Previewing the Hall of Fame Classic

From Tony Veneziano

Knoxville, IA-June 2, 2010- The World of Outlaws will help make history this week as the series takes part in the Inaugural Hall of Fame Classic Presented by Mediacom on Friday, June 4, along with the annual Mediacom Shootout on Thursday, June 3 and Saturday, June 5. Many drivers that have competed with the World of Outlaws are members of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame including 20-time series champion Steve Kinser and Jac Haudenschild who will both be racing in the event, as well as three-time series title winner Sammy Swindell.

The Mediacom Shootout on Thursday, June 3 and Saturday, June 5 will both be full nights of racing with time trials, heat races, a dash, a Last Chance Showdown and an A-Feature, while the Hall of Fame Classic on Friday, June 4 will be an inverted feature of the Top-20 finishers from Thursday night, along with four starts from either one or two Last Chance Showdowns depending on car count. The winner of the feature each of the three nights will earn $10,000. The races on Thursday and Saturday will offer full championship points, while the inverted race on Friday will offer “show-up” points.

The World of Outlaws raced twice at Knoxville Raceway last season with four-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz winning the opener of the Mediacom Shootout with six-time track champion Terry McCarl taking the finale. Schatz has eight career World of Outlaws wins at Knoxville and has finished sixth or better in each of his last 11 starts at the track.

Steve Kinser is the winningest driver with the World of Outlaws at Knoxville, having scored 52 career victories at the half-mile with the series dating back to 1979. His most recent win at the track came in 2005. The native of Bloomington, Indiana has won twice this season on half-mile and is currently second in points, just 19 markers behind Joey Saldana as he chases his record 21st title.

Saldana has three career wins with the World of Outlaws at Knoxville with the most recent coming in 2006. The second generation driver has won four times this season and is on top of the series standings as he chases his first title.

Jason Meyers, who is currently third in points, was victorious in 2001 at Knoxville with the World of Outlaws to score his first career series win, becoming the first driver in history to accomplish that feat at the legendary half-mile. The California native has nine consecutive Top-10 finishes with the series at the track. He leads the series with six wins this season.

Danny Lasoski has won 21 times overall with the World of Outlaws at Knoxville, with many of those coming in preliminary feature. The eight-time track champion has well over 100 Top-10 finishes with the series at the track.

Jac Haudenschild has won nine times overall with the World of Outlaws at Knoxville, while Craig Dollansky has four triumphs and Kraig Kinser has two, including winning the 2005 Knoxville Nationals.

The World of Outlaws visited Knoxville Raceway for the first time in 1979 and have competed at the half-mile each and every year since, with 17 different drivers winning A-Feature events with the series over that span.

The Buzz-

* Donny Schatz has won at least once in each of the last four seasons with the World of Outlaws at Knoxville Raceway. He also has won the Knoxville Nationals in each of those years.

* Steve Kinser has an amazing record at Knoxville with the World of Outlaws, scoring 52 overall wins and over 140 Top-10 finishes.

* Joey Saldana, the current World of Outlaws point leader, has won three times with the series over the years at Knoxville Raceway. He has finished eighth or better in seven of his last nine starts with the series at the track.

* Jason Meyers, who leads the World of Outlaws with six wins this year, is the only driver in World of Outlaws history to score their first career series win at Knoxville. He has nine straight Top-10 finishes at the track.

* Jason Sides, who was the most recent World of Outlaws winner, finished fifth and eighth at Knoxville last season as he looks for his first career win at the track. He has two wins this season including last weekend on a half-mile.

* Danny Lasoski, who is the winningest driver in Knoxville Raceway history, has won 23 times overall with the World of Outlaws at the half-mile and has well over 100 Top-10 finishes with the series at the track in his career.

* Jac Haudenschild has nine career wins in World of Outlaws action at Knoxville and over 70 Top-10 finishes. He has won once this year.

* Craig Dollansky has four wins with the World of Outlaws at Knoxville. The Minnesota native won earlier this season on a half-mile at Lone Star Speedway in Texas.

* Kraig Kinser has two wins at Knoxville in his career, including in the 2005 Knoxville Nationals.

* Lucas Wolfe, who finished third and fourth last weekend and is up to seventh in points finished a career-best seventh at Knoxville Raceway last season. The second generation driver is chasing his first career series win.

* A number of invaders from across the country will be in action at Knoxville including reigning track champion Johnny Herrera, as well as Daryn Pittman, Tyler Walker, Lance Dewease, Brooke Tatnell, Jessica Zemken and Adam Wilt.

