The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the Mansfield Motorsports Park in Mansfield, Ohio has been delayed due to rain. Shortly after the field took the green the showers started to fall. The race will be run when the showers stop and they get the track dry. SCR

Matthew Blaylock

 

 

 

 

Ryan Newman looked the Ryan Newman of old on way to winning the pole for Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway (LMS). Newman turned a lap at the 1.5 mile track at a speed of 185.312 mph to beat out his Penske Racing teammate Kurt Busch for the top spot. Busch will roll off second followed by Elliott Sadler the third Dodge in the top three. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will roll off fourth and Matt Kenseth rounds out the top five. SCR

Matthew Blaylock

 

 

 

 

MOORESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA - Veteran chief wrenches Tommy Morgan and Gary Showalter have been named to new positions at Key Motorsports, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series organization that fields the #40 and #44 Chevrolets on the circuit. Team owner Curtis W. Key, Sr. announced the re-structuring of his team today.

 

Morgan, 57, has stepped up from his Shop Foreman’s post to become the organization’s very first Director of Competition while the 51-year-old Showalter was named to succeed Barry Dodson as Crew Chief after Dodson unexpectedly resigned just prior to last Friday’s race at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte.

 

“We are a more experienced and stronger race team today than we were a week ago,” Key said. “Tommy and Gary have worked together in the past and the knowledge that they share and bring to this race team will help us move forward and to become the competitive entity that it should be,” he added. After six races, the #40 sits 27th in team owner points with Mike Bliss, Clay Rogers and Shane Huffman sharing the driving chores.

 

“We were not making the progress that we had envisioned, and after nearly five years of trying and millions of dollars spent, some changes were in store,” Key said. “Barry’s (Dodson) departure just created the situation in which we could make many of those changes now and not have to wait through more races. We haven’t lost a beat, and I know that I will get everything out of Tommy (Morgan) and Gary (Showalter) who do not stop until the job is done,” he added.

 

Morgan’s best years were in the mid to late 1990’s when he was the Crew Chief for the Roush Racing #9 Busch Series race team for which Jeff Burton drove to 11 victories and a whole lot of top-5 and top-10 finishes in just 66 races under Morgan’s team today than we were a week ago,"er racegned justprior toowalter was named to succeed the dfeparyedman Truck Series organiza reign.

 

Showalter, who most recently served as the Crew Chief for Pennington Motorsports and the #7 Chevrolet in the NCTS and before that for driver Kelly Sutton and Sutton Motorsports, has raced extensively in the Busch and Truck Series during his lengthy career. Showalter will call the day-to-day shots for the team with regular input coming from Morgan.

 

In addition to the new hire of Showalter, Key also welcomed several new, full-time employees to the team to replace the individuals who left the team with Dodson. Included in this group is Daniel Morgan, Tommy’s son, and Shane Whitbeck, Matt Eberly, Gary’s son Bobby Showalter and Brad Neely who worked under Showalter at Pennington Motorsports.

 

Key is running his second full season in the NCTS with the 40 Chevrolet Silverado and has also run several races with his 44 race trucks that have been earmarked for driver development. SCR

 

 

 

 

MOORESVILLE, North Carolina - Pennington Motorsports team owner J. Pennington officially announced today the signing of Barry Dodson as crew chief of the No. 7 Hooters Energy Drink Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) with driver Jason White effective with this weekend’s event from Mansfield Motorsports Park (MMP).

 

Pennington’s announcement comes on the disappointing outcome of the team’s effort last weekend at Lowes Motor Speedway which saw the North Carolina based team fail to qualify for the Quake Steak & Lube 200.

 

Born in Winston-Salem , North Carolina Dodson has a history of winning at the highest levels of auto racing. In 1989 he served as crew chief for the now retired Rusty Wallace who scored his only NASCAR Nextel Cup Series championship. Dodson brings to Pennington Motorsports over 35 years of wealth and knowledge making him a quick and welcoming asset to the organization. Dodson has also led teams to victories in both the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series (NNCS) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS).

 

In addition to a career that has seen him amass more than 75 wins in NASCAR events, Dodson has also spent time as an analyst for the FOX Sports Network and SPEED.

 

“We’re excited to have Barry (Dodson) aboard,” said Pennington. “We need to rejuvenate this team after last weekend’s misfortune. He is bringing the credentials and expertise to get the job done and we look forward to the positive changes he will be brining to the team.”

