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A Historic Night: Saldana Wins 20th Race of 2009 While Donny
Schatz Captures Fourth Consecutive Title
Concord, NC (November 7, 2009) — A couple pieces of history were made on
Saturday night live on SPEED in the finale of the World Finals at The Dirt
Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway before a standing room only crowd as Joey
Saldana became just the fifth driver in the 30-plus year history of the
series to win at least 20 A-Feature events in a single season, while Donny
Schatz became just the second driver ever to win four consecutive World of
Outlaws titles.
Saldana's win was his second of the season at the state-of-the-art
four-tenths-mile and he joins an illustrious list of drivers that have won
20 or more A-Feature events in a season with the World of Outlaws, as only
20-time series champion Steve Kinser, three-time titlist Sammy Swindell,
two-time champ Mark Kinser and Doug Wolfgang have accomplished that feat
prior to Saturday night. Including a preliminary feature win during the Gold
Cup Race of Champions in September, Saldana finished the year with 21
overall triumphs.
“This is great,” said Saldana. “In my mind I had won 20 (races), but it's
not official until you have that 2-0 and we did it. Not many men have done
that and it's a pretty tough feat to accomplish. It means our team is going
in the right direction and we know we can do it. We definitely have the
package to win races, we just have to work on the package to finish races
and finishing respectable every night.”
The title for Schatz was his fourth consecutive and second straight driving
for Tony Stewart Racing and makes him the only driver other than Steve
Kinser to win four and to win four consecutive. The North Dakota native won
12 times this season and led the series with 39 Top-Five finishes.
“If feels awesome,” Schatz said. “It's a great season when you can win a
championship and be the most consistent. It's very rewarding and I don't
know what to say right now. I'm kind of speechless right now and it won't
sink in until tomorrow. It's pretty awesome and I am glad to be part of this
with everyone at Armor, STP, Chevy and ParkerStore. I'm a lucky guy to get
to be part of this and I can't say thanks enough to the guys that work on
these cars and make sure they don't fall apart on me and make sure I have
fast cars and am competitive. I want to thank Tony Stewart for what he has
done for us and keeping us on our edge.”
Saldana lined up on the outside of the front row in the Budweiser Maxim on
Saturday night, with pole sitter Dale Blaney taking the lead at the start
and pacing the field for the 14 laps. The leaders found themselves in lapped
traffic on the sixth go-around with Saldana closing back in after Blaney had
opened a sizeable lead. Saldana went to the high side of turn four on the
seventh lap, nearly taking the lead and then dove under Blaney in turns one
and two on the next circuit again nearly taking the top spot. For the next
four laps a couple of slower machines separated the pair with Saldana
closing back in on the 14th lap. On the 15th lap Saldana charged to the high
side in turns one and two and took the lead from Blaney and would go on to
pace the field for the remainder of the 30-lapper.
“We put a little harder of a tire on and I didn't know if he had a softer
one, so I wasn't pushing it,” notes the winner. “He just told me that he had
the same tire I had on. With 30 laps, it will be a pretty fast pace and I
didn't want to do anything stupid. As soon as we got to lapped traffic and
got moving around, that's when I got him. We had a great car and just worked
hard on it.”
The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway is the home track for Saldana's Kasey
Kahne Racing team, which is based in Mooresville, North Carolina. In
addition to Donny Schatz, Saldana is the only driver that has competed in
all 23 of the previous World of Outlaws races at the track.
“When your shop is 20 miles away and your team and their families are from
here, and they are all able to come out and watch us and see all of that
hard work in the off-season pay off is great,” shared Saldana. “It's huge
for us to run well here. It's been a tough place for me and we figured it
out.”
After having a wheel break while running third on Friday night, Blaney wound
up second in the finale of the World Finals after leading the first 15 laps
of the race in the Ti-22 Performance Maxim. Blaney used a lap-21 restart to
get alongside Saldana in turn one, but could not quite make the pass. On the
final restart of the night he again dove under Saldana in turns one and two,
but Saldana held the lead.
“Any time we come and run with the Outlaws we seem to run good and that
makes us feel like we accomplished a little bit,” Blaney said. “We had a
great car all weekend and tonight I felt like I made a mistake that cost me
the race. We always look forward to running with the Outlaws and it had been
a few years since we had been down here. It's a pretty cool place to come
to.”
