LAS VEGAS, Nevada — A night of great racing on dirt, as the World of Outlaw Sprint Car Series, turned out to race their third race of the season, with Jason Meyers of Clovis, CA, driving the #14 Elite Racing sprint from an eighteenth start to turn in a stellar run to victory, on the half mile dirt oval, in the Las Vegas Super Sprint Classic, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and earned the $10,000.00 winners purse.
This race was action packed throughout, as the sprints raced two and three abreast. Meyers is the third different driver this season to claim victory circle. The other two drivers that have collected a feature win, this season are, Steve Kinser of Bloomington, IN and Donny Schatz of Fargo, North Dakota, the series defending champion.
What a run for the win. Schatz led the bulk of the laps, with Joey Saldana and Meyers getting to lead as well.So much talent in this race, it just kept you guessing right up to the checkered flag, when you actually saw Meyers collect the win, with S. Kinser and Schatz, racing nose to tail behind Meyers, for the top three finishes of the night. Meyers also earned the KSE Hard Charger Award, moving through the twenty-four car field, having to pass seventeen sprints to get to the front and took the lead on the twenty-eighth lap of this thirty lap feature.
"We had a rough start. At first, I was only trying to salvage my run. Then I found a couple of spots that worked. I couldn't believe that I caught Donny (Schatz), but there he was, right in front of me. I actually had a great car. My hats off to my crew tonight. I want to thank all of you (fans) very, very much for coming out here tonight. We couldn't do this without you." said Meyers
Meyer's dedicated this race win to the entire Boyd family, having recently loss Jim Boyd, a great friend to the team. Included in Meyer's tribute, was "We're going to miss him dearly" .
S. Kinser turned in second fast time in qualifying, turning a 14.382 second lap and raced from a fifth place start to cross the line behind Meyers.
"I kind of got beat up at the end. He (Meyers) all but gave me the win of this race. He (Meyers) slowed down and all I had to do was pass him. I could have won. But I slowed down and missed my chance, giving the win right back to him (Meyers). We've been really good, so far this season. We're headed for a short track (in Tulare, CA) now. We will have to see how we'll be. said S. Kinser, the very best sprint car driver of record.
Schatz, WoO Sprint Series defending champion, said "We wanted to get a win here tonight. It felt like we were good enough but it seems like when I got into lap traffic, it was hard for me to pass. My car is good but we just have to work on a few things." Schatz led laps one to ten and eleven to twenty-seven, looking very strong as he raced.
Terry McCarl of Altoona, IA, driving the #24 Quiring Maxim, nailed the throttle as he took his lap in qualifying, to clock in a 14.344 second run for fast time of the night. McCarl only managed to score thirteen laps before having to retire from the race due to possible mechanical problems. The only other caution flag, flew out for Craig Dollansky (MN) after he had scored fifteen laps, when he had to have his car towed from the track.
Jac Haudenschild (OH), raced from a twenty-first start to take the checkered flag in twelfth. Haudenschild was amazed that Meyers had made it to the front, from so far back in the field. Haudenschild, having to also work his way through the field, said, "the track was dry slick and hard to pass." It had to be quite a challenge to Meyers to achieve the win of this race, passing seventeen sprints and only thirty laps to do it in.
Jason Sides (TN) started the race in fourth and had fourth at the checkered, followed by Tim Kaeding (CA), Saldana (IN), Brad Sweet (CA), Sam Hafertepe, Jr. (TX), Lucas Wolfe (PA), Danny Lasoski (MO), Daryn Pittman (OK), Haudenschild, Johnny Herrrera (NM), Paul McMahan (TN), Kraig Kinser (IN), Fred Rahmer (PA), Chad Kemenah (OH), Brian Ellenberger (PA), Toni Lutar (BC), Zach Zimmerly (OR), Ben Gregg (AZ), Austen Wheatley (WA), Dollansky, McCarl.
Dash, the "B" Main and Heat Races are as follows
Dash (six lap race with the finish used to line up the front ten of the "A" feature race)
Schatz, Sweet, Rahmer, Sides S. Kinser, Saldana, McCarl, Kaeding, Hafertepe, Jr., Kemenah.
"B" Main (eight laps with the top six finishers transferred to the "A" feature race)
Lasoski, McMahan, Pittman, Lutar, Wheatley, Gregg, Jerry Wise, Jr. (CA), Anthony Simone (CA), John Gaston (AZ), Sid Blandford (CO).
Three Heat Races, (eight laps with the top six transferring into the "A" feature race)
Heat #1: Sweet, McCarl, Zimmerley, Rahmer, Wolfe, K. Kinser, Pittman, Wheatley, Gaston.
Heat #2: Hafertepe, Jr., Kaeding, S. Kinser, Dollansky, Schatz, Haudenschild, McMahan, Gregg, Wise, Jr.
Heat #3: Saldana, Kemenah, Sides, Meyers, Ellenberger, Herrera, Lutar, Simone, Lasoski.