 

Driver Jason White said, “I’m looking forward to working with Barry this weekend. I know with his knowledge, he can help me become a better driver and most importantly bring the confidence this team needs to turn our season around. I have a good feeling that things are going to get a lot better.”

 

In addition to the announcement of Dodson, Pennington also disclosed that Dwayne Gaulding, head of sales and marketing for GunBroker.com will serve as general manager of the team effective immediately. Working with Dodson, the duo will piece together a new team in time for Saturday’s Ohio 250 with the intent to reward Pennington Motorsports with their first career top-10 NCTS finish. SCR

  

  

 

 

Mark Martin is on stand-by for Jeff Gordon if his wife Ingrid Vandebosch would give birth to there babygirl and he would have to miss any races. Gordon asked Martin personally if he would fill in for him if needed. The couople daughter is due June 24, 2007 the same weekend as the race at the Infineon Raceway in California. SCR

Matthew Blaylock

  

   

 

 

Bechtelsville, PA - Danny Lasoski felt like he let a win slip away last Friday in the World of Outlaws event at Williams Grove Speedway, when Donny Schatz got around him in traffic, and he was bound and determined to not let that happen again on Wednesday night at Grandview Speedway in Pennsylvania as the pair found themselves racing again for the win in traffic.

 

Last week, it was Lasoski leading early in the race with Schatz slipping by late for the win, and this time the tables were turned, with Schatz leading early and then Lasoski taking the lead late, before Schatz retook the top spot. In one of the most thrilling finishes of the season Lasoski took the lead on the final lap to pocket the $10,000 winner’s share of the purse.

 

Schatz led from the outset of the 35-lap after starting on the pole, and opened up a healthy advantage numerous times that was negated by a number of early caution flags. Lasoski charged around him on the 22nd lap, and would lead until lap 33, when Schatz dove to the inside of him exiting the fourth turn to take the lead as the white flag flew.

 

With the white flag in the air, the pair ran side-by-side down the front straightaway heading into the first turn, with Schatz just inching ahead. When they came off turn two, Lasoski charged ahead on the back straightaway and held the lead heading into turn three. Schatz made one last charge off the fourth turn and in a photo finish at the line, it was Lasoski winning by 0.036 seconds, marking the second straight race that has been decided by mere inches on the track and less than a tenth of a second on the electronic scoring.

 

“It was a great race for the fans,” said Lasoski, driver of the Roth Motorsports Eagle. “I am proud of all of my Roth Motorsports crew. They worked their tails off. The car worked absolutely anywhere I wanted to put it. I am just so proud of my crew. They have stuck with me and believed in me. It’s a pleasure to drive this thing.”

 

As Lasoski climbed from his car in Victory Lane, Schatz was one of the first people to congratulate him. While they raced inches apart for the last two laps of the race, they never touched and gave each other just enough racing room, as they kept the large crowd on their feet for the last five laps of the A-Feature.

 

“When you race a guy that is a class act like (Donny) Schatz, you can run side-by-side,” said Lasoski. “We never touched. In open track he was quicker than we were. I tried to stay with him a couple times on restarts and I could get beside. My only shot was in lapped traffic and he got held up and I got by him. We got back to lapped traffic and he got back by me and I got back by him on the last lap.”

 

The win was the second of the year for the 2001 World of Outlaws Champion. He won his first race of the season on April 6 at Paducah International Raceway in Kentucky on a frigid night when he charged from the 15th starting spot for the win. The victory was his 16th Top-10 finish of the season as he moved up a spot to fourth in the championship standings.

 

“We are used to winning a little more than we have this year,” explained the native of Dover, Missouri “We have struggled a little bit and we keep working at it. Dennis (Roth) believes in us, and we are going to keep plugging away. Hopefully we’ll be able to run with that (No.) 9 and (No.) 15 car each night.”

 

While he was disappointed that he did not win, Schatz was glad that the fans got to see a great race. It was the second straight Top-two finish at Grandview for him, having won on the high-banked 1/3-mile last season. Early in the race, he had one of the fastest cars on the track, turning the quickest lap of the event on the second lap, nearly two miles per hour faster than anyone else on the track.

 

“I make mistakes in lapped traffic,” said Schatz, driver of the ParkerStore J&J. “I tried to go where they were not. He got by me and I got a good run on him and got back by him. He did the same thing all over again. That’s racing. We put on a good show for the fans, and got out of Pennsylvania with some good finishes.”

