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  • The Champion is Crowned; Blaney Dominates Final Night

    The Champion is Crowned; Blaney Dominates Final Night

    [media-credit name=”Tony Stewart Racing” align=”alignright” width=”107″][/media-credit]Back in February this night was a long way away. No one thought much about it. There were 81 races yet to be run. A summer yet to come filled with thrills spills and challenges. Tonight was the furthest thing from anyone’s mind. But the night had come. Was it possible that 81 races had come and gone so quickly? The night was at hand and the champions were crowned. The competitors all seemed to breathe a heavy sigh of relief. The fans a heavy sigh of regret. The 2012 World of Outlaws season had drawn to a close.

    The second night of the World Finals was just as exciting as the first. There was a wild desperation in the air. There were matters to be settled. Changes to be announced, for instance the new tire for 2013 would be Hoosier despite the continued rumors to the contrary. Joey Saldana would be in the legendary 71M ride, which was made famous by Outlaws legend Doug Wolfgang, would again take the track in 2013. Daryn Pittman would take over the 9 for Kasey Kahne Racing. And the new logo would take on a bright and more colorful look with the red white and blue STP colors gracing the wings of every car next year.

    Qualifying was Thursday night. The quick time was set by David Gravel, in his colorful tribute to Breast Cancer. The beautiful black pink and silver car proclaimed the dedication “Beyond Boobs” and made a strong statement to remind all of us that there were battles fiercer than those about to take place on the race track going on around the world. Gravel’s time was a lightning fast 13.026 seconds around the 5/8ths mile track. He was followed by Dale Blaney, Lucas Wolfe, Brian Brown, and Stevie Smith.

    The first of 5 heat races would find Friday night’s winner picking up where he left off. Sammy Swindell jumped out to an early lead and ran away with the race. He would be followed to the line by David Gravel, Greg Hodnett and Brook Tatnell all transferring to the A Main.

    The second heat race would also be a runaway show with Dale Blaney leading by 2.5 seconds at one point before being slowed by a caution flag on lap 4 when Shane Stewart hit a tire marker. The field would not get a lap in before Danny Holtgraver would hit the same tire marker and destroy the front end of his car. Holtgraver took the car to the trailer and retired from the heat. The cautions merely slowed the inevitable as Blaney took the win over Cody Darrah, Daryn Pittman and Tim Shaffer.

    The third heat race was an incredible race with Lucas Wolfe and Jac Haudenschild exchanging slide jobs and maneuvering one another for 3rd and 4th place all the while Lance Dewease and Craig Dollansky were checking out on the field.  In the end Haudenschild would claim third over the much younger Lucas Wolfe but it would be a hard race all the way to the line.

    The fourth heat race would bring with it some drama. Bobby Howard was thought to have changed Right Rear Tires from qualifying on Thursday. Outlaws rules say that you must run the heat on the right rear you qualified on or you are disqualified from the heat. In the end the identifier mark was found on the tire and the start of the heat was called back after a half lap to allow Howard to join the field in his 10th place starting spot. The drama had little effect on the reigning champion, Donny Schatz who came back strong after a disappointing night on Friday,  and won the heat with a hard charging Kraig Kinser on his back bumper. Also transferring to the A Main were Paul McMahan and Kerry Madsen, who prevailed in a hard fought battle with Sam Hafertepe Jr for the final transfer spot.

    The fifth and final heat race of the season displayed a glimpse of the future with Jason Johnson in the Roush Stenhouse Ford taking the win over Stevie Smith, Ed Lynch Jr. and Dean Jacobs. The Ford power plant was the only one in the World Finals and it was the second race card for the 410 built by legendary engine builder Doug Yates.

    The C Main presented an unusual situation and one that you won’t often see. Scheduled to start in the 5th spot was The King of the Outlaws, Steve Kinser. Kinser however, choose to take a provisional into the A Main and scratched from the C. The C was a race of desperation. Jimmy Seger would end up upside down on lap 7 but would exit the car uninjured. Caleb Helms and Danny Mumaw would fight hard to the checkers for the final transfer spot into the B with the position going to Caleb Helms at the line. Jack Sodeman Jr. would win the race.

    The Dash was a mix of experience and challenge. With names like Swindell, Gravel, Dollansky, Schatz, and Blaney the talent pool was deep. But the track had required work and water. The new track surface was a mystery to the drivers in the Dash. That mystery would take its toll on one of the legends of the sport, Sammy Swindell, when on the first lap he got into the greasy unworked part of the track and flipped the car violently. Swindell would retire from the dash and go to work to get the car ready for the A Main. The dash would see Stevie Smith dominate over Lucas Wolfe and Dale Blaney, with very strong performances coming from Donny Schatz, Kraig Kinser, Daryn Pittman and Craig Dollansky.

    The B Main would transfer the final 6 qualifying cars to the A Main. The race was a hard fought battle between Joey Saldana who would win on the final lap over Brian Brown, Jason Sides and Brian Sebetto.

    This was the final night of the season, which meant that everyone who didn’t make the field who had a provisional could now use it without fear of needing it worse on another night. Chad Kemenah, Bill Rose, and Steve Kinser all three did so to bring the A Main field to 27 cars.

    The new surface had been run by the Modifieds, and the Late Models and had developed a hole in turn 1 right in the center groove. Although the hole didn’t bother the heavier cars, it was an obstacle that the Sprint Cars would avoid if at all possible. The track had turned dusty and dry and very slick after the track work, a condition that would play well into the hands of some and not so well in the hands of others.

    There were questions, would Swindell make it back out for the A? Would the hole figure into the end result of the race? With Donny Schatz showing a much stronger performance after experimenting with engine and chassis the night before would he claim the final race of his 5th championship season?

    When the cars pushed off the 1 of Sammy Swindell was in its 12th starting spot. But the car was hurt badly. Repairs had been made as best as they could be but the Big Tree Stands number one had frame damage on the front of the car. In reality probably only 5 or 6 drivers on the circuit would have even attempted the final night of the World Finals with a frame damaged car. Sammy Swindell was one of those drivers. How severely it would affect the car no one would know until the green flag dropped.

    The A Main was a barn burner, with Dale Blaney picking up from the night before when he cut a tire and lost the race with 5 laps to go. Sammy Swindell would pull off the track after 3 laps with a car that simply was not drivable. Donny Schatz was making progress through the field when he tangled wheels with Greg Hodnett and spun to the top of the track. Unable to avoid the dead in the water STP #15, Jac Haudenschild clipped the front wing and spun. Cody Darrah would hit the nose of the 15 full tilt and flip down the banking to the middle of the track. Haudenschild would make repairs and return, Schatz was done for the night as was Cody Darrah. The race would resume but not for long, Craig Dollansky would lose a left rear tire and hit the wall in 3 collecting Stevie Smith and Kerry Madsen in the melee. All drivers were unhurt. The double checkers would wave over Dale Blaney and Paul McMahan who would make it a close battle all the way to the line. Jason Johnson would bring his Ford home third.  McMahan would be the races hard charger coming from 22nd starting spot to finish 2nd.

    Beyond the cheers and the thrills of victory there was weariness. The drivers were tired. The teams were tired. The officials were tired. Nothing illustrated that more than the exchange between Johnson and McMahan who disagreed on an on track incident but after a few words decided to let it be. Or the pushing of a winged sprint car into the infield by an Outlaws official on a 4 wheeler with a bump draft to safety and then leaving it in the infield grass for a push track to take it back to the pits following the race. The fans were tired but were already feeling the longing for just one more race.

    The crowning of the champion and the presentation of the trophy brought a long season to an end. A season full of changes, lessons learned, victories hard fought, and tragedies. The Sprint Car racing community had lost 5 of its heroes in the span of 9 months. But the lasting lesson would remain that of perseverance. Never quit. Never give up. No matter how long the odds or short the resource, follow your heart, believe in yourself and your team mates and carry on. It is perhaps the greatest gift that our heroes can give us at the end of the year because that lesson alone will carry us through the winter and bring us to Volusia in February where we will begin the circle over again.

