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Feese Wins Rain-Shortened Outlaw Showdown at Lowe’s By Richard Day CONCORD, NC (May 24) – Blake Feese was hoping to impress some O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series car owners in Saturday’s Fourth Annual Outlaw Showdown at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway. "Charlotte is really a great place to race and hopefully we have a good showing," he said earlier in the week. "There are a lot of people down here that might be looking for a future driver and just doing well may get their attention." The young driver from Saybrook, IL, got everybody’s attention Saturday as he claimed the first “A” Feature victory of his O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series career.
Feese started on the pole and was leading the main event during the 23rd lap when thunderstorms hit Concord’s 4/10-mile oval. Officials threw the checkered flag, making Feese the 12th different driver to win a main event during the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series 25th Anniversary Season. Feese raced ahead of Jason Meyers despite the nose wing collapsing on Scott Richart’s #3F Maxim with two laps remaining.
“I just looked at the nose wing … no wonder the car felt lousy the last couple of laps,” Feese yelled to the largest crowd ever at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “I’m glad it rained now. We were under caution, and I thought about trying to mess with the shocks a little bit because the car was really bad, but now I know why. “This is such an awesome feeling. Pevely (I-55 Raceway) last year was a heartbreaker. We started up front and then tore up a car a couple of laps into it. When you race against these guys, you race against the best. Some of these guys have almost 30 years of experience, but to come down here and win just means so much. I’m going to start driving Guy Forbrook’s car next week, so I’ll be running with these guys a lot more often.”
Feese, the eighth-fastest qualifier in the 30-car field, won the First Dash Race for the right to start the scheduled 25-lap “A” Feature inside the front row. He burst into the lead as the green flag fell and was 15 car-lengths ahead of Meyers when he entered lapped traffic four laps into the main event. Jeremy Campbell took the leaders out of lapped traffic two laps later when he stopped in the second corner with mechanical problems.
O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series points leader Danny Lasoski passed Tyler Walker for fifth place deep in turn three within a lap after the race resumed. Walker, who came within 2 2/3 laps of sweeping the Outlaw Championship event at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway last October, lost four more positions a split-second later when the #35 C&W Motorsports Maxim jumped the cushion.
After Kraig Kinser stopped on the back straightaway midway through lap 10, “The Dude” used a similar move to pass Joey Saldana for fourth place. Danny Wood, driving the #115 Parker Stores J&J owned by Donny Schatz Motorsports, spun in turn four the next time around. Feese controlled the ensuing restart and opened a 10-car-length advantage by the time he caught the back-markers four laps later. Former Kevin Gobrecht Rookies of the Year Johnny Herrera (1986) and Stevie Smith (1990) collided and hit the retaining wall in the first corner early in lap 17.
Brian Ellenburger spun through the infield to avoid the crash and Walker surrendered 11th place when he coasted into the pit area during the caution period. Schatz, who started inside the ninth row, passed Paul McMahan and last year’s Outlaw Championship winner, Daryn Pittman, within a lap after the green flag replaced the yellow. Schatz continued his run toward the front during the 21st lap, passing Steve Kinser for eighth place in the low groove between turns one and two. Adam Clarke brought out the final caution flag early in the 23rd lap when he stopped in the first corner with a flat right rear tire.
Rain started falling during the caution period, making the track unsafe for racing, prompting officials to throw the checkered flag. Jason Sides drove the #7S Aramark Uniform Service Maxim into third place for the second time this season. Lasoski finished fourth, ahead of Saldana, Sammy Swindell, Tim Shaffer, Schatz, Kinser and McMahan. Swindell and Schatz, each driving J&J Chassis, combined to pass 15 cars. Mark Kinser won the “B” Feature, then drove father Karl’s #5M Sabko Maxim into 12th place from outside the ninth row. Brian Paulus raced past seven cars to finish 14th.