 

Schatz has been competing against Lasoski since he earned the 1997 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award, and has a great deal of respect for the fellow series champion.

 

“It is very comforting knowing we can run side-by-side,” explained Schatz, the reigning series champion. “There are not too many guys that have that kind of car control, but he (Lasoski) is one of them. We made an agreement years ago that we would never turn left on each other. We abide by that, and its fun to finish like that. I took one from him the other night at the Grove and what goes around comes around.”

 

After two wins last week at Williams Grove Speedway, Schatz bolstered his championship point lead as the series heads south from the Keystone State. The native of Fargo, North Dakota leads the series with 16 Top-Five finishes and 21 Top-10 finishes in the first 24 events of the season.

 

“We try to push no matter where we are. Pennsylvania has always seemed like one of those places that when we get out here I run pretty well,” he said. “We’re excited about that, and we are glad that we are in winning form. We’ll just keep plugging away and keep trying to win another championship.”

 

Saldana earned the KSE Race Products Hard Charger Award after powering his way from the 20th starting spot to finish third. He drove a large portion of the race with a broken right rear shock, though that did not appear to slow him down, as he cut through the Top-10 in the final 10 laps of the race.

 

“You just take it,” said Saldana, driver of the Open Joist Mopar-powered JEI. “We have been struggling and we needed it. One bolt holding a shock on and we could be in victory lane. You just can’t have mistakes, and you try your best to eliminate them. Luckily we came out of here with a Top-Three.”

 

Saldana had to change lines a couple of times late in the race, as he could not get the car to handle very well on the top side of the track. After a number of cautions early in the race, the last 22 laps ran without a stoppage.

 

“The way the car was, I really needed a yellow,” he said. “I felt like my car was better than those guys. When you get running like that you have to be able to move from the top to the bottom, and I couldn’t run the top in (turns) one and two like they were. If we would have had a restart, I think it would have been a different story. Those two were so worried about each other that I don’t even think they knew I was in the picture.”

 

While he felt he had a faster car than the two leaders late in the race, Saldana did not want to jeopardize their battle, knowing he had a broken shock.

 

“Thankfully we have shock adjusters and I just tied my left rear down a lot and I moved my wing back,” explained the native of Brownsburg, Indiana. “Those two were racing hard for the win and you can’t put yourself in there knowing that you have a car that is not handling the way it should be. I could have easily taken all three of us. You just do the best that you can.”

 

After nearly winning on Sunday night at New Egypt Speedway, Jason Sides turned in another very solid run aboard the Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim, finishing in the fourth spot. He turned in the second fastest lap in time trials, which earned him a spot in the Crane Cams Dash after he transferred from the second heat into the A-Feature.

 

Paul McMahan earned his fifth Top-Five finish of the season as he was fifth in the Bass Pro Shops Eagle. He began the night by turning the quickest lap in time trials, and in the Crane Cams Dash, he finished ninth.  He steadily worked his way up front as the race wore on.

 

Fred Rahmer raced his way into the A-Feature after winning the B-Main. He finished sixth in the 35-lap contest aboard the C&S Lawn & Landscaping J&J. Greg Hodnett was seventh in the J&S Fabrication J&J, with Jason Solwold in eighth in the City Wide Insulation Maxim. Tim Shaffer was ninth in the Casey’s General Stores Maxim, with Jeremy Campbell rounding out the Top-10 in the RLM Financial Services Maxim.

 

The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, May 25 in the Eckerd Outlaw Showdown at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

 

A-main (35 laps) - Starting Position [#]

 

1) 83-Danny Lasoski[5] [$10,000]

2) 15-Donny Schatz[1] [$5,500]

3) 9-Joey Saldana[20] [$3,200]

4) 7S-Jason Sides[8] [$2,800]

5) 20-Paul McMahan[9] [$2,500]

6) 51-Fred Rahmer[14] [$2,300]

7) 22-Greg Hodnett[6] [$2,200]

8) R19-Jason Solwold[11] [$2,100]

9) 6-Tim Shaffer[17] [$2,050]

10) 10C-Jeremy Campbell[7] [$2,000]

11) 35-Jac Haudenschild[22] [$1,500]

12) 1X-Randy Hannagan[18] [$1,200]

13) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[19] [$1,100]

14) 7-Craig Dollansky[10] [$1,050]

