Colorado Springs, CO — April 5, 2005 — By Chris Dolack, World of
Outlaws Senior Writer
WHAT: The World of Outlaws Sprint Series helps to open historic Eldora
Speedway’s 2005 season with a two-night show, April 8-9. With a total
purse near $100,000, the preliminary feature will be a $5,000-to-win
race followed a day later by the main event, worth $12,000 to the
winner.
WHERE: Eldora Speedway is about 2.5 miles north of Rossburg, Ohio. From
Toledo (150 miles), go south on I-75 to Wapakoneta, west on US 33,
continue west on State Route 29 to Celina, south on US 127 to North
Star, turn right at traffic light, continue to Eldora Speedway. From
Dayton (55 miles), north on I-75 to I-70, west on I-70 to exit 24,
north on State Route 49 to Greenville, north on US 127 to North Star,
turn left at traffic light, continue to Eldora Speedway. From
Indianapolis (105 miles), east on I-70 to Ohio exit 10, north on US 127
to North Star, turn left at traffic light, continue to Eldora Speedway.
From Columbus (105 miles), west on I-70 to exit 24, north on State
Route 49 to Greenville, north on US 127 to North Star, turn left at
traffic light, continue to Eldora Speedway. From Fort Wayne (65 miles),
south on US 33 into Ohio, south on US 127 to North Star, turn right at
traffic light, continue to Eldora Speedway.
WHEN: On Friday and Saturday, the gates will open at 4:30 p.m. with
warm-ups and qualifying beginning at 6:30 p.m. and heats at 8 p.m.
TICKETS
• For Friday’s race, tickets for fans ages 16 and up are $23, ages 60
and up are $21, ages 13-15 are $10, ages 7-12 are $5 and kids 6 and
under are free. Pit passes are $28.
• For Saturday’s race, tickets for fans ages 16 and up are $25, ages 60
and up are $23, ages 13-15 are $12, ages 7-12 are $6 and ages 6 and
under are free. Pit passes are $30.
WEB SITES
• The World of Outlaws Sprint Series is at
http://www.theworldofoutlaws.com.
• Eldora Speedway is at http://www.eldoraspeedway.com.
ABOUT THE TRACK: Eldora Speedway is a high-banked, half-mile oval. The
banking in the turns is 24 degrees and the banking on the straights is
7 degrees. Current points leader Craig Dollansky established the track
record in a World of Outlaws Sprint Series race when he turned a lap
around Eldora in 12.707 seconds on April 13, 2002.
TELEVISION THIS WEEK
• At 8 p.m. ET Wednesday (April 6), The Outdoor Channel will broadcast
coverage of the World of Outlaws Sprint Series Texas Shootout at
Houston Raceway Park.
• The Outdoor Channel will broadcast coverage of the race Saturday from
I-55 Raceway on April 13 and coverage of the race this weekend at
Eldora on April 20.
NEWS & NOTES
• Rising son: Kraig Kinser won his second and third career World of
Outlaws Sprint Series main event features Friday and Saturday at
Batesville Speedway in Locust Grove, Ark., and I-55 Raceway in Pevely,
Mo. The series’ top rookie in 2004, Kinser also won the preliminary
feature last month in Las Vegas and is sitting third in points as the
series rolls into Eldora Speedway, where Kraig’s father, Steve, has won
30 “A” Features.
• Opening day: Baseball season has begun across the country, but two
previous attempts to drop the green flag on NASCAR star Tony Stewart’s
first season as owner of Eldora Speedway were canceled by inclement
weather. Therefore, the Outlaws are looking forward to the opportunity
to help launch a new era at one of the most historic racetracks in the
world. Stewart purchased the speedway from legendary owner Earl Baltes
in November, and promptly appointed Larry Kemp as promoter and general
manager and Larry Boos as director of facility and race day operations.
Stewart also owns the No. 20 Bass Pro Shops car driven by Danny
Lasoski.
• Race of ages: Only twice since 2000 have drivers less than 30 years
old won a World of Outlaws Sprint Series main event at Eldora. Daryn
Pittman was 24 when he won in 2002, as was Jason Meyers when visited
the winner’s circle in 2003.
• Point man: Craig Dollansky and Steve Kinser are waging quite a battle
for the overall series lead. After Dollansky opened a 14-point lead
March 11 at Las Vegas, Kinser climbed back to move into a tie after
finishing third Friday night at Batesville Speedway. However, Dollansky
edged back ahead by four points with a second-place run Saturday at
I-55 Raceway.
• Gaining ground: Australian Brooke Tatnell was turned away by the
Immigration and Naturalization Service when he tried to enter the
United States in February to drive the Rush Racing machine on the 2005
World of Outlaws Sprint Series circuit. By the time the situation was
resolved and Tatnell was allowed into the U.S., he had missed both
races at Volusia, as well as events in Tulare, Calif., and Bakersfield,
Calif. However, World of Outlaws Sprint Series officials this week
awarded Tatnell 75 points for each event because he had made the
attempt to compete.
