Schatz, Kinser Finish Second and Third in Final Standings

(Nov. 8, 2010) - The 2010 World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series season came to a close this weekend in Concord, N.C. Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz took the checkered flag on Saturday night in the Lowes Foods World of Outlaws World Finals Presented By Bimbo Bakeries and Tom’s Snacks in the 68th and final A-Feature event of the season. The TSR teammates made one last run at the 2010 championship, but Jason Meyers swept both 25-lap A-Features to capture his first WoO title. Schatz, a four-time WoO champion, and Kinser, a 20-time WoO titlist, finished the season in second and third position, respectively, in the season championship race.

Mother Nature forced the final two main events of the season to be run within hours of one another. When Friday’s program was pushed back because of rain, the TSR tandem hit the track on Saturday morning to conclude the opening-night festivities. Kinser drove the TSR No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Maxim to a fourth-place finish in the opening heat. Schatz finished second in heat three behind the wheel of the TSR No. 15 Armor All/STP/ParkerStore/J&J. That result earned him a slot in the dash, where he finished eighth after being involved in lap-one accident with Craig Dollansky. The action involving all three classes of cars (WoO Sprints, WoO Late Models and Super DIRT Series Modifieds) during the day took its toll on the racing surface. Race officials became concerned with the abrasiveness. Ultimately, they decided to rework the track and begin Saturday night’s card with Friday’s 25-lap A-Feature. Schatz raced from eighth to fourth, while Kinser charged from 12th to seventh.

Within minutes of finishing the feature, Schatz was forced to get right back on the track. By pacing the field in qualifying for Saturday’s program, he competed in the opening heat less than 10 minutes after the checkered flag waved on the season’s 67th A-Feature. The Fargo, N.D., racer advanced two positions in the heat to earn a dash position. Kinser, who timed in third, finished second in heat three and joined Schatz in the third row of the six-lap dash. Kinser raced to fifth, while Schatz crossed the finish line in ninth. In the final A-Feature of 2010, Schatz was able to climb to seventh, while Kinser dropped to 13th in the 25-lap race.

The finishes solidified the TSR duo's position in the final rundown for 2010. Schatz finished second in the standings for his eight consecutive finish inside the top-five. He won five races, scored the second-most top-fives with 37 and earned 54 top-10s. Kinser finished third, the 27th time in his WoO career he has finished in the top-three. He won nine times this season to build his career total to 561. He led the series with 38 top-fives and 57 top-10s.

Both Kinser and Schatz will compete in a number of unsanctioned Sprint car races between now and the 2011 WoO season opener. The TSR teammates are set to begin their quest for the 2011 title on Feb. 11 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.

Schatz Leads Early Before Finishing Fourth; Kinser Races to 10th

HAUBSTADT, Ind. (October 16, 2010) - Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Donny Schatz and Steve Kinser made their final Midwest appearance of the 2010 World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series campaign at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind., on Saturday night. Schatz led the two-car TSR team by finishing fourth aboard the TSR No. 15 Armor All/STP/ParkerStore/J&J in the 66th race of the season.

Kinser, driver of the TSR No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Maxim, was looking to make it two consecutive WoO wins a week after his 561st career WoO triumph in the New Yorker 25, but the 20-time champion finished 10th.

Before a standing-room-only crowd at the high-banked quarter-mile dirt oval, Kinser began his night by qualifying seventh in the field of 33 cars. His third-place finish in the third heat earned the Bloomington, Ind., native a starting position in the 40-lap A-Feature. Kinser, a 22-time winner at Tri-State, started 12th and worked his way inside the top-10 during the early portion of the race. He climbed to eighth midway through the race and, while trying to advance further, was caught up in an accident. The Bass Pro Shops crew was able to get Kinser back onto the track following the incident and he raced his way back to 10th at the finish.

Schatz was the 32nd of 33 cars to hit the track during qualifications. The four-time and reigning WoO champion turned the eighth-fastest lap and started third in heat four. In the heat, Schatz raced his way to second and earned a coveted spot in the dash. The inversion for the six-lap dash turned out to be six cars, putting Schatz on the pole. He finished second in the dash and started the 40-lap A-Feature on the outside of row one. The Fargo, N.D., native quickly took advantage of the draw and raced his way into the lead. Schatz maneuvered through traffic early and held the top spot for the first 21 laps before eventual winner Craig Dollansky took the lead. Schatz then battled the Kasey Kahne Racing contingent of Joey Saldana and Paul McMahan for second and third. Ultimately, Schatz would come home fourth to earn his ninth top-10 finish in 12 career starts at the track.

The results from Tri-State shuffled the 2010 championship standings. Jason Meyers still leads, but Schatz moved ahead of Kinser with only two races remaining. Schatz ranks second, 96 points behind Meyers, while Kinser is third, 100 markers back. The 2010 season will conclude on Nov. 5-6 with the two-night World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C.

Kinser Claims Ninth Win of 2010; Schatz Second Again

October 11, 2010 -- The World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series has one of the most demanding schedules in motorsports, competing more than 70 times in a given season. With the volume of races, there are stops along the annual journey where drivers feel a little more confident. This past weekend, Tony Stewart Racing's (TSR) Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz felt good about their chances heading into the New Yorker 25 held at Rolling Wheels Raceway in Elbridge, N.Y. Prior success at any given venue doesn’t always translate into future good fortune but, on Saturday evening, the trend of success at the 5/8-mile dirt oval in central New York continued as Kinser raced to his 11th career win at the track and Schatz followed him home in second.

Kinser, driver of the TSR No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Maxim, entered Saturday’s program with 27 previous appearances at Rolling Wheels. He had finished in the top-five 20 times and never finished outside of the top-10. The Bloomington, Ind., native began the night by turning the 11th-fastest qualifying lap and then finished second in the third heat to earn a position the six-lap dash. The 20-time WoO champion made the most of the dash as he advanced four positions to earn an outside-second-row starting position for the 25-lap New Yorker 25 main event. When the green flag dropped in the A-Feature, Kinser’s son, Kraig, paced the field with Jason Meyers running second and Steve in third. On lap nine, Kinser pulled past Meyers and began working on his son for the lead. The battle for the lead lasted eight laps until Kinser used a low run through turns one and two to grab the top spot. “The King of the Outlaws” raced away from the pack during the final six laps to earn his ninth WoO A-Feature triumph of 2010 and the 561st of his career.

“We’ve always seemed to run well here and it’s a place that suits my driving style and our race cars,” said Kinser following the victory. “We’ve been running well everywhere and just had a terrible three weeks and ran into too many things. That’s the way it goes. We’ve had a good enough race car to win the points this year and I gave it away.”

Schatz was making his 14th appearance at Rolling Wheels on Saturday and the driver of the TSR No. 15 Armor All/STP/ParkerStore/J&J was looking for his third victory at the track. He began the program by earning the fast qualifier award, circling the track in 16.037 seconds (140.301 mph). A third-place finish in the first heat transferred the four-time and reigning WoO champion into the dash. After finishing sixth in the dash, Schatz started the feature in sixth. The Fargo, N.D., racer quickly worked his way into the top-five and midway through race was battling Meyers for third. After taking third, he was able to catch Kraig Kinser and began chasing his TSR teammate for the lead. Lap times showed Schatz had the fastest car late in the race, but he wasn’t able to track down Kinser during the final five laps. The second-place finish was his fourth career runner-up at Rolling Wheels.

“We had a pretty good night,” said Schatz. “We were able to get some cars in traffic but needed to be a lot better early in the race. Late in the race, the car really started coming in, but we just couldn’t catch Steve. It was a good night for TSR. We’re working hard to get ourselves some wins in these final races of the year.”

The one-two finish at Rolling Wheels kept both TSR drivers alive for the 2010 WoO championship. Meyers finished third and was able to maintain a comfortable lead with only three races remaining. His lead over Kinser is 98, and Schatz trails by 106. Kinser, Schatz and the rest of the Outlaws return to action on Saturday at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind.

Crashes Crush Championship Hopes for Kinser, Schatz

October 3, 2010 - The World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series’ return to central Pennsylvania over the weekend for the prestigious Morgan Hughes National Open was viewed as a perfect opportunity to close the gap in the 2010 championship chase by Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz. They entered the doubleheader at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., hoping to chop points off the lead Jason Meyers had built with only six races remaining. Each was also looking to make history by winning a fifth National Open title. Unfortunately, neither was able to put together the kind of weekend he had hoped. Schatz scored a pair of 11th-place finishes, while Kinser raced to 13th on Friday and crashed out of Saturday night’s National Open finale. Those results, combined with consistent finishes by Meyers, pushed the title hopes for both TSR teams to the brink.

The weekend started on a good note for both Kinser and Schatz. Fifty-six cars entered the opening-night program on Friday and both TSR cars qualified inside the top-12. Kinser qualified the TSR No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/JD Byrider Maxim 12th overall and looked solid early in the second heat. Midway through the eight-lap race Kinser was battling Chad Kemenah for the lead entering turn three. Kinser’s machine became loose and spun up the track into the guardrail. While he was sitting there, another competitor crashed into Kinser. The damage was too severe for Kinser to continue, forcing the Bass Pro Shops team to go the backup car for the main event. In the 25-lap A-Feature, Kinser patiently worked his way forward from his 25th starting spot, passing 12 cars to finish 13th.

Schatz turned the eighth fastest lap during qualifying in Friday’s program. He drove the TSR No. 15 Armor All/STP/ParkerStore/J&J to a convincing victory in the third heat before finishing third in the six-lap dash. On the initial start of the A-Feature, Schatz got a tremendous run coming to the green flag and raced his way into second. The start was called back because another competitor illegally jumped. The second start for the four-time and reigning WoO champion was a disaster. This time, coming out of turn four, his right-rear tire was contacted by another car, which sent him spinning down the frontstretch. It set off a nine-car melee and resulted in a lot of damage to the Armor All machine. Schatz restarted at the rear of the field following extensive repairs and methodically raced his way back to finish 11th.

Following a tough opening night, both Kinser and Schatz were hoping things would go better in Saturday’s program. Early qualifying numbers usually are better at Williams Grove, but on Saturday night, having a later draw was advantageous. Schatz and Kinser went out early and ended up timing in 36th and 38th, respectively, in the 54-car field. Schatz nearly recovered in the first heat, when he raced from eighth to second. He couldn’t hold that spot, however, which would have earned him a spot in the dash and guaranteed him a top-12 starting position in the 40-lap National Open A-Feature. By finishing third, he was relegated to starting 23rd. Kinser was able to move from eighth to fourth in the third heat to earn a position in the A-Feature, joining Schatz in the 12th row.

When the A-Feature began, Kinser got a tremendous start and, within five laps, had raced into the top-15. Schatz wasn’t as fortunate, but he did climb to 17th by lap 10. On lap 11, Kinser was battling Tyler Walker for position. As the duo reached turn three, they made contact and ended up spinning into the wall. The damage, again, was too severe for Kinser to continue, and he was credited with a 28th-place finish. Schatz moved from 17th to 15th following the restart and continued passing cars until lap 26, when the race was halted for another accident. During the final 14 laps, Schatz tried everything he could to crack the top-10, but ended the race in 11th.

Following the National Open weekend, the Outlaws only have four races remaining. Meyers extended his lead over Kinser from 50 points to 102. Schatz ranks third, 111 behind the leader. The TSR drivers return to action on Saturday at Rolling Wheels Raceway in Elbridge, N.Y.

Schatz Dominates Commonwealth Clash; Kinser Moves to Second in Standings

September 27, 2010 - The World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series made a pair of stops at signature dirt tracks this past weekend as the season continues to wind down. The Outlaws opened the annual Four-Crown weekend festivities at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, on Friday night and staged the annual Commonwealth Clash on Saturday at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz continued their pursuit of the 2010 title at Eldora and Lernerville. Schatz was victorious at Lernerville and finished seventh at Eldora, while Kinser came home sixth at Eldora and 13th at Lernerville.

Schatz kicked off the weekend by qualifying 12th in the field of 35 cars. He raced the TSR No. 15 Armor All/STP/ParkerStore/J&J to victory in the fourth heat before finishing eighth in the six-lap dash. During the 30-lap A-Feature, the four-time WoO champion spent a number of laps trying to work his way into the top-five. During a restart on lap 18, he was challenged by his TSR teammate Kinser for sixth. Kinser would gain the spot, but Schatz stayed on Kinser’s bumper around the half-mile dirt oval. In the end, he could not regain the position and was scored seventh at the finish.

Kinser returned to Eldora looking to repeat his July triumph in the Kings Royal behind the wheel of the TSR No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/JD Byrider Maxim. Unfortunately, the night didn’t get off to the type of start he was hoping for. He qualified 23rd in the field, but quickly made up for that by racing from sixth to win the third heat. The victory earned him a dash berth and guaranteed a top-10 starting spot in the A-Feature instead of a spot deeper in the field. He began the 30-lap race from ninth and worked several lines on the track trying to find places to pass. With a majority of the drivers using the momentum of the high groove, it was tough to gain positions. Kinser worked his way to sixth to earn his series-leading 54th top-10 of 2010.

Veteran Sammy Swindell led most of the way before dueling late in the race with Hall of Famer Jac Haudenschild. With six laps remaining, Haudenschild executed a perfect “Eldora Slide Job” to take the lead and went on to claim the victory.

On Saturday night, the traveling Outlaws made their return to Lernerville. The famous red clay surface always provides a great surface for racing Sprint cars around the 4/10-mile oval. Schatz was strong out of the gate and turned the second fastest lap in qualifying. He finished third in heat two and raced from fourth to second in the six-lap dash. In the 35-lap A-Feature, Schatz started second and followed leader Paul McMahan during the opening 10 laps. Schatz took the lead following a restart on lap 11 and drove away from his competitors. By the time a caution flag slowed the action on lap 27, he had built a four-second advantage on McMahan. When the race resumed, Schatz once again jumped out to a big lead and held it for the final eight laps to pick up his fifth win of the season and 105th career WoO A-Feature.

The evening was an eventful one for Kinser. He qualified 11th in the field of 33 cars before finishing second in the third heat. After finishing fifth in the dash, he started the main event in the third row. Early in the race, Kinser charged forward and worked his way into third when the caution on lap 10 slowed his progress. He remained in the top-five until lap 22, when he got into turns three and four too low. He caught the dry surface and was forced to slow down to keep from spinning, costing him a number of spots. Four laps later, he had trouble exiting turn two and ended up spinning to a stop. “The King of the Outlaws” restarted 16th and raced his way back to 13th at the finish.

The results of the weekend kept both TSR drivers inside the top-four of the 2010 standings. Kinser now ranks second, 50 points behind leader Jason Meyers, while Schatz is in fourth, 89 out of first with only six races remaining.

The season’s final “big money” race highlights this week’s action. On Friday and Saturday, the Outlaws will compete at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and Saturday night’s 38th annual Morgan Hughes National Open will pay $50,000 to the winner. Kinser and Schatz each have four National Open wins. A fifth for either would be a major boost to his 2010 title aspirations.

Kinser Finishes on Podium Twice; Schatz Takes Third and Fourth

(Sept. 21, 2010) -- The World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series season is a marathon that starts in February and ends in November, but with only 10 races remaining, the 2010 campaign has turned into a sprint to the finish. The final countdown kicked off this past weekend with Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz making their final appearances of 2010 in Iowa and Minnesota. Kinser led the TSR charge by finishing second on Friday night at Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa, and third in Saturday’s race at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn. Schatz kept pace with Kinser, Joey Saldana, and Jason Meyers, the other two championship contenders, with finishes of third on Friday and fourth on Saturday night.

