From Tony Veneziano,
Concord, NC—October 26, 2009—
Getting better with age: Joey Saldana added another win to what has already become a career-high this season with his triumph in the inaugural WoO Fest at Lone Star Speedway over the weekend. It marked the second time in 2009 that he has won at the high-banked half-mile and marked his 19th A-Feature triumph of the year and 20th overall victory. The native of Brownsburg, Indiana has 57 career World of Outlaws A-Feature wins which place him eighth on the all-time list. He has won a total of 44 times in World of Outlaws action including preliminary features since joining Kasey Kahne Racing prior to the 2006 season.
“As a driver, I think I just keep getting better every year,” shared Saldana after his win. “Some guys it takes longer than others. I wish I would have been as good I am now when I owned my own car. It just takes a lot of time and patience and it takes owners like Kasey Kahne to stand behind people and giving them opportunities. I’ve been in and out of cars and all you can do is start over again. This is my fourth year with these guys and I think you are just starting to see the gelling.”
Spreading the word: Prior to heading to Lone Star Speedway last week, Jason Meyers, who is currently second in the World of Outlaws championship standings as he chases his first series title, was the Guest Speaker at the October gathering of the Rotary Club of Visalia, which was held at the Marriott Hotel in Visalia, California. The native of nearby Clovis, California also brought one of his sprint cars to display. After presenting a 20-minute speech entitled “Racing with the Outlaws” Meyers met personally with attendees and signed autographs as well.
“It was neat to be a part of that,” said Meyers. “I grew up around those communities and my racing career started in those communities around there. It was cool to go and be part of something like that for Don Sharp and Sharp Insurance who has been a long time supporter of the Elite Racing team. It was great to meet a lot of the local business owners as well. There were a lot of people there that have a lot of racing in their backyard and had not experienced it. Hopefully we made some race fans and we definitely enjoyed the day and the experience that we had.”
A successful inaugural WoO Fest: Sam Hafertepe Sr. and his wife Lisa along with their staff at Lone Star Speedway put in countless hours gearing up for the inaugural WoO Fest. With a Halloween theme, the grounds were dotted with decorations and Halloween related items, with plenty of candy handed out to the kids in attendance. The event was the World of Outlaws second visit of the season to the half-mile, which the Hafertepe family is in their first season operating it, after purchasing the track late last year. Since the spring race, they had added new clay to the race track and also made numerous other improvements around the facility which received rave reviews from drivers and fans alike.
“We’re happy that everyone turned out,” said Sam Hafertepe Sr. “It was a good deal and a good night of racing.”
Like father like son: Sam Hafertepe Jr. played a big role in the inaugural WoO Fest and even spent the afternoon on Saturday circling the half-mile in the water truck to help prepare the racing surface. He ended up finishing second for the second time this season with the World of Outlaws in the 30-lap A-Feature, as he continues to close in on his first career victory with the series. During his post-race interview on the front straightway, the 23-year old thanked all the fans for coming out on what was a picture perfect afternoon and evening, with not a cloud in the sky and explained some of the plans his family has for the track down the road.
“The fan base out here is awesome,” said the younger Hafertepe. “I can’t thank you fans enough for sticking it out. We’ve really worked hard and I appreciate all of you coming out to see us. We’re going to keep races like this coming in and keep up the excitement in East Texas. It’s been dead out here and we are going to have some late model races, some modified races and plan on having some big shows. If you all stick around and support us, we’ll be here for a long time.”
Experience counts: Jason Sides made his 12th career start at Lone Star Speedway over the weekend, the most of any full-time World of Outlaws driver and used all of those laps to his advantage as he came home fifth in the 30-lapper. For the native of Bartlett, Tennessee it was his 24th Top-Five finish of the season which continues to add to a career-best season that he is having. He has picked up 46 Top-10 this season which is a career-high as well. His previous career highs came during in 2003, the year he claimed the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award, as he picked up 25 Top-10 finishes and 10 Top-Fives during that campaign to finish sixth in points. He has won twice this season and is currently fifth in points with just the World Finals remaining on the calendar.
