[b World of Outlaws Preview: Cottage Grove Speedway]
[i Cottage Grove, OR—September 5, 2009]
The Gold Rush Tour continues for the World of Outlaws at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon on Tuesday, September 8 as the series makes their only visit to the state.
Last season it was three-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz picking up the win at the track over Craig Dollansky, after a mid-race battle with Jason Meyers for the top spot. It was the second win of his career at the high-banked ¼-mile bullring. Schatz scored his first career World of Outlaws A-Feature victory at Cottage Grove Speedway in 1998 and recently picked up his 100th career triumph.
Steve Kinser and Danny Lasoski have each won three times with the World of Outlaws at Cottage Grove Speedway to lead all drivers. Wins for Kinser came in 1995, 2000 and 2003, while Lasoski has picked up victories in 1999, 2002 and 2005.
Just like his teammate Donny Schatz, Kraig Kinser scored the first A-Feature win of his World of Outlaws career at Cottage Grove Speedway, with that coming in 2004. For the third generation driver, the victory was extra special as he won over his father, 20-time series champion Steve Kinser.
Joey Saldana was victorious at Cottage Grove Speedway in 2007, on a night that he set a sub-10-second track record, making the bullring the third track on the World of Outlaws circuit with a single digit track record.
The World of Outlaws have competed a total of 13 times at Cottage Grove Speedway dating back to 1994, with eight different drivers picking up A-Feature wins over that span. Five drivers competing full-time with the series this season have won at Cottage Grove Speedway.
Slidejobs- Cottage Grove Speedway:
¼-mile Master: Steve Kinser has won at Cottage Grove Speedway three times in his career and has nine Top-Fives at the track. He has been victorious twice this season on ¼-miles, with those wins coming at Tri-State Speedway in his home state of Indiana along with a triumph in the Brad Doty Classic at Limaland Motorsports Park in Ohio in the Brad Doty Classic. The 20-time series champion is currently fourth in points. In his career in the state of Oregon, the native of Bloomington, Indiana has five overall wins.
Knows the track Danny Lasoski has three career wins with the World of Outlaws at Cottage Grove Speedway. In his career at the high-banked bullring, he has finished sixth or better in 11 of his 12 starts. He made two starts at the track last season finishing third and fifth. The 2001 series champion has won five times this season and is currently sixth in points as he battles Jason Sides for the fifth spot in the standings.
The first of many: Donny Schatz, who recently scored the 100th A-Feature win of his World of Outlaw career, picked up his first win with the series at Cottage Grove Speedway in 1998, when the track was known as Riverside Speedway. The three-time and defending series champion won at the ¼-mile last season after battling Jason Meyers in the middle portion of the race for the top spot. Schatz has seven Top-10 finishes at the track in his career. The North Dakota native leads the World of Outlaws in Top-Five finishes and is second in wins as he chases his fourth consecutive title.
One to remember: Kraig Kinser picked up his first World of Outlaws at Cottage Grove Speedway in 2004, winning a duel over his father, Steve, the 20-time World of Outlaws champion. In his first race at the track in over three seasons last year, the third generation driver finished eighth as he continued a very strong Gold Rush Tour. He enters the event this season eighth in points on the strength of 27 Top-10 finishes.
Closing in on a win: Jason Meyers has come close to winning a couple of times at Cottage Grove Speedway in his career. The California native led a number of laps last season before getting into the wall on the front straightaway which ended his night. He ran second at the bullring in 2005 and was fourth in 2007 to bring his career total to five Top-10 finishes at the track. He has won five times this season including on a ¼-mile during the Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway in his home state earlier this season and is currently second in points as he chases his first title.
Knows the way to victory lane: Joey Saldana was victorious at Cottage Grove Speedway in 2007, after beginning that night by setting a new track record in time trials. He has six career Top-10 finishes in eight starts at the track dating back to his debut at the high-banked bullring in 1996. The native of Brownsburg, Indiana has won twice this season on ¼-mile tracks, with the first of those coming in the opener of the Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway followed by a victory at Houston Raceway Park. Saldana is currently third in points as he chases his first series title and he leads the series in A-Feature wins.
