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Tim Fuller’s
Status For ‘Wild West Tour’ Uncertain After Emergency Appendectomy
Ø ARCA RACING NETWORK, Iowa Speedway, Prairie
Meadows 200
Ø Wisconsin’s Brady Smith Looks Forward To
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Stop At Superior Speedway On Thursday
Night (July 8)
Ø Previewing Kasey’s King of LaSalle Presented
By Budweiser
Ø World of Outlaws Wrap-Up: Kasey’s King of Sedalia,
Huset’s Speedway & North Central Speedway
Ø Deer
Creek Speedway’s ‘Gopher 50’ On Wednesday Night (July 7) Has Become Big Part
Of World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Ø
Unique Charity
Event Earned Organizers Recognition As National Tour’s 2009 Promoters Of The
Year
Tim Fuller’s Status For ‘Wild West
Tour’ Uncertain After Emergency Appendectomy
CONCORD, NC - July 6, 2010 - Tim Fuller’s status for this
week’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘Wild West Tour’ is uncertain after
he underwent an emergency appendectomy on Monday afternoon.
Fuller, 42, of Watertown, N.Y., was in his hauler Tuesday afternoon and
headed to Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., for the opening event
of the four-race swing on Wednesday night (July 7), but he said he would have
to wait until race time to determine his ability to compete.
“Right now I’m not even sure I can make a lap (for last-place points),” said
Fuller, who was still extremely sore 24 hours after the surgery. “My doctor
said he wouldn’t recommend racing for a couple weeks, but he said, ‘You most
likely aren’t gonna reinjure yourself, so it’s more a matter of if you can
take the pain.’
“They only made three small cuts on me and went in with a scope (to remove
the appendix), but they’re still moving your guts around so it’s painful.
I’ll have to see how I feel (on Wednesday night) and then decide what I’m
gonna do.”
Fuller began to experience pain on Sunday afternoon while at racer April
Farmer’s shop in Livingston, Tenn., where Fuller and Shane Clanton headed to
spend a couple days working on their equipment after Saturday night’s WoO LMS
event at nearby Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway. He initially thought he was
suffering from a case of food poisoning, but after spending a sleepless night
doubled over in pain he asked Farmer and her husband, Chris, to take him to a
local doctor’s office on Monday morning to find out if his problem was
something more serious. Tests revealed that his appendix was inflamed and in
danger of bursting, so he was told to immediately report to a nearby hospital
and by 2 p.m. he was on an operating table undergoing an emergency
appendectomy.
The surgery went well and doctors allowed Fuller to check himself out of the
hospital at 8:30 on Monday night. He was able sleep in reasonable comfort in
his hauler and left Farmer’s shop on Tuesday afternoon, bound for Minnesota
with his crew and Clanton’s team.
“I guess I’m fortunate that this happened while we were at April’s place
rather than somewhere on the road where we don’t know anybody,” said Fuller.
“April and Chris were great shuttling me back-and-forth to the doctor and the
hospital, and Shane and his girlfriend Michelle were at the hospital with me.
“Now all I can do is go to Deer Creek and play it by ear. Hopefully I’ll be
able to race.”
Fuller currently ranks fifth in the WoO LMS points standings, 182 points
behind leader Josh Richards and just six points ahead of sixth-place Austin
Hubbard. He won twice and finished third in the first three events of the
recent ‘Great Northern Tour’ to pull within 84 points of Richards, but in the
five A-Mains since then he’s finished no better than 12th and lost 98 points
in the standings.
The ‘Wild West Tour’ kicks off on Wednesday at Deer Creek and then visits
Superior (Wis.) Speedway on Thurs., July 8; River Cities Speedway in Grand
Forks, N.D., on Fri., July 9; and Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D.,
on Sat., July 10. Fuller earned his first career WoO LMS A-Main victory at
River Cities in 2007.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the
country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport
Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products),
Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment),
SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel),
DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and Chizmark Larson Insurance; in addition
to contingency sponsors Eibach Springs, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, Pink
Carburetors, Pro Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis, R2C
Performance and Wrisco Aluminum.
Return to Top
ARCA RACING NETWORK, Iowa Speedway, Prairie
Meadows 200
Saturday, July 10, 2010,
9:00 PM Eastern Live on SPEED
Weekend Schedule
Saturday, July 10th
Practice: 10:00 AM - 11:35 AM
Final Practice:
1:00 PM - 1:50 PM
Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell: 5:15 PM Start
of the Prairie Meadows 200: 8:00 PM
Times Local (Central)
FactSheet...
Race: Prairie Meadows 200
Track: Iowa Speedway
Location: 3333 Rusty Wallace Dr., Newton, IA 50208 For
tickets call: 866-RUSTY-GO
Website: www.iowaspeedway.com
Race Distance: 200 Laps / 175 Miles
Track configuration: .875 mile paved oval First ARCA race:
2006 Total ARCA races run: 4 Qualifying record: 2006, Steve Wallace, 187.357
mph Race record: 2009, Parker Kligerman, 105.228 mph No. of ARCA races won
from the pole: 1
NOTES OF INTEREST FOR PRAIRIE MEADOWS 200 AT IOWA
SPEEDWAY:
Iowa, Race #9
The Prairie Meadows 200, the fifth ARCA Racing Series race
at Iowa Speedway since 2006, is the 9th of 20 events on the 2010 ARCA Series
schedule.