     

    Qualifying – 1. 89G-David Gravel, 13.026; 2. 2-Dale Blaney, 13.072; 3. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.176; 4. 21-Brian Brown, 13.187; 5. 19-Stevie Smith, 13.192; 6. 9-Joey Saldana, 13.212; 7. 49-Daryn Pittman, 13.271; 8. 7-Craig Dollansky, 13.278; 9. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.284; 10. 24H-Bryan Sebbetto, 13.352; 11. 39-Greg Hodnett, 13.352; 12. 71-Shane Stewart, 13.367; 13. 59-Jac Haudenschild, 13.376; 14. 29-Kerry Madsen, 13.411; 15. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.413; 16. 1-Sammy Swindell, 13.428; 17. 4-Cody Darrah, 13.450; 18. 30C-Lance Dewease, 13.491; 19. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.503; 20. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr, 13.506; 21. 19W-Brooke Tatnell, 13.517; 22. 13-Tim Shaffer, 13.521; 23. 28-Brian Paulus, 13.535; 24. 51-Paul McMahan, 13.553; 25. 24-Terry McCarl, 13.555; 26. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.568; 27. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.569; 28. 1X-Randy Hannagan, 13.587; 29. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 13.596; 30. 97-Dean Jacobs, 13.621; 31. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.646; 32. D4-Danny Holtgraver, 13.673; 33. 69-Ryan Smith, 13.682; 34. 63-Chad Kemenah, 13.682; 35. 77X-Wayne Johnson, 13.687; 36. 6-Bill Rose, 13.724; 37. 94-Jack Sodeman Jr, 13.731; 38. 40-Caleb Helms, 13.743; 39. 35-Jessica Zemken, 13.754; 40. 16-Danny Mumaw, 13.765; 41. 11-Steve Kinser, 13.980; 42. 25-Jimmy Seeger, 14.029; 43. 47-Eric Riggins, 14.102; 44. 60-Kory Crabtree, 14.134; 45. 25P-Michael Parent, 14.253; 46. 6W-Brad Wickam, 14.734; 47. O-Glenn Styres, 14.865; 48. 6X-Mark Cole, 15.175; 49. 49H-Bobby Howard, 15.630; 50. 10P-Jim Perricone, 15.657.

    Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 1-Sammy Swindell [1]; 2. 89G-David Gravel [4]; 3. 39-Greg Hodnett [2]; 4. 19W-Brooke Tatnell [5]; 5. 9-Joey Saldana [3]; 6. 11-Steve Kinser [9]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [6]; 8. 6-Bill Rose [8]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7]; 10. 6W-Brad Wickam [10].

    Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 2-Dale Blaney [4]; 2. 4-Cody Darrah [1]; 3. 13-Tim Shaffer [5]; 4. 49-Daryn Pittman [3]; 5. 94-Jack Sodeman Jr [8]; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [6]; 7. 25-Jimmy Seeger [9]; 8. O-Glenn Styres [10]; 9. 71-Shane Stewart [2]; 10. D4-Danny Holtgraver [7].

    Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 30C-Lance Dewease [1]; 2. 7-Craig Dollansky [3]; 3. 59-Jac Haudenschild [2]; 4. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [4]; 5. 69-Ryan Smith [7]; 6. 1X-Randy Hannagan [6]; 7. 28-Brian Paulus [5]; 8. 40-Caleb Helms [8]; 9. 47-Eric Riggins [9]; 10. 6X-Mark Cole [10].

    Heat 4 – (8 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3]; 3. 51-Paul McMahan [5]; 4. 29-Kerry Madsen [2]; 5. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [6]; 6. 21-Brian Brown [4]; 7. 35-Jessica Zemken [8]; 8. 63-Chad Kemenah [7]; 9. 60-Kory Crabtree [9]; 10. 49H-Bobby Howard [10].

    Heat 5 – (8 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 41-Jason Johnson [2]; 2. 19-Stevie Smith [4]; 3. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr [1]; 4. 97-Dean Jacobs [6]; 5. 24H-Bryan Sebbetto [3]; 6. 77X-Wayne Johnson [7]; 7. 25P-Michael Parent [9]; 8. 24-Terry McCarl [5]; 9. 16-Danny Mumaw [8]; 10. 10P-Jim Perricone [10].

    Dash – (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 12 starting positions of A-feature) – 1. 19-Stevie Smith [1]; 2. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [2]; 3. 2-Dale Blaney [3]; 4. 7-Craig Dollansky [6]; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7]; 6. 49-Daryn Pittman [5]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz [12]; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [8]; 9. 4-Cody Darrah [10]; 10. 30C-Lance Dewease [11]; 11. 89G-David Gravel [4]; 12. 1-Sammy Swindell [9].

    C-Main – (10 Laps – Top 2 finishers transfer to the B-feature) – 1. 94-Jack Sodeman Jr [1] [-]; 2. 40-Caleb Helms [2] [-]; 3. 16-Danny Mumaw [4] [$150]; 4. 35-Jessica Zemken [3] [$125]; 5. 47-Eric Riggins [7] [$125]; 6. 6W-Brad Wickam [10] [$100]; 7. O-Glenn Styres [11] [$100]; 8. 49H-Bobby Howard [13] [$100]; 9. 10P-Jim Perricone [14] [$100]; 10. 6X-Mark Cole [12] [$100]; 11. 25-Jimmy Seeger [6] [$100]; 12. 60-Kory Crabtree [8] [$100]; 13. 25P-Michael Parent [9] [$100]; 14. 11-Steve Kinser [5] [$100].

    B-Main – (12 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 9-Joey Saldana [2] [-]; 2. 21-Brian Brown [1] [-]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [8] [-]; 4. 24H-Bryan Sebbetto [3] [-]; 5. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [10] [-]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [7] [-]; 7. 63-Chad Kemenah [14] [$200]; 8. 24-Terry McCarl [6] [$180]; 9. 1X-Randy Hannagan [9] [$175]; 10. 69-Ryan Smith [13] [$160]; 11. 28-Brian Paulus [5] [$150]; 12. 40-Caleb Helms [18] [$150]; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart [11] [$150]; 14. 71-Shane Stewart [4] [$150]; 15. D4-Danny Holtgraver [12] [$150]; 16. 77X-Wayne Johnson [15] [$150]; 17. 94-Jack Sodeman Jr [17] [$150]; 18. 6-Bill Rose [16] [$150].

    A-Main – (30 Laps) – 1. 2-Dale Blaney [3] [$10,000]; 2. 51-Paul McMahan [22] [$5,500]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [8] [$3,200]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5] [$2,800]; 5. 39-Greg Hodnett [16] [$2,500]; 6. 21-Brian Brown [13] [$2,300]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides [23] [$2,200]; 8. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [2] [$2,100]; 9. 30C-Lance Dewease [10] [$2,050]; 10. 89G-David Gravel [11] [$2,000]; 11. 49-Daryn Pittman [6] [$1,500]; 12. 19W-Brooke Tatnell [20] [$1,200]; 13. 11-Steve Kinser [25] [$1,100]; 14. 97-Dean Jacobs [24] [$1,050]; 15. 9-Joey Saldana [14] [$1,000]; 16. 59-Jac Haudenschild [17] [$900]; 17. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr [19] [$800]; 18. 63-Chad Kemenah [26] [$800]; 19. 7-Craig Dollansky [4] [$800]; 20. 24H-Bryan Sebbetto [15] [$800]; 21. 6-Bill Rose [27] [$800]; 22. 13-Tim Shaffer [21] [$800]; 23. 19-Stevie Smith [1] [$800]; 24. 29-Kerry Madsen [18] [$800]; 25. 15-Donny Schatz [7] [$800]; 26. 4-Cody Darrah [9] [$800]; 27. 1-Sammy Swindell [12] [$800]. Lap Leaders: Craig Dollansky 1-15, Dale Blaney 16-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 51-Paul McMahan [+20].

  • Dale Blaney Beats Mother Nature at Lernerville

    Dale Blaney Beats Mother Nature at Lernerville

    [media-credit id=30 align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]There was a heaviness in the air. A foreboding if you will.  The clouds were gathering just beyond the track and the smell of rain became apparent on the wind. It was a hurry up qualifying session for the Commonwealth Clash at Lernerville Speedway. Hurry up next one we can get it in. Hurry up and go. But all the hurrying in the world wasn’t enough even with 12 second laps, at 6:25 EDT the winds and the rain came. Fans were advised to leave the grandstands and take cover. Crews rushed to trailer their cars. Qualifying would have to be started over. And the wait had begun.

