From Tony Veneziano, image courtesy of Mike Campbell
Concord, NC — Knowing just how important every single point in as he is locked in the closest points race in World of Outlaws history Donny Schatz earned the maximum number of points he could on Thursday night as the third annual World Finals at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in North Carolina kicked off with two rounds of time trials which will set the lineups for Friday and Saturday’s racing programs. The three-time and defending World of Outlaws champion was fastest in both sessions to earn 10 bonus points and now holds a 29-point lead over Jason Meyers heading into the final two nights of World Finals, with Saturday night’s race airing live on SPEED beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern.
Schatz circled the four-tenths-mile in 13.794 seconds to best a stout 57-car field, the largest in World Finals history in the first round of time trails and was even faster in the second session aboard the special edition STP J&J, putting down a lap of 13.770 to best the 56 cars that took to the track.
“It was a great start to the weekend,” said Schatz. “Those qualifying points are very important right now and that’s what our goal was coming in. As long as we get through our heat race we are locked into a dash spot. Going for quick times this year is what has put us a little bit ahead. We’re happy to go into the weekend with that. This car is awesome fast. These guys have definitely done their homework and they are pumped up right now.”
With the two fast time honors on Thursday night, Schatz increased his series leading total to 13 on the season, which is three better than Jason Sides who has been quickest in qualifying 10 times. Schatz was the ninth car out in the first session of time trials and was the 51st of 56 cars to hit the track in the second round.
“It’s a good place to be and it’s a true testament to what these guys do,” stated the North Dakota native. “It gives the fans a little bit of excitement too. To go out at the end like that and have a car that good is fun to drive.”
Jason Sides was second fastest in the Friday qualifying session aboard the Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim to put himself in a good position for the racing program. Sides finished second at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway back in May as he looks for his first career win at the track.
“For going out that late it was good for us,” said Sides. “The track was going away a bit. We were trying to get a quick time so we could get back tied with Donny, but he is now two up on us (after the first round). Hopefully we can go out and have a good Saturday qualifying and just have a good all around night. We’ll see how it goes.”
Dale Blaney was third fastest in the qualifying session for Friday in the Ti-22 Performance Maxim with 20-time series champion Steve Kinser fourth in the Quaker State Maxim and Craig Dollansky fifth in his first event in the Big Game Treestands Maxim. Jason Meyers who was the second to last car to go on the clock was 10th quick in the GLR Investments KPC, which will put him on the front row of a heat race, while Joey Saldana who is third in the title race was 18th quick aboard the Budweiser Maxim.
Ed Lynch Jr., Jeremy Campbell, Brian Montieth and Danny Lasoski will all start on the pole of heat races on Friday night.
In the second round of time trials which will set the field for Saturday night’s program, Steve Kinser was second fastest after a fourth-place effort in the first round. Kinser has made 20 starts at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in his career and finished in the Top-10 in each and every one.
“It’s not too bad,” note Kinser of his qualifying efforts. “We certainly would have liked to have been in the Top-two for both. It’s a good start and we had put a new car together and have been playing with it. We’ll see what happens here.”
Ed Lynch Jr. was third in qualifying for the Saturday night program aboard the Howard Concrete J&J, with Danny Lasoski in the Casey’s General Store JEI fourth and Jason Sides fifth. Joey Saldana was 11th fastest while Jason Meyers was 12th quick.
Cody Darrah, Craig Dollansky, Brandon Wimmer and Bob Felmlee will start on the pole of heats on Saturday night in the finale of the World Finals which will air live on SPEED beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern.
WORLD FINAL NIGHT #1 NOTES
•FAST QUALIFIER: Donny Schatz paced the 57 cars that took time for Friday’s portion of the World Finals with an AMB i.t. timed lap around the semi-banked four-tenths-mile oval at 13.794 seconds. For his qualifying effort, Schatz earned five bonus points. The next four fastest qualifiers also earned bonus points, including: Jason Sides (4), Dale Blaney (3), Steve Kinser (2) and Craig Dollansky (1).
•FAST QUALIFIER: Donny Schatz paced the 56 cars that took time for Saturday’s portion of the World Finals with an AMB i.t. timed lap around the semi-banked four-tenths-mile oval at 13.770 seconds. For his qualifying effort, Schatz earned five bonus points. The next four fastest qualifiers also earned bonus points, including: Steve Kinser (4), Ed Lynch Jr. (3), Danny Lasoski (2) and Jason Sides (1).
