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 TULARE,
CA (October 29-30) -- History continues to be made in the World of
Outlaws Sprint Series as the 2004 season nears its end. On Friday,
Erin Crocker became the first female driver to ever win a World of
Outlaws feature race capturing the 25-lap preliminary at
California's Thunderbowl Raceway. The historic win also came while
riding on Hoosier tires. On Saturday, Terry McCarl took the lead on
the final circuit of the 35-lap finale which stretched the Hoosier brand's
win streak to 83 in a row in the series. Just one event now remains on
this year's schedule. The final 2-race event begins this Friday
(November 5th) at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
PRELIMINARY
TULARE, CA (October 29) -- Forty cars took turns circling the 1/3-mile oval with 38 of them
opting to trust the Hoosier brand. Joey Saldana set a new track record
on Hoosiers when he posted a time of 12.751 seconds. Saldana was followed by Tim
Shaffer, Steve Kent, Steve Kinser, Jason Meyers and Tim Kaeding. All
six drivers competed on the Hoosier brand. Team Hoosier also collected 13 of
the top 14 times in qualifying.
In heat race action, Randy Hannagan, Jason Sides, Mike
Faria and Ricci Faria were the winners, while Jac Haudenschild won the
second Dash on Hoosiers and earned a front-row starting spot for the night's
25-lap feature race.
In the 25-lap feature, 22 of the 24 starters were
members of Team Hoosier. Jac Haudenschild, using a 92" D10/RD12
(LR/RR) combination, got the jump at the start as the green flag
waved. Haudenschild led
through lap 20, before sixth starting Erin Crocker moved into the
lead. The only female member of the "Mean 15" led the
remainder of the distance to capture her first-ever World of Outlaws
feature win.
It was also the first feature win by a female driver in
the 26-year history of the series and came while riding on Hoosier
tires. The driver of the #16 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute car
earned $5,000 for the win in front of a cheering crowd.
Paul McMahan finished in second place followed
by Jac Haudenschild and Steve Kinser. Both Haudenschild and
Kinser rode atop the same Hoosier rear-drive combination (D10/RD12) as
the race winner. Brian Paulus finished in fifth place followed by
Donny Schatz. Tim Kaeding, Jason Solwold and Craig Dollansky finished
eighth through tenth, respectively, riding on Hoosier tires.
The entire Hoosier Racing Tire organization wishes to
congratulate Erin on becoming the first-ever female to win a World of
Outlaws Sprint Series feature race. Hoosier is proud to have played a
small part in your historic achievement.
FINALE
TULARE, CA (October 30) -- Thirty-eight cars were on hand on Saturday
vying for the $12,000 payout given to the 35-lap feature winner.
Thirty-five of the cars rode on Hoosier tires with the remainder
taking their chances using another competing tire brand. The top four
finishers from Friday's race were locked into the night's Dash race
leaving 34 cars posting times.
Tim Shaffer set fast time of the night using a Hoosier
D10. Shaffer circled the 1/3-mile track in 13.955 seconds. He was
followed by Jason Meyers (14.032 seconds), Tim Kaeding, Donny Schatz,
Brian Paulus, Daryn Pittman, Craig Dollansky Joey Saldana, Jason Sides
and Steve Kent as Team Hoosier claimed the top ten positions in
qualifying.
Steve Kinser and Danny Lasoski were late arriving for
the race as the duo competed in the final IROC race at Atlanta.
Lasoski finished third, while Kinser took ninth place in the final
event as Matt Kenseth claimed the 2004 IROC Series championship. By
virtue of his fourth place finish in the preliminary race, Kinser's
tardiness was not a factor, while Lasoski did not make it in time for
qualifying or heat race action and had to start the 35-lap feature
from last place using a provisional.
All four heat races were won by Hoosier-shod drivers
including Tim Shaffer, Steve Kent, Tim Kaeding and Terry McCarl. The
Dash race had all but one of the eight starters riding on Hoosier
tires. When the 5-lap race was over, Team Hoosier finished 1-7 with
Tim Shaffer taking the win followed by Steve Kinser, Jac Haudenschild,
Jason Meyers, Erin Crocker, Donny Schatz and Tim Kaeding.
In the 35-lap feature 24 of the 25 race starters rode
atop the Hoosier brand. The race began with Steve Kinser motoring into
the lead from the outside pole. Kinser led through lap 33, before
Daryn Pittman moved into the lead with just two laps to go. Pittman's
lead, however, lasted just one circuit with Terry McCarl moving into
the lead on the final lap to snatch the win. McCarl won $12,000 using
a 94" Hoosier D12/D15 set up. Pittman settled for second place
using a 94" D15/D20 combination. Craig Dollansky was third using
a 94" RD15/D15 combination for a 1-2-3 sweep by Hoosier-shod
drivers.
Danny Lasoski, despite starting last in the starting
grid, finished in fourth place using a 92" D15/D25 combination as
the harder right-rear tire proved an excellent selection as tire wear
became an issue as the race progressed.
Jason Solwold finished in fifth place followed by
Donny Schatz. Brian Paulus was eighth followed by Dale Blaney and
Steve Kinser on Hoosiers.
Terry McCarl commented in the winner's circle, "I
have to thank Neil (Cowman) and the guys at Hoosier for building the
best race tires in the world."
McCarl, the six-time defending Knoxville Raceway 410
champion, plans on competing full-time in the World of Outlaws Series
next season.
McCarl's victory pushed Team Hoosier's season-long win
streak to a phenomenal 83 races in-a-row.
The World of Outlaws Sprint Series will close out its
2004 season this weekend at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway.
Hoosier's Neil Cowman will also be in Las Vegas
attending the final event of the season.
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