Donny Schatz Heads To The Track In His Home State, Fresh Off A Win

Grand Forks, ND
Jun 28, 2007

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The World of Outlaws will make their inaugural visit to River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, North Dakota on Friday, June 29. The event will be the first of two nights that make up the Duel in the Dakotas this season, with action shifting the following night to Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, which is 81 miles south.

River Cities Speedway is a high-banked 3/10-mile oval that consistently sees drivers turning sub-10 second laps in time trials. Last season Danny Lasoski stopped the clocks with a lap 9.902 seconds in an event at the track. The track record currently stands at 9.66 seconds.

Donny Schatz will head to the track in his home state, fresh off a win on Monday night at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota. He leads the series with eight wins and has a 104-point advantage over Joey Saldana in the championship standings, as he chases his second straight title. Heading into the Duel in the Dakotas, Schatz has 33 Top- 10 finishes in 36 events. He also is tied for the series lead with six wins in the Crane Cams Dash which has earned him the same number of pole positions.

Joey Saldana will make his first visit to River Cities Speedway second in points, as he continues his second season driving for NASCAR star Kasey Kahne. Saldana has seven A-Feature wins on the season and leads the series with six fast time honors to his credit in time trials. The native of Brownsburg, Indiana has 29 Top-10 finishes on the season as he chases his first series title.

Danny Lasoski earned two Top-Five finishes at River Cities Speedway last season, including a win. The 2001 World of Outlaws champion is coming off a strong fourthplace finish at Black Hills Speedway on Monday night that was his 27th Top-10 finish of the season. He is solidly in the third spot in points and has three A-Feature wins on the season.

Daryn Pittman will make his first trip to the high-banked bullring fourth in points. The native of Owasso, Oklahoma won the Boot Hill Showdown at Dodge City Raceway Park in Kansas last weekend, to earn his third A-Feature win of the season. He also won earlier this season on the half-mile at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida and the ¼-mile at Riverside International Speedway in Arkansas.

Jason Meyers won his third A-Feature of the season last weekend in the opener of the Boot Hill Showdown. He competed at River Cities Speedway last season, finishing fifth and sixth. The native of Clovis, California has 25 Top-10 finishes on the season entering the Duel in the Dakotas.

Steve Kinser heads to River Cities where he competed last season, sixth in championship points. He finished third and seventh in two events at the bullring last season. The 20- time series champion has seven A-Feature wins on the season to go along with 23 Top-10 finishes.

Craig Dollansky is seventh in points heading to River Cities Speedway. He has one AFeature win on the season to go along with 23 Top-10 finishes. Veteran World of Outlaws crew chief Mike Woodring joined the team about a month ago and they have five Top-10 finishes in the last six events.

Paul McMahan finished in the Top-10 last season at River Cities Speedway. Driving for two-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart, the native of Nashville is eighth in championship points. He won at Eldora Speedway, which is owned by his car owner earlier this month. Heading into the Duel in the Dakotas, McMahan has 16 Top-10 finishes.

Jason Solwold also competed at River Cities Speedway last season. The native of Mt. Vernon, Washington has 20 Top-10 finishes on the year with seven of those being in the Top-Five as he continues to close in on his first World of Outlaws A-Feature victory. He won two preliminary features with the series last season.

Tim Shaffer heads to River Cities Speedway, 10th in championship points. The native of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania has 17 Top-10 finishes on the season, with 11 of those being in the Top-Five.

Jac Haudenschild will make his first start at River Cities Speedway on Friday, June 29. The native of Wooster, Ohio is just outside the Top-10 in championship points, with 14 Top-10 finishes.

Terry McCarl has won twice at River Cities Speedway in his career, and enters the event with one A-Feature win on the season, that coming at his home track, Knoxville Raceway on June 16.

Jason Sides earned a Top-10 finish at River Cities Speedway last season, where he competed twice. The 2003 World of Outlaws Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year has 11 Top-10 finishes this season, with four of those being in the Top-Five.

Also in action on Friday, June 29 will be 1995 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Randy Hannagan, as well as the current rookie leader Kerry Madsen of St. Mary’s, NSW, Australia, who finished second Monday night at Black Hills Speedway, second-year driver Justin Henderson of South Dakota, reigning Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Chad Kemenah, rookie Chad Hiller, second-year driver Jeremy Campbell and rookie Zach Chappell.

Fellow rookies Tony Bruce Jr. and Sam Hafertepe Jr. will also make their first visits to River Cities Speedway.

Brooke Tatnell of San Souci, NSW, Australia will be competing, along with second-year driver Jason Martin, veteran Dion Hindi and Indiana native Brian Carlson.