Archive for Sprints
Gravel Sweeps Outlaw Energy Showdown and Wins Both Nights
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World of Outlaws
Story by Gary Thomas
Contact: Cristina Córdova
World of Outlaws PR
704-707-0236 | ccordova@dirtcar.com
David Gravel Gets Out the Broom & Sweeps the Outlaw Energy Showdown at Skagit Speedway
ALGER, Washington - September 3, 2016 - After winning on opening night at the Skagit Speedway, Watertown, Connecticut's David Gravel returned on Saturday with confidence and raced to an entertaining late-race victory for the second evening in a row with the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series.
The opener of the Outlaw Energy Showdown on Friday had seen Gravel claim a final corner thriller, and on Saturday he was able to take advantage of heavy lapped traffic with just six-laps remaining, scooping up the lead that he would never relinquish. It marked the ninth triumph of the season for the CJB Motorsports/ Big Game Tree Stands No. 5 team. The 35-lap feature went green for 33-laps and showcased some outstanding racing in traffic on the well prepared Skagit oval.
"The track was awesome tonight, I don't think you can ask for anything better," Gravel commented. "It's been such a great year for us that it almost feels unreal. I want to thank the whole CJB Motorsports team for giving me the opportunity to drive the 5 car this season. Tonight I could put this thing anywhere on the track and that's a testament to Barry Jackson and my team. The cushion was the place to be, but to win these races you have to be capable of moving around. Luckily we had a break when Joey (Saldana) got caught up in traffic and were able to take advantage it."
Gravel started on the inside of the second row during the feature and settled into third on the start. He then hounded the rear bumper of Grass Valley's Brad Sweet, before making the move around him on lap 11. The duo proceeded to then tussle for the runner up spot, all the while racing closely behind leader Joey Saldana. The Brownsburg, Indiana competitor was looking for his fifth victory of the season and held the field at bay for much of the contest.
On lap 27 Gravel & Sweet exchanged the second position, which saw Gravel get the better of it. Two-laps later the complexion of the race changed when Saldana got slowed up by a lapped car on the front stretch, giving Gravel the opportunity he needed to pounce for the lead. Sweet was also able to come through for second, as Saldana regained his momentum in third.
The only stoppage of the race then occurred with 33-laps complete, when fifth running Shane Stewart got upside down in turn three. Just ahead of that, a multiple-car pileup also occurred, that saw Austen Wheatley get upside down. Paul McMahan, Trey Starks and Jacob Allen were also involved.
The green white checkered restart was all Gravel as he rocketed away to claim the victory by 1.284 seconds over Sweet, who earned another solid finish aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing/ Ollie's Bargain Outlets No. 49 machine. Both Sweet & Gravel are locked in an ultra close race for the second spot in the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series standings.
"The track was really good tonight and definitely a lot of fun racing through traffic," said Sweet, who earned his 38th top-five finish of the season. "David (Gravel) did a great job in traffic so I have to congratulate him on winning again. He got by me early in the race and I knew it would be hard to get back by him. We had a great car tonight and showed a lot of speed all weekend. Huge thanks to my team for all their support. We're certainly out here to win races, but it's hard to be disappointed with a second place finish. We just have to get a little better and we'll move on to Elma Monday."
After leading the first 28-laps in the feature Saldana was forced to settle for a third place finish at the helm of the Roth Motorsports/ HR Livestock No. 83 Sprinter. Like the other two drivers the veteran also commented on the well prepared surface, which saw track crews stay up till 2am the night before to help get it into shape.
"The track was awesome and we did pretty much everything right tonight, but just got a bad break in traffic. I hate it for my guys, because we were really good in the main event. These races are often won or lost in traffic and unfortunately for us it didn't go our way tonight. We'll look forward to Elma now on Monday. I want to thank Dennis & Teresa Roth for giving me the chance to drive this car. Hopefully we can give them a win real soon."
Eunice, Louisiana's Jason Johnson had a great restart on lap 33 to go from sixth to fourth, making a couple of strong moves to get around Owasso, Oklahoma's Daryn Pittman & Hanover, Pennsylvania's Logan Schuchart, who finished fifth & sixth respectively.
Fargo, North Dakota's Donny Schatz earned the KSE Hard Charger Award by carving his way from 20th to seventh. The current point leader was stuck deep in the field after getting upside down and suffering a DNF in his heat race. Mount Vernon, Washington's Jason Solwold; Puyallup, Washington's Trey Starks and Jacob Allen completed the top-10.
Joey Saldana captured the night's dash, while the three 10-lap heat races were picked off by David Gravel, Saldana and Brad Sweet. Gravel opened the night by setting his sixth fast time effort of the season by touring the Skagit Speedway in 10.967 seconds.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will return to action on Monday night at the Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington for the Lucky Eagle Casino Grays Harbor Grudge Match presented by NAPA Auto Parts.
Skagit Speedway Notebook
RACE REPORT: After winning on opening night at the Skagit Speedway, Watertown, Connecticut's David Gravel returned on Saturday with confidence and raced to an entertaining late-race victory for the second evening in a row with the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series. Outlaws Brad Sweet and Joey Saldana shared the spotlight with second and third place.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Luke Didiuk; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): David Gravel; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jacob Allen; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Jacob Allen; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Jacob Allen; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Super Flow ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash):Joey Saldana, Brad Sweet; David Gravel, Daryn Pittman; KSE Hard Charger: Donny Schatz; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): David Gravel; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Greg Wilson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Luke Didiuk.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 20 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4, Stockton Dirt Track on March 18, Stockton Dirt Track on March 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on April 2, Lincoln Speedway on May 19, Weedsport Speedway on May 22, Lincoln Park Speedway on June 8, Knoxville Raceway on June 11, River Cities Speedway on June 17, Rockford Speedway on June 29, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 3, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9, Attica Raceway Park on July 12, Eldora Speedway on July 16, Ohsweken Speedway on July 26, Junction Motor Speedway on August 16, Angell Park Speedway on August 21, River Cities Speedway on August 26, Nodak Speedway on August 28); David Gravel - 9 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 12, Tri-State Speedway on May 14, I-96 Speedway on June 6, Eldora Speedway on July 14, Lernerville Speedway on July 19, Wilmot Raceway on July 30, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 5, Skagit Speedway on Sept 2 and 3); Daryn Pittman - 7 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 27, Perris Auto Speedway on April 16, USA Raceway on April 18, New Egypt Speedway on May 24, Jackson Motorplex on June 24, Eldora Speedway on July 15, Williams Grove Speedway on July 22); Brad Sweet - 7 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Cotton Bowl Speedway on Feb. 26, Ocean Speedway on April 1, Bakersfield Speedway on April 15, Plymouth Speedway on May 13, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 2); Shane Stewart - 5 (Arizona Speedway on March 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 23, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 30, Granite City Speedway on June 15, Brown County Speedway on June 19); Joey Saldana - 4 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 3, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 22, Jacksonville Speedway on May 4, I-80 Speedway on June 22); Lance Dewease - 2 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 20, Williams Grove Speedway on July 23); Kerry Madsen - 2 (Eldora Speedway on May 6 and 7);Rico Abreu - 1(Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 6); Bill Balog - 1 (Beaver Dam Raceway on June 25); Chad Kemenah - 1 (Fremont Speedway on June 3); Jason Johnson - 2 (Placerville Speedway on March 24, Knoxville Nationals on August 13);Terry McCarl - 1 (Knoxville Raceway on June 10); Logan Schuchart - 1 (Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9); Jason Sides - 1 (I-30 Speedway on April 26); Greg Wilson - 1 (The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 27).