Kimmel Turns 400 at Iowa
9-time ARCA Racing Series champion and 2007 Iowa Speedway
winner Frank Kimmel is turning yet
another milestone in Saturday's Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway.
The Clarksville, Indiana stock car legend is on-track to
make his 400th career ARCA Series start in the race at Iowa. Kimmel made his
career-first ARCA start at Toledo Speedway (started 21st/finished 19th) on
July 1, 1990, a track that would become
synonomys with his success, winning there 9 times over the years.
Kimmel made only two series starts in 1990 - the other at Delaware Speedway
Park - before he would become a regular campaigner on tour in 1994, the year
of his career-first win coming at Toledo on May 22. Kimmel has since amassed
an incredible 74 career wins, second all-time to Iggy Katona's 79 wins. In
addition to 41 career poles, Kimmel is the
all-time superspeedway pole winner with 19 and the all-time
superspeedway lap leader with 2,625 laps led in 79 races. Kimmel is also the
only former Iowa winner entered.
Championship Points Battle Tight to Iowa Indiantown,
Florida's Patrick Sheltra, on the strength of 8 consecutive top-10 finishes
so far in 2010, is leading a close championship points battle by just 35
points over Rocklin, California's Justin Marks - 1885 to 1850. Venturini
Motorsports Mikey Kile is a close third with 1810 followed by Eddie Sharp
Racing's Craig Goess in fourth with 1750. Frank Kimmel is fifth with 1720.
7 Different Winners in 8 Events in 2010; 6 First-time
Winners After 8 events in 2010, there have been 7 different winners - Bobby
Gerhart (Daytona), Justin Marks (Palm Beach roadcourse), Steve Arpin (Salem
& Texas), Dakoda Armstrong (Talladega), Chris Buescher (Toledo), Craig
Goess (Pocono) and Mikey Kile (Michigan).
6 of the 7 aforementioned drivers - Marks, Arpin,
Armstrong, Buescher, Goess and Kile -
are first-time series winners.
Driver Development Teams Plentiful at Iowa Driver
Development teams are headed to Iowa in full force with the likes of Richard
Childress Racing (RCR), Roush-Fenway Racing, Penske Racing and Bill Elliott
Racing.
RCR has two teams entered including Tim George, Jr. in the
No. 31 RCR Development Chevrolet and Childress's grandson Ty Dillon in the
No. 41 RCR Development Chevrolet.
The event marks Dillon's career-first ARCA start. Also,
Roulo Brothers Racing is fielding the
No. 17 Ford for rookie Chris Buescher, a development driver for Roush-Fenway
Racing. Buescher, 17, won at Toledo Speedway back in May. Cunningham
Motorsports is fielding the No. 22 Dodge
for Penske Development driver Dakoda Armstrong, the winner at Talladega. Bill
Elliott Racing has also filed an entry for Lawrenceville, Georgia's Casey
Roderick in the No. 51 Bill Elliott Driver Development Dodge. Roderick
finished a career-best 2nd at Rockingham Speedway in 2009 and won the pole on
the Palm Beach Int'l Raceway road course earlier this year.
Matt Crafton Entered
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series veteran Matt Crafton is
entered in the No. 68 Messina Wildlife Management-Menards Ford. Crafton will
be doing double duty at Iowa, racing in the Camping World Truck Series event
as well. Crafton has one career ARCA start at Toledo Speedway earlier this
year where he started 7th and finished 5th.
Crafton's car is being prepared out of the Kimmel Racing
shop.
Bobby Gerhart Racing Enters 2nd Car
Bobby Gerhart Racing (BGR) has filed two entries for the
Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa, one with Gerhart listed as the driver of the No.
5 Lucas Oil Chevrolet, and the other with rookie Tanner Berryhill listed as
the driver of the No. 7 AmericashAdvance.com-AutoZone sponsored Chevrolet.
Gerhart, the consummate veteran with 6 Daytona triumphs, will be coaching
Berryhill, who will make his career-first attempt in the ARCA Series.
Rookie Gresham Entered
You can add Max Gresham to solid line-up of rookies
entered for the Prairie Meadows 200. Although not classified among the driver
development ranks, Gresham, at 17,
will, no doubt, be a force to be reckoned with. In his one and only
start earlier this year at Salem Speedway, Gresham, who was 16 at the time,
won the pole and finished 6th in the race.
Eddie Sharp Racing Enters 2 - Rookie and a Veteran Another
rookie entered is Smyrna, Georgia's Kyle Fowler, entered in the No. 6 Alabama
Air National Guard Toyota for Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR). Fowler made one start
for ESR earlier this year at Toledo where he started 13th and finished 15th.
The other half of ESR's contingent at Iowa will be the No. 81 Greenville of
North Carolina Toyota with second-year ARCA driver/veteran Craig Goess at the
helm. Goess, a championship contender, won earlier this year at Pocono
Raceway.
Return to Top
Wisconsin’s Brady Smith Looks
Forward To World of Outlaws Late Model Series Stop At Superior Speedway On
Thursday Night (July 8)
No Longer An
Outlaw Regular, Smith Hopes Race At Home Track Shakes Him Out Of Slump
SUPERIOR, WI – July 6, 2010 – The day that Brady Smith circled on his
calendar months ago has finally arrived.
On Thursday night (July 8), the World of Outlaws Late Model Series makes an
inaugural stop in his backyard, visiting his former hometrack, Superior Speedway,
for the ‘Mid-States Hydraulics 50’ that is part of the circuit’s annual ‘Wild
West Tour.’
