Chad Kemenah[26] [$200]
16) 2B-Ben Gregg[15] [$900]
17) 4X-Toni Lutar[20] [$800]
18) 17-Daryn Pittman[21] [$800]
19) 6R-Bill Rose[16] [$800]
20) 22-Brian Ellenberger[19] [$800]
21) 44W-Austen Wheatley[23] [$800]
22) 30C-Lance Dewease[22] [$800]
23) 10A-Ricky Logan[24] [$800]
24) 18-Tony Bruce Jr[18] [$800]
25) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[10] [$800]
26) 21-Brian Brown[9] [$800]

Lap Leaders: Paul McMahan 1-8, Jac Haudenschild 9-18, Craig Dollansky 19-30

-end-

An Amazing Track Record: Steve Kinser Looks to Add to Mark at Houston Raceway Park

Baytown, TX-March 12, 2010- Steve Kinser gets up to speed pretty quick at most every track the World of Outlaws visit and can adapt to just about any conditions the track may throw at him, having won at nearly every track on the circuit. One track he is especially fast at and that suits his driving style very well is the immaculate Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, where the World of Outlaws will compete on Saturday, March 13 in the Texas Shootout as part of the Texas Two-Step Weekend.

In 14 career starts at Houston Raceway Park, Kinser has finished in the Top-10 in each and every race, with 11 Top-Five performances among the tally. He has an average finish of 3.6 at the track, which easily is the best of the 18 drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws in 2010.

"I do enjoy running that race track and we've always had success there," said Kinser. "I'm looking forward to going back there this year. It is a short track, but it doesn't race like a choppy short track. It's a track that is nice and smooth and we got around there pretty well. It's a nice facility as well and a nice race track."

Kinser first competed in the state of Texas back in the World of Outlaws inaugural season of 1978, winning for the first time in the Lone Star State the following year. The 20-time World of Outlaws champion has finished in the Top-Five in 15 consecutive races in the state and has finished sixth or better in 18 straight starts in the state. In his legendary career, Kinser has won 54 times in Texas and has well over 150 Top-10 finishes in the state, where the World of Outlaws were born.

"It's important to be anywhere," he noted when asked about the World of Outlaws racing in Texas. "Some of the races have slowed in the Texas/Oklahoma area and that used to be a hot bed for a number of years. I don't know why it has, but it has. It will be nice to go down there to Houston and Kilgore."

The World of Outlaws were the inspiration behind Houston Raceway Park being built and the series debuted at the state-of-the-art facility in 2000 with Kinser picking up the win in the first A-Feature event at the track after running second in the opening night preliminary feature. He was victorious in each of the first two A-Feature events for the series at the track.

"It certainly is a nice facility," Kinser said when asked about Houston Raceway Park. "It's somewhere where you don't have to scramble to watch race cars out on the track, you are able to see the track pretty good without doing a lot of walking, so that makes it convenient."

Houston Raceway Park will always be a special track for Kinser, as won his 500th career World of Outlaws A-Feature event at the facility in 2004. He leads all drivers with five A-Feature wins at the ¼-mile and is one of just four drivers that has competed in all 14 events for the series at the state-of-the-art facility.

"It does mean a lot," he stated of his 500th win which came nearly six years ago. "For a lot of year we raced feature and preliminary features and they were really the same thing. So that win was more than 500 really, but it's a special one still."

After having off-season surgery to fix a bulging disc in his neck, Kinser has come out of the box very strong in 2010, which is his first year behind the wheel of the Bass Pro Shops Maxim for Tony Stewart Racing. He is a teammate to four-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz at TSR, forming the most potent team in World of Outlaws history.

"I do feel better," shared the Hall of Famer. "I definitely had some neck problems and feel better this year in the car. Hopefully this continues and we run strong all year."