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Skagit Speedway, Wash.; Sept 3, 2016
A-Main - (35 Laps) - 1. 5-David Gravel [3] [$12,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [2] [$5,700]; 3. 83-Joey Saldana [1] [$3,500]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [12] [$3,000]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8] [$2,600]; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [5] [$2,400]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz [20] [$2,300]; 8. 18-Jason Solwold [7] [$2,200]; 9. 55-Trey Starks [4] [$2,150]; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen [10] [$2,100]; 11. 7-Paul McMahan [16] [$1,600]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [11] [$1,350]; 13. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [15] [$1,300]; 14. 33V-Henry VanDam [14] [$1,200]; 15. 39C-Travis Rilat [13] [$1,100]; 16. W20-Greg Wilson [18] [$1,000]; 17. 21-Robbie Price [19] [$900]; 18. 13-Clyde Knipp [22] [$850]; 19. 2-Shane Stewart [9] [$800]; 20. 44W-Austen Wheatley [6] [$800]; 21. 9A-Luke Didiuk [21] [$800]; 22. 22X-Trevor Cook [17] [$800] . Lap Leaders: Joey Saldana 1-29, David Gravel 30-35;
KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz [+13] .
Qualifying - 1. 5-David Gravel, 10.967; 2. 15-Donny Schatz, 10.986; 3. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.006; 4. 55-Trey Starks, 11.020; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.043; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.079; 7. 18-Jason Solwold, 11.106; 8. 83-Joey Saldana, 11.119; 9. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.156; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.242; 11. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.265; 12. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.281; 13. 21-Robbie Price, 11.305; 14. 33V-Henry VanDam, 11.312; 15. 41X-Dominic Scelzi, 11.350; 16. 39C-Travis Rilat, 11.367; 17. 44W-Austen Wheatley, 11.428; 18. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.434; 19. 13-Clyde Knipp, 11.626; 20. 22X-Trevor Cook, 11.756; 21. 9A-Luke Didiuk, 12.120; 22. 7-Paul McMahan, nt
Heat 1 - (10 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 5-David Gravel [1]; 2. 55-Trey Starks [2]; 3. 18-Jason Solwold [3]; 4. 1A-Jacob Allen [4]; 5. 39C-Travis Rilat [6]; 6. 7-Paul McMahan [8]; 7. 21-Robbie Price [5]; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [7]
Heat 2 - (10 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 83-Joey Saldana [3]; 2. 44W-Austen Wheatley [6]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2]; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [4]; 5. 33V-Henry VanDam [5]; 6. 22X-Trevor Cook [7]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz [1]
Heat 3 - (10 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [2]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [4]; 5. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [5]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [6]; 7. 9A-Luke Didiuk [7]
Dash - (8 Laps, finishing order determined first 6 starting positions of A-feature) - 1. 83-Joey Saldana [3]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [2]; 3. 5-David Gravel [4]; 4. 55-Trey Starks [1]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [6]; 6. 44W-Austen Wheatley [5]
KTJ PARKS IT AGAIN AT KOKOMO IN “BRYAN CLAUSON’S CELEBRATION OF LIFE”
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The United States Auto Club.
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Contact: Richie Murray | richie@usacracing.com
KTJ PARKS IT AGAIN AT KOKOMO IN "BRYAN CLAUSON'S CELEBRATION OF LIFE"
Kokomo, Indiana September 2, 2016 -Over the past nine days, there's been nobody hotter at Kokomo Speedway than Kevin Thomas, Jr.
After taking a preliminary win and the championship night feature during "Sprint Car Smackdown V" one week ago, Thomas continued his tear Friday night, leading the final 25 laps to win the "Bryan Clauson Celebration of Life" USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car non-points "Special Event" feature at the O'Connor family's ¼-mile dirt oval.
Tyler Courtney won the blind redraw prior to the night's feature by selecting the package of candy adorned with the #1 during a special pre-race ceremony. That put him on the pole position, his second consecutive start from the front at Kokomo in as many races.
The 27-lap feature represented each year of Bryan's life and, on the flagstand to wave the green flag for the night's event was Bryan's mom, Diana, as a full house of spectators had eyes on the front row of Courtney and Tyler Thomas.
As action began, T. Thomas shot out front to the advantage at the start on the topside as Courtney slipped back to third on the bottom after a slow start.
Just as it was one week ago, K. Thomas immediately began to mount a charge to the front, already gassing his way to second from his fourth-starting spot on the first lap past Jarett Andretti and Courtney.
On the third lap, a closing K. Thomas chased the unrelated T. Thomas into turn one, sliding up in front of the Oklahoma driver to grab the race lead off of turn two.
With K. Thomas taking over the lead and pulling away, the race for second became the show as fourth-running Dave Darland went to the high side, making it three-wide alongside Courtney on the bottom and T. Thomas in the middle before soaring past both in turn four to take the second spot.
By the tenth lap, K. Thomas' lead was in excess of one second over Darland, but a slight hiccup on the turn two cushion by K. Thomas on the 11th lap allowed Darland to shrink the gap, cutting the interval in half as he eyed the leader squarely within his crosshairs.
Yet, as the two began to enter traffic just a handful of laps later, K. Thomas was able to carve his way back to a 1.2 second advantage over Darland after blasting past a slew of lapped cars nearing 10 laps to go to provide himself some breathing room.
Justin Grant, making just his seventh start in the McGhee no. 17, made his presence known after picking his way near the front of the pack from his ninth-starting position. On lap 21, Darland diamonded his way off the turn three cushion as Grant slid through the middle. Suddenly, the right rear tire of Darland and the left rear of Grant made slight contact, sending a puff of smoke off the treads, thus, slowing down Grant's approach.
Just one lap later, Grant came right back into the fight, overtaking Darland for second off of the second turn. However, T. Thomas, running eighth, found himself facing backwards just in front of the flagstand to bring out the feature's only yellow flag. By rule, the lineup for the restart reverted to the running order on the last completed lap, sending Grant back to third behind Darland with just six laps remaining.
As K. Thomas led the train on the bottom on the lap 22 restart, the all-out war between Darland and Grant for second resumed. Darland stuck to the top into turn one, but Grant cut down off the banking midway between turns one and two to pull side-by-side with Darland off of turn two. The two remained shackled together for the next two circuits until Grant dove to the extreme inside off of turn four, encountering the lapped car of Travis Hery on his way, which forced him to fall in line behind Darland as he crossed the stripe with four laps to go.
Darland and Grant briefly managed to close on leader K. Thomas to within six car lengths, but K. Thomas turned up the wick, firing up the afterburners to distance himself from second and third in the closing laps.
Though, with two laps to go, Grant continued to scrap his way toward the front, using a big run off of turn four to squeeze his way in front of Darland into turn one to take second.
Up front, no one was a challenge to Kevin Thomas, Jr., although Grant was able keep him honest by chopping a half-straightaway deficit to just six car lengths in the last two laps. But, in the end, K. Thomas took the victory by less than a half-second with Grant, Darland, Brady Bacon and Shane Cottle (from 20th) rounding out the top-five.
It was K. Thomas' third victory in his last four USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car starts at Kokomo during a highly-successful nine-day span for the Cullman, Alabama native who scored Friday night's victory in his 4J Motorsports/Franklin Equipment - CEP Concrete/DRC/Chevy.
"Bryan (Clauson), and everyone else here, would race here (at Kokomo Speedway) for one dollar," Thomas said. "I have to say this is now the biggest win, no matter what it pays. There's races you want to win because they pay big money, but this one you want to win for the right reasons."
Ione, California's Justin Grant sure made it interesting as he closed in on K. Thomas at the end of the 27-lap feature, making one wonder if he had had just three more laps, could he have won it in his Sam McGhee Motorsports/Brown & Miller Racing Solutions - Mike McGhee & Associates/Maxim/Foxco?
"This 17 car is awesome," Grant exclaimed after finishing second. "I can't thank the McGhee family enough and Sam for doing such a good job on the thing. We definitely had the best racecar; we just need to work on our sandbagging program in qualifying because being quick time every night and starting deep in a tough heat is just not getting us anywhere."
Dave Darland, of Lincoln, Indiana, settled for third in his Jeff Walker-Curb-Agajanian Racing/Jam-It-In Storage - Hoosier Tire/Maxim/Claxton after running second until being passed by Grant with just two laps to go.
"The car's getting better and better all the time," Darland said. "Jeff (Walker) works hard on it and tries everything he can think of to make it better. We've recently picked up a lot. We've gotten the thing a lot better; it's a lot easier to drive and a lot more comfortable to drive. But if we'd have to do over again right now, we'd make some changes. Jeff knows what to do."