Jason Meyers who entered the race 25 points behind Donny Schatz in the
closest-ever battle for the World of Outlaws title wound up third in the GLR
Investments KPC, which was three spots ahead of Schatz, though he ended the
season second in points, 19 markers behind the champion in what was
ultimately the closest finish in series history. The native of Clovis,
California was running fourth on the final lap on Saturday night and won a
drag race with Steve Kinser down the front straightway to snag the final
spot on the podium by less than a tenth of a second.
“We had a great race car tonight,” stated Meyers. “These guys worked hard
and Brian Bloomfield who does our tires made a gamble there and made a great
call and gave me a great race car. We knew we had to go for broke and roll
the dice tonight and try to get to the front. We did and Donny (Schatz)
still had a good run so we came up a little short in the championship. This
entire team did a great job this year and I feel blessed to get to work with
them. We are going to work hard over the winter and I can't wait for
Florida.”
Kinser ended up fourth in the Quaker State Maxim, with fellow Hall of Famer
Fred Rahmer in fifth aboard the Miller Brothers machine. Schatz ended up
sixth after falling back to 10th early in the race piloting a special
edition STP J&J. Danny Lasoski was seventh in the Casey's General Store JEI,
with Terry McCarl eighth aboard the Big Game Treestands Maxim. Tim Shaffer
came from 21st to finish ninth in the Kistler Engines J&J to earn the KSE
Racing Products Hard Charger Award, with Ed Lynch Jr. rounding out the
Top-10 in the Howard Concrete J&J.
The World of Outlaws wrap up the 2009 season on Sunday night with the series
annual Night of Champions which will be held at the Great Wolf Lodge in
Concord, North Carolina.
WORLD FINAL NIGHT #3 NOTES
•FAST QUALIFIER: Donny Schatz paced the 56 cars that took time for
Saturday's portion of the World Finals which was held on November 5 with an
AMB i.t. timed lap around the semi-banked four-tenths-mile oval at 13.770
seconds at 104.575 mph. For his qualifying effort, Schatz earned five bonus
points. The next four fastest qualifiers also earned bonus points,
including: Steve Kinser (4), Ed Lynch Jr. (3), Danny Lasoski (2) and Jason
Sides (1).
• WORLD FINALS NIGHT #2 QUALIFYING WINNERS: Terry McCarl, Steve Kinser, Joey
Saldana and Jason Meyers won heat races. Dale Blaney won the Crane Cams
Dash. Cale Conley won the B-Main. Tim Kaeding won the C-Main. Bob Howard won
the D-Main.
• FEATURE WINNERS: There has been 65 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series
A-Feature event held in 2009. The winners include: Joey Saldana (Volusia
Speedway Park, Silver Dollar Speedway-twice, Thunderbowl Raceway, Lone Star
Speedway--twice, Houston Raceway Park, The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor
Speedway-twice, Virginia Motor Speedway, Lawrenceburg Speedway, Dodge City
Raceway Park-twice, U.S. 36 Raceway, 34 Raceway, I-55 Raceway, Castrol
Raceway-twice, Skagit Speedway and Deer Creek Speedway.), Donny Schatz
(Volusia Speedway Park-twice, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,
Knoxville Raceway, Eldora Speedway, Canandaigua Speedway, Lawrenceburg
Speedway, River Cities Speedway, Cedar Lake Speedway, Eldora Speedway, K-C
Raceway and Dacotah Speedway), Jason Meyers (Silver Dollar Speedway, Paducah
International Raceway, I-96 Speedway, Red River Valley Speedway, Ohsweken
Speedway, Skagit Speedway, Cottage Grove Speedway, Clay County Fair Speedway
and The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway), Danny Lasoski (Delaware
International Speedway, Nodak Speedway, Eagle Raceway, Charter Raceway Park
and Lernerville Speedway), Craig Dollansky (Lebanon Valley Speedway, I-55
Raceway and River Cities Speedway), Greg Hodnett (Williams Grove
Speedway-three times), Steve Kinser (Tri-State Speedway and Limaland
Motorsports Park), Terry McCarl (Knoxville Raceway and Eldora Speedway),
Jason Sides (Ohsweken Speedway and Eldora Speedway), Dale Blaney (Attica
Raceway Park), Cody Darrah (Williams Grove Speedway), Randy Hannagan (Thunderbowl
Raceway), Tim Kaeding (Riverside International Speedway),Chad Kemenah (Manzanita
Speedway), Tim Shaffer (Rolling Wheels Raceway Park) and Stevie Smith (Lernerville
Speedway).
• PRELIMINARY FEATURE WINNERS: There has been two World of Outlaws
preliminary features this season. The winners include: Jason Meyers (Silver
Dollar Speedway) and Joey Saldana (Silver Dollar Speedway).
