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Donny Schatz Slides To Victory In The World of Outlaws Batesville Bash

Locust Grove, AR — March 31, 2006 — By Chris Dolack, VP Public Relations

Donny Schatz looked high and low for a way to slip past Terry McCarl in a dash Friday night during the World of Outlaws Batesville Bash. While he didn’t get the pass done there, Schatz put that experience to work in the feature as he slid in front of McCarl during a thrilling mid-race duel and held onto the lead for his second victory of the season.

McCarl was able to fight off Schatz on each lap during that dash, but when the main event rolled onto high-speed 3/8-mile Batesville Speedway, Schatz had a plan to swipe the lead. McCarl quickly jumped out front as Schatz powered his way into second. After racing back-and-forth midway through the 30-lap event, Schatz found a line that carried his ParkerStore J&J around McCarl and into the lead just before a caution prevented McCarl’s Big Game Treestands Eagle from trying to slide back around.

Schatz held his ground on a series of restarts the rest of the way and motored into the RacinSoles Victory Lane, becoming the first repeat winner in seven World of Outlaws events in 2006.

McCarl also fended off a series of challenges on restarts to claim second for his fifth top-five finish. He now trails Schatz by only 19 points in the championship standings.

While Schatz and McCarl put on a show at the front, Brooke Tatnell, Craig Dollansky and Jac Haudenschild were equally impressive in charging from deep in the field on the fast 3/8-mile oval to earn top-five finishes. Tatnell, who started 15th in the Garlic Jim’s Pizza/Castrol Eagle, and Dollansky, who started 13th in the Karavan Trailers machine, raced back-and-forth through traffic to earn third- and fourth-place finishes. Jac Haudenschild picked up a fifth-place finish after starting the feature from the 12th spot on the grid in the Wright One Construction Maxim.

Travis Rilat wrapped up a strong night of racing with a sixth-place finish in the F&J Construction Maxim. He was followed to the checkered flag by three-time World of Outlaws champion Sammy Swindell in the Mopar-powered Volcano Joe’s Coffee/Wirtgen Maxim, Daryn Pittman in the Titan Garages and Carports Maxim, Joey Saldana in the Mopar-powered Central Merchant Services JEI and Greg Wilson in the Tony’s Restaurant & Pub Maxim.

Schatz won Friday night because he was able to put his car anywhere he needed to slip past McCarl. When McCarl was low, Schatz went high. When McCarl was on the top, Schatz was on the bottom. For 17 laps it was unclear whether or not McCarl could continue to hold off Schatz, but on Lap 18 Schatz wouldn’t be denied.

“It’s just the way you have to do it,” said Schatz, a Mean 15 racer from Fargo, N.D. “You can’t drive around him when you’re in his line. Out here with these guys, you don’t wait for them to make a mistake. You have to put yourself in a position where you’re there when there’s a lapped car that causes them to slow or bobble or any of those situations. That’s the way my dad taught me to race, you race where they’re not. When Terry used up the bottom, I went to the top. When he used up the top, I went to the bottom. That’s basically what gets the passes done for me. There are times when it costs me spots, but nine times out of 10 it gains me spots. It’s just the way I race. I’m not going to follow a guy because I don’t run into people and I don’t move them out of the way. I’m not NASCAR. You’ve got to go where they’re not and get your car slowed down and working in the right spots.”

McCarl was disappointed he wasn’t able to hang on for his first World of Outlaws win of the season.

“I got through traffic real good early and then I made a mistake one time and he got by me,” said McCarl, a Mean 15 racer from Altoona, Iowa. “Then he made a mistake and I drove back by him and then the caution came out. I think if that hadn’t happened, I wasn’t going to make another mistake.

“This is what the fans are going to see. This is going to be a great year for racing. It’s going to be a battle. I ran second in a World of Outlaws show and I’m disappointed. That’s actually good because it shows you where our mental attitude is at right now. We come here to win races and win this championship. I’m a little disappointed right now. I made a little bit of a mistake, but if he had been in second it would have been difficult to beat me.

“I should have followed him through Turns 1 and 2, but I was getting such a great run on him, I was getting way better starts, but there was just nothing coming off of Turn 2. On the second to last restart, I was going to follow him and try to drive by him in Turns 3 and 4 but he got loose at the cone so I had to dive under him. On the last restart he moved up to the top and I wasn’t quite as good on that start. He did a great job, but if I had been out front and he was in dirty air it would have been a little more difficult for him to pass us. We’ll take second and hopefully pick one up Saturday at I-55 Raceway.”

Tatnell, who got engaged to his girlfriend Amy in the break between World of Outlaws events in March, told his team ahead of time it was all or nothing in the feature.

“We were maneuverable,” said Tatnell, a Mean 15 racer from San Souci, New South Wales, Australia. “We were really good right on the bottom and really good on the top. We just had to race where no one else was. We had nothing to lose. If I lost five spots trying, then it was better than gaining one by being complacent.

“It was just a racy deal. We’re fast, now we just have to put the whole package together.”

For Dollansky, a combination of new equipment and crew members came together during the feature to launch him toward the front. He and Tatnell used the early green-flag runs to make their moves, but a series of late-race cautions hampered their attempts to continue their momentum toward the lead.

“We just kept working on the racecar throughout the night,” said Dollansky, a Mean 15 racer from Elk River, Minn. “We’re working on the racecars and have a different shock program now. Everything’s kind of new to us, plus we changed up the crew. Everything was kind of a learning curve for us tonight, but I think we reached a point where I had a racecar that I could maneuver with and work with. It seemed like I could go to the bottom or go to the top and work on either place. When you can do that, you can make up some time through the field.

