By Tony Veneziano
Jamaica , VA-May 12, 2010- For the third consecutive year the World of Outlaws will pay a visit to Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, Virginia for the Paul Sawyer Memorial on Saturday, May 15 at the blazing fast half-mile, which is one of the nicest facilities in the entire country.
Joey Saldana is the defending race winner at Virginia Motor Speedway, while Jason Meyers was victorious in the series debut at the track in 2008.
Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws champion, who is in his first season driving for Tony Stewart Racing enters the trio of races the week as the series point leader on the strength of two wins and 14 Top-10 finishes in 15 starts as he chases his record 21st title. Kinser’s teammate, four-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz, has one win this year and is currently fourth in points. Both drivers look for their first career win in the state of Virginia.
Meyers is tied with Saldana for the series lead in wins this season with four and has racked up 14 Top-10 finishes in the first 15 races of the season as he chases his first series title. He followed his win at Virginia Motor Speedway in 2008 up with a four-place finish at the track last season.
The Paul Sawyer Memorial on Saturday, May 15 which will award the winner $10,000 will wrap up the World of Outlaws first East Coast swing of the season, following a pair of races at Williams Grove Speedway on Thursday, May 13 and Friday, May 14.
The Buzz-
*Joey Saldana looks to make it two wins in a row at Virginia Motor Speedway after leading all 30 laps at the half-mile last season. The second generation driver has won four times this season and is currently just 20 points out of the lead in the series standings.
*Jason Meyers won the inaugural World of Outlaws event at Virginia Motor Speedway in 2008 and enters the event this season with four wins on the season and is second in points.
*Sam Hafertepe Jr. finished third at Virginia Motor Speedway in 2008 and was the runner-up last season as he continues to close in on his first career World of Outlaws A-Feature win. He is one of just two drivers that has made three career starts at the half-mile.
*Steve Kinser, the 20-time series champion and current point leader looks for his first career win in the state of Virginia to add to the amazing list of states that he has won in over the year.
*Paul McMahan who recently won his first race of the season will be making his debut at Virginia Motor Speedway. The veteran has finished in the Top-Five in seven of his last nine starts.
*Danny Lasoski, who finished sixth in his debut at Virginia Motor Speedway last year continues to close in on his first win of 2010, finishing second last weekend at Eldora to score his third podium finish of the season.
*Lucas Wolfe, who continues to close in on his first career World of Outlaws win, has had two strong runs at Virginia Motor Speedway, finishing fifth and eighth. He set fast time at the half-mile last year in time trials.
*Ben Gregg and Toni Lutar, the two drivers contending for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award this year will be making their first visit to Virginia Motor Speedway
*Erin Crocker will make her first World of Outlaws start of the season at Virginia Motor Speedway. She competed in five events with the series last season.
One year ago
Joey Saldana picked up his first career win at Virginia Motor Speedway after starting on the pole and beating Sam Hafertepe Jr. into turn one. Saldana would lead all 30 laps to score what was at the time his seventh win of the season. Hafertepe finished second to earn his second consecutive podium finish at the half-mile, with Craig Dollansky third, Jason Meyers fourth and Lucas Wolfe fifth. Wolfe began the night by turning the quickest lap in time trials of the 31 cars that took to the track. Craig Dollansky, Donny Schatz and Craig Folmar won heat races, while it was Saldana taking the dash.
Sound Bites
Jason Meyers
“It’s been a good race track for us. We hit on a set-up the first time we went over there and it’s worked well for us both times we have been over there. We’ll get back the same way this time and stick with the program and hopefully it works out well again over there.”
Sam Hafertepe Jr.
“We have a very good baseline for that place and it seems to be the same conditions every time we show up. We’ll go there with about the same things as we’ve had in the past and see if we can get a win over there. Sometimes it’s just places that you hit on that are pretty good. That’s a place that fits my driving style and is very fast and that is very good for our team.”
By the numbers-Virginia Motor Speedway
0.5- Miles around Virginia Motor Speedway
1- Event for the World of Outlaws in the state of Virginia this season
2- Drivers that have won A-Feature events with the series at the track
2.5- Average finish for Jason Meyers and Sam Hafertepe Jr. with the series at Virginia Motor Speedway to lead all drivers
3- Career starts for Sam Hafertepe Jr. and Chad Kemenah at Virginia Motor Speedway to lead all drivers; Drivers that have led laps in feature events at the track with the World of Outlaws
4- Degrees of banking on the front and back straightaways at Virginia Motor Speedway
6- Drivers that have won heat races in the World of Outlaws two appearances at the half-mile
12- Drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws this season that raced at Virginia Motor Speedway last year
14- Degrees of banking in the turns at Virginia Motor Speedway
14.537- Track record established by Joey Saldana in 2008
18- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws
29- Laps led by Jason Meyers at Virginia Motor Speedway to win in 2008
30- Laps led by Joey Saldana en route to winning at the track last season
31- Drivers that competed with the World of Outlaws at Virginia Motor Speedway last season
123.822- Track record in miles per hour established in time trials by Joey Saldana in 2008
229- Miles from Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania where the World of Outlaws competed on May 13-14 to Virginia Motor Speedway
2008- Year the World of Outlaws first competed at Virginia Motor Speedway
10,000- Dollars the winner will receive on Saturday, May 15
51,690- Dollars in the total purse on Saturday, May 15
Tickets
On Saturday, May 15 at Virginia Motor Speedway, Admission for adults is $30, with admission for Seniors (60+) and Military $25, with tickets for Students ages 7-17 $12, with children 6-under admitted free of charge. To pre-order tickets call the track between 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Eastern Monday through Friday at (804) 758-1867. All seats are general admission.
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), Chizmark & Larson Insurance , 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.