• Rookie race: In the battle for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year
Award, Shane Stewart of Bixby, Okla., is leading the way. But thanks to
Tim Kaeding’s third-place run Saturday at I-55 Raceway and Brandon
Wimmer’s pole and top-10 finish March 19 at Houston Raceway Park, the
race for the top rookie honor will go down to the end of the season.
• The Mean 15: The impressive 2005 edition of the World of Outlaws
Sprint Series’ Mean 15 racers includes Craig Dollansky (No. 7 owned by
Karavan Motorsports), Tim Kaeding (No. 83 owned by Dennis Roth), Kraig
Kinser (No. 11k owned by Steve Kinser Racing), Mark Kinser (No. 35
owned by Rick Wright), Steve Kinser (No. 11 owned by Steve Kinser
Racing), Danny Lasoski (No. 20 owned by Tony Stewart Motorsports), Paul
McMahan (No. 11h owned by David Helm), Jason Meyers (No. 14 owned by
the Elite Racing Team), Brian Paulus (No. 28 owned by Pender
Motorsports), Daryn Pittman (No. 21 owned by Titan Racing), Joey
Saldana (No. 2 owned by Woodward Racing), Donny Schatz (No. 15 owned by
Schatz Motorsports), Tim Shaffer (No. 6 owned by Parsons Motorsports),
Jason Sides (No. 7s owned by Sides Motorsports), and Brandon Wimmer
(No. 7tw owned by Wimmer-Luck Racing).
• On tour, too: Several other drivers have committed to running the
bulk of the schedule with the World of Outlaws Sprint Series in 2005
with hopes of earning a spot in a future Mean 15: Australian Brooke
Tatnell is back in the series with the newly formed Rush Racing team.
Terry McCarl, who has won the past six 410 sprint championships at
Knoxville Raceway. Shane Stewart, the current leader in the battle for
the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year title. Randy Hannagan, a
long-time Outlaws competitor is running with the series again. Sammy
Swindell, a sprint car legend and three-time Outlaws champion. Kevin
Swindell, 16, who became the youngest driver to finish in the top 10
with the Outlaws when finished sixth in the feature at Parramatta City
Raceway in January.
• Early season winners: Since the series returned from a weekend off,
Kraig Kinser has been the hottest driver on the circuit, posting wins
at Batesville Speedway and I-55 Raceway during last weekend. Donny
Schatz has won three main event features season, Steve Kinser has won
two main events, Craig Dollansky has won a feature and a preliminary,
and Tim Shaffer and Jeff Shepard have each won a feature.
• Looking back: The World of Outlaws Sprint Series raced five times
last season at Eldora. In the opening round in April 2004, 19-time
Outlaws champion Steve Kinser took the checkered flag for the 30th time
in his career at Eldora. To win, Kinser drove past Danny Lasoski deep
in Turn 1 and won the “A” Feature by three car-lengths.
• Tune into the Web: If fans can’t get to Pike County Speedway or
Houston Raceway Park to see the racing Friday and Saturday, they can
experience the excitement of the World of Outlaws Sprint Series live on
Dirtvision.com through the DIRT Radio Network, where announcer John
Gibson keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the event. To
listen to the audio broadcasts, log on to www.dirtvision.com and click
on the DIRT Radio Network logo. Listeners will need Windows Media
Player 9 or higher to listen to the DIRT Radio Network. Companies who
are interested in advertising on the new DIRT Radio Network should
contact Mark Noble, DIRT MotorSports VP Sales and Marketing, at
719-884-2141. For technical support or questions, e-mail
webmaster@dirtvision.com.
• Hear it firsthand: RACEceiver is the Official Driver Communicator of
DIRT MotorSports. A compact radio receiver that conveniently fits into
a driver’s pocket, a RACEceiver allows each driver to hear directions
from series officials, which greatly enhances the safety and timeliness
of events. A similar version available to fans will allow RACEceiver
users to hear what information series officials are relaying to the
drivers. For more information about RACEceiver, visit
www.raceceiver.com, call 866-301-7223, or look for their sales trailers
at various events.
QUOTABLE
Tony Stewart, a star on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit, owner of the No.
20 Bass Pro Shops car driven by Danny Lasoski, and new owner of Eldora
Speedway after he purchased the track last November from legend Earl
Baltes
• On what made Eldora a good track to buy: “It’s a great facility. It
holds the two biggest dirt track races in the country and holds
probably the second and third biggest open-wheel races there from the
sprint car side. It has seven major events there every year. It’s just
a great facility. It’s unique. You can’t go anywhere else in the
country and find a facility that’s like Eldora. The thing that makes it
so great is that it’s Eldora. It’s like going to the Indianapolis 500
or the Kentucky Derby. Yes, there are people who go there to watch the
race, but at the same time it’s a happening. You go through the parking
lots after the races are over and everybody’s camping. It could be two
or three o’clock in the morning and everyone is having a blast. It’s
not like going to a regular racetrack. When you go to an event at
Eldora you go to a happening.”