Following an 11-race Gold Rush Tour that started after the Knoxville (Iowa) Nationals, Schatz and Steve Kinser returned to Midwest soil hoping to close the deficit in the championship standings. Kinser started the weekend 55 points out of first and used a victory in Friday’s third heat driving the TSR No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Maxim to earn a position the 10-car dash field. He started on the pole and dominated the six-lap race, winning by nearly three seconds. In the 30-lap A-Feature, the 20-time WoO champion continued his dominance and raced out to comfortable margin.

While Kinser was setting the pace, Schatz, who earlier in the night qualified ninth in the field of 32 cars and finished second in the opening heat, was involved in a three-car duel for second. Schatz, driver of the TSR No. 15 Armor All/STP/ParkerStore/J&J, first battled Sammy Swindell and then Jac Haudenschild for the runner-up spot. Following a restart midway through the race, the three cars were side-by-side coming out of turn two. Haudenschild ultimately prevailed in the three-car battle for second and chased down Kinser. While Kinser was working the bottom groove, Haudenschild was able to make the cushion work better and grabbed the lead with seven laps remaining. Kinser stayed on Haudenschild’s bumper during the final laps, but wasn’t able to regain the lead and came home second. Schatz and Swindell continued their battle until the final corner when Schatz dove underneath Swindell to finish third.

On Saturday, the TSR teams traveled northeast to southern Minnesota and made their second-ever appearance at Deer Creek Speedway. Schatz made the fifth-best lap around the 3/8-mile dirt oval in qualifying, while Kinser was 14th in the field of 29 competitors. Kinser and Schatz both competed in the second heat with Kinser finishing third and Schatz sixth. Schatz raced to a fourth-place finish in the dash and started the 35-lap A-Feature on the outside of row two. Kinser had a longer road to the front as he started 14th, but within a few laps found himself inside the top-10. During the final 15 laps of the race, the racing surface began taking rubber, making it more difficult to maneuver. While Schatz trailed leaders Saldana and Meyers, Kinser kept working his way to the front. Late in the race, Kinser got past Schatz and the final running order mirrored the current WoO standings with Saldana winning ahead of Meyers, Kinser and Schatz.

With only eight races remaining, every night is going to impact the 2010 championship battle. With his two podium finishes, Kinser was able to keep pace with Meyers and Saldana and is 48 points out of the lead. Schatz continues to try and make it a four-car race to the finish. The four-time and reigning WoO champion remains in fourth, 115 markers behind leader Meyers.

This week, Kinser and Schatz will be in action in Ohio and Pennsylvania. On Friday night, the Outlaws return to Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, for the first time since Kinser won the 27th annual Kings Royal earlier in the summer. The following night, action continues with the Commonwealth Clash at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., where Schatz earned the Silver Cup crown in July.

Schatz Scores Win Number Four; Kinser Charges Forward in Finale

September 13, 2010 - The cumulative results of the 57th annual Gold Cup Race of Champions for Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) included a victory, a charge from 18th to second, a top-five finish and a run from 19th to eighth. The three-day Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif., concluded the World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series annual Gold Rush Tour for TSR’s Donny Schatz and Steve Kinser. Schatz won Friday night’s 30-lap A-Feature, while Kinser’s highlight of the weekend came in Saturday’s Gold Cup finale, when he charged from 18th to finish second. The challenge for both TSR teams now is to fight to the finish with only 10 WoO races remaining and the 2010 WoO title still up for grabs.

The Gold Cup kicked off Thursday night with 52 competitors in the pit area. Kinser used a strong lap around the quarter-mile dirt oval to earn the fifth-best qualifying time aboard the TSR No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Maxim. His third-place finish in the fifth heat earned the 20-time WoO champion a position in the dash. Kinser raced to a fourth-place finish and started the 30-lap A-Feature on the outside of row two. When the green flag flew, local racer Evan Suggs surged into the lead, but that only lasted two laps as he spun in turn four. On the restart, Kinser started second and took the lead heading into turns one and two. In the middle of the corner, his right-rear wheel broke and flew off the car, which resulted in Kinser’s machine flipping end-over-end. Kinser was unhurt, but the damage was too severe for him to return and he was credited with a 24th-place finish.

Schatz began the Gold Cup by turning the 13th-fastest lap in time trails behind the TSR No. 15 Armor All/STP/ParkerStore/J&J. Heat three started well with Schatz surging to the lead but, after three laps, the motor shut off heading down the backstretch. An electric problem was diagnosed and the Armor All crew replaced the engine so Schatz would be able return to action in the B-Feature. He won the 12-lap race and then started the A-Feature in the 19th slot. The Fargo, N.D., racer was able to avoid the eight-car accident on lap two and methodically worked his way up to finish eighth.

On Friday night, track conditions were quite different as a much drier surface proved that qualifying order would have a lot to do with the evening’s outcome. Schatz was the ninth car to make a lap and he ended up fifth in the field. Kinser, meanwhile, was the 43rd of 49 cars to make a qualifying lap, and he clocked in as 25th-fastest. Schatz raced to a second-place finish in the first heat after starting third and earned a position in the dash. He finished second in that race and started the 30-lap A-Feature on the outside of the front row. The four-time and reigning WoO champion dropped back to third during the opening lap behind leader Paul McMahan and Jason Sides. Two laps later, he drove past Sides and started working his way to the bumper of McMahan. The fast-paced race quickly put the leaders in traffic, and Schatz made all the right moves in traffic and overtook McMahan on lap 13. Four laps later a caution slowed the action, but on the restart, Schatz jumped out to a solid lead and raced his way through traffic during the final seven laps to pick up his fourth A-Feature triumph of the season and 104th of his career.

Kinser’s night was an uphill climb after qualifying. He finished seventh in heat one and raced from fifth to second in the B-Feature to earn the 22nd starting position in the A-Feature. In the main event, Kinser worked his way through the field and, by the lap-17 caution, he was up to 12th. During the final five laps, “The King of the Outlaws” was inside the top-10 but, with two laps to go. he was forced off the high side of turns three and four and dropped off the track. By the time he could recover and get back onto the track, Schatz was taking the checkered flag. Kinser was then caught up in accident on the backstretch and credited with 19th.

With two nights of racing in the books, the Gold Cup finale was set by points earned during the first two evenings. Schatz ranked sixth while Kinser was 18th. Only the top-12 positions were locked into Saturday night’s 40-lap A-Feature, so Kinser was forced to work his way into the field. He started fifth in the first B-Feature and raced to a third-place finish. The finish would earn him the 18th starting position. In the Gold Cup A-Feature, Schatz started sixth and, early on, was battling for the fifth position while Kinser was working his way through the pack. By lap 17, Schatz had worked his way into fourth and Kinser was up to 10th. A caution on lap 29 bunched up the field with Schatz in third and Kinser up to sixth. Following the restart, Kinser continued his charge and worked his way past Schatz and into the top-three. A caution with two laps remaining gave Kinser one final shot at the victory. Leader Jason Meyers and McMahan had been battling throughout the contest but, when the green flag waved Meyers pulled away and Kinser quickly passed McMahan and set his sights on Meyers. After taking the white flag, Kinser closed in but didn’t have enough room to try a final-turn slide job for the victory. He finished second and concluded the weekend on high note. Schatz came home fifth to end the Gold Rush Tour with his seventh top-five finish in the 11-race tour.

The results of the Gold Cup weekend shook up the 2010 championship battle. Heading into Thursday’s race, Kinser trailed Joey Saldana by six points for the top spot. After Thursday and Friday’s results, his deficit ballooned to 55. Unfortunately, Saturday’s 40-lap main event was an equal points race, because of the unique format, and all drivers earned 75 points, so Kinser is still 55 points out of first. Schatz continues to rank fourth, 119 points back of Saldana. The TSR teams will travel from California to Iowa this week and return to action on Friday night at Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa. Saturday, they will compete at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn.

Kinser Picks Up Win Number Eight; Schatz Adds Two More Podium Finishes

September 7, 2010 - The World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series’ annual run through the Pacific Northwest always provides plenty of drama. With the season’s schedule winding down and a championship battle that changes with every race, Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz did their best to give fans in Oregon and Washington something to remember. Kinser raced to his eighth win of the season on Saturday night at Skagit Speedway in Alger Wash., while Schatz had an amazing run from 22nd to second at Cottage Grove (Ore.) Speedway last Wednesday night.

In dirt-track racing, sometimes it pays to qualify early and that was the case at Cottage Grove. Unfortunately for Schatz and Kinser, they were the final two cars in the 30-car field to circle the quarter-mile dirt oval against the clock. With Cottage Grove’s surface, which traditionally gets slower during qualifications, the draw was not favorable for TSR. Schatz, behind the wheel of the TSR No. 15 Armor All/STP/ParkerStore/J&J, ranked 15th after his lap on the clock, while Kinser, aboard the TSR No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Maxim, was 22nd-quickest. The qualifying times put both deep in their respective heats, but both were able to race into the top-six and transfer into the 40-lap A-Feature. Schatz, who started 15th, and Kinser, who started 20th, began their charge forward at the drop of the green flag. Kinser quickly worked his way into the top-10 while Schatz was caught up in an accident and restarted 22nd. With 15 laps in the books, Kinser continued working inside the top-10, and Schatz began his run to the front. A number of cautions kept things interesting and, with only a couple of laps remaining, Schatz lined up fourth and Kinser sixth. Schatz worked his way into second on the final lap and Kinser came home eighth.

Following Wednesday’s race, the TSR crews traveled north on Interstate 5 to the Seattle area for the two-night program at Skagit. Schatz and Kinser each earned the pole position in their respective heats by qualifying 13th and 16th in Friday’s program, and both won heats to earn a spot in the dash. Kinser raced from 10th to sixth in the dash and Schatz finished ninth. In the 30-lap A-Feature, Jac Haudenschild and Tim Kaeding had a terrific battle for the win while Schatz and Kinser worked their way into the top-five. Schatz finished third and Kinser was fourth.

On Saturday at Skagit, both TSR drivers had better luck in qualifying. Schatz earned his third top qualifier award of the season and Kinser was seventh in the field of 34 cars. Schatz won the first heat and Kinser took the third heat. Kinser then dominated the dash to earn the pole position for the 40-lap A-Feature. Schatz finished fifth in the dash and would start the main event from the third row. In the feature, Kinser quickly took control while Schatz patiently raced in the top-five. Sam Hafertepe Jr., was a little impatient while running third and made contact with another competitor. The contact caused Hafertepe to stop and left Schatz with nowhere to go. Schatz was collected in the incident and, after the Armor All crew made repairs, he rejoined the field in 20th. Following the caution, Kinser continued to pace the field and then battled Joey Saldana for most of the race. Schatz worked his way back up to 12th before another competitor crashed just in front of him. Once again, the Armor All crew made repairs and he returned to the track. During the final five laps, Kinser remained in control and went on to win his eighth WoO A-Feature of the season. Schatz was able to pass four cars in the final laps and was scored 15th.

The Labor Day weekend was scheduled to conclude Monday with an event at Grays Harbor Raceway Park in Elma, Wash., but Mother Nature washed out the action. Kinser and Schatz will return to the track on Tuesday and look to build more momentum before heading to Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif., for this weekend’s 57th annual Gold Cup Race of Champions.

With his victory on Saturday night, Kinser has pulled to within six points of the lead in the 2010 WoO championship. Only 14 nights of racing remain in the chase for the championship and Kinser is hoping to bring home his 21st WoO title. Schatz remains fourth and still has a chance to make it five straight WoO titles. He currently is 140 points behind leader Saldana.

Schatz Snares Two Podium Finishes; Kinser Battles Back To Score Top-10

August 30, 2010 -- The World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series reached its northernmost track on the 2010 schedule and, despite some of the coolest temperatures the traveling racers have experienced since February, the action was at full throttle this past weekend. Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz continued their journey toward the 2010 WoO championship at the two-night fourth annual Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta. Friday’s outcome proved once again how quickly things change in the rugged series, and Saturday’s finale featured a three-car battle for the victory showcasing Sprint car racing at its best to an overflow Canadian crowd.

Kinser entered Friday’s opening-night program hoping to repeat his August 2007 victory at Castrol, when the Outlaws made their debut at the track. In the early going, everything for that plan was coming together. The 20-time WoO champion qualified the TSR No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Maxim fifth in the field of 26 cars and finished second in the second heat to earn a spot in the dash. He raced away to victory in the six-lap dash to earn his third pole position of the 2010 season.

In the 35-lap A-Feature, Kinser stormed away from the pack at the start and led the first 12 laps before a caution slowed his charge toward win number eight on the season. He controlled the race following the restart, but only three more laps would be completed when another caution halted the action. The following restart would change the outcome of the race. On lap 16, Kinser was battling for the lead and came to a stop in turn four and, while he was sitting there, his car was struck by Joey Saldana’s machine. Each lost his position in the front of the field and both went to the pit area to make repairs. The Bass Pro Shops crew returned Kinser to the track and, during the final 20 laps, he worked his way back to finish 11th.

The evening unfolded quite differently for Schatz, who like Kinser was eyeing his first return to Castrol’s victory lane since 2007. The first hurdle was a mediocre qualifying time around the 3/8-mile dirt oval. Schatz turned the 14th-fastest lap aboard the TSR No. 15 Armor All/STP/ParkerStore/J&J, and that was followed by finishing fifth in the second heat, which earned him a seventh-row starting position for the 35-lap main event. The Armor All crew made a number of changes before the main event and, midway through the 35-lap contest, the four-time and reigning WoO champion came charging through the field. During the final 15 laps, he worked his way from just inside the top-10 up to third. He was hoping a late caution would give him a chance to race with leader Jason Meyers, but the race remained green and Schatz earned his second straight third-place finish.

The momentum of charging past 11 cars in Friday’s race carried over to Saturday’s event for Schatz. He timed in third-fastest and finished third in the third heat and dash. In the 35-lap main event, Schatz spent the early laps chasing the racetrack, looking to see just where he could makes the best laps in the Armor All machine. By lap 10, he was in second and stalking leader Sam Hafertepe Jr. Several times, the two were side-by-side for the lead and, by lap 20, a three-car battle for the top spot began. Schatz and Saldana swapped positions multiple times and each took his shot at Hafertepe. Saldana ultimately got by Hafertepe first and took the lead on lap 30. Schatz followed suit and got by Hafertepe but wasn’t able to get back around Saldana during the final three laps and ended up finishing second.

Kinser found himself in the same type of role Schatz was in early Friday night. Kinser timed in 14th for Saturday’s race but was able to race up to second in the second heat to earn a spot in the dash. After finishing sixth in the dash, “The King of the Outlaws” raced from a third-row starting spot in the 35-lap A-Feature. He wasn’t able to charge to the front as he wanted and finished the race in seventh.

The season-long championship battle became even closer following the weekend in Edmonton. Kinser closed to within eight points of leader Saldana after Friday’s race but, following Saturday night’s action, he is 26 points out of first with 17 races remaining in the 2010 WoO season. Schatz still ranks fourth but was able to make up some ground on the leaders and trails by 149 points.

