World of Outlaws Return, Alley/Brown Showdown Settled on Saturday!
Saturday, October 7, 2006
World of Outlaws Return, Alley/Brown Showdown Settled on Saturday!
by Bill Wright (www.knoxvilleraceway.com) - An exciting season at the Knoxville Raceway will come to a close once and for all this Saturday night as the World of Outlaws invade the famous Marion County oval for the last time in 2006! Summer-like temperatures are forecasted for Knoxville!
The “Mean 15” from the World of Outlaws touring series will tackle the best of Knoxville Raceway and the Midwest. Fargo, North Dakota’s Donny Schatz (pictured), winner of this year’s 46th Annual running of the Knoxville Nationals, leads the touring drivers to Knoxville in both points and over $300,000 in earnings this season. He has racked up 14 wins on the season and is sitting in the driver’s seat in his quest for his first World of Outlaws title.
Former Knoxville regular and Minnesota native, Craig Dollansky, trails Schatz in the point standings and boasts six wins in 2006. Joey Saldana’s third place finish at the Nationals in Kasey Kahne’s #9 should give him a lot of confidence going into this weekend’s events. Daryn Pittman has been hot lately in Australian Reeve Kruck’s #21, recently taking home the prestigious Gold Cup Race of Champions in Chico, California. “The Wild Child” Jac Haudenschild is always a thrill at Knoxville in front of a legion of followers, and will be on hand as well.
Six-time Knoxville track champion, Terry McCarl, has recovered from a severely broken leg bone to win three World of Outlaw events. His focus will be on victory lane in a return “home”. Multi-time All Stars champion, Chad Kemenah, Jeremy Campbell and former Knoxville regular and Sioux Falls native, Justin Henderson, are also expected. Throw in Randy Hannagan, Dion Hindi, Becca Anderson, Jason Martin and Brian Carlson, and it should be electric!
Trying to dethrone the travelers will be current Knoxville 410 guns, Billy Alley and Brian Brown. Clint Garner, Skip Jackson, Lynton Jeffrey, Calvin Landis, Kaley Gharst, Bronson Maeschen and Dusty Zomer are other locals who will be in the hunt for an upset. Who knows who else will be towing in the first weekend in October? Count on some surprises!
As a bonus, a season long roller coaster battle for the 410 track championship will come to a close once and for all. Point leader, Alley, and Brown have waged war all summer long, and it all comes down to a rain delayed feature from Season Championship Night on September 2. The 25-lap event will be run in its entirety this Saturday night! Alley’s lead is 45 points over his rival, Brown. Brown will start Tim and Gina Doogs’ #21 machine outside of row two, while Alley will start the Ed and Theresa Gifford #17G inside of row five. As little as three finishing spots could determine the season champion. In addition, Garner leads Jackson by 15 points in the race for third.
In other ceremonies, Schatz will be the recipient of an award honoring his family’s involvement in racing and his Nationals title at 2:30 p.m. at the Knoxville Nationals Wall of Champions beside the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. A “meet the drivers” autograph session will follow at 3:00 p.m. behind the front stretch grandstands in the Dyer-Hudson Building, so meet your favorite driver up close and personal!
The 360 sprints will also be running a full program, so there will be plenty of open wheel action this Saturday night at Knoxville! Tickets and additional information are available by visiting www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com, or by calling 641 842-5431.
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