15) 14-Jason Meyers[13] [$1,000]

16) 21-Daryn Pittman[3] [$900]

17) D1-Justin Henderson[4] [$800]

18) 36-Jason Martin[21] [$800]

19) 7K-Kieth Kauffman[16] [$800]

20) 5C-Chad Hillier[24] [$800]

21) 87-Alan Krimes[15] [$800]

22) 8K-Zach Chappell[2] [$800]

23) 25P-Billy Pauch[23] [$800]

24) 11-Steve  Kinser[12] [$800] SCR

  

  

 

 

Ned Jarrett, one of the most popular motorsports announcers in history and a mainstay of ESPN’s NASCAR coverage for 15 years, will make a guest appearance alongside his son, Dale Jarrett, in the ESPN booth Saturday night during ESPN2’s live, prime-time coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The telecast will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET.

 

Father and son will work together as television analysts for the first time. The elder Jarrett was an auto racing analyst for ESPN from 1986 until the network ended its previous period of NASCAR coverage in 2000, at which point the two-time NASCAR Cup champion retired from television. Dale, still an active NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver, is working as an analyst on 10 NASCAR Busch Series race telecasts this season. He made his ESPN debut in April.

 

"Ned Jarrett has a tremendous role in the history of ESPN and NASCAR,” said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president, studio and remote production. “A legendary father joining his legendary son in the ESPN booth, having Ned back just for one race, is certainly special to all of us. This is Father's Day arriving early for Ned and Dale, and our viewers will be the lucky ones."

 

The Jarretts will work the ESPN booth with lead announcer Dr. Jerry Punch and analyst Andy Petree. All four are from tiny Newton, N.C., and Punch and Petree were part of Dale Jarrett’s first racing team in the late 1970s. Punch shared ownership with Ned. Dale was one of the founding drivers of the NASCAR Busch Series in 1982.

 

“I’m looking forward to Saturday night and working with my dad,” said Dale, who is filling in for ESPN’s lead auto racing analyst Rusty Wallace. “It should be a blast having him there in the booth with Jerry, Andy and me. He was a big part of my success and getting started in racing.”

 

Ned Jarrett’s last race as a driver was in 1966, and he became a radio broadcaster shortly after. He added TV work in the 1970s.

 

“I didn’t get to race against Dale because he was only 9 years old when I retired, but now to have the chance to work with him in the broadcast booth, my second career, is pretty neat,” he said.

 

One of the most memorable moments in NASCAR television history occurred in 1993, when Dale won the Daytona 500 with his excited father calling the final lap from the television booth. Ned also lists as personal career highlights: working the ESPN telecast of Dale’s first NASCAR Cup win in 1991 at Michigan International Speedway and interviewing Dale on pit road for ESPN when he clinched the 1999 championship. Ned helped along his son’s driving career at the beginning and has helped with advice on Dale’s foray into television.

 

“He asked my opinion before he agreed to do this,” Ned said. “I thought he was capable of doing it, and I felt he would be good for it and it would be good for ESPN.

 

“I feel that the best advice I can give anyone in TV is to listen to what’s being said and pay attention so that you’re not repeating what someone else has said. It helps to get into the rhythm and make a better contribution to the broadcast.”

 

Dale has worked five telecasts so far and Ned said he has watched them all.

 

“I’ve honestly been impressed,” he said. “I’m prejudiced but I also feel I’m realistic. He’s done a good job for the role he’s been in. I’ve had a lot of people tell me he puts it in ways they can understand it, and they appreciate that.

 

“I told him that broadcasting would be as big a challenge as driving,” Ned said. “I’m just as proud of what he’s done in the broadcast booth as I am of what he’s done in the race car.”

 

Visit www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN's latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more. SCR

 

 

 

 

Concord, N.C. - It was announced today at Roush Fenway Racing that Greg Erwin will take over as crew chief of the team's No. 16 Nextel Cup entry with driver Greg Biffle.

 

"We obviously weren't performing at a level at which Jack expected and a change was made," said Biffle.

 

Erwin was most recently the crew chief at Robby Gordon Motorsports for the No. 7 Nextel Cup entry.  Prior to the two years at Robby Gordon Motorsports, Erwin accumulated seven years of experience as an engineer at Richard Childress Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing.