Action continues for Kinser and Schatz this week as the Outlaws compete four times in six nights in the northwest. A program on Wednesday night at Cottage Grove (Ore.) Speedway kicks off the busy Labor Weekend and will be followed by a pair of races at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash., on Friday and Saturday night. On Monday evening, the WoO will make its annual stop at Grays Harbor Raceway Park in Elma, Wash.

Kinser, Schatz Each Score Podium Finishes; Suffer Tire Problems

The World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series is one of the most competitive divisions in motorsports, and the smallest of things normally makes the difference in the final outcome. Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz each scored a podium finish in the two-night Magic City Showdown at Nodak Speedway in Minot, N.D., but both were also victims of tire trouble that knocked them out of another potential second-place finish.

The program opened Friday with time trials around the 3/8-mile dirt oval. Schatz was the 27th of 29 cars to circle the track and turned the seventh-fastest lap behind the wheel of the TSR No. 15 Armor All/STP/ParkerStore/J&J. Schatz, who grew up in Minot, won the first heat and finished fourth in the six-lap dash that set the first 10 starting positions for the 35-lap A-Feature. He quickly worked his way from fourth to second in the main event and followed leader Joey Saldana during the first 10 laps. Just as the leaders were entering traffic, Schatz slowed with a flat right-rear tire, caused by a small puncture hole. The Armor All crew replaced the tire and Schatz rejoined the field in 18th. He thrilled the hometown fans by passing a number of cars, and in the end, worked his way back to finish seventh.

Kinser had a different path to his outcome in Friday’s race. He started the program by timing 13th in the TSR No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Maxim. A fourth-place run in the first heat qualified him for the 35-lap A-Feature, where he would start in the seventh row. “The King of the Outlaws” was on a charge early, working his way up to sixth when Schatz stopped with his flat tire. Following the restart, Kinser would continue picking off competitors until he reached leader Saldana. With only a few laps remaining, Kinser shadowed Saldana through traffic and, on the final lap, made his move for the win with a slide job in turns three and four. He nearly made the pass stick, but Saldana had just enough momentum to get back in front of Kinser at the finish line. The margin of victory was just 0.018 seconds.

Following Friday night’s photo finish, Kinser was poised to finish one spot better in Saturday night’s finale. He qualified 15th and won the third heat. The 20-time WoO champion raced from 10th to fifth in the six-lap dash and surged from his third-row starting spot into third place early in the 35-lap A-Feature. He spent a number of laps racing for second with Jason Sides before taking the position halfway through the race. For the next 10 laps, he followed his son Kraig, who led the race from the start, and searched for places on the track to make his bid for the lead. Trouble struck both Kinsers with only four laps remaining. The track was extremely abrasive and hard on tires, and both had flat right-rear tires. Kinser rejoined the field in the Bass Pro Shops machine and worked his way back to ninth in the final laps.

Schatz qualified third in the field of 33 cars on Saturday. He finished fourth in the third heat and started the main event in 11th. The Armor All crew chose to send Schatz onto the track with softer compound tires than most of the competitors. The strategy worked as Schatz climbed into the top-10 and patiently worked his way inside the top-five. The four-time WoO champion didn’t abuse his rear tires on the rubber-laden surface and methodically worked his way into third position during the 35-lap race.

Following the weekend doubleheader in Minot, the season-long championship battle continues to be close. Kinser trails leader Saldana by 25 points with 19 races remaining in the 2010 WoO season. Schatz remains fourth and is currently 176 points out of first.

Next up for Kinser and Schatz is their second venture north of the border. This weekend, the Outlaws will travel to Edmonton for the fourth annual Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway. Kinser and Schatz each were victorious when the Outlaws debuted at the 3/8-mile dirt oval in 2007, and both won earlier this season in Canada.

Kinser wins in New York; Schatz collects three more Top-10s

August 8, 2010 - The World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series continued its grind through the summer last week with three more races. For the second consecutive week, Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Steve Kinser opened the week with a victory, while his teammate Donny Schatz posted three more top-10 finishes as the Outlaws competed in New York and Missouri.

Kinser raced the TSR No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Maxim to his seventh victory of the season at Fulton (N.Y.) Speedway last Tuesday. “The King of the Outlaws” was strong the entire evening. He qualified third in the field of 31 cars, ran third in the third heat race, finished second in the dash, and led the final 17 laps of the 30-lap A-Feature to claim in his 559th career WoO triumph. Friday night at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., he kicked off the Ironman 55 weekend by timing in second overall. The Bloomington, Ind., racer started the feature seventh and raced his way to fourth in the 30-lap contest. In Saturday night’s Ironman 55 finale, he finished second in the second heat and eighth in the dash. In the 55-lap main event, Kinser gained two positions to finish sixth.

Schatz came into Fulton riding high following his recent victory at Ohsweken (Ontario) Speedway. He earned the 12th-fastest qualifying lap and raced the TSR No. 15 Armor All/STP/ParkerStore/J&J to a second-place finish in the third heat. He started 10th in the 30-lap A-Feature and finished ninth to extend his top-10 streak to three. On Friday, he qualified fifth, won the second heat and finished fourth in the dash. He made a move to third early in the 30-lap A-Feature and was closing in on the leader just past the halfway point when a caution flag slowed his charge. Following the restart, the Fargo, N.D., racer wasn’t able to challenge the top pair. Instead, he battled Craig Dollansky and Kinser for third and, when the race finished, he was credited with fifth. On Saturday night, Schatz was the third-fastest qualifier and finished third in the third heat. He started the 55-lap A-Feature in seventh and, after dropping to 11th early in the race, climbed back to finish seventh.

Kinser remains in the thick of the 2010 WoO championship battle. He trails leader Joey Saldana by nine points with 20 races remaining. Schatz ranks fourth and is 162 points out of first.

Kinser and Schatz now turn their focus toward the 50th annual Knoxville (Iowa) Nationals. The sport’s biggest event begins on Wednesday night and concludes Saturday with the $150,000-to-win, 50-lap A-Main. Kinser, a 12-time Knoxville Nationals winner, and Schatz, a four-time Knoxville Nationals winner, will race special-schemed TSR cars in the historic event. Those cars will be unveiled to the public at Knoxville Raceway on Tuesday at noon CDT.

Schatz Notches Pair of Runner-Up Finishes; Kinser Scores One

July 26, 2010 – The World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series annual midsummer run through Pennsylvania and New York is always challenging. Not only do the teams have to deal with the summer heat, but also some of the toughest regional racers they face all season. In five A-feature events contested over seven nights, Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz notched five top-five finishes to continue their trek toward the 2010 WoO championship.

The weeklong journey began in western Pennsylvania with the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup Twin 30s at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver. Schatz got the program off to a strong start by qualifying second in the field of 39 cars behind the wheel of the TSR No. 15 Armor All/STP/ParkerStore/J&J. He finished third in his heat race and came home fifth in the dash. In the first 30-lap A-Feature, he started fifth and remained inside the top-five during the first 25 laps. Schatz worked his way into contention for the win late in race, but ended up finishing second.

Kinser, who entered the event fresh off his $50,000 Kings Royal triumph, qualified 14th in the field and won the second heat race driving the TSR No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Maxim. His seventh-place finish in the dash earned him a fourth-row starting spot for the first 30-lap A-Feature. Disaster struck on a lap 25 restart, however, when he jumped the cushion and damaged his radiator. A few laps later, contact with the wall forced him to stop, and he was credited with 17th.

The Don Martin Memorial program offered a second 30-lap A-Feature with the lineup being an inversion of the first feature finish. Lapped cars were not included in the inversion, so Kinser started 17th and would only make one lap because of damage from the first race. Schatz started 13th and worked his way to fourth. With his two finishes, Schatz was named overall winner of the Silver Cup festivities.

On Friday night, the weekend opened at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., with Schatz pacing the field of 46 cars. It was his second top qualifying effort of the season, and he followed it up by racing to second in the opening heat race. The four-time and reigning WoO champion started the 25-lap A-Feature fourth and spent the entire race inside the top-four. With seven laps remaining, he took over the second position but wasn’t able to run down eventual winner Lance Dewease.

Kinser kicked off the Summer Nationals by earning the third position in qualifying and finishing third in the third heat. He finished third in the dash and started the main event in third. The 20-time WoO champion was fast early and moved into second seven laps into the race. The following lap, he clipped the fourth-turn wall and it turned him over. The Bass Pro Shops crew repaired the damaged car and Kinser rejoined the field. The race went nonstop following his accident and he came home 23rd.

Qualifying is always key at Williams Grove and, on Saturday night, both Schatz and Kinser were hoping to back up their efforts from Friday night. Unfortunately, neither driver could crack the top-16. Kinser qualified 17th and started the 30-lap A-Feature 17th. He was able to mount a charge forward to finish ninth. Schatz timed in 29th and, after finishing seventh in the first heat, was forced to compete in the B-Feature, where disaster struck on the opening lap. Three cars crashed directly in front of Schatz and he wasn’t able to avoid getting involved. The Armor All crew repaired the car in time for Schatz to take a provisional starting position in the 30-lap main event. He started 25th and worked his way up to finish 13th.

The week concluded on Sunday night with a race at Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon N.Y., in the Outlaws’ first 2010 trip to the Empire State. Kinser was fifth in qualifying and followed that by racing to a third-place finish in the second heat and fourth in the dash. In the 25-lap A-Feature, he raced his way into third early and took second with seven laps remaining. He had one final chance at leader Doug Esh when a late caution bunched the field back together. Kinser wasn’t able to get around Esh during the final two laps, however, and was scored second. Schatz timed in 12th and started the main event in the ninth position. He methodically worked his way forward during the race and found himself in contention for the win late in the race. He was third on the final restart but wasn’t able to advance any further.

Joey Saldana continues to lead the 2010 WoO championship standings following the run through Pennsylvania and New York. Kinser trails Saldana by 36 markers, while Schatz remains in fourth and is currently148 points out of first.

The WoO schedule continues this week as the Tony Stewart Racing teams head north of the border for three races in Canada. On Tuesday, the Outlaws will make their debut at Autodrome Drummond in Drummondville, Quebec, followed by a pair of races at Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario on Friday and Saturday.

Kinser Pockets $50,000; Schatz Notches Pair of Top-Fives

The World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series schedule is filled with race dates from February to November at tracks all across the United States and Canada, but a few of them stand out a little more than others. The 27th annual Kings Royal at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway on Saturday was the first big event of 2010, and Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Steve Kinser stole the show by taking the lead late in the race to capture the $50,000 Kings Royal crown. TSR’s Donny Schatz also had a good weekend, finishing second on Friday at Eldora and following that up with a fourth-place finish in the Kings Royal.

This season, consistency has been the key for Kinser, driver of the TSR No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Maxim. He began last week’s slate of action by finishing second in the Brad Doty Classic at Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, Ohio, on Wednesday night. The runner-up finish was quite an accomplishment after he began the evening by qualifying 32nd in the field of 47 cars. The key was his ability to race from eighth to second in the fourth heat, which earned him a position in the dash and guaranteed him a starting position inside the top-10. Kinser steadily got better during the 40-lap A-Feature and worked his way from seventh up to second. Although he wasn’t able to reel in winner Dale Blaney, the finish allowed Kinser to take the lead in the WoO championship standings.

Qualifying at the Brad Doty Classic was also an issue for Schatz, driver of the TSR No. 15 Armor All/STP/ParkerStore/J&J. With a rapidly deteriorating track surface, it was a disadvantage to be one of the later cars to hit the quarter-mile dirt oval. Schatz went out late and ended up 36th on the grid. He raced his way into the main event, but bad luck would follow him throughout the A-Feature. He started 23rd and twice worked his way into the top-15 only to be collected in a pair of crashes in front of him. Ultimately, he finished 19th.

The 27th annual Kings Royal Weekend at Eldora Speedway kicked off with a complete WoO program on Friday night. Schatz quickly erased the results from Wednesday night by turning the fifth-fastest lap during qualifying. The night continued to get better as he raced his way into the dash by finishing second in the opening heat. He started the 30-lap A-Feature in third and was battling inside the top-five throughout the race. A terrific restart late in the race allowed the four-time and reigning WoO champion to finish second.

Friday evening was a little more erratic for Kinser. He timed in 14th in the field of 48 cars, but hurt a motor in the process. His Bass Pro Shops crew quickly replaced the motor, and Kinser promptly went out and won the second heat race. He started eighth in the main event and methodically worked his way into the top-five and found himself in fourth at the finish.

The focus on Saturday turned to the 27th annual Kings Royal, one of Sprint car racing’s signature races. Ironically, Kinser, known as “The King of the Outlaws,” has ruled this race. He won the first one in 1984 and is the only driver to qualify for every Kings Royal main event.

Kinser qualified 12th in the field of 49 cars and won the sixth heat to capture the pole position for the 40-lap A-Feature. The Bloomington, Ind., native quickly seized command of the race at the start and paced the field for the first 11 circuits. He fell to second on lap 12 and spent the next 27 laps trying to find his way around Kerry Madsen. He tried everything and, on multiple occasions, slapped the concrete wall. A pair of late restarts finally opened the door for Kinser. Madsen was able to hold him off on the first one, but on the final one, Kinser was able to squeeze by in turn one and regain the top spot. He led the final two laps to earn his seventh Kings Royal title and fifth WoO A-Feature triumph of 2010.

“It feels good to win one for Tony Stewart Racing and Bass Pro Shops,” said Kinser following the race. “I know Donny (Schatz) has won a few for them. It was a lot of fun to get out there and win it tonight. Kerry (Madsen) ran a great race and I hated to get into him on the last restart, but you have to go for it when you can go for it. I just really enjoy getting to run at Eldora.

“The Kings Royal only comes once a year, so you can really feel good about winning it. My wife Dana is at home still recovering from some surgery and I’m sure she is more excited about this than I am. The guys on this race team were right on with the car tonight, and I’m really happy I could win it for everyone involved with the team.”

Schatz entered the event as the defending Kings Royal champion and looked to repeat his 2009 performance. He qualified third and started the 40-lap race from the ninth position. His Armor All machine was a rocket early and he charged into third by lap 11. He chased Kinser and Madsen during the middle stages of the race but faded to fourth at the finish.

“We aren’t happy with fourth, but we’re happy with the progress we made here this weekend,” admitted Schatz. “I was so good early and really felt like we were going to be fighting it out with Steve for the win. There were a few crashes and we probably could have made some adjustments that would have helped me later in the race. These guys on this Armor All team worked hard all weekend and, hopefully, we’ll be able to continue getting better. There are a lot of big races coming up.”

Kinser and Joey Saldana exchanged the lead in the 2010 WoO championship standings following Wednesday’s race and again after Friday night’s program. Saldana returned to the lead following his victory on Friday night and holds a 12-point advantage on Kinser. Schatz maintained his fourth-place position and is currently 191 markers out of first.

Action for Tony Stewart Racing continues on Tuesday night with the 43rd annual Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. Kinser and Schatz will race on Friday and Saturday night at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., before closing the week on Sunday night at Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y.

