By Tony Veneziano
Concord, NC-September 12, 2010- Two points is all that separates Joey Saldana and Jason Meyers at the top of the World of Outlaws championship standings following the 57th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in California this past weekend.
Meyers took the point lead following the first night of the three-day classic by two points, with Saldana retaking the top spot following the second night, again by just two markers. With the finale of the Gold Cup being lined up by event points earned on each of the first two nights, all competitors earned 75 “Show up” points due to the format being different than a standard World of Outlaws race. A total of 10 point paying races remains on the 2010 calendar.
Saldana finished third on the second night of the Gold Cup, rebounding from some bad luck in the opener that saw him get caught up in an eight-car accident in the early going. He came home 15th in that race. In the finale, he rebounded from a stop in the work area on the 27th lap to change a right rear tire that was going down to finish seventh. The second generation driver leads the World of Outlaws with 12 A-Feature wins this season and is tied for the series lead with 35 Top-Five finishes.
“With the way this year has been with everybody, I’m sure it will come down to the last race,” said Saldana after a podium finish on Friday night. “It seems like every time we have a lot of momentum, something stupid happens. We have to run solid every race and not makes mistakes.”
Meyers finished fourth in the opener of the Gold Cup and was fifth on the second night to earn the most event points, which put him on the pole for the 40-lap finale, which he would lead all 40 laps of to earn the biggest win of his career. Meyers earned five bonus points in the World of Outlaws standings after setting fast time in the opener of the Gold Cup, which was his sixth fast time honor in an 11-race stretch. He leads the series with 10 quick time honors this season and has earned the most qualifying bonus points of any driver in 2010.
“We definitely have momentum right now,” said Meyers after his win in the Gold Cup. “We can’t wait to get back to the track. We won at Spencer last year and ran strong at Deer Creek, so I can’t wait to get back there. This entire team is doing an amazing job.”
Steve Kinser is currently third in points, 55 markers out of the lead on the strength of eight A-Features and a series leading 51 Top-10 finishes. The 20-time series champion finished second in the finale of the Gold Cup, coming through the Last Chance Showdown and then charging from 18th to the runner-up spot. He was leading the opener of the Gold Cup, when a right rear hub broke on his machine ending his night. He worked his way back from an early spin on the second night and was running near the Top-10 when contact with a lapped car on the final lap relegated him to a 19 th-place finish.
Donny Schatz, the four-time and defending World of Outlaws champion, used a win on the second night of the Gold Cup coupled with an eighth-place effort in the opener to gain ground in the standings. He is currently fourth, 119 markers out of the lead as he chases his fifth consecutive title. Schatz finished fourth in the finale of the Gold Cup.
Jason Sides remains fifth in points, as he picked up two more Top-10 finishes during the Gold Cup, coming home sixth in the opener and fourth on the second night. He has 46 Top-10 finishes with 24 of those being Top-Five performances.
Paul McMahan finished in the Top-10 on all three nights of the Gold Cup and remains sixth in points. The California native ran seventh in the opener, was second on Night 2 and was third in the finale. He has 42 Top-10 finishes with 25 being Top-Fives.
Craig Dollansky remains seventh in points, with Lucas Wolfe is eighth, Danny Lasoski ninth and Kraig Kinser 10th.
The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, September 17 at Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa and Saturday, September 18 at Deer Creek Speedway in Minnesota.
2010 World of Outlaws Championship Standings through September 11
Position
Driver
Pts.
Difference
Earnings
Wins
Top-5
Top-10
1.
Joey Saldana
7916
$251,575
12
35
45
2.
Jason Meyers
7914
-2
$262,300
10
31
47
3.
Steve Kinser
7861
-55
$278,700
8
35
51
4.
Donny Schatz
7797
-119
$179,600
4
31
46
5.
Jason Sides
7745
-171
$164,325
4
24
46
6
Paul McMahan
7645
-271
$150,725
1
25
42
7.
Craig Dollansky
7301
-615
$132,900
3
16
29
8.
Lucas Wolfe
7261
-655
$101,300
0
14
25
9.
Danny Lasoski
7205
-711
$105,250
1
7
29
10.
Kraig Kinser
7148
-768
$87,600
0
7
26
11.
Sam Hafertepe Jr.
6861
-1055
$80,850
0
7
19
12.
Jac Haudenschild
6785
-1131
$113,300
3
11
26
13.
Chad Kemenah
6593
-1323
$63,430
0
2
11
14.
Ben Gregg
6086
-1830
$39,145
0
0
1
15.
Toni Lutar
5783
-2133
$33,675
0
0
1
16.