But while the 33-year-old from Solon Springs, Wis., is certainly pleased to
be running a $10,000-to-win dirt Late Model special at a track located just
over 30 miles northwest of his doorstep, he enters the biggest event in the
history of the three-eighths-mile oval sitting in a far different position
that he had hoped. Smith is mired in a season-long slump – struggles that
recently forced him to stop following the WoO LMS schedule, short-circuiting
his dreams of returning to Superior Speedway as a contender for the national
tour’s $100,000 points championship.
“I hated to do it,” Smith said of his difficult decision to drop off the
World of Outlaws trail before last month’s ‘Great Northern Tour’ through
upstate New York, Canada and western Pennsylvania. “I thought about it for a
long time. I tried to make things happen so I didn’t have to do it, but
unfortunately it was a decision that was inevitable for us the way our season
has been going.”
What’s so frustrating for Smith, of course, is that his 2010 campaign began
with such promise. After turning heads during his first season as a WoO LMS
regular in 2009 – he didn’t win an A-Main and finished eighth in the points
standings, but he ranked sixth among tour drivers with 12 top-five finishes –
he had great expectations for his sophomore year. He burst out of the
starting gate with a third-place finish and victory in February’s
season-opening events at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., to grab
the points lead for the first time in his career, but he simply couldn’t
maintain that level of performance. Smith registered just one top-five finish
(second place on May 13 at Delaware International Speedway) over the next 14
A-Mains and plummeted to eighth in the points race.
Facing a 214-point deficit to WoO LMS points leader (and defending champion)
Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., by the end of May and struggling to keep
his self-owned racing program afloat, Smith reluctantly called tour director
Tim Christman before the ‘Great Northern Tour’ to relay the news that he
would be pulling back on his travel schedule to regroup.
“All things were pointed in the right direction for us when the season
started,” said Smith, who has three career WoO LMS victories, including
back-to-back wins during the 2008 ‘Wild West Tour’ at River Cities Speedway
in Grand Forks, N.D., and Estevan (Sask.) Motor Speedway. “We worked hard
over the winter and ran well at Volusia. We left there with the points lead –
it couldn’t have worked out any better.
“Then...God, things just went to hell in a hand basket. We couldn’t seem to
do anything right. We had fast race cars and were qualifying real well (three
fast-time awards in the season’s first nine events), but then either we’d
make the wrong decisions on tires or have something stupid happen, like a
lapped car would spin out in front of me and I’d have to spin out of third
place to avoid him.
“West Virginia (Motor Speedway over Memorial Day weekend) was almost the
straw that broke the camel’s back,” he continued, recalling a hard crash
during time trials that left his Team Zero by Bloomquist machine badly
damaged and his body sore. “We didn’t just wreck, we destroyed a car. It was
junk. That really set our program back – and then I had a crew guy leave on
top of it, so I just lost half my workforce.”
The cool, calm Smith paused. He clenched his fists and let out an
exasperated, “Ugh!” before commenting, “I’m not making excuses, but it was
just a downward spiral. We were just totally going in the wrong direction,
and before I hit rock bottom I had to do something different.”
Racing with the assistance of several valued sponsors but without the backing
of a major company since his four-year run with Amsoil ended following the
2008 season, Smith doesn’t have the wiggle room with his finances to weather
lean stretches like he once did. His geographic location – he lives in
northwestern Wisconsin, so it takes him four hours just to get out of the
Badger State – also adds a degree of difficulty to his attempts to chase a
grueling national schedule.
“I enjoy racing with the World of Outlaws and I really feel like it’s the
right thing to do for our program to make us better,” said Smith, who estimated
that he put over 50,000 miles on his hauler traveling to races last year.
“But we need to scale back right now and change some things to get back going
in the right direction.
“We’re not gonna quit. We’re just gonna try to be as prepared as we can for
all the races we do, and hopefully in the future we can get ourselves in the
right position to run (regularly) with the World of Outlaws again.”
Smith will be back on the WoO LMS trail this week, albeit just for the
four-race ‘Wild West Tour’ through Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and
South Dakota that doesn’t hit a track more than eight hours from his
residence. He hasn’t raced since traveling to Lernerville Speedway in Sarver,
Pa., for the WoO LMS ‘Firecracker 100’ from June 24-26 (he finished third in
a 30-lap preliminary A-Main and 10th in the 100-lap headliner after leading
laps 1-19), so he’s rested and ready for the challenge of racing the Outlaw
stars he knows so well on his home turf.
The driver known as the ‘Prodigy’ should definitely feel comfortable at
Superior, a track he ran regularly early in his career. He competed there for
one year in a Street Stock, four years in a Super Stock and parts of two
seasons in a WISSOTA spec-motor Late Model before he began branching out to
enter full-blown Late Model events in the early to mid 2000s.
“We’re looking forward to getting back there to Superior for a big show,”
said Smith, who won multiple features and championships during his years as a
regular at the track. “After always traveling so far to race, it will be nice
to race in front of my hometown fans and family. We’ll have a bunch of family
there – parents, aunts, uncles, cousins.”
Smith, who said he’s raced at Superior “maybe 10 times” over the past five
years, will be shooting for his first-ever full-blown Late Model victory at
the facility. His last triumph there came in a 2005 WISSOTA Late Model event;
the closest he’s come to a full-blown Late Model victory at Superior is a
second-place finish on July 29, 2009, in a race sanctioned by the defunct
World Dirt Racing League (WDRL).