Dates:  Wednesday, July 14, 2010

             Friday, July 16, 2010

             Saturday, July 17, 2010

Series: World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Series

Locations:  Wednesday – Limaland Motorsports Park (Lima, Ohio)

                   Friday and Saturday – Eldora Speedway (Rossburg, Ohio)

Winners:   Wednesday – Dale Blaney of Fisher Racing

                  Friday – Joey Saldana of Kasey Kahne Racing

                  Saturday – Steve Kinser of Tony Stewart Racing TSR

Results: Wednesday – Steve Kinser (Started 7th, Finished 2nd)

                                    Donny Schatz (Started 23rd, Finished 19th)

               Friday – Donny Schatz (Started 3rd, Finished 2nd)

                            Steve Kinser (Started 8th, Finished 4th)

               Saturday – Steve Kinser (Started 1st, Finished 1st)

                                Donny Schatz (Started 9th, Finished 4th)

Kinser Records Weekend-Best Finish of Third at LaSalle Speedway and Charter Raceway Park while Schatz Finishes Fourth at LaSalle Raceway

July 12, 2010 – Team Quaker State drivers Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz had another fast week as the duo participated in three World of Outlaws races over the span of four days. The racing action kicked off at LaSalle Speedway in LaSalle, Ill., for the fourth and final round of the Showdown for the Bud Crown. By Saturday, July 10, the World of Outlaws had migrated north to Wisconsin. Fans at Charter Raceway Park in Beaver Dam, Wis., were the first to get a dose of Sprint Car racing action before the weekend finally wrapped up with an event at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis.

On Thursday the World of Outlaws took the green flag for Kasey’s King of LaSalle presented by Budweiser, marking the fourth and final edition of the mini-series. Kinser proved to be one of the most consistent drivers in the four-race series and placed third overall in the Showdown for the Bud Crown. Kinser qualified 15th for the event, but steadily worked his way through the field utilizing every restart to pick up more positions. By the time of the checkered flag fell, the No. 11 Team Quaker State driver had worked his way up to the third position. Meanwhile, Kinser’s Tony Stewart Racing teammate qualified in the fifth position allowing his team to earn bonus points and raced to a fifth-place finish.

"It wasn't too bad," Kinser stated. "I just have to get qualified better. I was pretty good the second half of the race when I could move up the track some. I had my hands full the rest of the night, but I'm not going to complain. I didn't figure I'd finish in the Top-Three tonight so I'll take it."

The World of Outlaws racers had to quickly travel north to Wisconsin to prepare for the action at Charter Raceway Park. Quaker State teammates paired up to bring home two finishes within the top-six in Beaver Dam, Wis. Kinser lined up 7th for the A-main feature and raced his way through the field utilizing strong starts on double-file restarts to pick up three positions during the closing 10 laps. The finish marked Kinser’s 32nd top-ten finish of the 2010 season.

“It wasn’t too bad,” said Kinser of his run. “It’s hard to run third to those (two) cars the last couple of nights. We got going pretty good at the end of the race, was just a little bit tight. I felt good those last couple of laps, we just came up a little short.”

Meanwhile, Schatz qualified in the 3rd position securing bonus points for the strong effort. He finished fourth in the third heat race and went on to finish sixth in the A-main feature.

The action-packed weekend wrapped up at Cedar Lake Speedway. Both Quaker State drivers put forth their best effort but came up short on Sunday in New Richmond, Wis. After qualifying 15th and finishing fifth in the third heat race, Kinser went on to race to a ninth-place finish in the A-main feature. He kept his top-ten finish streak alive to claim in 33rd top-ten of the 2010 season.

Schatz made a strong showing at Cedar Lake Speedway, but came up short in the A-main feature at the end of the day. Schatz qualified sixth with a lap of 11.062 and went on to finish in third-place of the third heat. When it came time for the A-main feature, Schatz crossed the finish line in 11th position.

Following another week of racing for the World of Outlaws series, Kinser remains leading the Quaker State Racing teammates by occupying the 2nd place in the 2010 point standings. Kinser sits just 26 points behind the leader and still looks poised to make a run for a record 21 World of Outlaws Series championships. Schatz maintained his fourth-place position in the series’ championship point standings.

The World of Outlaws are back in action at Limaland Motorsports Park (Ohio) this Wednesday, July 14. The TSR teammates will then head to Eldora Speedway for a weekend double-header. The duo will compete in the “Knight Before the Kings Royal” on Friday night, followed by the “Kings Royal” on Saturday night at the track in Rossburg, Ohio.

TONY STEWART RACING TEAMMATES SECURE A PAIR OF RUNNER-UP FINISHES OVER INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND

Kinser Finishes Second at Huset Speedway and Schatz Finishes Runner-Up at North Central Speedway on Sunday

July 5, 2010 - Team Quaker State drivers Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz had a busy week with three races for the World of Outlaws series over the span of five days. The duo started the week at Missouri State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, Mo., on Tuesday, June 29th. The event marked the third round of the Showdown for the Bud Crown, Kasey’s King of Sedalia Presented by Budweiser, which was rescheduled following its original June 16th rain-out. By Thursday, July 1, members of Tony Stewart Racing were at Huset Speedway in Brandon, S.D. The week’s competition wrapped up at North Central Speedway in Brainerd, Minn., on Saturday, July 3rd.

On Tuesday night at Missouri State Fair Speedway Schatz drove to a fourth-place finish in the A-main feature to record his 13th top-five finish of the 2010 season. Kinser crossed the finish line in ninth place to maintain his second-place position in the championship point standings and continue on his quest for a record 21 championship titles.

On Thursday night, the Quaker State drivers travelled to Huset Speedway where Kinser battled for the A-main feature win and achieved his 29th top-ten finish of the 2010 season. After both TSR teammates qualified in the top ten, Schatz won his heat race, Kinser finished second in his heat, and both achieved top-ten finishes in the Dash, it was time for the feature races. In the A-main feature, Kinser passed Sammy Swindell exiting turn four coming to the white flag. The two raced side-by-side down the front stretch until Swindell pulled away entering turn one. Kinser came back as strong as he could, but crossed the finish line second. Schatz was just a few cars behind and finished in sixth-place.

The TSR teammates travelled to North Central Speedway on Saturday night in Brainerd, Minn., for one last dose of World of Outlaws competition before celebrating the 4th of July. Schatz brought strong competition from the Quaker State drivers with a runner-up finish in the A-main, and Kinser scored his 30th top-ten finish of the season. Schatz raced side-by-side with Jason Myers throughout three restarts in the final six laps, but Myers eventually pulled away to take the lead and the victory resulting in a second-place finish for Schatz. Kinser crossed the finish line in eighth-place and earned the Hard Charger Award of the race.

“It was an all right night,” said Schatz following the race at North Central Speedway. “We had a new car and were trying [a few different things] and it does a lot of things that we like it to do and some things we don’t like it to do. We qualified good for when we came out and I thought we raced pretty well. Everything we did, we made some headway and it feels like my cars from four or five years ago, so that’s kind of what we were trying to do. It was good, just not good enough to win the race.”

Following the World of Outlaws’ racing action, Kinser remains in second-place in the championship point standings and gained 11 points on the leader to decrease the gap to just 20 points. Schatz remains in fourth-place.

The World of Outlaws are back in action at LaSalle Speedway (Ill.) this Thursday, July 8, for the final event in the four-race Showdown for the Bud Crown mini-series with Kasey’s King of LaSalle Presented by Budweiser. The TSR teammates will then head north to Wisconsin for a double-header in the Badger State starting with a race at Beaver Dam Raceway on Saturday, July 10. The weekend’s competition will wrap up at Cedar Lake Speedway on Sunday, July 11.

KINSER SCORES ANOTHER VICTORY IN WEEKEND OF RACING ACTION

Kinser and Schatz Have Strong Runs in Nebraska and Kansas

June 26, 2010 - The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series made a pair of stops this past weekend for some exciting racing action with both Tony Stewart Racing drivers, Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz, turning in solid performances over the two nights of competition. Kinser scored another feature win on Saturday night while Schatz had strong runs in both events.

Prior to Saturday’s victory, Kinser earned a top-10 finish at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Nebraska while TSR teammate Donny Schatz finished third to earn his second straight podium finish and 12th top-five of the season. Schatz started from the outside of the front row after charging all the way from the seventh spot to finish in the runner-up position in the Dash. Both drivers turned in top-10 qualifying runs and finished strong in each of their respective heat races. Kinser ended up 10th for the night after starting the 25-lap A-main from the sixth position.

Saturday’s event at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas proved to be an even more successful night for the TSR team with Kinser claiming his fourth win of the season and gaining ground in his chase for a record 21st championship title.

"We had a very good race today," said Kinser. "We could run the bottom or the top. I was able to keep the car under me. It's always good to win. We should have a few more wins this year, but we'll take what we can get. I'm glad the way it turned out today."

Kinser kicked off the night with a fourth-place qualifying run with teammate Schatz qualifying eighth. Both had top-five runs in their heat races and top-10 runs in the Dash before making their way into the 30-lap A-main. Kinser started the main event in the third spot with Schatz starting 10th. Kinser’s win marked his 556th-career victory while Schatz finished just outside the top-five with a sixth-place run.

Kinser gained 30 points on the points leader in the series standings decreasing the gap to just 31 markers. Schatz gained a spot moving into the fourth position.

The World of Outlaws return to action on Tuesday, June 29 at Missouri State Fair Speedway for the third round of the Showdown for the Bud Crown, Kasey's King of Sedalia Presented by Budweiser. Following Tuesday’s event the series moves on to Husets Speedway in Brandon, South Dakota on Thursday, July 1 and North Central Speedway in Brainerd, Minnesota on Saturday, July 3.

Tony Stewart Racing Teammate Donny Schatz Finishes Third on Sunday Night

GRAND FORKS, ND (June 20, 2010) – Tony Stewart Racing driver Steve Kinser took the checkered flag on Saturday night at River Cities Speedway to claim his third feature win of the season and 555th of his career.

After starting the 40-lap A-main from the outside pole and alongside TSR teammate Donny Schatz, Kinser took the early lead and remained on the point for the first 20 circuits. The 20-time champion used a strong restart on the bottom to get around the race leader on the 37th lap. After falling back again the Bloomington, Indiana native retook the lead on the final restart with four laps remaining to claim the victory with Schatz crossing the start-finish line in seventh.

"I just had to go where nobody else went," Kinser noted of the final restart. "I had a tire that was getting a little bit low and had a small leak in it. The car was pretty good on the start and then got tighter and tighter. We finally just took the bleeders out there at the end and it was still going low and we were still having a little trouble. They gave me all the changes in the world there and it all worked out well."

Following their strong showing on Saturday night, the duo geared up for another night of racing action on Sunday. Schatz, the four-time and defending champion finished third in the feature after starting from the ninth position. The North Dakota native gained a few spots in the early going and then battled teammate Steve Kinser late for the third spot. Kinser started the main event off by charging to the lead and then bolting to a six-car length advantage after a caution flag.

The Indiana native, who was victorious on Saturday night, finished fourth aboard the Bass Pro Shops Maxim to earn his series leading 25th Top-10 finish of the season. He also moved into second in the standings as he chases his record 21st title while Schatz remains in the fifth spot in the point standings.

The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, June 25 with an inaugural event at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Nebraska followed by a stop at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas on Saturday, June 26.

Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz Score Top-10 Runs in Boot Hill Showdown at Dodge City Raceway

DODGE CITY, KS (June 13, 2010) - The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series took to the track at Dodge City Raceway Park in Kansas over the weekend for two nights of racing action. Tony Stewart Racing drivers Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz turned in solid performances once again earning top-10 runs.

The first night of the Boot Hill Showdown proved to be an exciting night full of racing action. The event was kicked off with the qualifying session where Schatz and Kinser drove their machines to the third and eighth fastest laps of the session. Following qualifying Schatz went on to win his heat race with Kinser taking the runner-up spot in his event. Schatz took third in the Dash with Kinser finishing seventh securing each a top-10 starting position in the 30-lap A-main.

Schatz scored a top-10 run in the feature event coming home in the seventh position while Kinser rebounded from a first lap spin to charge through the field to come home eighth in the Bass Pro Shops Maxim, without a single caution the rest of the way, as the 30-lapper went green-to-checker in just under 10 minutes following the caution on the initial start.

After rain forced the postponement of the finale of the Boot Hill Showdown on Saturday, the cars took to the track on Sunday afternoon.

Again both TSR teammates turned in strong qualifying runs with Schatz turning in the second fastest lap and Kinser the 11th. Both drivers made an appearance in the same heat race where Kinser scored the win and Schatz finished close behind in third.

Finishing seventh and eighth in the Dash, the duo lined up in the fourth row for the start of the 30-lap finale. Kinser was able to pick up a few spots to earn another top-five finish by taking the checkered flag in the fourth position while Schatz finished just inside the top-15, with a 14th-place run.

The World of Outlaws return to action on Wednesday, June 16 at Missouri State Fair Speedway for Kasey's King of Sedalia Presented by Budweiser, which is the third round of the Showdown for the Bud Crown. Following Wednesday’s event is a stop at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, North Dakota for two nights of racing action.

Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz Bring Home Top 15 Finishes for TSR Team In Knoxville

KNOXVILLE, IA (June 6, 2010) – The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series headed to the legendary Knoxville Raceway this past weekend for the Mediacom Shootout which kicked off on Thursday, June 3 and continued with scheduled events through Saturday, June 5.

Thursday night’s action included time trials, heat races, a dash, a Last Chance Showdown and an A-Feature event. Tony Stewart Racing driver Steve Kinser brought his No. 11 car home to a sixth-place finish in the A-Main while teammate Donny Schatz finished 13th.

Friday’s events included the Inaugural Hall of Fame Classic Presented by Mediacom with the top-20 finishers from Thursday night’s event being inverted for the A-Feature event. Schatz was the top finisher for the Tony Stewart Racing stable on Friday night with a top-15 finish coming home in the 14th spot while 20-time WoO champion Steve Kinser finishing 20th.

The weekend was to wrap up with the finale of the Mediacom Shootout on Saturday night but rain claimed the race causing officials to cancel the event.

Both TSR drivers continue to sit in the top-five in points with Kinser claiming the third spot and Schatz in the fifth position.

Next up for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is a stop at Dodge City Raceway Park in Dodge City, Kansas. The Boot Hill Showdown will start on Friday, June 11 with the double header wrapping up on Saturday, June 12.

Tony Stewart Racing Tandem Makes Weekend Statement. Schatz Wins in Charlotte, Kinser Finishes Second in Pennsylvania.

Dates:
Saturday-Sunday, May 29-30, 2010
Series:
World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Series
Locations:
Saturday – The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Concord, N.C.) 
Sunday – Tri-City Speedway (Franklin, Pa.)
Winners:
Saturday – Donny Schatz of Tony Stewart Racing 
Sunday – Jason Sides of Sides Motorsports
TSR Results:
Saturday – Donny Schatz (Started 2nd, Finished 1st) Steve Kinser (Started 7th, Finished 4th) 
Sunday – Steve Kinser (Started 1st, Finished 2nd) Donny Schatz (Started 17th, Finished 5th)

The Memorial Day weekend was packed with racing action all across the map, including a pair of World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series events in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. As if the 72-race WoO season wasn’t tough enough, Mother Nature threw a curve ball on Friday night and delayed the Circle K NOS Energy Outlaw Showdown to Saturday, forcing the traveling Outlaws to compete on consecutive nights at tracks separated by nearly 500 miles. The Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) duo of Donny Schatz and Steve Kinser, both veterans of life on the road, didn’t seem fazed and posted a victory on Saturday night (Schatz) and a runner-up finish on Sunday night (Kinser).

