[b World of Outlaws Preview: Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway]
[i Edmonton, Alberta—August 26, 2009]
In what is quickly becoming a tradition, the World of Outlaws will head way north again this season for the third annual Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In the two previous editions of the race, four different drivers have picked up wins before a packed grandstand each and every race.
Jac Haudenschild and Jason Meyers were victorious last season at the 3/8-mile, while 20-time series champion Steve Kinser and three-time and defending titlist Donny Schatz won in 2007. Kinser made history claiming the inaugural race at the track which was also his first career win north of the border.
The 2009 Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway will be the second trip of the season to Canada for the World of Outlaws, as they visited Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario last month. Jason Meyers and Jason Sides split wins in that event.
The Oil City Cup continues a stretch of 17 consecutive events on short tracks for the World of Outlaws, with 11 of those being part of the Gold Rush Tour which is the stretch run of the 2009 season.
Donny Schatz leads the series standings by 92 markers over Jason Meyers heading into the two-day event at Castrol Raceway as he chases his fourth consecutive title. Joey Saldana, who leads the series with 13 A-Feature wins is third, with Steve Kinser fourth and Jason Sides fifth.
Slidejobs- Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway:
Looking to repeat: Jason Meyers won the finale of the Oil City Cup last to score his first career win in Canada. He followed that up with another victory this season at Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario last month. In his career at Castrol Raceway, the native of Clovis, California has finished in the Top-Five in all four of his starts. He has won five times this season and is currently second in points as he chases his first career World of Outlaws title. Meyers is tied for the series lead with 40 Top-10 finishes.
History maker: Steve Kinser made history in 2007 winning the inaugural World of Outlaws event at Castrol Raceway. The 20-time series champion has finished fourth or better in all four of his starts at the 3/8-mile with three of those being podium finishes. He has finished fourth or better in all but one career start in Canada dating back to 1979 at three different tracks. The native of Bloomington, Indiana led the first 14 laps of the finale of the Oil City Cup last season and has paced the field for 49 laps at the track over the last two seasons to lead all drivers. Kinser has won twice this season and is currently fourth in points.
Running up front: Donny Schatz won the finale at Castrol Raceway in 2007 and has finished on the podium in three of his four starts at the track and has finished ninth or better each time he has competed there. The three-time and defending series champion set the track record at Castrol Raceway in 2007 in time trials. He battled Joey Saldana for the win in 2007 and the pair are currently the top two winners this season on the World of Outlaws circuit. The North Dakota native recently won his 100th career A-Feature win with the series which made him just the fifth driver in the 31-plus year history of the series to accomplish that feat.
Headed north looking for another win: Jac Haudenschild led all 35 laps of the opener of the Oil City Cup last season to score the first win of his career in Canada. The 2009 inductee into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame is closing in on his first win of the season and is currently eighth in points. The win at Castrol Raceway last season made Canada the third country he has won at during his career, as he has also won in Australia in addition to numerous races in the United States.
Oh so close: Joey Saldana has three Top-Five finishes in four starts at Castrol Raceway, including a runner-up performance in the finale of the Oil City Cup in 2007. He has won five times this season on 3/8-mile tracks to lead the series. The native of Brownsburg, Indiana leads the series with 13 A-Feature wins this season which is a career-high for him. He is third in points as he chases his first series title.
Oh Canada: Jason Sides was the class of the field last month when the World of Outlaws made their first visit of the season to Canada for two nights of racing at Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario. He won the finale to score his first win of the season and first win on Canadian soil. He also led most of the opener at the 3/8-mile before a flat tire while running second forced him to the work area. He would charge back through the field to finish eighth. The 2003 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year finished eighth in the opener of the Oil City Cup last season. He is currently fifth in points as he continues to have the best season of his World of Outlaws career.
A return visit: Danny Lasoski will make his first trip to Castrol Raceway since 2007 this week. The 2001 series champion finished 10th in his debut at the track two years ago. He has won five times this season and is currently just 11 points behind Jason Sides as the pair battles for the fifth spot. The native of Dover, Missouri is in the midst of his first season driving for the Parsons Motorsports team based out of Iowa.