“I don’t feel like I’m gonna have a big advantage, but at least I have more
of an idea of what to expect than most guys,” said Smith. “If it’s typical
Superior, it’ll be really slick and smooth and you’ll have to be smooth and
patient and have your car set up right.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to run up front,” he added. “After the season we’ve
had, a win would just be awesome. It would boost everyone’s morale and
definitely help the bank account.”
Smith will face plenty of tough competition from the WoO LMS travelers,
including former champions Richards, Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., Steve
Francis of Ashland, Ky., and Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky. The tour’s roster
also features the red-hot Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga. (two wins in the
last three events, including the Firecracker 100), Tim Fuller of Watertown,
N.Y., Rick Eckert of York, Pa., Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., Clint Smith of
Senoia, Ga., Russell King of Bristolville, Ohio, rookie sensation Austin
Hubbard of Seaford, Del., Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va., and Jill George
of Cedar Falls, Iowa.
A talented group of drivers from the Upper Midwest is also expected to enter
the event, including Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., who has won at least one
WDRL feature at Superior in each of the last four years; Brian Birkhofer of
Muscatine, Iowa, who captured a Hav-A-Tampa/Xtreme series event at the track
in 2003; Adam Hensel of Barron, Wis., who won a feature at Superior on May
21; Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., who was victorious at Superior on May 28;
two-time WDRL champion Chad Simpson of Mt. Vernon, Iowa; and former WISSOTA
national titlist Zach Johnson of Kensington, Minn.
Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. and time trials will get the green
flag at 7 p.m. on Thurs., July 8, at Superior Speedway. Pure Stocks and MW
Mods will also be part of the program.
Tickets are $30 for ages 16-and-up, $10 for ages 6-15 and free for children
6-and-under with a paid adult. Pit passes will cost $40.
Superior Speedway is located two miles south of U.S. 2 on State Road 35,
close to the shores of Lake Superior.
More information on Superior Speedway can be obtained by logging on to www.superiorracetrack.com or calling 715-394-RACE.
The Mid-States Hydraulics 50 is the second stop on the WoO LMS ‘Wild West
Tour,’ which kicks off on July 7 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley,
Minn., and also includes events on July 9 at River Cities Speedway in Grand
Forks, N.D., and July 10 at Dakota State Fair Speedway.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the
country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport
Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products),
Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment),
SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel),
DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and Chizmark Larson Insurance; in addition
to contingency sponsors Eibach Springs, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, Pink
Carburetors, Pro Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis, R2C
Performance and Wrisco Aluminum.
Return to Top
Previewing Kasey’s King of LaSalle
Presented By Budweiser
LaSalle, IL-July 6, 2010- The
Showdown for the Bud Crown comes down to one final race this week as the
World of Outlaws invade LaSalle Speedway in Illinois for Kasey's King of
LaSalle Presented By Budweiser on Thursday, July 8. The event will mark the
World of Outlaws first visit to the high-banked and always racy ¼-mile since
2004.
The
Showdown championship battle tests drivers on three very different types of
tracks. Rounds 1 and 2 were at the high-banked Volunteer Speedway in Bulls
Gap, Tennessee and Round 3 was at the big half-mile of Missouri State Fair
Speedway.
Jason
Meyers is leading the Showdown for the Bud Crown championship, followed by
Paul McMahan (-36), Steve Kinser (-39), Donny Schatz (-76) and Danny Lasoski
(-102). Joey Saldana won the opening round at Volunteer Speedway, with Meyers
winning the second night at Volunteer and Jason Sides capturing the third leg
at Missouri State Fair Speedway. Drivers earn points in the Showdown
championship during time trials, heat races and the main event, so heading
into LaSalle the fight for the crown is wide open. Following Kasey's King of
LaSalle on Thursday night, the top three in points will share a $15,000
bonus.
Danny
Lasoski, the 2001 World of Outlaws champion, was victorious in the series
last visit to LaSalle Speedway in 2004. Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of
Outlaws champion, is the only driver that has won twice with the series at
the high-banked ¼-mile, including winning the inaugural World of Outlaws
event at the track in 2004. That pair are the only drivers currently
competing with the series that have won at the track.
A
total of six drivers have visited Victory Lane with the series at LaSalle
Speedway in seven races dating back to 1994.
The
battle at the top of the World of Outlaws standings continues to be tight
entering Kasey's King of LaSalle, with just 27 markers separating the
Top-Three, with Joey Saldana on top, Steve Kinser second and Jason Meyers
third. The series has completed 32 A-Feature events thus far in 2010. Meyers
lead the series with seven wins, while Saldana leads in Top-Five finishes
with 21 and Kinser holds the top spot in Top-10 runs with 30.
The Buzz-
- Jason
Meyers looks to wrap up the title in the Showdown for the Bud Crown at
LaSalle Speedway and also close to gap on Joey Saldana and Steve Kinser
in the World of Outlaws championship standings. He has finished first,
sixth and seventh in the three Showdown races, setting fast time in two
of those events.
- Paul
McMahan, who is second in the Bud Crown standings, has made two career
starts at LaSalle Speedway, finishing eighth in his most recent start in
2004.