    It would take patience to wait it out. The delay was a long one, 3 hours to be exact. Qualifying was cut to 1 lap per car and many seemed to struggle in the beginning of the order. Quick time was set by Paul McMahan with a single lap of 12.686 seconds or 127.7 mph. Ed Lynch Jr, the winningest driver at Lernerville Speedway, was 2nd. Track record holder Joey Saldana was 3rd. The current points leader, Donny Schatz was 4th and Dale Blaney was 5th.

    The heat races were a challenging feat of skill and determination from every driver involved. It was obvious that some were adept at setting up their cars for a heavy tacky track. While others were struggling to adapt quickly to the change in track conditions. The first heat on the narrow track was won by Jason Sides, with Paul McMahan right on his heels. The Points leader Donny Schatz came home third. Tim Shaffer, Lucas Wolfe, Cody Darrah would also transfer to the A Main from this race. Same Hafertepe Jr. Held a transfer spot until the very last lap when his car lost a muffler and he ran over it shredding a tire. Three would advance to the dash, Jason Sides, Paul McMahan and Donny Schatz.

    The second heat was fast paced and foretelling of the rest of the evening. Craig Dollansky would jump out to the early lead and never look back. Dollansky would pull away to a significan’t lead over Kerry Madsen and Ed Lynch and literally run away. Also transferring were Dale Blaney, Sheldon Haudenschild and Kraig Kinser.

    The third heat race would pit experience against desire. Sammy Swindell would pull out to the lead over Danny Holtgraver and he would stay there. Holtgraver tried the top. Holtgraver tried the bottom. He could pull right up on Swindell’s bumper a couple of times he got wheel to wheel but he could not find a way around the the experience of the 4 time champion Swindell. Joey Saldana would come home 3rd. Stevie Smith 4th, Jac Haudenschild 5th, Steve Kinser 6th.

    The dash inversion was a 6 and put Craig Dollansky on the pole. A position he would never relinquish. The dash however would give Dollansky an idea of who his stiffest competition was going to be, Dale Blaney hung right with him, Blaney tried to set Dollansky up for the slide but the track was simply too narrow to pull off the move. Dollansky and Blaney were chased to the line by Joey Saldana, Paul McMahan and Donny Schatz. Somewhere in the back of his mind Dollansky was taking down names and numbers, because he knew these were the guys that were looking to take away his dominance on the night.

    The Last Chance Showdown saw David Gravel take the crossed checker flags followed by Sam Hafertepe Jr, Branden Spithaler, Chris Bell, Shane Stewart and Bill Rose. With the A Main line up set, the real fun was about to begin.

    The A Main started off with a bang. On the green flag Kerry Madsen spun collecting Danny Holtgraver and both cars got over on their sides. Both drivers were OK but Holtgraver’s day was over. Madsen would make repairs and return to the fray. When the green flag finally flew, Dollansky set sail. He was smooth and he was fast yet there was a desperation in his run. He was running for the points, for the win, to keep  his championship dream alive and he was running from the school of sharks that was forming behind him. The first shark to show his wing was Paul McMahan. McMahan powered to the rear bumper and challenged Dollansky’s Big Tree Stand machine. Dollansky held off the charge lap after lap until with 5 laps to go McMahan suddenly slowed and pulled the car off to the pits. That moved Dale Blaney to second. Blaney made his run. But again Dollansky held off the charge. Behind the leaders Donny Schatz had moved up to third around Jason Sides and he was coming hard and fast. On the white flag lap suddenly Dollansky slowed. he slowed drastically. Blaney flew by, Schatz flew by, Jason Sides flew by, Joey Saldana flew by. The hit to Dollansky was direct and it was to the heart and it came from under his own hood.  When the checkers flew it would be Dale Blaney who would take the podium followed by Donny Schatz and Jason Sides. Dollansky’s championship hopes took a hard hit. Losing all the points he had gained back over the last 3 races and 7 more. Schatz was again in control having stemmed the charge from Dollansky. He was on the podium for a 10th time in as many races.

    Dale Blaney’s patience paid off with a victory. “I knew it was going to be tough for them to get it in,” he said. “We just put ourselves in good position and were fortunate enough to win one.”

    Donny Schatz understood the significance of the win. He over came early mistakes and adverse track conditions to pull off the podium finish. “There was a lot of things going on,” said Schatz, who increased his championship advantage to 114 points over Dollansky. “We had a decent finish. It was a very demanding race track, a very unforgiving night for everyone and I’m glad the fans stuck it out.”

    Jason Sides was thankful for the third spot on the podium and voiced the thoughts of perhaps everyone in attendance. “It’s one of those nights where you’re happy that you do what you do,” he said. “Sometimes when it gets like this, when you have to wait out the rain, it makes for a long night, but still it’s better than a real job. We get to come out here and race in front of these fans and have a good night and put on a good show.”

    The KSE Hard Charger of the race was Cody Darrah who climbed from 21st starting position to 7th. Jac Haudenschild rallied to a 5th place finish continuing his very dominate return to the World of Outlaws. The King of the Outlaws struggled all night and finished uncharacteristically a lap down in 13th spot. In the end the heavy track created a race of attrition with only 15 of the 24 starters still on the track.

    Donny Schatz said last week that things can happen quickly and this race means very little when you get to the next track. Tonight was proof of that. Schatz padded his lead and again pulled away from Craig Dollansky. But with 7 races to go, Dollansky’s chances are not done yet. He can still push it to Charlotte and in fact mathematically he can still win the championship over Schatz. It won’t be easy. As a matter of fact it will be very difficult. Schatz is on a roll. He is not only making good moves on the track, lady luck is on his side as well. Richard Petty once said I would rather be lucky than good. But when you combine lucky and good the train is rolling down hill. Can Dollansky stop it? We will see. But one thing is for sure the real winners in this championship battle are the fans.

    Qualifying – 1. 51-Paul McMahan, 12.686; 2. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr., 12.694; 3. 9-Joey Saldana, 12.735; 4. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.739; 5. 2-Dale Blaney, 12.776; 6. 19-Stevie Smith, 12.826; 7. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 12.840; 8. 7-Craig Dollansky, 12.870; 9. 1-Sammy Swindell, 12.882; 10. 7S-Jason Sides, 12.897; 11. 29-Kerry Madsen, 12.907; 12. D4-Danny Holtgraver, 12.920; 13. 89G-David Gravel, 12.954; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.971; 15. 59-Jac Haudenschild, 12.997; 16. 83-Tim Shaffer, 13.015; 17. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.027; 18. O-Chris Bell, 13.048; 19. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.051; 20. 22-Brandon Spithaler, 13.079; 21. 6-Bill Rose, 13.106; 22. 29X-Shane Stewart, 13.124; 23. 21N-Andy Priest, 13.140; 24. 20E-Brian Ellenberger, 13.211; 25. 4-Cody Darrah, 13.272; 26. 7E-Eric Williams, 13.283; 27. 11-Steve Kinser, 13.300; 28. 63-Chad Kemenah, 13.307; 29. O8-Dan Kuriger, 13.349; 30. 1R-Gale Ruth, 14.666; 31. 4K-William Kiley, 15.546.

    Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 7S-Jason Sides [1]; 2. 51-Paul McMahan [4]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 4. 83-Tim Shaffer [6]; 5. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [7]; 6. 4-Cody Darrah [9]; 7. 89G-David Gravel [5]; 8. 29X-Shane Stewart [8]; 9. 63-Chad Kemenah [10]; 10. 4K-William Kiley [11]; 11. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [2].

    Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 7-Craig Dollansky [2]; 2. 29-Kerry Madsen [1]; 3. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr. [4]; 4. 2-Dale Blaney [3]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [6]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5]; 7. 22-Brandon Spithaler [7]; 8. 21N-Andy Priest [8]; 9. O8-Dan Kuriger [10]; 10. 7E-Eric Williams [9].

    Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 1-Sammy Swindell [2]; 2. D4-Danny Holtgraver [1]; 3. 9-Joey Saldana [4]; 4. 19-Stevie Smith [3]; 5. 59-Jac Haudenschild [5]; 6. 11-Steve Kinser [9]; 7. 20E-Brian Ellenberger [8]; 8. O-Chris Bell [6]; 9. 6-Bill Rose [7]; 10. 1R-Gale Ruth [10].

