Danny Lasoski Captures World of Outlaws Sprint Series Cactus Classic

Phoenix — March 3, 2006 — By Chris Dolack, VP Public Relations

Danny Lasoski and Donny Schatz battled side-by-side, exchanging the lead back and forth, before Lasoski powered to the bottom in Turn 1 and weaved through traffic to pick up a victory Friday night in the Cactus Classic at Manzanita Speedway.

With 43 cars going through time trials, Brooke Tatnell started on the pole and led the first five laps at the high-speed, half-mile oval before a caution bunched the leaders. Lasoski and Schatz charged to the lead on the restart before Schatz’s machine suffered some mechanical trouble.

Tatnell, in the Garlic Jim’s Pizza/Castrol Eagle, and Terry McCarl, in the Big Game Treestands Eagle, then gave chase through traffic but Lasoski, in the Dennis Roth Motorsports Eagle, was able to pull away to the checkered flag in front of filled grandstands.

Sammy Swindell in the Volcano Joe’s Coffee/Wirgten Maxim and Randy Hannagan in the Terry Hannagan Racing Maxim rounded out the top five.

Craig Dollansky motored his Karavan Trailers J&J from the back of the grid to an impressive sixth-place run, with Joey Saldana in the Mopar-powered Central Merchant Services/Dodge JEI, Paul McMahan in the Bass Pro Shops Eagle, Daryn Pittman in the Titan Garages & Carports Maxim and Kevin Swindell in the York Excavating Maxim completing the top 10.

Tatnell and Lasoski started side-by-side for the 30-lap main event, with Tatnell quickly jumping out front. A caution with five laps down bunched the field and on the restart, Lasoski and Schatz raced to the front with Tatnell, McCarl and Saldana pulling in behind.

Lasoski stayed on the bottom, Schatz found a line right through the middle and the two went wheel-to-wheel. First Lasoski edged in front, then Schatz darted back to lead Lap 9. Lasoski swiped the lead back on Lap 10 before Schatz’s ParkerStore J&J slowed in Turn 4, giving Tatnell and McCarl a chance to take a run at Lasoski.

“The racetrack for me went from the top in the first part to the middle to the bottom,” said Lasoski, the 2001 World of Outlaws champion who reunited with car owner Dennis Roth this season. “Schatz got by me and showed me there was a little bit quicker way. I passed him back and didn’t see him, he must have had trouble, then we got into lapped cars at the end.”

While Schatz’s crew quickly fixed the problem, he was forced to restart from the rear as Dollansky had done earlier in the feature. With the rest of the event running under the green flag, Dollansky picked off car after car as he mounted a charge toward the leaders. Schatz did the same, but ran out of laps and had to settle for a 13th-place finish.

Three-time World of Outlaws champion Sammy Swindell, who started third, held his ground for much of the event and wound up with a fourth-place run as Hannagan earned his first top-five this season.

Saldana, the World of Outlaws top rookie in 1996 and a winner on Feb. 10 at Volusia Speedway Park, put his Kasey Kahne-owned car into the championship lead for the first time this season. Saldana leads McCarl by 25 points heading into Saturday night’s race at United Sports Arizona Race Park in Tucson.

Afterward, Tatnell was satisfied with his run, but still was disappointed for allowing Schatz and Lasoski a chance to sneak past him on the restart with five laps complete.

“I made a mistake,” said Tatnell, a native of San Souci, NSW, Australia, who captured the Australia Sprintcar Championship and the World Series Sprintcars titles during the winter in his native country. “I hit a hole on the restart and got a little bit loose and it gave Donny and Danny a run. My dad once said to me, you have to be slow in to be fast out. Tonight I was too slow in and too slow out, but we got back behind Danny and in clear traffic we ran him down a bit after he gapped us. I thought we were going to get him back but he got to a lapped car and changed his line to pass and found the line I was running and he pulled away.

“All in all, it’s a pleasing result. You’re never satisfied with second. It hurts a lot more in pride and ego and the bank account, but it’s a lot better than what we had at the start of the year.”

McCarl’s third-place finish has him now sitting second in the championship standings, only 25 points behind Saldana.

“I was really bad at the beginning and I made a lot of cockpit adjustments, I was dialing knobs everywhere,” said McCarl, a native of Altoona, Iowa, and a six-time Knoxville Raceway champion. “I had the wing back and forth and everywhere. I went with a little harder than most guys. Once I got some heat in that we really started coming on strong at the end.

“This was actually pretty racy. It was great to see a great a turnout of cars and fans. To me it was a great night of racing.”

But it was Lasoski who had enough horsepower to build a lead, and enough balance to work through traffic on the big half-mile oval.

