CONCORD, Nc — With the 2008 Gold Rush Tour now in the rearview mirror, the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series has hit the stretch run of the season, beginning this week with four events in a five-day period in the Midwest. Heading into action this week, two-time defending series champion Donny Schatz leads Jason Meyers in the championship standings by 104 points, with 18 total race dates remaining on the 2008 calendar.
Back in the Fold: The 2009 edition of the Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California will be an Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event. The Mini Gold was part of the World of Outlaws schedule from 1987-1992, with five different drivers picking up wins in the event during that span. Jason Meyers, who is second in the World of Outlaws championship standings, is the defending winner of the Mini Gold Cup. The event will be held March 13-14, 2009.
Winning Out West: During the Gold Rush Tour, eight different drivers picked up wins, including three who scored their first win of the 2008 campaign. Jac Haudenschild was victorious for the first time this season at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on August 22 and followed that up with the $50,000 win in the 55th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway last Saturday night. Also victorious during the Gold Rush Tour was Kraig Kinser, the 2004 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, who took the checkered flag at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington, to earn his first victory driving for Tony Stewart Racing. Jason Solwold also was a winner at Skagit Speedway to become just the third driver this season not competing full-time with the series to pick up an A-Feature win, as he scored his second career A-Feature triumph.
Inaugural Event: The Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series will make their debut at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri on Sunday, September 14, which will also serve as the final event of the season in the state of Missouri for the series. Sam Hafertepe Jr. and Jason Sides are the only World of Outlaws drivers that have competed at the state-of-the-art 3/8-mile, with the former picking up a Top-10 finish in 2006, while the latter was fourth at the track earlier this season.
Penalty Issued: Terry McCarl has been fined $200 and placed on probation until September 28 for throwing his helmet onto the racing surface during a heat race at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on August 23, which violated Section 3.3 of the 2008 Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Rulebook, for inappropriate conduct during a racing event.
TV Time: The finale of the Morgan Hughes National Open at Williams Grove Speedway on Saturday, September 27 will be broadcast LIVE on SPEED from 8-11 p.m. Eastern, with Bobby Gerould on the call, with Hall-of-Famer Brad Doty offering expert analysis, as well as updates from the pit area from Shane Andrews and Sarah Jane Hunt. The finale of the Vault World Finals from The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway will also air LIVE on SPEED on Saturday, November 1 from 8-11 p.m. Eastern.
Strength in Numbers: The 30th Anniversary 2008 World of Outlaws season is turning out to be one of the most competitive in series history, with
13 drivers have scored at least one A-Feature win, including a first-time winner in Tony Bruce Jr. who was victorious at 34 Raceway in Iowa back in July. A total of 23 drivers have led laps in feature racing competition this season. In time trials this season, there has been 16 different drivers stop the clocks first, with eight of those turning in laps that set new track records. In the Crane Cams Dash, there have been
23 different winners, each of whom have earned pole positions in feature racing events.
Crane Cams Engine Builder & Chassis Builder Challenge Update: Again in 2008, a number of engine and chassis builders are taking part in the Crane Cams Engine Builder Challenge and the Chassis Builder Challenge with the World of Outlaws. With 50 A-Feature events and two preliminary feature events in the books, Shaver Specialties leads the Crane Cams Engine Builder Challenge over Speedway Engines, Don Ott Engines and Kistler Engines. In the Chassis Builder Challenge, Maxim has the lead over J&J.
Headquartered in Roanoke, Va., Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket retailer of parts, accessories, batteries, and maintenance items in the United States, serves both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets As of April 19, 2008, the Company operated 3,291 stores in 40 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Additional information about the Company, employment opportunities, customer services, and on-line shopping for parts and accessories can be found on the Company's web site at www.AdvanceAutoParts.com