    Dash – (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature) – 1. 7-Craig Dollansky [1]; 2. 2-Dale Blaney [2]; 3. 9-Joey Saldana [4]; 4. 51-Paul McMahan [6]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [8]; 7. 1-Sammy Swindell [7]; 8. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr. [5]; 9. 29-Kerry Madsen [9]; 10. D4-Danny Holtgraver [10].

    B-Main – (12 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 89G-David Gravel [2] [-]; 2. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [1] [-]; 3. 22-Brandon Spithaler [4] [-]; 4. O-Chris Bell [3] [-]; 5. 29X-Shane Stewart [6] [-]; 6. 6-Bill Rose [5] [-]; 7. 20E-Brian Ellenberger [8] [$200]; 8. 63-Chad Kemenah [10] [$180]; 9. 7E-Eric Williams [9] [$175]; 10. 4K-William Kiley [13] [$160]; 11. 21N-Andy Priest [7] [$150]; 12. 1R-Gale Ruth [12] [$150]; 13. O8-Dan Kuriger [11] [$150].

    A-Main – (35 Laps) – 1. 2-Dale Blaney [2] [$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [5] [$5,500]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [6] [$3,200]; 4. 9-Joey Saldana [3] [$2,800]; 5. 59-Jac Haudenschild [15] [$2,500]; 6. 1-Sammy Swindell [7] [$2,300]; 7. 4-Cody Darrah [21] [$2,200]; 8. O-Chris Bell [18] [$2,100]; 9. 11K-Kraig Kinser [14] [$2,050]; 10. 29-Kerry Madsen [9] [$2,000]; 11. 7-Craig Dollansky [1] [$1,500]; 12. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [17] [$1,200]; 13. 11-Steve Kinser [22] [$1,100]; 14. 6-Bill Rose [24] [$1,050]; 15. 22-Brandon Spithaler [20] [$1,000]; 16. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [12] [$900]; 17. 51-Paul McMahan [4] [$800]; 18. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [19] [$800]; 19. 89G-David Gravel [13] [$800]; 20. 19-Stevie Smith [11] [$800]; 21. 29X-Shane Stewart [23] [$800]; 22. 83-Tim Shaffer [16] [$800]; 23. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr. [8] [$800]; 24. D4-Danny Holtgraver [10] [$800]. Lap Leaders: Craig Dollansky 1-32, Dale Blaney 33-35. KSE Hard Charger Award: 4-Cody Darrah [+14].

    World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Top 20 Championship Standings

    Pos. Driver

    Total

    Diff

    Wins

    T5

    T10

    QT
    1 Donny Schatz

    8944

    0

    10

    35

    55

    3
    2 Craig Dollansky

    8830

    -114

    8

    33

    48

    9
    3 Sammy Swindell

    8817

    -127

    12

    29

    45

    14
    4 Joey Saldana

    8789

    -155

    5

    24

    50

    9
    5 Steve Kinser

    8701

    -243

    3

    25

    45

    0
    6 Kraig Kinser

    8502

    -442

    4

    18

    41

    6
    7 Cody Darrah

    8301

    -643

    1

    21

    35

    2
    8 Kerry Madsen

    8247

    -697

    5

    14

    36

    2
    9 Chad Kemenah

    8016

    -928

    2

    10

    30

    2
    10 Lucas Wolfe

    7862

    -1082

    1

    9

    24

    1
    11 Bill Rose

    7083

    -1861

    0

    0

    10

    0
    12 Jason Sides

    5635

    -3309

    0

    17

    28

    1
    13 Jac Haudenschild

    3887

    -5057

    0

    4

    11

    0
    14 Tim Kaeding

    3524

    -5420

    4

    10

    17

    0
    15 Sam Hafertepe Jr.

    2572

    -6372

    0

    3

    7

    0
    16 Danny Lasoski

    2567

    -6377

    1

    5

    9

    0
    17 Daryn Pittman

    2537

    -6407

    0

    6

    13

    1
    18 David Gravel

    2497

    -6447

    0

    7

    9

    4
    19 Paul McMahan

    2417

    -6527

    1

    2

    3

    1
    20 Stevie Smith

    2386

    -6558

    0

    3

    11

    1
  • Henderson Prevails at Second Chance Friday in Knoxville

    Henderson Prevails at Second Chance Friday in Knoxville

    [media-credit name=”World of Outlaws” align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]

    KNOXVILLE, Iowa – Aug. 10, 2012 – Justin Henderson capitalized on a new format to the Friday portion of the 52nd annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals.

    With a new team and a unique opportunity to start from scratch, Henderson took advantage to lock himself into Saturday’s $150,000-to-win main event at the famed Knoxville Raceway after outlasting David Gravel in the final qualifying night.

    “I was very worried coming into tonight,” Henderson said. “It puts a lot of extra pressure and stress on the guys that aren’t already locked in, but I have to say the finale came out good in our favor this time. I’m a fan of it now, but I think every year it’s going to change for sure.”

    A total of 67 drivers competed with the new format, which erased everyone’s qualifying performance and locked in the top four finishers from Friday’s feature. For Henderson, who would have been mired in the middle of the B Main under the old format, Friday worked out perfectly.

    He qualified 15th quickest and finished second in a heat race, grabbing the final transfer and a spot in the 25-lap main event. Henderson started the feature sixth and he ran fifth for the first nine laps.

    However, on a lap-10 restart after Danny Lasoski brought out a caution with a flat tire, Henderson quickly powered to third. He passed Cody Darrah for the runner-up position with 11 laps remaining and then tracked down Gravel, who started on the pole.

    Henderson railed the outside groove, while Gravel ran the inside lane. The duo entered traffic with six laps remaining and Gravel was slowed in turn two with five to go, allowing Henderson to rocket into the lead off turn two. He then survived a strong bid from Gravel, who finished less than half a second behind Henderson.

    “I really felt like I was rolling the bottom nicely,” Gravel said. “I thought I was on cruise control there. I slipped off the bottom a few times and that’s when Henderson got by me.

    “He had an advantage in (turns) one and two, and I had the advantage in (turns) three and four. I was really trying to win there, but when Justin had a few car lengths I was just trying to stay straight, hit my marks and get to the finish line.”

    If anyone is a poster boy for the new format, it’s Dale Blaney. After failing to change an engine in time before time trials on his qualifying night, Blaney scratched from the rest of the night. Under the old format, he would have started in the back of the E Main on Saturday.

    On Friday, Blaney took full advantage of the clean slate and charged to a third-place finish to lock himself into Saturday’s main event.

    “It’s amazing,” he said. “It’s just a great opportunity. I want to thank everybody from Knoxville for making the format. It fit us perfectly this year.”

    Darrah held off a late charge from 13th-starter Kerry Madsen to finish fourth, earning the final transfer to Saturday’s main event.

    With 20 drivers locked into the highest-paying feature of the season, the remaining competitors will be placed in mains based on their finish on Friday.

    Friday night concluded with the Speed Sport Knoxville World Challenge – a 24-car, 20-lap feature pitting top drivers from the United States against stars from other countries.

    Donny Schatz, who started 10th, claimed the $10,000 victory and savored the extra laps on the track before Saturday’s main event.

    “I think being able to come on nights like this is a big help,” he said. “It definitely does help for tomorrow night. You get your car that much better and you see what the race track is going to do. I think it’ll be similar tomorrow night.”

    52nd annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals Night 3 Statistical Report; Knoxville Raceway; Knoxville, Iowa; Aug. 10, 2012

    A Feature (25 laps) – 1. Justin Henderson (6); 2. David Gravel (1); 3. Dale Blaney (3); 4. Cody Darrah (2); 5. Kerry Madsen (13); 6. Chad Kemenah (16); 7. Terry McCarl (5); 8. Dusty Zomer (14); 9. Steve Kinser (15); 10. Danny Holtgraver (4); 11. Bronson Maeschen (17); 12. Kevin Swindell (18); 13. Wayne Johnson (11); 14. Scott Winters (24); 15. Danny Lasoski (10); 16. Jamie Veal (22); 17. Rager Phillips (12); 18. Jac Haudenschild (8); 19. Cap Henry (19); 20. James McFadden (20); 21. Greg Wilson (23); 22. Jeff Swindell (9); 23. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (7); 24. Joey Moughan (21).

