Mechanicsburg, PA—May 11, 2010—The World of Outlaws will continue their rivalry with the Pennsylvania Posse this week as the series embarks on the first of three visits in 2010 to the legendary Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania for two full nights of racing on Thursday, May 13 and Friday, May 14.
World of Outlaws drivers look to get back on track at the unique half-mile after being shutout from Victory Lane last season at Williams Grove. Greg Hodnett won three of the four races the series contested at the track including the National Open, while young Cody Darrah, who was set to contend for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award with the World of Outlaws this season before an injury sidelined him, scored his first career win with the series at his home track last fall in the completion of the Summer Nationals, which had been postponed by rain in July.
Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws champion, leads the series to Williams Grove, where he has won 37 times overall with the World of Outlaws in his career, scoring well over 100 Top-10 finishes along the way. The Indiana native who is in his first year driving for Tony Stewart Racing has an average finish of 6.3 over the years at Williams Grove, which is the best of any driver competing full-time with the series.
Jason Meyers heads to Central Pennsylvania second in points, just three markers behind Kinser on the strength of four wins and 14 Top-10 finishes in the first 15 race of 2010. The California native finished third twice last year at Williams Grove as he looks for his first win at the famed track.
Donny Schatz, the four-time and defending series champion, has 15 career wins at Williams Grove Speedway. The North Dakota native has finished eighth or better in 15 consecutive starts at the track and in 22 of the last 23 events he has competed in there.
Jac Haudenschild, who picked up his first win of 2010 a couple of weeks ago, has two career wins with the World of Outlaws at Williams Grove. Joey Saldana, who is currently third in points, has won once at the track in his career in a preliminary feature, while Craig Dollansky has two prelim feature wins with the World of Outlaws at Williams Grove in addition to a weekly win at the track. Danny Lasoski, the 2001 series champion has one victory with the series at the half-mile.
There has been at least one World of Outlaws sanctioned event at Williams Grove Speedway each and every year since 1978.
The Buzz-
*Steve Kinser, the winningest World of Outlaws driver at Williams Grove Speedway took over the series point lead last weekend at Eldora Speedway. His most recent victory at Williams Grove came in the spring of 2008.
*Jason Meyers, who is tied for the series lead with four A-Feature wins this season looks for his first career win at Williams Grove after finishing third at the track twice in 2009.
*Joey Saldana, who is also tied for the series lead in wins this year, was victorious in a World of Outlaws preliminary feature at Williams Grove in 2002. He finished second and seventh in his most recent two starts at the track last fall.
*Donny Schatz has won 15 times in his career at Williams Grove and has finished eighth or better in 15 straight races at the track. He looks to return to Victory Lane for the first time since the season opener back on February 5.
*Paul McMahan looks to carry the momentum from his first win of the season into Williams Grove Speedway, where he has two career wins.
*Lucas Wolfe won earlier this season at his home track of Williams Grove Speedway in a weekly program and continues to close in on his first career World of Outlaws A-Feature win, scoring his third runner-up finish with the series in his young career.
*Both drivers competing for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award this season, Ben Gregg and Toni Lutar, will be making their first visit to Williams Grove Speedway this week.
*Australians Kerry Madsen and Brooke Tatnell will both be in action at Williams Grove Speedway this week.
*Both nights of racing at Williams Grove will be a DIRTVision Cybercast with live audio and streaming video. For more information and to purchase visit www.DIRTVision.com.
One year ago
Greg Hodnett was victorious in the spring at the half-mile leading all 25 laps, while Mother Nature won the opener last May. Hodnett would go on to win the opener of the Summer Nationals in July, battling Stevie Smith for that triumph and he made it three in-a-row versus the World of Outlaws in October taking the National Open, leading all 40 laps. Later that same evening, Cody Darrah scored his first career World of Outlaws A-Feature win in the finale of the Summer Nationals, which had been postponed by rain in July.
