By Lee Elder
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Nov. 8, 2010) – Jason Meyers won both feature races of the Lowes Food World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte and clinched his first World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series championship in the process. Meyers is the first California native to win the title and just the eighth to do it overall.
Friday’s schedule was delayed until Saturday morning due to a poor weather outlook. The entire two-race event was held Saturday.
“All of us at Goodyear congratulate Jason and his team,” said Goodyear marketing manager Justin Fantozzi. “We’re very happy to have him join the family of drivers who have won the Outlaws title on Goodyear tires. Our Goodyear Eagles had a terrific year as well. The teams set 10 track records this season, including Kasey Kahne’s big speed run at Volunteer Speedway in Tennessee.”
Kahne won the pole position at Volunteer with a lap averaging 140.378 mph around the 4/10-mile oval.
“It was a terrifically competitive year,” Fantozzi added. “There were 18 different race winners and 27 drivers led at least one feature racing lap. It’s that kind of competition that attracts the huge crowds this series has become accustomed to and makes it such a great marketing opportunity.”
Meyers won 12 feature races during the 2010 campaign. He won at 11 tracks in 10 states and a Canadian province. He had finished second in the championship three times.
In the opening portion of the World Finals, Meyers took the lead from Sam Hafertepe Jr. on the eighth lap and led the remainder of the 25-lap event. Joey Saldana finished second, followed by Daryn Pittman, Donny Schatz and Tim Shaffer. Craig Dollansky had the quick time in qualifying.
Meyers had to work a little harder to win the second half of the event. He did not get the lead until the 10th lap. Pittman led the first 10 circuits of the dirt oval and eventually finished second. Sammy Swindell was third and Jason Sides was fourth, while Lance Dewease came home fifth.
Schatz led the 56 drivers who attempted to qualify for the second half of the Finals.
Meyers finished with 9,320 points. Schatz was second in the title hunt with 9,206 and Steve Kinser was third with 9,183.
More information about Goodyear Racing is available at www.racegoodyear.com. More information about the World of Outlaws is available at www.worldofoutlaws.com.