    Qualifying – 1. 89G, David Gravel, Watertown, CT (7), 15.126; 2. 4, Cody Darrah, Red Lion, PA (8), 15.252; 3. 2, Dale Blaney, Fowler, OH (59), 15.254; 4. 17M, Joey Moughan, Springfield, IL (10), 15.263; 5. 35AU, Jamie Veal, Warrnambool, VIC, Au (5), 15.314; 6. 96, Bronson Maeschen, Pleasantville, IA (29), 15.319; 7. W20, Greg Wilson, Benton Ridge, OH (21), 15.328; 8. 63, Chad Kemenah, Findlay, OH (42), 15.356; 9. 23w, Scott Winters, Butterfield, MN (17), 15.373; 10. 11, Steve Kinser, Bloomington, IN (3), 15.385; 11. D4, Danny Holtgraver, Pittsburgh, PA (25), 15.411; 12. 24, Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA (14), 15.454; 13. 12, Lynton Jeffrey, Sydney, NSW, Aust. (31), 15.455; 14. 6R, Ryan Bunton, Morton, IL (38), 15.465; 15. 82, Justin Henderson, Sioux Falls, SD (27), 15.468; 16. 49J, Josh Schneiderman, West Burlington, IA (4), 15.471; 17. 26, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, TX (6), 15.494; 18. 59, Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, OH (11), 15.494; 19. 55x, Trey Starks, Puyallup, WA (22), 15.496; 20. 7K, Jeff Swindell, Bartlett, TN (20), 15.501; 21. 1z, Danny Lasoski, Dover, MO (54), 15.504; 22. 55xm, James McFadden, Brisbane, QLD, Aust. (30), 15.546; 23. 77x, Wayne Johnson, Knoxville, IA (19), 15.547; 24. 24H, Bryan Sebetto, Fremont, OH (63), 15.572; 25. 8, Casey Mack, East Grand Forks, ND (15), 15.583; 26. 9P, Rager Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (43), 15.587; 27. 20, AJ Moeller, Rockwell City, IA (9), 15.602; 28. 29, Kerry Madsen, St. Marys, NSW, Aus (49), 15.606; 29. 47, Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, NE (50), 15.611; 30. 17A, Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA (1), 15.634; 31. 6x, Kaley Gharst, Decatur, IL (13), 15.636; 32. 71, Kevin Swindell, Charlotte, NC (60), 15.639; 33. 54, Cap Henry, Bellevue, OH (51), 15.645; 34. 91, Dusty Zomer, Sioux Falls, SD (67), 15.678; 35. 18, Tony Bruce Jr., Owasso, OK (26), 15.683; 36. 1s, Logan Schuchart, Hanover, PA (44), 15.686; 37. 49, Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, CA (58), 15.699; 38. 1x, Randy Hannagan, Pittsboro, IN (36), 15.713; 39. 99, Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK (57), 15.732; 40. 6, Bill Rose, Plainfield, IN (16), 15.746; 41. 40, Caleb Helms, Findlay, OH (47), 15.768; 42. 2s, Lee Sowell, Lake Cormorant, MS (40), 15.793; 43. 7TAZ, Tasker Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (52), 15.795; 44. 2L, Ed Lynch Jr., Apollo, PA (65), 15.8; 45. 88, Jarrod Schneiderman, West Burlington, IA (28), 15.822; 46. 2x, Dustin Morgan, Tulsa, OK (55), 15.823; 47. 51, Fred Rahmer, Salfordville, PA (24), 15.825; 48. 81, Austin Johnson, Shakopee, MN (61), 15.831; 49. 53D, Jack Dover, Springfield, NE (46), 15.844; 50. 10, Sheldon Haudenschild, Wooster, OH (56), 15.846; 51. 02, Mike Reinke, Howards Grove, WI (33), 15.873; 52. 66, Geoff Dodge, Speedway, IN (2), 15.879; 53. 35, Tyler Walker, Hermosa Beach, CA (23), 15.975; 54. 4D, Danny Smith, Chillicothe, OH (64), 16.042; 55. 71AU, Domain Ramsay, Newtown, VIC, Aust. (34), 16.047; 56. 13v, Seth Brahmer, Wisner, NE (41), 16.048; 57. 45x, Johnny Herrera, Albuquerque, NM (45), 16.089; 58. 7c, Critter Malone, Speedway, IN (12), 16.116; 59. 1m, Jim Moughan Jr., Springfield, IL (35), 16.212; 60. 1T, Chris Shirek, Thompson, ND (53), 16.259; 61. 47AU, Trevor Reynolds, Perth, WA, Aust. (32), 16.31; 62. 75, Glen Saville, Razorback, NSW, Aust (37), 16.321; 63. 71B, Robert Bell, Colfax, IA (18), 16.399; 64. 2K, Kevin Ingle, Huron, SD (39), 16.516; 65. 74x, Josh Hodges, Tijeras, NM (62), 16.567; 66. 20PK, Ron Krysl, Atkinson, NE (66), 17.122; 67. 12P, TJ Peterson, Des Moines, IA (48), 17.278.

    Heat 1 (8 laps) – 1. David Gravel (4); 2. Justin Henderson (2); 3. Chad Kemenah (3); 4. Logan Schuchart (6); 5. Don Droud Jr. (5); 6. James McFadden (1); 7. Tasker Phillips (7); 8. Sheldon Haudenschild (8); 9. Johnny Herrera (9); 10. Kevin Ingle (10).

    Heat 2 (8 laps) – 1. Wayne Johnson (1); 2. Cody Darrah (4); 3. Josh Schneiderman (2); 4. Brad Sweet (6); 5. Scott Winters (3); 6. Austin McCarl (5); 7. Mike Reinke (8); 8. Ed Lynch Jr. (7); 9. Josh Hodges (10); 10. Critter Malone (9).

    Heat 3 (8 laps) – 1. Dale Blaney (4); 2. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2); 3. Steve Kinser (3); 4. Kaley Gharst (5); 5. Randy Hannagan (6); 6. Geoff Dodge (8); 7. Bryan Sebetto (1); 8. Jim Moughan Jr. (9); 9. Jarrod Schneiderman (7); 10. Ron Krysl (10).

    Heat 4 (8 laps) – 1. Jac Haudenschild (2); 2. Danny Holtgraver (3); 3. Casey Mack (1); 4. Kevin Swindell (5); 5. Brady Bacon (6); 6. Tyler Walker (8); 7. Joey Moughan (4); 8. Chris Shirek (9); 9. Dustin Morgan (7); 10. TJ Peterson (10).

    Heat 5 (8 laps) – 1. Terry McCarl (3); 2. Rager Phillips (1); 3. Trey Starks (2); 4. Danny Smith (8); 5. Jamie Veal (4); 6. Cap Henry (5); 7. Fred Rahmer (7); 8. Bill Rose (6); 9. Trevor Reynolds (9).

    Heat 6 (8 laps) – 1. Jeff Swindell (2); 2. Dusty Zomer (5); 3. Lynton Jeffrey (3); 4. Bronson Maeschen (4); 5. Glen Saville (9); 6. Caleb Helms (6); 7. AJ Moeller (1); 8. Austin Johnson (7); 9. Domain Ramsay (8).

    Heat 7 (8 laps) – 1. Danny Lasoski (2); 2. Kerry Madsen (1); 3. Greg Wilson (4); 4. Ryan Bunton (3); 5. Jack Dover (7); 6. Tony Bruce Jr. (5); 7. Seth Brahmer (8); 8. Lee Sowell (6); 9. Robert Bell (9).

    B Feature 1 (12 laps) – 1. Steve Kinser (3); 2. Kevin Swindell (7); 3. Greg Wilson (2); 4. Joey Moughan (1); 5. Brady Bacon (9); 6. Don Droud Jr. (6); 7. Josh Schneiderman (4); 8. Logan Schuchart (8); 9. Jarrod Schneiderman (11); 10. Danny Smith (14); 11. Chris Shirek (16); 12. Robert Bell (17); 13. Bryan Sebetto (5); 14. Austin Johnson (12); 15. Lee Sowell (10); 16. Ron Krysl (18); 17. Mike Reinke (13); 18. Johnny Herrera (15).

