World of Outlaws to Invade Terre Haute, Tri-City

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By Richard Day

TERRE HAUTE, IN (May 13) – Danny Lasoski, Donny Schatz and the other members of the "Mean 15" are eagerly anticipating this weekend’s World of Outlaws Sprint Series events at the Terre Haute Action Track and Tri-City Speedway.

Lasoski, who has sliced 60 points off Steve Kinser’s advantage in the standings in the last six races, has won the last four "A" Features at Terre Haute. Schatz, who leads the series with 12 top-10 finishes, is riding the crest of five straight single-digit runs. "The Dude" and the 1997 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year rank 2-3 in the point standings and are looking forward to visiting victory lane for the first time in 2004.

"We're getting closer to Steve (Kinser) in the points, but this is a long season and there's plenty of racing left," said Lasoski, who is 37 points behind the defending and 18-time champion. "In all reality, it doesn't really do us any good to look at the points. We're focused on winning races, and when you win races the points take care of themselves. Last year, Steve and I swapped the point lead several times before it was all said and done, and that had a lot to do with who was winning when.

"Terre Haute has been a really good place for this J.D. Byrider/Home Depot/Mopar team, and it's as good a place as any to finally get a win. Winning races is why we're here, and that's all we're really looking at this weekend at Terre Haute and Tri-City."

Schatz solidified third place in the point standings by driving the #15 Parker Store J&J into the top five for the fifth time this season in Tuesday’s Freedom 40 at K-C Raceway.

"It was another one of those nights where we put ourselves in a position to start up front," said Schatz, who leads the series with 12 top-10 finishes. "Jason (Sides) got a good start and we were right there for most of the race. We had a good race with Kerry (Madsen) for second and then battled with Mark (Kinser) later in the race.

"Consistency was a big goal of ours coming into the season, so we have to be happy about our recent finishes. We're still focusing on getting that first win of the season. If we all keep working hard, the night will come when we put it all together. Once we put it together maybe we can run off a string of wins."

Kinser has been the model of consistency at Tri-City, winning 22 of 46 World of Outlaws Sprint Series main events at Granite City’s semi-banked, ½-mile oval. "The King of the Outlaws" is also a four-time winner at Terre Haute.

Jason Meyers is the series’ hottest driver with top-eight finishes, including two victories, in the last five "A" Features. Meyers won his third main event of the season Tuesday, passing Sides late in the 31st lap and holding off Mark Kinser to claim the $10,000 first prize. Meyers leads the series with eight top-five finishes through the first 14 main events.

Mark Kinser set the single-lap records at the high-speed, half-miles in 1999 – 109.177 M.P.H. at Terre Haute and 113.087 M.P.H. at Tri-City. Lasoski leads the series with six fast-times this season.

Paul McMahan, who won at Tri-City Speedway last June 22nd, is only three points behind Meyers in the standings. McMahan drove the #11H Selma Shell Maxim to victory last Saturday in the Bluegrass Classic at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway.

Rookie of the Year candidates Kraig Kinser, Brian Brown Jonathan Allard and Erin Crocker finished 14-17 in Tuesday’s Freedom 40. Kinser, the leader in the Kevin Gobrecht award race, ranks sixth in the overall standings with nine top-10 finishes, including four in the top five.

Driving the #7 VMAC Maxim into sixth place at K-C Raceway Tuesday pushed Craig Dollansky past defending Freedom 40 champion Daryn Pittman and Tim Shaffer into seventh place in the World of Outlaws Sprint Series standings.
 




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