• On owning race teams: “Owning race teams gives me another challenge
in life. It keeps me excited while giving me a break. When I come back
to NASCAR I’m excited and I don’t get burned out so easily. Having five
USAC teams and one World of Outlaws team, that’s plenty of stuff to
split my attention from what’s going on with my full-time job here in
NASCAR to where I don’t get wrapped up in trying to over-analyze
things. It allows me to refresh my brain a little bit.”
• On being Eldora’s owner: “Eldora is a place where I’ve gone as a
spectator, as a crew member, as a driver and as a car owner. I know a
lot about the facility. It’s a new venture for me. Kenny Schrader and
Dave Blaney are drivers that have gotten into owning racetracks and now
I’ve added my name to the list. In buying Eldora, the circumstances
were just right. It wasn’t something where we were looking to buy a
racetrack, but Earl and Berneice Baltes, who owned Eldora, came to us
and said we’d really like you to have this facility. I think they know
my passion for open-wheel dirt track racing and they know that I’ve run
dirt late models and modifieds and almost every type of car that races
at Eldora. They know how much I respect the history of that side of the
sport and how much I want to preserve it, while also looking ahead to
see what we can do to make the facility grow.”
• On the learning experience of owning Eldora: “I’m learning how to
spend a lot of money in a very short amount of time. It’s something of
a balancing act for me. I’m trying to be very conscience of not
changing the atmosphere of Eldora, but at the same time trying to add
to the experience at Eldora. I’m now learning the simple things like
adding restrooms and other little odds and ends that you just don’t
think of as a driver or a crew member.”
Tim Kaeding, a Mean 15 racer in the Dennis Roth-owned No. 83 Beef
Packers car
• On Eldora: “I’ve only run there one time and we ran second. It’s one
of those racetracks that can scare you to death. You just got to pray
you don’t crash too hard. It’s a fun little racetrack. I love it.
Hopefully we can get our momentum going decent to where we can finish
decent there.”
Kraig Kinser, a Mean 15 racer who won the 2004 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of
the Year Award and a winner in the past two World of Outlaws Sprint
Series features
• On racing at Eldora Speedway: “It’s got a lot of history there. A lot
of great, great racing comes there. The first couple of times you go
there you’re out to lunch. You can’t expect much. You have to run a lot
of laps around there to be real successful. There’s a point to where
you can push it, but you don’t want to push it too far because it’s an
unforgiving track. If you make one mistake there it’s going to hurt you
and the car. You have to respect the track. I don’t know exactly what
it is. Growing up around sprint car racing, it was the track you
watched out for, it was the track you prepared for all month when you
knew you were going to Eldora. You put on the best stuff, you’re
strongest stuff. If you can’t put on new wings, make sure they’re
strong and don’t fall apart. You just prepare yourself for Eldora.”
Steve Kinser, a 19-time champion who has won 30 features at Eldora in
his career
• On the half-mile Eldora track: “I think the banking just helps put on
good races no matter if it’s slick and you get right up on the wall and
run, I enjoy running it like that, or even down around the middle, it’s
still a track you can move around and do some passing. It’s a fast
racetrack and I think everybody just enjoys going there.”
• On the history of Eldora: “Eldora is a track everybody wants to win
on. It’s got a reputation with Earl and all the years. We’ve always had
a lot of success there, and I’ve always enjoyed running there. I’ve run
there for quite some time and it’s just a track that’s fun to race as a
driver. You can really get out there and put your leg on it and run
hard for 30 or 40 laps.”
• On the fans: “It’s going to be one of the first races we’ll have up
toward the Midwest so everybody has been pretty well locked up all
winter so I’m sure they’re all ready to come out and watch the race.”
Danny Lasoski, a Mean 15 racer and former series champion who drives a
car owned by Tony Stewart Motorsports
• On Eldora: “Earl started everything with the big money shows, the big
races for not only for sprint cars but also stock cars. He put on a
great show no matter what it is. Having Tony buy the place brings it up
another level, having him love dirt tracking like he does. We’re going
there and there’s nothing more that I want than to go get some of his
money.”
• On Tony Stewart: “He comes there as my car owner, my friend and also
the track owner. But there’s no favoritism whatsoever. I don’t want
anybody thinking Danny Lasoski gets a favor because I don’t, but I
wouldn’t mind running the water truck.”
Terry McCarl, a six-time 410 sprint division champion at Knoxville
Raceway who is running with the World of Outlaws in 2005
• On racing at Eldora: “I haven’t been to Eldora since 1997, but I
really like it. I like banging the fence. If you don’t like to run on
the fence, running at Eldora won’t be one of your favorite racetracks.
I remember the very first time I went there I drove Junior Holbrook’s
car and in the feature I quit counting after 13 times I hit the fence
coming off of Turn 2. It’s just real high-banked and you’re going
really fast. You’re actually going faster than you even know. That’s
what makes it difficult. With the wings on the car, when you’re turning
on that kind of banking it’s hard to see in front of you very far so
it’s kind of scary and dangerous. You see a lot of guys get run into
that normally wouldn’t by good guys because you’re going so fast you
can get slowed down and you can’t see ahead because of the banking.
It’s an intimidating track because it’s kind of scary with the speeds.
