6/26/2009
Sprint Source
World of Outlaws Preview: Knoxville Raceway
Knoxville, IA--June 24, 2009—Every race on the World of Outlaws schedule is important with how close and tough the level of competition currently is. When the series rolls into the famed Knoxville Raceway in Iowa there is always added incentive, as the drivers look to gain any advantage and learn all that they can for when they return in August for the Knoxville Nationals, sprint car racing’s biggest event. This weekend will give the driver’s one last tune-up as the World of Outlaws make their final stop of the year at Knoxville on Saturday, June 27 for a full night of racing.
Over the last 30-plus years that the World of Outlaws have been competing at Knoxville, there have been 17 drivers earn A-Feature wins with the series at the half-mile. Of those, eight are currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws and will be in action on Saturday, June 27. Steve Kinser, the 20-time series champion has nearly 60 total wins at the half-mile in his career including preliminary feature victories.
Danny Lasoski, the 2001 World of Outlaws champion, is the all-time winningest driver at Knoxville, with 93 career victories, to go along with his record eight track championship. He picked up a win earlier this season at the half-mile, where he has now won in 24 consecutive years.
Donny Schatz, the three-time and defending World of Outlaws champion and Knoxville Nationals winner won earlier this season with the series at the famed half-mile. He has been victorious in five of the last eight series events at the track dating back to 2006 and has 11 career triumphs at Knoxville.
Other current World of Outlaws drivers that have won with the series at the track include; Craig Dollansky, Jac Haudenschild, Kraig Kinser, Jason Meyers and Joey Saldana.
Slidejobs- Knoxville Raceway:
A strong steak: Donny Schatz has been very strong at Knoxville Raceway over the last three seasons, finishing eighth or better in 17 consecutive events at the track over that span. He has won the Knoxville Nationals in each of the last three years and has been victorious in a World of Outlaws event in each of the last four seasons at the track. He has won six times this season on half-mile tracks, including at Knoxville last month.
“In May, we were in the middle of one the longest victory draughts we’ve had in a while,” said Schatz. “We show up at Knoxville and are the fastest qualifier and win the feature race. It’s a huge confidence-builder to know you can come into to a place like Knoxville and get back on top of your game. Hopefully, we’ll be able to be in a position to challenge for a win there again this weekend and, obviously, we’re shooting for that in August, too.”
Number one on the list: Danny Lasoski scored his 93rd career win at Knoxville earlier this season in weekly competition. The eight-time track champion finished sixth in the World of Outlaws event at the track last month. He recently picked up his second win of the season and is closing in on Craig Dollansky and Jason Sides as they battle for the fifth spot in the championship standings.
Plenty of wins as well: Steve Kinser has won nearly 60 times over the last 31 years at Knoxville. He won for the first time at the track in 1978 and has been victorious in 22 different years at the half-mile. He finished third earlier this season at the track and has over 150 career Top-10 finishes at the most famed track in sprint car racing. He is currently fourth in points this season and leads the series with 25 Top-10 finishes in the 30 races that have been contested.
Always fast at Knoxville: Joey Saldana has five career wins at Knoxville, including three in World of Outlaws competition. The second generation driver has over 40 career Top-10 finishes at the track where his father Joe picked up nearly 20 wins in his career. Saldana is currently second in the World of Outlaws championship standings as he chases his first career title. He leads the series with 10 wins in the first 30 races of the season.
An umatched feat: Jason Meyers won his first career World of Outlaws A-Feature at Knoxville Raceway in 2001 and is the only driver in the 30-plus year history of the series to accomplish that feat. He also was victorious at the track in 2003. The California native has racked up 11 consecutive Top-10 finishes at the half-mile dating back to 2006. He has won four times this season and is currently third in points.
Knows the half-mile: Craig Dollansky has turned countless laps at Knoxville over the years. He has won 10 times at the track and has over 80 Top-10 finishes. He has been victorious five times in World of Outlaws events at the track. He has 13 consecutive Top-10 finishes at the track including earlier this season. The native of Elk River, Minnesota is currently fifth in points as he closes in on his first win of the year.
