By Richard Day
ROSSBURG, OH (July 14) – Sprint car racing’s richest races are looming on the horizon for the World of Outlaws Sprint Series’ "Mean 15."
The "Month of Money" – 13 events paying almost $1.6 million over 18 dates during the next 31 days – starts tonight with the rain-delayed event at Hartford Speedway Park. The Hartford event was originally scheduled for June 11th.
The "Month of Money" includes nine single-program events in addition to the 21st Annual Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway, the 13th Annual Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway, the Third Annual Summer Nationals at Williams Grove Speedway and the 44th Annual Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway.
Brian Paulus raced past Donny Schatz in the fourth corner on the final lap before a record crowd at Hartford Speedway Park last August 6th to win the first "A" Feature of his World of Outlaws Sprint Series career. Paulus, who ranks 12th in the point standings, won the NGK Spark Plugs Shootout at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track April 3rd.
"We want to be at our best with the ‘Month of Money’ starting," Schatz said after passing 17 cars to finish third Monday at Cedar Lake Speedway. "We talked about getting our program to the next level and this kind of night proves that we are heading in the right direction. The Cedar Lake race should only help our momentum."
Schatz, who ranks third in the point standings, has driven his family’s #15 Parker Store J&J into the top 10 in 25 main events, one less than World of Outlaws Sprint Series points leader Steve Kinser. The 1997 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year won the June 2nd main event at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park.
Kinser received the $50,000 first prize following the inaugural Kings Royal event in 1984, last year and three times in between. Of the 127 drivers to enter the Kings Royal, "The King of the Outlaws" is the only one to advance to the starting lineup in all 20 main events.
Joey Saldana, the 2002 Kings Royal champion, won the opening-night Preliminary Feature and the main event in last weekend’s Duel in the Dakotas at Red River Valley Speedway.
Mark Kinser, the new driver of the #83 Beef Packers Maxim, won the 2001 Kings Royal. The two-time World of Outlaws Sprint Series champion won the Budweiser Spring Nationals at Knoxville Raceway May 1st.
Jac Haudenschild, who reunited with Guy Forbrook in the #5 Wirtgen/MPD Hand Controls Maxim a week ago, won the Kings Royal in 1987, 1994 and 1998. "The Wild Child" collected $100,000 for winning the inaugural "Historic Big One" at Eldora Speedway in 1993.
Sammy Swindell, who won the Kings Royal in 1992 and 1999, drove the #12X Beaver Drill & Tool Maxim to victory at Huset’s Speedway July 6th. "Slammin’ Sammy" won World of Outlaws Sprint Series championships in 1981, 1982 and 1997.
Craig Dollansky, who won Monday’s "A" Feature at Cedar Lake Speedway, set Eldora Speedway’s single-lap record with a 141.654-M.P.H. lap and won the "A" Feature at "The World’s Fastest Half-Mile" on April 13, 2002.
Jason Meyers, who drove the #7 VMAC Maxim last year while Dollansky recovered from a back injury, won the "Night Before The Big One" event at Eldora Speedway last August 8th.
Danny Lasoski, whose runner-up run at Cedar Lake Speedway pushed him to within 64 points of Kinser in the point standings, drove 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart’s #20 J.D. Byrider Eagle to his first "A" Feature victory at Eldora Speedway June 5th.
Daryn Pittman, the 2002 "Knight Before The Kings Royal" winner, has driven the #21 Hop & Sack CMC into the top 10 in 19 main events this season.
Tim Shaffer, who also has recorded 19 top-10 finishes this season, won World of Outlaws Sprint Series main events at Eldora Speedway in 1999 and 2000.
Erin Crocker will be the second female driver to enter the Kings Royal. Sarah Fisher, who has gone on to race with the Indy Racing League, never qualified for the prestigious $50,000-to-win race. Crocker, nicknamed "The First Lady," recorded successive top-10 finishes in "A" Features at Joplin 66 Speedway and Huset’s Speedway recently.
Fifteen drivers have combined to win the World of Outlaws Sprint Series’ first 32 "A" Features this season. The record of 20 was set in 1989.