If you don’t like to go fast, you don’t like Eldora.”
Paul McMahan, a Mean 15 racer in the David Helm-owned No. 11H car
• On racing at Eldora: “Eldora is cool just because of the high banks,
the crowd is one of a kind. The King’s Royal is the biggest race of the
year at Eldora and the crowd is crazy, but even the normal Outlaws
races there are pretty impressive in their own right. Eldora is just
cool. The speed, you race right up against the fence. There’s a lot of
racing going on, a lot of slide jobs. It’s just one of those places you
always want to win.”
Jason Meyers, a Mean 15 racer and winner in 2003 at Eldora
• On why Eldora is special: “What makes Eldora special is the races
that are held there throughout the year and just the prestige that
comes with the place, the people who have won there. Nobody goes to
Eldora their first time and does well. It takes a little while to get
used to Eldora, the speed, the banking. For that big of a place, stuff
happens really fast. Normally on the big tracks things get a little
more spread out and it’s a little slower pace as far as reaction times.
Eldora’s not that that way. It’s not just other racers, it’s a matter
of keeping on top of your racecar because your racecar can get out from
underneath you real quick. NASCAR has the track too tough to tame in
Darlington, and Eldora is one of those places that can bite you, too.
It’s just the speed, the size and everything that goes with it.”
Lonny Parsons, owner of the No. 6 Casey’s General Store car and a
winner earlier this season at Tulare, Calif.
• On Eldora Speedway: “It’s steeped in history, that’s one aspect of
it. Secondly, it’s a super-fast place. It’s kind of scary from the
aspect of a car owner because it puts so much strain on all the
equipment that you pretty much just bite your lip the whole time the
car is out there. It’s just a wide-open joint. It’s kind of
intimidating, really, and always has been. I think that’s what adds to
the allure of it.”
• On new owner Tony Stewart taking over the historic track: “I don’t
think there will be a lot of big changes. Tony Stewart is smart enough
to know that Earl Baltes has been pretty successful over the years and
it’s pretty hard to knock success. There are always some improvements
that can be made in little things, but all in all it’s one of the most
successful places in the country.”
Donny Schatz, a Mean 15 racer and a three-time main event winner this
season
• On Eldora: “It’s a nice place to go. When you first go there I guess
it’s kind of one of those intimidating places and everybody remembers
it. It’s a big fast half-mile with a wall by you. We’ve had success
there and we’ve had failure there. We’re hoping we can go there with
everything right and be competitive. We look forward to it. This time
of the year, it’s always cool so we keep that in the back of our minds.
Plus it’s under new ownership with Tony Stewart. He’s a race fan as
well as the track owner and I think he’ll bring a lot of fun things
there. Earl always did a great job, but he wanted to move on. To be a
part of it, and Tony Stewart involved is a big asset for Eldora
Speedway.”
Tim Shaffer, a Mean 15 racer and a two-time winner at Eldora
• On what it takes to win at Eldora: “It’s really demanding. Your
engine program better be strong and you’ve got to have a racecar that’s
going to roll around there because physically as a driver you can not
make up for a car there. That place is so demanding, there’s nothing
like it. To run good there is tough to do.”
Jason Sides, a Mean 15 racer and winner of the 2004 King’s Royal at
Eldora
• On returning to the track as a former winner: “It’s the same race for
everybody, we just happened to get lucky that night. It’s got a lot of
prestige and all, just going to Eldora itself. It will be a little
different without Earl not owning it, but for the most part it will
still be the same.”
Shane Stewart, the current leader for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the
Year Award
• On what it means to win at Eldora: “It’s prestige. Anybody who can
win a race at Eldora has got their game on. It’s an easy track to race,
but a tough track to win at. I think that’s one reason why I like it.
It’s pretty tough to tame, especially when you get right up against the
fence.”
Brooke Tatnell, driver of the Rush Racing machine and winner of the
Australia Sprintcar Championship earlier this year
• On Eldora: “There’s so much history around the place, that’s the
biggest thing. It was also one of the first places I ever went to where
you drove at that high a speed. When I first went there you raced six
inches off the wall, it was pretty awesome. For me, it’s probably the
one racetrack that I first figured out how to drive at better than
anywhere else. I’ve had my moments there. I’ve had some glory moments
of having good runs there and I’ve had nights of ending up in the
hospital. I don’t know what it is about the place. Whether it’s history
or the past of the Rutherfords and those guys who ran there that I grew
up watching as a kid in Australia, that place is just something
special. There’s nothing else like it.”
Brandon Wimmer, an 18-year-old Mean 15 racer and Kevin Gobrecht Rookie
of the Year Award contender
• On what makes Eldora so exciting: “I think it’s just the history of
Eldora. So many things have happened in the past. The history is so
great at that track that its atmosphere is completely different from
any other track we go to. It’s a really special track and I really like
going there.”
UPCOMING EVENTS
The series will make its first appearance of the season in Indiana when
it runs April 16 at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt. It then shifts
back West for races April 22 at Outlaw Motor Speedway in Muskogee,
Okla., and April 23 at 81 Speedway in Wichita, Kan., before closing out
the month at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa.