 

"I feel that this is one of the top crew chief opportunities in the Nextel Cup garage," said Erwin.  "If you could paint a picture of where you would like to go as a crew chief to give it a shot to win and compete for a championship, this is it.  I am also excited about the backing of the engineering department at Roush and the resources they offer. The fact that Greg Biffle is the driver was a factor that weighed heavily on my decision.  He is a straight forward kind of guy and I look forward to working with him." 

 

Chris Andrews, current Engineering Manager at Roush Fenway Racing, will serve as interim crew chief for Greg Biffle and the No. 16 Dish Network Nextel Cup entry this weekend.  Erwin will serve as an advisor on the pit box during Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 before officially taking over crew chief duties on Tuesday, May 29th. SCR

 

 

 

 

Memphis, TN - Goody's(r) Cool Orange, the revolutionary new flavor from Goody's(r) Headache Powders, will be the primary sponsor for driver Chad McCumbee and the #45 Petty Enterprises Dodge at the Pocono 500 Nextel Cup race on June 10 at Pocono Raceway.  McCumbee, making his Nextel Cup debut, will fill in for Kyle Petty as he goes to the booth for TNT for the first of five races.

 

Goody's Cool Orange, the market's first flavored headache powder, provides the same fast pain relief as the original Goody's with a new, fresh orange flavor.  As part of a national launch, the special Cool Orange paint scheme at Pocono will mark the first major racing activity for Goody's outside its traditional, Southeastern U.S. market.

 

"Through 30 years in racing, Goody's continues its status as the favorite pain reliever of race fans and is now reaching even more fans through the launch of our revolutionary new flavor - Cool Orange," said Darren Singer, Vice President of Marketing for Goody's Headache Powders.  "Goody's Headache Powder has always been a staple among race fans in the South.  With Chad making his Nextel Cup debut in the paint scheme, we hope to introduce race fans in the Northeast to this phenomenal, fast acting headache powder -

Goody's Cool Orange."

 

McCumbee, 22, is in his second season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series after racing in the ARCA-RE/MAX Series where he finished third in a race at Pocono in 2004.  He has recently been involved in various testing duties with Petty Enterprises including test sessions at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Off the track, McCumbee starred as Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the ESPN motion picture "3" displaying a natural talent for acting along with his driving skills.

 

"It's a great opportunity get behind the wheel of the #45 Goody's Cool Orange Dodge for my Nextel Cup debut at Pocono," said McCumbee.  "I am honored to drive for Petty Enterprises and represent a sponsor such as Goody's who has been around racing for so many years.  I can't wait to get on the track and help spread the word about Goody's Cool Orange."

 

The Pocono 500 will mark the first of five races that Petty will be in the television booth broadcasting the races on TNT while McCumbee pilots the #45 Goody's Cool Orange Dodge.  Petty, along with the entire Petty organization, have been loyal supporters of Goody's since the brand entered the sport in 1977.

 

"Over the years, Goody's has been like family to the Pettys," said Petty. "We thank them for all that they have done for our organization and for race fans everywhere.  The launch of the new Goody's Cool Orange flavor is tremendously exciting and we can't wait to get Chad and the #45 Cool Orange Dodge racing at Pocono." SCR

 

 

 

 

Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) has said it will not appeal the fines and penalties handed down to the No. 8 team and driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. after illegal brackets were found on the rear wing in pre-race inspection at the Darlington Raceway. With DEI not appealing the fines handed out by NASCAR, driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be docked 100 driver points, crew chief Tony Eury Jr. will be suspended six races and fined $100,000. Tony Gibson will car the shots as crew chief during Eury’s suspension. SCR

Matthew Blaylock

 

  

 

 

NASCAR officials announced Tuesday that the Car of Tomorrow (COT) will be come the Car of Today as it will be run full-time in 2008. The COT which is being run in a handful of races this season was originally planned to be run full-time starting in 2009. SCR

Matthew Blaylock

 

 

 

 

GASTONIA, NC - Jeff Smith made all the right moves Friday night at Carolina Speedway. After losing the race lead on two separate occasions, Smith roared back to collect the $4,000 Carolina Clash victory Friday night at Carolina Speedway.

           

After setting fast time Smith shared the front row with series point’s leader Ricky Weeks. As the green flag dropped Smith blasted into the lead with Weeks, Jeremy Clements, Dan Breuer and Rambo Franklin in tow. Franklin moved around Breuer for fourth on lap four and quickly set his sights on Clements.