More and more laps: Jason Sides has four Top-10 finishes in his career at Cottage Grove Speedway including two podium finishes in 2006. He earned a Top-10 in his debut at the track in 2003. The native of Bartlett, Tennessee has 38 Top-10 finishes this season and is currently fifth in points as he chases his second win of the year.
One more spot: Craig Dollansky finished second at Cottage Grove Speedway last season. He has four career Top-Five finishes at the bullring including in his debut there in 1997. Since picking up his first win of the 2009 campaign on July 26 at Lebanon Valley Speedway in New York, he has won twice more and continues to close in on Jason Sides and Danny Lasoski who are fifth and sixth in points.
Home on the high banks: Jac Haudenschild has six career Top-10 finishes at Cottage Grove Speedway including a runner-up performance. He is currently ninth in points as he closes in on his first win of the 2009 season. In his career, he has nine Top-10 finishes in the state of Oregon as he chases his first win there.
A strong debut: Lucas Wolfe, the reigning Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year with the World of Outlaws, competed at Cottage Grove Speedway for the first time in his career last season, winning the Crane Cams Dash to earn the first pole position of his career with the World of Outlaws. He led the first lap of that race and wound up finishing sixth against very stout field of cars. The native of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania is currently 10th in the series standings on the strength of 14 Top-10 finishes as he chases his first win.
Oregon trail: Brian Ellenberger, the leading contender for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award, will make his debut at Cottage Grove Speedway on September 8 and his first overall trip to the state of Oregon to race. He is currently 11th in points as he continues his first full season on the road with the World of Outlaws and has picked up four Top-10 finishes including a third-place performance at Dodge City Raceway Park in Kansas and one last weekend at Castrol Raceway in Canada during the opener of the Oil City Cup.
By the Numbers: Cottage Grove Speedway
0.25- Miles around Cottage Grove Speedway
1- Race in the state of Oregon this season for the World of Outlaws
2-Drivers that won their first career World of Outlaws A-Feature at Cottage Grove Speedway, Donny Schatz and Kraig Kinser
3- Drivers that led laps in the A-Feature event at the track last season; Tracks on the World of Outlaws schedule that have sub-10-second track records with Cottage Grove Speedway being one of the three along with River Cities Speedway and U.S. 36 Raceway
4- Drivers that have won on ¼-mile tracks with the World of Outlaws this season
6- Events for the World of Outlaws on ¼-mile tracks this season
8- Drivers that have won A-Feature events at Cottage Grove Speedway with the World of Outlaws
9.991- Track record set by Joey Saldana in 2007
10- Drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that competed at Cottage Grove Speedway last season
13- Laps led by Donny Schatz to win at Cottage Grove Speedway last season
16- A-Feature wins for Joey Saldana through September 4 to lead the series
26- Laps led by Jason Meyers at the track last season
34- Top-Five finishes for Donny Schatz through September 4 to lead the series
36- Drivers that competed with the World of Outlaws at Cottage Grove Speedway last season
43-Top-10 finishes for Jason Meyers through September 4 to lead the series
52- Points that separate Donny Schatz and Jason Meyers in the series standings as of September 4
90.081- Track record in miles per hour set by Joey Saldana in 2007
250- Miles from Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington where the World of Outlaws compete on September 7 to Cottage Grove Speedway
403- Laps led by Joey Saldana through September 4 to lead the series
1994- Year the World of Outlaws first visited Cottage Grove Speedway
10,000- Dollars the winner will receive on Tuesday, September 8
51,690- Dollars in the total purse on Tuesday, September 8
Tickets: On Tuesday, September 8 at Cottage Grove Speedway, ticket for those age 12-over will be $40, with tickets for kids ages 3-12 $20 and children 3-under will be admitted free of charge (on lap). For tickets visit http://www.cottagegrovespeedway.com or call 541-942-7223.
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 Sep 08, 2009
- Article Date: 9/8/2009