Outlaws Senior Writer
WHAT: The World of Outlaws Sprint Series helps to open historic Eldora
Speedway’s 2005 season with a two-night show, April 8-9. With a total
purse near $100,000, the preliminary feature will be a $5,000-to-win
race followed a day later by the main event, worth $12,000 to the
winner.
WHERE: Eldora Speedway is about 2.5 miles north of Rossburg, Ohio. From
Toledo (150 miles), go south on I-75 to Wapakoneta, west on US 33,
continue west on State Route 29 to Celina, south on US 127 to North
Star, turn right at traffic light, continue to Eldora Speedway. From
Dayton (55 miles), north on I-75 to I-70, west on I-70 to exit 24,
north on State Route 49 to Greenville, north on US 127 to North Star,
turn left at traffic light, continue to Eldora Speedway. From
Indianapolis (105 miles), east on I-70 to Ohio exit 10, north on US 127
to North Star, turn left at traffic light, continue to Eldora Speedway.
From Columbus (105 miles), west on I-70 to exit 24, north on State
Route 49 to Greenville, north on US 127 to North Star, turn left at
traffic light, continue to Eldora Speedway. From Fort Wayne (65 miles),
south on US 33 into Ohio, south on US 127 to North Star, turn right at
traffic light, continue to Eldora Speedway.
WHEN: On Friday and Saturday, the gates will open at 4:30 p.m. with
warm-ups and qualifying beginning at 6:30 p.m. and heats at 8 p.m.
TICKETS
• For Friday’s race, tickets for fans ages 16 and up are $23, ages 60
and up are $21, ages 13-15 are $10, ages 7-12 are $5 and kids 6 and
under are free. Pit passes are $28.
• For Saturday’s race, tickets for fans ages 16 and up are $25, ages 60
and up are $23, ages 13-15 are $12, ages 7-12 are $6 and ages 6 and
under are free. Pit passes are $30.
WEB SITES
• The World of Outlaws Sprint Series is at
http://www.theworldofoutlaws.com.
• Eldora Speedway is at http://www.eldoraspeedway.com.
ABOUT THE TRACK: Eldora Speedway is a high-banked, half-mile oval. The
banking in the turns is 24 degrees and the banking on the straights is
7 degrees. Current points leader Craig Dollansky established the track
record in a World of Outlaws Sprint Series race when he turned a lap
around Eldora in 12.707 seconds on April 13, 2002.
TELEVISION THIS WEEK
• At 8 p.m. ET Wednesday (April 6), The Outdoor Channel will broadcast
coverage of the World of Outlaws Sprint Series Texas Shootout at
Houston Raceway Park.
• The Outdoor Channel will broadcast coverage of the race Saturday from
I-55 Raceway on April 13 and coverage of the race this weekend at
Eldora on April 20.
NEWS & NOTES
• Rising son: Kraig Kinser won his second and third career World of
Outlaws Sprint Series main event features Friday and Saturday at
Batesville Speedway in Locust Grove, Ark., and I-55 Raceway in Pevely,
Mo. The series’ top rookie in 2004, Kinser also won the preliminary
feature last month in Las Vegas and is sitting third in points as the
series rolls into Eldora Speedway, where Kraig’s father, Steve, has won
30 “A” Features.
• Opening day: Baseball season has begun across the country, but two
previous attempts to drop the green flag on NASCAR star Tony Stewart’s
first season as owner of Eldora Speedway were canceled by inclement
weather. Therefore, the Outlaws are looking forward to the opportunity
to help launch a new era at one of the most historic racetracks in the
world. Stewart purchased the speedway from legendary owner Earl Baltes
in November, and promptly appointed Larry Kemp as promoter and general
manager and Larry Boos as director of facility and race day operations.
Stewart also owns the No. 20 Bass Pro Shops car driven by Danny
Lasoski.
• Race of ages: Only twice since 2000 have drivers less than 30 years
old won a World of Outlaws Sprint Series main event at Eldora. Daryn
Pittman was 24 when he won in 2002, as was Jason Meyers when visited
the winner’s circle in 2003.
• Point man: Craig Dollansky and Steve Kinser are waging quite a battle
for the overall series lead. After Dollansky opened a 14-point lead
March 11 at Las Vegas, Kinser climbed back to move into a tie after
finishing third Friday night at Batesville Speedway. However, Dollansky
edged back ahead by four points with a second-place run Saturday at
I-55 Raceway.
• Gaining ground: Australian Brooke Tatnell was turned away by the
Immigration and Naturalization Service when he tried to enter the
United States in February to drive the Rush Racing machine on the 2005
World of Outlaws Sprint Series circuit. By the time the situation was
resolved and Tatnell was allowed into the U.S., he had missed both
races at Volusia, as well as events in Tulare, Calif., and Bakersfield,
Calif. However, World of Outlaws Sprint Series officials this week
awarded Tatnell 75 points for each event because he had made the
attempt to compete.