- Danny
Lasoski looks to repeat at LaSalle Speedway, having won in the World of
Outlaws last visit to the track in 2004. The 2001 series champion is
looking for his first win of 2010.
- Steve Kinser
is the only driver that has won more than once with the World of Outlaws
at LaSalle, taking the checkered flag first in 1994 and 1999.
- Jac
Haudenschild finished second in his most recent start at LaSalle
Speedway in 1998. The Hall of Famer has four finishes of sixth or better
in five career starts at the high-banked bullring.
- Donny
Schatz, the four-time and defending World of Outlaws champion, finished
fourth at LaSalle Speedway in 2004 to earn his best finish at the
¼-mile.
- Sammy
Swindell, the three-time World of Outlaws champion, who won at LaSalle
in 1996 will be in attendance. The Hall of Famer has won twice this
season with the series.
- Lucas
Wolfe, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Chad Kemenah, Ben Gregg, Brian Ellenberger and
Toni Lutar will all be making their first career starts at LaSalle
Speedway this week.
By the Numbers: Kasey's King of
LaSalle Presented By Budweiser
0.25- Miles
around LaSalle Speedway
1- Race this season in the state of
Illinois for the World of Outlaws; Driver that has competed in all seven
events for the series at LaSalle Speedway- Steve Kinser
2- Drivers contending for the Kevin
Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award in 2010
3- Races this season on ¼-mile tracks
for the World of Outlaws thus far; Drivers that have won on ¼-mile tracks
this season with the series
4- Races that comprise the Showdown
for the Bud Crown
6- Drivers that have won with the
World of Outlaws at LaSalle Speedway; Track records that have been
established in time trials at World of Outlaws events this season
7- A-Feature events the World of
Outlaws have contested at LaSalle Speedway; A-Feature wins for Jason Meyers
this season to lead the series
9- Drivers competing full-time with
the World of Outlaws this season that raced at LaSalle with the series in
2004
10.368 - Track
record established by Brandon Wimmer in time trials in 2004
12- Drivers
that have won A-Feature events with the World of Outlaws this season
13- Drivers
that have been quickest in time trials this season
15- Drivers
that have won a dash this season to earn a pole position
16- Drivers
currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws
20- Points
that separate Joey Saldana and Steve Kinser at the top of the World of
Outlaws standings
21- Top-Five
finishes for Joey Saldana this season to lead the series; Drivers that have
led laps in A-Feature events this season
30- Top-10
finishes for Steve Kinser through July 3 to lead the series
36- Points
that separate Jason Meyers and Paul McMahan in Showdown for the Bud Crown
Standings
47- Drivers
that have competed in at least one of the first three races in the Showdown
for the Bud Crown
179- Laps led
by Joey Saldana this season to lead the series
1994- Year the
World of Outlaws first raced at LaSalle Speedway
2004- Year the
World of Outlaws last competed at LaSalle Speedway
10,000- Dollars
the winner will receive on Thursday, July 8
15,000- Dollars
that will be split among the Top-3 in the Showdown for the Bud Crown final
standings after July 8
51,690- Dollars
in the total purse on Thursday, July 8
138,400 - Dollars earned by Joey Saldana
through July 3 to lead the series
Tickets
On
Thursday, July 8 at LaSalle Speedway, tickets for adults are $29 in advance
and $35 the day of the race. Children's Reserved Seats (12 years old and
younger) are $9. For more information and to purchase tickets call:
(704)-795-RACE (7223) or visit: www.worldofoutlaws.com/tickets.
Camping will be available at the track (no hook-ups) on Wednesday July 7 and
Thursday, July 8.
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), Chizmark & Larson Insurance , Goodyear Tires (Official Tire), SuperClean (Official
Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to
contingency sponsors, Jake's Custom Golf Carts, KSE Race Products, Penske
Shocks , R2C Performance, 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.
Return to Top
World of Outlaws Wrap-Up: Kasey’s King of
Sedalia, Huset’s Speedway & North Central Speedway
Concord, NC-July 5, 2010-
Closer and closer: The battle at the
top of the World of Outlaws championship standings remains tight among the
Top-Three. After the event at North Central Speedway in Minnesota last
Saturday night, Joey Saldana holds a 20-point lead over 20-time series
champion Steve Kinser, with Jason Meyers third, 27 markers out of the top and
just seven behind Kinser for second. Saldana has been out front since May 13
and has led the standings longer than any other driver this season. Four
different drivers have sat atop the standings for at least one race this
season through 32 races.
"For
us, the points take care of themselves," shared Saldana, when asked if
it's too early to think about points. "When you talk about points, we
have a lot of problem and that kills you. We blew up while leading at
Lakeside (Speedway) and you can't have DNF's (Did not finish) and we seem to
have them and Steve (Kinser) and Jason (Meyers) don't. They are solid every
night and finish every race and every lap. You definitely have to be going
strong every race to make up points and you can't fall out."
Nothing but respect: Jason Meyers and
Donny Schatz raced wheel-to-wheel on a couple of late restarts at North
Central Speedway last Saturday night, giving each other just enough racing
room and never touching a single time, with Meyers coming out on top and
Schatz second. The pair finished first and second last year in the closest
points race in World of Outlaws history with Schatz coming out on top by a
mere 19 markers. Schatz nosed ahead of Meyers on one of the restarts on
Saturday night heading into turn one, with the caution coming out before the
pair could race into turn two. On both double file restarts with four laps
remaining Meyers lined up on the low side of the track with Schatz up top and
both times Schatz dove low in turns one and two in a bid for the lead.