• FOUR-TENTHS-MILE WINNERS: The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway is a
high-banked four-tenths-mile oval. The World of Outlaws have raced five
times this season on a track that size. The winners included: Joey Saldana
(The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway-twice), Danny Lasoski (Lernerville
Speedway), Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway and Stevie
Smith (Lernerville Speedway).
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; World Finals Night
#3; Concord, NC; November 7, 2009
Qualifying (Held on November 5)
1) 15-Donny Schatz 13.770
2) 11-Steve Kinser 13.859
3) 2L-Ed Lynch Jr. 13.883
4) 6-Danny Lasoski 13.883
5) 7S-Jason Sides 13.922
6) 3C-Cale Conley 13.955
7) 2-Dale Blaney 13.960
8) 22H-Greg Hodnett 13.970
9) 24-Terry McCarl 13.990
10) 51-Fred Rahmer 14.075
11) 9-Joey Saldana 14.093
12) 14-Jason Meyers 14.102
13) 19-Cody Darrah 14.126
14) 7-Craig Dollansky 14.132
15) O7X-Brandon Wimmer 14.139
16) 6F-Bob Felmlee 14.156
17) 94-Zach Zimmerly 14.184
18) 91-Brad Sweet 14.187
19) 1Z-Jessica Zemken 14.203
20) 13-Don Droud Jr 14.207
21) 5W-Lucas Wolfe 14.210
22) 7M-Mark Smith 14.210
23) 43-Doug Dodson 14.214
24) 28-Todd Kane 14.217
25) 83X-Tim Shaffer 14.255
26) G1-Jeremy Campbell 14.268
27) 27-Curt Michael 14.271
28) 21-Brian Montieth 14.285
29) 63-Chad Kemenah 14.326
30) 30C-Lance Dewease 14.334
31) 17-Daryn Pittman 14.354
32) 1B-Keith Baxter 14.361
33) 20-Kraig Kinser 14.362
34) 35-Justin Henderson 14.384
35) 22B-Ben Gregg 14.427
36) 93-Sam Hafertepe Jr. 14.436
37) 15X-Adam Wilt 14.489
38) 25-Brooke Tatnell 14.492
39) 83-Tim Kaeding 14.518
40) 81-Craig Folmar 14.548
41) 1-Chris Shirek 14.615
42) R19-Jac Haudenschild 14.624
43) 13X-Kramer Williamson 14.644
44) 60C-Kory Crabtree 14.669
45) 22-Brian Ellenberger 14.686
46) 55-Chad Layton 14.726
47) D4-Danny Holtgraver 14.785
48) 89-Robbie Stillwaggon 14.794
49) 49-Bob Howard 14.865
50) 6W-Brad Wickham 14.884
51) O-Glenn Styres 14.897
52) 63J-Josh Weller 14.919
53) 4K-Kris Spitz 15.375
54) 19K-Kyle Pruitt 15.602
55) 23-Todd Zinn 15.858
56) 6X-Mark Cole 16.232
Heat 1 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 24-Terry McCarl
2) 7S-Jason Sides
3) 15-Donny Schatz
4) 19-Cody Darrah
5) 83X-Tim Shaffer
6) 94-Zach Zimmerly
7) 5W-Lucas Wolfe
8) 20-Kraig Kinser
9) 63-Chad Kemenah
10) 1-Chris Shirek
11) 15X-Adam Wilt
12) 22-Brian Ellenberger
Heat 2 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 11-Steve Kinser
2) 7-Craig Dollansky
3) 30C-Lance Dewease
4) 51-Fred Rahmer
5) 91-Brad Sweet
6) 3C-Cale Conley
7) 7M-Mark Smith
8) G1-Jeremy Campbell
9) 25-Brooke Tatnell
10) R19-Jac Haudenschild
11) 35-Justin Henderson
12) 55-Chad Layton
Heat 3 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 9-Joey Saldana
2) 2-Dale Blaney
3) 2L-Ed Lynch Jr.
4) 17-Daryn Pittman
5) O7X-Brandon Wimmer
6) 83-Tim Kaeding
7) 1Z-Jessica Zemken
8) 43-Doug Dodson
9) 27-Curt Michael
10) 22B-Ben Gregg
11) 13X-Kramer Williamson
12) D4-Danny Holtgraver
Heat 4 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 14-Jason Meyers
2) 6-Danny Lasoski
3) 6F-Bob Felmlee
4) 13-Don Droud Jr
5) 1B-Keith Baxter
6) 93-Sam Hafertepe Jr.