ROSSBURG, OH (July 14) – Sprint car racing’s richest races are looming on the horizon for the World of Outlaws Sprint Series’ "Mean 15."
The "Month of Money" – 13 events paying almost $1.6 million over 18 dates during the next 31 days – starts tonight with the rain-delayed event at Hartford Speedway Park. The Hartford event was originally scheduled for June 11th.
The "Month of Money" includes nine single-program events in addition to the 21st Annual Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway, the 13th Annual Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway, the Third Annual Summer Nationals at Williams Grove Speedway and the 44th Annual Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway.
Brian Paulus raced past Donny Schatz in the fourth corner on the final lap before a record crowd at Hartford Speedway Park last August 6th to win the first "A" Feature of his World of Outlaws Sprint Series career. Paulus, who ranks 12th in the point standings, won the NGK Spark Plugs Shootout at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track April 3rd.
"We want to be at our best with the ‘Month of Money’ starting," Schatz said after passing 17 cars to finish third Monday at Cedar Lake Speedway. "We talked about getting our program to the next level and this kind of night proves that we are heading in the right direction. The Cedar Lake race should only help our momentum."
Schatz, who ranks third in the point standings, has driven his family’s #15 Parker Store J&J into the top 10 in 25 main events, one less than World of Outlaws Sprint Series points leader Steve Kinser. The 1997 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year won the June 2nd main event at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park.
Kinser received the $50,000 first prize following the inaugural Kings Royal event in 1984, last year and three times in between. Of the 127 drivers to enter the Kings Royal, "The King of the Outlaws" is the only one to advance to the starting lineup in all 20 main events.
Joey Saldana, the 2002 Kings Royal champion, won the opening-night Preliminary Feature and the main event in last weekend’s Duel in the Dakotas at Red River Valley Speedway.
Mark Kinser, the new driver of the #83 Beef Packers Maxim, won the 2001 Kings Royal. The two-time World of Outlaws Sprint Series champion won the Budweiser Spring Nationals at Knoxville Raceway May 1st.
Jac Haudenschild, who reunited with Guy Forbrook in the #5 Wirtgen/MPD Hand Controls Maxim a week ago, won the Kings Royal in 1987, 1994 and 1998. "The Wild Child" collected $100,000 for winning the inaugural "Historic Big One" at Eldora Speedway in 1993.
Sammy Swindell, who won the Kings Royal in 1992 and 1999, drove the #12X Beaver Drill & Tool Maxim to victory at Huset’s Speedway July 6th. "Slammin’ Sammy" won World of Outlaws Sprint Series championships in 1981, 1982 and 1997.
Craig Dollansky, who won Monday’s "A" Feature at Cedar Lake Speedway, set Eldora Speedway’s single-lap record with a 141.654-M.P.H. lap and won the "A" Feature at "The World’s Fastest Half-Mile" on April 13, 2002.
Jason Meyers, who drove the #7 VMAC Maxim last year while Dollansky recovered from a back injury, won the "Night Before The Big One" event at Eldora Speedway last August 8th.
Danny Lasoski, whose runner-up run at Cedar Lake Speedway pushed him to within 64 points of Kinser in the point standings, drove 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart’s #20 J.D. Byrider Eagle to his first "A" Feature victory at Eldora Speedway June 5th.
Daryn Pittman, the 2002 "Knight Before The Kings Royal" winner, has driven the #21 Hop & Sack CMC into the top 10 in 19 main events this season.
Tim Shaffer, who also has recorded 19 top-10 finishes this season, won World of Outlaws Sprint Series main events at Eldora Speedway in 1999 and 2000.
Erin Crocker will be the second female driver to enter the Kings Royal. Sarah Fisher, who has gone on to race with the Indy Racing League, never qualified for the prestigious $50,000-to-win race. Crocker, nicknamed "The First Lady," recorded successive top-10 finishes in "A" Features at Joplin 66 Speedway and Huset’s Speedway recently.
Fifteen drivers have combined to win the World of Outlaws Sprint Series’ first 32 "A" Features this season. The record of 20 was set in 1989.