* All three nights of racing from Knoxville will be part of a DIRTVision.com cybercast with live streaming video and audio. For more information and to purchase visit www.DIRTVision.com.

Sound Bites

Steve Kinser

“We always enjoy racing at Knoxville. You try to work on your set-ups for the Nationals. Anytime you get there is a big weekend. They have a lot of stuff going on this weekend and I’m just looking forward to getting to race there for three days.”

“It’s a great thing that they have with the Hall of Fame at Knoxville. They’ve had it there for quite some time and it’s good to have something like that for sprint car racing. I’m lucky enough to have won a lot of Knoxville Nationals and a lot of races there and a lot of championships and have to gotten in there pretty early.”

Danny Lasoski

“It’s pretty neat anytime you are involved with something that the Hall of Fame is doing. Anytime we go to Knoxville is near and dear to my heart. That’s my favorite race track that we go to and it’s always great for the fans and the competitors. I’m just looking forward to a great weekend.”

Jac Haudenschild

“I’m looking forward to it. Racing at Knoxville is always a good time. Being in the Hall of Fame is a real honor. We’re definitely looking forward to getting back there.”

By the numbers-Knoxville Raceway

0.5- Miles around Knoxville Raceway

1 -Driver that scored their first career World of Outlaws win at Knoxville- Jason Meyers

2- Members of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame competing full-time with the World of Outlaws this season

3- Drivers that led laps in feature events at Knoxville last season with the World of Outlaws

4.7- Average finish for Steve Kinser at Knoxville in 167 World of Outlaws starts at the track

5- Laps led by Donny Schatz en route to winning at the half-mile last season

6- Wins for Jason Meyers this season to lead all drivers

7- Drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that have won with the series at Knoxville

8- Knoxville track championships for Danny Lasoski

10- Drivers that have won A-Feature events this season

11- Drivers that have won the dash this season to earn a pole position

12- Drivers that have been quickest in time trials this season

14.407- Track record established by Brooke Tatnell in time trials in 2006

15- Top-Five finishes for Joey Saldana and Steve Kinser through May 30 to lead the series

16- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws

18- Points that separate Joey Saldana and Steve Kinser at the top of the World of Outlaws standings

19- Drivers that have led laps in A-Feature events this season

20- Top-10 finishes for Steve Kinser this season to lead the series

21- A-Feature events that have been contested by the World of Outlaws through May 30

52- Wins for Steve Kinser in World of Outlaws events at Knoxville Raceway

93- Career wins for Danny Lasoski at Knoxville Raceway, the most all-time

108- Laps led by Joey Saldana this season to lead the series

130- Career Top-Five finishes with the World of Outlaws at Knoxville Raceway

765- Miles from Tri-City Speedway in Pennsylvania where the World of Outlaws competed on May 30 to Knoxville Raceway in Iowa

1979- Year the World of Outlaws first competed at Knoxville

10,000- Dollars to win on Thursday, June 3; Dollars to win on Friday, June 4; Dollars to win on Saturday, June 5

97,800- Dollars earned by Joey Saldana this season to lead the series

Tickets

On Thursday, June 3 at Knoxville Raceway, adult general admission tickets will be $25, with general admission tickets for teens (ages 13-18) $18 and general admission tickets for kids 12-under will be $12.50. Adult reserved tickets will be $28, with reserved tickets for teens (ages 13-18) $20, and reserved tickets for kids ages 12-under will be $14. Special three-day tickets are also available by visiting www.Knoxvilleraceway.com.

On Friday, June 4 at Knoxville Raceway, adult general admission tickets will be $30, with general admission tickets for teens (ages 13-18) $20 and general admission tickets for kids ages 12-under $15. Adult reserved tickets will be $35, with reserved tickets for teens (ages 13-18) $22, and reserved tickets for kids ages 12-under will be $17.50. Special three-day tickets are also available by visiting www.Knoxvilleraceway.com.

On Saturday, June 5 at Knoxville Raceway, adult general admission tickets will be $30, with general admission tickets for teens (ages 13-18) $20 and general admission tickets for kids ages 12-under $15. Adult reserved tickets will be $35, with reserved tickets for teens (ages 13-18) $22, and reserved tickets for kids ages 12-under will be $17.50. Special three-day tickets are also available by visiting www.Knoxvilleraceway.com.