By Richard Day
PEVELY, MO (April 19) – Craig Dollansky could have won both "A" Features and Tim Shaffer passed cars at will, while Paul McMahan and Daryn Pittman continued their consistent ways as the World of Outlaws Sprint Series raced though Missouri last weekend.
Dollansky, who has overcome tremendous obstacles during the last 11 months, was 2 1/3 laps from victory in Friday’s main event at Sedalia’s State Fair Speedway when he collided with Jason Johnson. World of Outlaws Sprint Series points leader Steve Kinser inherited first place and coasted to his fifth "A" Feature victory of the season.
"The Crowd Pleaser" was not to be denied Saturday at I-55 Raceway. Moving up to the front row after Donny Schatz and "The King of the Outlaws" crashed during the first two attempts to start the 40-lap main event, Dollansky exchanged first place with Jason Sides several times early before driving the #7 VMAC Maxim to victory. Craig regained the two positions in the point standings he lost the night before, and enters Thursday’s $51,600 event at Batesville Speedway 15 points behind Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year front-runner Kraig Kinser. Sprint car racing’s premier series will also race at the Talladega Short Track Saturday.
Shaffer drove the #83 Beef Packers Eagle past 12 cars to finish eighth at Sedalia then, after blowing a right rear tire with 12 laps remaining at I-55, roared through the field to finish in third place. "The Steel City Outlaw" also climbed two spots in the point standings, ranking fourth after nine events.
McMahan has yet to crack the top five, but seven top-10s have him four points ahead of Shaffer in the standings. After blowing an engine during the Second Heat Race at I-55 Raceway, Paul passed seven cars to finish eighth in the main event.
Pittman moved into a fifth-place tie with Schatz after passing 11 cars on his way to a runner-up run at I-55. Pittman, the "A" Feature winner on July 13, 2002, at the facility owned by Ray Marlar and NASCAR Nextel Cup racer Kenny Schrader, exchanged second place with Shaffer early in the 38th lap. Ironically, Pittman and Shaffer were battling for third place earlier in the evening when the #21 Hop & Sack CMC jumped the cushion and hit the retaining wall, causing Daryn to finish seventh in the First Dash Race.
Dollansky, McMahan and Pittman are all graduates of Ted Johnson’s World of Outlaws Gumout Series. Dollansky and Pittman won Gumout Series championships in 2000 and 2001, respectively.
Brooke Tatnell, the only Australian driver to win a World of Outlaws Sprint Series main event, moved into the top 20 with a ninth-place run at I-55 Raceway. Tatnell drove the #66 Trop Artic Maxim into the top five at Thunder Valley Speedway and Houston Raceway Park.
Joey Saldana continued to shine in the #2 Volcano Joe’s Maxim. Since Larry Woodward hired him two weeks ago, the 1996 Rookie of the Year has finished in the top six in all four feature races. Saldana raced into fourth place at Sedalia’s State Fair Speedway and sixth at I-55 Raceway.
The Outdoor Channel filmed all the action from the exciting race at I-55 for its May 5th "Wednesday Night Horsepower" telecast. The one-hour telecast will be one of 35 The Outdoor Channel will air every Wednesday from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time between March 31st and November 24th. Additional replays will be aired Saturdays at 8 a.m. Eastern Time and Thursdays at 10 p.m. Pacific Time.
Thursday’s event at Batesville Speedway will be the World of Outlaws Sprint Series’ first at the high-banked, 3/8-mile oval in 11 years. Kinser and Danny Lasoski, who rank 1-2 in the World of Outlaws Sprint Series point standings, have split the last four "A" Features at Talladega.
PEVELY, MO (April 19) – Craig Dollansky could have won both "A" Features and Tim Shaffer passed cars at will, while Paul McMahan and Daryn Pittman continued their consistent ways as the World of Outlaws Sprint Series raced though Missouri last weekend.
Dollansky, who has overcome tremendous obstacles during the last 11 months, was 2 1/3 laps from victory in Friday’s main event at Sedalia’s State Fair Speedway when he collided with Jason Johnson. World of Outlaws Sprint Series points leader Steve Kinser inherited first place and coasted to his fifth "A" Feature victory of the season.
"The Crowd Pleaser" was not to be denied Saturday at I-55 Raceway. Moving up to the front row after Donny Schatz and "The King of the Outlaws" crashed during the first two attempts to start the 40-lap main event, Dollansky exchanged first place with Jason Sides several times early before driving the #7 VMAC Maxim to victory. Craig regained the two positions in the point standings he lost the night before, and enters Thursday’s $51,600 event at Batesville Speedway 15 points behind Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year front-runner Kraig Kinser. Sprint car racing’s premier series will also race at the Talladega Short Track Saturday.
Shaffer drove the #83 Beef Packers Eagle past 12 cars to finish eighth at Sedalia then, after blowing a right rear tire with 12 laps remaining at I-55, roared through the field to finish in third place. "The Steel City Outlaw" also climbed two spots in the point standings, ranking fourth after nine events.
McMahan has yet to crack the top five, but seven top-10s have him four points ahead of Shaffer in the standings. After blowing an engine during the Second Heat Race at I-55 Raceway, Paul passed seven cars to finish eighth in the main event.
Pittman moved into a fifth-place tie with Schatz after passing 11 cars on his way to a runner-up run at I-55. Pittman, the "A" Feature winner on July 13, 2002, at the facility owned by Ray Marlar and NASCAR Nextel Cup racer Kenny Schrader, exchanged second place with Shaffer early in the 38th lap. Ironically, Pittman and Shaffer were battling for third place earlier in the evening when the #21 Hop & Sack CMC jumped the cushion and hit the retaining wall, causing Daryn to finish seventh in the First Dash Race.
Dollansky, McMahan and Pittman are all graduates of Ted Johnson’s World of Outlaws Gumout Series. Dollansky and Pittman won Gumout Series championships in 2000 and 2001, respectively.
Brooke Tatnell, the only Australian driver to win a World of Outlaws Sprint Series main event, moved into the top 20 with a ninth-place run at I-55 Raceway. Tatnell drove the #66 Trop Artic Maxim into the top five at Thunder Valley Speedway and Houston Raceway Park.
Joey Saldana continued to shine in the #2 Volcano Joe’s Maxim. Since Larry Woodward hired him two weeks ago, the 1996 Rookie of the Year has finished in the top six in all four feature races. Saldana raced into fourth place at Sedalia’s State Fair Speedway and sixth at I-55 Raceway.
The Outdoor Channel filmed all the action from the exciting race at I-55 for its May 5th "Wednesday Night Horsepower" telecast. The one-hour telecast will be one of 35 The Outdoor Channel will air every Wednesday from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time between March 31st and November 24th. Additional replays will be aired Saturdays at 8 a.m. Eastern Time and Thursdays at 10 p.m. Pacific Time.
Thursday’s event at Batesville Speedway will be the World of Outlaws Sprint Series’ first at the high-banked, 3/8-mile oval in 11 years. Kinser and Danny Lasoski, who rank 1-2 in the World of Outlaws Sprint Series point standings, have split the last four "A" Features at Talladega.