“I’m very proud of this whole Roth Motorsports team,” Lasoski said. “Dennis took me back and we built this team from scratch, virtually, so I’m very happy about that. With Kistler engines and everybody doing their job, we’re happy to be here.”

The World of Outlaws Sprint Series invades The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for a the Las Vegas World of Outlaws Nationals, two single-day events on back-to-back nights March 9-10 in conjunction with the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series weekend. The Mean 15 racers will sign autographs at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, March 10, in the midway near the LVMS 1.5-mile oval. After leaving Las Vegas, the Outlaws will roll March 31 into Batesville Speedway in Batesville, Ark., and April 1 into I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., just south of St. Louis.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Series is brought to the fans across the country by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Hoosier Racing Tire and The Outdoor Channel. Promotional Partners include AMB i.t., Choice Hotels and The University of Northwestern Ohio. Contingency sponsors include DART Machinery, MSD Ignitions, and Wrisco Industries.

CACTUS CLASSIC NOTEBOOK
• FAST QUALIFIER: Brooke Tatnell paced the 43 cars that went through time trials in the Garlic Jim’s Pizza/Castrol/Steel Dreams Eagle with an AMB i.t.-timed lap around the half-mile oval in 15.573 seconds at 114.833 mph. Mean 15 racer Jac Haudenschild owns the track record for an Outlaws event after posting a 15.340-second lap on Jan. 30, 1997. By being the fastest qualifier, Tatnell earned five bonus points in the championship standings. Danny Lasoski, Sammy Swindell, Terry McCarl and Justin Henderson also earned points for being in the top five in time trials.

“These bonus points are going to make it more interesting,” Tatnell said. “It throws a bit of mixture in it. It’s more of an incentive for a guy to really try to pull out that little extra. It used to be that if you were sixth or seventh, you were in the sweet spot. Now the sweet spot is the pole.”

• VICTORY PARADE: Danny Lasoski’s victory Friday night was his first World of Outlaws feature victory of the 2006 season. He joins Chad Kemenah and Joey Saldana as the three winners this season on the World of Outlaws Sprint Series tour.

• HALF-MILE WINNERS: Manzanita Speedway is a big half-mile oval. The World of Outlaws Sprint Series has raced three times this season on half-mile ovals. Winners include Chad Kemenah (Volusia), Joey Saldana (Volusia) and Danny Lasoski (Manzanita).

• QUALIFYING EVENTS: Brooke Tatnell earned his first pole of the season by dominating the first dash. Danny Lasoski fought off Terry McCarl in the second dash to earn a spot on the front row. … Heat race winners included Rob Chaney, who is driving for injured Mean 15 racer Jason Martin; Greg Wilson, who will team up with Super Bowl-winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for a promotion at next week’s Las Vegas World of Outlaws Nationals; Donny Schatz, who spent Wednesday flying with the Blue Angels; and Kaley Gharst, who is 12th in the Outlaws championship standings. … Jeremy Campnell, Becca Anderson, Toni Lutar and Shawn Sander transferred to the feature from the B-main. … Josh Grady and Robert Gomez transferred from the C-main to the B-main.

• SOARING SCHATZ: On Wednesday, Mean 15 racer Donny Schatz went for the ride of his life in a U.S. Navy Blue Angels F/A-18B Hornet with pilot Lt. Kevin Davis. After putting both feet back on the ground at the Naval Air Facility in El Centro, Calif., Schatz said, “It was a great honor to be a part of it and I’m glad I got to experience it because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.” Highlights of his ride will air on The Outdoor Channel during coverage of the Cactus Classic at 8 p.m. Eastern on March 8.

• ON TELEVISION: The Outdoor Channel will air at 8 p.m. (ET) on March 8 all the action from the World of Outlaws Cactus Classic at Manzanita Speedway, as well as the coverage from Donny Schatz’s ride with the Blue Angels. On March 15, The Outdoor Channel will air the event from USA Race Park in Tucson. The first show from the Las Vegas World of Outlaws Nationals will air on March 22 followed March 29 by the second event. The Outdoor Channel is available nationwide through the DISH Network (Channel 153) and DIRECTV (Channel 606).

• ON THE WEB: The Official World of Outlaws Sprint Series Web site is at http://www.dirtmotorsports.com/sprint. Among the features are updated driver biographies with individual statistics and pictures, race-by-race statistics, detailed track information and race coverage, series news and team press releases. Also, links to the Media Guide and 2006 Official Rulebook can be found at the bottom of the home page.

• UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Sprint Series invades The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for a the Las Vegas World of Outlaws Nationals, two single-day events on back-to-back nights March 9-10 in conjunction with the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series weekend. The Mean 15 racers will sign autographs at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, March 10, in the midway near the LVMS 1.5-mile oval.

