The fireworks will continue for the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series on Saturday, July 5 at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Arkansas as the ‘Bullring Swing’ continues. The event will mark the ninth consecutive race on a short track for the series and the first this season on a ¼-mile.
The Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returned to the always racy ¼-mile last season for the first time in over 25 years, with Daryn Pittman picking up a very emotional win with a number of family members in attendance. The series first competed at the track in 1979 with 20-time series champion Steve Kinser picking up the win in that event. He remains the only driver that has won more than one A-Feature with the series at the track, as he was also victorious in 1981. Other winners at the track include three-time World of Outlaws champion Sammy Swindell, who hails from nearby Germantown, Tennessee, as well as Ron Shuman, Tim Green and Terry Gray.
A new track record was established in time trials at Riverside International Speedway last season during the World of Outlaws visit, with Jason Solwold stopping the clocks at 11.060 seconds. All but one driver that took time turned a lap in the 11-second bracket.
After the event last season in which he won, Pittman now has made six career starts at the ¼-mile and has finished in the Top-10 in every one of them. He made his debut at the track in 1996, finishing seventh. In picking up the win last season, the native of Owasso, Oklahoma led 31 laps, taking the lead from Jason Solwold on lap-10, as he charged to the high side of the track entering the first turn. He started fourth in the race and gained two spots on the opening lap as he rode the high side of the track.
Riverside International Speedway is Jason Sides home track, as he hails from nearby Bartlett, Tennessee. The 2003 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award winner has nine career Top-10 finishes with the series at the track, with four of those being in the Top-Five. He made his first start at the track back in 1996 in a 360-sprint car.
Kinser is the only driver that has competed in all eight World of Outlaws events at the track and he has finished in the Top-Five in each and every one. The native of Bloomington, Indiana has won twice this season and enters the trio of events this weekend with 545 career A-Feature wins with the series. He finished second on Sunday night at Cedar Lake Speedway in Wisconsin.
Donny Schatz, the two-time defending series champion made his first start at Riverside International Speedway last season. He overcame a flip in the second heat and a flat tire in the A-main to finish 14th. He raced his way into the 40-lap contest by virtue of winning the B-main. He has won nine times this season and is the only driver that has finished in the Top-10 in each of the first 24 events, as he holds a 96-point lead in the championship standings. The North Dakota native is in the midst of his first season driving for two-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart’s team.
Jason Meyers, who is second in points and has won five time this season, finished sixth at Riverside last season in his debut at the track. The native of Clovis, California has 21 Top-10 finishes this season as he chases his first series title. He is tied for the series lead with 18 Top-Five finishes.
Craig Dollansky finished a very solid ninth last season after taking a provisional to start the A-Feature in the 26th position. The former World of Outlaws Gumout Series champion had engine trouble in time trials, which prevented him from taking to the clock. He then came up one spot short of transferring to the A-Feature out of the third heat. The Minnesota native has four wins this season and is third in points, on the strength of 23 Top-10 finishes.
Joey Saldana made his first career start at the ¼-mile last season, driving for NASCAR star Kasey Kahne’s team. He also had to use a provisional after having some trouble in the fourth heat, which put him in the C-Main, which he won to move into the B-Main. The second generation driver won his first A-Feature of the season on June 20 at Dodge City Raceway Park in Kansas. He has four consecutive finishes of third or better as he closes in on the third position in points.
Jac Haudenschild heads to Riverside International Speedway fifth in points, on the strength of 17 Top-10 finishes, with nine of those being in the Top-Five. He has finished seventh or better in each of his last seven races as he closes in on his first win of the season. The native of Wooster, Ohio has 46 career World of Outlaws A-Feature wins and excels on tight tracks like Riverside.
Kerry Madsen made his first start at the ¼-mile last season. The native of St. Mary’s, NSW, Australia who grew up racing on bullrings, finished fourth on Sunday night at Cedar Lake Speedway in Wisconsin after leading a number of laps. He has 15 Top-10 finishes on the season and is seventh in points, as he too closes in on his first win of the 2008 campaign.
Chad Kemenah finished eighth in his debut at Riverside last season, driving his own car. He is in the midst of his first full season behind the wheel of the No. 8K for the Hard 8 Racing team owned by Jon Kantor. The four-time All Star Circuit of Champions title winner has 12 Top-10 finishes this season and is eighth in points.
Shane Stewart, the 2005 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year has two career starts at Riverside in a 360-sprint car, finishing fifth in 2003. The native of Bixby, Oklahoma won earlier this season at the famed Knoxville Raceway in Iowa and has 12 Top-10 finishes, as he is currently ninth in points.
Terry McCarl finished seventh in his debut at the track last season. The six-time Knoxville Raceway and Huset’s Speedway track champion is 10th in points with nine Top-10 finishes this season.
Sam Hafertepe Jr. has two Top-10 finishes in his career at Riverside International Speedway, with both of those coming in a 360-sprint car. The sophomore driver is just outside of the Top-10 in the World of Outlaws championship standings and has racked up nine Top-10 finishes this season.
Kraig Kinser, the 2004 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year with the World of Outlaws, will make his debut on July 5 at Riverside. Driving for Tony Stewart Racing as a teammate to Donny Schatz, he has five Top-10 finishes this season.
Tony Bruce Jr. has three career starts at Riverside International Speedway, earning Top-10 finishes in two of those events. He recently moved into the 15th spot in the World of Outlaws championship standings and has one Top-Five finish this season.
Chad Hillier made his debut at Riverside last season during his rookie campaign with the World of Outlaws. He finished just outside of the Top-15 in the race. He currently is closing in on the Top-15 in the World of Outlaws standings.
Paul McMahan, who recently returned to full-time action with the World of Outlaws behind the wheel of the No. 6 for Lonnie Parsons, will be making his second start at Riverside International Speedway on Saturday, July 5. In just his second start for the team on Sunday at Cedar Lake Speedway in Wisconsin, he earned a Top-10 finish. He finished fourth at Riverside last season in his debut at the track.
Adding some local flavor to the event, current ARCA Re/Max Series point leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will compete behind the wheel of a family-owned J&J. The native of Olive Branch, Mississippi has three career wins at Riverside International Speedway in a 360-sprint car. He will be making his eighth career start with the World of Outlaws.
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