By Tony Veneziano
MCCOOL JUNCTION, Neb. — August 11, 2015 — The NAPA Auto Parts Sprint Car Extravaganza Presented by Mid-Nebraska Land Developers, Henderson Irrigation, Friesen Auto Group and Bill Otto will bring together the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and the Carpetland Nebraska 360 Sprint Series for the first time ever on Tuesday, August 18 at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Nebraska. A full race program is in store for each series, along with a complete show for unsanctioned late models.
Two of the winningest drivers in the country will be in action in the NAPA Sprint Car Extravaganza Presented by Mid-Nebraska Land Developers. Donny Schatz, the six-time and defending World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion, has 22 wins with the World of Outlaws, which leads all of sprint car racing. Schatz had a five-race win streak in June, as well as a 19-race streak in which he finished first or second in full point paying World of Outlaws events that stretched from the middle of June until early August.
Jack Dover, who is second in points with the Carpetland Nebraska 360 Sprint Series has 11 total win on the season among different series, which places him among the top-10 winningest drivers in the sport thus far in 2015.
Earlier this season, Dover also put together a five-race win streak, including at Junction Motor Speedway on June 13. Dover enters the NAPA Sprint Car Extravaganza Presented by Mid-Nebraska Land Developers riding a two-race win streak with the Carpetland Nebraska 360 Sprint Series.
The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series has had 19 different drivers pick up wins this season. Of the 13 full-time drivers following the tour, seven have been victorious thus far in 2015. A total of four drivers have won with the Carpetland Nebraska 360 Sprint Series in 2015, including Brian Brown, who won the season-opening two races at I-80 Speedway in April. Brown also earned his second-career World of Outlaws win earlier this season at USA Raceway in Arizona, making him the only driver that has won with both series this year.
Shane Stewart, who is second in points with the World of Outlaws, has won seven races this season, including the famed Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway in Ohio and the Ironman 55 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, just outside of St. Louis, as part of the series “Month of Money.” Stewart is a past winner at Junction Motor Speedway in a 360-sprint car.
Kasey Kahne Racing teammates Daryn Pittman and Brad Sweet each have three wins thus far in 2015 on the World of Outlaws trail. Checking in with two wins each are Joey Saldana and Paul McMahan. Fan favorite Jason Sides also has a victory this season in World of Outlaws competition.
Dover leads the Carpetland Nebraska 360 Sprint Series with seven wins, followed by Brown’s two wins. Cody Ledger and Jonathan Cornell each have one victory thus far in 2015 with the series.
Bill Alley, a veteran sprint car driver, leads the Carpetland Nebraska 360 Sprint Series standings on the strength of 10 top-10 finishes in 11 starts. Dover is just 11 points back, having earned nine top-10 finishes, with all of those being top-five performances. Ledger, who won at I-80 Speedway, is in Nebraska, is currently third in points, with Jordan Boston fourth and Tyler Drueke rounding out the top-five. Cornell also scored a win at I-80 Speedway earlier this season with the series.
Alley, Ledger and Boston are the only three drivers that have qualified for all 11 main events this season with the Carpetland Nebraska 360 Sprint Series. Dover and Drueke have started 10 of the 11 A-Feature events contested by the series thus far in 2015. A total of 74 drivers have competed with the series, with 37 having earned at least one top-10 finish.
Also in action in the World of Outlaws portion of the NAPA Sprint Car Extravaganza will be veteran driver Kerry Madsen, who is currently third in points, as well as third-generation driver Kraig Kinser, young guns David Gravel, Logan Schuchart and Jacob Allen, along with Jason Johnson, the leading contender for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award this year. Johnson has three wins at Junction Motor Speedway in his career, with two of those coming in 2004 and one in 2010. He has raced in each of the last two World of Outlaws events at the track.
Tickets for NAPA Auto Parts Sprint Car Extravaganza Presented by Mid-Nebraska Land Developers, Henderson Irrigation, Friesen Auto Group and Bill Otto at Junction Motor Speedway on August 18 can be purchased online at http://slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by phone at 815-344-2023. Late models running unsanctioned for $1,000 will also be part of the night’s festivities, making for a tripleheader of top-flight racing classes.
For more information on tickets, visit www.slspromotions.com.