By Tony Veneziano, World of Outlaws PR Director
Jason Meyers knew that he would encounter traffic on Friday night in the opener of the Boot Hill Showdown Presented by Max Jantz Excavating at Dodge City Raceway Park, but he did not imagine that he would be in traffic for almost every one of the 30 laps. He patiently negotiated this traffic to earn his third A-Feature win of the season.
Ironically only one of the 25 starters ended the race not on the lead lap, and that car dropped out with a mechanical failure. Most of the cars that Meyers continually encountered were on the tail end of the lead lap fighting to keep their position.
“It seems like it’s been a big desert in between the wins, but that is a compliment to how strong the competition is out here,” said Meyers, driver of the Primerica Financial Maxim. “We have been struggling a little bit off and on. Tonight we just gave the car what it wants and didn’t worry about what should or shouldn’t work. The guys gave me an excellent race car tonight.”
Meyers took the lead on the opening lap as he won a drag race with the polesitter Donny Schatz, down the front straightaway. The caution flag flew on the third lap and that was the only stoppage in the event, which was completed in just over 10-and-a-half minutes on a lightning fast race track.
The pair entered lapped traffic on the ninth lap with Schatz making a run off the second turn to nearly take the lead. He continued to battle Meyers lap after lap looking both high and low for an opening. That opening came on the 13th circuit as Schatz charged to the high side of the second turn to take the lead from Meyers.
With the Top-four all bunched together, Meyers continued to pressure Schatz. On the 16th lap Schatz got a little high and out of the groove coming off the second turn in traffic, giving Meyers the opening he needed to shoot back to the lead down the back straightaway.
With four laps to go, the pair entered heavy traffic yet again, with Schatz making a couple late bids for the win. Meyers held his line in the middle groove to secure the $10,000 win.
“We only passed one lapped car the entire race,” noted Meyers. “This place gets very narrow in the corners. It was probably one of the best race tracks I have ever seen here. It was definitely tough to pass. Hopefully tomorrow night we can get a little bit wider race track and get out there and pass. The main thing was that there was no rubber on it.”
With Saturday’s event being the second race of the “SuperClean Summer of Money” on ESPN2, Meyers feels confident he and his team learned a few items that they can apply as he seeks his second win of the season with the television cameras rolling.
“We’ll come right back out of the box this way tomorrow,” said the winner. “We started out a little different tonight. We’ll just have to see how tomorrow goes.”
Meyers has finished in the Top-10 in nine straight events, including every race in the month of June. Earlier this season he had a string of 12 straight Top-10’s which is best in the series. He has 24 Top-10 finishes on the campaign as he remains solidly in fifth in points.
“It’s the middle of the season right now and there are a lot of races coming up,” said Meyers, a native of Clovis, California. “This is the time you want to run well.”
Schatz was competing in a specially painted red and black Snap-on Tools machine. He won in his first race in the car in April, and has finished in the Top-10 in all four events that he has piloted the machine. He was battling an ill handling race car late in the race as he finished second. He also began the night by setting fast time in time trials and also won the Crane Cams Dash.
“It’s been a really good car,” said Schatz, driver of the Snap-on Tools J&J. “We were really good all night long. The track got heavier as we went on. I think we had a shock go away. We were really good and got by him and then I got to where I could not turn on exit. Something happened there. I thought it was a low tire, but the tires were fine. It may have been a shock I missed or a bent shaft. We’ll find it here tonight and come back tomorrow.”
Schatz and Meyers were running nearly the same lap times late in the race, making it hard for the reigning series champion to get a run in order to make a pass. The native of Fargo, North Dakota was amazed at the speeds that were being turned late in the race, after sun beat down on the track all afternoon.
“It actually got faster as the feature went on,” said Schatz. “The moisture was coming up which is not normal for a dirt surface at this point of the year. We like to see them a little slick. Late in the race we could not pass lapped traffic because it got so fast for everyone.”
Schatz extended his point lead, as his runner-up finish was his 31st Top-10 of the year in the 34 races that have been contested, as he continues to chase his second straight World of Outlaws title. He also received five bonus points for being quickest in time trials.
Craig Dollansky started third and finished third on Friday night. Late in the race he closed on Schatz, battling for the second position. For most of the race he was just a couple car lengths between the leaders, and was waiting for any opening he could find to make a pass.
“It was a strong finish for us,” said Dollansky, driver of the Karavan Trailers Maxim. “It was pretty hard to pass out there, depending on where the cars were. All in all, they did a great job with the race track for how hot it was. As far as this team goes, we are moving in the right direction, running up front. If we can stay in that position the wins will come.”