           

Smith was setting a blistering pace around the 4/10 mile oval and was in lapped traffic by lap eight. As Smith encountered lapped traffic Weeks quickly moved in on his rear bumper. As Smith attempted to put a lap on Tocoa GA’s Casey Roberts he slipped high in turn two allowing Weeks to scoot by on the bottom. Smith was not to be denied as he roared back around the three time and defending series champion to regain the lead one lap later.

           

The first caution of the event waved one lap later as Clements lost his third spot with a solo spin in turn four. This moved Franklin to third and brought Furman Parton into the top five. On the restart, Franklin wasted no time in going to work on Weeks and drove into second one lap later. Jeff Cooke joined the top five on lap 18 as he moved around Parton for fifth.

           

As the laps wore down Franklin chased Smith into lapped traffic. As the pair moved in on a group of slower cars, Weeks joined the part and made it a three way battle for the lead. As Smith tried to move past PBM Performance Parts Rookie of the Year leader Phillip Seiftert, Franklin made his move and bolted to the lead out of turn two.

           

Smith was not giving up though. The Dallas, NC resident roared back to the lead on lap 32. Once out front Smith put his Starrette Trucking/Norton Stereo/Creative Bridge Designs/Gearte Racing Engines/Rocket Grand Prix was not to be denied. Following Smith across the liner was Franklin, Weeks, Breuer and Billy Thompson, who charged from the rear following a mid race spin.

           

Smith was the Cabinets by Design Fastest Qualifier. Brent Robinson picked up the Beaver Bail Bonds ‘ Bailed-Out Award’ for the second consecutive race. Franklin was the Heintz Brothers Performance Hard Charger of the Race. Clements picked up the $100 Dirt Trax Motorsports Hard Luck Award. Billy Thompson earned the PPM Performance Parts Performer of the Race.

           

CAROLINA CLASH FINISH:

 

1. Jeff Smith

2. Dennis Franklin

3. Ricky Weeks

4. Dan Breuer

5. Billy Thompson

6. Jeff Cooke

7. Furman Parton

8. Brandon Ifft

9. Phillip Seifert

10. Tim Allen

11. Bob Robertson

12. Deano Long

13. Brent Robinson

14. Jeremy Clements

15. Casey Roberts

16. Doug Sanders SCR

 

 

 

 

New Egypt, NJ - Steve Kinser has won at a lot of tracks from coast-to-coast as well as Australia during his career, but one track he had never visited victory lane at was New Egypt Speedway in New Jersey. That all changed on Sunday night as he inched out Jason Sides to earn his fourth A-Feature victory of the season and first at D-shaped half-mile. The victory was the 537th of his World of Outlaws career.

 

Kinser led Sides on the final lap, with Sides inching ahead on the back straightaway heading into the third turn. Kinser charged back to the lead exiting turn three, and the pair came off the final corner side-by-side to the checkered flag, and it was Kinser claiming the $10,000 top prize by 0.028 second.

 

“It was pretty tough,” said Kinser, driver of the Q Oil Maxim. “Jason (Sides) was running pretty good and he checked out at the start, and then I caught him in some lapped cars. At the end, I wanted to get by a few lapped cars and was worried I would get loose and hung out on the outside, so I elected to just stay where I was at. I knew he would get a shot at me, and I figured if I could keep him low off of turn four then I could beat him to the flag. I didn’t know he would be quite that close.”

 

The pair had a slight scare at the outset of the race, after they made contact on the first of two aborted starts. Kinser was running second on the opening start, but that was negated after the red flag, leading to a complete restart. A caution flag flew for rookie Kerry Madsen, after Sides jumped to the lead, setting up a third restart, which again saw Sides charge into turn one as the leader. After the first red flag and subsequent caution, the race ran green-to-checkers on the final restart. After seeing Sides jump to the initial lead and begin to pull away, Kinser patiently reeled him in, and on the 19th lap made the pass for the lead using the low side of the track exiting the first and second turn.

 

“The first one (restart) I thought I had a good start and I thought I had Jason (Sides) cleared, but I came out on him a little bit and got into him a little and that was my fault,” admitted Kinser. “After that it was a little greasy coming off the bottom and I kept spinning the tires there.”

 

For most of the race, Kinser kept his car glued to the bottom of the track. Whether he was in traffic or open race track, he had one of the fastest cars over the course of the 30-lap event. On a couple of occasions he made up ground on Sides when the pair got into traffic.