Sound Bites
Jason Meyers
“We always look forward to going out there. Charlie Garrett does our motors and he’s from out there and that’s his home track. I hear everyday on the phone how I haven’t won there yet. We’ve been working hard this year and have a great race car with a great engine package. Hopefully we can go out there and do well against the Posse.”
Joey Saldana
“I really am looking forward to going out there. It’s been a struggle for myself there. I was lucky enough to win a prelim night out there in ’02, but since then it’s been a struggle for me. I don’t know if it’s something I’m doing wrong or what, but it always seems to hurt us in the points. Hopefully we can go in there this year and stay focused. Everything we are doing right now seems to be working everywhere else, so hopefully it will work at the Grove as well.”
Lucas Wolfe
“It’s good to go home and to a track we know. We were able to go back there and race earlier this year during a few of the off weeks and had some pretty good runs and some speed. Hopefully we can go back and have some good results. The races there are obviously always quite tough. We are getting to the part of the schedule where it starts to pick up, so hopefully we get some good weather and can get all the races in.”
Toni Lutar
“I’ve been trying to get there for a few years, so I am really looking forward to heading out there. If we can make one of the shows, that would be great. They say it’s one of the toughest places we go to. I’m looking forward to going though.”
By the numbers- Williams Grove Speedway
0.5- Miles around Williams Grove Speedway
2- Drivers that won World of Outlaws events at Williams Grove last year; Drivers competing full for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award in 2010
3- Points that currently separate Steve Kinser and Jason Meyers atop the World of Outlaws championship standings; Wins for Greg Hodnett in 2009 in World of Outlaws races at the half-mile
6- Events scheduled this season for the World of Outlaws at Williams Grove Speedway; Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that have won with the series at Williams Grove
6.3- Average finish for Steve Kinser at the track with the series to lead all drivers competing full-time with the series
8- Drivers that have won A-Feature events with the World of Outlaws this season 9-Events for the World of Outlaws in Pennsylvania in 2010
10- Drivers that have been fastest in time trials this season with the World of Outlaws
11- Top-Five finishes for Steve Kinser this season to lead the series
13- Drivers that have led laps in A-Feature events this season
14- Top-10 finishes for Steve Kinser & Jason Meyers this season to lead the series
15- Wins for Donny Schatz in his career with the World of Outlaws at the half-mile
18- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws this season
25- Drivers that have won World of Outlaws A-Feature events at Williams Grove
33- Consecutive years the World of Outlaws have raced at Williams Grove Speedway
37- Total wins for Steve Kinser in his career with the World of Outlaws at Williams Grove
75- Laps led by Greg Hodnett en route to winning three events with the series last season at the track
107- Laps led by Joey Saldana this season to lead the series
120- Top-10 finishes for Steve Kinser in his career with the World of Outlaws at Williams Grove
147- Career starts in World of Outlaws events for Steve Kinser at Williams Grove Speedway, the most of any driver
478- Miles from Eldora Speedway in Ohio where the World of Outlaws competed on May 7-8 to Williams Grove Speedway in Pennsylvania 1978-Year the World of Outlaws first competed at Williams Grove Speedway
10,000- Dollars the winner will receive on Thursday, May 13; Dollars the winner will receive on Friday, May 14
74,000- Dollars earned by Joey Saldana thus far in 2010 to lead the series
Tickets
On Thursday, May 13 at Williams Grove Speedway, general admission tickets will be $28, with tickets for those ages 13-20 $15 and kids ages 12-under will be admitted free of charge. For ticket information visit http://www.williamsgrove.com or call the track at 717-697-5000.
On Friday, May 14 at Williams Grove Speedway, with tickets for those ages 13-20 $15 and kids ages 12-under will be admitted free of charge. For ticket information visit http://www.williamsgrove.com or call the track at 717-697-5000.
Tune In:
Both nights of racing from Williams Grove Speedway will be a DIRTVision Cybercast with live audio and streaming video. For more information and to purchase visit www.DIRTVvision.com.
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), Chizmark & Larson Insurance, Goodyear Tires (Official Tire), 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.
- Tony Veneziano on May 11, 2010
- Article Date: 5/11/2010