Outlaws’ 25th Anniversary season resumes Tuesday

ARCADIA, Wis. -- After taking a weekend from their rigorous 100-race schedule to regroup, the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series’ fire-breathing, mudslinging sprint car racing teams will be back in action this week.

"The greatest show on dirt will christen Fox Ridge Speedway Tuesday, then sanction the Sixth Annual Duel in the Dakotas at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, ND, Thursday through Saturday.

Steve Kinser, who has won 55 of his 480 "A" Feature victories in first-time visits to new facilities, will continue his pursuit of O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series points leader Danny Lasoski at Fox Ridge’s high-banked, 3/8-mile oval. "The King of the Outlaws" has won two straight main events and has closed to within 31 points of Lasoski while recording 12 straight single-digit finishes.

While Kinser leads the series with nine "A" Feature victories, "The Dude" has two more top-10 finishes and two more top-fives than the defending and 17-time series champion. "The King of the Outlaws" has won 12 Dash Races, while Lasoski leads the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series with 11 fast times.

Donny Schatz will be a young man on a mission as he attempts to defend his Duel in the Dakotas championship this weekend. The Fargo resident won the event last July 6th, exchanging the lead with Joey Saldana twice and beating defending champion Craig Dollansky under the checkered flag by a straightaway.

"This is just incredible!" Schatz yelled to the standing-room-only crowd. "This is probably the biggest win of my career. I’ve wanted this one for so long, and to finally get a win here in front of all my family and friends just means so much.

"I got by Joey once, and he drove back under me, but I knew we’d get another shot at him. The Parker Stores/Subway/Bellerud Trucking car was good down low, and I knew with the hard tire we had on we’d be better the longer we went. I just want to thank everyone for coming out and supporting me. We had a great car all weekend, and we finally got it done tonight."

Schatz, the 1997 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, has won main events at State Fair Speedway and Lernerville Speedway this season.

Sammy Swindell, a six-time winner at Red River Valley Speedway, will join Lasoski, Kinser, Saldana, Daryn Pittman, Rookie of the Year candidate Jason Sides, Mark Kinser, Tim Shaffer, Paul McMahan and Jason Meyers to dethrone the hometown favorite and defending event winner.