Contingency award winners Friday night at Kokomo include Kevin Thomas, Jr. (Can't Thank the Guys Enough Award - $630), Justin Grant (BC Bad Ass of the Night - $630, Pass of the Night - $200 & Fast Qualifier - $200), Shane Cottle (BC Hard Charger Award - $630), Cole Smith (BC #GYATK Challenge Winner - $1000), Hunter O'Neal (BC #GYATK Challenge Runner-Up - $500) and Cody Clarkson (BC #GYATK Challenge 3rd Place - Right Rear Tire from Hoosier).
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USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP "SPECIAL EVENT" RACE RESULTS: September 2, 2016 - Kokomo, Indiana - Kokomo Speedway - "Bryan Clauson Celebration of Life"
QUALIFYING: 1. Justin Grant, 17, McGhee-12.957; 2. Jarett Andretti, 18, Andretti-12.978; 3. Chris Windom, 5, Baldwin-13.014; 4. Jon Stanbrough, 81, Stanbrough-13.020; 5. Josh Hodges, 74x, Hodges-13.026; 6. Jerry Coons, Jr., 10E, Edison-13.177; 7. Max McGhee, 4p, 4p Racing-13.178; 8. Tyler Courtney, 23c, TOPP-13.217; 9. Aaron Farney, 17GP, Dutcher-13.287; 10. A.J. Hopkins, 14H, Hopkins-13.346; 11. Colten Cottle, 1RL, Lambertson-13.385; 12. Tyler Thomas, 04, Burton-13.389; 13. Shane Cottle, 57, Hazen-13.435; 14. Casey Shuman, 75, DOW-13.436; 15. Kyle Robbins, 17R, Robbins-13.473; 16. Tony DiMattia, 50, DiMattia-13.616; 17. Josh Spencer, 66J, Spencer-13.643; 18. Kevin Thomas, Jr., 4J, 4J Motorsports-13.660; 19. Matt Goodnight, 39, Goodnight-13.721; 20. Travis Hery, 21H, Hery-13.767; 21. Brian Karraker, 23K, Karraker-13.827; 22. Logan Jarrett, 29, Jarrett-13.867; 23. Matt Westfall, 54, Westfall-13.909; 24. Ted Hines, 12, Hines-13.934; 25. Cole Smith, 29s, Smith-13.979; 26. Dave Darland, 11, Walker/Curb-Agajanian-14.069; 27. Dustin Ingle, 2DI, DPI-14.088; 28. Jadon Rogers, 66, Amati-14.150; 29. Jamie Frederickson, 58, Frederickson-14.173; 30. Josh Cunningham, 17c, Cunningham-14.233; 31. Cody Clarkson, 15, Clarkson-14.273; 32. Brady Bacon, 18x, Keen-14.286; 33. Travis Welpott, 18w, Welpott-14.356; 34. Tyler Hewitt, 97x, One More Time-14.387; 35. Steve Thomas, 20, Thomas-14.533; 36. Jake Scott, 3x, Tarr-14.630; 37. Lee Underwood, 24L, Underwood-14.708; 38. Jared Chastain, 52c, Chastain-14.936; 39. Hunter O'Neal, 56w, Waltz-15.012; 40. Ben McMurray, 1, McMurray-15.069; 41. Cole House, 95, House-15.081; 42. Drew Abel, 04x, PCA-15.335; 43. Matt Cooley, 19, Cooley-15.593; 44. David Hair, 44, Hair-15.689; 45. Parker Frederickson, 34, Frederickson-16.893; 46. Paul Dues, 87, Dues-15.689; 47. Dave Gross, 87, Gross-NT.
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Darland, 2. Hewitt, 3. Welpott, 4. Abel, 5. Dues, 6. Cooley, 7. O'Neal, 8. P. Frederickson. NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. K. Thomas, 2. Bacon, 3. Westfall, 4. Robbins, 5. Underwood, 6. Cunningham, 7. Scott, 8. Chastain. 2:04.95
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Coons, 2. Grant, 3. Jarrett, 4. Stanbrough, 5. Hery, 6. Ingle, 7. Hair, 8. S. Cottle. NT
FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Andretti, 2. McGhee, 3. Farney, 4. DiMattia, 5. Goodnight, 6. Hines, 7. S.Thomas, 8. Shuman. 2:00.86
FIFTH HEAT: (8 laps) 1. T. Thomas, 2. Hodges, 3. C. Cottle, 4. Hopkins, 5. Spencer, 6. J. Frederickson, 7. Rogers, 8. House. 2:02.37
SIXTH HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Courtney, 2. Windom, 3. Karraker, 4. Smith, 5. Clarkson, 6. McMurray, 7. Gross. 2:03.31
FIRST SEMI: (12 laps) 1. Hery, 2. S. Cottle, 3. Stanbrough, 4. Abel, 5. Underwood, 6. O'Neal, 7. Ingle, 8. Cunningham, 9. Scott, 10. Hair, 11. Chastain, 12. Dues, 13. Cooley, 14. Robbins, 15. P. Frederickson. NT
SECOND SEMI: (12 laps) 1. DiMattia, 2. Hopkins, 3. Goodnight, 4. Smith, 5. Hines, 6. Shuman, 7. Clarkson, 8. J. Frederickson, 9. Rogers, 10. S. Thomas, 11. House, 12. McMurray, 13. Spencer, 14. Gross. NT
FEATURE: (27 laps) 1. Kevin Thomas, Jr., 2. Justin Grant, 3. Dave Darland, 4. Brady Bacon, 5. Shane Cottle, 6. Jerry Coons, Jr., 7. Jarett Andretti, 8. Tyler Courtney, 9. Josh Hodges, 10. A.J. Hopkins, 11. Jon Stanbrough, 12. Chris Windom, 13. Aaron Farney, 14. Colten Cottle, 15. Max McGhee, 16. Matt Westfall, 17. Tyler Thomas, 18. Travis Hery, 19. Tony DiMattia, 20. Matt Goodnight, 21. Brian Karraker, 22. Logan Jarrett, 23. Travis Welpott, 24. Tyler Hewitt. NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 T. Thomas, Laps 3-27 K.Thomas.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: September 16 - Terre Haute, Indiana - Terre Haute Action Track - "Jim Hurtubise Classic"
Gravel Steals First Night Skagit Win from Schuchart
Posted by: | CommentsWorld of Outlaws
Story by Gary Thomas
Contact: Cristina Córdova
World of Outlaws PR
704-707-0236 | ccordova@dirtcar.com
David Gravel Steals One from Logan Shuchart on the Final Corner to Claim Opening Night of the Outlaw Energy Showdown at Skagit Speedway on Friday
Alger, Washington - September 2, 2016...The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series return to the Pacific Northwest on Friday culminated in thrilling fashion, with David Gravel carving his way under Logan Schuchart in traffic to claim a final corner victory on opening night at the Skagit Speedway.
Gravel had stalked Schuchart's bumper over the final half of the race, before finally making the outstanding move coming down for the checkered flag, winning by just 0.249 seconds. It was a great way for the Watertown, Connecticut native to open the Western Swing, as he is currently locked in a tight three-way battle for the runner spot in the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series standings.
"That sure was an exciting finish tonight so I hope all the fans enjoyed that one," commented the driver the CJB Motorsports/ Big Game Tree Stands No. 5 machine. "I got a run and saw the opening, so I just went for it. I'm pretty pumped we were able to finally park it for BC tonight. I can't Barry Jackson, my entire crew and all our sponsors enough for working so hard and giving me great cars. I haven't competed here at Skagit Speedway a whole lot, but it hasn't seemed to be my best track. Tonight the third time was the charm I guess. If we get a similar track tomorrow that keeps our confidence up and I think we'll have a good shot to be back up here."
The 25-lap main event started out with Schuchart getting the jump on the field, before a yellow flag waved on lap three when six-cars piled up in turn four. Day time rains had left the surface soft & rough in certain areas, which forced officials to utilize single-file restarts in the feature.