World of Outlaws Statistical Report: World Finals Qualifying Round 1; The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway; Concord, NC; November 5, 2009
Qualifying
1) 15-Donny Schatz 13.794
2) 7S-Jason Sides 13.837
3) 2-Dale Blaney 13.861
4) 11-Steve Kinser 13.869
5) 7-Craig Dollansky 13.903
6) 3C-Cale Conley 13.915
7) 51-Fred Rahmer 13.941
8) 22H-Greg Hodnett 13.956
9) 6F-Bob Felmlee 13.958
10) 14-Jason Meyers 13.984
11) 24-Terry McCarl 14.036
12) 19-Cody Darrah 14.052
13) 2L-Ed Lynch Jr. 14.059
14) G1-Jeremy Campbell 14.070
15) 21-Brian Montieth 14.086
16) 6-Danny Lasoski 14.095
17) 22B-Ben Gregg 14.126
18) 9-Joey Saldana 14.139
19) 35-Justin Henderson 14.180
20) 43-Doug Dodson 14.201
21) 83X-Tim Shaffer 14.230
22) 20-Kraig Kinser 14.237
23) R19-Jac Haudenschild 14.262
24) 30C-Lance Dewease 14.269
25) 22-Brian Ellenberger 14.276
26) 17-Daryn Pittman 14.305
27) 5W-Lucas Wolfe 14.311
28) 91-Brad Sweet 14.315
29) 7M-Mark Smith 14.343
30) 27-Curt Michael 14.368
31) O7X-Brandon Wimmer 14.374
32) 25-Brook Tatnell 14.397
33) 93-Sam Hafertepe Jr. 14.398
34) 55-Chad Layton 14.401
35) 1Z-Jessica Zemken 14.411
36) 63-Chad Kemenah 14.441
37) 1-Chris Shirek 14.445
38) 13-Don Droud Jr 14.473
39) 83-Tim Kaeding 14.479
40) 94-Zach Zimmerly 14.523
41) 1B-Keith Baxter 14.545
42) 81-Craig Folmar 14.564
43) O-Glenn Styres 14.621
44) 15X-Adam Wilt 14.650
45) 49-Bob Howard 14.725
46) 89-Robbie Stillwaggon 14.759
47) 28-Todd Kane 14.792
48) 63J-Josh Weller 14.813
49) 4K-Kris Spitz 14.874
50) 5-John Smith 14.881
51) D4-Danny Holtgraver 14.934
52) 13X-Kramer Williamson 14.941
53) 60C-Kory Crabtree 15.086
54) 6W-Brad Wickham 15.151
55) 19K-Kyle Pruitt 15.390
56) 6X-Mark Cole 15.407
57) 23-Todd Zinn 15.730
World of Outlaws Statistical Report: World Finals Qualifying Round 2; The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway; Concord, NC; November 5, 2009
Qualifying
1) 15-Donny Schatz 13.770
2) 11-Steve Kinser 13.859
3) 2L-Ed Lynch Jr. 13.883
4) 6-Danny Lasoski 13.883
5) 7S-Jason Sides 13.922
6) 3C-Cale Conley 13.955
7) 2-Dale Blaney 13.960
8) 22H-Greg Hodnett 13.970
9) 24-Terry McCarl 13.990
10) 51-Fred Rahmer 14.075
11) 9-Joey Saldana 14.093
12) 14-Jason Meyers 14.102
13) 19-Cody Darrah 14.126
14) 7-Craig Dollansky 14.132
15) O7X-Brandon Wimmer 14.139
16) 6F-Bob Felmlee 14.156
17) 94-Zach Zimmerly 14.184
18) 91-Brad Sweet 14.187
19) 1Z-Jessica Zemken 14.203
20) 13-Don Droud Jr 14.207
21) 5W-Lucas Wolfe 14.210
22) 7M-Mark Smith 14.210
23) 43-Doug Dodson 14.214
24) 28-Todd Kane 14.217
25) 83X-Tim Shaffer 14.255
26) G1-Jeremy Campbell 14.268
27) 27-Curt Michael 14.271
28) 21-Brian Montieth 14.285
29) 63-Chad Kemenah 14.326
30) 30C-Lance Dewease 14.334
31) 17-Daryn Pittman 14.354
32) 1B-Keith Baxter 14.361
33) 20-Kraig Kinser 14.362
34) 35-Justin Henderson 14.384
35) 22B-Ben Gregg 14.427
36) 93-Sam Hafertepe Jr. 14.436
37) 15X-Adam Wilt 14.489
38) 25-Brooke Tatnell 14.492
39) 83-Tim Kaeding 14.518
40) 81-Craig Folmar 14.548
41) 1-Chris Shirek 14.615
42) R19-Jac Haudenschild 14.624
43) 13X-Kramer Williamson 14.644
44) 60C-Kory Crabtree 14.669
45) 22-Brian Ellenberger 14.686
46) 55-Chad Layton 14.726
47) D4-Danny Holtgraver 14.785
48) 89-Robbie Stillwaggon 14.794
49) 49-Bob Howard 14.865
50) 6W-Brad Wickham 14.884
51) O-Glenn Styres 14.897
52) 63J-Josh Weller 14.919
53) 4K-Kris Spitz 15.375
54) 19K-Kyle Pruitt 15.602
55) 23-Todd Zinn 15.858
56) 6X-Mark Cole 16.232