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O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Headed Into Posse Territory.
CAMARGO, IL (5-4-08) The O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions are
gearing up to take on some of the toughest competition they will face
all season as they head back to Central PA. The notorious “PA Posse”
has given fits to the best of the best who have invaded their dirt track
territory over the years. In 2008 the All Stars not only bring some of
the strongest competitors in recent memory, but they’ll also share claim
of Posse star Lance Dewease who is currently leading the All Star
Championship season points race.
In 2007, it was Mike Erdley who led the way at Williams Grove extending
the Posse’s domination of racing in Central PA when outsiders come to
town. The tough Grove competition filled out most of the Top 10 that
evening. The All Stars expect to make things a little tougher on the
Posse in 2008 with the addition of some of the top drivers in the sport
to the All Star roster.
Following the Grove appearance, the All Stars will travel West to the
6th Annual Bob Weikert Memorial at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal,
PA. Lance Dewease took home the top honors in 2006 to bring his career
All Star win total to 24. He’ll be gunning for #25 this weekend. Other
Central PA drivers such as Fred Rahmer, Mark Smith, Jeff Shepard, Keith
Kauffman, and 2007 Weikert Memorial winner Greg Hodnett -- along with a
full field of great weekly Port Royal regulars -- will try to make
things tough for the traveling series.
All Star regulars Dale Blaney, Brock Mayes, Brian Paulus, Paul May,
Brandon Martin, Greg Wilson, Paul McMahan, Randy Hannagan, Ryan Myers,
Lee Stark, and Brian Ellenberger will try to steal the Bob Weikert
trophy and the bragging rights for an All Star win in Posse country.
Kenny Jacobs, who was sporting a special Weikert Livestock paint scheme
in honor of the respected PA car owner in 2007, is expected to return to
Port Royal in 2008 with the All Stars.
The race originally listed on the All Star schedule for Sunday May 11^th
at Bedford Speedway has been canceled and will not be rescheduled.
*_Williams Grove Speedway – Friday May 9^th _* www.williamsgrove.com
- 15 All Star Races
- Most All Star wins: Lance Dewease (3)
-Other All Star winners: Maynard Yingst (1), Steve Siegel (1), Doug
Wolfgang (1), Fred Rahmer (1), Steve Smith (1), Greg Hodnett (1), Donnie
Kreitz (1), Todd Shaffer (1), George Ferguson Jr (1), Barry Camp (1),
Jim Nace (1), Mike Erdley (1)
*_Port Royal Speedway – Saturday May 10^th _*
www.portroyalspeedway.com
- 16 All Star Races
- Most All Star wins: Lance Dewease (4)
- Other All Star winners: Todd Shaffer (2), Donnie Kreitz (2), Greg
Hodnett (3), Dave Ely (1), Bobby Allen (1), Billy Pauch (1),
Sean Michael (1), Lynn Paxton (1)
For more information on the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions visit
www.allstarsprint.com . For directions
to the tracks, information on gate times, and admission pricing, please
visit www.williamsgrove.com and
www.portroyalspeedway.com .
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*O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Extra - Recent News and Views
You Can Use*
Padding Their Stats: The two drivers that sit atop the O'Reilly All Star
all-time feature win list have had numerous historic wins and storied
careers behind the wheel of sprint cars. Kenny Jacobs and Joey Saldana
entered last weekend with a combined 163 wins (Jacobs 97, Saldana 66),
but both returned to the history rich series to battle a new breed of
All Stars. Holmesville, Ohio native and four-time O'Reilly All Star
Sprint Champion Kenny Jacobs collected win number 98 at Don Martin's
Lernerville Speedway after battling off Paul McMahan and a damaged right
rear tire for nearly 15 laps. Now two wins remain for 'The Mouse' to
eclipse that 100 win plateau that he has been chancing. Brownsburg,
Indiana's Joey Saldana aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing #9 collected win
number 67 at Eldora Speedway in preparation for the Outlaws July visit
during the 25th Annual Kings Royal. Saldana's win marks the fourth win
by an Outlaw regular on the O'Reilly All Star 2008 tour.