"I
have to pay Donny Schatz a compliment and that's why he's a four-time
champion," said Meyers in Victory Lane. "He raced me clean and he
raced me hard. That's what it's supposed to be about and I hope the fans
enjoyed it."
A strong rebound: Tim Kaeding
rebounded to finish fifth at North Central Speedway after having his brakes
lock up in a heat race, costing him a spot in the dash, which would have
earned him a Top-10 starting spot in the feature. He won the B-Main to race
his way into the main event and came from 11th to finish fifth in
his first visit to the 1/3-mile bullring.
"These
guys busted their butts after the race," said Kaeding of his crew.
"We had a master cylinder go bad on us and the brakes stuck and we
didn't make it out of the heat race. We had to run the B-Main and capitalized
on that and learned a little bit more about the race track. We had a great
race car, it's just hard when everyone is in the same groove as you to pass.
Hopefully we can keep clicking off these Top-10's and Top-Fives and be
consistent."
Third no more: Sammy Swindell
scored his second win of the season with the World of Outlaws last Thursday
night at Huset's Speedway in a thrilling dual with Steve Kinser. The win
snapped a string of two consecutive third-place finishes with the World of
Outlaws for the three-time series champion, Swindell finished third at
Lakeside Speedway and Missouri State Fair Speedway before winning at Huset's,
which was his first start at the high-banked bullring since 2005.
"I
was thinking at the start, 'Well here we are in third again and we'll get
another third' and lot of guys would be happy with that, but we have kind of
a joke going that we are tired of running third," noted Swindell after
his win at Huset's. "That's not bad though, coming out here starting
late in the year and getting this team going and running against these
guys."
Oh so close: Lucas Wolfe led 29
laps last Thursday night at Huset's Speedway en route to a third-place
finish. He battled 20-time series champion Steve Kinser and three-time series
titlist Sammy Swindell down the stretch. For Wolfe it was just his second
career start at the high-banked bullring and he has finished third in both of
his starts at the track. The native of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania has six
podium finishes this year as he continues to close in on his first career
World of Outlaws A-Feature win.
"It
was another good run for us," said Wolfe. "To be able to race with
Steve (Kinser) and Sammy (Swindell) the best two drivers ever to race a
sprint car is great. We'll just keep working hard and hopefully these strong
results will continue to we'll get a win."
Hard charging: Steve Kinser earned
the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award twice last week. The 20-time
series champion came from the 19th starting spot to finish eighth
at North Central Speedway and also charged from 18th to finish
ninth at Missouri State Fair Speedway last Tuesday. The Hall of Famer has
finished in the Top-10 in 30 of the first 32 races this season and is
currently second in points as he chases his record 21 st title.
Promoting & racing: In addition to
helping promote the event at Missouri State Fair Speedway, Kasey Kahne also
raced. It marked his second start of the season with the World of Outlaws,
after he set a new track record in qualifying for the opener of the Showdown
for the Bud Crown back in March at Volunteer Speedway in Tennessee. Kahne
started 20th at Sedalia and worked his way to a respectable 14th-place
finish in his third career start at the half-mile and first in a 410-sprint
car. He'll help promote the final race of the four-race Showdown for the Bud
Crown this coming Thursday at LaSalle Speedway in Illinois.
"I
had a great time," shared Kahne. "I didn't run that well, but I had
a great time. I'm glad to see a lot of people here. It's a great crowd and
thanks to everyone for coming out. The World of Outlaws is a great series to
support and be a part of. I love being a part of it and owning some race cars.
It's great to be here."
A big win: In addition to
setting a new career high with his third A-Feature win of the season last
week at Sedalia, Jason Sides became the third different driver to win a race
in the four-race Showdown for the Bud Crown mini-series at Missouri State
Fair Speedway. The finale of the four races will be this coming Thursday at
LaSalle Speedway in Illinois.
"It's
great that he (Kasey Kahne) puts on races like this and hopefully he and
others can continue to put on races like this," said Sides. "It's
definitely a good one to win."
What a run: Wayne Johnson
finished fifth at Missouri State Fair Speedway in his first World of Outlaws
start aboard his own No. 77X machine that he and his wife own. With just one
car, one engine and very few spare parts, he made the tow south to Sedalia
with a small, borrowed trailer and wound up winning a heat race to earn a
spot in the dash and came home a very strong fifth in the main event. Johnson
has competed now four times in his own machine through July 3, scoring three
second-place finishes at Knoxville Raceway along with the Top-Five with the
World of Outlaws.
"This
car has been really fast right from the get-go. This was just the third night
on the car and we have two seconds (prior to the Sedalia race) at Knoxville
and a fifth with the Outlaws. What can I say, it's just working."
Tribute lap: Jack Hockett, the
father of the late Jesse Hockett, ran a tribute lap in his son's No. 77 at
Missouri State Fair Speedway last week prior to the World of Outlaws dash.
Jesse Hockett passed away last month after a shop accident. The 26-year old
Hockett, who hailed from Warsaw, Missouri, scored his best career World of
Outlaws finish last season at Silver Dollar Speedway during one of the
preliminary features of the Gold Cup Race of Champions.