Kinser began the new season with a strong third-place finish on opening night at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida, and the following night he was victorious at the half-mile. A runner-up finish at Las Vegas put him the series point lead over his teammate. Last weekend at Thunderbowl Raceway in California, he recovered from an early spin in the opener to charge back through the field with a masterful driver to finish fifth. He followed that up with a sixth-place performance last Saturday night after lining up 21st on the grid.

Kinser is currently third in the World of Outlaws championship standings having finished sixth or better in all five events this season and is just nine markers behind point leader Joey Saldana, as he chases his record 21st title.

"We got in a little wreck and went to the back and came on back through there to finish fifth, so we were able to turn what looked like was going to be a terrible night into an average night," explained the native of Bloomington, Indiana. "When you can do that, I guess you're not doing too bad. Thats a track (Thunderbowl Raceway) where its 50/50 when I run good and when I struggle. We'll see what happens and continue to go from there."

Kinser looks to keep his strong start to the season going at Houston Raceway Park where he ran a very strong third last season and has finished in the Top-Five in each of his last six starts at the track.

On Saturday, March 13 at Houston Raceway Park, Tickets for adults will be $30 in advance and $35 the day of the race, with tickets for juniors (ages 6-12) $15. Children ages five-under will be admitted free of charge. Pit combos will also be available for $38, which includes a grandstand ticket and a pit pass if purchased in advance. To purchase tickets online visit http://www.houstonraceway.com or call the track at 281-383-7223.

-end-

World of Outlaws Return to Jackson Speedway in Minnesota on May 1

Concord, NC-March 11, 2010-The World of Outlaws will return to the historic Jackson Speedway in Jackson, Minnesota on Saturday, May 1 for the first time since 2006.

Donny Schatz, the four-time and defending World of Outlaws champion, was victorious in the series last visit to the half-mile in 2006 over Joey Saldana and Craig Dollansky. Schatz raced a number of times at Jackson Speedway early in his career as he was cutting his teeth in the Upper Midwest and has a total of six victories at the track dating back to 1996. He has finished first, second and ninth in his three World of Outlaws starts at the track.

The World of Outlaws competed for the first time at Jackson Speedway in 1987 with former series champion Bobby Davis Jr. picking up the win in that event. Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws champion, picked up his first win in at the track the following year in the Jackson Nationals. Kinser has won twice with the series at the half-mile and has finished in the Top-10 in all eight of his career starts at the track with seven of those being Top-Five performances.

Craig Dollansky, who hails from Elk River, Minnesota, finished third in the World of Outlaws last event at the half-mile in his home state. He has a couple of career Top-10 finishes at Jackson Speedway as he looks for his first win at the track.

Also on hand for the World of Outlaws return to Jackson Speedway on May 1 will be current series point leader Joey Saldana driving for Kasey Kahne Racing, Jason Meyers, Jason Sides, Kraig Kinser, 2001 series champion Danny Lasoski, Hall of Famer Jac Haudenschild, Tim Kaeding, Lucas Wolfe, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Terry McCarl, Paul McMahan, Chad Kemenah, Brian Ellenberger and rookies Ben Gregg and Toni Lutar.

Jackson Speedway is located ¼- mile south of I-90 (exit 73) on U.S. 71, then one mile east on CR 38, then one mile south on CR 51 (at the Jackson County Fairgrounds).

For tickets for the World of Outlaws return to Jackson Speedway on Saturday, May 1 visit www.slspromotions.com or call 815-344-2023. Tickets can also be purchased by calling Jackson Speedway at 507-841-1957.

Adult general admission tickets for the World of Outlaws return to Jackson Speedway on Saturday, May 1 will be $30 in advance and $35 the day of the race, with general admission tickets for kids ages 12-under $15 in advance and $15 the day of the race, with children ages 5-under admitted free of charge. Adult reserved tickets will be $33 in advance and $35 the day of the race with reserved tickets for kids ages 12-under $15 in advance and $15 the day of the race. Pit combos, which include a reserved ticket and a pit pass will be available in advance for $38.