Building Momentum: Paul McMahan finished inside the Top-5 at both stops
this past weekend. Add in a top-10 finish in the Rick Ferkel owned #0 at
Attica Raceway Park and McMahan has been making a steady climb into the
top-5 in championship points since the series returned from Florida
Speedweeks. Since Paul MchMahan took over the wheel in famous white #0
the car has been fast and McMahan also went on to outrun his old #20 TSR
ride for the second time at events held at Eldora Speedway this season.
During the team's best night this weekend they set quick time in Kistler
Engines Qualifying while at Lernerville Speedway and a lucky young fan
picked Paul McMahan the pole position which helped in earning a
2nd-place finish.
Are We There Yet?: In all, 14 drivers (twelve O'Reilly All Star Series
members, a multi-time past champion and a Western PA legend) made the
trek back across Ohio to compete at both All Star events. Making the
trip from Lernerville to Eldora where the crews of Paul McMahan, Rob
Chaney, Greg Wilson, Phil Gressman, Randy Hannagan, Brian Ellenberger,
Brandon Martin, Dale Blaney, Lance Dewease, Brock Mayes, Ryan Myers,
Kenny Jacobs, and Ed Lynch Jr.
Capacity Crowd: A total of fifty-five drivers raced in O'Reilly All Star
Circuit of Champions competition this weekend at Lernerville Speedway
and Eldora Speedway. Suffering the loss of another event to mother
nature, 9 World of Outlaws regulars made a visit to Eldora Speedway
including feature winner Joey Saldana, Donny Schatz, Darryn Pitman,
Lucas Wolfe, Chad Kemenah, Chad Hillier, Tony Bruce Jr, Steve Kinser and
Kraig Kinser, while Tim Shaffer made an appearance at Lernerville on Friday.
Championship-A-Plenty: Five past champions that have been crowned a
total of 14-times attempted to make the 24-car A-Main at Eldora. Each of
the drivers won their two or more championships in consecutive years
while running the series full-time. Kenny Jacobs (4), Chad Kemenah (4),
Dale Blaney (2), Kevin Huntley (2), Greg Wilson (2)
Remember Me?: NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kasey Kahne made a unannounced
visit back to the O'Reilly All Stars to Eldora Speedway piloting his own
#91 Budweiser/ Open Joist entry at a track owned by fellow NASCAR star
Tony Stewart. Kahne would qualify 16th with a lap four-tenths off of the
quick time mark set by Joey Saldana. Kasey transferred out of his heat
race and cruised to a 11th place finish just out of the Top-10. Kasey
Kahne sits 50th on the All-Time feature win list with 6 O'Reilly All
Star wins to his resume.
Points Contenders Rising To The Top: Intense and competitive sums up the
drivers that the O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions saw on the road
this past weekend with the likes of stiff Western PA cars at Lernerville
and the surprise visit by many World of Outlaws regulars at Eldora.
Those same two words can also relate to the O'Reilly Championship Points
battle taking shape in the Top-5 after only 8 races being completed. PA
Posse standout Lance Dewease continues to lead the points and survived a
sub-par performance at Eldora with Dale Blaney and Randy Hanagan
suffering their own mechanical problems during the 30-lap feature.
Rising star after the weekend was Paul McMahan who moved into the Top-5
for the first time this season after consecutive Top-Five finishes.
Back-to-back O'Reilly All Star Champion Greg Wilson used a 10th at
Lernerville and a 15th at Eldora to stay in the hunt for the $50K and
currently holds the sixth position. Brock Mayes suffered the most during
the weekend by missing Eldora's feature event and fell back into a
seventh place tie with Brian Ellenberger. Brandon Martin and Bob Felmlee
round out the top-10.
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