By Richard Day
KNOXVILLE, IA (April 27) – Danny Lasoski won all three main events the World of Outlaws Sprint Series ran at Knoxville Raceway a year ago, including the 43rd Annual Knoxville Nationals.
The seven-time Knoxville Raceway champion has set fast time in five programs and driven 2002 NASCAR Nextel Cup titleist Tony Stewart’s #20 J.D. Byrider Eagle into the top five in four main events this season, but has yet to visit victory lane.
"We’ve shown a lot of speed, but we’re really hungry for a win," Lasoski said recently. "Paul Kistler’s hard work has really shown with our motor program, but we want to give him and everyone else associated with our program a win. That’s why we’re here.
"The points are really tight, and it seems like there’s a lot more of us at the top of the standings than at this point last year. Every race is important. Every race has meaning. That’s always been our mindset, and that’s the way it will continue to be this year."
Lasoski, the 2001 World of Outlaws Sprint Series champion, is 65 points behind standings leader Steve Kinser. Although "The Dude" has won 82 feature races at "The Home of the Nationals," he will have plenty of competition for the $12,000 first prize when the World of Outlaws Sprint Series sanctions the Spring Classic this weekend.
Kinser, the series’ defending and 18-time champion, has won five "A" Features and three preliminaries this year, including the 500th victory of his career. "The King of the Outlaws" has won 33 main events at Knoxville Raceway, including 12 Nationals titles.
Only 41 points separate positions three through nine in the standings, and two drivers are tied for ninth place. Twelve drivers changed ranking positions after last Saturday’s "A" Feature at the Talladega Short Track.
Jason Meyers, who recorded his first World of Outlaws Sprint Series main event victory at Knoxville Raceway on July 16, 2001, kept the #14 Elite Landscaping Maxim ahead of hard-charging "young gun" Kraig Kinser throughout the 35-lap race at Talladega to win for the second time this season. Shane Stewart, whose team received the Best Appearing Crew award during the 2003 Nationals, passed Kraig during the final lap and was only three car-lengths behind when Meyers took the checkered flag.
Donny Schatz, the runner-up in the Knoxville Nationals championship feature three times in the last four years, broke a fifth-place tie with Daryn Pittman during the Talladega event.
Tyler Walker, whose car owner, Guy Forbrook, has won seven Knoxville Raceway championships, maintained his 11th-place ranking by driving the #5 Wirtgen Maxim into 10th place from inside the eighth row at the Talladega Short Track.
Erin Crocker, the first female to qualify for a Knoxville Nationals championship feature, finished 14th at the Talladega Short Track to maintain a nine-point advantage over fellow rookie Brian Brown, whose team is based in Urbandale, IA.
American Compressed Steel will sponsor Friday’s preliminary program and Budweiser will sponsor Saturday’s feature racing program.
Hot laps will begin at 6:45 p.m. each evening. The qualifying session will start at 7:15 p.m., and Doug Clark will drop the green flag in the First Heat Race at 8 p.m. both nights. General admission tickets are being sold to adults for $19 and $9.50 for children between the ages of six and 14. Pit passes will be available for $30 apiece.
KNOXVILLE, IA (April 27) – Danny Lasoski won all three main events the World of Outlaws Sprint Series ran at Knoxville Raceway a year ago, including the 43rd Annual Knoxville Nationals.
The seven-time Knoxville Raceway champion has set fast time in five programs and driven 2002 NASCAR Nextel Cup titleist Tony Stewart’s #20 J.D. Byrider Eagle into the top five in four main events this season, but has yet to visit victory lane.
"We’ve shown a lot of speed, but we’re really hungry for a win," Lasoski said recently. "Paul Kistler’s hard work has really shown with our motor program, but we want to give him and everyone else associated with our program a win. That’s why we’re here.
"The points are really tight, and it seems like there’s a lot more of us at the top of the standings than at this point last year. Every race is important. Every race has meaning. That’s always been our mindset, and that’s the way it will continue to be this year."
Lasoski, the 2001 World of Outlaws Sprint Series champion, is 65 points behind standings leader Steve Kinser. Although "The Dude" has won 82 feature races at "The Home of the Nationals," he will have plenty of competition for the $12,000 first prize when the World of Outlaws Sprint Series sanctions the Spring Classic this weekend.
Kinser, the series’ defending and 18-time champion, has won five "A" Features and three preliminaries this year, including the 500th victory of his career. "The King of the Outlaws" has won 33 main events at Knoxville Raceway, including 12 Nationals titles.
Only 41 points separate positions three through nine in the standings, and two drivers are tied for ninth place. Twelve drivers changed ranking positions after last Saturday’s "A" Feature at the Talladega Short Track.
Jason Meyers, who recorded his first World of Outlaws Sprint Series main event victory at Knoxville Raceway on July 16, 2001, kept the #14 Elite Landscaping Maxim ahead of hard-charging "young gun" Kraig Kinser throughout the 35-lap race at Talladega to win for the second time this season. Shane Stewart, whose team received the Best Appearing Crew award during the 2003 Nationals, passed Kraig during the final lap and was only three car-lengths behind when Meyers took the checkered flag.
Donny Schatz, the runner-up in the Knoxville Nationals championship feature three times in the last four years, broke a fifth-place tie with Daryn Pittman during the Talladega event.
Tyler Walker, whose car owner, Guy Forbrook, has won seven Knoxville Raceway championships, maintained his 11th-place ranking by driving the #5 Wirtgen Maxim into 10th place from inside the eighth row at the Talladega Short Track.
Erin Crocker, the first female to qualify for a Knoxville Nationals championship feature, finished 14th at the Talladega Short Track to maintain a nine-point advantage over fellow rookie Brian Brown, whose team is based in Urbandale, IA.
American Compressed Steel will sponsor Friday’s preliminary program and Budweiser will sponsor Saturday’s feature racing program.
Hot laps will begin at 6:45 p.m. each evening. The qualifying session will start at 7:15 p.m., and Doug Clark will drop the green flag in the First Heat Race at 8 p.m. both nights. General admission tickets are being sold to adults for $19 and $9.50 for children between the ages of six and 14. Pit passes will be available for $30 apiece.