Another caution on lap-five then set up a dramatic restart that saw Bixby, Oklahoma's Shane Stewart power his way to the inside through the first corner and grab the lead heading down the back stretch. As Stewart entered the third & fourth corners however, Schuchart tried to make a move back to his inside, which saw contact ensue, leaving the Larson Marks Racing No. 2 stopped on the high-side with front end damage.
When going back green Schuchart found himself out front once again with Gravel now breathing down his neck. Lapped traffic then made things hectic for the leaders, until the final caution of the night flew on lap 13. The last 12-laps clicked off without incident and featured Schuchart looking to hold on for his second career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win.
The Hanover, Pennsylvania wheel-man had done a phenomenal job out front, but with the white flag waving Gravel got the run he needed to tuck up behind the Shark Racing No. 1s mount. He then proceeded to cut a perfect set of corners, rocketing to the inside of Schuchart to steal the win away and earn his eighth triumph of the 2016 campaign. Gravel becomes the second driver to reach at least eight wins this season in World of Outlaws competition.
Despite the tough ending it was still a great outing for Schuchart, who has shown lots of speed over the second half of the season.
"First off I want to apologize to Shane Stewart, because I feel bad about getting into him. He had passed me on that restart and I thought I could make a similar move, but once I started bouncing I just couldn't stop. It was definitely a demanding track tonight and I want to congratulate David Gravel & CJB Motorsports on the win. Huge thanks to my team and all of our supporters. Any time you can get on the podium with the World of Outlaws it's a good thing, but I certainly hate losing it like that. We'll get them next time."
Recent Knoxville Nationals winner Jason Johnson of Eunice, Louisiana had a strong outing to claim the final spot on the podium aboard the Priority Aviation No. 41 Sprinter.
"I felt like we had a good spot in the dash getting on the front row, but we were just a little too free and lost a front row starting spot there for the feature. You pretty much have to be perfect to win one of these races, but with how rough the track was it's definitely a feat to be standing up here on the podium. It was the type of track where you really had to be aggressive so I'm happy with our finish. Thank you to all the fans for coming out tonight and be sure to invite all your friends tomorrow."
Grass Valley's Brad Sweet came home in fourth, with current World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series point leader Donny Schatz of Fargo, North Dakota rounding out the top-five. Brownsburg, Indiana's Joey Saldana crossed the stripe in sixth, with Shane Stewart making a nice recovery from the early incident to finish seventh. Owasso, Oklahoma's Daryn Pittman, Fresno's Dominic Scelzi and Forni, Texas driver Travis Rilat completed the top-10.
Logan Schuchart captured the night's dash, while the three eight-lap heat races were picked off by Shane Stewart, David Gravel and Jason Johnson. Stewart opened the night by setting a brand new all-time Skagit Speedway track record with a blistering lap of 10.697.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will return to the Skagit Speedway on Saturday night to finish off the 2016 Outlaw Energy Showdown.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Luke Didiuk; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): David Gravel; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Darryn Pittman; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Jason Sowold; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Super Flow ($50 cash): Jacob Allen; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Logan Schuchart, Shane Stewart; David Gravel, Jason Johnson, Brad Sweet; KSE Hard Charger:Jacob Allen; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): David Gravel; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Greg Wilson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Luke Didiuk.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 20 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4, Stockton Dirt Track on March 18, Stockton Dirt Track on March 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on April 2, Lincoln Speedway on May 19, Weedsport Speedway on May 22, Lincoln Park Speedway on June 8, Knoxville Raceway on June 11, River Cities Speedway on June 17, Rockford Speedway on June 29, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 3, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9, Attica Raceway Park on July 12, Eldora Speedway on July 16, Ohsweken Speedway on July 26, Junction Motor Speedway on August 16, Angell Park Speedway on August 21, River Cities Speedway on August 26, Nodak Speedway on August 28); David Gravel - 8 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 12, Tri-State Speedway on May 14, I-96 Speedway on June 6, Eldora Speedway on July 14, Lernerville Speedway on July 19, Wilmot Raceway on July 30, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 5, Skagit Speedway on Sept 2); Daryn Pittman - 7 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 27, Perris Auto Speedway on April 16, USA Raceway on April 18, New Egypt Speedway on May 24, Jackson Motorplex on June 24, Eldora Speedway on July 15, Williams Grove Speedway on July 22); Brad Sweet - 7 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Cotton Bowl Speedway on Feb. 26, Ocean Speedway on April 1, Bakersfield Speedway on April 15, Plymouth Speedway on May 13, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 2); Shane Stewart - 5 (Arizona Speedway on March 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 23, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 30, Granite City Speedway on June 15, Brown County Speedway on June 19); Joey Saldana - 4 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 3, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 22, Jacksonville Speedway on May 4, I-80 Speedway on June 22); Lance Dewease - 2 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 20, Williams Grove Speedway on July 23); Kerry Madsen - 2 (Eldora Speedway on May 6 and 7);Rico Abreu - 1(Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 6); Bill Balog - 1 (Beaver Dam Raceway on June 25); Chad Kemenah - 1 (Fremont Speedway on June 3); Jason Johnson - 2 (Placerville Speedway on March 24, Knoxville Nationals on August 13);Terry McCarl - 1 (Knoxville Raceway on June 10); Logan Schuchart - 1 (Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9); Jason Sides - 1 (I-30 Speedway on April 26); Greg Wilson - 1 (The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 27).
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Skagit Speedway, Wash.; Sept 2, 2016
A-Main - (25 Laps) 1. 5-David Gravel [3] [$8,000]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1] [$4,000]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [4] [$2,500]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [5] [$2,200]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [10] [$2,100]; 6. 83-Joey Saldana [7] [$2,000]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [2] [$1,800]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [6] [$1,600]; 9. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [9] [$1,500]; 10. 39C-Travis Rilat [12] [$1,300]; 11. 18-Jason Solwold [8] [$1,200]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [17] [$1,100]; 13. 21-Robbie Price [14] [$1,000]; 14. 1A-Jacob Allen [22] [$700]; 15. 55-Trey Starks [11] [$600]; 16. W20-Greg Wilson [18] [$600]; 17. 13-Clyde Knipp [23] [$600]; 18. 7-Paul McMahan [20] [$600]; 19. 22X-Trevor Cook [16] [$600]; 20. 44W-Austen Wheatley [13] [$600]; 21. 33V-Henry VanDam [15] [$600]; 22. 9A-Luke Didiuk [19] [$600]; 23. 26-Tayler Malsam [21] [$600]. Lap Leaders: Logan Schuchart 1-24, David Gravel 25. KSE Hard Charger Award: 1A-Jacob Allen [+8]
Qualifying - 1. 2-Shane Stewart, 10.697; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 10.729; 3. 26-Tayler Malsam, 10.778; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 10.821; 5. 5-David Gravel, 10.872; 6. 41-Jason Johnson, 10.920; 7. 83-Joey Saldana, 10.941; 8. 55-Trey Starks, 10.941; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman, 10.958; 10. 15-Donny Schatz, 10.967; 11. 18-Jason Solwold, 11.044; 12. 33V-Henry VanDam, 11.094; 13. 44W-Austen Wheatley, 11.150; 14. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.189; 15. 39C-Travis Rilat, 11.273; 16. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.364; 17. 21-Robbie Price, 11.451; 18. 41X-Dominic Scelzi, 11.480; 19. 22X-Trevor Cook, 11.545; 20. 13-Clyde Knipp, 11.549; 21. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.727; 22. 9A-Luke Didiuk, 11.973; 23. 7-Paul McMahan
Heat 1 - (10 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) 1. 2-Shane Stewart [1] ; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2] ; 3. 83-Joey Saldana [3] ; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [4] ; 5. 44W-Austen Wheatley [5] ; 6. 22X-Trevor Cook [7] ; 7. 9A-Luke Didiuk [8] ; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [6]
Heat 2 - (10 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) 1. 5-David Gravel [2] ; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1] ; 3. 18-Jason Solwold [4] ; 4. 55-Trey Starks [3] ; 5. 21-Robbie Price [6] ; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [5] ; 7. 7-Paul McMahan [8] ; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [7]
Heat 3 - (10 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) 1. 41-Jason Johnson [2] ; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [3] ; 3. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [6] ; 4. 39C-Travis Rilat [5] ; 5. 33V-Henry VanDam [4] ; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [7] ; 7. 26-Tayler Malsam [1]
Dash - (8 Laps, finishing order determined first 6 starting positions of A-feature) 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1] ; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [4] ; 3. 5-David Gravel [3] ; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [2] ; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [5] ; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [6]
STIEF CAPTURES FIRST CAREER SPRINT CAR VICTORY IN BRIDGEPORT TSRS EVENT
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Tri-State Racesaver Series
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** Special Thanks to Deb Smith for covering our TSRS event at Bridgeport Speedway on Saturday, August 27, 2016.