• LISTEN ONLINE: If fans can’t get to a track to see the series, they can experience the excitement of the World of Outlaws Sprint Series live on Dirtvision.com through the DIRT Radio Network. To listen to the audio broadcasts, log on to www.dirtvision.com and click on the DIRT Radio Network logo. Listeners will need Windows Media Player 9 or higher to listen to the DIRT Radio Network. For technical support or questions, e-mail webmaster@dirtvision.com.

• SPONSOR SUPPORT: The World of Outlaws Sprint Series is brought to the fans across the country by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Hoosier Racing Tire and The Outdoor Channel. Promotional Partners include AMB i.t., Choice Hotels and The University of Northwestern Ohio. Contingency sponsors include DART Machinery, MSD Ignitions and Wrisco Industries.

World of Outlaws Sprint Series Statistical Report; Cactus Classic, Manzanita Speedway; Phoenix; March 3, 2006
Qualifying
1) Brooke Tatnell, Rush Racing 8, 15.573
2) Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 15.687
3) Sammy Swindell, Forbrook 5, 15.723
4) Terry McCarl, McCarl 24, 15.742
5) Justin Henderson, Oswalt D1, 15.745
6) Craig Dollansky, Karavan 7, 15.756
7) Johnny Herrera, Herrera 45X, 15.757
8) Chad Kemenah, Kemenah 15K, 15.759
9) Randy Hannagan, TH Racing 1X, 15.777
10) Joey Saldana, Kahne 9, 15.781
11) Brian Carlson, SC Motorsports 18, 15.782
12) Paul McMahan, Stewart 20, 15.783
13) Barry Ruble, Ruble 63, 15.801
14) Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 15.843
15) Dion Hindi, Hindi 11D, 15.928
16) Daryn Pittman, Titan Racing USA 21, 15.961
17) Jeremy Campbell, Campbell 10C, 15.975
18) Becca Anderson, Woodring 19, 15.986
19) Kevin Swindell, Swindell 1, 16.009
20) Jac Haudenschild, Wright 35, 16.123
21) Kaley Gharst, Gharst 44G, 16.147
22) Toni Lutar, Lutar 4X, 16.179
23) Greg Wilson, Warnimont 20W, 16.273
24) Rob Chaney, Martin 36, 16.279
25) Bill Rose, Rose 6, 16.295
26) Shawn Sander, Sander 48, 16.325
27) Brian O’Donnell, O’Donnell 5M, 16.397
28) Tim St. Arnold, Williams 7W, 16.404
29) Brandon Johnson, Johnson 14J, 16.416
30) Rich Bubak, Bubak 9X, 16.519
31) Ben Gregg, Gregg 22B, 16.897
32) Bud Goodwin, Goodwin 15X, 17.052
33) Nathan High, Karsten 91, 17.370
34) Chuck Buckman, Karsten 61, 17.569
35) Kaylene Verville, Verville 01, 17.627
36) Jesse Baker, Baker 22, 17.716
37) Robert Gomez, Gomez 54G, 18.183
38) Steve Stone, Top Marketing 57, 18.320
39) Zane Devilbiss, Devilbiss 42, 18.554
40) Jesse Stone, Top Marketing 76, 18.618
41) Buddy Earle, Earle 95, 19.317
42) Paul Whitehead, Whitehead 21X, 21.131
43) Josh Grady, Grady 12, No time

First Heat Race (8 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) Rob Chaney
2) Randy Hannagan
3) Bill Rose
4) Brooke Tatnell
5) Daryn Pittman
6) Jeremy Campbell
7) Brandon Johnson
8) Robert Gomez
9) Chad Kemenah
10) Nathan High
11) Buddy Earle

Second Heat Race (8 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) Greg Wilson
2) Joey Saldana
3) Danny Lasoski
4) Johnny Herrera
5) Dion Hindi
6) Chuck Buckman
7) Shawn Sander
8) Rich Bubak
9) Paul Whitehead
10) Becca Anderson
11) Steve Stone

Third Heat Race (8 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) Donny Schatz
2) Kevin Swindell
3) Sammy Swindell
4) Craig Dollansky
5) Brian Carlson
6) Toni Lutar
7) Ben Gregg
8) Brian O’Donnell
9) Kaylene Verville
10) Josh Grady
11) Zane Devilbiss

Fourth Heat Race (8 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) Kaley Gharst
2) Jac Haudenschild
3) Terry McCarl
4) Paul McMahan
5) Justin Henderson
6) Tim St. Arnold
7) Bud Goodwin
8) Barry Ruble
9) Jesse Baker
10) Jesse Stone

C-main (10 laps, top 2 finishers transferred to B-main)
1) Josh Grady
2) Robert Gomez
3) Zane Devilbiss [$125]
4) Jesse Stone [$100]
5) Paul Whitehead [$100]
6) Buddy Earle [$100]
7) Steve Stone [$100]