The Outlaws’ first visit of the season to The Dirt Track at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway was pushed back 24 hours because of persistent rain showers, but that didn’t deter the four-time and reigning WoO champion Schatz from putting on a show in front of a packed house and a national television audience. Schatz began the evening by turning the seventh-fastest lap during qualifications aboard the TSR No. 15 Armor All/STP/ParkerStore/J&J. Second-place finishes in the first heat race and Goodyear Dash earned the Fargo, N.D., racer the outside-front-row staring position for the 30-lap A-Feature. Schatz stormed into the lead on the opening lap and held that position for 29 of the 30 circuits to capture his second victory of the season and 102nd career WoO A-Feature triumph.

“It feels good to get Armor All and STP back where they belong in victory lane,” Schatz said following his fourth career triumph at the track. “I can’t thank my guys enough. We beat ourselves up pretty bad and shouldn’t have, but we did. We learned a lot through it all about each other, and I think it made us a lot stronger.”

Kinser had a little different route into the top-five in Saturday’s program. He qualified 13th and then raced the TSR No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Maxim from fifth to first in the opening heat race to capture a starting position in the Goodyear Dash. He advanced three positions in the six-lap dash and started the main event in the seventh position. Three caution periods slowed his forward progress, but the final green-flag run of 15 laps enabled him to work his way to fourth, earning the “King of the Outlaws” a series-leading 19th top-10 finish.

After traveling throughout the night on the Interstates from Charlotte to Tri-State Speedway in Franklin, Pa., the Outlaws made their inaugural appearance at the half-mile dirt oval in northwestern Pennsylvania. Kinser qualified eighth in the field of 38 cars and was involved in a thrilling battle with Jason Sides in the fourth heat race. After finishing second in the heat, the 20-time WoO champion won the dash to earn the pole position for the 25-lap A-Feature. In the early stages of the feature, Kinser set the pace while racing around the high groove. He led the first eight circuits before Sides charged under him to take the lead. Kinser stayed right with Sides for the remaining 17 laps but couldn’t execute the winning pass and ultimately ended up in second place.

“The top (groove) gave away on me,” admitted Kinser following the race. “I should have gone back down to the bottom. I stayed out there a little bit too long and Jason (Sides) got by me. He was running fast and I couldn’t do anything with him. I had a chance to win it and gave it away.”

The close competition is evident every night on the rugged WoO tour. After winning Saturday’s feature, Schatz narrowly missed the heat race inversion by one position as a result of his qualifying 17th in the field. The Armor All/STP crew used the information it learned from the first heat, when Schatz raced to a fourth-place finish, to prepare the No. 15 for the 25-lap main event. When the race began, Schatz surged his way forward from the 17th starting position. He cracked the top-10 before the race reached halfway and, during the final portion of the race, he continued picking up positions. Unfortunately, the race went non-stop. By the time he had made it into fifth, the checkered flag was waving on the contest that was completed in just over eight minutes.

With his second-place finish on Sunday night, Kinser returned to the second position in the WoO championship standings. Kinser currently trails leader Joey Saldana by 18 points, while Schatz remains in the fourth position, 143 markers out of first.

Next up for TSR is the season’s first visit to legendary Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway. For the first time, the Outlaws will compete at Knoxville during the annual Hall of Fame weekend festivities. Kinser, who was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2005, and Schatz, who has won the last four Knoxville Nationals, both will be looking to gain valuable data for the 50th anniversary Knoxville Nationals, which takes place in August.

Kinser Pulls Out Top-10 Finish at I-96 Speedway in Michigan. Friday’s Event at Attica Raceway Park Was Cancelled Because of Rain.

May 22, 2010 – After Friday’s World of Outlaws Sprint Car event at Attica Raceway Park was forced into cancellation because of excessive rain, the series moved on to I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan for some Saturday night racing action.

Tony Stewart Racing driver Steve Kinser kicked off the night with a strong qualifying run putting the No. 11 Bass Pro Shops Maxim in the second spot while fellow TSR teammate Donny Schatz qualified just outside the top-10 with an 11th-place run. Schatz went on to win his heat race with Kinser finishing third in his respective race.

Next up for the duo was the six-lap qualifying race used to determine the top-10 starting spots for the A-main. Schatz took the checkered flag at the top of the field scoring yet another pole while Kinser crossed the start/finish line in the seventh position.

The feature event for the night was the 30-lap A-main where Kinser finished in the top-10 with a ninth-place run and Schatz ended up 12th after starting from the point.

The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, May 28 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in the Circle K NOS Energy Outlaw Showdown which will air live on SPEED beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Kinser and Schatz have up and down nights at Williams Grove. TSR Duo Earn Top-Five Finishes at Virginia Motor Speedway

May 15, 2010 - The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series made a stop at the infamous Williams Grove Speedway in Pennsylvania this week for two nights of racing action before heading to Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, Virginia on Saturday to close out the weekend.

Tony Stewart Racing driver Steve Kinser pulled out a top-10 and top-five finish in the two nights of racing at the half-mile track. The 20-time champion struggled somewhat in qualifying but regained ground in his heat races finishing sixth and seventh on the respective nights.

Thursday’s A-main saw the Bloomington, Indiana native roll off from the 25th position and take the checkered flag in the 10th spot after 25 laps of competition. Friday’s race saw Kinser make bigger gains after once again starting in the 25th position but finishing in the top-five with a fifth-place run.

Donny Schatz had a solid night during Thursday’s event earning a top-10 finish by coming home seventh in the A-main. The three-time and defending champion opened Friday’s events with a top-10 qualifying run followed by a second-place finish in his heat race. He went on to win the Dash earning the pole for the 30-lap main event but had to settle for the 18th finishing position after a vicious wreck.

Following the event at Williams Grove, the series headed over to Jamaica, Virginia for some Saturday night racing action at Virginia Motor Speedway.

Schatz bounced back from his Friday night wreck to finish third after starting fifth in the 30-lap A-main. Schatz also took the win in his heat race before finishing fifth in the Dash. Fellow TSR teammate Kinser also had a stronger run on Saturday finishing fourth aboard his Bass Pro Shops Maxim. With his top-five run, Kinser leads the series with 17 top-10 finishes in 18 events.

Kinser now sits second in the point standings just 13 markers out of first while Schatz remains in the fourth spot.

The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, May 21 at Attica Raceway Park in Ohio and Saturday, May 22 at I-96 Speedway in Michigan.

Kinser Takes Over Points Lead After Eldora, TSR Teammate Donny Schatz Grabs a Top-Five and Remains Fourth in Points

Rossburg, OH (May 8, 2010) - The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series raced in a double-header at the infamous Eldora Speedway on Friday and Saturday night. While at the fast short track the Tony Stewart Racing teams of Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz turned in solid performances with the pair earning top-five finishes in the two nights of racing action in Rossburg.

Friday night’s event saw Kinser finish third in the Bass Pro Shops Maxim in his first stop at Eldora for Tony Stewart Racing. Kinser kicked off the evening with a fifth-place qualifying run followed by a runner-up finish in his heat race. Finishing third in the Dash, the 20-time champion earned himself a second-row starting spot for the originally scheduled 30-lap feature. The race was declared official after a lap-25 caution when rain began to pour down.

Fellow TSR teammate Donny Schatz started off on a strong note after qualifying 13th. The defending champion took the win in his heat race as well as the Dash earning the number one starting spot in the A-main. However a late-race flat tire while running second forced the TSR driver to an 18th-place finish.

Saturday’s event saw both TSR drivers earn top-five finishes with Kinser taking the checkered flag in fourth and Schatz in fifth. The top-five finish was Kinser’s 11th of the season. Both drivers finished strong in their heat races before earning top-10 starting spots for the A-feature.

Kinser moved into the top spot in the World of Outlaws championship point standings while Schatz remains fourth after the Eldora events.

Next up for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is two nights of racing at the infamous Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Racing action begins on Thursday, May 13th followed by events on Friday, May 14th. Following the events at Williams Grove, the Series will stop at Virginia Motor Speedway on Saturday May 15th.

POCOLA, OK (April 12, 2010) – The teams of Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz had a successful outing in the inaugural World of Outlaws event at Tri-State Speedway in Pocola, Oklahoma. The Saturday night racing action netted a pair of top-10 finishes for the Tony Stewart Racing teams as they continue a strong start to the 2010 season.

Both drivers kicked off the evening with strong qualifying runs. Schatz ended up in the seventh spot with teammate Kinser not too far behind in ninth. Both drivers went on to win their respective heat races moving on to the Dash to determine the top-10 in the starting order.

Schatz took the top spot in the Dash earning the pole for the A-main with Kinser finishing seventh to earn a top-10 starting position.

Both drivers also performed well in the 35-lap A-main earning top-10 finishes. Schatz finished just outside the top-five in sixth with Kinser rolling in with a ninth-place finish.

The World of Outlaws sprint Car Series will head to Paducah International Raceway next for some Friday night racing action in Kentucky. Following Friday’s event in Kentucky is a stop at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri on Saturday night.

MARCH 14, 2009 - The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series made the trip to the Lone Star state of Texas for two events this past weekend. They kicked off their first night of racing at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, Texas followed by action at Houston Raceway Park.

Kinser turned in a 12^th-place qualifying run at Lone Star Speedway and followed that up with a win in his heat race transferring the veteran driver into the A-main. With a seventh-place run in the Dash, the Quaker State driver earned a top-10 starting position for the night’s main event.

The Bloomington, Indiana native ended up second in the Bass Pro Shops Maxim to earn his fifth top-five and sixthtTop-10 finish of 2010. The strong run also moved him up to second in the championship standings, just seven markers behind the point’s leader as he chases his record 21st title. Kinser tried everything he could on the late restarts, but could not quite get a run on the eventual race winner – Craig Dollansky.

"I had to hang on and not hit those holes coming off (turn) four," shared Kinser. "Craig (Dollansky) was able to pick it back up pretty good. I might have tried to get a run on him, but he blocked the bottom and he was a little faster than us in the front. To come home second after starting way back in the dash isn’t too bad. We missed a couple of wrecks and have been running pretty good. We just need to move up a spot or two."

After a successful first night of competition, Kinser and his Tony Stewart Racing team headed to Houston Raceway Park looking for the same kind of success.

The Quaker State driver started the second night in Texas by qualifying his No. 11 Maxim in the 20^th position and finishing sixth in his heat race. After starting in the 17^th position in the 40-lap A-main, Kinser was able to pick up a handful of positions to finish 12^th for the evening.

The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20 at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tennessee for Kasey’s King of Bulls Gap Presented by Budweiser.

MARCH 14, 2010 – Tony Stewart Racing driver Donny Schatz kicked off his Texas weekend by earning the top-qualifying position at Lone Star Speedway after pacing the 29 cars that took time around the high-banked half-mile oval. The Defending champion followed that outstanding qualifying run with a third-place finish in his heat race.

Next up for Schatz was the Dash, used to determine the first 10 starting positions of the A-feature, where he finished sixth earning a third-row starting position for the A-feature. 

As the field rolled off to take the green flag for the 30-lap A-main, Schatz got caught up in an early accident relegating him to a 14^th-place finish.

The following evening’s event at Houston Raceway Park proved to be a better race for Schatz and his Tony Stewart Racing team. The four-time World of Outlaws champion turned in a very solid third-place effort earning his fifth top-five finish of the season.

After qualifying eighth and finishing second in his heat race, the Quaker State driver earned a top-five starting position in the feature event by finishing fifth in the Dash.

"We’ve just been in the wrong spot at the wrong times lately,” Schatz said. "It’s good to have a strong run like this tonight and it’s fun to get in the car every night when it’s fast and rolling around like we had it here. We’ll just keep working at it and see if we can pick up a win next weekend."

The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20 at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tennessee for Kasey’s King of Bulls Gap Presented by Budweiser.

Quaker State Driver Ends up Fourth in Championship Standings

CONCORD, NC (November 8, 2009) – The World of Outlaws Sprint Car season closed the 2009 season with the third annual World Finals at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina this past weekend. Racing action began on Thursday with qualifying and was followed by full racing programs on Friday and Saturday. Kinser struggled a little in Friday’s competition but pulled out one final top-five finish during Saturday action before finishing fourth in the championship point standings.

The World Finals opened with qualifying sessions on Thursday night with Kinser making his way around the 0.4-mile oval of LMS with a lap of 13.869 seconds, quick enough for the fourth overall position.

In the second night of racing the Bloomington, Indiana native finished third in his heat race and seventh in the Crane Cams Dash earning himself a top-10 starting spot in the 30-lap A-main. Kinser struggled in the main event and took the checkered flag in the 17^th position.

On Saturday, Kinser and the Quaker State team set out to redeem themselves and did just that. The 20-time World of Outlaws Champion took the win in his heat race and finished fourth in the Crane Cams Dash. He started the A-main in the second row and crossed the start/finish line in the same position as he started, earning yet another top-five finish with a fourth-place run.

Kinser maintained the fourth position in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Championship Standings, a position he has held for the majority of the 2009 season.

Quaker State Driver Holds down Fourth Position in Championship Standings

KILGORE, TX (October 25, 2009) – After taking a well-deserved weekend off, the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returned to action at Lone Star Speedway in Texas for one night of racing. Kinser continued his strong season by taking the checkered flag in the third position in the feature event. The 20-time champion remains in the fourth position in the championship point standings going into the final race weekend of the season in a couple of weeks.

 After qualifying the Quaker State Maxim in the 12^th position, the Bloomington, Indiana native won his heat race advancing himself into the Crane Cams Dash. The six-lap shootout used to determine the first 10 starting positions of the A-feature yielded a fourth-place finish for the Quaker State driver.

Starting from the second row, Kinser recovered from getting completely sideways in turn two of the opening lap of the A-feature to finish in the third position.

The World of Outlaws will again take another weekend off before capping off a busy season with the third annual World Finals at The Dirt Track at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Qualifying begins on Thursday, November 5 with racing action lasting through Saturday night.

Quaker State Driver Scores a Third-Place Finish with 2009 Winding Down

ELBRIDGE, NY (October 11, 2009) – The World of Outlaws made a trip to Rolling Wheels Raceway Park on Saturday night for The New York 25. Quaker State’s Steve Kinser has won at the track in each of the last two series races and holds a record 10 wins in his career at the 5/8-mile track. In addition, the 20-time champion has finished in the top-10 in all 26 of his career starts at the facility.

 After qualifying the Quaker State Maxim in the runner-up spot, Kinser went on the finish his heat race in second as well. Next up for the Bloomington, Indiana native was the Crane Cams Dash used to determine the first 10 starting positions of the A-feature. Kinser went on to finish third in the dash putting himself on the second starting row for the 25-lap A-main.

Kinser finished third on Saturday night in the Quaker State Maxim to continue his impressive streak at Rolling Wheels. The 20-time series champion has now finished in the top-10 in all 27 of his starts at the semi-banked 5/8-mile

The World of Outlaws will take a weekend off before returning to action on Saturday, October 24 at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, Texas.

Quaker State Driver Notches Another Top-10 Finish with Eighth-Place Run at Williams Grove

MECHANICSBURG, PA (October 4, 2009) – The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returned to the famed Williams Grove Speedway this past weekend for the National Open. Racing action was scheduled to kick off on Friday but rains forced the cancellation of the evening’s events with concentration shifting to the finale on Saturday with the winner taking home a $50,000 prize.