7) 28-Todd Kane
8) 89-Robbie Stillwaggon
9) 21-Brian Montieth
10) 60C-Kory Crabtree
11) 81-Craig Folmar
12) 22H-Greg Hodnett
Crane Cams Dash (6 laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting
positions of A-feature)
1) 2-Dale Blaney
2) 9-Joey Saldana
3) 2L-Ed Lynch Jr.
4) 11-Steve Kinser
5) 15-Donny Schatz
6) 7S-Jason Sides
7) 24-Terry McCarl
8) 14-Jason Meyers
9) 7-Craig Dollansky
10) 6-Danny Lasoski
D-main (8 laps, top 2 finishers transferred to C-main)
1) 49-Bob Howard
2) 6W-Brad Wickham
3) 63J-Josh Weller [$100]
4) 23-Todd Zinn [$100]
5) 19K-Kyle Pruitt [$100]
6) 4K-Kris Spitz [$100]
7) O-Glenn Styres [$100]
8) 6X-Mark Cole [$100]
C-main (10 laps, top 2 finishers transferred to B-main)
1) 83-Tim Kaeding
2) 25-Brooke Tatnell
3) 15X-Adam Wilt [$125]
4) 22-Brian Ellenberger [$125]
5) 1-Chris Shirek [$125]
6) 81-Craig Folmar [$100]
7) 55-Chad Layton [$100]
8) 60C-Kory Crabtree [$100]
9) 49-Bob Howard [$100]
10) 89-Robbie Stillwaggon [$100]
11) D4-Danny Holtgraver [$100]
12) 13X-Kramer Williamson [$100]
13) 6W-Brad Wickham [$100]
14) R19-Jac Haudenschild [$100]
B-main (12 laps, top 4 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 3C-Cale Conley
2) 22H-Greg Hodnett
3) 94-Zach Zimmerly
4) 1Z-Jessica Zemken
5) 5W-Lucas Wolfe [$200]
6) 7M-Mark Smith [$180]
7) 28-Todd Kane [$175]
8) 63-Chad Kemenah [$160]
9) 27-Curt Michael [$150]
10) 20-Kraig Kinser [$150]
11) G1-Jeremy Campbell [$150]
12) 93-Sam Hafertepe Jr. [$150]
13) 83-Tim Kaeding [$150]
14) 35-Justin Henderson [$150]
15) 22B-Ben Gregg [$150]
16) 25-Brooke Tatnell [$150]
17) 21-Brian Montieth [$150]
18) 43-Doug Dodson [$150]
A-main (30 laps) - Starting Position [#]
1) 9-Joey Saldana[2] [$10,000]
2) 2-Dale Blaney[1] [$5,500]
3) 14-Jason Meyers[8] [$3,200]
4) 11-Steve Kinser[4] [$2,800]
5) 51-Fred Rahmer[13] [$2,500]
6) 15-Donny Schatz[5] [$2,300]
7) 6-Danny Lasoski[10] [$2,200]
8) 24-Terry McCarl[7] [$2,100]
9) 83X-Tim Shaffer[21] [$2,050]
10) 2L-Ed Lynch Jr.[3] [$2,000]
11) 7S-Jason Sides[6] [$1,500]
12) 91-Brad Sweet[18] [$1,200]
13) 22H-Greg Hodnett[12] [$1,100]
14) 19-Cody Darrah[14] [$1,050]
15) 6F-Bob Felmlee[16] [$1,000]
16) 3C-Cale Conley[11] [$900]
17) 94-Zach Zimmerly[17] [$800]
18) 17-Daryn Pittman[23] [$800]
19) 20-Kraig Kinser[26] [$0]
20) 1Z-Jessica Zemken[19] [$800]
21) 13-Don Droud Jr[20] [$800]
22) O7X-Brandon Wimmer[15] [$800]
23) 1B-Keith Baxter[24] [$800]
24) 7-Craig Dollansky[9] [$800]
25) R19-Jac Haudenschild[25] [$0]
26) 30C-Lance Dewease[22] [$800]
Note: Jac Haudenschild and Kraig Kinser used World of Outlaws Provisionals
to start the A-Feature.
Lap Leaders: Dale Blaney 1-14, Joey Saldana 15-30
SuperClean Start of the Night Award: Jason Meyers
Penske Power Position Award: Jason Meyers
KSE Hard Charger Award: Tim Shaffer
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