    B Feature 2 (12 laps) – 1. Chad Kemenah (2); 2. Cap Henry (7); 3. Brad Sweet (8); 4. Jack Dover (12); 5. Lynton Jeffrey (3); 6. Trey Starks (4); 7. Casey Mack (5); 8. Austin McCarl (6); 9. Dustin Morgan (11); 10. Kevin Ingle (17); 11. Trevor Reynolds (16); 12. TJ Peterson (18); 13. Domain Ramsay (14); 14. Bill Rose (9); 15. Critter Malone (15); 16. Jamie Veal (1); 17. Tasker Phillips (10); 18. Geoff Dodge (13).

    B Feature 3 (12 laps) – 1. Bronson Maeschen (1); 2. James McFadden (4); 3. Tony Bruce Jr. (7); 4. Ryan Bunton (3); 5. Randy Hannagan (8); 6. Scott Winters (2); 7. Tyler Walker (13); 8. Fred Rahmer (11); 9. Kaley Gharst (6); 10. AJ Moeller (5); 11. Caleb Helms (9); 12. Glen Saville (16); 13. Jim Moughan Jr. (15); 14. Ed Lynch Jr. (10); 15. Seth Brahmer (14); 16. Josh Hodges (17); 17. Sheldon Haudenschild (12).

    Speed Sport Knoxville World Challenge (20 laps) – 1. Donny Schatz (10); 2. Sammy Swindell (1); 3. Jason Meyers (9); 4. Craig Dollansky (12); 5. Tim Shaffer (13); 6. Kerry Madsen (15); 7. Jason Johnson (2); 8. James McFadden (17); 9. Daryn Pittman (4); 10. Lucas Wolfe (8); 11. Brooke Tatnell (14); 12. David Gravel (18); 13. Jamie Veal (16); 14. Lynton Jeffrey (20); 15. Danny Smith (23); 16. Trevor Reynolds (21); 17. Domain Ramsay (22); 18. Ian Madsen (7); 19. Paul McMahan (3); 20. Glen Saville (19); 21. Jonathan Allard (11); 22. Shane Stewart (5); 23. Kyle Larson (6).

    Saturday’s Feature Lineups for the 52nd annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals

    A MAIN (50 laps): 1, Stevie Smith. 2, Craig Dollansky. 3, Jonathan Allard. 4, Brian Brown. 5, Donny Schatz. 6, Joey Saldana. 7, Jason Meyers. 8, Tim Kaeding. 9, Kraig Kinser. 10, Lucas Wolfe. 11, Ian Madsen. 12, Kyle Larson. 13, Shane Stewart. 14, Daryn Pittman. 15, Lance Dewease. 16, Paul McMahan. 17, Justin Henderson. 18, David Gravel. 19, Dale Blaney. 20, Cody Darrah.

    B MAIN (22 laps, 4 transfer): 1, Davey Heskin. 2, Mark Dobmeier. 3, Greg Hodnett. 4, Brian Paulus. 5, Jason Johnson. 6, Sammy Swindell. 7, Tim Shaffer. 8, Brooke Tatnell. 9, Dustin Selvage. 10, Jason Sides. 11, Kerry Madsen. 12, Chad Kemenah. 13, Terry McCarl. 14, Dusty Zomer. 15, Steve Kinser. 16, Danny Holtgraver. 17, Bronson Maeschen. 18, Kevin Swindell. 19, Wayne Johnson. 20, Scott Winters.

    C MAIN (15 laps, 2 transfer): 1, Danny Lasoski. 2, Jamie Veal. 3, Rager Phillips. 4, Jac Haudenshild. 5, Cap Henry. 6, James McFadden. 7, Greg Wilson. 8, Jeff Swindell. 9, Sam Hafertepe Jr. 10, Joey Moughan. 11, Brad Sweet. 12, Tony Bruce Jr. 13, Jack Dover. 14, Ryan Bunton. 15, Brady Bacon. 16, Lynton Jeffrey. 17, Randy Hannagan. 18, Don Droud Jr. 19, Trey Starks. 20, Josh Schneiderman.

    D MAIN (12 laps, 2 transfer): 1, Casey Mack. 2, Tyler Walker. 3, Logan Schuchart. 4, Austin McCarl. 5, Fred Rahmer. 6, Jarrod Schneiderman. 7, Dustin Morgan. 8, Kaley Gharst. 9, Danny Smith. 10, Kevin Ingle. 11, A.J. Moeller. 12, Chris Shirek. 13, Trevor Reynolds. 14, Caleb Helms. 15, Robert Bell. 16, T.J. Peterson. 17, Glen Saville. 18, Brian Sebetto. 19, Domain Ramsey. 20, Jim Moughan.

    E MAIN (10 laps, 2 transfer): 1, Ron Krysl. 2, Bill Rose. 3, Ed Lynch Jr. 4, Lee Sowell. 5, Critter Malone. 6, Seth Brahmer. 7, Austin Johnson. 8, Josh Hodges. 9, Mike Reinke. 10, Tasker Phillips. 11, Sheldon Haudenschild. 12, Johnny Herrera. 13, Geoff Dodge.

  • Severe Weather Dampens Federated Auto Parts Ironman 55

    Severe Weather Dampens Federated Auto Parts Ironman 55

    [media-credit name=”World of Outlaws” align=”alignright” width=”296″][/media-credit]PEVELY, Mo. — Aug. 4, 2012 — A severe storm slammed the Federated Auto Parts Ironman 55 presented by Summit Distributing/Coors Light on Saturday night.

    The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event was completed under a shortened program at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55. All races were finished except the final event, which was staged on the track when a downpour and lightning closed in on the area. Local authority warned of the severity of the storm and measures were immediately taken for the safety of the spectators and teams.

    The Federated Auto Parts Ironman 55 main event will be contested as part of the program during the World of Outlaws appearance at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Saturday, Oct. 13. Ticket holders for the October show will get to watch two feature programs for their admission.

    Kerry Madsen won his fourth dash of the season to earn the pole for the famed event with fellow Australian James McFadden on the outside of the front row.

    Kraig Kinser established quick time in qualifying to open the night, and Craig Dollansky, Dale Blaney and Donny Schatz each claimed a heat race.

  • Sammy Swindell crowned Sammy the 29th at Kings Royal

    [media-credit name=”Eldora Speedway” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The overcast skies over Rossberg Ohio had a foreboding quality to them. The humidity was high and you could almost smell the rain. Track workers would stop for a moment and look up at the skies and then hurry on their way. Tonight was no ordinary night at the grand lady of dirt, Eldora Speedway, tonight was something special and rain simply wasn’t in the plans. Tonight the grand lady would pay homage to dirt racing’s 29th king, and who it would be only she knew.

    As the time approached the car count rose to an impressive 50 winged sprint cars. Names that struck awe into even casual fans were in attendance. Names from the past, the present and the future were all there. Legends and Kings and princes that would be Kings if only Eldora would smile on them just once. Names from the past like Wolfgang, Doty, and Baltes. Names from today like Kinser, Swindell, Haudenschild and Lasoski. Names that would be the future like Darrah, Wolfe, Kaeding and Henderson. All were gathered at the court of the grandest lady of dirt to greet her loyals and share a moment with her fans. As the time approached even the most seasoned of the drivers began to feel the anticipation. The night had arrived the new King would be crowned. Would it be a seasoned and wily veteran or would it be an new young and daring prince? Who would win Eldora’s King’s Royal?

    The qualifying for the event went just like any other World of Outlaws show. Each car taking 2 laps and the fastest time would determine where they would line up for the heat races. Quick time on the night was set by the track record holder Craig Dollansky. Dollansky turned a lap of 13.338 seconds around the half mile track. Not quite his record time which was 12.707 seconds but still the quickest of the 50 cars in the field for the night. The second fastest qualifier was a returning King who had been absent from the circuit for last couple of months in Jac Haudenschild. Haudenschild who went in the middle of the order turned a lap of 13.414 and served notice he was there to win.