First Dash (6 laps, finishing order determined inside first 6 rows of A-feature)
1) Brooke Tatnell
2) Sammy Swindell
3) Joey Saldana
4) Johnny Herrera
5) Paul McMahan
6) Justin Henderson (DNS)

Second Dash (6 laps, finishing order determined outside first 6 rows of A-feature)
1) Danny Lasoski
2) Terry McCarl
3) Randy Hannagan
4) Craig Dollansky
5) Donny Schatz
6) Brian Carlson

B-main (12 laps, top 4 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) Jeremy Campbell
2) Becca Anderson
3) Toni Lutar
4) Shawn Sander
5) Chad Kemenah [$200]
6) Brian O’Donnell [$180]
7) Rich Bubak [$175]
8) Tim St. Arnold [$160]
9) Brandon Johnson [$150]
10) Ben Gregg [$150]
11) Barry Ruble [$150]
12) Kaylene Verville [$150]
13) Chuck Buckman [$150]
14) Josh Grady [$150]
15) Nathan High [$150]
16) Robert Gomez [$150]
17) Jesse Baker [$150]
18) Bud Goodwin [$150]

A-main (30 laps)
1) Danny Lasoski [$10,000]
2) Brooke Tatnell [$5,500]
3) Terry McCarl [$3,200]
4) Sammy Swindell [$2,800]
5) Randy Hannagan [$2,500]
6) Craig Dollansky [$2,300]
7) Joey Saldana [$2,200]
8) Paul McMahan [$2,100]
9) Daryn Pittman [$2,050]
10) Kevin Swindell [$2,000]
11) Johnny Herrera [$1,500]
12) Justin Henderson [$1,200]
13) Donny Schatz [$1,100]
14) Jac Haudenschild [$1,050]
15) Greg Wilson [$1,000]
16) Jeremy Campbell [$900]
17) Brian Carlson [$800]
18) Rob Chaney [$800]
19) Dion Hindi [$800]
20) Kaley Gharst [$800]
21) Becca Anderson [$800]
22) Toni Lutar [$800]
23) Shawn Sander [$800]
24) Bill Rose [$800]
Lap leaders: Brooke Tatnell 1-5, Danny Lasoski 6-8, 10-30, Donny Schatz 9

World of Outlaws Sprint Series Championship Standings, through March 3, 2006
Rk. / Driver / Driver Points / Team Points / $ / Back / Wins / Top 5 / Top 10
1 / Joey Saldana / 430 / 430 / $15,400 / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3
2 / Terry McCarl / 405 / 405 / $6,600 / -25 / 0 / 2 / 2
3 / Daryn Pittman / 404 / 404 / $6,850 / -26 / 0 / 1 / 3
4 / Brooke Tatnell / 399 / 399 / $8,600 / -31 / 0 / 1 / 2
5 / Donny Schatz / 397 / 397 / $7,650 / -33 / 0 / 1 / 1
6 / Greg Wilson / 389 / 389 / $5,200 / -41 / 0 / 0 / 2
7 / Jac Haudenschild / 388 / 388 / $7,350 / -42 / 0 / 1 / 1
8 / Craig Dollansky / 385 / 385 / $5,200 / -45 / 0 / 0 / 2
9 / Jeremy Campbell / 380 / 380 / $4,300 / -50 / 0 / 0 / 1
10 / Justin Henderson / 373 / 373 / $3,600 / -57 / 0 / 0 / 0
11 / Chad Kemenah / 370 / 370 / $12,250 / -60 / 1 / 1 / 2
12 / Kaley Gharst / 341 / 341 / $3,100 / -89 / 0 / 0 / 0
13 / Bill Rose / 330 / 330 / $2,400 / -100 / 0 / 0 / 0
14 / Randy Hannagan / 325 / 325 / $3,460 / -105 / 0 / 1 / 1
15 / Fred Rahmer / 266 / 266 / $4,250 / -164 / 0 / 1 / 1
16 / Brian Carlson / 266 / 266 / $1,100 / -164 / 0 / 0 / 0
17 / Chad Layton / 264 / 264 / $3,800 / -166 / 0 / 1 / 1
18 / Dion Hindi / 262 / 262 / $1,125 / -168 / 0 / 0 / 0
19 / Jeff Shepard / 258 / 258 / $3,300 / -172 / 0 / 0 / 1
20 / Becca Anderson / 258 / 258 / $1,160 / -172 / 0 / 0 / 0
STANDINGS NOTE: This season, the top five cars and drivers in time trials are awarded points, with the fastest team earning five points descending to one point for the fifth-fastest team. ... The driver who leads the most laps in the feature earns a four-point bonus.