Lonnie Wheatley, DODGE CITY, Kan. (July 4, 2013) – Independence Day rings true for those that travel up and down the highways with the World of Outlaws, as there are no spirits more free than those that chase down all those empty miles to the next racetrack.Little more than 24 hours remain before the world’s elite Sprint Car drivers take to the 3/8-mile Dodge City Raceway Park clay oval in southwest Kansas for the much anticipated Boot Hill Showdown.
And, at the approximate midpoint of the season with 39 nights of action in the books, a total of 16 different drivers have reached victory lane thus far. While Oklahoma native Daryn Pittman leads the championship points chase, it is reigning champion Donny Schatz and Tim Kaeding tied atop the win charts with seven triumphs apiece.
A look at the leading World of Outlaws contenders coming into the weekend, in order of current points ranking:
#9 – Daryn Pittman (Owasso, OK) – Teaming up with the Kasey Kahne Racing Great Clips No. 9 has paid dividends thus far for the Oklahoma native that spent the last several seasons competing in Central Pennsylvania’s rugged Posse circuit. Twenty-six top-fives in 39 events is tops in the series though the most recent of his five wins came back on May 21 in New Egypt, NJ.
#51 – Paul McMahan (Elk Grove, CA) – The Cali native now a resident of Nashville, McMahan leads the way with ten quick times (Pittman at eight is the only other driver with more than four). Among McMahan’s 29 top-tens are three triumphs, most recently on June 1 at Michigan’s I-96 Speedway. McMahan is just 130 points off Pittman’s lead pace.
#15 – Donny Schatz (Fargo, ND) – The five-time and reigning series champion leads the way with seven wins thus far on the 2013 WoO trail including a pair of wins at Knoxville Raceway, where he topped six of the last seven editions of the Knoxville Nationals.
#7 – Craig Dollansky (Elk River, MN) – A Boot Hill Showdown winner in 2011, three of Dollansky’s five wins have come since June 7.
#1 – Sammy Swindell (Germantown, TN) – The crafty veteran is hanging around the top five on the strength of 26 top-tens with his second win of the year coming this past Sunday night at Wisconsin’s Cedar Lake Speedway.
#71m – Joey Saldana (Brownsburg, IN) – The only driver shut out of victory lane that has taken in all 39 nights of action, 20 top-tens keeps Saldana sixth in points aboard the revitalized Motter entry.
#6 – David Gravel (Watertown, CT) – The leading Rookie contender on the tour has taken the seat of the Bill Rose machine full time after taking over as a substitute for an early Rose injury. Gravel celebrated his 21st birthday a few hours early with a Fergus Falls, MN, win on June 22.
#4 – Cody Darrah (Red Lion, PA) – Picking up momentum as of late with seven of his 17 top-tens since June 1, Darrah broke into victory lane just a couple weeks ago at Grand Forks, ND, on June 21.
#11 – Steve Kinser (Bloomington, IN) – The 20-time “King of the Outlaws” and defending Boot Hill Showdown winner has scored just two wins since last year’s Dodge City victory including an April triumph in the series debut at El Paso Speedway Park in far west Texas. Kinser has finished among the top ten in five of the last six feature events.
#63 – Chad Kemenah (Alvada, OH) – Kemanah has climbed back to tenth in points after missing a pair of early nights following a Tucson concussion. Since claiming a podium placing with a third-place run at Lawrenceburg on May 27, Kemenah has hit a rough stretch that includes just one top ten in the last 12 feature events.
#11k – Kraig Kinser (Bloomington, IN) – Last year’s Boot Hill Showdown finale winner, Kinser’s lone score of 2013 thus far came in May at New York’s Middletown Speedway.
#29 – Kerry Madsen (St. Marys, New South Wales, AUS) – The Australian picked off a win atop Eldora’s high banks to kick off the month of May.
#7s – Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN) – After a strong start to the season in Florida and then Las Vegas, the 2011 Boot Hill Showdown winner missed an April event to prep for eastern action. Sides reeled off three top-tens in last weekend’s action after a recent runner-up showing at Kansas City’s Lakeside Speedway.
#83 – Tim Kaeding (San Jose, CA) – Not considered “full-time”, Kaeding has still made 32 of 39 events and matched Schatz in the win charts with his seventh win of the season last night (July 3) at South Dakota’s Huset’s Speedway.
These leading World of Outlaws contenders will be joined by other top shoes at this weekend’s Boot Hill Showdown at Dodge City Raceway Park.
With reserved seating going quickly, remaining reserved seats as well as general admission tickets are available at http://dirtcar.ticketforce.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=89 or by calling the track at 620-225-3277.
Advance tickets combos for both nights are available for $65 for reserved seats and just $50 for general admission. Single night tickets are $40 for reserved seats and $35 for general admission. Children’s tickets (12 and under) are $10 per night in general admission seating only.
Both nights of Boot Hill Showdown racing action featuring the World of Outlaws will go green at 8:00 p.m.
In addition to the much anticipated World of Outlaws Boot Hill Showdown on July 5-6, 18 scheduled nights of action at Dodge City Raceway Park over the course of 2013 features several special events including the TORC Off Road Trucks in April, a pair of $1,200-to-win IMCA Modified tilts in July along with USAC Sprint Cars on August 23-24 and four rounds of URSS Sprint Car competition along the way.
Dodge City Raceway Park is located on the south edge of Dodge City, KS, on US 283, then 0.9 miles west on US 56, then 0.1 miles south. For more information, contact the track at 620-225-3277 or check www.dodgecityraceway.com.
