West Burlington, IA— July 8, 2009—Joey Saldana set a career high in 2007 with the World of Outlaws winning 12 A-Feature events over the course of that nearly 80-race season. The second generation driver matched that mark on Wednesday night at 34 Raceway in Iowa, winning for the 12th time in 2009 in just the 34th race of the season as he looks to eclipse his career high for victories with the series this season.
Saldana started on the pole and led the first 11 laps before Donny Schatz got around him on the 12th lap and would pace the next 20 circuits. After a thrilling battle in traffic that saw Saldana continually use the high side of the track before ducking under Schatz to take the lead on the 32nd lap. A late caution set up a green-white-checker finish that saw the race extended an extra go-around to 36 laps.
The win for Saldana aboard the Budweiser Maxim was the 51st of his World of Outlaws career, which moved him into a tie for ninth on the All-time list with recent Hall of Fame inductee Jac Haudenschild.
“That was an awesome race,” said Saldana in Victory Lane. “To be able to race Donny Schatz like that was great. I don’t know what to say. I think he had a better car than me, but I just didn’t want to give up.”
The race began with Saldana leading from the pole with Terry McCarl in second. Saldana began to pull away early in the race as McCarl has his hands full with Schatz.
The first caution of the night flew on the eighth lap, by which time Schatz was up to second and put him right on Saldana for the restart. He looked low in turns one and two and again in three and four in a bid for the top spot. On the 11th lap, Schatz looked under Saldana in turns three and four and the pair ran side-by-side with Saldana retaining the top spot.
On the very next lap Schatz went low again in turns one and two and took the lead from Saldana. As the pair worked their way through heavy lapped traffic, Saldana moved to the extreme high side of the track as he kept pace with Schatz. On the 14th lap nearly took the lead in turns one and two when Schatz was held up by a lapped car.
This battle continued for a number of laps in heavy traffic, with Schatz continuing to hold on to the lead. A caution would fly on the 24th lap giving the leaders clean track to work with. Schatz led on the restart with Saldana again going way up the track in turns one and two and getting a strong run down the back straightway. With seven laps to go, the lead pair was in heavy traffic and Saldana had closed right back up on Schatz again.
Saldana used the low side of the track in turns three and on the 32nd lap to take the lead back from Schatz, with the latter pulling back even in turns one and two. Saldana would lead down the backstretch and took the white flag as the leader with Schatz right on him when the final caution of the night flew, setting up a two-lap shootout by way of World of Outlaws rules that a race must end under two consecutive green flag laps. A strong restart helped propel Saldana, who led 15 laps on the night to the victory.
“I was just hanging with him and as soon as we got to lapped traffic he started moving and that helped me out,” noted the native of Brownsburg, Indiana. “I ran the top in (turns) one and two the whole race and it kind of cleaned off and started taking a little rubber off of two. He passed me early on the bottom and he never knew that was there. Luckily we got him back.”
Saldana won the Crane Cams Dash to earn the pole position for the 35-lap A-Feature, though he had some smoke coming from his car during the dash and immediately took it back to the pit area to have his crew tend to it. After making some repairs, they had the machine ready to go well in advance of the main event.
“We had an oil leak and they had to work on the valve cover and some stuff,” shared the winner. “There is nothing wrong with our Mopar. The engine ran great, it was just something that came loose. That’s the way it goes.”
Saldana is in the midst of his fourth season driving for Kasey Kahne Racing and has won 36 World of Outlaws A-Feature events since joining the team owned by the NASCAR star, who was in attendance for the win on Wednesday night.
“It’s exciting for this whole team,” said Kahne. “They have done a great job all season. To see a race like that with Joey and Donny like that was unreal. That was awesome to be here and be a fan and get to watch it. I am glad all you fans were able to see an awesome sprint car race tonight.”
Schatz lined up seventh and gained two spots on the opening lap and another two on the second go-around and was all the way up to third. He then worked on Terry McCarl for a couple of laps before taking the second spot from him and setting his sights on Saldana. After trading the lead a couple of times, the three-time and defending series champion, wound up second in the Armor All J&J.
“That’s an important part, putting on a good show,” said Schatz after the race. “Joey (Saldana) did a great job. I hated to see that yellow with two to go. My guys did an awesome job. We had a great car. We have been fighting some things the last month and we put a new race car together and feel like we are actually going somewhere. We’re pretty happy. You’re not going to win them all and Joey is pretty good when you have to pinball around the cushion. We’ll keep plugging away.”
Terry McCarl, who helped promote the event at 34 Raceway on Wednesday night, wound up third in his home state aboard the Big Game Treestands Maxim. He ran second for a couple of laps early in the race and fell back to fourth as well a couple of times, but was able to take the third spot back from Jac Haudenschild with seven laps to go. He began the night by setting fast time in qualifying of the 33 cars that took to the track.
