Tony Veneziano
PUTNAMVILLE, Ind. — June 1, 2016 — Lincoln Park Speedway in Indiana is widely known for being a hot bed of non-wing sprint car racing. For one night, Wednesday, June 8, winged sprint cars will take center stage as the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to the high-banked bullring in west central Indiana for the first time since 1988 and only the third time ever. This edition of Quick Hits sets the stage for that event, which has been nearly 20 years in the making.
Two-Timer
Joey Saldana has two career winged sprint car wins at Lincoln Park Speedway. The native of Brownsburg, Ind., was victorious for the first time at the track in 1992 with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions and repeated the next season. Saldana is one of just four drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series this season that has competed in a winged sprint car at Lincoln Park Speedway and the only one who has a winged victory at the track.
Plenty of Laps and a Win
Brad Sweet, who drives for Kasey Kahne Racing (KKR), was victorious at Lincoln Park Speedway in 2010 during Indiana Midget week with the Honda USAC National Midget Series. He started sixth in that 30-lap race and took the lead on the 12th circuit en route to winning, against a stout 40-car field. Sweet made his debut at Lincoln Park Speedway in 2005, making five appearances in non-wing sprint car events, including with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series and King of Indiana Sprint Series (KISS). He also raced at the track in 2006 in a non-wing sprint car.
Mr. Versatility
Greg Wilson, who has been a winged sprint car driver his entire career, took off the wing and raced at Lincoln Park Speedway in 1998 during the Indiana Sprint Week event for the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series. Racing against a very strong 55-car field, the Ohio native was able to race his way into the main event. Wilson made his most recent visit to Lincoln Park Speedway in 2006 when the National Sprint Tour (NST) contested the last winged sprint car race at the track. The Ohio native is the leading contender for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award this season with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series. Wilson was victorious last weekend at the Dirt Track at Charlotte to earn his first win of the season and second of his career with the series.
A Strong Run
Paul McMahan finished fourth in his first and only start at Lincoln Park Speedway in 2006 with the National Sprint Tour (NST). The veteran driver finished second in the first dash, which lined him up third for the main event. McMahan won three races in the state of Indiana in 2014 and 2015, with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series. A pair of those victories came at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt and the third was at Lawrenceburg Speedway.
Honorary Hoosier
While North Dakota will always be home for Donny Schatz, Indiana is a “home away from,” if you will, for the seven-time and defending series champion. With his Tony Stewart Racing team based in Brownsburg, Ind., Schatz has had a great deal of success on Hoosier soil in his career. He has three wins at Lawrenceburg Speedway, two at Bloomington Speedway, as well as single victories at Kokomo Speedway and the Terre Haute Action Track. In 2014, Schatz won four out of five races in Indiana.
Shortest Trip of the Year
Daryn Pittman is used to driving hours on end in his motorhome to get to World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series events. When the series heads to Lincoln Park Speedway, the Oklahoma native, who now calls Danville, Indiana home, will have a short, half-hour drive as he makes his first start at the track.
Foundation to Build On
The last couple of years have been building blocks for Shane Stewart and the Larson Marks Racing team he drives for, as they geared up for an all-out assault on the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series championship. That same equation can be applied for the veteran driver at Lincoln Park Speedway. Stewart has raced once at the high-banked bullring, back in 2006 with the NST. He garnered a top-10 run in 10th in that event.
One Start
Jason Sides competed at Lincoln Park Speedway in 2006 in the NST race. The veteran driver raced his way through the B-main to earn a spot in the main event, where he finished 17th. Sides has one victory this season on a short track, with that coming at the quarter-mile bullring at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Arkansas.
New Territory
A number of drivers competing with the World of Outlaws full-time this season will be making their first visit to Lincoln Park Speedway. Along with Schatz and Pittman, David Gravel, Jason Johnson, Logan Schuchart and Jacob Allen will all be making their LPS debut.
A Few Laps
Clyde Knipp, who is contending for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award this season, made a pair of visits to Lincoln Park Speedway last year to race a non-wing sprint car. The teenager was in attendance for the Indiana Sprint Week show in July, sanctioned by the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series, and he returned later in the month. Both events featured stout fields and Knipp was able to get seat time in heats races and consolations races. The native of California, Missouri, also raced on Hoosier soil last year in a non-wing car at Bloomington Speedway and Tri-State Speedway.
Advance tickets for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series return to Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Indiana on Wednesday, June 8 and can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com/ or by calling SLS Promotions at 815-344-2023. The ticket booth will open at 4 p.m. on race day.
Discount General Admission tickets are also available for purchase at local participating O’Reilly Auto Parts stores. Each General Admission ticket purchased at an O’Reilly Auto Parts location will feature a special $5 discount. Tickets buyers will exchange their O’Reilly receipt for tickets at the Main Grandstand ticket booth on race day.
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