From the World of Outlaws
Hanford, CA – March 9, 2011…A huge weekend of racing in the Central Valley will open up next Friday night March 18 with the first appearance of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series to Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway in nearly eight-years.
What is also hoping to be the biggest season in many years at the track, the Hanford, California based 3/8 mile clay oval kicked-off the schedule on February 12 with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Sprint Car Series. After completing that event the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway is now set for the most anticipated night of racing since promoter Scott Woodhouse took over reigns of the track.
“We’re really pumped up to have the Outlaws here at Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway next weekend,” commented Woodhouse. “We look forward to having everyone here and I just want to thank all the fans and teams for their support as we try to make this place bigger and better than ever.”
Having a tremendous start to the season 20-time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser will look to continue his blazing hot pace when the series returns to Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway next week. The pilot of the Tony Stewart Racing, Bass Pro Shops No. 11 has already scored four victories in the first seven events of 2011 and currently leads the standings by 35-markers going into this weekend’s Mini Gold Cup in Chico.
Lurking back in second and continuing to search for his first World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series crown is Brownsburg, Indiana’s Joey Saldana, who battled toe-to-toe with Jason Meyers last season for the title. “The Brownsburg Bullet” scored his first win of 2011 recently in Las Vegas and backed that up with a second place finish the following night aboard his Kasey Kahne Racing, Red Bull sponsored No. 9 machine.
Other than Kinser’s dominance, the most impressive facet of the young season with the World of Outlaws has been Saldana’s Kasey Kahne Racing teammate Cody Darrah, who ranks third in the standings on the strength of four top-five finishes in seven starts. The Red Lion, Pennsylvania rookie will get his first taste of Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway next weekend at the helm of the Great Clips No. 91.
Putting together one of the hottest starts of his World of Outlaws career has been Bartlett, Tennessee’s Jason Sides, who sits fourth in the standings behind the wheel of the Wetherington Tractor Service No. 7s. “Double Down” has been one of the most improved drivers with the series over the last couple seasons and looks to contend for another top-five point finish in 2011.
Defending World of Outlaws champion Jason Meyers from nearby Clovis rounds out the top-five in the series standings, but is only eight-digits out of the third spot, in what is a tightly bunched fight between Darrah, Sides and Meyers. The wheel-man of the DDNi, All Star Performance No. 14 sprinter returns to Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway next weekend for the initial time since becoming the first ever Californian to claim the WOO title last year.
Reigning Golden State 410 Sprint Car Series champion Kyle Larson will look to continue his success as of late at the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway, having captured the two most recent Winged Sprint Car events held at the track. The 18-year-old last October drove to victory aboard the Stadelhofer Construction No. 99 mount at the Cotton Classic and in February picked up a big win at the ASCS National Series event.
During the most recent World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series visit to the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway in ’03 it was San Jose’s Tim Kaeding who claimed victory in the main event. The driver of the Roth Motorsports No. 83 jr. swept both Golden State 410 Sprint Car shows last season at the Hanford track and also captured a runner-up finish to Larson at the Cotton Classic in October, as well as the ASCS National show last month.
Another local driver looking to turn up the heat next Friday night will be Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, who charged from 22nd to third in the feature at the ASCS National Series event in February aboard his Corporate America Lending No. 21 sprinter. Tarlton is coming off a strong 2010 campaign that saw him claim four wins en route to the Ocean 360 Sprints title for the second consecutive season.
Other top drivers set to do battle at the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway will include four-time WOO champion Donny Schatz of Fargo, ND; three-time champ Sammy Swindell of Germantown, TN; 2001 series titlist Danny Lasoski of Dover, MO; Elk River, MN’s Craig Dollansky; Nashville, TN’s Paul McMahan; Wooster, Ohio’s Jac Haudenschild; Mechanicsburg, PA’s Lucas Wolfe, Findlay, Ohio’s Chad Kemenah, Chico’s Jonathan Allard, Vancouver, WA’s Zach Zimmerly and more.
Also on hand Friday will be the Wingless 360’s of the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series.
Advance grandstand tickets for the World of Outlaws return to Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway next Friday March 18 cost $38 and bleacher tickets will be $33. To purchase advance tickets contact (559) 584-7223. The front grandstand gate will open at 5pm with racing set to start around 6:30.
The Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway is a lightning fast 3/8 mile clay oval and is located on the Kings County Fairgrounds in Hanford, California. For more info on the track log onto http://www.kingsspeedway.net
The event in Hanford will be the start of a Central Valley two-step for the World of Outlaws, as the series will also be in competition at the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare on Saturday night March 19. Ticket pricing will be identical to Hanford with all seating being reserved and grandstand seats costing $38 and bleacher tickets $33. To purchase tickets contact (559) 688-0909 and for more info visit http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com