The O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series will run $51,600 events at Lebanon Valley Speedway Monday, Rolling Wheels Raceway Wednesday, Sharon Speedway Friday and Eldora Speedway Saturday. WoO
2003 O’Reilly World of Outlaws Fourth Annual Outlaw Showdown The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Concord, NC Saturday, May 24, Feature Program #23
Qualifying: 1. Danny Lasoski, Stewart 20, 12.269; 2. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 12.314; 3. Kraig Kinser, Kinser 11K, 12.404; 4. Daryn Pittman, Sher-Don Motorsports 21, 12.449; 5. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 12.460; 6. Joey Saldana, Saldana 17, 12.507; 7. Jason Meyers, Karavan Motorsports 7, 12.545; 8. Blake Feese, Ritchart 3F, 12.549; 9. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 12.603; 10. Jason Sides, Sides Motorsports 7S, 12.616; 11. Paul McMahan, Helm 11H, 12.619; 12. Curt Michael, LRJ Racing 55, 12.630; 13. Johnny Herrera, Wilburn 2W, 12.638; 14. Tyler Walker, C&W Motorsports 35, 12.657; 15. Tim Shaffer, Roth 83, 12.696; 16. Sammy Swindell, Roth 1, 12.710; 17. Randy Hannagan, TH Racing 1X, 12.780; 18. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 12.795; 19. Danny Wood, Schatz 115, 12.797; 20. Adam Clarke, Graham 14, 12.805; 21. Brian Paulus, P and P Motorsports 28, 12.814; 22. Jeremy Campbell, Campbell 10C, 12.822; 23. Billy Wilburn, Wilburn 2, 12.859; 24. Kasey Kahne, Kahne 23K, 12.994; 25. Bob Bennett, Acme Trailers 3, 13.042; 26. Brian Ellenberger, Ellenberger 20E, 13.046; 27. Mike Hudson, Hudson 1H, 13.274; 28. Brian Carlson, Carlson 18, 13.353; 29. Johnny Bridges, Cox 07, no time; 30. Paul Rolo, McCall 8, no time.
First Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Johnny Herrera, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. Jason Meyers, 4. Curt Michael, 5. Joey Saldana, 6. Danny Lasoski, 7. Jeremy Campbell, 8. Danny Wood, 9. Bob Bennett, 10. Brian Carlson. (first six qualified for the “A” Feature)
Second Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Tyler Walker, 2. Randy Hannagan, 3. Paul McMahan, 4. Blake Feese, 5. Steve Kinser, 6. Adam Clarke, 7. Brian Ellenberger, 8. Billy Wilburn, 9. Donny Schatz. (first six qualified for the “A” Feature)
Third Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Tim Shaffer, 3. Jason Sides, 4. Kraig Kinser, 5. Daryn Pittman, 6. Brian Paulus, 7. Mike Hudson, 8. Mark Kinser, 9. Kasey Kahne. (first six qualified for the “A” Feature)
First Dash Race (five laps): 1. Blake Feese, 2. Jason Meyers, 3. Danny Lasoski, 4. Kraig Kinser, 5. Johnny Herrera, 6. Tim Shaffer, 7. Paul McMahan, 8. Randy Hannagan. (finish determined the inside starting positions in the first eight rows in the “A” Feature lineup)
Second Dash Dash (five laps): 1. Jason Meyers, 2. Jason Sides, 3. Tyler Walker, 4. Daryn Pittman, 5. Steve Kinser, 6. Sammy Swindell, 7. Curt Michael, 8. Stevie Smith. (finish determined the outside starting positions in the first eight rows in the “A” Feature lineup)
B Feature (10 laps): 1. Mark Kinser, 2. Donny Schatz, 3. Jeremy Campbell, 4. Danny Wood, 5. Brian Ellenberger, 6. Billy Wilburn, 7. Bob Bennett ($200); 8. Brian Carlson ($180); 9. Mike Hudson ($150). (first six qualified for the “A” Feature)
A Feature (22 laps): 1. Blake Feese [1] ($10,000); 2. Jason Meyers [2] ($5,500); 3. Jason Sides [4] ($3,200); 4. Danny Lasoski [5] ($2,800); 5. Joey Saldana [3] ($2,500); 6. Sammy Swindell [12] ($2,300); 7. Tim Shaffer [11] ($2,200); 8. Donny Schatz [17] ($2,120); 9. Steve Kinser [10] ($2,050); 10. Paul McMahan [13] ($2,000); 11. Daryn Pittman [8] ($1,500); 12. Mark Kinser [18] ($1,220); 13. Randy Hannagan [15] ($1,100); 14. Brian Paulus [21] ($1,050); 15. Danny Wood [19] ($1,020); 16. Curt Michael [14] ($900); 17. Johnny Herrera [9] ($800); 18. Billy Wilburn [23] ($820); 19. Brian Ellenberger [24] ($820); 20. Adam Clarke [20] ($800); 21. Tyler Walker [6] ($800); 22. Stevie Smith [16] ($800); 23. Kraig Kinser [7] ($800); 24. Jeremy Campbell [22] ($820).
Lap leader: Blake Feese 1-22