Rick Stief has turned many laps at the Bridgeport Speedway. Before moving up to sprint car competition, Stief was a regular in Micro Sprint competition at the Logan Township speedway.
But all of that experience came on Bridgeport's quarter mile track - not on the fast 5/8th mile speedway.
Rick Stief (WoS photo)
On Saturday night, Stief conquered the high speed Bridgeport clay to claim his first ever win in a sprint car and his first win in the Hilborn Tri State Race Saver (TSRS) competition.
Stief became the seventh different winner in Saturday night TSRS competition at Bridgeport - adding his name to the list of Kevin Nagy, Eddie Wagner, Christopher Allen, Jr., Ryan Stillwaggon, Jeff Geiges and Dave Brown. Current TSRS point leader, Mike Haggenbottom has captured both TSRS wins held in Friday night Bridgeport action.
Stief's win also came during the final hand of the Tanner Brothers Dairy Store/Thayer Performance 2016 Poker Series, giving the first time winner an Ace for his efforts. But it was a hand of three Kings that would take this year's Poker Series Championship and that hand belonged to Haggenbottom by virtue of his three second place finishes.
Stief was fast out of the box on Saturday night, racing to a second place finish to Geiges in his qualifying heat.
Heat winners, Geiges and Haggenbottom, started side by side on the front row, leading the starting line-up to the green flag. Geiges jumped out in front at the start with Haggenbottom running in second.
The caution waved on lap two as Samantha Lieberman made hard contact with the turn four wall, ending her night after just one complete lap. Geiges led the way when the green flag waved again with Haggenbottom, Stief, Tim Tanner and Eddie Wagner trailing. Geiges would go on to turn the fastest lap of the feature on lap two as he raced around the track in 19.4 seconds for an average speed of 115.9 miles per hour.
Stief was closing quickly and took over second on lap three. Geiges led Stief, Haggenbottom, Tanner and Christopher Allen, Jr. with five complete.
The caution was needed again on lap eight when Doug Snow spun in turn two, erasing the advantage that Geiges held over the fast closing challenger. Tanner had his hands full on the restart as Allen and Wagner challenged. Just before half way, Stief made his bid for the lead and led the field to the crossed flags with ten laps remaining. Geiges raced in second followed by Haggenbottom, Allen and Tanner.
Haggenbottom was closing the gap on Geiges with about five laps to go as Wagner made his way by Tanner to take over fifth. With Stief well out in front, Allen and Wagner raced toward Haggenbottom with three laps to go. Allen raced to the inside of Haggenbottom in turn three to take over third one lap later. Both Wagner and Mark Bitner advanced by the point leader with just one lap to go as Haggenbottom ran into mechanical difficulties.
Stief drove to the checkered flag over Gieges, Allen, Wagner and Bitner. Tanner finished sixth with Haggenbottom limping across the line in seventh. Mrs. and Mr. Carberry came next with Stef finishing eighth and Tommy taking ninth ahead of tenth place finisher, Kyle Purks.
Steif was elated - making his first trip to Victory Lane since the 2011 season. "This is awesome," the feature winner exclaimed. "We've been really fast but we've had a lot of bad luck. Lord knows I can't draw a good pill!" Steif went on to thank sponsors Church's Auto Parts, Bruce's Auto Body, SEK Telecom, All Seasons Glass Tinting and K&G Seal Coating for their support.
TSRS returns to the Bridgeport Speedway on Friday, September 23rd for a doubleheader along with the Small Block Modifieds.
HILBORN TSRS 305 SPRINTS - TANNER BROTHERS DAIRY/THAYER PERFORMANCE 2016 POKER SERIES (20 laps): 1. Rick Stief, 2. Jeff Geiges, 3. Chris Allen, 4. Eddie Wagner, 5. Mark Bitner, 6. Tim Tanner Jr.., 7. Michael Haggenbottom, 8. Stefanie Palmai Carberry, 9. Tommy Carberry, 10. Kyle Purks, 11. Scott Frack, 12. Bryant Davis, 13. Joe Lord Jr., 14. David Bonner, 15. Mike Kostic, 16. Douglas Snow, 17. Logan Diehl, 18. Doug Suiter, 19. Samantha Lieberman
World of Outlaws Brings 410 Sprint Cars Back to Colorado
Posted by: | CommentsWorld of Outlaws
Contact: Cristina Córdova
World of Outlaws PR
704-707-0236 | ccordova@dirtcar.com
World of Outlaws Brings 410 Sprint Cars Back to Colorado
Series takes on El Paso County Raceway for the first time ever on Sept 14
CONCORD, N.C. - Aug. 29, 2016 - The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series has partnered with Blood, Sweat and Tears (BST) Racing to bring 410 sprint car racing to El Paso County Raceway in Calhan, Colo. on Wednesday, Sept. 14.
The event will be the Outlaws' first time in Colorado since 2005, and the first-ever appearance at the semi-banked quarter-mile track.
"We are excited to join BST Racing for this great event and the opportunity to see the Outlaws take on El Paso County Raceway," said World Racing Group CEO Brian Carter. "It's been a long time since we've been in Colorado, and we're excited to bring 410 sprint cars back to them."
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series hasn't been to Colorado since the Rocky Mountain National Speedway closed its doors (and was leveled for a housing project) at the end of the 2005 season. Danny Lasoski established the single-lap record of 12.014 seconds at the semi-banked 3/8-mile oval on Aug. 17, 2004. World of Outlaws A-feature winners include Craig Dollansky (2004), Donny Schatz (2003), Sammy Swindell (1995), Steve Kinser (1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1983), Dave Blaney (1993), Kenny Jacobs (1992), and Bobby Davis, Jr. (1990).
"This is five or six years of blood, sweat, and tears," said Raceway Manager and BST Racing Promoter Joe Bellm. "So it's nice to see this finally come to be. Plenty of times I was ready to throw in the towel. You know the obstacles we were all up against. But stubborn heads prevail!"
While 410 sprint car racing has been absent from the track in recent years, several local standouts are expected to make a play against the Outlaws, including local driver Jeff Heffner (a Knoxville 360 regular) and Justin Wolf Medlock (an ASCS local). Jeremy McCune, from Billings, Mont., has committed to going and is bringing up to four other cars with him. And word has it a couple of cars are coming from Wyoming as well.
Sharing the playing field with the Outlaws are the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association (RMMRA) and the The Rocky Mountain Lightning Sprints (RMLSA).
The Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association began in 1940, and is the second oldest midget racing club in the country. Based out of Colorado, the RMMRA has a long standing fan base, history, and deep roots in open wheel competition allowing them to experience the evolution of midget racing.
"We are honored to run in support of the World of Outlaws and BST Promotions as they make their return to Colorado," said RMMRA President Chris Sheil. "It is nice to see Mr Bellm's hard work prevail in getting this show to reality here in Colorado. I know he has been working on it for some time now. And our great car count is due to all of his organization with the Colorado Dirt Track Alliance he put together. I can not say enough about the continued improvements Joe has done with El Paso County Raceway. It has truly become the greatest venue to race at in Colorado."
The Rocky Mountain Lightning Sprints is an association formed in 2011 by the merging of the RMMSA and COMSA to manage the 1000cc motorcycle-based winged and non winged open wheel division in Colorado and western Kansas. These cars use a midget chassis, powered by 1000-1200cc motorcycle engines. These are a great class for those drivers that later may want to race Midgets and Sprint cars.
