By Richard Day
KILGORE, TX (October 14) – Three-time O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series champion Sammy Swindell will be racing to extend his five-race winning streak at Lone Star Speedway when the series returns to Kilgore’s high-banked, 4/10-mile oval October 24th.
Swindell won every "A" Feature the series ran at Lone Star Speedway in 1984 and 1986. "We’ve run pretty good there," Swindell said recently. "I’m still undefeated there. If we get some breaks, we can win there again."
Danny Lasoski set the single-lap record with a 110.269-M.P.H. lap and won the main event when the World of Outlaws Gumout Series raced in Kilgore on April 4, 2002. The O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series’ fire-breathing, mudslinging sprint car drivers, recognized as the best in the world, will be in action October 24th.
"It’s a good track," Swindell said. "It’s a lot like the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track."
Swindell, who won O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series championships in 1981, 1982 and 1997, lost fourth place in Saturday’s Cheaper Than Dirt Shootout main event at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track when his right rear tire exploded and sent him into the retaining wall between turns three and four. Swindell, who finished fifth in Friday’s Preliminary Feature, was credited with 22nd place Saturday.
Steve Kinser, Swindell’s nemesis throughout the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series 25-plus-year history, will lead the challenge for the $10,000 first prize at Lone Star Speedway. "The King of the Outlaws" led 56 of 70 laps while finishing second in each Cheaper Than Dirt Shootout feature race at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. Kinser’s 26th straight single-digit finish increased his advantage to 134 points over Lasoski in their battle for the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series’ 25th Anniversary championship. Kinser can clinch his 18th series title by finishing 13th or better in each of the remaining six races (two preliminaries and four main events).
Jason Johnson staged a miraculous run late-race run to claim the $12,000 first prize in the Cheaper Than Dirt Shootout, blowing by Joey Saldana, Preliminary Feature winner Daryn Pittman and Kinser in the high groove during the final eight laps.
"It’s just so cool to win an Outlaws race," Johnson said Sunday. "It’s what dreams are made of, but to pass my old boss (Kinser) makes it even sweeter. I am still on a high, the emotions are so hard to explain. Plenty of people try to win one of these races and never succeed, but I can finally say I have won an Outlaws feature. I hope it’s the first of many.
"After last night, I really feel like I have accomplished something and that people will now sit up and take more notice of me that I am not just out there to make up the numbers. I want to win every time I’m on the track, no matter who I am racing against."
Johnson joined Swindell, Kinser, Lasoski, Saldana, Pittman, Donny Schatz, Paul McMahan, Brian Paulus, Tim Shaffer, Jason Meyers, Mark Kinser, Tyler Walker, Brooke Tatnell, Jeff Shepard, Tim Kaeding and Blake Feese in the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series 2003 victory column. Johnson, Paulus, Tatnell, Kaeding and Feese have become first-time winners during the series’ 25th Anniversary Season.
Shepard, who drove the #11H Vivarin Maxim with the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series for the first two months of its 25th Anniversary Season, will race for C&W Motorsports at Lone Star Speedway. The 2001 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year recorded seven top-10 finishes, including an "A" Feature victory at Pike County Speedway March 21st. Shepard will also drive the #35 Eagle this weekend at Delta Bowl Speedway, October 25th at Houston Raceway Park October 25th and in the season finale at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track October 31-November 1.
"I’m really looking forward to it," Shepard said recently. "It is a great opportunity for me. I thank the team for giving me the opportunity to finish the year with them.
"I have worked with two of the three guys in the team before and they are on the same wave length as me. I’m going out there to win every time the car goes on the track. I can assure everyone that I won’t be out there just to make up the numbers as the season comes to a close."
KILGORE, TX (October 14) – Three-time O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series champion Sammy Swindell will be racing to extend his five-race winning streak at Lone Star Speedway when the series returns to Kilgore’s high-banked, 4/10-mile oval October 24th.
Swindell won every "A" Feature the series ran at Lone Star Speedway in 1984 and 1986. "We’ve run pretty good there," Swindell said recently. "I’m still undefeated there. If we get some breaks, we can win there again."
Danny Lasoski set the single-lap record with a 110.269-M.P.H. lap and won the main event when the World of Outlaws Gumout Series raced in Kilgore on April 4, 2002. The O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series’ fire-breathing, mudslinging sprint car drivers, recognized as the best in the world, will be in action October 24th.
"It’s a good track," Swindell said. "It’s a lot like the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track."
Swindell, who won O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series championships in 1981, 1982 and 1997, lost fourth place in Saturday’s Cheaper Than Dirt Shootout main event at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track when his right rear tire exploded and sent him into the retaining wall between turns three and four. Swindell, who finished fifth in Friday’s Preliminary Feature, was credited with 22nd place Saturday.
Steve Kinser, Swindell’s nemesis throughout the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series 25-plus-year history, will lead the challenge for the $10,000 first prize at Lone Star Speedway. "The King of the Outlaws" led 56 of 70 laps while finishing second in each Cheaper Than Dirt Shootout feature race at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. Kinser’s 26th straight single-digit finish increased his advantage to 134 points over Lasoski in their battle for the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series’ 25th Anniversary championship. Kinser can clinch his 18th series title by finishing 13th or better in each of the remaining six races (two preliminaries and four main events).
Jason Johnson staged a miraculous run late-race run to claim the $12,000 first prize in the Cheaper Than Dirt Shootout, blowing by Joey Saldana, Preliminary Feature winner Daryn Pittman and Kinser in the high groove during the final eight laps.
"It’s just so cool to win an Outlaws race," Johnson said Sunday. "It’s what dreams are made of, but to pass my old boss (Kinser) makes it even sweeter. I am still on a high, the emotions are so hard to explain. Plenty of people try to win one of these races and never succeed, but I can finally say I have won an Outlaws feature. I hope it’s the first of many.
"After last night, I really feel like I have accomplished something and that people will now sit up and take more notice of me that I am not just out there to make up the numbers. I want to win every time I’m on the track, no matter who I am racing against."
Johnson joined Swindell, Kinser, Lasoski, Saldana, Pittman, Donny Schatz, Paul McMahan, Brian Paulus, Tim Shaffer, Jason Meyers, Mark Kinser, Tyler Walker, Brooke Tatnell, Jeff Shepard, Tim Kaeding and Blake Feese in the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series 2003 victory column. Johnson, Paulus, Tatnell, Kaeding and Feese have become first-time winners during the series’ 25th Anniversary Season.
Shepard, who drove the #11H Vivarin Maxim with the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series for the first two months of its 25th Anniversary Season, will race for C&W Motorsports at Lone Star Speedway. The 2001 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year recorded seven top-10 finishes, including an "A" Feature victory at Pike County Speedway March 21st. Shepard will also drive the #35 Eagle this weekend at Delta Bowl Speedway, October 25th at Houston Raceway Park October 25th and in the season finale at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track October 31-November 1.
"I’m really looking forward to it," Shepard said recently. "It is a great opportunity for me. I thank the team for giving me the opportunity to finish the year with them.
"I have worked with two of the three guys in the team before and they are on the same wave length as me. I’m going out there to win every time the car goes on the track. I can assure everyone that I won’t be out there just to make up the numbers as the season comes to a close."
