He leads the final 21 laps and outlasts childhood hero Saldana at Antioch Speedway

ANTIOCH, Calif. – April 5, 2013 – The offseason, weekdays, every night before falling asleep. There is a lot of time spent dreaming and for a young sprint car driver, dreams are the gateway for perseverance.
On Friday at Antioch Speedway, Shane Golobic’s dreams were nothing like reality.

Golobic passed polesitter Jonathan Allard in thick traffic on lap 10 and held off Joey Saldana – Golobic’s favorite World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series driver – to capture his first career victory, which left him talking almost as fast as he drove after an emotional celebration on the frontstretch.

“It doesn’t compare,” Golobic said as a smile engulfed his face. “I always knew it’d be pretty awesome to win one. I didn’t know if I was ever going to get the chance. There’s some guys who win a lot of races and don’t ever get to win an Outlaws race, so to be able to do it is awesome.

“I couldn’t be happier right now. We beat the best. The Outlaws are the best and we beat them. It’s just surreal to even think that we did it.” (more…)

The Outlaws only visit to Texas in 2013 features a new and unique track for the series

By Dan Beaver – EL PASO, Texas – April 4, 2013 – World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series drivers face a clean slate on Tuesday, April 16, as they head to El Paso for the first-ever race on that track and their only visit to Texas in 2013.
It has been two years since the Outlaws were last in Texas, but the most recent race was held on the other side of the state at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown. Sammy Swindell won the 40-lap feature that night, but he and the rest of the drivers face a new challenge at El Paso Speedway Park.

Sprint car fans in West Texas are hungry for big league competition because the track is not only new to the series, so is the venue-sort of. The last time the Outlaws were in this part of the country, they were not in the country at all but rather across the border in Mexico at Autopista Juarez in 1992.

Steve Kinser is the only driver with experience in the market and on this track. “I was a lot younger at the time, but I remember winning that race and it is always part of the conversation when we get back to this area.”

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Seven of the last eight races at half mile have featured different winners

PERRIS, Calif. – April 3, 2013 – According to the trend, a first-time winner should stand atop the podium when the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series visits Perris Auto Speedway.

After Mark Kinser claimed the first five races at the half mile, seven of the last eight events – and the last five consecutive – have featured a different winner heading into the SoCal Showdown on Saturday, April 13.

One of those drivers is Kerry Madsen, who picked up a victory in 2007 and finished fifth during last season’s return to Perris Auto Speedway after a five-year hiatus.

“It’s an enjoyable track for me and I’m definitely looking forward to Perris,” he said. “It suits my style. It races like a 3/8 (mile). It doesn’t really race like a half mile. You’ve still got some speed on the straights and the corners are kinda tight and it builds a pretty nice ledge.”

Joey Saldana outlasted Californian and 2004 winner Jason Meyers in last year’s event.

“Last year I was fortunate enough to get a win at Perris,” Saldana said. “I love coming out here to the West Coast, definitely at the beginning of the year and definitely in September. It’s fun just coming out here; it’s a great atmosphere. All the fans really support sprint car racing.” (more…)

The premier sprint car series tackles the 3/8-mile track on Friday, April 12

HANFORD, Calif. – April 2, 2013 – Joey Saldana is searching for his first World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series feature victory as the driver for Motter Motorsports.

A 2000 winner at Kings Speedway, where the series hasn’t completed an event since 2003, Saldana has the 3/8-mile track circled on his calendar. The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series competes at Kings Speedway on Friday, April 12.

“I’m definitely looking forward to Hanford,” Saldana said. “We don’t get to race there much. I love racing there and we’ve been fortunate enough to win a race. Hopefully we can go back there and get right where we left off and that was with a win, so hopefully this 71m car can get a victory out here on the West Coast.”

Dating back to 2000, the past six races at Kings Speedway have been won by a different driver. Before that streak, 20-time champion Steve Kinser claimed a series-leading seven wins with Sammy Swindell, Stevie Smith and Danny Lasoski each winning three of the 28 World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series events between 1985-2003.

“It’s always been a fun place to go race,” Kerry Madsen said. “It’s got a nice little progressive banking to it so it can be quite quick and I’m pretty excited to go back there.” (more…)

He also announces full-time status with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series

CHICO, Calif. – March 23, 2013 – Saturday was a day of celebration and commemoration for Paul McMahan.
It began during the bright afternoon when he announced his CJB Motorsports team will compete full time this season with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series. It was then capped under the lights with a splattering of confetti on the frontstretch at Silver Dollar Speedway, where McMahan earned his 15 th career World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series victory at the famed Mini Gold Cup.

“Kenny Speck passed away last Friday night at Tulare and we laid him to rest today, and this is the first time I’ve been back to Stephen’s (Allard) hometown here in Chico,” he said after an emotional Victory Lane. “To win here, I know he’s smiling down, looking on me – both of them are. I said earlier in the night that if I could win here this would be for them guys and I was fortunate enough to get it done.”

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The NASCAR driver earns his first World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series win of season

STOCKTON, Calif. – March 22, 2013 – Not too bad for a part-timer.
After hitching a ride in NASCAR star Tony Stewart’s plane, Kyle Larson, the newest NASCAR sensation, picked up his first World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series victory of the season on Friday in front of a sold-out crowd during the inaugural event at Stockton 99 Dirt Track.

“I’ve got to start off by thanking Tony for letting my fly on his jet here to the races,” he said. “Without him, I wouldn’t be here.”

The win was Larson’s third in as many seasons as he heads back to Fontana, Calif., for Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series event in Southern California.

With estimates of more than 10,000 spectators at Friday’s World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series event, a pair of California stars duked it out after outlasting the attrition. There were nearly a dozen flips on the new 3/8-mile track that was built inside the old horse racing track at the San Joaquin Fairgrounds. (more…)

The third visit in as many years to the tight, third-mile oval is set for Friday, March 29

MERCED, Calif. – March 20, 2013 – When it’s called a bullring, people aren’t kidding.

Merced Speedway is a tight, semi-banked track that was widened to a third mile last year. It’s a place where there are always cars to pass, whether a driver starts on the pole or mid-pack. And when there are two dozen screaming World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series drivers banging wheels, it’s quite the show.

The premier sprint car series is set to compete at Merced Speedway for the only time this season on Friday, March 29. It marks the third straight year with a visit to the track.

“It’s a tough place to pass; track position means a lot,” Cody Darrah said. “It puts on a pretty good show because when the feature starts, the leaders come up on the tail within a lap or two. It’s an exciting race track to go to with the fans and the atmosphere of it.”

Sammy Swindell has claimed the two previous features. Jason Sides placed third in both main events, and Jason Meyers and Steve Kinser are the only other drivers to record a top 10 in each race.

“It’s definitely a tough, little race track,” Joey Saldana said. “It’s definitely a track where position means a lot.” (more…)