Kinser has won the National Open on four occasions and had 38 wins at the famed semi-banked half-mile track to his credit. In addition, the King of Outlaws has well over 100 top-10 finishes at the track.

Saturday’s activities began with qualifying where the Bloomington, Indiana native qualified the Quaker State Maxim in the 16^th position. Kinser went on to finish his heat race in the 11^th position forcing him to compete in the 12-lap B-main to transfer into the feature event. With a second-place finish in the B-main, Kinser transferred to the A-main. After starting in the 16^th spot, the 20-time champion powered his way into the top-10 in the 40 laps of competition and finished in the eighth position.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returns to action next weekend at Rolling Wheels Raceway in Elbridge, New York. Racing action is set for Saturday, October 10.

Saturday’s Event at Lernerville Speedway was Canceled because of Rain

September 27, 2009 – The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series was set for two nights of racing action this weekend with events at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio on Friday and Lernerville Speedway in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Kinser has an astounding record at the high-banked half-mile of Eldora Speedway with 34 A-feature wins and 15- top-10 finishes and was hoping to add another win to his resume in Friday’s event at the track.

The Bloomington, Indiana native qualified the Quaker State Maxim in the sixth position before finishing 10^th in his heat race. Because of his heat race finish the King of Outlaws had to compete in the 12-lap B-main in order to qualify for the feature event. Kinser won the B-main advancing himself into the A-main. Starting from the 13^th position, the 20-time World of Outlaws champion gained four positions to move into the top-10 and finish ninth.

Saturday’s race at Lernerville Speedway was postponed by rain and rescheduled for the end of October.

Kinser maintained his fourth-place position in the World of Outlaws Championship standings with just eight events remaining in the 2009 season.

Next up for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is a stop at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The double-header will begin on Friday, October 2 with racing action continuing on Saturday, October 3.

Quaker State Driver Maintains Fourth Position in Championship Standings

September 20, 2009 – Steve Kinser scored an 11^th-place finish and fifth-place run in two events this past week of racing action for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. With two stops in this week’s schedule, the Quaker State driver was able to maintain his fourth-place position in the championship point standings.

The series made their first stop of the week on the semi-banked 3/8-mile track of Clay County Fair Speedway. The midweek contest saw Kinser qualify the Quaker State Maxim in the 22^nd position before finishing his heat race in the fifth spot. The King of Outlaws went on to finish the A-main just outside the top-10 coming home in the 11^th position.

Following Wednesday’s event in Iowa the series moved on Deer Creek Speedway for some Saturday Night racing action. After qualifying in the seventh position at the state-of-the-art 3/8-mile track, Kinser went on to win his heat race in the Quaker State Maxim. The Bloomington, Indiana native earned a ninth-place finish in the Crane Cams Dash putting him in fifth row for the start of the A-main. Gaining four spots in the 35-lap feature event, Kinser earned yet another top-five finish with a fifth-place run.

The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, September 25 at the famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio followed by a stop at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pennsylvania on Saturday, September 26.




















 

Quaker State Driver Finishes Eighth in Earlier Event at Cottage Grove Speedway

September 13, 2009 – Steve Kinser and the Quaker State team continued a busy schedule of racing action remaining on the West Coast for events at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon and Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California. While the Quaker State driver fared well at Cottage Grove earning a top-10 finish, he found trouble in the 56^th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions in Chico.

With Monday’s Labor Day race falling to rain the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series moved on to Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon on Tuesday. Kinser enjoys three victories at the ½-mile track and looked to add another mark to the win column in Tuesday’s race. The King of Outlaws qualified the Quaker State Maxim in the 14^th spot before finishing seventh in his heat race. Missing the transfer spot by one position, Kinser moved on to the B-main to get qualified for the feature event and took the checkered flag first. After starting in the 14^th position, the Quaker State driver was able to gain several spots to finish in the eighth position collecting yet another top-10 finish.

The Series took a couple of days off before heading to Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California for three nights of racing action. The first two nights of the 56^th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions split the field with the finale on Saturday being just features. The winner of the 40-lap main event was set to earn $50,000.

Kinser and the Quaker State team were in the first group to take to the track qualifying 20^th on the high-banked ¼-mile oval. A fifth-place finish in his heat race transferred the Bloomington, Indiana native to the A-feature where he started in the 20^th spot. Struggling just a little, Kinser lost a couple of positions to finish 23^rd for the night. After the second night of qualifying the Bloomington, Indiana native started the final night 46^th in event points putting him in the C-main where the Quaker State driver got upside down in the 15-lap race. With the option of using a provisional to start Saturday night’s main event, Kinser decided not to make the start due to the fact that any points earned were awarded for showing up and he could not gain any additional points toward his championship run.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returns from the West Coast heading next to the Clay County Fairgrounds in Spencer, Iowa on Wednesday, September 16 followed by a stop at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minnesota on Saturday, September 19.

Quaker State Driver Remains Fourth in Championship Point Standings

September 8, 2009 – The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series had a busy Labor Day Weekend with three events scheduled over four days. The first stop for the tour was the high-banked 3/10-mile of Skagit Speedway in Washington where Kinser had mixed results, struggling on the first night and pulling out a top-10 finish on the second night. The Labor Day event at Grays Harbor Raceway was cancelled due to persistent rain showers throughout the day.

Kinser struggled in Friday night’s event at Skagit Speedway qualifying the Quaker State Maxim in the 24^th spot. He followed that up with a fifth-place finish in his heat race before ending up 23^rd in the 30-lap A-main.

The Quaker State team regrouped for Saturday night’s finale at Skagit but struggled once again in qualifying this time earning the 28^th spot. After finishing seventh in his heat race, Kinser had to move on to the B-main to qualify for the feature event. With only the top four finishers transferring to the feature, the Bloomington, Indiana native pulled out a third-place finish allowing him to advance to the night’s main event. Starting in the 23^rd spot for the 40-lap feature, Kinser worked his way through the field and pulled out a top-10 finish for the night.

The Gold Rush Tour continues for the World of Outlaws on Tuesday, September 8 at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon, followed by three nights of racing in the 56th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California beginning on Thursday, September 10 and ending on Saturday, September 12.

Quaker State Driver Scores a Pair of Top-Five Finishes in Two Nights of Racing Action

EDMONTON, ALBERTA (August 30, 2009) – Steve Kinser and the Quaker State team continue their quest for a record setting 21^st Series Championship by turning in solid runs each and every time they take to the track. This past weekend’s event at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada was no different with Kinser earning two top-five finishes in two nights of racing action at the 3/8-mile track.

Kinser made history at the track claiming the inaugural race back in 2007. Having finished fourth or better in all four of his starts at the Canadian track, the 20-time series champion looked for nothing short of a top-five finish in both events this past weekend.

In the first night of competition Kinser qualified the Quaker State Maxim in the fifth position followed by a fifth-place finish in his heat race. With a fourth-place run in the Crane Cams Dash, the Bloomington, Indiana native earned a second-row starting spot for the 35-lap A-main. Kinser battled Donny Schatz early in the race moving into the third position before taking on the second spot on lap10. The former champion set his sights on the leader but had to settle for second-place.

“We definitely gained a lot tonight from where we have been the last three or four races,” said Kinser. “I feel like we have a car that we can get up front and we’ll work with it and see what we got tomorrow night.”

The Quaker State team continued a strong showing in the second night of competition with Kinser once again qualifying the Quaker State Maxim in the fifth position. A third-place finish in his heat race and fourth-place run in the Crane Cams Dash put the Indiana native in a solid starting-position for the A-main. Rolling off from the fourth position, the Quaker State driver picked off a spot on the opening lap before finishing third in the 35-lap feature. His third-place run marked the 20-time champion’s 40^th top-10 finish of the season.

Next up for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is a stop at Skagit Speedway in Washington on Friday, September 4 and Saturday, September 5.

Quaker State Driver Remains Fourth in Championship Point Standings

AUGUST 23, 2009 – After taking a weekend off from regular action, Steve Kinser and the Quaker State team headed to North Dakota for two nights of racing over the weekend. Kinser kept his steak of solid runs going scoring a top-five and top-10 finish and maintaining the fourth position in the championship point standings.

With Wednesday’s scheduled event at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minnesota being postponed due to heavy rains the series turned their attention to the weekend’s events at River Cities Speedway and Dacotah Speedway.

Kinser brought the Quaker State maxim home to a fifth-place finish in Friday night’s event at the high-banked bullring of River Cities Speedway after starting in the seventh-spot. Kicking the night off with a 10^th-place qualifying run, the 20-time champion went on the win his heat race. A seventh-place finish in the Crane Cams Dash put the Quaker State driver on the fourth row for the start of the 30-lap A-maim before finishing in the top-five.

With the momentum of a solid run on Friday the Bloomington, Indiana native entered the high-banked 3/8-mile track of Dacotah Speedway with hopes of at least another top-five finish. Entering the event as the reigning race winner the Quaker State driver got off to a strong start qualifying the Quaker State Maxim in the top spot.  He followed that qualifying effort up with a win in his heat race and 10^th-place finish in the Crane Cams Dash. The King of Outlaws finished the 35-lap A-main just outside the top-five with a sixth-place run.

Next up for the World of Outlaws is the third annual Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Racing is set to start on Friday, August 28 with additional action on Saturday, August 29.

Quaker State Driver Remains Fourth in the Championship Point Standings

August 9, 2009 – The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series spent the weekend at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri for two nights of racing action. The Inaugural Ironman 55 was kicked off at the high-banked 1/3-mile bullring on Friday, August 7 with the finale that paid $20,000 to the winner taking place on Saturday, August 8.

With three A-feature wins at the track under his belt, Kinser hoped to add another win to his 2009 resume as he continues to pursue a record 21^st series championship.

Kicking off the weekend on a high note, the Bloomington, Indiana native turned in the quickest time during the qualifying session with a 10.209 second lap around the fast oval. Following that up with a runner-up finish in his heat race, Kinser went on to finish eighth in the Crane Cams Dash earning a fourth-row started spot in the A-main. The Quaker State driver finished ninth in the 30-lap main event earning another top-10 finish.

With the first night of competition completed, Kinser returned for Saturday night’s action and qualified the Quaker State Maxim in the eighth position. The King of Outlaws scored a fourth-place run in his heat race before the evening’s main event. After starting the feature in the 15^th position the 20-time champion finished the 55-lap A-main just outside the top-10 in the 11^th spot.

With his ninth-place finish in the opener at I-55 Raceway, Kinser picked up his 36th Top-10 of the season. The 20-time series champion remains fourth in points and is just 24 markers behind Saldana as the pair battles for the third spot.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series will take a weekend off before returning to racing action on Wednesday, August 19 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minnesota. The series will then move on to River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, North Dakota on August 21 and Dacotah Speedway in Mandan, North Dakota on August 22.

Quaker State Driver Remains Fourth in the Championship Point Standings

August 9, 2009 – The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series spent the weekend at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri for two nights of racing action. The Inaugural Ironman 55 was kicked off at the high-banked 1/3-mile bullring on Friday, August 7 with the finale that paid $20,000 to the winner taking place on Saturday, August 8.

With three A-feature wins at the track under his belt, Kinser hoped to add another win to his 2009 resume as he continues to pursue a record 21^st series championship.

Kicking off the weekend on a high note, the Bloomington, Indiana native turned in the quickest time during the qualifying session with a 10.209 second lap around the fast oval. Following that up with a runner-up finish in his heat race, Kinser went on to finish eighth in the Crane Cams Dash earning a fourth-row started spot in the A-main. The Quaker State driver finished ninth in the 30-lap main event earning another top-10 finish.

With the first night of competition completed, Kinser returned for Saturday night’s action and qualified the Quaker State Maxim in the eighth position. The King of Outlaws scored a fourth-place run in his heat race before the evening’s main event. After starting the feature in the 15^th position the 20-time champion finished the 55-lap A-main just outside the top-10 in the 11^th spot.

With his ninth-place finish in the opener at I-55 Raceway, Kinser picked up his 36th Top-10 of the season. The 20-time series champion remains fourth in points and is just 24 markers behind Saldana as the pair battles for the third spot.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series will take a weekend off before returning to racing action on Wednesday, August 19 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minnesota. The series will then move on to River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, North Dakota on August 21 and Dacotah Speedway in Mandan, North Dakota on August 22.

Twenty-Time Champion Continues Consistent Run Toward Record 21^st Championship

August 2, 2009 – The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series rounded out a busy month of racing with a stop across the border for two nights of racing action at Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario, Canada. Following the trip north the series then moved back to the states to kick of the month of August with an event at K-C Raceway in Alma, Ohio.

Kinser who has finished fourth or better in every race at the 3/8-mile of Ohsweken qualified his Quaker State Maxim in the ninth position during the first night of competition.  The 20-time champion went on to finish second in his heat race followed by a fifth-place finish in the Crane Cams Dash. With that run, Kinser started the 30-lap A-main from the third row before earning a top-five finish in his Quaker State Maxim by taking the checkered flag in the fourth spot.

The second night of competition proved to be another good showing for Kinser and the Quaker State team with the Bloomington, Indiana native qualifying in the 10^th position and finishing second once again in his heat race. A sixth-place run in the Crane Cams Dash gave the 20-time World of Outlaws champion a great starting spot for the main event. After 30 laps of racing action, Kinser wound up in the 10^th spot with his Quaker State Maxim.

Following the trip across the border the series moved back south for a stop at KC-Raceway in Ohio. Kinser had three career wins at the high-banked 3/8-mile bullring going into Saturday’s event.

With a 12^th-place qualifying run and a second-place finish in his heat race, Kinser went on to finish in the runner-up spot in the Crane Cams Dash earning a front-row starting position in the A-main. After starting the race in the second position, Kinser battled for the lead but could not make the pass. In the closing laps of the 40-lap event he again found himself in a battle but this time for the second spot. The Indiana native was able to hold on to the runner-up position for the checkered flag and earn his 24^th top-five finish of the season.

The 20-time series champion has racked up 36 top-10 finishes this season with 24 of those being top-five performances. He remains fourth in the championship point standings.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series will return to action with the inaugural Ironman 55 Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8 at I-55 Raceway near St. Louis, Missouri.

Quaker State Driver Scores 22^nd Top-Five Finish of the Season

July 27, 2009 – Following another busy week of racing, Quaker State driver Steve Kinser turned in mixed results after competing at three different tracks. The first stop for the series was at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pennsylvania for the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup. Following that event the series headed to central Pennsylvania for the Summer Nationals at the famed Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Virginia for what was two nights of scheduled racing action with the weekend rounded out by a stop at the fast high-banked half-mile of Lebanon Valley Speedway in New York.

Kicking off the week was the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup where Kinser was the defending champion. Unfortunately rain postponed the event from Tuesday to Wednesday but the cars were able to take to the track on the second attempt. After qualifying 16^th, Kinser took the win in his heat race. A seventh-place finish in the Crane Cams Dash put the 20-time champion in the fourth row for the feature event where he finished 13^th.

The series moved on to the famed Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania to kick the weekend off with the Summer Nationals. Kinser came out of the box strong on the first night of competition qualifying his Quaker State Maxim in the third position and bringing home a third-place run in his heat race. Starting the A-main in the 11^th spot, Kinser ended up 12th after 25 laps of competition at the semi-banked half-mile track.