First time visitor: Fred Rahmer made the first racing trip of his career to the state of Texas for the inaugural WoO Fest. It was the second track he made his debut at this season with the World of Outlaws, as he also competed in the inaugural Ironman 55 at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri back in August. The multi-time Lincoln Speedway and Williams Grove Speedway track champion was one of three National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees in the field, joining 20-time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser along with Jac Haudenschild. Rahmer and Haudenschild were both inducted into the Hall of Fame this past May.
“It looked like everything was going to be rained out back home, so we decided to head on down the road.”
Another first timer: Brad Sweet made his first visit to Lone Star Speedway as well over the weekend driving for Kasey Kahne Racing. He won the second heat race in convincing fashion to earn a spot in the Crane Cams Dash. He wound up finishing 11th in the 30-lap A-Feature as he continues to fill-in in the No. 19 machine as a teammate to Joey Saldana.
“This is a pretty nice place and it’s very very fast,” said Sweet during the dash draw. “I just try to treat it like other tracks that I have been to and go from there. I’m glad to be here racing tonight.”
Making the trip south: Terry McCarl and his team made the nearly 12 hour tow south to Lone Star Speedway for the inaugural WoO Fest. It was the native of Altoona, Iowa’s second start of the season at the half-mile, as he also competed when the World of Outlaws make their return to the East Texas track back in April. He wound up finishing seventh to earn his 21st Top-10 finish of the season with the World of Outlaws.
“It is a long way down here, but the Hafertepe family does a great job here,” said McCarl during the dash draw on Saturday night. “Sam always supports my events (The Front Row Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway) so I wanted to make sure to help them out as well. Plus we race for a living, so if I didn’t race this weekend, I may have had to get a real job.”
Photo Gallery: The Media Gallery section of www.worldofOutlaws.com continues to be updated after each event. Visit http://www.worldofoutlaws.com/sprint/MediaGallery.aspx to see Photo Galleries from 2009 World of Outlaws events. A Photo Gallery from the WoO Fest at Lone Star Speedway will be posted soon.
Keep up with all the action: The number of “Followers” keeping up with the World of Outlaws via Twitter online and through text messages on cell phones continues to grow and recently surpassed the 1,900 “Follower” mark. Updates are provided throughout race nights beginning with hot laps and continuing all the way through the final checkered flag of the night. To sign-up visit: http://twitter.com/worldofoutlaws and receive live race updates, anywhere, anytime.
Up next: The third annual World of Outlaws World Finals at the Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, November 5-7, which features both the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.
2009 World of Outlaws Championship Standings through October 24
| Position | Driver | Pts. | Difference | Earnings | Wins | Top-5 | Top-10 |
| 1. | Donny Schatz | 8614 | $315,100 | 12 | 38 | 52 | |
| 2. | Jason Meyers | 8595 | -19 | $242,705 | 8 | 32 | 53 |
| 3. | Joey Saldana | 8568 | -46 | $360,535 | 19 | 36 | 47 |
| 4. | Steve Kinser | 8402 | -212 | $173,100 | 2 | 31 | 48 |
| 5. | Jason Sides | 8272 | -342 | $177,980 | 2 | 24 | 46 |
| 6 | Danny Lasoski | 8149 | -465 | $191,830 | 5 | 23 | 40 |
| 7. | Craig Dollansky | 7929 | -687 | $144,200 | 3 | 20 | 40 |
| 8. | Kraig Kinser | 7830 | -784 | $99,875 | 0 | 10 | 29 |
| 9. | Jac Haudenschild | 7787 | -827 | $109,975 | 0 | 14 | 31 |
| 10. | Lucas Wolfe | 7420 | -1194 | $78,125 | 0 | 5 | 17 |
| 11. | Brian Ellenberger | 6516 | -2098 | $46,065 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 12. | Sam Hafertepe Jr. | 5317 | -3297 | $64,905 | 0 | 6 | 10 |
| 13. | Sammy Swindell | 4699 | -3915 | $72,880 | 0 | 7 | 19 |
| 14. | Tim Kaeding | 4424 | -4190 | $70,425 | 1 | 5 | 17 |
| 15. | Chad Kemenah | 4255 | -4359 | $54,455 | 1 | 3 | 12 |
| 16. | Terry McCarl | 3778 | -4836 | $81,750 | 2 | 9 | 21 |
| 17. | Randy Hannagan | 2912 | -5702 | $42,855 | 1 | 6 | 8 |
| 18. | Kerry Madsen | 2877 | -5737 | $33,150 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 19. | Daryn Pittman | 2725 | -5889 | $36,700 | 0 | 4 | 11 |
| 20. | Tony Bruce Jr. | 2558 | -6056 | $32,160 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
2009 STAT ATTACK
There have been 63 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events and two preliminary feature events in 2009.