“What a great race track it was,” said McCarl. “You have the two best in the business ahead of us and we were knocking on the door and just missed it a little bit. It was a great race to watch. They were going at and it looked Donny had us handled and Joey got going up there on top. The bottom went away there in (turns) one and two where Donny and I were running and it went away like right now. I about spun it out a couple of times and had to move around to see where we were good.”
Danny Lasoski ended up fourth in the Casey’s General Store JEI, with Jason Sides in fifth piloting the Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim. Tim Kaeding was sixth in the DTR Transport KPC, with Jac Haudenschild seventh aboard the Owens-Corning Fiberglass Maxim. Sammy Swindell was eighth in the Tom Rolfe Trucking Maxim, with Jason Meyers ninth in the GLR Investments KPC. Johnny Herrera rounded out the Top-10 in the Perfect Circle Bending Maxim.
The World of Outlaws return to action on Saturday, July 11 at Charter Raceway Park in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.
34 RACEWAY NOTES
• FAST QUALIFIER: Terry McCarl paced the 33 cars that took time with an AMB i.t. timed lap around the high-banked 3/8-mile oval at 12.360 seconds at 109.223 mph. For his qualifying effort, McCarl earned five bonus points. The next four fastest qualifiers also earned bonus points, including: Jason Meyers (4), Lucas Wolfe (3), Johnny Herrera (2), and Sammy Swindell (1).
• QUALIFYING WINNERS: Tim Kaeding, Tony Bruce Jr., Donny Schatz and Danny Lasoski won heat races. Steve Kinser won the B-Main. Joey Saldana won the Crane Cams Dash.
• FEATURE WINNERS: There has been 34 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature event held in 2009. The winners include: Joey Saldana (Volusia Speedway Park, Silver Dollar Speedway, Thunderbowl Raceway, Lone Star Speedway, Houston Raceway Park, The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Virginia Motor Speedway, Lawrenceburg Speedway, Dodge City Raceway Park-twice, U.S. 36 Raceway and 34 Raceway), Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park-twice, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Knoxville Raceway, Eldora Speedway, Canandaigua Speedway, Lawrenceburg Speedway and River Cities Speedway), Jason Meyers (Silver Dollar Speedway, Paducah International Raceway, I-96 Speedway and Red River Valley Speedway), Danny Lasoski (Delaware International Speedway, Nodak Speedway and Eagle Raceway), Dale Blaney (Attica Raceway Park), Randy Hannagan (Thunderbowl Raceway), Greg Hodnett (Williams Grove Speedway), Tim Kaeding (Riverside International Speedway), Chad Kemenah (Manzanita Speedway), Steve Kinser (Tri-State Speedway) and Terry McCarl (Knoxville Raceway).
• 3/8-MILE WINNERS: The World of Outlaws have raced seven times on a track that size this season. The winners include: Joey Saldana (Lawrenceburg Speedway, Dodge City Raceway Park-twice, U.S. 36 Raceway and 34 Raceway), Danny Lasoski (Nodak Speedway), Jason Meyers (Paducah International Raceway), and Donny Schatz (Lawrenceburg Speedway).
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; 34 Raceway; West Burlington, IA; July, 8, 2009
Qualifying
- 24-Terry McCarl 12.360
- 14-Jason Meyers 12.361
- 5W-Lucas Wolfe 12.450
- 2W-Johnny Herrera 12.469
- 10-Sammy Swindell 12.482
- 7S-Jason Sides 12.509
- 9-Joey Saldana 12.519
- 96-Bronson Maeschen 12.528
- 83-Tim Kaeding 12.550
- 1X-Randy Hannagan 12.561
- 15-Donny Schatz 12.565
- 6-Danny Lasoski 12.572
- 55-Kerry Madsen 12.612
- 18-Tony Bruce Jr. 12.617
- 53-Jack Dover 12.636
- R19-Jac Haudenschild 12.685
- 11-Steve Kinser 12.705
- 14AJ-Wayne Johnson 12.722
- 49-Josh Schneiderman 12.747
- 19-Craig Dollansky 12.760
- 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. 12.778
- V92-Mathew Reed 12.779
- 10X-Rager Phillips 12.791
- 7K-Kaley Gharst 12.796
- 20-Kraig Kinser 12.809
- 22-Brian Ellenberger 12.849
- 21AU-Brooke Tatnell 12.866
- 55B-Joey Moughan 12.910
- 17A-Austin McCarl 13.014
- 69-Mike Moore 13.096
- 65-Jordan Goldesberry 13.115
- 51J-Ryan Jamison 13.477
- 3-Matt Sutton 13.796
- 4X-Toni Lutar -.---
- 44W-Austen Wheatley -.---
Heat 1 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
- 83-Tim Kaeding
- 55-Kerry Madsen
- 10-Sammy Swindell
- 24-Terry McCarl
- 20-Kraig Kinser
- 11-Steve Kinser
- 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.