To view the complete 2010 World of Outlaws schedule visit http://www.worldofoutlaws.com/sprint.

-end-

A Home Race: Sam Hafertepe Jr. Geared up for Stop at Lone Star Speedway

Kilgore, TX-March 11, 2010-Being from Texas, Sam Hafertepe Jr. doesnt get to stop back home very often during the racing season, but he will this week, and hell also be able to sleep in his own bed and race at his home track of Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, as the World of Outlaws return to the blazing fast high-banked track for the second consecutive year for the opener of the Texas Two-Step Weekend on Friday, March 12.

After finishing second last fall at Lone Star Speedway during the inaugural WoO Fest, Hafertepe has one thing on his mind this week and that is to gain that one more position that has eluded him and stand on top of the podium in Victory Lane. He finished second last fall to Joey Saldana at the track during the inaugural WoO Fest, which was his third career runner-up finish with the World of Outlaws. A win would be extra special for Hafertepe, as it would not only be his first with the World of Outlaws, but his first at Lone Star Speedway, which his parents own and operate.

"It would probably mean more than anything, because of all the hard work we have put in at that place," shared the 24-year old when asked about winning at Lone Star Speedway. "For the hometown fans and crowd, it would be great. We ran second there last year and hopefully we can come home with a win this time."

Last season was the first full year that the Hafertepe family held the reins at Lone Star Speedway, putting in countless hours renovating the facility after it had sat dormant for over four years. Ironically the World of Outlaws event last April was the first race at the track since the World of Outlaws competed there in 2004. In addition to making the facility one of the nicest on the World of Outlaws circuit, new clay was brought it and reworked the surface last fall prior to inaugural WoO Fest.

"We've tried to make a few changes to the facility and try to make it better each time everyone comes back," explained Sam Jr., who last fall ran the water truck on the day of the race in addition to helping with countless other tasks to make sure the event ran smooth. "The track surface itself is about the same and should be in great shape. We're really looking forward to it."

Hafertepe is excited to have the chance race in front of his home state fans this week and put on a good show for all of those that come out to the race. While Lone Star Speedway is his home track, there are a number of drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that have raced on the track more than he has, and Hafertepe is quick to point out that there is really no such thing as a home track advantage when running with the best sprint car drivers in the world.

"It's probably more pressure than anything, trying to perform in front of all the people that know me," he shared. "For the most part, I dont think there is really any home track advantage. It is extra pressure, but its not anything we cant handle. We're going to throw everything we have at it and hopefully things fall our way."

Hafertepe picked up his first Top-10 finish of the season at Las Vegas on February 26, coming home eighth. After getting caught up in an accident in the opener at Thunderbowl Raceway in California last weekend Hafertepe rallied to score a season-best seventh-place finish in the finale. He was very fast to open the season in Florida, but bad luck plagued him in the Sunshine State. After a switch in chassis and engine builders toward the middle of last season, the rising star is very confident in the program that he and the Plumbfast Racing team have in order.

"We've been fast since last year," Hafertepe noted. "We just have to get the luck to come our way and we'll be running in the Top-Five every night, no problem. We'll keep working hard at it and doing the best we can, that's for sure."

Hafertepe has a very familiar crew in 2010, as Daryl Turford is on board with him again and they also welcomed back Mike Schure. Along with Sam, the trio is one of the hardest working in the pit arriving, usually being one of the first teams to arrive at the track and one of the last to leave. After shuffling around crew members the last couple of season, Hafertepe is thrilled to have a crew that he is familiar with and that continues to gel at each and every race.

"We've had Daryl (Turford) now for almost two years and have Mike (Schure) back and he worked for me in previous years," he noted. "We mesh together pretty well and it's a good team. We all get along as well and that's something that is very important out here on the road to be successful."