Dollansky was hoping for a caution late in the race to have a chance at catching Meyers and Schatz. The pair pulled away to a slight advantage over the third-place runner as the laps wound down.
“I think a yellow could have helped us,” said Dollasnky. “I felt like we had a pretty good car. It was a little off in (turns) one and two, but felt pretty good in three and four. It was a great job by my crew and we will continue to get this car sorted out. I’ve very encouraged by that.”
Jason Solwold finished in the fourth spot after lining up in that same spot for the 30-lap event. He shadowed Dollansky the entire race, closing to within mere inches a few times as he looked to make a pass.
“The track was pretty heavy tonight and got heavier and faster as the night went on,” said Solwold, driver of the City Wide Insulation Maxim. “The race was close tonight and we ended up in a good spot in fourth. It was a good race for the fans to watch.”
Solwold continues to close in on his first World of Outlaws win of the season. With his fourth-place finish on Friday, he now has 19 Top-10 finishes.
“We learned a couple things qualifying that will help us out quite a bit,” Solwold explained. “We had to play a little catch-up tonight but it worked out. Anytime we can finish in the Top-Five it’s a good night. We’ll just keep plugging away at it.”
Paul McMahan earned his eighth Top-Five finish of the season on Friday night as he brought the Bass Pro Shops Eagle home in the fifth spot.
Daryn Pittman was sixth in the Titan Garages Maxim. Terry McCarl came home seventh in the Big Game Tree Stands Eagle. Steve Kinser was eighth in the Q Oil Maxim. Danny Lasoski was ninth in the Roth Motorsports JEI. Stevie Smith was 10th in the Race Against the Abuse of Children Everywhere JEI.
The World of Outlaws complete the Boot Hill Showdown Presented by MJE on Saturday night with the second event of the “SuperClean Summer of Money” on ESPN2, which will air on Sunday, June 24 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, 11:30 a.m. Central.
DODGE CITY RACEWAY PARK NOTEBOOK
• FAST QUALIFIER: Donny Schatz paced the 30 cars that took time with an AMB i.t. timed lap around the semi-banked 3/8-mile oval in 12.916 seconds at 104.522 mph. For his qualifying effort, Schatz earned five bonus points. The next four fastest qualifiers also earned bonus points, including: Steve Kinser (4), Tim Shaffer (3), Danny Lasoski (2) and Paul McMahan (1).
• QUALIFYING WINNERS: Jason Solwold, Terry McCarl and Jason Meyers won heat races… Chad Kemenah won the B-Main… Donny Schatz won the Crane Cams dash.
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There have been 34 World of Outlaws A-Feature events held in 2007. The win list includes: Steve Kinser (March 2 at USA Race Park, April 21 at Tri-State Speedway, May 15 at Lernerville Speedway, May 20 at New Egypt Speedway, May 28 at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park, June 1 at Sharon Speedway and June 20 at Missouri State Fair Speedway), Joey Saldana (February 23 at Thunderbowl Raceway, March 17 at Pike County Speedway, March 24 at Volunteer Speedway, March 31 at Dixie Speedway, April 20 at Attica Raceway Park, June 5 at Kokomo Speedway and June 9 at Eagle Raceway), Donny Schatz (February 9 at Volusia Speedway Park, March 3 at Manzanita Speedway, March 16 at Houston Raceway Park, April 28 at Knoxville Raceway, May 17 at Williams Grove Speedway, May 18 at Williams Grove Speedway and May 25 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway), Danny Lasoski (April 6 at Paducah International Raceway, May 23 at Grandview Speedway and June 14 at Tri-City Speedway), Jason Meyers (April 13 at Eldora Speedway, May 11 at U.S. 36 Raceway and June 22 at Dodge City Raceway Park), Daryn Pittman (February 11 at Volusia Speedway Park and May 5 at Riverside International Speedway), Craig Dollansky (May 12 at Lake Ozark Speedway), Tim Kaeding (February 24 at Thunderbowl Raceway), Kerry Madsen (February 10 at Volusia Speedway Park), Terry McCarl (June 16 at Knoxville Raceway) and Paul McMahan (June 2 at Eldora Speedway).
• 3/8-MILE WINNERS: Dodge City Raceway Park is a semi-banked 3/8-mile oval. The World of Outlaws have raced eight times on a track that size this season. The winners include: Jason Meyers (U.S. 36 Raceway and Dodge City Raceway Park),
Steve Kinser (USA Race Park and Sharon Speedway), Danny Lasoski (Paducah International Raceway and Tri-City Speedway) and Joey Saldana (Pike County Speedway and Dixie Speedway.
