By Larry Boos
ROSSBURG, OH (Sept. 16) – When Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz pull into the pits with their Tony Stewart Racing owned rigs for a World of Outlaws (WoO) race at Eldora Speedway, there’s always a bit of added pressure to perform well, as their boss, Tony Stewart, is also the owner of Eldora.
When the WoO touring pros venture into Eldora Friday night (Sept. 23) for the opening night of the annual Four Crown Nationals, a new twist to the plot will be added.
Not only will Stewart, a two-time NASCAR Cup Champion, be on hand to monitor his team’s performance, he’ll be competing with and against them. Not one to sit idle at a race track, Stewart confirmed this week that he will be strapping on the helmet to compete in the final WoO appearance of the 2011 season at the legendary speed plant.
And Stewart means business – this is not just a celebrity appearance.
Already a winner at his own track in Late Models, Modifieds, USAC Midgets, USAC Sprints and NRA Sprint Invaders, Stewart will be striving to capture his first WoO win at the facility where he pays the bills. It wouldn’t be his first WoO victory; however, as he broke that ice earlier this summer with a July 27 triumph at Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario, Canada.
Stewart knows full well the competition will be formidable. Kinser, the all-time leading WoO winner at Eldora with 35 wins, is hungry. His last visit to Eldora’s victory lane was in July 2010 at the Kings Royal, while Schatz, who has four wins to his name at the Big E, has not carried an Eldora checkered flag since the 2009 Kings Royal.
Throw into the mix WoO hot shoes like defending champion Jason Meyers, Craig Dollansky, Paul McMahan; along with eager young upstarts like Lucas Wolfe and Cody Darrah, and the formula for Stewart, or anyone else, will be tough.
The WoO series will join the UMP (United Midwestern Promoters) Modifieds for a double header on Friday night (Sept. 23) to kick off the two-night Four Crown Nationals. Saturday’s (Sept. 24) card will feature the three National touring divisions of USAC (United States Auto Club) – Midgets, Sprints and Silver Crown. Rounding out the busy weekend will be members of VARC (Vintage American Race Cars) with their static display and on-track exhibition.
Complete event details may be found on the track’s website www.eldoraspeedway.com.