On Friday, March 12 at Lone Star Speedway, Reserved tickets are $30 in advance and $35 on the day of the race, with General Admission tickets $25 in advance and $30 the day of the race. Tickets for children (ages 6-12) are $15, with kids 5-under admitted free of charge. To purchase tickets online visit http://www.lonestarspeedway.com or call the track at (903)-986-9731.

-end-

Previewing The Texas Shootout for the World of Outlaws at Houston Raceway Park

Baytown, TX-March 10, 2010-The Texas Two-Step Weekend rolls into Houston Raceway Park in Baytown on Saturday, March 13, as the World of Outlaw pay a visit to the immaculate ¼-mile, which is one of the nicest facilities on the tour for a full night of racing.

The Texas Shootout will feature a 40-lap main event with a $10,000 top prize in what will be the seventh World of Outlaws event of 2010 and the first on a ¼-mile. A strong field of cars is expected as the 18 drivers that are currently touring full-time with the World of Outlaws will be on hand, in addition to a couple members of the famed Pennsylvania Posse as well as a few of the Knoxville Raceway regulars that will make the tow south.

Joey Saldana, who was victorious at Houston Raceway Park last season, leads the series back to Texas as the current championship point leader, after winning his first race of 2010 last weekend in California. Jason Meyers moved up to second in points after a win and a runner-up finish last weekend and is just seven markers behind Saldana. Steve Kinser, the 20-time series champion is third, only two points behind Meyers and nine out of the lead. Donny Schatz, the four-time and defending series champion is fourth- 36 points back, with Jason Sides rounding out the Top-Five.
The World of Outlaws first competed at Houston Raceway Park in 2000, Steve Kinser winning both of the events that season. A total of four drivers have won A-Feature events with the series at the track including three that will be in attendance this week.

The Buzz-

Joey Saldana looks to make it two in a row at Houston Raceway Park after scoring his first win at the track last season.

Donny Schatz charged all the way from 14th to finish second at the track last season and has two career A-Feature wins at the ¼-mile. He looks to rebound from a 20th-place finish last weekend.

Steve Kinser has competed in all 14 World of Outlaws events at Houston Raceway Park and has finished in the Top-10 in every single one, with 11 of those being Top-Five performances.

Craig Dollansky has finished third in each of his last three starts at Houston Raceway Park. He has 12 career Top-10 finishes in 14 starts at the track as he chases his first win at the ¼-mile.

Sam Hafertepe Jr. the lone Texan competing full-time with the World of Outlaws this season turned some laps earlier in the year at Houston Raceway Park behind the wheel of a Modified with the USMTS, making the main event on two of three nights against some of the best Modified drivers from across the country.

Ben Gregg, one of the contenders for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award will make his first start at Houston Raceway Park this weekend. The native of Phoenix is coming off a career-best 11th-place run in California last weekend.

A strong contingent from the sprint car hotbed of Central Pennsylvania, are expected be in action at Houston Raceway Park including: Fred Rahmer, Lance Dewease and Daryn Pittman.

A couple of Knoxville Raceway track champions look to be in attendance as well with Johnny Herrera making the trip to Texas as well as Brian Brown. Also making the trip south will be Lynton Jeffrey and Bronson Maeschen.

Over the years
World of Outlaws A-Feature winner at Houston Raceway Park include:
2009- Joey Saldana on April 11
2007- Donny Schatz on March 16
2005-Donny Schatz on March 19
2004-Steve Kinser on March 27
2003-Steve Kinser on March 22
2002-Mark Kinser on March 24
2001- Mark Kinser on April 7, Steve Kinser on Oct. 14
2000-Steve Kinser on April 8, Steve Kinser on Oct. 21

One year ago: Joey Saldana wrapped up the inaugural Texas Two-Step Weekend with a win at Houston Raceway Park after a victory the previous night at Lone Star Speedway. He lined up fourth and quickly moved up into second and got around early leader Johnny Herrera on the third lap and would lead the remainder of the 40-lapper to pick up his first career win at the ¼-mile. Donny Schatz came from 14th to finish second, with Craig Dollansky third, Danny Lasoski fourth and Steve Kinser fifth. Lasoski opened the night by setting fast time, while the heats went to Saldana, Dollansky and Terry McCarl, with Jac Haudenschild winning the dash.