 

“I figured everyone would be washing out, so we set the car up to run the bottom,” he said. “I could run the top also pretty good. There were a few marbles there. I did have to jump back to the top of (turns) one and two, because I was losing some time there. The bottom then came back around on that corner also.”

 

A lengthy rain delay three-quarters of the way through time trials, forced officials to implement one lap of qualifying to help accelerate the rest of the program. By way of World of Outlaws rules, all the times that were recorded prior to the rain were erases and all the cars had to take time again. The track picked up quite a bit of speed from the aborted qualifying effort and Kinser timed in seventh quick. He followed that up with a second place finish in the third heat to earn a spot in the Crane Cams Dash, where he started on the pole and led start-to-finish.

 

“After the rain delay, we had an early qualifying number and I was afraid the grease would kill us,” Kinser said. “We got through the heat and got a good pill draw in the dash. That’s what it’s all about right now. It’s nice to have a strong race car and be able to get from the second row or back if you start there. We haven’t been in that situation yet.”

 

Sides led the first 18 laps of the event, as he earned a season-best finish of second. After climbing from his car, the native of Bartlett, Tennessee snapped his fingers knowing just how close he was to earning his second career World of Outlaws A-Feature win. The runner-up finish was his ninth Top-10 of the season.

 

“All in all it was a good run for us,” said Sides, driver of the Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim. “We had a little motor trouble earlier in the night. Don Ott was here and helped us get it all fixed. There is nothing better than a good run, especially after waiting all night with the rain.”

 

After Kinser took the lead on the 19th lap, Sides shadowed him, hoping to get one more shot at the 20-time champion. Sides inched ahead on the back straightaway on the final lap. The native of Bartlett, Tennessee ran the only sub 15-second lap during the A-Feature on the fourth lap of the event.

 

“He is good, what can you say,” said Sides when referring to Kinser. “Every lap he was in front of me, I was watching and learning where to run.”

 

While he was focused every time he climbed into the race car on Sunday night, Sides was able to enjoy the rain delay as he and the other drivers waited for the track to get worked in for time trials.

 

“We were just joking around,” he explained. “We hung out and watched the rain and the weather on television. We waited for the rain to quit.”

 

Tim Kaeding made a strong charge at the end to finish third as he continues to substitute for Brooke Tatnell. The native of San Jose lined up fifth and moved up a spot on the 11th lap as he got around Joey Saldana. He then had an epic battle with Lucas Wolfe as the pair traded the fourth third position a couple of times. When the checkered flag flew, the third generation driver had one of the fastest cars on the track.

 

“We’re happy to come out of here with a Top-Three, and roll into Grandview and try to do the same things, but two spots higher,” said Kaeding who drove the Volcano Joe’s Coffee Schnee. “We struggled a little on the set-up early in the night being loose and we continued to work on it. We got the car real good toward the end of the feature. I think the track came to us at the end and we just ran out of laps.”

 

Lucas Wolfe took the initial lead of the race before the red flag flew on the opening circuit leading to a complete restart. After setting fast time last week at Williams Grove Speedway in a World of Outlaws event, the young driver was fast again on Sunday night at New Egypt. He turned the fourth fastest lap in time trials and was second in the fourth heat to earn a spot in the Crane Cams Dash.

 

“I was able to get a pretty good start the first time, and unfortunately it got called back,” said Wolfe, driver of the Allebach Racing Maxim. “I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to race with a lot of good guys out here that most people never get. I am definitely glad to be able to travel around when the Outlaws come to town. It makes you all that much better. Racing with the best at different race tracks is the only way you will ever become the best.”

 

Craig Dollansky picked up his eight Top-Five finish of the season as he came home fifth in the Karavan Trailers Maxim. He lined up eighth for the A-Feature turning the ninth quickest lap in time trials, and winning the first heat to earn a spot in the Crane Cams Dash. The native of Elk River, Minnesota gained a couple of spots on the opening lap, and as the laps wound down worked his way into fifth.

 

The rest of the Top-10 was: Jason Solwold in sixth in the City Wide Insulation Maxim, Joey Saldana in seventh in the Open Joist Mopar-powered JEI, Jac Haudenschild who started 19th earned the KSE Race Products Hard Charger Award in the Wright One Construction Maxim after finishing eighth. Paul McMahan finished ninth in the Bass Pro Shops Eagle, with Billy Pauch finishing 10th in the Don Ott Racing Engines J&J.