"We race at several tracks in Colorado and Western Kansas, and were honored to be the support class," said RMLSA President Steve Becker. "El Paso County raceway is our home track, and we are excited to race at this improved facility operated by BST Promotions. With the continued support of our great car owners and drivers, as well as our local track promoters, we have had great car counts often exceeding 20 cars per night."
Race Central Television and Radio host Kurt Hansen - synonymous with all forms of local, national and international motor sports, and BST Racing's Official Dirt Track Announcer for all Colorado and BST Races - will share his usual post in the Tower with World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series announcer Johnny Gibson for this epic event.
"Kurt's edgy attitude and extensive racing knowledge will certainly bring a spark, energy, and angle never heard before at this event or any other," said Bellm. "It is no doubt that Kurt's enthusiasm and passion certainly made him our first choice for this Fall Classic not-to-be-missed Show."
Hansen and Bellm are expecting many gearhead fans to come out and see all Stars and Cars of the "The Greatest Show on Dirt."
"A lot of people are excited", said Bellm. "This is definitely going to be a big show."
Ticket Information can be found at woosprint.com.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Bad Boy Off Road (Official Side-by-Side Vehicle), Craftsman (Official Tool), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Morton Buildings (Official Building), Sears (Official Home Store), The Kenny Wallace Dirt Racing Experience (Official Racing Experience) and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, including: Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Edelbrock, JE Pistons, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Penske Shocks, and Superflow Dynos; along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Impact Racing Products, Intercomp, Racing Electronics, S&S Volvo and TNT Rescue.
Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, N.C., is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts all World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.
Sheldon Haudenschild goes wire-to-wire at Millstream Speedway,
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Artic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions
Contact: Tyler Altmeyer
Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions
(724) 954-4915
altmeyer119@gmail.com
tyler@tonystewart.com
FINDLAY, OH (August 28, 2016) - Despite Mother Nature’s attempt to end the evening just after qualifying time trials, Wooster, Ohio’s Sheldon Haudenschild cruised on to score his sixth Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions victory of the 2016 season on Sunday night at Millstream Speedway, leading all 30 circuits over fellow championship contenders Chad Kemenah and Dale Blaney. Haudenschild, pilot of the Southern Pacific Farms/Finzer Farms/Haudenschild Racing/No. 93, survived six cautions, including a fuel stop, to clinch his spot in victory lane, increasing his career win total to 12 with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions.
“This is huge, you know,” Haudenschild said. “We’ve struggled with qualifying here in the past. We never could get ourselves into a dash, so qualifying for the dash tonight was really important to us. That little bit of rain we got earlier in the night made the track pretty fast. It was definitely important to start up front. I can’t thank my guys enough for what they do. It wouldn’t be possible without all of them, as well as everyone else who is on the car.”
Sheldon Haudenschild jumped ahead during the initial start, taking advantage of his pole position to control the opening lap over a pair of fellow Ohio natives, Chad Kemenah and Dale Blaney. An early caution on lap five, as well as a pair of cautions on lap 10 and lap 13, may have stalled feature competition, but they never disturbed the top three in the running order. Haudenschild mastered his preferred line at the top of the speedway, which proved to be the dominant line around the Findlay, Ohio, half-mile. Chad Kemenah attempted to make the middle of the speedway work during segments of the main event, while Dale Blaney utilized the bottom groove; each proving to be unsuccessful against Haudenschild.
Sheldon Haudenschild and crew in Millstream Speedway victory lane - Vince Vellella (Photo Credit)
A late caution on lap 27 would force the feature field to refuel, setting up a four lap dash for Haudenschild, Kemenah, and Blaney. On the restart, Kemenah and Blaney each attempted to overtake Haudenschild from underneath, but a clear track and clean air proved to be too powerful for Haudenschild, driving away nearly unchallenged to score the $5,000 victory. The win, equaling his 15th top-five finish of the season, allowed the second generation racer to close in on the championship chase by another two markers, cutting Kemenah’s advantage to 68 points. Dale Blaney currently sits second, just eight points behind Kemenah.
“The track was just a little too fast to get by Sheldon (Haudenschild),” Kemenah explained. “The cushion was the fastest way around the race track and he’s good on the cushion.”
“I think we have a shot to catch Chad (Kemenah) and Dale (Blaney) in the championship,” Haudenschild said. “We just have to concentrate on winning these races. That’s what we come here to do. If things go our way, I think we’ll be OK.”
A pair of $10,000-to-win programs will headline Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions competition during Labor Day weekend, beginning with the Dirt Classic Ohio at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, Ohio, on Saturday night, September 3. The event was originally scheduled for early August, but later moved and reassigned as an Arctic Cat All Star program.
In addition to $10,000, the highly anticipated, highly raved, inaugural Dirt Classic Ohio program will also award a golden ticket; an automatic A-main starting position in the $20,000-to-win/$1,000-to-start Dirt Classic finale at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, September 24.
The second $10,000-to-win showcase during Labor Day Weekend will be contested at the Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio, on Sunday night, September 4. The Pete Jacobs Memorial will highlight competition at “Orrville’s Historic Oval,” the fourth and final Arctic Cat All Star appearance at Wayne County Speedway in 2016.
Those seeking additional information regarding the pair of $10,000-to-win programs should visit Attica Raceway Park and Wayne County Speedway live on the Web at www.atticaracewaypark.com and www.waynecountyspeedway.com.
Contingency Awards/Results: Millstream Speedway - Sunday, August 28, 2016:
EMi Driver’s Meeting: 31 entries
State Water Heaters Warm-Ups: Dale Blaney - 14.404 seconds
Lincoln Electric Fast Qualifier: Dale Blaney - 13.746 seconds
Kistler Racing Products Heat #1: Stuart Brubaker
All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Heat #2: Caleb Helms
Hunt Brothers Pizza Heat #3: Carson Macedo
JE Pistons Dash: Sheldon Haudenschild
Daido Engine Bearings Main Event Winner: Sheldon Haudenschild
MSD Performance Hard Charger Award: Kraig Kinser (+11)
Outback Steakhouse A-Main 5th Place Finisher: Travis Philo
Outback Steakhouse A-Main 10th Place Finisher: Dean Jacobs
Outback Steakhouse A-Main 15th Place Finisher: Hunter Mackison
(Lincoln Electric, Daido Engine Bearings, MSD Performance, Outback Steakhouse: Need decal to qualify for contingency award)
Qualifying
1.1-Dale Blaney, 13.746; 2.10H-Chad Kemenah, 14.016; 3.57X-Andrew Palker, 14.020; 4.21-Cap Henry, 14.070; 5.40-Caleb Helms, 14.170; 6.17-Jared Horstman, 14.198; 7.70-Danny Holtgraver, 14.207; 8.8M-TJ Michael, 14.227; 9.93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.239; 10.35-Stuart Brubaker, 14.248; 11.81-Lee Jacobs, 14.277; 12.09x-Carson Macedo, 14.278; 13.49-Tim Shaffer, 14.292; 14.5M-Max Stambaugh, 14.307; 15.23-DJ Foos, 14.366; 16.11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.380; 17.38-Dean Jacobs, 14.396; 18.7C-Caleb Armstrong, 14.430; 19.11N-Randy Hannagan, 14.461; 20.22B-Ryan Broughton, 14.464; 21.95-Hunter Mackison, 14.486; 22.7-Joe Swanson, 14.543; 23.1080-Jordan Mackison, 14.561; 24.51-Roger Campbell, 14.593; 25.5T-Travis Philo, 14.644; 26.59N-Bryan Nuckles, 14.688; 27.60-Kory Crabtree, 14.828; 28.5J-Jarrod DeLong, 14.841; 29.4-Danny Smith, 14.938; 30.49H-Bradley Howard, 99.060; 31.6M-Jac Haudenschild, 99.990;