Looking for number one: Jason Sides is looking for his first win of the 2009 season and also his first career victory at Knoxville entering this weekend. The 2003 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year is having a stellar season thus far and has racked up 20 Top-Finishes in the first 30 races of the year. He finished eighth earlier this season at Knoxville and has 11 career Top-10 runs at the track.
Plenty of experience: Jac Haudenschild competed for the first time at Knoxville in 1980 and has racked up nearly 20 wins over the years at the track, with 10 of those coming in World of Outlaws events. He has finished ninth or better in each of his last six starts at the track including a fifth-place effort last month. He picked up a season-best third-place finish on a half-mile last weekend at Red River Valley Speedway in North Dakota.
Faster and faster: Kraig Kinser continues to build momentum after two strong runs last weekend in North Dakota, including a fourth-place performance on Sunday night at Nodak Speedway. In his career at Knoxville, the third generation driver has two wins, including the 2005 Knoxville Nationals. That season he finished ninth or better in all five of his starts at the track. He is solidly in the Top-10 in the series standings entering this weekend.
Every lap helps: Lucas Wolfe, the youngest driver on the World of Outlaws trail at the age of 22, continues to get more priceless experience each time he visits Knoxville. He has competed six times in his career at the track and scored a couple of Top-10 finishes. He is 10th in the series standings this season with four Top-10 finishes.
Looking to hit his stride: Sam Hafertepe Jr. has been running very consistent the last couple of weeks with the World of Outlaws as he continues his third full season on the road with the World of Outlaws. The native of Sunnyvale, Texas has five Top-10 performances and is just outside of the Top-10 in points.
A track he knows: Brian Ellenberger has made a number of visits to Knoxville over the years, with the first of those coming back in 2000. The current rookie contender has a couple of Top-10 finishes this season as he continues to visit many tracks for the first time.
By the Numbers: Knoxville Raceway
0.5-Miles around Knoxville Raceway
2- Races at Knoxville Raceway for the World of Outlaws in 2009
3- Events for the World of Outlaws in the state of Iowa this season
8-Track championships at Knoxville for Danny Lasoski; Drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws this season that have won at Knoxville
10- Drivers that have won A-Feature events with the World of Outlaws in 2009
11- Career wins for Donny Schatz at Knoxville
12- Wins in the Knoxville Nationals for Steve Kinser
14.407- Track record established by Brooke Tatnell in 2006
17- Drivers that have won A-Feature events with the World of Outlaws at the track
18- Top-Five finishes for Donny Schatz to lead the series
21- Drivers that have led laps with the World of Outlaws this season in feature events
25- Different years in which Danny Lasoski has won a race at Knoxville
59- Points that separate Donny Schatz and Joey Saldana atop the World of Outlaws standings
82- A-Feature events contested by the World of Outlaws at Knoxville dating back to 1979
93- Career wins for Danny Lasoski at Knoxville Raceway to top the all-time win list
162- Miles from U.S. 36 Raceway in Osborn, Missouri where the World of Outlaws compete on June 26 to Knoxville Raceway in Iowa
987-Laps of feature racing competition completed this season
10,000- Dollars the winner will receive on Saturday, June 27
51,690- Dollars in the total purse on Saturday, June 27
144,575- Dollars earned by Joey Saldana through June 21 to lead the series
Tickets: On Saturday, June 27 at Knoxville Raceway, Adult general admission tickets will be $30, with general admission tickets for children will be $15. Adult reserved tickets will be $33, with reserved tickets for children $16.50. For ticket information and to purchase tickets online visit: http://www.knoxvilleraceway.com.
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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 Speedway Engines; and Chassis Builder’s Challenge participants J&J Auto Racing, Maxim Racing and XXX Race Company.
Submitted By: Tony Veneziano