• Rookie race: In the battle for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year
Award, Shane Stewart of Bixby, Okla., is leading the way. But thanks to
Tim Kaeding’s third-place run Saturday at I-55 Raceway and Brandon
Wimmer’s pole and top-10 finish March 19 at Houston Raceway Park, the
race for the top rookie honor will go down to the end of the season.
• The Mean 15: The impressive 2005 edition of the World of Outlaws
Sprint Series’ Mean 15 racers includes Craig Dollansky (No. 7 owned by
Karavan Motorsports), Tim Kaeding (No. 83 owned by Dennis Roth), Kraig
Kinser (No. 11k owned by Steve Kinser Racing), Mark Kinser (No. 35
owned by Rick Wright), Steve Kinser (No. 11 owned by Steve Kinser
Racing), Danny Lasoski (No. 20 owned by Tony Stewart Motorsports), Paul
McMahan (No. 11h owned by David Helm), Jason Meyers (No. 14 owned by
the Elite Racing Team), Brian Paulus (No. 28 owned by Pender
Motorsports), Daryn Pittman (No. 21 owned by Titan Racing), Joey
Saldana (No. 2 owned by Woodward Racing), Donny Schatz (No. 15 owned by
Schatz Motorsports), Tim Shaffer (No. 6 owned by Parsons Motorsports),
Jason Sides (No. 7s owned by Sides Motorsports), and Brandon Wimmer
(No. 7tw owned by Wimmer-Luck Racing).
• On tour, too: Several other drivers have committed to running the
bulk of the schedule with the World of Outlaws Sprint Series in 2005
with hopes of earning a spot in a future Mean 15: Australian Brooke
Tatnell is back in the series with the newly formed Rush Racing team.
Terry McCarl, who has won the past six 410 sprint championships at
Knoxville Raceway. Shane Stewart, the current leader in the battle for
the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year title. Randy Hannagan, a
long-time Outlaws competitor is running with the series again. Sammy
Swindell, a sprint car legend and three-time Outlaws champion. Kevin
Swindell, 16, who became the youngest driver to finish in the top 10
with the Outlaws when finished sixth in the feature at Parramatta City
Raceway in January.
• Early season winners: Since the series returned from a weekend off,
Kraig Kinser has been the hottest driver on the circuit, posting wins
at Batesville Speedway and I-55 Raceway during last weekend. Donny
Schatz has won three main event features season, Steve Kinser has won
two main events, Craig Dollansky has won a feature and a preliminary,
and Tim Shaffer and Jeff Shepard have each won a feature.
• Looking back: The World of Outlaws Sprint Series raced five times
last season at Eldora. In the opening round in April 2004, 19-time
Outlaws champion Steve Kinser took the checkered flag for the 30th time
in his career at Eldora. To win, Kinser drove past Danny Lasoski deep
in Turn 1 and won the “A” Feature by three car-lengths.
• Tune into the Web: If fans can’t get to Pike County Speedway or
Houston Raceway Park to see the racing Friday and Saturday, they can
experience the excitement of the World of Outlaws Sprint Series live on
Dirtvision.com through the DIRT Radio Network, where announcer John
Gibson keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the event. To
listen to the audio broadcasts, log on to www.dirtvision.com and click
on the DIRT Radio Network logo. Listeners will need Windows Media
Player 9 or higher to listen to the DIRT Radio Network. Companies who
are interested in advertising on the new DIRT Radio Network should
contact Mark Noble, DIRT MotorSports VP Sales and Marketing, at
719-884-2141. For technical support or questions, e-mail
webmaster@dirtvision.com.
• Hear it firsthand: RACEceiver is the Official Driver Communicator of
DIRT MotorSports. A compact radio receiver that conveniently fits into
a driver’s pocket, a RACEceiver allows each driver to hear directions
from series officials, which greatly enhances the safety and timeliness
of events. A similar version available to fans will allow RACEceiver
users to hear what information series officials are relaying to the
drivers. For more information about RACEceiver, visit
www.raceceiver.com, call 866-301-7223, or look for their sales trailers
at various events.
QUOTABLE
Tony Stewart, a star on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit, owner of the No.
20 Bass Pro Shops car driven by Danny Lasoski, and new owner of Eldora
Speedway after he purchased the track last November from legend Earl
Baltes
• On what made Eldora a good track to buy: “It’s a great facility. It
holds the two biggest dirt track races in the country and holds
probably the second and third biggest open-wheel races there from the
sprint car side. It has seven major events there every year. It’s just
a great facility. It’s unique. You can’t go anywhere else in the
country and find a facility that’s like Eldora. The thing that makes it
so great is that it’s Eldora. It’s like going to the Indianapolis 500
or the Kentucky Derby. Yes, there are people who go there to watch the
race, but at the same time it’s a happening. You go through the parking
lots after the races are over and everybody’s camping. It could be two
or three o’clock in the morning and everyone is having a blast. It’s
not like going to a regular racetrack. When you go to an event at
Eldora you go to a happening.”