Heat 1, Group A - (8 Laps)
1. 35-Stuart Brubaker[1] ; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[2] ; 3. 49-Tim Shaffer[5] ; 4. 5T-Travis Philo[9] ; 5. 57X-Andrew Palker[4] ; 6. 11N-Randy Hannagan[6] ; 7. 95-Hunter Mackison[7] ; 8. 49H-Bradley Howard[10] ; 9. 70-Danny Holtgraver[3] ; 10. 1080-Jordan Mackison[8]
Heat 2, Group B - (8 Laps)
1. 40-Caleb Helms[2] ; 2. 10H-Chad Kemenah[4] ; 3. 17-Jared Horstman[1] ; 4. 21-Cap Henry[3] ; 5. 7C-Caleb Armstrong[7] ; 6. 8M-TJ Michael[5] ; 7. 5M-Max Stambaugh[6] ; 8. 22B-Ryan Broughton[8] ; 9. 5J-Jarrod DeLong[10] ; 10. 60-Kory Crabtree[9]
Heat 3, Group C - (8 Laps)
1. 09x-Carson Macedo[2] ; 2. 1-Dale Blaney[4] ; 3. 23-DJ Foos[1] ; 4. 38-Dean Jacobs[6] ; 5. 81-Lee Jacobs[3] ; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser[5] ; 7. 4-Danny Smith[10] ; 8. 51-Roger Campbell[8] ; 9. 59N-Bryan Nuckles[9] ; 10. 7-Joe Swanson[7]
Dash 1 - (6 Laps)
1. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[2] ; 2. 17-Jared Horstman[3] ; 3. 40-Caleb Helms[4] ; 4. 10H-Chad Kemenah[7] ; 5. 1-Dale Blaney[6] ; 6. 8M-TJ Michael[8] ; 7. 21-Cap Henry[5] ; 8. 57X-Andrew Palker[1]
B-Main 1 - (12 Laps)
1. 5M-Max Stambaugh[2] ; 2. 22B-Ryan Broughton[3] ; 3. 95-Hunter Mackison[4] ; 4. 4-Danny Smith[11] ; 5. 59N-Bryan Nuckles[8] ; 6. 60-Kory Crabtree[9] ; 7. 5J-Jarrod DeLong[10] ; 8. 7-Joe Swanson[5] ; 9. 51-Roger Campbell[7] ; 10. 49H-Bradley Howard[12] ; 11. 70-Danny Holtgraver[1] ; 12. 1080-Jordan Mackison[6]
A-Main 1 - (30 Laps)
1. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[1] ; 2. 10H-Chad Kemenah[4] ; 3. 1-Dale Blaney[5] ; 4. 49-Tim Shaffer[11] ; 5. 5T-Travis Philo[13] ; 6. 23-DJ Foos[12] ; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser[18] ; 8. 8M-TJ Michael[6] ; 9. 17-Jared Horstman[2] ; 10. 38-Dean Jacobs[14] ; 11. 09x-Carson Macedo[10] ; 12. 35-Stuart Brubaker[9] ; 13. 11N-Randy Hannagan[15] ; 14. 5M-Max Stambaugh[17] ; 15. 95-Hunter Mackison[19] ; 16. 57X-Andrew Palker[8] ; 17. 81-Lee Jacobs[16] ; 18. 70-Danny Holtgraver[23] ; 19. 60-Kory Crabtree[24] ; 20. 4-Danny Smith[22] ; 21. 59N-Bryan Nuckles[21] ; 22. 21-Cap Henry[7] ; 23. 40-Caleb Helms[3] ; 24. 7C-Caleb Armstrong[25] ; 25. 22B-Ryan Broughton[20]
Current Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions Standings (August 28, 2016):
1. Chad Kemenah: 4334
2. Dale Blaney: 4326
3. Sheldon Haudenschild: 4268
4. Cap Henry: 4046
5. Danny Holtgraver: 4028
6. Kraig Kinser: 3984
7. T.J. Michael: 3854
8. Caleb Helms: 3712
9. Lee Jacobs: 3538
10. Andrew Palker: 3494
Additional Arctic Cat All Star Series Info:
Those seeking additional information regarding the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions 📿should visit their official online home at www.allstarsprint.com. Series updates and breaking news will be posted regularly on the official Twitter account of the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions: https://twitter.com/ASCoC. Find full text results from each and every event, as well as an up-to-date schedule, online at www.allstarsprint.com/schedule/.
About the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions:
All Star Enterprises, LLC, wholly owned by Tony Stewart, d/b/a the All Star Circuit of Champions, is a winged sprint car series. The All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series is one of the oldest traveling 410 sprint car organizations and is a staple of grassroots, open-wheel racing. Formed in 1970 by Bud Miller, the series has largely been considered the first 'outlaw' Sprint Car organization of the modern era. After a 10 year stint as owner of the All Stars, Miller passed control of the series to Bert Emick in 1980; a reign that would continue through 2002. Guy Webb then purchased the series from Emick in the summer of 2002 and served as the series President for the next 12 years. Motorsports entrepreneur Tony Stewart agreed to terms with Guy Webb to become the sole owner of the original winged sprint car tour in January of 2015.
About Arctic Cat:
The Arctic Cat brand is among the most widely recognized and respected in the recreational vehicle industry. The company designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), side-by-sides and snowmobiles, in addition to related parts, garments and accessories under the Arctic Cat® and Motorfist® brand names. Arctic Cat Inc.’s world headquarters is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “ACAT.” More information about Arctic Cat and its products is available at www.ArcticCat.com.
Contact: Tyler Altmeyer
Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions
(724) 954-4915
altmeyer119@gmail.com
tyler@tonystewart.com
Schatz Wins Gerdau Magic City Showdown for Fifth Straight Year
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Story by Tony Veneziano
Contact: Cristina Córdova
World of Outlaws PR
704-707-0236 | ccordova@dirtcar.com
High Five: Donny Schatz Wins Gerdau Magic City Showdown for Fifth Straight Year at Nodak Speedway
MINOT, N.D. - August 28, 2016 - It took Donny Schatz until his seventh start to win at his home track of Nodak Speedway in Minot, North Dakota with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series. Since that victory in 2012, he been undefeated in the Gerdau Magic City Showdown. Schatz extended his win streak at Nodak Speedway to five, after leading flag-to-flag on Sunday night at the three-eighths-mile.
Schatz started second and on the initial start ran second to pole sitter Logan Schuchart, but the first caution flag of the night flew before the lap was complete. That led to a complete restart and on the second start, Schatz was able to dive under Schuchart on the front straightaway to officially lead the first lap. Schatz was in traffic just five laps into the race and like his win on Friday night at River Cities Speedway, he masterfully weaved his way through the lapped machines.
"They are all special and they are all good," said Schatz of his five wins at Nodak Speedway. "The trophies here are awesome and so are the people. Everything about this place is great. I'll tell you what's really great, and that is this race team. These guys (on my crew) deserve to be standing here. The race car they prepare each day is incredible. I'm the lucky guy that gets to drive it and looks good. Their hard work is what pays off and gets us to victory lane."
With just two laps remaining in the 35-lap contest, a red flag flew, setting up a green-white-checker restart to determine the outcome. Schatz would use a strong restart to stay out front and opened a bit of a lead on the final circuit.
"I was thinking, 'Air don't go out of these tires,'" said Schatz, of the red flag. "We run bleeders and when you get heat in the tires it lets the air down and the tires then cool down. They get a little wormy after that. They were a little wormy after that red flag, but they were able to get us a win anyway."
The win for Schatz helped him complete a sweep of the three races for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series in his home state of North Dakota for the second straight. Schatz now has won 18 times overall with the series in North Dakota. The win was the 20th of the season for the seven-time and defending series champion, who has now won at least 20 races in four consecutive years.
"It doesn't get any better than that," said Schatz of winning in North Dakota. "When you are a kid, like these kids here in the crowd and you dream of doing something, that's me. I'm standing here living my dream. Everybody all the times asks me how I am doing and I'm living my dream. Thank you fans for being part of it."
Jason Johnson lined up eighth and used a late-race charge to finish second. A strong restart on lap-10, moved him up a couple of spots and pit him in a torrid battle with David Gravel for third. Johnson was able to take third on lap-15 and began to work on Schuchart for second. Another strong restart propelled Johnson to second as he set his sights on Schatz.