Sammy Swindell
4345
-3571
$92,480
3
13
24
17.
Brian Ellenberger
4344
-3572
$28,890
0
0
2
18.
Kerry Madsen
3986
-3930
$61,250
0
4
16
19.
Tim Kaeding
3342
-4574
$41,555
0
4
11
20.
Brad Sweet
2690
-5036
$37,080
0
5
11
2010 STAT ATTACK
There have been 59 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events this season.
A-Feature winners (18 Different Drivers) Driver, Hometown – Wins
1- Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana- 12
2- Jason Meyers, Clovis, California- 10
3- Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 8
4- Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota- 4
Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tennessee – 4
5- Craig Dollansky, Elk River, Minnesota – 3
Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio – 3
Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tennessee – 3
6- Lance Dewease, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania – 2
Brooke Tatnell, San Souci, NSW, Australia – 2
7- Dale Blaney, Hartford, Ohio – 1
Doug Esh, Lancaster, Pennsylvania – 1
Greg Hodnett, Thomasville, Pennsylvania – 1
Danny Lasoski, Dover, Missouri – 1
Chad Layton, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – 1
Paul McMahan, Nashville, Tennessee – 1
Fred Rahmer, Salfordville, Pennsylvania – 1
Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania – 1
Lap leaders, Driver, Hometown – Total laps led (26 Different Drivers)
1- Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana – 333 laps
2- Jason Meyers, Clovis, California- 243 laps
3- Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 193 laps
4- Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota- 134 laps
5- Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tennessee – 104 laps
6- Craig Dollansky, Elk River, Minnesota – 101 laps
7- Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio – 89 laps
8- Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tennessee – 67 laps
9- Dale Blaney, Hartford, Ohio – 62 laps
10- Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas – 61 laps
11- Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania- 59 laps
12- Paul McMahan, Nashville, Tennessee – 47 laps
13- Danny Lasoski, Dover, Missouri – 44 laps
14- Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Australia – 42 laps
15- Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania -43 laps
16- Lance Dewease, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania – 38 laps
17- Doug Esh, Lancaster, Pennsylvania – 37 laps
Brooke Tatnell, San Souci, NSW, Australia – 35 laps
18- Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana -33 laps
19- Tim Kaeding, San Jose, California- 31 laps
20- Chad Layton, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – 19 laps
21- Brian Leppo, New Oxford, Pennsylvania – 13 laps
22- Greg Hodnett, Thomasville, Pennsylvania – 5 laps
Tyler Walker, Los Angeles, California – 5 laps
23- Fred Rahmer, Salfordville, Pennsylvania – 2 laps
24- Evan Suggs, Scotts Valley, California – 1 lap
Time trial leaders (17 Different Drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – Quick times
1- Jason Meyers, Clovis, California – 10
2- Paul McMahan, Nashville, Tennessee – 9
3- Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas – 5
Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana – 5
Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tennessee- 5
Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania -5
4- Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota – 3
5- Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio – 2
Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana – 2
Danny Lasoski, Dover, Missouri – 2
6- Dale Blaney, Hartford, Ohio – 1
Lance Dewease, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania – 1
Ben Gregg, Phoenix, Arizona – 1
Tim Kaeding, San Jose, California- 1
Kasey Kahne, Enumclaw, Washington- 1
Brian Leppo, New Oxford, Pennsylvania – 1
Terry McCarl, Altoona, Iowa- 1
Track Records established in 2010 World of Outlaws events (9)
*Tim Kaeding, March 5, Thunderbowl Raceway (1/3-mile), Tulare, California, 12.651 seconds at 94.759 mph
*Lucas Wolfe, March 13, Houston Raceway Park, (1/4-mile), Baytown, Texas, 11.561 seconds at 77.848 miles per hour
*Kasey Kahne, March 19, Volunteer Speedway (4/10-mile), Bulls Gap, Tennessee, 10.258 seconds at 140.378 mph.
*Sam Hafertepe Jr., May 1, Jackson Speedway (1/2-mile), Jackson, Minnesota, 15.601 seconds at 115.377 mph.
*Joey Saldana, May 22, I-96 Speedway (1/2-mile), Lake Odessa, Michigan, 14.834 seconds at 121.343 mph.
*Lucas Wolfe, June 25, Junction Motor Speedway (3/8-mile), McCool Junction, Nebraska 14.184 seconds at 95.178 mph.
*Lucas Wolfe, July 27, Autodrome Drummond (4/10-mile), Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, 13.788 seconds at 104.439 mph.
*Kraig Kinser, July 30, Ohsweken Speedway (3/8-mile), Ohsweken, Ontario, Canada, 12.047 seconds at 112.061 mph.
