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 MECHANICSBURG,
PA (July 25-26) -- Donny Schatz captured a pair of wins in the annual
Summer Nationals at Williams Grove Speedway in the O'Reilly World of
Outlaws Series over the weekend. After the Summer Nationals opener was
won by local PA Posse driver Don Kreitz, Jr., the Outlaws
regulars regrouped and took two wins led by Donny Schatz both nights.
The annual event also was dominated by the Hoosier tire brand. On
Thursday, Team-Hoosier swept the top 22 spots in the feature, while
taking the top 11 on Friday and the top 18 on Saturday. Team-Hoosier
recorded its 45th consecutive 1-2-3 finish of the season, and 47th
overall, in 54 nights of racing. The 3-day event was also attended by
Hoosier Engineer John Reynolds who reported the details for this
report.
SECOND PRELIMINARY
MECHANICSBURG, PA (July 25) -- Forty-two cars were entered in qualifying
on Friday evening with 39 drivers trusting Hoosier tires to carry them
to victory lane. Keith Kauffman set fast time of the night with a lap
of 17.059 seconds on the 1/2-mile track. Kauffman was followed by 17
more Hoosier-shod drivers atop the qualifying leader board. Sammy
Swindell, Danny Lasoski, Mark Kinser, Joey Saldana, Tyler Walker, Paul
McMahan, Donny Schatz, Fred Rahmer, Lance Dewease, Sean Michael, Steve
Kinser, Todd Hestor, Jason Meyers, Mike Erdley, Jason Sides, Adrian
Shaffer and Greg Hodnett qualified second through 18th using Hoosier
tires.
In heat race action, Tim Shaffer, Greg Hodnett and
Jason Meyers won heats one, two and three on Hoosier tires.
In the two Dash races, Jason Sides and Mike Erdley
were the winners.
In the 25-lap feature, 24 of the 26 starters used the
Hoosier brand in their attempt to secure the $5,000 top prize. At the
drop of the green flag, Jason Sides took the early race lead. Sides
led for 20 laps before being passed by eighth starting Donny Schatz.
Schatz led the final five laps to take the win using a Hoosier 94-inch
D12 as his left rear tire choice and a D15 compound as his right rear
compound selection. Finishing in second through fourth place were PA
Posse drivers Mike Erdley (94"D12/D12), Greg Hodnett
(96"D12/D15), and Todd Hestor (94"RD12/D15).
All told, Team-Hoosier accounted for the first 11
spots in the 25-lap feature. Jason Sides, Keith Kauffman, Lance
Dewease, Mark Kinser. Fred Rahmer, Danny Lasoski and Sammy Swindell
finished fifth through eleventh, respectively, on Hoosiers.
FINALE
MECHANICSBURG, PA (July 26) -- Thirty-eight cars were on hand the
final night of racing at Williams Grove--35 on Hoosiers. There was no qualifying
Saturday, but rather, cars were lined up according to points earned
the previous two nights. The top four drivers in preliminary points
earned the first two nights were awarded the first four spots in the
Dash race. Of the top four point earners, two were members of the
Posse and two were Outlaws regulars with all four riding on Hoosiers.
The top four point earners were; Keith Kauffman (1056), Donny Schatz
(1041), Danny Lasoski (1015) and Lance Dewease (1005). Hoosier-shod
drivers accounted for the top 18 spots in preliminary points entering
the final night of action.
All four heat races were won by Hoosier-shod drivers,
Steve Kinser, Todd Hestor, Greg Hodnett and Paul McMahan.
In the 5-lap Dash race, Donny Schatz was the winner
followed by Danny Lasoski, Keith Kauffman, Fred Rahmer, Lance Dewease
and Todd Hestor.
In the feature, 24 of the 26 starters were members of
Team-Hoosier. Donny Schatz took the lead from the outset with Danny
Lasoski in tow. Schatz led the first 13 circuits before giving way to
Lasoski who led for two laps before being passed back by Schatz. But
the 2001 Series Champion battled back on lap 17, to regain the lead
once again. Lasoski's lead lasted until lap 25, before Schatz passed
him a final time. Schatz, using a 94"D12/D15 combination, went on
to take the win by four car lengths over Lasoski who used a
94"D12/RD15 combination, while Keith Kauffman (94"D12/RD15)
took third for the locals.
At the line, the first 18 drivers to cross rode on
Hoosier tires. Rounding out the top 18 were; Fred Rahmer, Lance
Dewease, Greg Hodnett, Steve Kinser, Todd Hestor, Paul McMahan, Joey
Saldana, Mark Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Don Kreitz, Jr., Jason Meyers,
Cris Eash, Mike Erdley, Tim Shaffer and Jason Sides.
Danny Lasoski continues to lead the series standings
with 6355 points over Steve Kinser with 6316 points--a 39 point
margin. Joey Saldana, Daryn Pittman, Donny Schatz, Jason Sides and
Mark Kinser are third through seventh, respectively. All seven drivers
compete on USA-made Hoosier tires. In fact, nine of the top ten
drivers in the standings use Hoosier tires with Paul McMahan and Tim
Shaffer rounding out the top ten in ninth and tenth, respectively.
The series will be busy this week racing Monday night,
July 28th, at New Jersey's New Egypt Speedway and at Sharon Speedway
in Hartford, Ohio on Wednesday where they will complete the remaining
portion of the May 30th race before the regularly scheduled race. They
then race at K-C Raceway on Thursday and finally on Sunday at The
Raceway @ Powercom Park.
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