From Tony Veneziano
Tulare, CA – Following three races to start the season on half-miles, the World of Outlaws head to Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California this weekend for the first two short track events of the season at the high-banked 1/3-mile on Friday, March 5 and Saturday, March 6.
Jason Meyers heads to his home track of Thunderbowl Raceway as the most recent winner in World of Outlaws competition. The native of nearby Clovis has five career wins at the track, though is still chasing his first World of Outlaws victory at the high-banked bullring.
Joey Saldana and Randy Hannagan split victories at the track last season. For Saldana, it was his second career World of Outlaws A-Feature win at the track, making him the first driver to accomplish that feat and the second driver to score two wins. Donny Schatz, the four-time and defending series champion also has two victories at Tulare, with one of those coming in a preliminary feature.
The World of Outlaws first competed at Thunderbowl Raceway in 2003, with 20-time series champion and current series point leader Steve Kinser picking up the win in that event. A total of nine different drivers have won A-Feature events with the series at the track over that span, including California native Tim Kaeding, who was victorious with the World of Outlaws in 2007 and has 10 overall career wins at Tulare. Jac Haudenschild was victorious at the track in 2008 in an exciting dual with Kinser.
The Buzz-
* Jason Meyers, who was victorious in Las Vegas last weekend, looks for his first World of Outlaws win at Thunderbowl Raceway, his home track, where he has five career wins.
* Steve Kinser heads to Thunderbowl Raceway as the World of Outlaws point leader after a runner-up finish at Las Vegas and the only driver that has finished on the podium in all three races this season.
* Joey Saldana, who is chasing his first win of 2010 looks to become the first driver to win three A-Feature events with the World of Outlaws at Thunderbowl Raceway.
* Tim Kaeding, a native of San Jose, California has 10 career wins at Thunderbowl Raceway including one with the World of Outlaws in 2007. He was victorious twice last season at the track driving the No. 83 for Roth Motorsports, including coming from 24th to win the finale of the Trophy Cup.
* Jac Haudenschild is a former winner at Thunderbowl Raceway with the World of Outlaws, coming out on top of a thrilling battle with Steve Kinser in 2008.
* Donny Schatz leads all drivers with six career Top-Five finishes at Tulare in World of Outlaws events, including two wins, with one of those being a preliminary feature triumph.
* California native Paul McMahan has 12 career Top-10 finishes at Thunderbowl Raceway including a career-best second-place finish with the World of Outlaws in 2004 as he chases his first win at the track in his home state.
* Ben Gregg and Toni Lutar, who are competing for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award this season, both competed at Thunderbowl Raceway last season with the World of Outlaws.
Over the years
World of Outlaws A-Feature winner at Thunderbowl Raceway include:
2009- Randy Hannagan on March 20, Joey Saldana on March 21
2008- Jac Haudenschild on October 18
2007- Joey Saldana on February 23, Tim Kaeding on February 24, Donny Schatz on October 13
2005- Tim Shaffer on February 25; Sammy Swindell on October 15
2004-Terry McCarl on November 1
2003-Steve Kinser on September 2
One year ago
Terry McCarl began the two-night event by setting a new track record in qualifying of the 32 cars that took to the track. Peter Murphy was victorious in the dash to earn the pole position in the main event. The Australian, who now calls California home, led the first 10 laps of the A-Feature until Randy Hannagan got around him on the 11th circuit. The 1995 World of Outlaws Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year would lead the remainder of the 35-lap contest to score his second career series win. Sammy Swindell was second, with Tim Kaeding third, Tyler Walker fourth and Jac Haudenschild fifth.
In the finale at the high-banked 1/3-mile, Sammy Swindell opened the night by setting fast time and followed that up with a win in the dash to earn the pole for the main event. The three-time World of Outlaws champion led the first seven laps of the feature, before Terry McCarl jumped out front. Joey Saldana would chase McCarl for a number of laps and took the lead from him on the 14th go around to score his second career win with the World of Outlaws at Thunderbowl Raceway. McCarl was second, with Swindell third, Donny Schatz fourth and Craig Dollansky fifth.
Sound Bites
Jason Meyers
“I always enjoy racing there. For whatever reason, I do not have an Outlaws win there. I have probably more feature wins there than at any other track and no Outlaws wins. We’re hoping to get the monkey off of our back this coming week.”
Tim Kaeding
“It’s a fun race track with all of the friend and family around there. It suits my driving style a little bit more. You have to be a little aggressive, yet under control at times. It’s a fun race track and I’m looking forward to bringing Dennis and Teresa Roth’s car down there and hopefully we can get a decent finish.”
Jason Sides
“When you go out and have a good lap qualifying that kind of sets the tone for the whole night there. You have to build on it and keep that momentum going. You have to get a good draw and a good starting position to be up front. Then you can work on things from there. We really don’t have to do anything different at Tulare, just keep working hard and doing what we have been.”
Sam Hafertepe Jr.
“We’ve been fast since last year. We just have to get the luck to come our way and we’ll be running in the Top-Five every night. The team has gelled very well and is working together great. I’m excited to head to Tulare.”
By the numbers- World of Outlaws at Thunderbowl Raceway
0.33- Miles around Thunderbowl Raceway
1- Driver that has finished on the podium in all three races this season- Steve Kinser
2- Points that currently separate Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz atop the World of Outlaws championship standings; Drivers that have finished in the Top-Five in all three races this season- Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz
3- Drivers that have won A-Feature events this season; Drivers that hail from the state of California currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws
5- Drivers that have finished in the Top-10 in all three races this season; Total races for the World of Outlaws in the state of California this season
6- Drivers that have led laps in feature events this season; Top-Five finishes for Donny Schatz in his career at Thunderbowl Raceway with the series to lead all drivers
6.5- Average finish for Steve Kinser in 11 feature events at Thunderbowl Raceway to lead all drivers
8- Races on 1/3-mile tracks for the World of Outlaws in 2009
9- Drivers that have won A-Feature events with the World of Outlaws at Thunderbowl Raceway dating back to 2003
10-Top-10 finishes for Steve Kinser at the track with the series to lead all drivers
12- Total races for the World of Outlaws at Thunderbowl Raceway including preliminary features dating back to 2003
12.713- Track record established by Terry McCarl in time trials on March 20, 2009
16- Drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws this season that raced with the series at the track last year
17- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws
33- Drivers that competed with the World of Outlaws at Thunderbowl Raceway in 2009
46- Laps led by Donny Schatz in feature events this season to lead all drivers
94.297- Track record in miles per hour set last season by Terry McCarl
361- Miles from The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where the World of Outlaws competed on February 26 to Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California
2003- Year the World of Outlaws first competed at Thunderbowl Raceway
10,000- Dollars the winner will receive on Friday, March 5; Dollars the winner will receive on Saturday, March 6
Tickets
On Friday, March 5 at Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway, tickets will be $35 in the bleachers and $40 in the grandstands. For a seating chart and more information visit http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com.
On Saturday, March 6, tickets will be $40 in the bleachers and $45 in the grandstands. For a seating chart and more information visit http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com
The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Goodyear Tires (Official Tire), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, Jake s Custom Golf Carts, KSE Race Products, Penske Shocks, Racing Electronics, S&S Volvo; Engine Builder’s Challenge participants Don Ott Racing Engines, Kistler Engines, Shaver Specialties and Speedway Engines; and Chassis Builder s Challenge participants J&J Auto Racing, Maxim Racing and XXX Race Company.