Shane Stewart truly was an “Outlaw” in every sense of the word last season, as he competed from coast-to-coast in a number of different cars and took home the top prize 17 times. That stellar season earned him a spot behind the wheel for the always potent Roth Motorsports team for the 2008 Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series campaign, which begins tomorrow at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida. Stewart began his 2008 season by competing in the famed Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in his home state of Oklahoma last month. In his career during the season opening Alltel DIRTcar Nationals, Stewart has 13 Top-10 finishes, including one with the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series in 2005. He will be teamed with veteran crew chiefs Davey Whitworth and Dean “Bonsai” Bruns this season as they contest the 80-plus race schedule that awaits the series. “We tested before we got to Florida, ” he noted prior to heading to the Sunshine State. “Hopefully when we get down there we will be hitting on all eight cylinders and Davey. Danny Lasoski behind the wheel. With the vast experience that the team has, Stewart is confident they will get up to speed quickly. Stewart looks forward to driving for the team which has had success for well over the last 10 years. Being a veteran of the sport, he knows that the team will face some challenges early in the season as they look to mesh and get on the same page. He views the opportunity to drive for the Roth Motorsports team as a chance to continue to hone his skills as a driver. There is nobody that puts more pressure on me, than myself, ” explained the native of Bixby, Oklahoma. “I know that if I do my job and race hard every night, that the team will be happy with it as well. Dennis knows that we will have some ups and downs. My main concern is getting myself and Davey and Bonsai on the same page. After that, I think everything else will fall into place. “
Stewart is fully prepared for the always demanding World of Outlaws schedule, as he competed over 70 times last season, including on a number of tracks that are on the 2008 schedule. Stewart had a great deal of success on the West Coast in 2007, as he won at six different tracks in the Pacific Northwest and California. Stewart returns to the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series with plenty of momentum in 2008. With his experience at a number of tracks that the series competes on, along with the vast experience of the Roth Motorsports team, Stewart is confident they can meet the goals he has set for the new racing season.
“Dennis Roth’s car has always run up front in points and it’s definitely a goal of mine to be able to run in the Top-Five in points, ” said Stewart. “If we got five or six wins, that would be a great season for me. “
The 30th anniversary Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series season begins on February 8, 2008 with the 37th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park.
Fans unable to attend the spectacular week at Volusia can still catch all the action on the DIRTVision Cybercast. For just $29.99 fans can purchase the ‘Alltel DIRTcar Nationals Racepass’ and watch live streaming video of all 12 nights of racing action.
Up Next: 2008 Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Preview: Lucas Wolfe Some of the tracks new to the series this season that Stewart will visit include: Dacotah Speedway in Mandan, North Dakota, Gillette Thunder Speedway in Gillette, Wyoming and Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, Virginia. “The tracks that are unique are a little bit of a challenge, but most of the tracks are very similar nowadays.It’s all about getting your motor running good and your car working good and with that in place things are usually fine.
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