Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Preview: Tri-City Speedway
Heading into last season’s event at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Illinois, none of the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series drivers really knew what to expect. The half-mile had been reconfigured and measured 3/8-mile around, presenting a whole new challenge. The tighter quarters provided exciting racing and Danny Lasoski found himself in the winner’s circle to etch his name in the record books as the first winner with the series on the reconfigured track.
The Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returns to the Tri-City Speedway on Friday, May 9, which will mark the 51st event that the series has sanctioned at the track. In 1979, Steve Kinser won the series first stop at the track and the 20-time series champion is the winningest driver with the series at Tri-City Speedway with 22 A-Feature triumphs. He has won in 15 different seasons at the track, with his most recent victory coming in 2002. He has 37 career Top-Five finishes at Tri-City Speedway.
Other current World of Outlaws drivers that have won at the track include: Jac Haudenschild, who has two career victories (1995 and 1998), Joey Saldana who won in 2004, Jason Meyers who was victorious in 2005 and Lasoski who won last season. Meyers leads the series this season with three A-Feature wins and is second in points.
Donny Schatz, the two-time defending series champion will be looking for his first career win at the track. He scored his first World of Outlaws win of 2008 last weekend and his first since joining Tony Stewart Racing. The North Dakota native is third in points, just 20 markers out of the lead.
A new track record of 12.174 second was established during time trials last season in the event and the drivers will all be shooting for that this season, as they continue to accumulate points for the Qwik Liner Cup, which runs through the first 13 events of the season. Craig Dollansky, who is the current series point leader, is out in front in the chase for the Qwik Liner Cup, which awards points to the Top-Five qualifiers each race.
Of the 19 drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws this season, 18 have competed at Tri-City Speedway. Lucas Wolfe, the current Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year leader will be making his debut at the 3/8-mile.
Kraig Kinser, the 2004 World of Outlaws Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year will be making his first start at the track since 2005, as will Shane Stewart, the series top rookie in 2005.
Also in action will be: Kerry Madsen the reigning Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, who is fifth in points, along with Terry McCarl, the six-time Knoxville Raceway track champion, Daryn Pittman who finished second at Tri-City Speedway last season, Chad Kemenah, the 2006 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, Tim Shaffer, the series top rookie in 1999, Jason Sides, who wore the rookie crown in 2003, second-year driver Sam Hafertepe Jr. of Texas, fellow sophomore chauffeur Tony Bruce Jr. of Kansas and Chad Hillier of Washington, who is also in his second full season with the series.
2007 Race Recap: Danny Lasoski held off a hard charging Daryn Pittman on the last lap to earn the $10,000 to prize.
The race began with pole sitter Jason Sides leading. Lasoski moved from fourth to second on the opening circuit, and began an exciting side-by-side battle with Sides, that lasted for a number of laps. Each lap Lasoski would dart to the lead in turns one and two on the low side of the track, with Sides regaining the point on the high side of the back straightaway and officially being scored the leader the line.
Sides had a right rear tire going down that led to some incidental contact, after he led the first nine laps of the 35-lap race.
Lasoski inherited the lead on the restart on lap 10 and held off a number of attempts by Pittman and Donny Schatz to take the lead. He endured four cautions, including two while leading to pick up the win over Pittman and Schatz.
Jason Meyers was fourth, with Jason Solwold finishing in the fifth position.
2007 A-Feature Results
Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series; Tri-City Speedway; June 14, 2007
A-main (35 laps) - Starting Position [#]
1) 83-Danny Lasoski[4] [$10,000]
2) 21-Daryn Pittman[2] [$5,500]
3) 15-Donny Schatz[6] [$3,200]
4) 14-Jason Meyers[8] [$2,800]
5) R19-Jason Solwold[3] [$2,500]
6) 20-Paul McMahan[9] [$2,300]
7) 35-Jac Haudenschild[22] [$2,200]
8) 2-Brooke Tatnell[13] [$2,100]
9) 7-Craig Dollansky[5] [$2,050]
10) 9-Joey Saldana[15] [$2,000]
11) 36-Jason Martin[18] [$1,500]
12) 11-Steve Kinser[11] [$1,200]
13) 11H-Kerry Madsen[12] [$1,100]
14) 3X-Chad Kemenah[19] [$1,050]
15) 8K-Zach Chappell[10] [$1,000]
16) 6-Tim Shaffer[23] [$900]
17) 10C-Jeremy Campbell[20] [$800]
18) 11D-Dion Hindi[17] [$800]
19) 18T-Tony Bruce Jr.[16] [$800]
20) 3-Kaley Gharst[24] [$800]
21) 5C-Chad Hillier[21] [$800]
22) 7S-Jason Sides[1] [$800]
23) 24-Terry McCarl[7] [$800]
24) D1-Justin Henderson[14] [$800]
Lap Leaders: Jason Sides 1-9, Danny Lasoski 10-35
Previous Winners
World of Outlaws Sprint Series A-Feature winners at Tri-City Speedway include:
2007- Danny Lasoski on June 14
2005- Jason Meyers on May 7
2004- Joey Saldana on May 16, Steve Kinser on October 10
2003- Paul McMahan on June 22
2002 - Steve Kinser on May 11
2001 - Dale Blaney on May 12
2000 - Steve Kinser on April 15
1999 - Tyler Walker on May 15, Mark Kinser on June 16
1998 - Sammy Swindell on May 9, Jac Haudenschild on June 20
1997 - Dave Blaney on May 10, Steve Kinser on June 21
