Schatz records fifth straight top-two finish to maintain World of Outlaws points lead

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. – Sept. 15, 2012 – Don’t tell PETA, but Craig Dollansky just knocked the monkey off his back.

Actually, he body slammed the figurative nuisance, which has riddled the snake bitten team during the past two weeks. On a brisk Saturday evening in his home state, Dollansky led all but one lap to claim the FVP Clash at the Creek at Deer Creek Speedway to earn his first podium finish in the last nine events.

It was Dollansky’s eighth World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series win of the season and it helped close the deficit on championship points leader Donny Schatz to 96 points with 10 races remaining.

“To win here tonight in front of one of my hometown crowds, just people that we don’t get to race in front of normally – family, friends and just a lot of great fans in Minnesota – it’s pretty awesome after the heartbreaker last night,” Dollansky said. (more…)

The 6th annual Arnold Motor Supply Shootout win gives him a 101-point title lead

SPENCER, Iowa – Sept. 14, 2012 – Sometimes a little luck goes a long way.

For Donny Schatz, everything is going the right way. Schatz overcame a poor qualifying performance to capitalize in traffic on Friday at Clay County Fair Speedway, where he claimed his third trophy at the 6^th annual Arnold Motor Supply Shootout.

It was his 10^th World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series feature victory of the season and eighth consecutive top five, which helped extend his championship points advantage to a season-high 101 points.

“I hope it’s not the peak,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of racing left this year. There’s a long way to go. There’s a lot of season left and we’re doing really good right now, so we want to keep ourself on a roll.” (more…)

Clay County Fairgrounds, Deer Creek Speedway

SPENCER, Iowa – Sept. 11, 2012 – Donny Schatz capitalized on a strong West Coast swing to not only regain the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series championship lead, but to hold the largest margin of the season as the series returns to the Midwest this weekend.

On the strength of seven straight top-five finishes, Schatz is riding a 72-point advantage over Craig Dollansky, who is promoting Friday’s 6^th annual Arnold Motor Supply Shootout at Clay County Fairgrounds. NASCAR driver Brad Sweet claimed his first career World of Outlaws victory at the 3/8-mile oval in June.

On Saturday, the Outlaws will compete in the FVP Outlaw Showdown at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn. Steve Kinser won last year’s event at the 3/8-mile oval after Joey Saldana landed in Victory Lane the previous two seasons. (more…)

Schatz’s seventh straight top five pushes his Outlaws championship lead to 72 points

ANTIOCH, Calif. – Sept. 10, 2012 – Looking for some good entertainment? Just watch Tim Kaeding.

In perhaps the pass of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series season, Kaeding slid championship points leader Donny Schatz in turn four on the final lap to earn his fourth Outlaws win of the season on Monday at Antioch Speedway. The packed grandstands erupted for the San Jose native, who reciprocated the affection.

He egged them on by popping a wheelie down the frontstretch after taking the checkered flag. And if his last-lap pass and wheelie weren’t enough, Kaeding was as entertaining in his postrace interview. (more…)

The four-time champion now leads the points race by a season-high 50 points

CALISTOGA, Calif. – Sept. 9, 2012 – It shouldn’t be a surprise that Donny Schatz parked in Victory Lane on Sunday at Calistoga Speedway.

Schatz continued his recent tear in dominating fashion, leading all 25 laps to record his ninth World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series win of the season and his second at the scenic half mile.

The victory was the latest highlight in a hot streak that dates back to late July. Schatz has recorded six wins and 15 top fives in the last 17 points races, including a current streak of six consecutive top-five finishes.

The success has also built a 50-point advantage in the championship standings, which is the largest difference between first place and second all season.

“We’re on attack mode,” Schatz said. “These guys definitely got their game face on. They’ve got an awesome machine behind me and we’ve got our motors running really good, so we’re happy.” (more…)

The Californian laps up to seventh place in his second career World of Outlaws win

CHICO, Calif. – Sept. 8, 2012 – Kyle Larson climbed onto his top wing, set his feet and shot his arms toward the sky as confetti blanketed his sprint car.

A chorus of cheers reverberated around Silver Dollar Speedway during the celebration, which Larson structured well. After all, the California native had plenty of time to orchestrate it while cruising to his second consecutive Gold Cup Race of Champions victory on a warm Saturday evening.