A-Feature winners (16 Different Drivers) Driver, Hometown – Wins
1- Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana- 19
2- Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota- 12
3- Jason Meyers, Clovis, California- 8
4- Danny Lasoski, Dover, Missouri- 5
5- Craig Dollansky, Elk River, Minnesota- 3
Greg Hodnett, Thomasville, Pennsylvania- 3
6- Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 2
Terry McCarl, Altoona, Iowa- 2
Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tennessee- 2
7- Dale Blaney, Hartford, Ohio- 1
Cody Darrah, Red Lion, Pennsylvania- 1
Randy Hannagan, San Jose, California- 1
Tim Kaeding, San Jose, California- 1
Chad Kemenah, Findlay, Ohio- 1
Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania- 1
Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma- 1
Preliminary Feature winners (2 Different Drivers) Driver, Hometown – Wins
1- Jason Meyers, Clovis, California- 1
Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana- 1
Lap leaders, including A-features and preliminary features Car, driver, hometown – Total laps led (25 Different Drivers)
1- Joey Saldana- Brownsburg, Indiana- 452 laps
2- Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota- 357 laps
3- Jason Meyers, Clovis, California- 279 laps
4- Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tennessee- 149 laps
5- Danny Lasoski, Dover, Missouri- 146 laps
6- Craig Dollansky, Elk River, Minnesota- 141 laps
7- Terry McCarl, Altoona, Iowa- 99 laps
8- Greg Hodnett, Thomasville, Pennsylvania- 75 laps
9- Randy Hannagan, San Jose, California- 49 laps
10- Cody Darrah, Red Lion, Pennsylvania- 45 laps
11- Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 43 laps
12- Johnny Herrera, Albuquerque, New Mexico- 39 laps
13- Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania- 37 laps
14- Tim Kaeding, San Jose, California- 34 laps
15- Chad Kemenah, Findlay, Ohio- 30 laps
16- Danny Smith, Danville, Indiana- 26 laps
17- Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma- 25 laps
18- Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tennessee- 24 laps
19- Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal, Kansas- 22 laps
20- Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas- 21 laps
21- Brian Brown, Grain Valley, Missouri- 14 laps
22- Dale Blaney, Hartford, Ohio- 12 laps
23- Peter Murphy, Clovis, California- 10 laps
24- Jayme Barnes, Everett, Washington- 8 laps
25- Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 5 laps
Time trial leaders (20 Different Drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – Quick times
1- Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota- 11
2- Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tennessee- 10
3- Jason Meyers, Clovis, California- 8
4- Danny Lasoski, Dover, Missouri- 5
Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana- 5
5- Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tennessee- 4
6- Terry McCarl, Altoona, Iowa- 3
7- Cody Darrah, Red Lion, Pennsylvania- 2
Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas- 2
Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Oklahoma- 2
Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania- 2
8- Jonathan Allard, Chico, California- 1
Ryan Bohlke, Fredon, New Jersey- 1
Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal, Kansas- 1
Pat Cannon, Etters, Pennsylvania- 1
Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio- 1
Chad Kemenah, Findlay, Ohio- 1
Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 1
Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Australia- 1
Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma- 1
Track records established during 2009 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series events (10)
Joey Saldana, March 13, Silver Dollar Speedway (1/4-mile), Chico, California, 10.918 seconds at 82.433 mph
Terry McCarl, March 20, Thunderbowl Raceway (1/3-mile), Tulare, California, 12.713 seconds at 94.297 mph
Joey Saldana, April 17, Paducah International Raceway (3/8-mile), Paducah, Kentucky, 12.825 seconds at 105.263 mph
Sammy Swindell, July 4, Eagle Raceway (1/3-mile), Eagle, Nebraska, 11.076 seconds at 108.234 mph
Joey Saldana, July 29, Ohsweken Speedway (3/8-mile), Ohsweken, Ontario, 12.420 seconds at 108.696 mph
Jason Meyers, August 21, River Cities Speedway (0.3-mile), Grand Forks, 9.269 seconds at 116.517 mph
Danny Lasoski, August 22, Dacotah Speedway (3/8-mile), Mandan, North Dakota, 12.705 seconds at 106.257 mph
