The Big Guns are Coming for Mediacom World of Outlaws Shootout!
Thursday, June 22, 2006
by Bill Wright – (www.knoxvilleraceway.com) The “Big Guns” will be in town this Friday and Saturday, June 23 and 24, as the World of Outlaws make their first official appearance (they were rained out in April) of the 2006 season. The 360 class will join the WoO on Friday with a program of their own. Hot laps will get underway both nights at 6:45 p.m.
The event marks the return of six-time Knoxville Raceway track champion, Terry McCarl (pictured), who has been nursing a broken leg for the last month. The injury was suffered at Sharon (OH) Speedway due to an in-car accident following the feature event that evening. The fracture was in McCarl’s brake leg (his left). He tried it out for the first time last Sunday night at the Huset’s (SD) Speedway and passed Larry Ball Jr. on a late restart to capture his 77th career victory there. McCarl is more than anxious to grab his first WoO feature win in 2006.
McCarl’s competition will be fierce, of course. Seven-time Knoxville Raceway track champion, Danny Lasoski, is expected to compete both nights and has been one of the hottest drivers in the country, grabbing two 2006 wins in Knoxville weekly competition including last weekend, and he has recent NST tallies in Ohio and Pennsylvania. He is the current National Sprint Tour point leader heading into Wednesday night’s event at Sedalia.
Donny Schatz is heads above the rest in the World of Outlaws standings. Right now, he holds a 194 point lead over former Knoxville regular, Craig Dollansky. Joey Saldana is third in Kasey Kahne’s #9, just four points behind Dollansky. Daryn Pittman and Jac Haudenschild are within striking distance, and complete the top five. Sixth through tenth in the standings include new Knoxville track record holder, Brooke Tatnell, multi-time All Star champion Chad Kemenah, Jeremy Campbell, former Knoxville regular Justin Henderson and Randy Hannagan. “Neon” Dion Hindi has returned to WoO competition in 2006, as have Brian Carlson, Becca Anderson and Jason Martin.
Others expected include Jason Solwold, who captured the NST race two weeks ago in Hagerstown, Maryland, and Kevin Swindell, who became the youngest driver to win a WoO feature on May 24 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in North Carolina.
Is this the weekend we’ll see a local in victory lane? Brian Brown the 410 points leader would like to think so, as would Kerry Madsen, who has bested the WoO multiple times in his homeland of Australia, but is yet to conquer them on American soil. Skip Jackson, Billy Alley and Clint Garner have been amongst the most consistent regulars this season. Wayne Johnson, Jesse Giannetto, Lynton Jeffrey, Kaley Gharst and Matt Moro will be among the pursuers as well.
Who else will show? With both the NST and Interstate Racing Association off on Friday and Saturday, it’s anyone’s guess. It will be the last chance many drivers have to prep for the $894,515 46th Annual Knoxville Nationals on August 9-12.
The 360 class will run a full program on Friday, with a new points leader. Johnny Anderson has clawed his way to the top, just nine points ahead of defending champ, Jake Peters. Rookie Dustin Lindquist, Jeff Mitrisin and John Kearney complete the top five.
For ticket or other information, call 641 842-5431 or visit www.knoxvilleraceway.com.
|