•ON TELEVISION: The World of Outlaws “SuperClean Summer of Money” on ESPN2 continues on Sunday with the Boot Hill Showdown Presented by MJE from Dodge City Raceway Park. The event will air on ESPN2 on Sunday, June 24 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, 11:30 a.m. Central.
The World of Outlaws will be televised 20 times this season on ESPN2 and SPEED while the World of Outlaws Late Model Series is set for six appearances on SPEED. The one-hour broadcasts will air on Sundays from May 13 to Nov. 4, when the series champions will be crowned during the World Finals from The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
The Official World of Outlaws Web site is at http://www.worldofoutlaws.com. Among the features are updated driver biographies with individual statistics and pictures, race-by-race statistics, detailed track information and race coverage, series news and team press releases. Also, links to the Media Guide and 2007 Official Rulebook can be found at the bottom of the home page.
• UPCOMING EVENTS: A trip to Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota on Monday, June 25. The Duel in the Dakotas at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, North Dakota on Friday, June 29 and Red River Valley Speedway on Saturday, June 30.
World of Outlaws Statistical Report: Dodge City Raceway Park; Dodge City, KS; June, 22, 2007
Qualifying
1) 15-Donny Schatz 12.916
2) 11-Steve Kinser 12.987
3) 6-Tim Shaffer 13.038
4) 83-Danny Lasoski 13.060
5) 20-Paul McMahan 13.080
6) 21-Daryn Pittman 13.107
7) R19-Jason Solwold 13.107
8) 24-Terry McCarl 13.127
9) 14-Jason Meyers 13.162
10) 11H-Kerry Madsen 13.239
11) 7-Craig Dollansky 13.267
12) 19-Stevie Smith 13.271
13) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. 13.282
14) D1-Justin Henderson 13.303
15) 2-Brooke Tatnell 13.342
16) 1X-Randy Hannagan 13.370
17) 3X-Chad Kemenah 13.371
18) 36-Jason Martin 13.376
19) 7S-Jason Sides 13.393
20) 9-Joey Saldana 13.399
21) 35-Jac Haudenschild 13.452
22) 5C-Chad Hillier 13.476
23) 98-J.D. Johnson 13.483
24) 8K-Zach Chappell 13.502
25) 11X-Garry Lee Maier 13.574
26) 18-Brian Carlson 13.620
27) 11D-Dion Hindi 13.621
28) B4-Eric Baldaccini 13.645
29) 10C-Jeremy Campbell 13.705
30) 81AU-Gavin Punch 14.289
31) 18T-Tony Bruce Jr. -.—
Heat 1 (10 Laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) R19-Jason Solwold
2) 15-Donny Schatz
3) 11H-Kerry Madsen
4) 83-Danny Lasoski
5) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.
6) 1X-Randy Hannagan
7) 7S-Jason Sides
8) 5C-Chad Hillier
9) 18T-Tony Bruce Jr.
10) 11X-Garry Lee Maier
11) B4-Eric Baldaccini
Heat 2 (10 Laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 24-Terry McCarl
2) 7-Craig Dollansky
3) 11-Steve Kinser
4) 20-Paul McMahan
5) D1-Justin Henderson
6) 9-Joey Saldana
7) 3X-Chad Kemenah
8) 98-J.D. Johnson
9) 10C-Jeremy Campbell
10) 18-Brian Carlson
Heat 3 (10 Laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 14-Jason Meyers
2) 19-Stevie Smith
3) 21-Daryn Pittman
4) 2-Brooke Tatnell
5) 35-Jac Haudenschild
6) 11D-Dion Hindi
7) 81AU-Gavin Punch
8) 36-Jason Martin
9) 6-Tim Shaffer
10) 8K-Zach Chappell
Crane Cams Dash (8 laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature)
1) 15-Donny Schatz
2) 14-Jason Meyers
3) 7-Craig Dollansky
4) R19-Jason Solwold
5) 20-Paul McMahan
6) 19-Stevie Smith
7) 24-Terry McCarl
8) 21-Daryn Pittman
9) 11-Steve Kinser
10) 83-Danny Lasoski
B-main (12 laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 3X-Chad Kemenah
2) 6-Tim Shaffer
3) 36-Jason Martin
4) 7S-Jason Sides
5) 98-J.D. Johnson
6) 5C-Chad Hillier
7) 18T-Tony Bruce Jr. [$200]
8) 8K-Zach Chappell [$180]
9) 11X-Garry Lee Maier [$175]
10) 81AU-Gavin Punch [$160]
11) 18-Brian Carlson [$150]
12) B4-Eric Baldaccini [$150]
13) 10C-Jeremy Campbell [$150]
A-main (25 laps) – Starting Position [#]
1) 14-Jason Meyers[2] [$10,000]
2) 15-Donny Schatz[1] [$5,000]
3) 7-Craig Dollansky[3] [$3,000]
4) R19-Jason Solwold[4] [$2,700]
5) 20-Paul McMahan[5] [$2,500]
6) 21-Daryn Pittman[8] [$2,200]
7) 24-Terry McCarl[7] [$2,000]
8) 11-Steve Kinser[9] [$1,800]
9) 83-Danny Lasoski[10] [$1,600]
10) 19-Stevie Smith[6] [$1,450]
11) 6-Tim Shaffer[11] [$1,300]
12) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[13] [$1,200]
13) 2-Brooke Tatnell[15] [$1,100]
14) 3X-Chad Kemenah[17] [$1,000]
15) 35-Jac Haudenschild[21] [$950]
16) D1-Justin Henderson[14] [$900]
17) 9-Joey Saldana[20] [$850]
18) 1X-Randy Hannagan[16] [$750]
19) 7S-Jason Sides[19] [$725]
20) 11D-Dion Hindi[22] [$700]
21) 5C-Chad Hillier[24] [$700]
22) 8K-Zach Chappell[25] [$0]
23) 36-Jason Martin[18] [$700]
24) 98-J.D. Johnson[23] [$700]
25) 11H-Kerry Madsen[12] [$700]
Lap Leaders: Jason Meyers 1-12, 16-30; Donny Schatz 13-15
KSE Hard Charger Award: Jac Haudenschild
2007 STAT ATTACK
There have been 34 World of Outlaws A-Feature events this season.
A-Feature winners (11 different drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – Wins
1- #11 Steve Kinser, Bloomington, IN – 7
#9 Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, IN – 7
#15 Donny Schatz, Fargo, ND – 7
4- #83 Danny Lasoski, Dover, MO – 3
#14 Jason Meyers, Clovis, CA – 3
6- #21 Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK – 2
7- #7 Craig Dollansky, Elk River, MN – 1
#11K Tim Kaeding, San Jose, CA – 1
#11H Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s NSW – 1
#24 Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA – 1
#20 Paul McMahan, Nashville, TN – 1
Lap leaders, including A-features and preliminary features Car, driver, hometown – Total laps led (17 different drivers have led a lap)
#9 Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, IN. – 214 laps
#11 Steve Kinser, Bloomington, IN – 156 laps
#15 Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. – 136 laps
#14 Jason Meyers, Clovis, CA – 90 laps
#7 Craig Dollansky, Elk River, MN – 89 laps
#21 Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK – 84 laps
#83 Danny Lasoski, Dover, MO – 67 laps
#35 Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, OH – 46 laps
#11K Tim Kaeding, San Jose, CA – 40 laps
#20 Paul McMahan, Nashville, TN – 33 laps
#7S Jason Sides, Bartlett, TN – 33 laps
#R19 Jason Solwold, Mt. Vernon, WA- 31 laps
#22 Greg Hodnett, Thomasville, PA – 22 laps
#11H Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW – 22 laps
#1X Randy Hannagan, San Jose, CA – 18 laps
#D1 Justin Henderson, Sioux Falls, SD – 14 laps
#24 Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA – 7 laps
#6 Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, PA – 7 laps
#2 Brooke Tatnell, San Souci, NSW – 7 laps
#2L Ed Lynch Jr., Apollo, PA – 3 laps
Time trial leaders (18 different drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – Quick times
1 – #9 Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, IN – 6
2 – #14 Jason Meyers, Clovis, CA – 4
3- #20 Paul McMahan, Nashville, TN – 3
#15 Donny Schatz, Fargo, ND – 3
#R19 Jason Solwold, Mt. Vernon, WA – 3
6 – #10C Jeremy Campbell, Monroe, MI – 2
#8K Zach Chappell, Talala, OK – 2
8- #18T Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal, KS – 1
#89 Cody Darrah, Red Lion, PA – 1
#7 Craig Dollansky, Elk River, MN – 1
#5C Chad Hillier, Burlington, WA – 1
#3X Chad Kemenah, Findlay, OH – 1
#11H Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW – 1
#36 Jason Martin, Liberal, KS – 1
#8MChris Meleason, Carlisle, PA – 1
#6T Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, PA – 1
#19 Stevie Smith, New Oxford, PA – 1
#5W Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, PA – 1
Track records established during 2007 World of Outlaws events (6)
* Craig Dollansky, March 2, United Sports Arizona Race Park (3/8-mile), Tucson, AZ, 12.624 seconds at 106.939 mph.
* Kerry Madsen, March 3, Manzanita Speedway (1/2-mile), Phoenix, AZ, 15.255 seconds at 118.149 mph.
* Joey Saldana, March 16, Houston Raceway Park (1/4-mile) Baytown, TX, 11.996 seconds at 75.025 mph.
* Joey Saldana, March 24, Volunteer Speedway (4/10-mile) Bulls Gap, TN, 11.696 second at 123.119 mph.
* Jason Solwold, May 5, Riverside International Speedway (1/4-mile) West Memphis, AR, 11.060 seconds at 81.374 mph.
* Zach Chappell, June 14, Tri-City Speedway (3/8-mile) Pontoon Beach, IL, 12.174 seconds at 110.892 mph.
Crane Cams Dash Winners (18 different winners) Rank – Driver, Hometown – Dash Wins
1- #15 Donny Schatz, Fargo, ND – 5
2- #21 Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK – 4
3- #11 Steve Kinser, Bloomington, IN – 3
#83 Danny Lasoski, Dover, MO – 3
#14 Jason Meyers, Clovis, CA – 3
6- #7 Craig Dollansky, Elk River, MN – 2
#9 Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, IN – 2
#7S Jason Sides, Bartlett, TN – 2
9 – #15H Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, TX – 1
#1X Randy Hannagan, San Jose, CA – 1
#35 Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, OH – 1
#D1 Justin Henderson, Sioux Falls, SD – 1
#22 Greg Hodnett, Thomasville, PA – 1
#20 Paul McMahan, Nashville, TN – 1
#6 Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, PA – 1
#4 Danny Smith, Danville, IN – 1
#R19 Jason Solwold, Mt. Vernon, WA – 1
#2 Brooke Tatnell, San Souci, NSW – 1
Pole Positions (18 different drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – Poles
1- #15 Donny Schatz, Fargo, ND – 5
2- #21 Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK – 4
3- #11 Steve Kinser, Bloomington, IN – 3
#83 Danny Lasoski, Dover, MO – 3
#14 Jason Meyers, Clovis, CA – 3
6- #7 Craig Dollansky, Elk River, MN – 2
#9 Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, IN – 2
#7S Jason Sides, Bartlett, TN – 2
9 -#15H Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, TX – 1
#1X Randy Hannagan, San Jose, CA – 1
#35 Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, OH – 1
#D1 Justin Henderson, Sioux Falls, SD – 1
#22 Greg Hodnett, Thomasville, PA – 1
#20 Paul McMahan, Nashville, TN – 1
#6 Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, PA – 1
#4 Danny Smith, Danville, IN – 1
#R19 Jason Solwold, Mt. Vernon, WA – 1
#2 Brooke Tatnell, San Souci, NSW- 1
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger (8 drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown
1 –#35 Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, OH – 3
2- #11H Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW – 2
#14 Jason Meyers, Clovis, CA – 2
#9 Joey Saldana, Brownburg, IN – 2
5 – #5C Chad Hillier, Burlington, WA – 1
#11 Steve Kinser, Bloomington, IN – 1
#21 Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK – 1
#6 Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, PA – 1
B-main Winners (23different winners) Rank – Driver, Hometown – “B” Wins
1 – #24 Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA – 4
2 – #D1 Justin Henderson, Sioux Falls, SD – 3
3 – #10C Jeremy Campbell, Monroe, MI – 2
#15H Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, TX -2
#11D Dion Hindi, Albuquerque, NM – 2
#15 Donny Schatz, Fargo, ND – 2
#4 Danny Smith, Danville, IN – 2
8 -#18T Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal, KS – 1
#24H- Rob Chaney, Wooster, OH – 1
#1X Randy Hannagan, San Jose – 1
#22 Greg Hodnett, Thomasville, PA – 1
#11K Tim Kaeding, San Jose – 1
#3X Chad Kemenah, Findlay, OH – 1
#11 Steve Kinser, Bloomington, IN – 1
#11H Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s NSW – 1
#36 Jason Martin, Liberal, KS – 1
#20 Paul McMahan, Nashville, TN – 1
#51 Fred Rahmer, Salfordville, PA – 1
#9 Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, IN – 1
#6 Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, PA – 1
#7S Jason Sides, Bartlett, TN – 1
#R19 Jason Solwold, Mt. Vernon, WA – 1
#2 Brooke Tatnell, San Souci, NSW – 1