*Sam Hafertepe Jr., August 3, Fulton Speedway (3/8-mile), Fulton, New York, 13.240 seconds at 101.964 mph.
Dash Winners (18 Different Winners) Rank – Driver, Hometown – Dash Wins
1- Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota – 8
2- Paul McMahan, Nashville, Tennessee- 6
Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana – 6
Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tennessee – 6
3- Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio – 4
4- Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana – 3
Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania – 3
5- Dale Blaney, Hartford, Ohio – 2
Doug Esh, Lancaster, Pennsylvania – 2
Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas – 2
Tim Kaeding, San Jose, California- 2
Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 2
Jason Meyers, Clovis, California – 2
Fred Rahmer, Salfordville, Pennsylvania – 2
Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania- 2
6- Craig Dollansky, Elk River, Minnesota – 1
Chad Layton, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – 1
Brooke Tatnell, San Souci, NSW, Australia – 1
Pole Positions (18 Different Drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – Poles
1- Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota- 8
2- Paul McMahan, Nashville, Tennessee- 6
Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana – 6
Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tennessee – 6
3- Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio – 4
4- Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana – 3
Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania – 3
5- Dale Blaney, Hartford, Ohio – 2
Doug Esh, Lancaster, Pennsylvania – 2
Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas – 2
Tim Kaeding, San Jose, California- 2
Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 2
Jason Meyers, Clovis, California – 2
Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania- 2
6- Craig Dollansky, Elk River, Minnesota – 1
Chad Layton, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – 1
Fred Rahmer, Salfordville, Pennsylvania – 1
Brooke Tatnell, San Souci, NSW, Australia – 1
Last Chance Showdown Winners (32 Different Winners) Rank – Driver, Hometown – Wins
1- Chad Kemenah, Findlay, Ohio – 4
Danny Lasoski, Dover, Missouri – 4
2- Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas – 3
Kerry Madsen, St. Mary, NSW, Australia – 3
Evan Suggs, Scotts Valley, California- 3
3- Brian Ellenberger, Butler, Pennsylvania- 2
Ben Gregg, Phoenix, Arizona – 2
Tim Kaeding, San Jose, California – 2
Toni Lutar, White Rock, British Columbia – 2
Wade Nygaard, Fargo, North Dakota – 2
4- Jonathan Allard, Chico, California – 1
Dale Blaney, Hartford, Ohio- 1
Brian Brown, Grain Valley, Missouri – 1
Steve Buckwalter, Royersford, Pennsylvania – 1
Rob Chaney, Wooster, Ohio – 1
Cale Conley, Vienna, West Virginia- 1
Randy Hannagan, San Jose, California – 1
Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio – 1
Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana – 1
Brad Knab, Arcade, New York – 1
Alan Krimes, Denver, Pennsylvania – 1
Ed Lynch Jr., Apollo, Pennsylvania – 1
Terry McCarl, Altoona, Iowa – 1
Greg Nikitenko, Minot, North Dakota – 1
Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota – 1
Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania – 1
Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tennessee – 1
Tyler Walker, Los Angeles, California – 1
Rick Wilson, Joyceville, Ontario – 1
Brandon Wimmer, Fairmount, Indiana – 1
Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania – 1
Zach Zimmerly, Portland, Oregon – 1
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award
1- Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana – 6
Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota – 6
2- Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania- 5
3- Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana – 4
4- Craig Dollansky, Elk River, Minnesota – 3
Brian Ellenberger, Butler, Pennsylvania – 3
Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio – 3
Chad Kemenah, Findlay, Ohio- 3
Jason Meyers, Clovis, California- 3
Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania – 3
Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tennessee – 3
5- Lance Dewease, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania – 2
Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas – 2
Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tennessee – 2
6- Danny Dietrich, Aspers, Pennsylvania – 1
Mark Dobmeier, Grand Forks, North Dakota – 1
Doug Esh, Lancaster, Pennsylvania – 1
Ben Gregg, Phoenix, Arizona – 1
Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana – 1
Danny Lasoski, Dover, Missouri- 1
Toni Lutar, White Rock, British Columbia – 1
Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Oklahoma – 1
Fred Rahmer, Salfordville, Pennsylvania – 1
Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, California – 1
Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award Standings
Ben Gregg 6086
Toni Lutar 5783 -303
Engine Builder Challenge
Speedway Engines 241
Don Ott 219 -22
Shaver Specialties 203 -38
Kistler 149 -92
Chassis Builder Challenge
Maxim 277
J&J 222 -55
XXX 196 -81
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 , R2C Performance, 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.