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 WEST
FARGO, ND (July 4-6) -- The Pennzoil World of Outlaws contested the
"Duel in the Dakotas" over the extended 4th of July weekend
at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, North Dakota. Donny
Schatz, of Fargo, ND, won the $20,000 top prize in front of a cheering
hometown crowd. Joey Saldana and P.J. Chesson were preliminary night
winners as well. All three drivers competed on Hoosier tires for their
respective wins. The Hoosier brand was dominant all weekend sweeping
the top seven positions in the opening night of action with Joey
Saldana emerging the victor. On the second night, P.J. Chesson won his
first-ever Outlaws feature while Team-Hoosier captured the top 12. The
finale capped the holiday weekend for Team-Hoosier as Donny Schatz
emerged the winner with the top eight finishers riding atop the
Hoosier brand. Hoosier now enjoys a stellar 45-4 record in the
Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series.
FIRST PRELIMINARY - July 4
Thirty-six cars were entered in qualifying--27 on Hoosiers. Craig
Dollansky established a new single-lap record after circling the
1/2-mile oval in just 14.786 seconds (121.737 mph), as the 14 fastest
times were posted by Hoosier-shod drivers.
Team-Hoosier captured three of the four heat races.
Jason Sides, Donny Schatz and Danny Lasoski each won their respective
heat races on the Hoosier brand.
Both dash races were also won by drivers riding atop
the Hoosier brand. Danny Lasoski won the first dash, while Tyler
Walker won the second.
In the 25-lap feature, 20 of the 24 race starters rode
on the Hoosier brand. Tyler Walker took the early race lead from the
front row before his engine lost power giving the lead to sixth
starting Joey Saldana on lap number four. Saldana, using a 92"
RD12/D12 combination led the remainder of the race to capture the
win--his second straight preliminary win. Craig Dollansky, using a
94"D12/D12 set-up, finished in the runner-up position as Brad
Furr using the same combination as Saldana, rounded out the top
three.
Saldana earned $5,000 for the win. The finish was
dominated by drivers riding atop the Hoosier brand, with the first
seven and nine of the first ten drivers crossing the finish line using
Hoosier tires. Daryn Pittman, Danny Wood, Danny Lasoski, and Donny
Schatz rounded out fourth through seventh. Also finishing in the top
ten on Hoosiers were Tim Shaffer in ninth and Steve Kinser in tenth
after starting 24th. Amazingly, 17 of the first 18 drivers to cross
the finish line were riding on Hoosier tires.
SECOND PRELIMINARY - July 5
The second night of action had Team-Hoosier improving their
performance on every front. Thirty-three cars were entered in
qualifying--27 on Hoosiers. Joey Saldana was fast qualifier at 15.747
seconds as the top 16 times in qualifying were posted by drivers on
Hoosier rubber.
All four heat winners won their respective races on
Hoosier tires. Tim Shaffer, Mark Kinser, Sammy Swindell and Randy
Hannagan were the four heat race winners.
The strong performance in qualifying and the four heat
races by Hoosier-shod drivers was on display in both the dash events,
as all twelve drivers used the Hoosier brand. Joey Saldana and Danny
Lasoski each won their respective dash race and were rewarded with
front row starting positions for the 30-lap feature.
Once again in the 30-lap feature, 20 of the 24
starters rode on Hoosier tires. Danny Lasoski jumped out to the early
race lead and looked to be on his way to the win when his right rear
tire deflated handing the lead over to young P.J. Chesson on the
second to last lap. Chesson led the final two circuits to capture his
first-ever Outlaws feature win. He collected $5,000 for the top finish
while using a 94"D20/F55 compound combination as the track took
rubber.
Finishing in second place was Steve Kinser on a pair
of D20's. Donny Schatz finished in third also on a pair of D20's. All
told, the top 12 finishers rode atop the Hoosier brand. Rounding out
fourth through twelfth for Team-Hoosier was, Joey Saldana, Tim
Shaffer, Craig Dollansky, Daryn Pittman, Mark Kinser, Randy Hannagan,
Shane Stewart, Tyler Walker and Wayne Johnson.
FEATURE RACE - July 6
There was no qualifying on the final night of racing, rather points
were awarded for the two previous night's performances. The top four
in points were awarded the first four positions in the night's only
dash which set the starting grid for the first three rows. Joey
Saldana, Craig Dollansky, Daryn Pittman and Tim Shaffer were first
through fourth in preliminary points--all ride on Hoosier tires.
All three preliminary heat races were won by
Hoosier-shod drivers. P.J. Chesson, Steve Kinser and Danny Lasoski
were each heat race winners.
Like the previous night, all six entrants in the
night's dash were members of Team-Hoosier. Craig Dollansky won the
5-lap dash with Joey Saldana, Tim Shaffer, Donny Schatz, Daryn Pittman
and Steve Kinser finishing second through sixth, respectively.
In the 30-lap feature to determine the ultimate winner
of the "Duel in the Dakotas", Joey Saldana jumped out to the
early race lead from his outside pole position. Saldana, using a
94" D12/D12 set-up, maintained the race lead until lap 10, when
Donny Schatz moved into the race lead after starting fourth. Schatz,
opting to ride on a slightly harder set-up--a 94"D12/D15, led the
remainder of the event to capture his first main event win of the
season and collect the $20,000 top prize.
Finishing in second place was Craig Dollansky, who
opted to use the same compound combination as Schatz. Dollansky
collected $11,000 for the runner-up finish. Tim Shaffer gave
Team-Hoosier its third consecutive podium sweep of the holiday weekend
after finishing third and earning $5,500.
In fact, the first eight drivers to cross the finish
line used the Hoosier brand. Joey Saldana, Daryn Pittman, Danny
Lasoski, Sammy Swindell and Tyler Walker rounded out positions four
through eight, respectively.
Steve Kinser remains atop the Pennzoil World of
Outlaws standings with 5438 points. Danny Lasoski is in second place
with 5423 points. Craig Dollansky, Joey Saldana and Mark Kinser round
out the "all-Hoosier" top five in points.
Team-Hoosier will take its 45-4 record into Monday
nights, July 8th, one-night show at Cedar Lake Speedway in Somerset,
Wisconsin.
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