• On owning race teams: “Owning race teams gives me another challenge
in life. It keeps me excited while giving me a break. When I come back
to NASCAR I’m excited and I don’t get burned out so easily. Having five
USAC teams and one World of Outlaws team, that’s plenty of stuff to
split my attention from what’s going on with my full-time job here in
NASCAR to where I don’t get wrapped up in trying to over-analyze
things. It allows me to refresh my brain a little bit.”
• On being Eldora’s owner: “Eldora is a place where I’ve gone as a
spectator, as a crew member, as a driver and as a car owner. I know a
lot about the facility. It’s a new venture for me. Kenny Schrader and
Dave Blaney are drivers that have gotten into owning racetracks and now
I’ve added my name to the list. In buying Eldora, the circumstances
were just right. It wasn’t something where we were looking to buy a
racetrack, but Earl and Berneice Baltes, who owned Eldora, came to us
and said we’d really like you to have this facility. I think they know
my passion for open-wheel dirt track racing and they know that I’ve run
dirt late models and modifieds and almost every type of car that races
at Eldora. They know how much I respect the history of that side of the
sport and how much I want to preserve it, while also looking ahead to
see what we can do to make the facility grow.”
• On the learning experience of owning Eldora: “I’m learning how to
spend a lot of money in a very short amount of time. It’s something of
a balancing act for me. I’m trying to be very conscience of not
changing the atmosphere of Eldora, but at the same time trying to add
to the experience at Eldora. I’m now learning the simple things like
adding restrooms and other little odds and ends that you just don’t
think of as a driver or a crew member.”
Tim Kaeding, a Mean 15 racer in the Dennis Roth-owned No. 83 Beef
Packers car
• On Eldora: “I’ve only run there one time and we ran second. It’s one
of those racetracks that can scare you to death. You just got to pray
you don’t crash too hard. It’s a fun little racetrack. I love it.
Hopefully we can get our momentum going decent to where we can finish
decent there.”
Kraig Kinser, a Mean 15 racer who won the 2004 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of
the Year Award and a winner in the past two World of Outlaws Sprint
Series features
• On racing at Eldora Speedway: “It’s got a lot of history there. A lot
of great, great racing comes there. The first couple of times you go
there you’re out to lunch. You can’t expect much. You have to run a lot
of laps around there to be real successful. There’s a point to where
you can push it, but you don’t want to push it too far because it’s an
unforgiving track. If you make one mistake there it’s going to hurt you
and the car. You have to respect the track. I don’t know exactly what
it is. Growing up around sprint car racing, it was the track you
watched out for, it was the track you prepared for all month when you
knew you were going to Eldora. You put on the best stuff, you’re
strongest stuff. If you can’t put on new wings, make sure they’re
strong and don’t fall apart. You just prepare yourself for Eldora.”
Steve Kinser, a 19-time champion who has won 30 features at Eldora in
his career
• On the half-mile Eldora track: “I think the banking just helps put on
good races no matter if it’s slick and you get right up on the wall and
run, I enjoy running it like that, or even down around the middle, it’s
still a track you can move around and do some passing. It’s a fast
racetrack and I think everybody just enjoys going there.”
• On the history of Eldora: “Eldora is a track everybody wants to win
on. It’s got a reputation with Earl and all the years. We’ve always had
a lot of success there, and I’ve always enjoyed running there. I’ve run
there for quite some time and it’s just a track that’s fun to race as a
driver. You can really get out there and put your leg on it and run
hard for 30 or 40 laps.”
• On the fans: “It’s going to be one of the first races we’ll have up
toward the Midwest so everybody has been pretty well locked up all
winter so I’m sure they’re all ready to come out and watch the race.”
Danny Lasoski, a Mean 15 racer and former series champion who drives a
car owned by Tony Stewart Motorsports
• On Eldora: “Earl started everything with the big money shows, the big
races for not only for sprint cars but also stock cars. He put on a
great show no matter what it is. Having Tony buy the place brings it up
another level, having him love dirt tracking like he does. We’re going
there and there’s nothing more that I want than to go get some of his
money.”
• On Tony Stewart: “He comes there as my car owner, my friend and also
the track owner. But there’s no favoritism whatsoever. I don’t want
anybody thinking Danny Lasoski gets a favor because I don’t, but I
wouldn’t mind running the water truck.”
Terry McCarl, a six-time 410 sprint division champion at Knoxville
Raceway who is running with the World of Outlaws in 2005
• On racing at Eldora: “I haven’t been to Eldora since 1997, but I
really like it. I like banging the fence. If you don’t like to run on
the fence, running at Eldora won’t be one of your favorite racetracks.
I remember the very first time I went there I drove Junior Holbrook’s
car and in the feature I quit counting after 13 times I hit the fence
coming off of Turn 2. It’s just real high-banked and you’re going
really fast. You’re actually going faster than you even know. That’s
what makes it difficult. With the wings on the car, when you’re turning
on that kind of banking it’s hard to see in front of you very far so
it’s kind of scary and dangerous. You see a lot of guys get run into
that normally wouldn’t by good guys because you’re going so fast you
can get slowed down and you can’t see ahead because of the banking.
It’s an intimidating track because it’s kind of scary with the speeds.
If you don’t like to go fast, you don’t like Eldora.”