Sound Bites
Joey Saldana: "It's a great facility and a great place to race. It's like a diamond in the rough there. Once people come out there, they see how great out sport is and what's going on there and a great facility. Hopefully we can continue to go back there year after year."

Sam Hafertepe Jr.: "It's always nice to open up the trailer in paved pits and keep everything a lot nicer and cleaner. It's better on the crew guys as well and it does pump everyone up to race at nice facilities like that."

Steve Kinser: "I do enjoy running that race track and weve always had success there. I'm looking forward to going back there this year. It is a short track, but it doesn't race like a choppy short track. It's a track that is nice and smooth and we got around there pretty well. It's a nice facility as well and a nice race track."

By the numbers- The Texas Shootout at Houston Raceway Park
0.25- Miles around Houston Raceway Park
1- Driver from the state of Texas competing full-time with the World of Outlaws this season, Sam Hafertepe Jr.
2- Drivers that led laps in the feature event at the track in 2009; Drivers currently competing for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Title with the World of Outlaws
3.6- Average finish for Steve Kinser at the track in 14 career starts to lead all drivers
4- Drivers that have won A-Feature events with the series at the track; Drivers that have competed in all 14 of the World of Outlaws events at the track
5- A-Feature wins for Steve Kinser at HRP to lead all drivers with the series
7- Points that separate leader Joey Saldana and second-place Jason Meyers in the standings heading into this weekend
8- Seasons in which the World of Outlaws have competed at Houston Raceway Park
10- A-Feature events contested by the World of Outlaws at HRP dating back to 2000; Events the World of Outlaws contested on ¼-mile tracks in 2009
11- Top-Five finishes for Steve Kinser at the track to lead all drivers
11.996- Track record at Houston Raceway Park established by Joey Saldana on March 16, 2007
12- Positions gained by Donny Schatz last season at the track to earn the Hard Charger Award, coming from 14th to finish second
13- Drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that raced at Houston Raceway Park last season with the series
14- Total events contested by the World of Outlaws at HRP dating back to 2000 including preliminary features; Top-10 finishes for Steve Kinser at the track to lead all drivers
18- Drivers that are following the World of Outlaws full-time this season
25- World of Outlaws championships accounted for by drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws in 2010
30- Seasons in which the World of Outlaws have competed in the state of Texas
38- Laps led by Joey Saldana en route to winning at the track last season
215- Miles from Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, Texas where the World of Outlaws race on March 12 to Houston Raceway Park in Baytown
1978- Year the World of Outlaws first competed in the state of Texas, the birthplace of the series
2000- Year the World of Outlaws first competed at Houston Raceway Park
10,000- Dollars the winner will receive on Saturday, March 13

Tickets: Saturday, March 13 at Houston Raceway Park, Tickets for adults will be $30 in advance and $35 the day of the race, with tickets for juniors (ages 6-12) $15. Children ages five-under will be admitted free of charge. Pit combos will also be available for $38, which includes a grandstand ticket and a pit pass if purchased in advance. To purchase tickets online visit http://www.houstonraceway.com or call the track at 281-383-7223.

-end-

World of Outlaws At a Glance: Texas Two-Step Weekend

Concord, NC-March 8, 2010-

WHAT
The World of Outlaws head south for the Second Annual Texas Two-Step Weekend at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore on Friday, March 12 and The Texas Shootout at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown on Saturday March 13. Joey Saldana, who was the most recent winner on the tour, won all three races in the Lone Star State last season and heads to Texas this coming weekend as the current World of Outlaws championship point leader. In the first five events of the 2010 campaign, four different drivers have picked up wins, with Jason Meyers being the only multi-time victor so far this season.