Turning up the wick: Craig Dollansky heads to Castrol Raceway with plenty of momentum, having finished seventh or better in 12 of the last 13 races. In four starts at Castrol Raceway he has finished seventh or better each time. He finished fifth in the opener last season and was third in the finale in 2007. After scoring his first win of the year on July 26 at Lebanon Valley Speedway in New York he has continued to build momentum and is just 54 points outside of the Top-Five in the series standings.
North of the border: Kraig Kinser finished ninth last month at Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario to earn the best finish of his career in Canada. He made his debut at Castrol Raceway last season and heads back this season with some momentum having picked up Top-10 finishes in five of his last six starts. The third generation drive is currently ninth in the series standings as he closes in on his first win of the year.
Learning the track: Lucas Wolfe made his debut at Castrol Raceway last season during his rookie season with the World of Outlaws. The reigning Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year finished sixth at Ohsweken Speedway last month to earn the best finish of his career in Canada. He is currently 10th in the series standings as he chases his first win.
Another new track: Brian Ellenberger continues to add to the list of tracks he visits for the first time this season during his rookie year with the World of Outlaws. The native of Butler, Pennsylvania competed in Canada for the first time last month at Ohsweken Speedway. He is currently 11th in points and picked up the best finish of his World of Outlaws career earlier this season on a 3/8-mile at Dodge City Raceway Park in Kansas coming home third.
By the Numbers: Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway:
0.375-Miles around Castrol Raceway
1- Canadian driver to win a World of Outlaws A-Feature event, Tim Gee
2- Drivers that have won in Canada with the World of Outlaws this season
3- Drivers that led laps in the two A-Feature events at the track last season; Consecutive years the World of Outlaws have competed at Castrol Raceway including this year
4- Events contested by the World of Outlaws at Castrol Raceway in the last two seasons; Drivers that have won with the World of Outlaws at Castrol Raceway
5- Drivers that have won on 3/8-mile tracks with the series this season; Seasons in which the World of Outlaws have competed in Canada
9- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that raced at Castrol Raceway last season
11- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws
12.693- Track record set by Donny Schatz in 2007
14- Events on 3/8-mile tracks to-date for the World of Outlaws
21- Laps led by Jason Meyers to win at Castrol Raceway last season
27- World of Outlaws championships that will be accounted for by driving entered in the event
31- Drivers that competed at the 3/8-mile with the series last season
32- Top-Five finishes for Donny Schatz to lead the World of Outlaws
35- Laps led by Jac Haudenschild to win at the track last season
40- Top-10 finishes for Donny Schatz and Jason Meyers to lead the series
50- A-Feature events contested through August 22
70- Laps of A-Feature competition scheduled for the two nights of racing
92-Points that separate Donny Schatz and Jason Meyers in the series championship standings
106.358- Track record in miles per hour set by Donny Schatz in 2007
1998-Year that Castrol Raceway first hosted a sprint car race
2007- Year the World of Outlaws first competed at Castrol Raceway
844-Miles from Dacotah Speedway in Mandan, North Dakota where the World of Outlaws race on August 22 to Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
10,000- Dollars the winner will receive on Friday, August 28; Dollars the winner will receive on Saturday, August 29
264,600- Dollars earned by Donny Schatz through August 22 to lead the series
Tickets: On Friday, August 28 at Castrol Raceway, adult general admission tickets will be $40 Canadian, with general admission tickets for juniors (ages 6-12) $15 Canadian with kids 5-under admitted free of charge in the general admission section. Adult reserved tickets will be $50 Canadian, with reserved tickets for juniors (ages 6-12) $25 Canadian and reserved tickets for kids 5-under $10 Canadian. For tickets visit http://www.castrolraceway.com or call (780) 461-5801.
On Saturday, August 22 at Castrol Raceway, adult general admission tickets will be $40 Canadian, with general admission tickets for juniors (ages 6-12) $15 Canadian with kids 5-under admitted free of charge in the general admission section. Adult reserved tickets will be $50 Canadian, with reserved tickets for juniors (ages 6-12) $25 Canadian and reserved tickets for kids 5-under $10 Canadian. For tickets visit http://www.castrolraceway.com or call (780) 461-5801.
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 SpeedwayEngines; and Chassis Builder’s Challenge participants J&J Auto Racing, Maxim Racing and XXX Race Company.
- Tony Veneziano on Aug 27, 2009
- Article Date: 8/27/2009