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 WEST
FARGO, ND (June 12-14) -- Team-Hoosier continued its domination of the
O'Reilly World of Outlaws Series over the weekend at Red River Valley
Speedway during the 6th annual "Duel in the Dakotas." When
the three-day program was over, there were three different
winners--each with one common link. Yes, you guessed it. Each was
riding atop USA-made Hoosier tires. On Thursday, Steve Kinser led all
25 laps in the feature race to capture the opening night win. On
Friday, it was local favorite Donny Schatz taking the win. The event
culminated on Saturday with Danny Lasoski inheriting the lead on lap
seven en route to capturing the $20,000 win. All three nights also
featured a Hoosier 1-2-3 finish. It was the 27th consecutive, and 29th
overall, podium sweep in 36 night's of action in sprint racing's premier
series.
OPENING NIGHT PRELIMINARY
WEST FARGO, ND (June12) -- Twenty-six cars posted times in qualifying
on the 1/2-mile Red River Valley Speedway with 20 of them making the
decision to run the Hoosier brand. That decision was rewarded
handsomely with the top 12 times being recorded by drivers on Hoosier
tires. Sammy Swindell set fast time of the night with his lap of
15.297 seconds. Swindell was followed by Danny Lasoski, Mark Kinser,
Jason Meyers, Brooke Tatnell, Tim Shaffer, Kraig Kinser, Steve Kinser,
Paul McMahan, Joey Saldana, Daryn Pittman and Donny Schatz in second
through twelfth, respectively.
Team-Hoosier captured two wins in the three heat races
contested. Tim Shaffer won the first 8-lap heat, while Steve Kinser
won the second. Interestingly, the third heat race would be the only
contest during the three night's of racing in which the Hoosier brand
was not on the winner's car. Although they did finish 2-3-4-5-6-7-8 in
the third heat.
In Dash competition, the Hoosier brand was two-for-two
when Steve Kinser captured the first Dash with Paul McMahan winning
the final Dash.
In the 25-lap feature, Steve Kinser took immediate
command from the pole while riding atop a D12/D15 (left rear/right
rear) combination. The defending series champion led all 25 laps en
route to collecting the $5,000 opening night win. Jason Meyers
finished in second place riding on a pair of Hoosier D12's. Rounding
out the podium for Team-Hoosier was Donny Schatz who opted to run the
feature using a Hoosier RD12/D12 combination.
The final race ended with Hoosier-shod drivers grabbing
the first eleven positions. Rounding out the top eleven was Sammy
Swindell, Brook Tatnell, Tim Shaffer, Mark Kinser, Danny Lasoski, Joey
Saldana, Daryn Pittman and Kraig Kinser.
FRIDAY NIGHT'S PRELIMINARY
WEST FARGO, ND (June13) -- Twenty-seven cars were entered in
qualifying on the second night of competition with 21 of them riding
on Hoosier tires. Once again, Sammy Swindell set fast time of the
night with his lap of 15.976 seconds followed by Donny Schatz, Danny
Lasoski, Steve Kinser and Kraig Kinser.
Jason Sides, Jason Meyers and Tim Shaffer were the
three heat race winners.
Kraig Kinser won the first Dash, while Donny Schatz
won the final Dash race.
In the 25-lap feature, Donny Schatz took the lead from
his outside pole position from the green flag while riding on the same
combination previous night's winner Steve Kinser had selected--a
Hoosier D12/D15 combination. Schatz, the defending "Duel in the
Dakotas" winner, led every lap of the race to take the $5,000 win in
front of his hometown crowd. Steve Kinser settled for second place
while using a pair of D15's. Mark Kinser rounded out the top three for
Team-Hoosier using a Hoosier RD15/D15 set up.
Team-Hoosier improved their opening night feature
performance by capturing the first twelve positions in the night's
final race. Jason Meyers, Danny Lasoski, Paul McMahan, Kraig Kinser,
Tim Shaffer, Joey Saldana, Brooke Tatnell, Daryn Pittman and Jason
Sides rounded out the list of top-twelve finishers.
SATURDAY'S FINALE
WEST FARGO, ND (June14) -- On the final night of competition there was
no qualifying but rather the cars would be lined up according to
points earned in the previous two nights with the first four drivers
being given the first two rows for the night's single Dash race
contested. Those four drivers earning the most points the previous two
nights were all members of Team-Hoosier. Steve Kinser (1,073), Donny
Schatz (1,056), Jason Meyers (1,052) and Danny Lasoski (1,035) were
the top point earners.
With these four drivers locked into the night's
feature race, three heat races were contested to whittle the field for
the night's 30-lap feature. Mark Kinser, Tim Shaffer and Sammy
Swindell were the three heat race winners. All three drivers compete
using Hoosier tires.
In the feature, Steve Kinser was the early race leader
before colliding with a lap car on the sixth lap. Ironically, the
lapped car was one of the five non-Hoosier-shod cars competing in the
night's finale which boasted 26 starters. The accident handed the race
lead to Danny Lasoski who, using a pair of D12's, led the remainder of
the way to capture the $20,000 win. Hometown favorite Donny Schatz
(D12/D15) wound up finishing in second place followed by Tim Shaffer
(D12/D15) in third. The 1-2-3 finish for Team-Hoosier was the 27th
consecutive time (29th overall) the purple tire brand has been the
only tire brand represented on the podium in 36 night's of competition
in the O'Reilly World of Outlaws this season.
Rounding out the top ten was Mark Kinser, Kraig
Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Jason Meyers, Joey Saldana, Daryn Pittman and
Paul McMahan in fourth through tenth, respectively.
The unfortunate accident of Steve Kinser halted the
17-time series champion's efforts to close the gap between him and
current points leader Danny Lasoski. Currently, Lasoski leads the
series standings with 4295 points followed by Steve Kinser with 4228
points. Hoosier-shod drivers currently hold the top seven positions in
the series standings. Joey Saldana (3971), Daryn Pittman (3921), Jason
Sides (3680), Donny Schatz (3677) and Mark Kinser (3509) round out the
top seven.
After enjoying a well deserved week of vacation,
Hoosier Open Wheel Dirt Product Manager Neil Cowman had this to say
about the three-day event, "I have to say, even though I was
vacationing, I was still watching the results on the internet at www.dollanskyracing.com."
Cowman added, "The results were great and made for an even more
enjoyable time off... just don't tell my wife!"
Under Cowman's tutelage, the Hoosier brand has won the
past three year's World of Outlaws title and appears to be on their
way to their fourth consecutive title in 2003--having won 34 of the 36
race contested in the series to date.
The series is back in action this Wednesday for a
one-night show at Huset's Speedway in Brandon, SD.
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