"We started a little bit further back, so we gambled with set-up," said Johnson of his Priority Aviation team. "We've been searching a little bit and the guys definitely hit it right tonight. We had a really fast Maxim race car. Once we got to second, I was definitely wanting a restart. Donny (Schatz) is one of the best in the industry right now and he's tough. He definitely makes us step up our game each night."
On the green-white-checker restart, Johnson was able to look under Schatz in turns one and two, as he about pulled even with the leader, but could quite get enough of a run to attempt a pass. The second-place finish for Johnson was his 13thtop-five finish of the season.
"I needed to get to him and I couldn't quite clear him," shared the 2016 Knoxville Nationals winner. "One thing about Donny is that he'll race you clean, so I wanted to race him clean. Once we came down the back straightaway he had a little more momentum and our only chance was maybe if he would have bobbled, but that doesn't happen very often."
Daryn Pittman, who fell back to seventh at one point, during the 35-lap race, also made a late-race charge to finish third in the Great Clips No. 9. Pittman started sixth and over the second half of the race was able to pick up a number of positons on his way to his 36th top-five finish of the season.
"That was a fun race tonight," said Pittman. "It was great track prep. From the driver's seat it was pretty exciting and a lot of fun to drive. It took me too long to run the top in (turns) one and two. Once I was able to do that, I was making a lot of speed and down the back straight with a lot more mile an hour."
Logan Schuchart continued his strong 2016 season by finishing fourth, which was his 10th top-five finish of the season. David Gravel crossed the line fifth, with Brad Sweet sixth. Joey Saldana was seventh, followed by Jacob Allen, who turned in an eighth-place run to put both Shark Racing cars in the top-10. Paul McMahan was ninth, with Dominic Scelzi rounding out the top-10.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action on Friday, September 2 and Saturday, September 3 in the Outlaw Energy Showdown at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Washington.
Nodak Speedway Notebook
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Clyde Knipp; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jacob Allen; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Jordon Adams; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Super Flow ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Logan Schuchart, Brad Sweet, David Gravel, Shane Stewart; Daryn Pittman; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Kyle Fedyk; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Clyde Knipp.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 20 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4, Stockton Dirt Track on March 18, Stockton Dirt Track on March 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on April 2, Lincoln Speedway on May 19, Weedsport Speedway on May 22, Lincoln Park Speedway on June 8, Knoxville Raceway on June 11, River Cities Speedway on June 17, Rockford Speedway on June 29, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 3, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9, Attica Raceway Park on July 12, Eldora Speedway on July 16, Ohsweken Speedway on July 26, Junction Motor Speedway on August 16, Angell Park Speedway on August 21, River Cities Speedway on August 26, Nodak Speedway on August 28); David Gravel - 7 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 12, Tri-State Speedway on May 14, I-96 Speedway on June 6, Eldora Speedway on July 14, Lernerville Speedway on July 19, Wilmot Raceway on July 30, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 5); Daryn Pittman - 7 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 27, Perris Auto Speedway on April 16, USA Raceway on April 18, New Egypt Speedway on May 24, Jackson Motorplex on June 24, Eldora Speedway on July 15, Williams Grove Speedway on July 22); Brad Sweet - 7 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Cotton Bowl Speedway on Feb. 26, Ocean Speedway on April 1, Bakersfield Speedway on April 15, Plymouth Speedway on May 13, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 2); Shane Stewart - 5 (Arizona Speedway on March 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 23, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 30, Granite City Speedway on June 15, Brown County Speedway on June 19); Joey Saldana - 4 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 3, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 22, Jacksonville Speedway on May 4, I-80 Speedway on June 22); Lance Dewease - 2 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 20, Williams Grove Speedway on July 23); Kerry Madsen - 2 (Eldora Speedway on May 6 and 7);Rico Abreu - 1(Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 6); Bill Balog - 1 (Beaver Dam Raceway on June 25); Chad Kemenah - 1 (Fremont Speedway on June 3); Jason Johnson - 2 (Placerville Speedway on March 24, Knoxville Nationals on August 13);Terry McCarl - 1 (Knoxville Raceway on June 10); Logan Schuchart - 1 (Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9); Jason Sides - 1 (I-30 Speedway on April 26); Greg Wilson - 1 (The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 27).
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Nodak Speedway, N.D.; Augst 28, 2016
A-Main - (35 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2] [$10,000]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [8] [$5,500]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [6] [$3,200]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1] [$2,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [4] [$2,500]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [3] [$2,300]; 7. 83-Joey Saldana [7] [$2,200]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [12] [$2,100]; 9. 7-Paul McMahan [9] [$2,050]; 10. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [13] [$2,000]; 11. 20A-Jordan Adams [11] [$1,500]; 12. W20-Greg Wilson [17] [$1,200]; 13. 5G-Dave Glennon [19] [$1,100]; 14. 99-Jordan Graham [21] [$1,050]; 15. 7T-Trent Stengl [16] [$1,000]; 16. 7S-Jason Sides [10] [$900]; 17. 2-Shane Stewart [5] [$800]; 18. 91K-Kyle Fedyk [18] [$800]; 19. 21-Ryder Olson [20] [$800]; 20. 8B-Jack Croaker [22] [$800]; 21. 20-Kevin Lawson [23] [$800]; 22. 20L-Dusty Lawson [24] [$800]; 23. 6N-Greg Nikitenko [14] [$800]; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp [15] [$800].
Lap Leaders: Donny Schatz 1-35.
KSE Hard Charger Award: 99-Jordan Graham [+7]
Qualifying - 1. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.039; 2. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.072; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.112; 4. 5-David Gravel, 13.123; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.155; 6. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.247; 7. 83-Joey Saldana, 13.281; 8. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.311; 9. 7-Paul McMahan, 13.335; 10. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.343; 11. 20A-Jordan Adams, 13.469; 12. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.482; 13. 41X-Dominic Scelzi, 13.523; 14. 6N-Greg Nikitenko, 13.611; 15. 91K-Kyle Fedyk, 13.882; 16. 21-Ryder Olson, 13.966; 17. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.006; 18. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.103; 19. 7T-Trent Stengl, 14.117; 20. 5G-Dave Glennon, 14.207; 21. 99-Jordan Graham, 14.345; 22. 20-Kevin Lawson, 14.697; 23. 17M-Todd Mickelson, 14.825; 24. 8B-Jack Croaker, 15.059; 25. 90-Randy Blotsky, 15.254; 26. 20L-Dusty Lawson, 15.375
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [1] ; 2. 5-David Gravel [2] ; 3. 83-Joey Saldana [3] ; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [4] ; 5. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [5] ; 6. 7T-Trent Stengl [7] ; 7. 21-Ryder Olson [6] ; 8. 90-Randy Blotsky [9] ; 9. 20-Kevin Lawson [8]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [2] ; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [1] ; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [3] ; 4. 20A-Jordan Adams [4] ; 5. 6N-Greg Nikitenko [5] ; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [6] ; 7. 5G-Dave Glennon [7] ; 8. 17M-Todd Mickelson [8] ; 9. 20L-Dusty Lawson [9]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [2] ; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1] ; 3. 7-Paul McMahan [3] ; 4. 1A-Jacob Allen [4] ; 5. 13-Clyde Knipp [6] ; 6. 91K-Kyle Fedyk [5] ; 7. 99-Jordan Graham [7] ; 8. 8B-Jack Croaker [8]
Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 6 starting positions of A-feature) - 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1] ; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [2] ; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [4] ; 4. 5-David Gravel [3] ; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [6] ; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [5]
B-Main - (12 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 5G-Dave Glennon [2] [-]; 2. 21-Ryder Olson [1] [-]; 3. 99-Jordan Graham [3] [-]; 4. 8B-Jack Croaker [6] [-]; 5. 20-Kevin Lawson [4] [-]; 6. 20L-Dusty Lawson [8] [-]; 7. 90-Randy Blotsky [7] [$300]; 8. 17M-Todd Mickelson [5] [$250]