The second night of competition was eventually cancelled after three rain delays and several attempts to work the track back in. With over half the program completed the A-feature will be run on Friday, October 2 when the series returns to the historic half-mile track.

Next up was a stop at the high-banked half-mile of Lebanon Valley Speedway where Kinser has won nine times in his career. The Bloomington, Indiana native started the main event from the pole after winning the Crane Cams Dash and ran in the second spot for the entirety of the 25-lap race. With his runner-up finish the 20-time champion earned his 22^nd top-five finish of the season aboard the Quaker State Maxim.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series heads north to Ohswekend Speedway in Ohsweken, Ontario, Canada next for a double-header beginning on Tuesday, July 28^th. After two nights of competition there the series will head back to the states to Chilicothe, Ohio and the K-C Raceway on August 1^st.

Twenty-Time Champion Struggled at Eldora over the Weekend

July 19, 2009 – Another busy week of racing action was in store for Steve Kinser and the Quaker State team with three stops beginning with the 21^st Annual Brad Doty Classic at Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, Ohio. Wrapping up the week was a double-header at Eldora Speedway which included the 26^th edition of the Kings Royal.

The 20-time champion started the week off on a great note by winning the Brad Doty Classic for the second time in his career. Kinser won the inaugural Brad Doty Classic in 1989 and was able to pick up another win in the special event on Wednesday claiming his second victory of the 2009 season.

After qualifying ninth and winning his heat race, the Quaker State driver earned a third row starting position in the A-main with a sixth-place finish in the Crane Cams Dash. After taking the lead on the 35^th lap and leading the remaining five circuits, the Bloomington, Indiana native crossed the start finish line on the point earning his 552^nd career win.

 “We have run good here every time we have come me,” noted Kinser. “Karl (Kinser) and me won races here in the late 70’s and I’m giving up my age there, but everyone knows how old I am anyway, so it doesn’t matter. I’ve always liked this place and it’s a completely different race track now. I’ve won a lot of races here.”

Following Wednesday’s night win, the Quaker State team headed over to the famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio for two nights of racing action. The Knight before the Kings Royal was held on Friday with the Kings Royal finale on Saturday night paying $50,000 to the winner.

On the first night of racing Kinser, who led all drivers with six wins in the event, qualified his Quaker State Maxim in the fourth spot and followed that up with another win in his heat race. After starting the A-main in the 11^th spot, Kinser took the checkered flag in the same position finishing 11^th.

On the second night at Eldora, Kinser qualified in the 21^st position and finished second in his heat race. A sixth-place finish in the Crane Cams Dash put the Quaker State driver in the sixth starting position for the 40-lap A-main where he finished a disappointing 19^th to round out the weekend.

The busy summer continues for the World of Outlaws Series with four stops this week beginning on Tuesday, July 21 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pennsylvania. The weekend will kick off with a double header at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania beginning on Friday, July 24 with the series rounding out the weekend with a final stop at Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, New York on Sunday, July 26.

Twenty–Time Champion Extends Series Lead of Most Top–10’s to 29

JULY 12, 2009 – The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series was busy this past week with three events in five days. The Series made a mid–week stop at 34 Raceway in Iowa followed by two weekend events at Charter Raceway Park in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin on Saturday and Cedar lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wisconsin on Sunday. Kinser came out of the trio with two top–five finishes all while extending his series–leading top–10 finishes to 29.

After finishing second in last year’s event at the high–banked 3/8–mile, Kinser entered Wednesday’s race at 34 Raceway with hopes of notching another win for the season. After qualifying the Quaker State Maxim in the 17^th position the 20–time champion came back and finished sixth in his heat race. The Bloomington, Indiana native had to compete in the B–main to qualify for the feature event and took the win to advance. Kinser started the A–main from the 17^th position and gained four spots in the 35 laps of competition to finish 13^th for the evening.

Entering Saturday’s event at Charter Raceway Park as the defending race winner, Kinser hoped for better results than Wednesday night. With a ninth–place qualifying run and a win in his heat race the Quaker State driver got off to a good start. Kinser followed those up with a second–place finish in the Crane Cams Dash to earn a front row starting position in the A–main. The 20–time champion battled early in the race for the second spot before settling into third where he took the checkered flag.

In the final night of competition, the Quaker State driver had another strong showing qualifying eighth and winning his heat race again. Kinser finished seventh in the Crane Cams Dash at the high–banked 3/8–mile of Cedar Lake Speedway putting him in the fourth row for the start of the 30–lap A–main. Gaining a couple of positions before the checkered flag waved, the Indiana native brought his Quaker State Maxim home to a fifth–place finish.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series continues a busy schedule as they take on three events in the next week. The first stop is another mid–week race at Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, Ohio on Wednesday, July 15 followed by a double–header over the weekend on Friday and Saturday night, July 17 – 18 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

Friday’s Event at Huset’s Speedway Falls to Rain

July 5, 2009 – The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series headed north to the upper Midwest for the holiday weekend for two scheduled events. The first stop was at Huset’s Speedway in South Dakota on Friday, July 3 followed by a stop at Eagle Raceway in Nebraska on Saturday. However, Mother Nature changed plans as rain forced the cancellation of Friday’s event at Huset’s with the Quaker State team turning their attention to the race at Eagle Raceway on Saturday night.

Going into Saturday’s event, Kinser had an unmatched record at the high-banked 1/3-mile track of Eagle Raceway with 24 career wins including 15 A-feature events. With his most recent victory coming in 2005, the Quaker State driver was hoping to add another win and gain some points in the championship battle.

After qualifying the Quaker State Maxim in the sixth position, the 20-time champion went on to finish third in his heat race. Starting from the sixth row in the 12^th position the Bloomington, Indiana native had his work cut out for him with only 40 laps in the A-main. Kinser was able to gain a spot and finish just outside the top-10 in the 11^th position.

Next up for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is a midweek stop at 34 Raceway in Burlington, Iowa on Wednesday, July 8. After a few days off the series will move on to the state of Wisconsin for an event at Charter Raceway Park in Beaver Dam on Saturday, July 11 followed by a stop at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond on Sunday, July 12 to round out the weekend.

Twenty-time Champion Continues March Toward 21^st Series Title

June 28, 2009 – Rounding out a busy month of racing action, the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series took to the track for two nights of intense racing action with stops at the U.S. 36 Raceway for the Missouri High-Banked Nationals on Friday, June 26 and Knoxville Raceway on Saturday, June 27. Quaker State’s Steve Kinser picked up two more top-10 finishes over the two nights of racing extending his series lead to 27 for the season.

The Bloomington, Indiana native kicked off the weekend with a 12^th-place qualifying run at the high-banked 3/8-mile of U.S. 36 Raceway. A win in his heat race advanced the Quaker State driver into the Crane Cams Dash where he finished ninth earning himself a fourth-row starting position for the A-main. The 20-time champion was able to pick up a couple of positions in the 35-lap feature finishing seventh for the evening adding to his growing string of top-10 finishes.

The Series moved on to Knoxville Raceway for Saturday night’s action where Kinser has won nearly 60 times over the last 31 years. After qualifying in the ninth position, the Quaker State driver won his heat race for the second night in a row and finished in the runner-up spot in the Crane Cams Dash. That second-place finish earned him a front-row starting spot for the A-Main. After starting from the second position, Kinser finished the 25-lap feature in the fourth spot in his Quaker State Maxim bringing his current total of top-10 finishes to 27.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series will celebrate the Fourth of July holiday with two nights of racing action beginning on Friday, July 3 at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, South Dakota. Following the Huset’s event will be racing action at Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Nebraska on Saturday, July 4.

Quaker State Driver Continues Streak of Top-10 Finishes

June 21, 2009 – The World of Outlaws Sprint car Series had a busy weekend of racing with three nights of racing action beginning at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, North Dakota on Friday, June 19 followed by events at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, North Dakota on Saturday, June 20 and Nodak Speedway in Minot, North Dakota on Sunday, June 21.

Kinser kicked off the weekend with a strong showing at the high-banked 3/10-mile River Cities Speedway. After qualifying in the sixth spot, the 20-time World of Outlaws champions scored a pair of wins by taking the top spot in his heat race as well as the Crane Cams Dash. With the Dash win, Kinser started the 40-lap A-main from the pole. The Quaker State driver battled side-by-side with eventual race winner Donny Schatz from the drop of the green flag before losing the second spot on the final lap to finish third.

 “I should have just stayed on the top the last lap,” said Kinser. “I tried to go to the bottom and missed the bottom and got hung up and let Joey (Saldana) get by me at the end.”

Saturday brought on the high-banked half-mile oval of Red River Valley Speedway where Kinser is the winningest driver in World of Outlaws competition. A seventh-place qualifying run led to another heat race win for the Bloomington, Indiana native. After starting in the 11^th spot for the 30-lap A-main, Kinser gained a couple of spots to finish ninth and keep his streak of top-10 finishes going.

The final night of racing action was at the high-banked 3/8-mile oval of Nodak Speedway. After qualifying the Quaker State Maxim in the fifth spot Kinser went on to finish fourth in his heat race. An eighth-place finish in the Crane Cams Dash put the Quaker State driver in the fourth starting row for the A-main. After 35 laps of racing action Kinser brought his Quaker State Maxim home to another top-10 finish taking the checkered flag in the ninth position.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returns to action on Friday, June 26 at U.S. 36 Raceway in Cameron, Missouri followed by an event at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa on Saturday, June 27, 2009.

Quaker State Driver Scores a Top-10 and Top-Five Finish in Two Nights of Racing

May 30, 2009 - The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series continued their busy schedule of racing with two events this past weekend. After racing on the East Coast a week ago, the series moved back to the Midwest with visits to Attica Raceway Park in Attica, Ohio on Friday night and I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan on Saturday.

Kicking off the weekend was a night full of racing action at the 1/3-mile high-banked oval of Attica Raceway Park. Kinser, with four victories at the track, was looking for his second victory of the season as he took to the high-banked Ohio bullring. After a slow start to the evening with a 36^th-place qualifying effort, the Quaker State driver earned a fourth-place finish in his heat race. Starting the A-feature from deep in the field, Kinser came from the back to finish 10^th in the Quaker State Maxim adding to his series-best record of 19 top-10 finishes.

Following Friday’s event the series moved on to Lake Odessa, Michigan to take on the half-mile oval of I-96 Speedway. Kinser was the defending winner at the track where he set a new track record in time trials, finished second in his heat race, won the Crane Cams Dash and led all but one lap in the main event one year ago.

Looking for a repeat of last year Kinser started the night off with a strong qualifying run placing his Quaker State Maxim in the third spot during time trials. A second-place finish in his heat race put the 20-time World of Outlaws champion in the Crane Cams Dash where he finished seventh.

After lining up seventh for the 30-lap A-main Kinser used a strong start to gain a couple of positions on the opening lap. Late in the race the Bloomington, Indiana native was able to snag the runner-up spot on a restart before taking the checkered flag.

With his strong weekend, Kinser moved to within 14 points of the lead in the series championship standings as he pursues his record 21^st championship title.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returns to action next weekend for two nights of racing at Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Racing action begins on Friday, June 5 with a second event on Saturday June, 6.

Quaker State Driver Continues to Record Top-Five and Top-10 Finishes

May 25, 2009 - The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series was busy over the Memorial Day weekend with a trio of races that kicked off on Friday, May 22 at The Dirt Track at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Following the event at Lowe’s was a stop at Virginia Motor Speedway for the Paul Sawyer Memorial. The final event run on Memorial Day was at Canadaigua Speedway in New York.

With two career wins in Charlotte, the 20-time series champion looked to continue his strong start to the 2009 season as he pursues his 21^st career championship.

Kinser kicked off the weekend by qualifying his Quaker State Maxim in the third spot followed by winning his heat race. A sixth-place run in the Crane Cams Dash put the Bloomington, Indiana native in the third row for the start of the 30-lap A-main. Kinser used a strong restart on the 22^nd lap of the feature event to gain a couple of spots putting himself in the fifth position where he took the checkered flag.

The series moved on to the semi-banked half-mile of Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, Virginia for Saturday night’s event. Kinser who has won in nearly every state he has competed was looking to add the state of Virginia to that list over the weekend. The Quaker State driver got off to a good start qualifying in the sixth position and finishing fourth in his heat race. After an 11^th-place start in the A-main, Kinser was able to score another top-10 finish by bringing his Quaker State Maxim home to a ninth-place finish scoring his 17^th top-10 finish in just 20 events run so far.

Capping off the holiday weekend was a stop at Canadaigua Speedway, a semi-banked half-mile track in Canadaigua, New York. Kinser led all drivers with four wins at the track going into the Memorial Day event.

After turning in the fifth fastest lap in time trials and finishing second in his heat race, Kinser came all the way from sixth to win the Crane Cams Dash to earn the pole for the main event. Starting from the point in the 25-lap A-main, Kinser battled for the lead in the first eight laps before being passed and dropping to the runner-up spot. The 20-time World of Outlaws champion wound up second in the Quaker State Maxim.

Next up for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is a stop at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, Ohio on Friday, May 29 followed by a visit to I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan on Saturday May 30.

Twenty-Time Champion Remains Second in Championship Point Standings

May 15, 2009 - The World of Outlaws had a busy week of racing with three events scheduled in two different states. Making their first trip of the season to the East Coast the Series was set for an event at Delaware International Speedway on Tuesday, May 12 and two nights of racing action at Williams Grove Speedway beginning on Thursday, May 14.

Kinser claimed the win at the semi-banked half-mile of Delaware International Speedway back in 2003. The 20-time champion also won at William Grove Speedway last spring to earn his 38^th career victory at the half-mile oval.

During Tuesday’s event, Kinser qualified the Quaker State Maxim in the 19^th position during time trials following that up with a heat race win. A second-place finish in the Crane Cams Dash put the Bloomington, Indiana native on the outside of the front row for the A-main.

Once the green flag waved, the Quaker State driver powered his way to the lead in turns one and two after a second restart. However, another incident brought out the red flag causing the field to make a third restart to get the racing under way. After 30 laps of racing the 20-time champion took the checkered flag in the second spot recording another top-five finish.

With Kinser’s second-place finish he earned his series leading 15^th top-10 finish of the season as he continues his march toward a record-setting 21^st championship.

The series then moved over to the famed Williams Grove Speedway for two nights of racing action. With persistent rains on Thursday the opening night at the speedway was cancelled making it a one-day show. However the weather was more cooperative for Friday’s event allowing the cars to take to the track.

After qualifying in the 23^rd position, Kinser turned in a third-place run in his heat race transferring him into the A-feature. Starting from the 21^st position, the Quaker State driver had engine troubles that ended his night early and put him in the 24^th finishing position.

Kinser remains second in the championship point standings, 39 points out of first.

The World of Outlaws return to action Friday, May 22 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. The event will be televised live on SPEED beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Twenty-Time Champion Finishes 21^st after Suffering a Broken Pinion Gear

ROSSBURG, OH (May 10, 2009) - The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series headed to the famed Eldora Speedway to open its season this past weekend. After Friday night’s events were cancelled because of rain Steve Kinser and his Quaker State team continued their champion run by leading much of the A-main on Saturday night before breaking a pinion gear with just over a lap remaining. The 20-time Champion managed to finish 21^st in his Quaker State Maxim, only his second finish outside the top-10 this season.

