From Kyle Luetters
BAYTOWN, Texas – Feb. 26, 2011 –
Sammy Swindell used several long green-flag runs and a three-lap sprint to the checkered flag on Saturday night at Royal Purple Raceway to earn his first World of Outlaws victory of the season.
Swindell started fourth and charged to the front after Chad Kemenah led the first eight laps in the 40-lap feature event at the quarter-mile speedway just outside of Houston. Swindell then managed the lead while furious battles for position – including a four-wide fight for third at one point – were taking place behind him. A couple of long runs spaced out by scary flips involving Joey Saldana on Lap 20 and Donny Schatz on a restart with three to go gave Swindell all the momentum he needed to secure the win in the Big Game Treestands Maxim.
“Those green flag runs really made a big difference for us tonight,” said a smiling Swindell, of Germantown, Tenn. “My car certainly was better on the long runs and I hated to see those reds and yellows but I’m glad everyone was OK.”
Following Schatz’s end-over-end flip, the field restarted with Jason Meyers trying to hold off Jason Sides for second. The intense battle went down to the final lap. Sides slid under Meyers in the first corner, the two made contact, leaving Meyers in a spin while Sides was able to finish in the runner-up position for the second night in a row.
“I don’t like to race like that,” said Sides, a native of Bartlett, Tenn., who has finished first or second in the past three consecutive World of Outlaws events in the Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim. “We had been going back and forth there and we just made contact. I hate that it happened.”
Craig Dollansky raced to the checkered flag in third, earning the KSE Hard Charger Award after he started in 15th in his Big Game Treestand Maxim.
“We could really run wherever we wanted too,” said Dollansky, who led the most laps of any driver during the World of Outlaws three-night season-opening DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. “The track was really smooth tonight and it really worked out to our benefit.”
Danny Lasoski and early leader Kemenah rounded out the top five. Meyers, the defending champion, wound up 15th after the contact with Sides on the final lap. Steve Kinser, a three-time winner already this season, finished seventh.
For more news and information, make sure to visit WorldofOutlaws.com.
Royal Purple Raceway Notebook
Live from Vegas – The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Wednesday and Thursday. For only $14.99, fans can watch multi-camera video coverage of both nights at DIRTVision.com.
Quick Timer – Paul McMahan was the night’s fastest qualifier at 12.538 seconds, earning five more championship points.
Winners – There have been five World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series feature event winners in 2011. They include Steve Kinser (2-Volusia Speedway Park, Pike County Speedway), Jason Sides (1-Volusia Speedway Park) and Sammy Swindell (1-Royal Purple Raceway).
New Online Home – Make sure to check out the all-new WorldofOutlaws.com for the latest news and results, plus exclusive driver interviews, video and pictures. Also listen to every event live at DIRTVision.com .
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Royal Purple Raceway; Baytown, Texas; Feb. 26, 2011
A-main (40 laps) – Starting Position [#] – 1) 1-Sammy Swindell[4] [$10,000]; 2) 7S-Jason Sides[7] [$5,500]; 3) 7-Craig Dollansky[15] [$3,200]; 4) 33-Danny Lasoski[9] [$2,800]; 5) 63-Chad Kemenah[2] [$2,500]; 6) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[10] [$2,300]; 7) 11-Steve Kinser[12] [$2,200]; 8) 83-Paul McMahan[3] [$2,100]; 9) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[14] [$2,050]; 10) 6-Kraig Kinser[11] [$2,000]; 11) 91-Cody Darrah[16] [$1,500]; 12) 30C-Lance Dewease[8] [$1,200]; 13) 6R-Bill Rose[6] [$1,100]; 14) 15-Donny Schatz[13] [$1,050]; 15) 14-Jason Meyers[1] [$1,000]; 16) 89G-David Gravel[20] [$900]; 17) W20-Greg Wilson[17] [$800]; 18) 24-Terry McCarl[19] [$800]; 19) 2-Wes Miller[21] [$800]; 20) 2B-Ben Gregg[18] [$800]; 21) 9-Joey Saldana[5] [$800]. Lap Leaders: Chad Kemenah 1-8, Sammy Swindell 9-40. KSE Hard Charger Award: Craig Dollansky
Qualifying – 1) 83-Paul McMahan 12.538; 2) 6R-Bill Rose 12.550; 3) 14-Jason Meyers 12.552; 4) 63-Chad Kemenah 12.566; 5) 1-Sammy Swindell 12.599; 6) 6-Kraig Kinser 12.605; 7) 7S-Jason Sides 12.629; 8) 30C-Lance Dewease 12.734; 9) 9-Joey Saldana 12.734; 10) 33-Danny Lasoski 12.737; 11) 11-Steve Kinser 12.741; 12) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. 12.752; 13) 15-Donny Schatz 12.776; 14) 5W-Lucas Wolfe 12.777; 15) 7-Craig Dollansky 12.799; 16) 24-Terry McCarl 12.883; 17) 91-Cody Darrah 13.048; 18) W20-Greg Wilson 13.075; 19) 2B-Ben Gregg 13.157; 20) 89G-David Gravel 13.301; 21) 2-Wes Miller 14.553.
Heat 1 (10 Laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature) – 1) 33-Danny Lasoski[1]; 2) 7S-Jason Sides[2]; 3) 63-Chad Kemenah[3]; 4) 83-Paul McMahan[4]; 5) 15-Donny Schatz[5]; 6) 2B-Ben Gregg[7]; 7) 24-Terry McCarl[6].
Heat 2 (10 Laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature) – 1) 30C-Lance Dewease[2]; 2) 1-Sammy Swindell[3]; 3) 11-Steve Kinser[1]; 4) 6R-Bill Rose[4]; 5) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[5]; 6) 91-Cody Darrah[6]; 7) 89G-David Gravel[7].
Heat 3 (10 Laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature) – 1) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[1]; 2) 9-Joey Saldana[2]; 3) 6-Kraig Kinser[3]; 4) 14-Jason Meyers[4]; 5) 7-Craig Dollansky[5]; 6) W20-Greg Wilson[6]; 7) 2-Wes Miller[7].
Dash (8 laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature) – 1) 14-Jason Meyers[2]; 2) 63-Chad Kemenah[1]; 3) 83-Paul McMahan[4]; 4) 1-Sammy Swindell[5]; 5) 9-Joey Saldana[8]; 6) 6R-Bill Rose[3]; 7) 7S-Jason Sides[6]; 8) 30C-Lance Dewease[7]; 9) 33-Danny Lasoski[9]; 10) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[10].
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), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), Goodyear Tires (Official Tire), Factory Motor Parts, VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel), Vicci (Official Apparel); in addition to contingency sponsors, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, RacingJunk.com, KSE Race Products, Racing Electronics, S&S Volvo, JE Pistons, Wix Filters and SuperFlow; Engine Builder’s Challenge participants Kistler Engines, Shaver Specialties and Speedway Engines.