    Qualifying was the end of the familiar format for the evening. There would be 6 heat races and only the top 3 would transfer to the A Main. 4 thru 6 would be relegated to the B Main and 7 thru 9 would go to the C Main. The line up would be an interesting arrangement with the all the winners lining up 1 – 6 and all the second place finishers 7 – 12 and the third place finishers 13 – 18 and then the 2 fastest qualifiers that didn’t transfer would make up 19 and 20. The final 4 spots would transfer from the B Main. The C Main would transfer 6 to the B to complete that 24 car field. There are no provisionals in the Kings Royal. You either race your way in or you go home. This race is all about the best of the best, and that was exactly what the sell out crowd saw, the best of the best.

    The first heat race would be a hotly contested 8 laps that would see the Eldora’s spring time winner take the checkers. Chad Kemenah won over Craig Dollansky and Tim Shaffer to claim his spot in the top 6 for the A. Finishing 4th was the series hottest young driver Kraig Kinser who along with last nights fast qualifier David Gravel and Paul May would be starting in the B Main. The first of the C Main starters were Ryan Myers, Chuck Waddell and Randy Hannagan who again had engine troubles and would scratch for the night.

    The second heat was taken by Justin Henderson who held off a hard charging Jac Haudenschild and Dale Blaney for one of the 6 top spots. The B Main contenders would be 4 time champion Donny Schatz, Jason Sides, and Brian Paulus. The C Main claimed Dallas Hewitt, Adam Wilt and Rick Fraley.

    The third heat would be a hard fought battle that would be won by Daryn Pittman who held off Danny Lasoski and Brad Sweet. Going to the B Main was 20 time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser who had qualified for all 28 previous King’s Royals. Joining him would be Stevie Smith and Bill Rose. Going to the C Dean Jacobs and Kory Krabtree.

    The fourth heat would be an action packed hotly contested joust between two rivals. The experience of Sammy Swindell would win the battle over Kerry Madsen and Brian Brown. Going to the B would last years World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year Cody Darrah, Greg Wilson and Brian Sebbetto. The C would take Craig Mintz and Joey McGaruh.

    Heat 5 would test the metal of last nights winner Joey Saldana. A single slip of the tire handed the race to Paul McMahan and brought Saldana home in second. Third would go to last years king Tyler Walker. The B Main would get Logan Schuchart, Chad Blonde, and Wes McGlumphy. While the C Main would get Sheldon Haudenschild who took a wild ride flipping several times and landing on his wheels during the heat and Todd Kane. Sheldon would scratch for the evening with too much damage to repair at the track.

    The final heat would determine the pole sitter for the King’s Royal. Tim Kaeding would win with a commanding 5.4 second lead over Ed Lynch Jr and Lucas Wolfe. The B Main contestants would be Trey Starks and Shane Stewart and Dustin Daggett. Stewart would experience engine trouble and scratch for the evening. The C Main claimed Danny Smith and Scott Hull.

    The C Main was scheduled to start 12 cars but with the cars of Randy Hannagan and Sheldon Haudenschild scratching the race would go off with just 10. Dallas Hewitt would lead every lap to claim the C with Danny Smith, Adam Wilt, Ryan Meyers, and Chuck Waddell also transfering to the B Main.

    The B Main was packed from front to back and on any ordinary night would have been considered a strong A Main. But this was not an ordinary night and these drivers would be fighting for their chance to challenge for the crown. The race was a fast pace slide filled exciting chess match that showed every single driver in the field to be a brillantly talented and promising driver. But only 4 could move on. Only the 4 best of these 23 elite drivers would earn the chance to challenge for the title. Two past kings and 2 crown princes would make the move. With Donny Schatz leading the way Greg Wilson, Kraig Kinser and Steve Kinser would tighten their belts and prepare to do battle in the A Main. The Royal had never been won by a driver coming out of the B Main but all 4 of these men were confident that they could be the first. After all two of them, Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz were past Kings already. Greg Wilson was a documented hard charger with a great deal of surgical finesse in a race car and Kraig Kinser not only had the advantage of being Steve’s son he was also the hottest driver on the circuit. With their confidence in place the four advanced to do battle in the A Main. And what a battle it was.

    The A Main was the feature race of feature races. The 40 laps around Eldora’s storied high banks was a tough race with three and sometimes four abreast racing throughout the pack. But the steel horses proved not as reliable as their strong willed drivers and 6 of the 24 would retire with engine issues. By the half way point the wily veteran Sammy Swindell, had taken the lead. But his rival Kerry Madsen was hot on his tail followed very closely by Jac Haudenschild. At one point Sammy lead by a nose and Madsen went high and Haudenschild went low with Swindell in the middle. The cars were just inches a part as they headed into the first turn. All three would come out the other side with Swindell holding on to the lead by a nose. Through out the pack the rooster tails and slide jobs for position were fierce. It was about more than money. It was about pride and these were proud and brave men. When the dust finally cleared and the checkered flag flew it was Sammy Swindell that Doug Wolfgang would crown as King. King Sammy the XXIX as he will be known from this day forward. It was the third time in his long career that Sammy has been the King but it undoubtedly will not be the last. Coming home second would be Kerry Madsen and in third Jac Haudenschild. Our B Main Knights all finished in the top 10. But the legend of no winner ever coming from the B still stands. But there is always next year.

    Tonight was a test of stamina and wills. It was about finding the courage to look your short comings in the eyes and over coming them. It was about digging down to where you live to where your drive to race and win comes from and pushing on when your neck and your shoulders hurt and breathing was becoming hard from the dust. It was about being the best and believing you were the best without doubts. No one at Eldora tonight illustrated that attitude any better than Sammy Swindell. Swindell’s quiet demeanor is often misunderstood and taken for stand offish. His dry humor often taken as a sharp tongue that lacks compassion. His passion for winning and precision taken as conceit and arrogance. In reality nothing could be further from the truth. Sammy Swindell is an innovator and a consumate champion. He is a Master at his craft. He races in the purest of old school form, he offers no quarter and he takes none. If you have the skills and you have the will he will test your metal and if you can win he will shake your hand but never think that means you have beaten him because you have only won a single battle. That said….Long Live The King!!!!!!!!!!!

    _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Qualifying Results:

    1) Craig Dollansky 2) Jac Haudenschild 3) Stevie Smith 4) Cody Darrah 5) Joey Saldana 6) Tim Kaeding 7) Tim Shaffer 8) Dale Blaney 9) Brad Sweet 10) Kerry Madsen 11) Tyler Walker 12) Trey Starks 13) Chad Kemenah 14) Justin Henderson 15) Da…nny Lasoski 16) Brian Brown 17) Paul McMahan 18) Lucas Wolfe 19) Kraig Kinser 20) Donny Schatz 21) Daryn Pittman 22) Sammy Swindell 23) Todd Kane 24) Ed Lynch Jr 25) David Gravel 26) Jason Sides 27) Steve Kinser 28) Greg Wilson 29) Sheldon Haudenschild 30) Dustin Daggett 31) Paul May 32) Adam Wilt 33) Bill Rose 34) Bryan Sebbetto 35) Logan Schuchart 36) Shane Stewart 37) Randy Hannagan 38) Dallas Hewitt 39) Dean Jacobs 40) Craig Mintz 41) Chad Blonde 42) Danny Smith 43) Ryan Myers 44) Brian Paulus 45) Kory Crabtree 46) Joey Magaruh 47) Wes McGlumphy 48) Scott Hull 49) Chuck Waddell 50) Rick Fraley

    Heat One Results: ‎1) Chad Kemenah 2) Craig Dollansky 3) Tim Shaffer 4) Kraig Kinser 5) David Gravel 6) Paul May 7) Ryan Myers 8) Chuck Waddell 9) Randy Hannagan.

    Heat 2 Results: ‎1) Justin Henderson 2) Jac Haudenschild 3) Dale Blaney 4) Donny Schatz 5) Jason Sides 6) Brian Paulus 7) Dallas Hewitt 8) Adam Wilt 9) Rick Fraley.

    Heat 3 Results: ‎1) Daryn Pittman 2) Danny Lasoski 3) Brad Sweet 4) Steve Kinser 5) Stevie Smith 6) Bill Rose 7) Dean Jacobs 8) Kory Crabtree.