With four heat races in the books, the skies opened and the rain began to fall causing Series officials to cancel the remaining events on Friday night. Kinser, the winningest driver in the history of Eldora Speedway, had to wait until Saturday night to get back to racing action.

The Bloomington, Indiana native came out of the box strong on Saturday night qualifying the Quaker State Maxim in the 12^th position. With a pair of second-place finishes in his heat race and the Crane Cams Dash, Kinser put himself on the outside of the front row to start the 30-lap A-main.

The 20-time World of Outlaws Champion took the lead on the second lap but ended up in a two-car battle swapping the top spot in the opening laps of the main event. It was on lap four that Kinser retook the lead and opened up a sizeable margin on the second-place car. Kinser remained on top of the leader board until the final laps of the race.

The Indiana native was well on his way to his second win of the 2009 season when a pinion gear broke with just two laps remaining dropping him in the field before finishing in the 21^st position.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series will return to action on Tuesday, May 12 at Delaware International Speedway in Delmar, Delaware. Following that event the Series moves on to Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsville, Pennsylvania for a double-header on Thursday, May 14 and Friday May 15.

Quaker State Driver Maintains Point Lead for Second Week in a Row

KNOXVILLE, IA (May 2, 2009) - The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series headed to the Midwest this weekend with scheduled stops at Huset’s Speedway in South Dakota and the famed Knoxville Raceway in Iowa.

Flooding and wet weather forced the cancellation of the event at Huset’s Speedway on Friday causing the Series to turn their attention to Saturday’s running at the semi-banked half-mile of Knoxville Raceway.

Steve Kinser was coming off his first win of the 2009 season with nearly 60 wins at the famed track going into Saturday’s event.

The Bloomington, Indiana native won his heat race after qualifying in the eighth position. He followed that up with a fifth-place finish in the six-lap Crane Cams Dash. Starting from the fifth spot Kinser fell back a few spots early in the event before working his way back to the front. Using a late-race restart to snag the third position the Quaker State driver finished third to earn his series best 14^th top-10 finish in just 15 events.

"I didn’t run the best race in the world in the feature," said Kinser. "I was in the wrong spot going into (turn) one and got kind of tangled up and lost a couple of spots. Then I just lost the balance on the car a little bit. It wasn’t a bad run, we just need to be a little better."

Kinser remains the points leader with a 25-point advantage over the second-place driver.

The World of Outlaws return to action at the famed Eldora Speedway in Ohio on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9.

Twenty-Time World of Outlaws Champion Takes over Points Lead after Victory

April 26, 2009 - The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series continued its string of visits to the high-banked bullrings with stops at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Arkansas and Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana this past weekend.

Steve Kinser, who had two career wins at Riverside and seven at Tri-State Speedway with the series, entered the weekend second in points and looking for his first win of the 2009 season.

Kinser qualified 10^th quickest the high-banked ¼-mile Riverside International Speedway and followed that up with another heat-race win.  A ninth-place run in the Crane Cams Dash earned the Bloomington, Indiana native a top-10 starting position in the A-main. After 40 laps of racing action, Kinser brought the No. 11 Quaker State Maxim home to an eighth-place finish.

The series then moved on to Tri-State Speedway for Saturday night’s event. The last time Kinser won at the high-banked ¼-mile track was back in 2007. After starting from the pole with a Crane Cams Dash win, Kinser returned to Victory Lane after winning Saturday Night’s race at the track. The Quaker State driver fell back to the fourth position just after the green flag waved but moved back into the third position before regaining the runner-up spot. Kinser wound up leading just three laps in the feature but was at the point when the checkered flag fell.

Kinser took over the points lead with his victory and earned his 551^st World of Outlaws career win.

Next up for the World of Outlaws Series is a stop at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, South Dakota on May 1, 2009 followed by some racing action at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa on Saturday, May 2, 2009.

King of Outlaws Scores another Top-Five Finish at Paducah

April 18, 2008 – The World of Outlaws headed to the Midwest for the first time of the season this past weekend for a doubleheader at Paducah International Raceway in Kentucky and I-55 Raceway in Missouri.

Racing action began on Friday at the high-banked 3/8-mile track of Paducah International Raceway. Steve Kinser had finished on the podium in three of his four career starts at Paducah in his Quaker State Maxim prior to Friday night’s event.

The Bloomington, Indiana native started the night off on a strong note by winning his heat race after qualifying the No. 11 Quaker State Maxim in the 13^th spot. The 20-time World of Outlaws champion finished seventh in the Crane Cams Dash after six laps of racing action putting himself in the seventh starting spot for the 30-lap A-main.

The Quaker State driver finished fourth in the feature picking up his series leading 11^th top-10 finish of the season while remaining second in the series point standings just 28 markers behind the leader.

Following the event at Paducah the series moved on to the high-banked 1/3-mile oval of I-55 Raceway. Unfortunately persistent rain caused officials to cancel Saturday night’s (April 18) event. The series will return to the race track on August 7 – 8 for a two-day event that will pay $20,000 to win.

The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, April 24 at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Arkansas followed by a visit to Tri-State Speedway on Saturday, April 25 in Haubstadt, Indiana.

Quaker State Driver Remains Second in the World of Outlaws Point Standings

HOUSTON, TX (April 12, 2009) – Steve Kinser, 20-time World of Outlaws (WoO) champion, continues his pursuit of number 21 with a solid weekend in Texas behind the wheel of his Quaker State Maxim. After a pair of top-five finishes in a Texas double-header, Kinser sits second in the standings, just 24 points out of the top spot after 10 races.

The race on Friday night was the first for the WoO at Lone Star Speedway, Kilgore, TX since 2004 and a huge crowd welcomed the series back to the blazing fast half-mile track to watch Kinser wage a great battle with race winner Joey Saldana and defending WoO champion and current points leader Donny Schatz to finish third.

The “King” of the Outlaws qualified 11^th and went on to win his heat race.  His fifth place finish in the Crane Cams Dash put him on the inside of row three for the start of the 30-lap A-Main. In a race slowed eight times by caution, Kinser was able to run with the leaders but had to settle for the final podium position at the checkered flag for his ninth top-10 finish of the season.

“We were a little off in the feature,” stated Kinser. “We’ll go back at it tomorrow night. We were pretty consistent, but we still need to be a little bit quicker. We made some changes tonight and it didn’t really seem to fit what I wanted to do. We’ll just plugging away, that’s all we can do.”

Saturday night the touring winged sprint car warriors took on the high-banked 1/4-mile Houston Raceway Park, Baytown, TX.  Kinser qualified the Quaker State car 10^th and went on to finish second in his heat race.  A second place finish in the Crane Cam Dash put him on the outside of the front row for the feature.

Battling the usual suspects for the lead throughout the entire 40-lap race, Kinser had to settle for fifth in the final finishing order behind Saldana, who picked up his second consecutive win, Schatz, Craig Dollansky and Danny Lasoski.

Kinser has 10 top-10 finishes in the first 11 races of the 80-plus 2009 WoO season.

The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, April 17 at Paducah International Raceway in Kentucky followed by a stop at 1-55 Raceway in Missouri on Saturday, April 18.

PHOENIX, AZ (March28, 2009) - The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series made its final visit to the semi-banked ½-mile oval of Manzanita Speedway on Saturday, March 28. Quaker State driver Steve Kinser entered the final event with nine career A-feature wins, the series’ all-time leader. Almost 32 years after making his debut at the legendary track, Kinser reflected on his time spent at the track prior to Saturday’s race.

"I’ve always enjoyed running there," said Kinser. "I’ve been racing there since the late 70’s. It’s always been a good race track for us and I’ve had a lot of success there. I’ve always enjoyed going to that area and racing, but I guess nothing lasts forever. That’s just sort of the way it is."

Kinser qualified the Quaker State Maxim in the eighth position and followed his strong qualifying run with another solid showing in his heat race. Finishing second in the eight-lap heat race Kinser automatically transferred to the A-feature but made a run in the Crane Cams Dash first to determine his starting position. With a fifth-place finish in the Dash, the 20-time World of Outlaws Champions secured himself a top-five start in the A-main.

Kinser battled his longtime rival Sammy Swindell for a number of laps for the second spot a couple of different times over the course of the race. The Bloomington, Indiana native was running second in the early going of the 30-lap feature. The Quaker State driver kept pace with the leader for a number of laps en route to a second-place finish in the A-main. With his solid run, Kinser moved to within 11 points of the series points leader.

"We were pretty good," said Kinser. "I got a little loose and with the rubber coming in, I was afraid to burn the tire off, so I went a little conservative."

Kinser continued his streak of solid finishes in the start of the 2009 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. With nine races complete, the Quaker State driver has scored eight top-10 finishes several of which were top-five runs.

Next up for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is two stops in the great state of Texas. The Series will take a weekend off before returning to action on April 10 at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, Texas followed by an appearance at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas on April 11.

Quaker State Driver is only Competitor to Finish in Top-10 in all Six A-Feature Events of 2009

CHICO, CA (March 13, 2009) - The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returned to action this weekend for the 23^rd Annual Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California. For the first time since 1992, the World of Outlaws sanctioned the Mini Gold Cup at the always racy ¼-mile track. After starting the 2009 season with four consecutive events on half-mile tracks, Friday and Saturday’s events marked the first short track races of the season for the series.

Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws champion, has had unmatched success at Silver Dollar Speedway with the series, scoring 22 wins dating back to 1979. He had nearly 50 Top-10 finishes over the last 30 years at the ¼-mile coming into this weekend’s events.

In the opening night of competition the Bloomsburg, Indiana native turned in a very impressive run coming from the back of the field after having to go to a back-up car after a hard crash in the Crane Cams Dash. Kinser started the evening off with a 13^th-place qualifying run and followed that up by winning his 10-lap heat race to move him into the Crane Cams Dash where he was scored with a ninth-place finish. However under World of Outlaws rules, the Quaker State driver had to start the 40-lap A-main in the rear of the field in his back-up Maxim. For the second time in the last three races, Kinser came from the back of the field to pass the most cars and earn a top-five finish when he took the checkered flag in the fifth spot.

The second night of racing action proved to be just as successful for Kinser as he scored yet another top-five finish in the feature event.

The 20-time Champion began the evening with a top-10 qualifying run putting his Quaker State Maxim ninth on the time trails list. Just like the night before, Kinser won his heat race transferring him into the A-feature and earning him a spot in the Crane Cams Dash, used to determine the first 10 starting spots of the feature. Kinser’s fourth-place finish in the Dash set the Quaker State driver up for a top-five start in the A-main feature.

Kinser’s fifth-place finish in the finale of the Mini Gold Cup on Saturday marked him as the only driver that has finished in the top-10 in each of the six A-Feature events contested in the 2009 season. It also helped the champion gain 21 markers on the points leader as he now sits just 16 points out of the lead as he chases his record 21^st series title.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returns to action next weekend at Thunderbowl Speedway in Tulare, California. Two nights of racing action are set to begin on Friday, March 20 with competition continuing on Saturday, March 21.

Twenty-Time Champion has Solid Start to 2009 Season

LAS VEGAS, NV (February 27, 2009) - The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returned to The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this past week for their fourth event of the 2009 season.

Quaker State driver Steve Kinser picked up his first win at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the opener of a three-night event on March 2, 2000. The Bloomington, Indiana native looking for his first win of the 2009 season entered this year’s event trailing point leader Donny Schatz by just 21 points.

The cars took to the semi-banked half-mile oval for the first time since 2006 opening the racing action with qualifying. Kinser and his Quaker State team turned in a lap of 14.616 seconds, good enough to put them 14th overall.

The 20-time World of Outlaws Champion competed in his heat race where he finished sixth in the eight-lap race advancing him on to the A-main later in the evening.

Kinser raced hard throughout the 30-lap feature event gaining six spot to finish eighth for the evening. With his top-10 run Kinser now has a three top-10 finishes along with a top-five in the first four events of the season.

Next up for the Quaker State team is the Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California on March 13-14. This year’s running of the event will mark the first time since 1992 that the World of Outlaws has sanctioned the Mini Gold Cup. Kinser is a former winner of the Mini Gold Cup.

Steve Kinser Scores one Top-Five and a pair of Sixth-Place finishes in the Quaker State Maxim

BARBERVILLE, NC (February 9, 2009) – The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series kicked off the 2009 season at Volusia Speedway Park with the 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH on Friday, February 6th.

Steve Kinser returned to the semi-banked half-mile oval in his No. 11 Quaker State Maxim hoping to kick his season off in a strong manner.

Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws champion, has four career wins at the track and was victorious for the first time at Volusia Speedway Park in 1984. He won for the last time in World of Outlaws action at the track in 2005. He finished third or better in each of his first 10 starts at the track between 1979 and 2005.

“That is one of the toughest fields you’ll probably have all year,” admitted Kinser. “Everyone is down there with fresh motors, ready to run. If you get started off good there, it’s a plus for the whole season.”

Kinser qualified with a strong fourth-place run in the opening night of action. He followed that up with a third-place finish in his heat race transferring the Bloomington, Indiana native into the A-feature. The Quaker State driver took the checkered flag in the sixth position after 30 laps of intense racing action in the feature.

The following evening, the Indiana native kept up his strong showing qualifying fourth in time trials. A top-five finish in his heat race once again transferred the 20-time World of Outlaws champion to the A-feature where he finished sixth for the second night in a row.

In the final night of racing action, Kinser charged all the way from the back of the field to score his first top-five finish of the season finishing fifth in the feature. The Quaker State team elected to start at the tail of the field after they believed there was a problem with the engine. On his way to his top-five finish Kinser put the Quaker State Maxim in the fifth position during qualifying and followed that up with a third place finish in his heat race.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returns to action on February 26 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Q Oil Driver Finishes Third in 2008 Championship Point Standings

CONCORD, NC (November 2, 2008) – After more than nine months of racing across the country Steve Kinser and the Q Oil team rolled into The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina for the final weekend of racing action in the 2008 Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series season.

Kinser who won the thrilling finale of the inaugural VAULT World Finals last season on the semi-banked 0.4-mile oval entered the weekend looking to extend his string of top-10 finishes at the track after finishing in the top-10 in all 17 events he has competed at the track.

On track action began on Thursday, October 30 with two rounds of time trials which were used to determine the heat race line-ups for Friday and Saturday night. Kinser, one of 47 cars taking time on Thursday, put the Q Oil Maxim in the third spot with a lap at 12.404 seconds.

During Friday night’s event, the 20-time champion finished fourth in his heat race and transferred to the Crane Cams Dash for the six-lap race used to determine the first 10 starting positions in the A-feature. After finishing eighth in the Dash, Kinser was set to roll off from the fourth row in the 30-lap A-main. The Bloomington, Indiana native worked his way into the top five before finishing fourth for the evening.

Starting a little further back in Saturday’s event, Kinser came all the way from the 14th starting spot to finish sixth in the 30-lap A-main. The Q Oil driver finished third in his heat race earlier in the evening advancing him into the A-feature main event.

The 20-time World of Outlaws champion finished the 2008 season with seven wins bringing his career total to 550. In addition, Kinser racked up 49 top-10 finishes, with 33 of those being top-fives en route to a third-place finish in the 2008 championship point standings.