Paul McMahan, a Mean 15 racer in the David Helm-owned No. 11H car
• On racing at Eldora: “Eldora is cool just because of the high banks,
the crowd is one of a kind. The King’s Royal is the biggest race of the
year at Eldora and the crowd is crazy, but even the normal Outlaws
races there are pretty impressive in their own right. Eldora is just
cool. The speed, you race right up against the fence. There’s a lot of
racing going on, a lot of slide jobs. It’s just one of those places you
always want to win.”
Jason Meyers, a Mean 15 racer and winner in 2003 at Eldora
• On why Eldora is special: “What makes Eldora special is the races
that are held there throughout the year and just the prestige that
comes with the place, the people who have won there. Nobody goes to
Eldora their first time and does well. It takes a little while to get
used to Eldora, the speed, the banking. For that big of a place, stuff
happens really fast. Normally on the big tracks things get a little
more spread out and it’s a little slower pace as far as reaction times.
Eldora’s not that that way. It’s not just other racers, it’s a matter
of keeping on top of your racecar because your racecar can get out from
underneath you real quick. NASCAR has the track too tough to tame in
Darlington, and Eldora is one of those places that can bite you, too.
It’s just the speed, the size and everything that goes with it.”
Lonny Parsons, owner of the No. 6 Casey’s General Store car and a
winner earlier this season at Tulare, Calif.
• On Eldora Speedway: “It’s steeped in history, that’s one aspect of
it. Secondly, it’s a super-fast place. It’s kind of scary from the
aspect of a car owner because it puts so much strain on all the
equipment that you pretty much just bite your lip the whole time the
car is out there. It’s just a wide-open joint. It’s kind of
intimidating, really, and always has been. I think that’s what adds to
the allure of it.”
• On new owner Tony Stewart taking over the historic track: “I don’t
think there will be a lot of big changes. Tony Stewart is smart enough
to know that Earl Baltes has been pretty successful over the years and
it’s pretty hard to knock success. There are always some improvements
that can be made in little things, but all in all it’s one of the most
successful places in the country.”
Donny Schatz, a Mean 15 racer and a three-time main event winner this
season
• On Eldora: “It’s a nice place to go. When you first go there I guess
it’s kind of one of those intimidating places and everybody remembers
it. It’s a big fast half-mile with a wall by you. We’ve had success
there and we’ve had failure there. We’re hoping we can go there with
everything right and be competitive. We look forward to it. This time
of the year, it’s always cool so we keep that in the back of our minds.
Plus it’s under new ownership with Tony Stewart. He’s a race fan as
well as the track owner and I think he’ll bring a lot of fun things
there. Earl always did a great job, but he wanted to move on. To be a
part of it, and Tony Stewart involved is a big asset for Eldora
Speedway.”
Tim Shaffer, a Mean 15 racer and a two-time winner at Eldora
• On what it takes to win at Eldora: “It’s really demanding. Your
engine program better be strong and you’ve got to have a racecar that’s
going to roll around there because physically as a driver you can not
make up for a car there. That place is so demanding, there’s nothing
like it. To run good there is tough to do.”
Jason Sides, a Mean 15 racer and winner of the 2004 King’s Royal at
Eldora
• On returning to the track as a former winner: “It’s the same race for
everybody, we just happened to get lucky that night. It’s got a lot of
prestige and all, just going to Eldora itself. It will be a little
different without Earl not owning it, but for the most part it will
still be the same.”
Shane Stewart, the current leader for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the
Year Award
• On what it means to win at Eldora: “It’s prestige. Anybody who can
win a race at Eldora has got their game on. It’s an easy track to race,
but a tough track to win at. I think that’s one reason why I like it.
It’s pretty tough to tame, especially when you get right up against the
fence.”
Brooke Tatnell, driver of the Rush Racing machine and winner of the
Australia Sprintcar Championship earlier this year
• On Eldora: “There’s so much history around the place, that’s the
biggest thing. It was also one of the first places I ever went to where
you drove at that high a speed. When I first went there you raced six
inches off the wall, it was pretty awesome. For me, it’s probably the
one racetrack that I first figured out how to drive at better than
anywhere else. I’ve had my moments there. I’ve had some glory moments
of having good runs there and I’ve had nights of ending up in the
hospital. I don’t know what it is about the place. Whether it’s history
or the past of the Rutherfords and those guys who ran there that I grew
up watching as a kid in Australia, that place is just something
special. There’s nothing else like it.”
Brandon Wimmer, an 18-year-old Mean 15 racer and Kevin Gobrecht Rookie
of the Year Award contender
• On what makes Eldora so exciting: “I think it’s just the history of
Eldora. So many things have happened in the past. The history is so
great at that track that its atmosphere is completely different from
any other track we go to. It’s a really special track and I really like
going there.”
UPCOMING EVENTS
The series will make its first appearance of the season in Indiana when
it runs April 16 at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt. It then shifts
back West for races April 22 at Outlaw Motor Speedway in Muskogee,
Okla., and April 23 at 81 Speedway in Wichita, Kan., before closing out
the month at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa.