Up next: The fourth and
final round of the Showdown for the Bud Crown, Kasey's King of LaSalle at
LaSalle Speedway in Illinois on July 8, followed by a stop at Beaver Dam
Raceway in Wisconsin on July 10 and Cedar Lake Speedway also in Wisconsin on
July 11.
Photo gallery The Media Gallery
section of www.worldofOutlaws.com
continues to be updated after each event. Visit http://www.worldofoutlaws.com/sprint/MediaGallery.aspx
to see Photo Galleries from all 2010 World of Outlaws events. Photo Galleries
from events at Huset's Speedway and North Central Speedway will be posted
soon.
Keep up with all the action: The number of
"Followers" keeping up with the World of Outlaws via Twitter online
and through text messages on cell phones continues to grow and recently
surpassed the 4,200 "Follower" mark. Updates are provided
throughout race nights beginning with hot laps and continuing all the way
through the final checkered flag of the night. To sign-up visit: http://twitter.com/worldofoutlaws
and receive live race updates, anywhere, anytime.
On sale now: Tickets for a
number of premier World of Outlaws events are currently on-sale, including
Kasey's King of LaSalle on July 8, in addition to the Don Martin Memorial
Silver Cup Twin 30's at Lernerville Speedway on July 20, and the Ironman 55
at I-55 Raceway on August 6-7. Also on sale now are tickets for the World of
Outlaws stop at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in New York on October 9 and the
World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, November 4-6. For tickets visit www.WorldofOutlaws.com/tickets.
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),
Chizmark & Larson Insurance, Goodyear Tires (Official Tire), 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.
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Deer Creek Speedway’s ‘Gopher 50’ On
Wednesday Night (July 7) Has Become Big Part Of World of Outlaws Late Model
Series
Unique Charity Event Earned
Organizers Recognition As National Tour’s 2009 Promoters Of The Year
SPRING VALLEY, MN – July 5, 2010 – The NAPA Auto Parts
‘Gopher 50’ Charity Late Model Race sure has come a long way.
With the event ready to celebrate its 31st annual running on Wednesday night
(July 7) at Deer Creek Speedway, the ‘Gopher’ is entrenched as one of the
most prestigious and unique dirt Late Model races in the country. It stands
out from the crowd so much, in fact, that it earned its organizers coveted
recognition as the 2009 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Promoters of the
Year.
Collaboratively promoted by the Blooming Prairie (Minn.) Lions Club and
management of Deer Creek Speedway, the Gopher 50’s alltime winners’ list is
dotted with some of the biggest names in the racing business. More
importantly, over $300,000 for Jaycee and Lions projects has been raised over
the lifetime of the Gopher 50, which was contested at Chateau Speedway in
Austin, Minn. (1980-1981) and the Steele County Fairgrounds in Owatanna,
Minn. (1982-2004) before settling at Deer Creek in 2005 and soaring to new
heights.
The Gopher 50 has been part of the WoO LMS for its entire run at Deer Creek,
gaining more prominence on the schedule with each passing season. Anyone
still unfamiliar with the event received a reminder of its status when the
announcement of its organizers’ WoO LMS promotional award was made during the
national tour’s awards banquet last November.
“We’re honored to receive an award from such a prestigious group like the
World of Outlaws,” said Jerry Ingvalson, the Blooming Prairie Lions Club
member who has overseen all aspects of the Charity Race since its inception
in 1980. “It definitely shows how much the Gopher has grown. It’s become one
of the events in the dirt Late Model world that people want to see.”
“We couldn’t believe it when Tim (Christman, the WoO LMS director) called and
said little Deer Creek Speedway and the Gopher 50 won the award,” said Deer
Creek’s P.R. and marketing director Ryan Queensland, whose family operates
the finely-manicured, three-eighths-mile oval. “We’re humbled that a national
touring series would recognize our track and event, considering some of the
crown-jewel races and well-known tracks that are part of the series.
“Winning an award like this puts you in a very elite crowd. It’s a helluva
honor, and it drives us to go out and continue putting on great events.”
Ingvalson and the Queensland family celebrated last year’s milestone 30th
edition of the Gopher 50 with a promotion that certainly couldn’t be ignored
by WoO LMS officials and teams. The event headlined the 17 former Gopher 50
winners, gave fans a shot at a cash prize and featured a $10,000 bonus for a
past event champion to win the race – a check that 2008 WoO LMS titlist
Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., claimed to push his booty for capturing the
A-Main to a whopping $20,000.
“The Gopher obviously has been a huge event around here for years, so we were
thrilled when (the Blooming Prairie Lions Club) asked us to host it,” said
Ryan Queensland, the P.R. and marketing director of Deer Creek Speedway. “One
of the things we talked about with Jerry and the Lions Club was doing
something really special for the 30th anniversary of the Gopher. We came up
with the Past Champions’ Fund and some fan-oriented promotions and I think it
all went off great.
“A lot of people came up to us last year and said the Gopher was one of the
most memorable races they’ve ever attended and already had it on their
calendars to come back to Deer Creek.”
Thousands of fans are expected to pack Deer Creek’s grandstands again on
Wednesday night for another installment of the Gopher 50, which this year
combines some new wrinkles and popular annual traditions. The biggest
incentive for the drivers is the bonus money posted by NAPA – an extra $1,000
on top of the A-Main’s $10,000 top prize and $100 for each heat victor,
contingent upon display of a NAPA decal on the right side of the car.
