MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (July 23, 2015) – The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series schedule heats up with four races in five days beginning with the two-day Summer Nationals July 24-25 that pits the Pennsylvania Posse against the Outlaws drivers.
A sweep of the feature events could give the victor $33,000. Friday’s 25-lap feature pays $8,000 to win, Saturday’s 30-lap finale pays $20,000 plus another $5,000 Morgan Cup bonus.
The Morgan Cup is awarded each year to honor the track’s late owner and the sterling silver trophy resides at either Williams Grove if the Posse wins or World of Outlaws headquarters in Concord, N.C. It currently resides in North Carolina.
Last year, Joey Saldana guided the Motter HE&M Saw Beltline Body Shop 71M to a third place finish Friday after leading the first 16 laps of the event. On Saturday, Saldana was the No. 2 qualifier and finished sixth.
Helping to prepare the distinctive 71M beginning with Williams Grove, will be 18-year-old Gunner Cummings from Menomonie, Wisconsin. Cummings will replace Derek Miller who has moved back to his home state of Pennsylvania.
Cummings grew up in a racing family that owns Thunder Hill Speedway in Menomonie, a 1/8-mile clay track. As a 10-year-old Cummings began to compete in winged outlaw karts. He won three point championships along with three Wisconsin Dirt Track State Championships before moving to the micro sprint 600 category in 2012. In one season, he scored three feature wins and then took the leap in 2013 to 360 sprint cars and competed in an around Minnesota and Wisconsin in the UMSS Series, the Upper Midwest Sprint Car Series for two years. He attained a level of success in the series, scoring heat and challenge race wins.
Cummings graduated from Menomonie High School on May 30. When Lonnie Olson from Beltline Body Shop introduced Cummings and team owner Dan Motter, it was timely.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join a top-flight World of Outlaws team,” said Cummings. “I have enjoyed racing my whole life and am looking forward to contributing to the team and at the same time, soaking up everything I can learn.”
“Gunner is a great fit with our team,” said Motter. “We are fortunate that Lonnie (Olson) helped us make the connection.”
On Sunday, July 26, the Outlaws head to the high-banked half-mile Lebanon Valley Speedway in New York. Saldana won there in 2003 and last year he and the Motter team qualified No. 1 and finished sixth in the feature.
Monday is a travel day as the teams head over the Canadian border for Tuesday’s race at Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario, Canada, where Saldana was tenth last year.
“Last year we finished in the top 10 in all four of these upcoming events,” said Motter. “We would like to up the ante to four top 5s this year.
“Our crew chief Randy Wolfe has had a lot of experience at Williams Grove, having competed there often when he was driving. Sean Strausbaugh, who has been with us since our 2013 start-up year, also hails from Pennsylvania as does Randy. We hope that adds an extra measure of experience.
“Joey has done well there in the past and I know all the Outlaws drivers get amped up to face the Posse.”
# # #