WHEN
On Friday, March 12 at Lone Star Speedway, the pit gates will be open all day with the pit sign-in taking in the middle of the afternoon with the grandstand gates opening at 5 p.m. Central and racing set for 8 p.m. Central.

On Saturday, March 13 at Houston Raceway Park, the pit gates will open at 2 p.m. Central, with the grandstand gates opening at 4 p.m. Central and hot laps set for 6 p.m. Central with qualifying to follow and racing set for 7:30 p.m. Central

WHERE
Lone Star Speedway is located in Kilgore, Texas. Take I-20 to exit 583 (at Liberty City), then 0.5 mi. north on Hwy. 135, then 1 mi. east on FM 1252, then 0.5 miles south (track is on the right).

Houston Raceway Park is located in Baytown, Texas. Travel East of Houston on I-10 to exit 798, then 3 mi. south on SR 146, then .8 mi. east on FM 1405, then 1.5 mi. northeast on FM 565.

TICKETS
Friday, March 12 at Lone Star Speedway, Reserved tickets are $30 in advance and $35 on the day of the race, with General Admission tickets $25 in advance and $30 the day of the race. Tickets for children (ages 6-12) are $15, with kids 5-under admitted free of charge. To purchase tickets online visit http://www.lonestarspeedway.com or call the track at (903)-986-9731.

Saturday, March 13 at Houston Raceway Park, Tickets for adults will be $30 in advance and $35 the day of the race, with tickets for juniors (ages 6-12) $15. Children ages five-under will be admitted free of charge. Pit combos will also be available for $38, which includes a grandstand ticket and a pit pass if purchased in advance. To purchase tickets online visit http://www.houstonraceway.com or call the track at 281-383-7223.

ABOUT THE TRACKS
Lone Star Speedway is a high-banked half-mile oval. The track record of 13.05 seconds was established by Danny Lasoski on April 4, 2002.

Houston Raceway Park is a high-banked ¼-mile oval. The track record of 11.996 seconds, established by Joey Saldana on March 16, 2007.

PREVIOUS WINNERS
World of Outlaws A-Feature winners at Lone Star Speedway include:
2009- Joey Saldana on April 10, Joey Saldana on October 24
2004- Steve Kinser on March 12
2003- Steve Kinser on October 24
1986 - Sammy Swindell on March 14, Sammy Swindell on June 14
1984 - Sammy Swindell on May 5 (completed earlier event), Sammy Swindell on May 5, Sammy Swindell on June 19

World of Outlaws A-Feature winners at Houston Raceway Park include:
2009- Joey Saldana on April 11
2007- Donny Schatz on March 16
2005-Donny Schatz on March 19
2004-Steve Kinser on March 27
2003-Steve Kinser on March 22
2002-Mark Kinser on March 24
2001- Mark Kinser on April 7, Steve Kinser on Oct. 14
2000-Steve Kinser on April 8, Steve Kinser on Oct. 21

FEATURE WINNERS
There have been five World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events held in 2010. The winners include: Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Thunderbowl Raceway), Steve Kinser (Volusia Speedway Park), Joey Saldana (Thunderbowl Raceway) and Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park).

HALF-MILE WINNERS
Lone Star Speedway is a high-banked half-mile. The World of Outlaws have raced three times at a track that size in 2010. The winners include: Steve Kinser (Volusia Speedway Park), Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway) and Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park).

1/4-MILE WINNERS
Houston Raceway Park is a high-banked 1/4-mile. The World of Outlaws raced 10 times on a track that size in 2009. The winners included: Joey Saldana (Silver Dollar Speedway-three times and Houston Raceway Park), Jason Meyers (Silver Dollar Speedway-twice and Cottage Grove Speedway), Steve Kinser (Tri-State Speedway and Limaland Motorsports Park) and Tim Kaeding (Riverside International Speedway).

2010 World of Outlaws Championship Standings through March 6
1. Joey Saldana 733
2. Jason Meyers 726
3. Steve Kinser 724
4. Donny Schatz 697
5. Jason Sides 689
6. Kraig Kinser 661
7. Danny Lasoski 648
8. Jac Haudenschild  640
9. Tim Kaeding  625
10. Lucas Wolfe  617
 
-end-

World of Outlaws Wrap-Up: Thunderbowl Raceway

Concord, NC-March 8, 2010-
Some special guests: Jason Meyers and the Elite Racing team had a couple of very special guests at Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway on Friday night, as 14-time NHRA Funny Car Champion and drag racing legend John Force was on hand, along with his son-in-law, Robert Hight, who is the defending Funny Car titlist. The Elite Racing shop in Brownsburg, Indiana is housed at the state-of-the-art John Force Racing facility. Gary Scelzi, a fellow NHRA champion was also in attendance at Tulare, as he hails from nearby Fresno.

"They had a great time," shared Meyers of Force and Hight. "I realized the other day that they would be down in the area, so I gave John (Force) a call and invited him and Robert (Hight) over. It was cool that they were able to make it over. Ever since we moved in with John there and have gotten to know those guys, we've been trying to get them to a race, but they have very busy schedules. It was great that they took time out of their evening, when they could have been home with their families to come over here and see some great short track racing and spend some time up in the grandstands with the fans. They are really great about that. It was great to have them down and of course they come out to the first race to see us and we win. It couldnt be much better. They are great guys and to see them out here supporting our sport is awesome."

Winning one for his son: Joey Saldana has a lot of fans around the world, but his biggest two fans are his wife Shannon and his son Reece. He dedicated his win on Saturday night to Reece, who comes to a number of World of Outlaws events each season. Reece was not at Tulare, but rather back home in Indiana taking part in a wrestling tournament, where he ended up finishing second, after making it to the final round.

"This one is for my son Reece," said Saldana in Victory Lane on Saturday night. "He lost in wrestling today and was a little upset. This should put a smile on his face."

A little wing damage: Jac Haudenschild sustained some significant damage to the top wing on his machine on Friday night, though that did not slow him down as he wound finishing a season-best third. He began the night by turning in the fourth-fastest lap in time trials and followed that up with a second-place effort in the fourth heat race to earn a spot in the dash for the first time this season. He moved up to second near the halfway point of the race and kept pace with the lead duo of Jason Meyers and Joey Saldana late in the contest, despite the crumpled top wing.

"It messed it up a little bit, but it wasn't too bad on a short track," shared Haudenschild. "On a half-mile we would have been in trouble."

First time visitor: Fred Rahmer made the first two starts of his legendary career in California over the weekend at Thunderbowl Raceway. The Pennsylvania native won the dash on Friday night to earn the pole position in the 35-lap main event and wound up finishing sixth in his debut at the high-banked 1/3-mile bullring. He charged from the 14th starting spot in the finale to finish a very impressive third. The Hall of Famer and his team had a helping hand from a fellow Hall of Famer, as multi-time King of California Brent Kaeding helped them with their set-up both nights.

"This is a lot different than any place I have ever driven," noted Rahmer before racing began on Saturday night. "I should have done a little better job driving (on Friday night). The guys had the car good. It was exciting, I'll you that much. Hopefully we'll be ok tonight. I'd be lost if he (Kaeding) was not helping us out. It's a different program here, so we would have been in trouble. He has been a huge help to us."

And then there were four: Joey Saldana, Jason Meyers, Steve Kinser and Jason Sides are the only drivers that have finished in the Top-10 in all five of the World of Outlaws events in 2010. Saldana, who took over the point lead after his win on Saturday night, has a win, three runner-up finishes and a sixth-place effort to his credit. Meyers has two wins, a runner-up finish, along with a fourth and sixth. Kinser has a win, a second, a third, a fifth and a sixth. Sides has a fourth, a fifth, two ninth-place finishes and a 10th.

A change at the top Joey Saldana moved into the top spot in the World of Outlaws championship standings after his win on Saturday night. He currently leads Jason Meyers by seven points with Steve Kinser third- nine markers out, with Donny Schatz fourth and Jason Sides fifth. The weekend at Tulare opened with Kinser leading Schatz by two points, with Saldana third- 12 points out and Meyers fourth- 16 markers back. After the opener at Tulare, Kinser and Schatz were tied for the point lead with Saldana third, just three points out and Meyers fourth, only six markers behind. Three times in five races so far this season there has been a change at the top of the standings.

A new track record: For the second consecutive year the track record at Thunderbowl Raceway was broken during World of Outlaws time trials. Tim Kaeding turned a lap of 12.651 seconds to break the existing mark of 12.713 that Terry McCarl had set in 2009. Kaeding, second fastest qualifier Lucas Wolfe and third quick Joey Saldana all broke the existing track record in the opener at Tulare. It was the first track record established this season after 10 were set last year at World of Outlaws events.

Starting the night on a strong note: Lucas Wolfe was quickest in time trials on Saturday night to earn his first fast time honor of the 2010 season. He opened the weekend by turning the second fastest lap on Friday night at Thunderbowl Raceway. Unfortunately bad luck befell the 2008 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year on Friday night as he was running fourth with just five laps remaining when he lost a rear end. The bad luck plagues him again the next night as he was running third in the finale on the 14th lap when a broken driveshaft ended his night.

"A first and a second is our best qualifying of the season," said Wolfe after time trials on Saturday night. "Hopefully that trend will continue. We've had pretty good results in the races this year we just haven't qualified well so we've started at the back."

Gaining momentum: Kraig Kinser picked up his best finish of the season coming home fourth on Saturday night at Tulare after finishing eighth in the opener. The third generation driver is back home in 2010 driving for his father Steve's team, with whom he has had a lot of success in the past including winning the 2005 Knoxville Nationals. The younger Kinser is currently sixth in point and has three Top-10 finishes this season.

"We qualified good tonight as opposed to last night," he noted after his Top-Five run on Saturday. "We were good last night (Friday) in the feature and continue to run good here tonight on a track that was tough for a lot of people this weekend and we're fortunate that we got to roll it (the car) into the trailer this weekend."

Hard charger: Chad Kemenah, who returned to the road full-time with the World of Outlaws in 2010, scored his best finish of the season on Friday night at Thunderbowl Raceway. The 2006 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year started 17th and finished seventh to earn the KSE Race Products Hard Charger Award.

"It wasn't too bad," stated Kemenah of his run last Friday night. "Some of it was that we had some wrecks in front of us, but we were passing some race cars. Hopefully that will give us a little motivation to keep going a little better every night here. We've been struggling so far, but well keep trying."

Signing on: Terry McCarl and Big Game Motorsports have signed on to be full-time Platinum Members with the World of Outlaws in 2010. They now will be eligible for series provisionals as well as tow money and other benefits that are accrued to full-time Platinum teams that travel the circuit. McCarl has finished among the Top-10 in the World of Outlaws championship standings three times in his career. He began 2010 with nine career A-Feature wins with the series.

Career best finish Ben Gregg, one of the contenders for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award with the World of Outlaws in 2010, picked up his best-career finish with the series on Saturday night at Thunderbowl Raceway coming home 11th. It was the third consecutive year that the native of Phoenix has competed at the high-banked 1/3-mile bullring. He currently leads Toni Lutar in the chase for the rookie title by 63 markers.

Up next: The World of Outlaws head to the Lone Star State for the Second Annual Texas Two-Step Weekend, beginning at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore on Friday, March 12, followed by a stop at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown on Saturday, March 13.

-end-