1996 - Steve Kinser on May 11, Steve Kinser on July 13
1995 - Jac Haudenschild on May 13, Steve Kinser on June 16, Dave Blaney on July 15 1994 - Sammy Swindell on May 18, Steve Kinser on June 22, Steve Kinser on July 16 1993 - Kenny Jacobs on May 13, Steve Kinser on July 17, Steve Kinser on August 16 1992 - Steve Kinser on May 6, Steve Kinser on July 25, Sammy Swindell on August 10 1991 - Steve Kinser on May 8, Doug Wolfgang on July 13, Sammy Swindell on August 12
1990 - Steve Kinser on July 14, Steve Kinser on August 13
1986 - Steve Kinser on April 12
1985 - Dave Blaney on April 5, Steve Kinser on May 10
1984 - Sammy Swindell on May 16
1981 - Steve Kinser on April 11, Doug Wolfgang on May 20, Doug Wolfgang on July 26, Sammy Swindell on August 22, Steve Kinser on August 23
1980 - Steve Kinser on April 12, Sammy Swindell on May 28, Tim Green on July 9, Doug Wolfgang on August 23
1979 - Steve Kinser on May 23, Steve Kinser on July 11, Sammy Swindell on August 22, Doug Wolfgang on October 18
Current Top-10 in Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Points
1. Craig Dollansky 1032
2. Jason Meyers 1020
3. Donny Schatz 1012
4. Joey Saldana 971
5. Kerry Madsen 916
6. Steve Kinser 911
7. Jac Haudenschild 885
8. Terry McCarl 876
9. Chad Kemenah 875
10. Daryn Pittman 867
What to look for at Tri-City Speedway:
* Steve Kinser has won 22 times with the World of Outlaws in A-Feature events at the track, which was reconfigured to a 3/8-mile prior to the 2007 season
* Danny Lasoski became the first winner on the reconfigured track last season and is one of four drivers that has won an A-Feature this season.
* Craig Dollansky, the current World of Outlaws point leader, has nine Top-10 finishes in his career at the track, along with a win in an IRA (Interstate Racing Association) event in 1994, when the track was a half-mile
* Jason Meyers won at the track in 2005 and has seven finishes of sixth or better in nine starts. He was fourth last season and has five consecutive Top-Five finishes at the track.
* Donny Schatz has 11 Top-10 finishes in his career at Tri-City Speedway as he chases his first win at the track. The two-time defending series champion was third last season. He earned his first World of Outlaws win of the season last Saturday night at Knoxville Raceway.
* Joey Saldana has 18 Top-10 finishes in his career at the track, along with two wins, one with the World of Outlaws and one with the All Star Circuit of Champion
* Jac Haudenschild has two wins during his career at Tri-City Speedway, on the former half-mile configuration. He finished seventh last season and is coming off a season-best third-place run at Knoxville Raceway last Saturday night.
* Jason Sides led the first nine laps at the track last season before a flat tire ended his night. He won the Crane Cams Dash to earn the pole position.
* Lucas Wolfe, a Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award contender from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania will make his first start at the track.
By the Numbers- Tri-City Speedway:
0.375- Miles around Tri-City Speedway
1- Driver that will be making their debut at the track- Lucas Wolfe
3- Series champions that will be competing in the event- Steve Kinser, Donny Schatz and Danny Lasoski
5- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that have won at Tri-City Speedway with the series
10- Degrees of banking in the turns at Tri-City Speedway
12- Points that separate Craig Dollansky and Jason Meyers atop the World of Outlaws standings
12.174- Track record established by Zach Chappell on June 14, 2007
14- Drives that have won World of Outlaws A-Feature events at Tri-City Speedway dating back to 1979
16- Seasons in which Steve Kinser has won an A-Feature at Tri-City Speedway
17- Drivers competing full-time with the series this season that competed at the track in 2007
19- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws
22- Wins for Steve Kinser in World of Outlaws A-Feature competition at Tri-City Speedway
37- Top-Five finishes in World of Outlaws events at Tri-City Speedway for Steve Kinser
50- A-Feature events that the World of Outlaws have contested at Tri-City Speedway dating back to 1979
70- Feet in width of Tri-City Speedway
110.892- Track record in miles per hour set last season
322 Miles from Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa where the World of Outlaws competed on May 3 to Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Illinois
1979- Year that the World of Outlaws first competed at Tri-City Speedway
10,000- Dollars to the winner on Friday, May 9
Tickets: On Friday, May 9 at Tri-City Speedway, Reserved tickets in the Top-Five rows will be $32, with General Admission tickets $30. Children 12-under will be admitted free to the general admission seating area with a paying adult. The Grandstand gates will open at 12:00 p.m. Central on Friday, May 9. For tickets call 1-800-617-9077. There will be autograph session at the track featuring Craig Dollansky, Chad Hillier, Terry McCarl, Jason Sides and Shane Stewart at 5:30 p.m. prior to the event.
Next Up: A stop at Paducah International Raceway in Kentucky, where last season Danny Lasoski came from the 15th starting spot to win.
Headquartered in Roanoke, Va., Advance Auto Parts is the second-largest retailer of automotive aftermarket parts, accessories, batteries, and maintenance items in the United States, based on store count and sales. As of October 6, 2007, the company operated 3,228 stores in 40 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The company serves both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets.