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The taillights of the All Stars’ haulers are barely out of sight and one can already see the headlights of the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series coming over the horizon. In just two short weeks, the Legendary World of Outlaws will come to town for their first of two assaults on the 40th Anniversary Season of the Lernerville Speedway.
The Outlaws have long been the highlight of the Lernerville schedule. For years the names of Kinser, Swindell, Doty, Wolfgang, Blaney, Lasoski, Haudenschild, Schatz and Saldana have evoked the passion of what is best described in their well known slogan, “The Greatest Show on Dirt!”
On Tuesday May 13, some of those familiar names will once again ring over the PA system and their familiar winged chariots will sling clay around the Action Track in pursuit of $10,000 in the First Commonwealth Bank Clash.
Like Lernerville Speedway, the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series has endured a bitter battle with Mother Nature to start the season. Seven of the first 13 scheduled events on the Outlaw schedule have been canceled or postponed due to rain, including both of last weekend’s events; at Huset’s Speedway on Friday Night and at Knoxville Raceway Saturday Night.
In the six races they have run, Craig Dollanksy has won two races, finished each race in the top five and is the current series points leader. Jason Meyers has three feature wins and has only finished out of the top five once. The only other driver to win a race on tour this season is Danny Lasoski who picked up a win on the final night at Volusia Speedway Park during the 37th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals.
Back-to-back, reigning Outlaw Champion Donny Schatz has not won a race on the tour yet, but sits third in points with four top-five finishes and a top ten in each of the six races. Schatz is driving his familiar #15, but the car is now owned by Tony Stewart and sponsored by Armor All.
Meanwhile, Joey Saldana sits familiarly right behind Schatz in points at fourth. Saldana is still behind the wheel of the Kasey Kahne-owned #9, but is sporting a new Budweiser themed, red paint scheme to match Kahne’s new NASCAR Sprint Cup sponsor.
The Madman Kerry Madsen has had an impressive start to the 2008 season and currently sits fifth in points. Right behind him in sixth is Terry McCarl. The King Steve Kinser is off to a sluggish start with just one top five finish, he sits seventh in points.
Local favorite and former Lernerville Track Champion Tim Shaffer is eighth in points with two top five finishes in the early season behind the wheel of the Parsons Motorsports/Casey’s General Stores #6. Shaffer got some seat time this past Friday Night at Lernerville behind the wheel of the Holtgraver #D4.
Chad Kemenah and Jason Sides round out the top ten in Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Championship Standings.
Fresh off of top five finishes in the All Star Feature this past Friday, both Rod George and Ed Lynch Jr. will be eager to spring the upset against the nationally touring Outlaws. Look for both drivers to continue their preparation this Friday during Fab Four Racing in Commercial Truck & Trailer Sprint competition.
For more information about the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws, log on to their website www.worldofoutlaws.com/sprint.
For more details about the First Commonwealth Bank Clash, log on to Lernerville.com. |
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