What’s more, Fastshafts of Des Moines, Iowa, is sponsoring a Gopher 50 Hard
Charger award that will award the race’s mover-and-shaker a complete aluminum
driveshaft with slip yoke (retail value $330) or a certificate towards the
purchase of a new carbon-fiber driveshaft with yoke worth $650. Receipt of
the prize is also contingent upon display of the company’s sticker.
Continuing as part of the Gopher 50, of course, is the pre-race ‘feed’ – a
full Windsor Chops meal held under a tent in the Deer Creek parking lot that
is open to all competing drivers and their crews – and the Team Sponsorship
Program that pays the event entry fee for the top 20 drivers in Deer Creek’s
Late Model points standings and the top 10 racers in regional touring series
standings thanks to support from a long list of local businesses and
individuals.
In addition, sometime during Wednesday night’s program WoO LMS director Tim
Christman will formally present the tour’s 2009 Promoters of the Year award
to members of the Blooming Prairie Lions Club and the Queensland family.
“They weren’t able to attend our banquet in November so we’ll give them their
World of Outlaws award in front of all the fans who have made their Gopher 50
promotion so successful,” said Christman. “The Blooming Prairie Lions Club
and Queensland family are well-deserved recipients of our Promoters of the
Year award and I’m excited to finally get a chance to congratulate them in
person.”
A star-studded field will fill the Deer Creek pit area, led by former WoO LMS
champions Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who leads the 2010 points
standings entering Wednesday night’s ‘Wild West Tour’ lidlifter; Tim
McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who will make his first appearance at Deer
Creek since his title-winning season in 2006; Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky.;
and Lanigan, one of seven drivers who has won the Gopher 50 multiple times.
The WoO LMS traveling roster also includes Rick Eckert of York, Pa. (2006
Gopher 50 winner), Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa. (2007 winner), Shane Clanton
of Fayetteville, Ga. (winner of two of last three WoO LMS A-Mains, including
$30,000-plus Firecracker 100 on June 26 at Pennsylvania’s Lernerville
Speedway), Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga. (an ’06 winner at Deer Creek), Tim
Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., Russell King of Bristolville, Ohio, rookie Austin
Hubbard of Seaford, Del., Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va., and Jill George
of Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Other drivers expected to compete on Wednesday include two-time Gopher 50
winner Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis.,
Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., Adam Hensel of Barron, Wis., Chris
Simpson of Mt. Vernon, Iowa, and a host of Deer Creek regulars led by points
leader Nick Herrick of West Concord, Minn.
Wednesday night’s program will also include Deer Creek’s USRA Modified
division, which will boast an added attraction of its own. Budding ARCA and
NASCAR Nationwide Series star Steve Arpin of Fort Frances, Ont., will make
his return to the open-wheel division driving a car carrying sponsorship from
Mike’s Hard Lemonade, the primary backer of the Venturini Motorsports No. 55
that he’s steered to three ARCA victories this season.
Arpin, who has also run four Nationwide Series events in 2010 for Dale
Earnhardt Jr.’s team, will have his Mike’s Hard Lemonade ARCA stocker on
display for fans on Wednesday night. He’ll also participate in a
question-and-answer session and sign autographs from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Deer Creek’s pit and grandstand gates are scheduled to open at 3 p.m. on
Wed., July 7. Time trials are set to begin at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets will be $30 on race day for ages 13-and-up and $15 for children
12-and-under. Pre-sale tickets are available for $25 until 5 p.m. on July 5,
and pit passes will be $35.
Reserved seats are available on-line at www.deercreekspeedway.com or by calling 877-DCS-RACE or
507-754-6107.
Deer Creek Speedway is located 15 miles south of Rochester, Minn., on Highway
63.
The Gopher 50 kicks off the four-race WoO LMS ‘Wild West Tour,’ which also
visits Superior (Wis.) Speedway on July 8; River Cities Speedway in Grand
Forks, N.D., on July 9; and Dakota State Fair Speedway on July 10.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Alltime ‘Gopher 50’ Event Winners
(1980-81 at Chateau Speedway in Austin, Minn.; 1982-2004 at Steele County
Fairgrounds in Owatanna, Minn.; 2005-present at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring
Valley, Minn.):
1980 – Leon Plank
1981 – Steve Kosiski
1982 – Steve Kosiski
1983 – Joe Kosiski
1984 – Willy Kraft
1985 – Leon Plank
1986 – Tom Steuding
1987 – Willy Kraft
1988 – Steve Kosiski
1989 – Billy Moyer
1990 – Scott Bloomquist
1991 – Rick Egersdorf
1992 – Bob Hill
1993 – Billy Moyer
1994 – Willy Kraft
1995 – Bill Frye
1996 – Billy Moyer
1997 – Rick Aukland
1998 – Jay Johnson
1999 – Scott Bloomquist
2000 – Billy Moyer
2001 – Billy Moyer
2002 – Shannon Babb
2003 – Scott Bloomquist
2004 – Brian Birkhofer
2005 – Darrell Lanigan (WoO LMS)
2006 – Rick Eckert (WoO LMS)
2007 – Chub Frank (WoO LMS)
2008 – Brian Birkhofer (WoO LMS)
2009 – Darrell Lanigan (WoO LMS)
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the
country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport
Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products),
Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment),
SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel),
DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and Chizmark Larson Insurance; in
addition to contingency sponsors Eibach Springs, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks,
Pink Carburetors, Pro Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis, R2C
Performance and Wrisco Aluminum.
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