 

The World of Outlaws return to Pennsylvania on Wednesday, May 23 for Thunder on the Hill at Grandview Speedway.

 

A-main (30 laps) - Starting Position [#]

 

1) 11-Steve Kinser[1] [$10,000]

2) 7S-Jason Sides[2] [$5,500]

3) 2-Tim  Kaeding[5] [$3,200]

4) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[3] [$2,800]

5) 7-Craig Dollansky[8] [$2,500]

6) R19-Jason Solwold[6] [$2,300]

7) 9-Joey Saldana[4] [$2,200]

8) 35-Jac Haudenschild[19] [$2,100]

9) 20-Paul McMahan[7] [$2,050]

10) 25-Billy Pauch[13] [$2,000]

11) 10C-Jeremy Campbell[9] [$1,500]

12) 21-Daryn Pittman[23] [$1,200]

13) 83-Danny Lasoski[22] [$1,100]

14) 8K-Zach Chappell[11] [$1,050]

15) 15-Donny Schatz[16] [$1,000]

16) 14-Jason Meyers[17] [$900]

17) 6-Tim Shaffer[12] [$800]

18) 1X-Randy Hannagan[14] [$800]

19) 36-Jason Martin[10] [$800]

20) 24-Terry McCarl[18] [$800]

21) 5C-Chad Hillier[21] [$800]

22) 3X-Chad Kemenah[24] [$800]

23) 11H-Kerry Madsen[20] [$800]

24) 18T-Tony Bruce Jr.[15] [$800] SCR

 

 

 

 

The largest crowd in Iowa Speedway history - 24,741 estimated paid attendance – watched Sunday afternoon as 16-year-old Joey Logano out-dueled NASCAR Nextel Cup veteran Kevin Harvick to win the NASCAR Grand National Featherlite Coaches 200.

Logano, from Middletown, Conn., drove the Joe Gibbs Driven Chevrolet to a 10-car-length victory over Harvick, who was slowed with engine problems early in the race. Logano and Harvick dueled virtually side-by-side the first 20 laps and, although Harvick led later in the race as well as being out front early, his effort was hampered by engine woes.

“We were running on seven cylinders from about lap 20 on,” Harvick said. “But, that’s a tribute to this track. Despite the problems, we were still able to compete.”

In fact, Harvick’s engine problems made Logano wonder just what was going on.

“It was a tough one for me to win,” he said. “I thought he (Harvick) was just messing with me early before his crew told my spotter what was going on.”

The race – first-ever NASCAR event at Iowa Speedway – was an entertaining one for the fans. Harvick and Logano changed the lead 15 times during the race.

Logano raced in the USAR Hooters Cup a year ago and competed at Iowa Speedway in that division, but this is the first season he’s been eligible to race in the NASCAR Grand National Division. That eligibility came because NASCAR lowered the age from 18 to 16 prior to this season.

“We’ve really been pretty good right out of the box this year,” said Logano who has won three of the first four Busch East Division Grand National races in 2007. “But, this was definitely the biggest win of my career. It was just great to be able to race back and forth with Kevin and it was neat to be able to beat him. We ran hard, but clean. I think we only bumped once.”

Harvick didn’t even recall that one “bump.”

“I don’t think we touched,” said Harvick, who competed on about 90 minutes’ sleep after winning the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge at Charlotte, N.C., Saturday night. “Logano raced me real clean. He did a good job knowing we had problems and letting us race.

“Obviously, this is the first time I’ve raced with him. He makes you feel old in a heartbeat. You wouldn’t know he was 16 the way he raced me.”

Third place went to Jesus Hernandez of Fresno, Calif., in a Chevrolet, while Johnny Borneman of Ramona, Calif., (Chevrolet) and Mike Duncan of Bakersfield, Calif. (Ford) rounded out the top five.

The event drew more than 50 entries with 42 cars taking the green flag.

 

 

 

 

TOLEDO OH - Typically, teammates work together; and sometimes they even get together, and not just on holidays.

 

Such was the case Sunday afternoon at Toledo Speedway when Eddie Sharp Racing teammates’ Ken Butler III and Michael McDowell, inside of five laps remaining, came together in turn one racing for lead. While McDowell spun completely around, Butler drove away to victory lane, winning the ARCA RE/MAX Series Hantz