Jason Sides, September 4, Skagit Speedway (3/10th-mile), Alger, Washington, 10.872 seconds at 99.338 mph
Kerry Madsen, September 16, Clay County Fair Speedway (3/8-mile), Spencer, Iowa, 13.345 seconds at 101.161 mph
Sam Hafertepe Jr., September 19, Deer Creek Speedway (3/8-mile) Spring Valley, Minnesota, 11.583 seconds at 116.550 mph
Crane Cams Dash Winners (22 Different Winners) Rank – Driver, Hometown – Dash Wins
1- Jason Meyers, Clovis, California- 9
2- Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota- 8
3- Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana- 6
4- Terry McCarl, Altoona, Iowa- 5
Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tennessee- 5
5- Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 4
Danny Lasoski, Dover, Missouri- 4
6- Craig Dollansky, Elk River, Minnesota- 3
Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio- 3
Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tennessee- 3
7- Greg Hodnett, Thomasville, Pennsylvania- 2
8- Brian Brown, Grain Valley, Missouri- 1
Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal, Kansas- 1
Cale Conley, Vienna, West Virginia- 1
Cody Darrah, Red Lion, Pennsylvania- 1
Lance Dewease, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania- 1
Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas- 1
Randy Hannagan, San Jose, California- 1
Chad Kemenah, Findlay, Ohio-1
Peter Murphy, Clovis, California- 1
Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania- 1
Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma- 1
Pole Positions (22 Different Drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – Poles
1- Jason Meyers, Clovis, California- 9
2- Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota- 8
3- Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana- 6
4- Terry McCarl, Altoona, Iowa- 5
Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tennessee- 5
5- Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 4
Danny Lasoski, Dover, Missouri- 4
6- Craig Dollansky, Elk River, Minnesota- 3
Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio- 3
7- Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tennessee- 3
8- Greg Hodnett, Thomasville, Pennsylvania- 2
9- Brian Brown, Grain Valley, Missouri- 1
Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal, Kansas- 1
Cale Conley, Vienna, West Virginia- 1
Cody Darrah, Red Lion, Pennsylvania- 1
Lance Dewease, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania- 1
Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas- 1
Randy Hannagan, San Jose, California- 1
Chad Kemenah, Findlay, Ohio- 1
Peter Murphy, Clovis, California- 1
Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania- 1
Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma- 1
B-main Winners (35 Different Winners) Rank – Driver, Hometown – B-Main Wins
1- Craig Dollansky, Elk River, Minnesota- 4
Randy Hannagan, San Jose, California- 3
2- Brian Ellenberger, Butler, Pennsylvania- 3
Wayne Johnson, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma- 3
Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 3
Tommy Worley, Farmington, Missouri- 3
3- Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas- 2
Tim Kaeding, San Jose, California- 2
Danny Lasoski, Dover, Missouri- 2
Bob Martin, East Grand Forks, Minnesota- 2
4- Bill Balog, Cameron, Wisconsin- 1
Jayme Barnes, Everett, Washington- 1
Garry Brazier, Sydney, NSW, Australia- 1
Daron Clayton, Sikeston, Missouri- 1
Cale Conley, Vienna, West Virginia- 1
Colby Copeland, Roseville, California- 1
Roger Crockett, Medford, Oregon- 1
Cody Darrah, Red Lion, Pennsylvania- 1
Cole Duncan, Lockborne, Ohio- 1
Dave Ely, Singing Spring, Pennsylvania- 1
Mike Erdley, Elizabethville, Pennsylvania- 1
Kaley Gharst, Decatur, Illinois- 1
Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio- 1
Jesse Hockett, Warsaw, Missouri- 1
Thomas Kennedy, Winnipeg, Manitoba- 1
Chad Layton, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania- 1
Brian Leppo, New Oxford, Pennsylvania- 1
Toni Lutar, White Rock, British Columbia- 1
Terry McCarl, Altoona, Iowa- 1
Jason Meyers, Clovis, California- 1
Greg Nikitenko, Minot, North Dakota- 1
Daryn Pittman, Owasso. Oklahoma- 1
Sean Robinson, Bronson, Michigan- 1
Travis Rutz, Langley, British Columbia- 1
Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana- 1
Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, California- 1
Chris Shirek, Thompson, North Dakota- 1
Greg Wilson, Benton Ridge, Ohio- 1