- 3-Matt Sutton
- 17A-Austin McCarl
Heat 2 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
- 18-Tony Bruce Jr.
- 7S-Jason Sides
- 1X-Randy Hannagan
- 14-Jason Meyers
- 14AJ-Wayne Johnson
- 22-Brian Ellenberger
- V92-Mathew Reed
- 69-Mike Moore
- 4X-Toni Lutar
Heat 3 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
- 15-Donny Schatz
- 9-Joey Saldana
- 5W-Lucas Wolfe
- 53-Jack Dover
- 21AU-Brooke Tatnell
- 10X-Rager Phillips
- 49-Josh Schneiderman
- 65-Jordan Goldesberry
Heat 4 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
- 6-Danny Lasoski
- R19-Jac Haudenschild
- 19-Craig Dollansky
- 96-Bronson Maeschen
- 7K-Kaley Gharst
- 2W-Johnny Herrera
- 51J-Ryan Jamison
- 55B-Joey Moughan
Crane Cams Dash (6 laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature)
- 9-Joey Saldana
- 24-Terry McCarl
- 14-Jason Meyers
- 55-Kerry Madsen
- 6-Danny Lasoski
- 83-Tim Kaeding
- 15-Donny Schatz
- R19-Jac Haudenschild
- 7S-Jason Sides
- 18-Tony Bruce Jr.
B-main (12 laps, top 4 finishers transferred to A-feature)
- 11-Steve Kinser
- 2W-Johnny Herrera
- 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.
- 22-Brian Ellenberger
- 10X-Rager Phillips [$200]
- 49-Josh Schneiderman [$180]
- 55B-Joey Moughan [$175]
- 65-Jordan Goldesberry [$160]
- 69-Mike Moore [$150]
- 4X-Toni Lutar [$150]
- 51J-Ryan Jamison [$150]
- V92-Mathew Reed [$150]
- 17A-Austin McCarl [$150]
- 3-Matt Sutton [$150]
A-main (35 laps) - Starting Position [#]
- 9-Joey Saldana[1] [$10,000]
- 15-Donny Schatz[7] [$5,500]
- 24-Terry McCarl[2] [$3,200]
- 6-Danny Lasoski[5] [$2,800]
- 7S-Jason Sides[9] [$2,500]
- 83-Tim Kaeding[6] [$2,300]
- R19-Jac Haudenschild[8] [$2,200]
- 10-Sammy Swindell[13] [$2,100]
- 14-Jason Meyers[3] [$2,050]
- 2W-Johnny Herrera[12] [$2,000]
- 55-Kerry Madsen[4] [$1,500]
- 21AU-Brooke Tatnell[24] [$1,200]
- 11-Steve Kinser[17] [$1,100]
- 20-Kraig Kinser[22] [$1,050]
- 53-Jack Dover[16] [$1,000]
- 22-Brian Ellenberger[23] [$900]
- 7K-Kaley Gharst[21] [$800]
- 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[20] [$800]
- 96-Bronson Maeschen[14] [$800]
- 1X-Randy Hannagan[15] [$800]
- 14AJ-Wayne Johnson[18] [$800]
- 5W-Lucas Wolfe[11] [$800]
- 18-Tony Bruce Jr.[10] [$800]
- 19-Craig Dollansky[19] [$800]
Lap Leaders: Joey Saldana 1-11, 32-35; Donny Schatz 12-31
SuperClean Start of the Night Award: Brooke Tatnell
Penske Power Position Award: Terry McCarl
KSE Hard Charger Award: Brooke Tatnell
World of Outlaws Championship Standings Through July 8
- Donny Schatz 4727
- Joey Saldana 4687 -40
- Jason Meyers 4625 -102
- Steve Kinser 4600 -127
- Jason Sides 4519 -208
- Danny Lasoski 4515 -212
- Craig Dollansky 4457 -270
- Jac Haudenschild 4361 -366
- Kraig Kinser 4344 -383
- Lucas Wolfe 3989 -738
- Sam Hafertepe Jr. 3864 -863
- Brian Ellenberger 3560 -1167
The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), Quaker State (Official Motor Oil), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, KSE Race Products, Penske Shocks, Racing Electronics, S&S Volvo; Engine Builder's Challenge participants Don Ott Racing Engines, Kistler Engines, Shaver Specialties and Speedway Engines; and Chassis Builder’s Challenge participants J&J Auto Racing, Maxim Racing and XXX Race Company.
Photo By - Mark Funderburk Photos
- Tony Veneziano on Jul 09, 2009
- Article Date: 7/9/2009