    Heat 4 Results: ‎1) Sammy Swindell 2) Kerry Madsen 3) Brian Brown 4) Cody Darrah 5) Greg Wilson 6) Bryan Sebbetto 7) Craig Mintz 8) Joey McGaruh.

    Heat 5 Results: ‎1) Paul McMahan 2) Joey Saldana 3) Tyler Walker 4) Logan Schuchart 5) Chad Blonde 6) Wes McGlumphy 7) Sheldon Haudenschild 8) Todd Kane.

    Heat 6 Results: ‎1) Tim Kaeding 2) Ed Lynch Jr 3) Lucas Wolfe 4) Trey Starks 5) Shane Stewart 6) Dustin Daggett 7) Danny Smith 8) Scott Hull.

    C Main Results: ‎1) Dallas Hewitt 2) Danny Smith 3) Adam Wilt 4) Ryan Myers 5) Todd Kane 6) Chuck Waddell 7) Rick Fraley 8) JOey Magurah 9) Kory Crabtree 10) Scott Hull 11) Randy Hannagan (DNS) 12) Sheldon Haudenschild (DNS)

    B main Results: ‎1) Donny Schatz 2) Greg Wilson 3) Kraig Kinser 4) Steve Kinser 5) Logan Schuchart 6) David Gravel 7) Trey Starks 8) Bryan Sebbetto 9) Craig Mintz 10) Bill Rose 11) Jason Sides 12) Adam Wilt 13) Stevie Smith 14) Paul May 15) Chad Blonde 16) Wes McGlumphy 17) Dustin Daggett 18) Brian Paulus 19) Todd Kane 20) Ryan Myers 21) Chuck Waddell 22) Dallas Hewitt 23) Dean Jacobs 24) Shane Stewart (DNS)

    A Main Results: ‎1) Sammy Swindell 2) Kerry Madsen 3) Jac Haudenschild 4) Justin Henderson 5) Kraig Kinser 6) Daryn Pittman 7) Joey Saldana 8) Donny Schatz 9) Greg Wilson 10) Steve Kinser 11) Tim Shaffer 12) Cody Darrah 13) Dale Blaney 14) Paul McMahan 15) Brad Sweet 16) Ed Lynch Jr 17) Tyler Walker 18) Lucas Wolfe 19) Danny Lasoski 20) Brian Brown 21) Craig Dollansky 22) Chad Kemenah 23) Tim Kaeding 24) Stevie Smith.


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  • Eldora Hosts Goodyear Outlaw Thunder

    [media-credit name=”Photo Courtesy of Tear Off Haven Fotos” align=”alignright” width=”245″][/media-credit]The World of Outlaws returned for the first time this year to the historic and storied Eldora Speedway. Eldora’s legend and myth are so intertwined with her reality that they can never be truly separated. Her reputation has been gained over the years and has been formed by the perspective of the men who have raced on her surface. She has created champions. She has broken hopeful younsters. She has played host to royalty, millionaires, champions and legends, yet her heart will always belong to those that fill her seats every week.

    Eldora’s trophy is as sought after as the man who calls her his own and has since 2004. Tony Stewart added new catch fencing and a digital scoreboard. A weather alert system to benefit the community and visitors to the track. A smaller track for quarter midgets and an ecologically benficial track preservation system to grow the tracks dirt surface stronger. He brought the diamond of the past that helped form his beloved roots of dirt racing, into the present. Now he has began the journey that will solidify her influence long into the future of the sport.

    Tonight was nothing different for Eldora. She was tough and unforgiving. A total of 10 cautions would slow the normally lightening fast Outlaws with multiple car wrecks and wild rolls leaving drivers safe but shaken and cars piles of brutalized rubble. There were freak happenings that left the casual and die hard fan alike shaking their heads in wonder and a showing of skills that illustrated why they call it “The Greatest Show on Dirt”.

    The night began with a feeling of excitement in the air. Track owner Tony Stewart had announced on Thursday that he would be altering his schedule at Talladega in order to run both nights of the Goodyear Outlaw Thunder at Eldora. When the gates opened the red white and blue Office Depot number 14 was indeed in the pits and its driver was indeed at the track. Stewart who skipped the final practice at Talladega to be present and compete, showed that he was not only a force to be reckoned with behind the wheel of a race vehicle, but he also understood the importance of the role of track owner and promoter.

    Qualifying was an omen of things to come with David Gravel being the fastest in qualifying with a lap of 13.228 seconds, which was only three-thousandths quicker than Chad Kemenah. Steve Kinser (13.277 seconds), Daryn Pittman (13.288) and Jac Haudenschild (13.291) completed the top five. The top 20 drivers were separated by less than three-tenths of a second.

    The heat races were quick. The first heat was won by Dale Blaney (older brother of Dave Blaney) and transferred Jac Haudenschild, Trey Starks, David Gravel and Tony Stewart to the A Main. The second heat was won by Craig Dollansky and transferred Joey Saldana, Donny Schatz, Jason Sides and Chad Kemenah to the A. The third heat was won by Kerry Madsen and transferred Steve Kinser, ‎Stevie Smith, Cody Darrah and Cap Henry to the A. The final heat would be won by Sammy Swindell and transferred Tim Shaffer, Daryn Pittman, Greg Wilson and Danny Holtgraver to the A main.

    The Dash inversion was a 4. Putting Jac Haudenshild on the front row next to Steve Kinser. The fast qualifier would start on the outside 2nd row. Haudenschild would dominate the dash to take the pole with 20 time Outlaw Champion, Steve Kinser coming home second. With the top 5 rows set it was time for the B Main.

    The B Main started 13 cars and transferred 4 to the A. Kraig Kinser would start on the pole and would win the race handily followed by Paul McMahan, Randy Hannagan, Bryan Sebetto. Note of interest here – Sheldon Haudenschild the son of Jac Haudenschild was running in the top 10 of the B Main when an engine expired taking him out of competition. The younger Haudenschild was giving a strong accounting of the education he had received from his father.

    The A Main saw cautions for debris that launched from the track surface breaking out one of the front stretch lights and showering the track with glass, exploding tires, Sammy Swindell, a multi car wreck that took out the top 5. The leader, Jac Haudenschild, pit for fuel which is not allowed in the Outlaws except under open red conditions. The leader, Dale Blaney, pit for a flat tire that he changed outside the work area and thus was not allowed to return to the track.

    There was 3 wide racing and side by side racing throughout the field from the drop of the green. There was not a single position that was not hotly contested on the track by some of the best drivers in the world. Steve Kinser who would have a tire go down would return to finish 3rd. Sammy Swindell would return to the track to finish 6th. Power slides through every corner. Wheel to wheel down the front and back stretches as this field of magicians fought for Eldora’s crown and a $10,000 purse.

    When the checkered flag dropped it was Chad Kemenah who went home the winner. A very emotional Kemenah said in Victory Lane,

    “We got lucky there, you don’t want to win like that, but we’ve given some away so I’m not complaining. A win is a win and they pay the same.

    “When you’re this close to home it makes it that much better. It’s only an hour and a half to home, so this is kinda like home to me.”

    “The last time I won, my wife fired me. I see her down there and it looks alright. I don’t think I am getting fired this time” said Kemenah.

    The top ten finishers were Donny Schatz, Steve Kinser, Cody Darrah, Daryn Pittman, Sammy Swindell, Tony Stewart, Joey Saldana, Kraig Kinser, and Cap Henry. The top 9 cars were the only cars remaining on the lead lap.

    Donny Schatz would drive from 12th to 2nd and finish the night with a 1 point lead over Sammy Swindell in the Outlaw Points. “There were a lot of things going on and I’m glad we weren’t in it,” Schatz said. “We had a so-so car; it wasn’t the greatest. We were just kinda riding around and trying to be cautious and stay out of trouble.”

    The Outlaws will return to Eldora for night 2 of the Goodyear Outlaw Thunder tomorrow night with racing beginning at 730 EST.

    Eldora seemed to sigh as the dust cleared away as though she had revisited the echoes of her past and added the echoes of tonight to them. Tonight she smiled on a young man who took home only his second victory but what a victory it was. Chad Kemenah would never forget the beautiful lady in Ohio who bolstered his confidence for one night. And she would never forget him. Her records would forever show that on this hot humid night in May Chad Kemenah won at Eldora.