Larson lapped up to seventh place and beat World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series championship leader Donny Schatz by nearly seven seconds to pocket the $20,000 prize in the 59^th edition of the prestigious event.

“I don’t know if we could have been any better at all,” Larson said. “We could really maneuver around the bottom or the top and get through traffic pretty easily. That’s just all Paul Silva right there. He’s one of the greatest and I’m just so lucky to be able to drive for him. It’s even cooler to have Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation on the side of the car and to get a win for those guys. (more…)

The Californian nabs his first career World of Outlaws victory at Silver Dollar Speedway

CHICO, Calif. – Sept. 7, 2012 – As he climbed out of his sprint car and listened to the roar of the crowd, Sean Becker raised his hands in the air and let out a half yell.

With confetti raining down on Victory Lane, Becker was emotional and seemingly stunned after he recorded his first career World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series feature victory Friday night at Silver Dollar Speedway.

The win came on the second night of the 59^th annual Gold Cup Race of Champions and it helped lock him into Saturday’s $20,000-to-win feature.

“I grew up watching my dad race at this track in the late ’80s, early ’90s,” Becker said. “(I) grew up watching Sammy Swindell, Steve Kinser, all these guys. It’s a huge accomplishment for me. There’s no greater moment right now.”

While Becker nabbed the win it came at the expense of fellow Californian Kyle Larson, who led the first 19 laps before his right rear tire went flat during a red flag with 11 laps remaining. Larson repeatedly spun his rear tires during the caution laps in an effort to create more air, but he was doomed from the restart. (more…)

Dollansky and Swindell Endure Issues to Slow World of Outlaws Championship Hopes

CHICO, Calif. – Sept. 6, 2012 – Well, that just shook up the points.

A pair of drivers in contention for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series championship took a major hit on Thursday while a four-time champion survived a treacherous track on the opening night of the 59^th annual Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway.

Donny Schatz slid by polesitter Kyle Larson exiting turn two on lap 20 en route to his eighth World of Outlaws victory of the season. The win, combined with some misfortune to a couple of fellow championship contenders, moved Schatz into the points lead for the first time in the last 21 races.

“It was fun,” he said. “(Larson) was really good on the top and we had a decent car on the bottom. It just was really tricky to run. It took me five or six laps to figure out how to drive it. It was a fun race and I’m glad to come out on the good side of it.”

Two drivers in search of that same title found bitter results. (more…)

The NAPA Auto Parts Outlaw Showdown was postponed by rain in April

EAGLE, Neb. – Sept. 5, 2012 – Eagle Raceway has been a mainstay on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series schedule for more than 30 years.

After missing the last couple of years and being rained out in April, the high-banked track will host ‘The Greatest Show on Dirt’ on Wednesday, Sept. 19, for the NAPA Auto Parts Outlaw Showdown.

“It’s neat to go back there and it’s also the track where my father grew up racing, so I’ve got a lot of family there that can come out and see me race that normally doesn’t get to see me race,” said Joey Saldana, who is currently fourth in the World of Outlaws championship standings.

Steve Kinser, who is currently fifth in the points standings, has been dominant at the third-mile oval, winning 15 Outlaws features. He swept a pair of races in 2005 and 1995.

However, the other drivers among the top five have also been successful at Eagle Raceway. Sammy Swindell owns the track record, which he set the last time the World of Outlaws hit the track in 2009, and he won features in 1992 and 1981. (more…)

The FVP Outlaw Showdown is final World of Outlaws race of the season in Minnesota

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. – Sept. 5, 2012 – Joey Saldana is a big fan of Deer Creek Speedway.

Saldana is 2-for-2 at the high-banked, 3/8-mile oval, which hosts the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series on Saturday, Sept. 15, in the FVP Outlaw Showdown. He claimed the inaugural event in 2009 and Saldana followed up in 2010 before missing last season’s event because of an injury.

“Luckily the two races we’ve been there we’ve won them both, so it’s been a great place for me,” Saldana said. “I enjoy racing there. The fans support it and it’s a cool area to go to.

“It’s a fast, little race track. You get running up on the wall, so it makes it pretty exciting. You definitely have to watch where you’re at on the race track and the groove and where you need to be. It puts on a good show.”

Steve Kinser led all 35 laps to claim last season’s event at Deer Creek, where Donny Schatz finished second and Kerry Madsen rounded out the podium. (more…)