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award
1- Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota- 7
2- Craig Dollansky, Elk River, Minnesota- 6
3- Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio- 5
Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW- 5
4- Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana- 4
5- Danny Lasoski, Dover, Missouri- 3
Jason Meyers, Clovis, California- 3
Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tennessee- 3
Brooke Tatnell, San Souci, NSW, Australia- 3
6- Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 2
Chris Shirek, Thompson, North Dakota- 2
7- Daron Clayton, Sikeston, Missouri- 1
Dustin Daggett, Portland, Michigan- 1
Cody Darrah, Red Lion, Pennsylvania- 1
Greg DeCaires- Elk Grove, California- 1
Mark Dobmeier, Grand Forks, North Dakota- 1
Trevor Green, Adelaide, NSW, Australia- 1
Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas- 1
Johnny Herrera, Albuquerque, New Mexico- 1
Aaron Higgins, Waverly, Ohio- 1
Chad Kemenah, Findlay, Ohio- 1
Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 2
Brad Kuhn, Avon, Indiana- 1
Terry McCarl, Altoona, Iowa- 1
Brian Montieth, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania- 1
Sean Moran, Sherwood Park, Alberta- 1
Fred Rahmer, Salfordville, Pennsylvania- 1
Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania- 1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Olive Branch, Mississippi- 1
George Suprick, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania- 1
Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, California- 1
Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tennessee- 1
Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania- 1
Jessica Zemken, Sprakers, New York- 1
Penske Power Position
1- Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 8
Jason Meyers, Clovis, California- 8
2- Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio-6
Danny Lasoski, Dover, Missouri- 6
3- Craig Dollansky, Elk River, Minnesota- 5
4- Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 5
Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota- 5
5- Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana- 3
6- Terry McCarl, Altoona, Iowa- 2
Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas- 2
Tim Kaeding, San Jose, California- 2
Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tennessee- 2
7- Dale Blaney, Hartford, Ohio- 1
Lance Dewease, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania- 1
Brian Ellenberger, Butler, Pennsylvania- 1
Randy Hannagan, San Jose, California- 1
Greg Hodnett, Memphis, Tennessee- 1
Brent Kaeding, Campbell, California- 1
Chad Kemenah, Findlay, Ohio- 1
Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania- 1
Danny Smith, Danville, Indiana- 1
Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma- 1
Jason Solwold, Mt. Vernon, Washington- 1
Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tennessee- 1
Brooke Tatnell, San Souci, NSW, Australia- 1
SuperClean Start Award
1- Jason Meyers, Clovis, California- 7
Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tennessee- 7
2- Craig Dollansky, Elk River, Minnesota- 6
3- Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana- 4
Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota- 4
4- Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 3
Danny Lasoski, Dover, Missouri- 3
5- Dale Blaney, Hartford, Ohio- 2
Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio- 2
Chad Kemenah, Findlay, Ohio- 2
Terry McCarl, Altoona, Iowa- 2
Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tennessee- 2
Brooke Tatnell, San Souci, NSW, Australia- 2
Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania- 2
Jessica, Zemken, Sprakers, New York- 2
6- Jonanthan Allard, Chico, California- 1
Cody Darrah, Red Lion, Pennsylvania- 1
Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas- 1
Jason Johnson, Eunice, Louisiana- 1
Bud Kaeding, Campbell, California- 1
Tim Kaeding, San Jose. California- 1
Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, California- 1
Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW- 1
Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Oklahoma- 1
Travis Rutz, Langley, British Columbia- 1
Chris Shirek, Thompson, North Dakota- 1
Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania- 1
Crane Cams Engine Builder Challenge
Speedway Engines 246
Shaver Specialties 224 -22
Don Ott 202 -44
Kistler 201 -45
Chassis Builder Challenge
Maxim 293
J&J 274 -19