As often is the case for the World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series in March, Mother Nature continues to be more than a formidable foe. For the third consecutive weekend, Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) drivers Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz were able to compete Friday and Saturday but were forced to watch as rain prevailed. Kinser closed the Outlaws’ spring California tour by finishing seventh in Friday night’s WoO 40-lap A-Feature at Merced (Calif.) Speedway while Schatz finished 15th after some bad luck midway through the main event.
Sprint Cars
Dollansky Charges at Merced
Sunny California weather finally greeted Craig Dollansky and the Big Game Treestands #7 team on Friday as they returned to Merced Speedway for just the second World of Outlaws event at the tight bullring.
Fourth-Place Finish for Kraig Kinser at Merced Speedway and a New Track Record
Bloomington, Ind. — April 1, 2012 — With the high level of competition at each and every World of Outlaws event, qualifying and being in the right position at the beginning of the night is of the utmost importance. No driver has been quicker in qualifying over the last two weeks that Kraig Kinser, as he has set fast time in each of the last two races for the series. On Friday night at Merced Speedway, the native of Bloomington, Ind. was nearly two-tenths of-a-second faster than any other driver, en route to establishing a new track record at the now one-third-mile bullring.
Calistoga Falls to Rain
Rain Postpones World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Saturday Event at Calistoga Speedway
Tonight’s race in Merced on schedule; track and series officials working to find Calistoga makeup date for later this year
CALISTOGA, Calif. — March 30, 2012 — As the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series prepares to tackle Merced Speedway tonight, one of the wettest months in California history has forced the series to postpone Saturday’s event at Calistoga Speedway.
With more than seven inches of rain in the past three weeks and additional rain throughout the week, Calistoga Speedway was unable to be touched until Friday afternoon. And then it started raining again on the half-mile track and is not projected to stop until early Sunday morning.
Swindell Masters Merced
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Swindell Relies on Patience, Good Luck Charm for First Win
He retakes the Outlaws points lead as the top five are separated by only 14 points
MERCED, Calif. — March 30, 2012 — There was a special person on the mind of Sammy Swindell as he climbed down from his wing dance on Friday.
Swindell’s granddaughter, Zoe, delivered a special message before the veteran picked up his first World of Outlaws feature victory of the season in front of a rowdy crowd at Merced Speedway.
“She called me, wished me good luck and hoped I won, so I might have to make sure she makes more of those calls,” Swindell said with a grin.
Tony Stewart Racing Teammates Aim for Wins in California Finale
INDIANAPOLIS (March 29, 2012) – Versatility is a necessity if a team is to be successful racing with the World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series. One of the great challenges with dirt-track racing is that no two nights are the same. With so many variables being squeezed into the nightly equation, every race can feel like a final exam for the driver and crew.
3/30/2012 – Merced Speedway
MERCED, Calif. — March 30, 2012 — Sammy Swindell led all 40 laps to outlast Cody Darrah for his first victory of the season and 277th career World of Outlaws win. The results also shook up the points as Swindell took over the lead with Donny Schatz, Jason Sides, Joey Saldana and Kraig Kinser within 14 points of each other. (CLICK FOR FULL RACE REPORT)
Kerry Madsen – Merced/Calistoga Next for WoO!
(Bill W) March 28, 2012 – The weather keeps playing tricks on the World of Outlaws trip to California. The Friday night portion of the Mini-Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico was run, and Kerry Madsen and the Keneric Racing #29 team was in action. Saturday’s finale was canceled. The WoO heads to Merced Speedway in Merced and the Calistoga Speedway in Calistoga this weekend as the western swing concludes for them.
Unsung Heroes: Amy Swindell
Unsung Heroes: Amy Swindell – Wife/Merchandise/Support for Sammy Swindell
Each week throughout the season we will provide a Q&A with a team member within the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. This week we chose Amy Swindell – wife of three-time Outlaws champion Sammy Swindell.
Name: Amy Swindell
Hometown: Germantown, Tenn.
Team: Big Game Motorsports #1
Title: Wife/Merchandise/Support
Background: Amy has been married to Hall of Fame driver Sammy Swindell for almost a quarter century and she has been on the road for more than 30 years. Amy is also the mother to sprint car driver Kevin Swindell, who is working on establishing a career in NASCAR.
Kraig Kinser Wraps up the West Coast Swing this Weekend
Bloomington, Ind. — March 28, 2012 — Polar opposites. That’s the best way to describe Merced Speedway and Calistoga Speedway, the next two stops for Kraig Kinser on the World of Outlaws trail. Merced is a tight 1/3-third-mile bullring, and one of the smallest tracks on the schedule while Calistoga is a sprawling, expansive half-mile, and one of the largest venues on the circuit.