“The cautions held me up because we were coming. Had it stayed green we had a good shot at this.”

In the end, what pleased Schatz the most was his success on a high-banked oval, a type of track where he’s been looking for solid finishes as the series prepares to compete April 7-8 at high-bank, high-speed historic Eldora Speedway.

“There are places with banking where we haven’t been good so we’re glad we’re running decent on a high-bank oval so we can go to Eldora next week and run the same,” Schatz said.

Following the back-to-back events this weekend at Batesville Speedway and I-55 Raceway, the World of Outlaws Mean 15 racers will invade historic Eldora Speedway for a two-day event presented by McDonald’s on April 7-8 before racing in Indiana April 15 at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt and April 21 in the City of Lawrenceburg Sprint Nationals at Lawrenceburg Speedway near Cincinnati. The series closes out the month with races April 29 at legendary Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, and April 30 at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D.

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

BATESVILLE BASH NOTEBOOK
• FAST QUALIFIER: Jason Solwold paced the 39-car field in the City Wide Insulation Maxim with a record-tying AMB i.t.-timed lap around the 3/8-mile oval in 10.76 seconds at 125.628 mph. For his qualifying effort, Solwold earned five bonus points. The next four fastest qualifiers also earned bonus points, including Donny Schatz (4), Sammy Swindell (3), Paul McMahan (2) and Craig Dollansky (1). The initial single-lap record of 10.746 seconds at 125.628 mph was established on April 1, 2005.

• VICTORY PARADE: Donny Schatz’s victory Friday night at Batesville Speedway was his second World of Outlaws victory this season. There have been six different racers in seven events to visit the RacinSoles Victory Lane with the World of Outlaws this season. In addition to Schatz’s win Friday night, he also won March 9 at half-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The win list also includes Sammy Swindell (March 10 at Las Vegas), Paul McMahan (March 4 at USA Race Park), Danny Lasoski (March 3 at Manzanita), Joey Saldana (Feb. 10 at Volusia) and Chad Kemenah (Feb. 9 at Volusia).

• 3/8-MILE WINNERS: Batesville Speedway is a 3/8-mile oval. The series has now raced twice this season on a track that size. Winners include Donny Schatz (Batesville) and Paul McMahan (USA Race Park).

• VICTORY LANE SPONSOR: RacinSoles, the top shoe insole in motorsports, is the new World of Outlaws Sprint Series Victory Lane sponsor. “The World of Outlaws is an exceptional tour,” said RacinSoles President Jason Hale. “In sponsoring this tour we hope to enlighten drivers and fans of the relief from aching feet, leg and back pain.” Sold at most major motorsports and select World of Outlaws events around the country, RacinSoles will also be sold exclusively online at RacinBoys.com. A family-owned company since 1975, RacinSoles provides a therapeutic foot massage through a glycerin-filled shoe insole with a cambrelle lining. The soles are guaranteed for a year.

• HENDERSON ADDS SPONSOR: For the second consecutive event, Justin Henderson has gained a sponsor. After Race Girl joined his team at Las Vegas, Jolt Energy Gum has come onboard at Batesville. Jolt chewing gum contains caffeine plus Guarana and Ginseng for maximum energy. Fans are invited to stop by Justin’s trailer in the pits for free samples. “We like the sport and the fans of sprint car racing,” said Jolt President Kevin Gass. “We did a program last year that was more of a regional effort with good results and this year we wanted to get more of a national presence. The World of Outlaws and Justin Henderson brings that and more. During those 40 lap features, Justin can pop two pieces of Jolt before the race and be ready to blast by the competition. We are looking forward to a very long and prosperous relationship with Justin and helping in him his mission of winning Rookie of the Year honors.” Henderson’s machine is now the Race Girl/Jolt Energy Gum Schnee powered by Hollywood Engines.

• HINDI SPONSOR: RealTruck.com has joined Neon Dion Hindi to sponsor his No. 11D J&J. Based in Jamestown, N.D., RealTruck.com is the recognized leader in aftermarket accessories and performance parts for trucks and sport utility vehicles. Fans will be able to utilize a special Dion Hindi coupon that will save them 5 percent on their entire order. RealTruck.com also provides free shipping on orders of more than $100 and unmatched customer service and all products are backed with a 30-day money-back guarantee. “This is a great opportunity for RealTruck.com,” said Director of Business Development Garry Fliflet. “World of Outlaws fans are truck owners and are very loyal to the products in the sport. It is a great fit for us and for our existing customers, as well as to attract new ones. Dion is a great spokesperson to represent us at the track on and off. All you have to do is enter or mention the coupon code DH#11 for an additional 5 percent off any order. This is going to be an exciting year and we look forward to supporting Dion and the team in their quest for a strong run with the Outlaws in 2006.”

• QUALIFYING EVENTS: Jason Solwold captured the first dash while Terry McCarl held off Donny Schatz to win the second dash. … Kevin Swindell earned a victory in the B-main with Brooke Tatnell, Craig Dollansky and Randy Hannagan earning transfer spots to the feature. … Heat race winners included Bill Rose, Donny Schatz, Kerry Madsen and Brian Carlson.

• ON TELEVISION: Coverage of the Batesville Bash was broadcast through a Cybercast at DIRTVision.com. The Outdoor Channel will air at 8 p.m. (ET) on April 5 the World of Outlaws event from I-55 Raceway. The Outdoor Channel is available nationwide through the DISH Network (Channel 153) and DIRECTV (Channel 606).

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

• UP NEXT: Following the back-to-back events this weekend at Batesville Speedway and I-55 Raceway, the World of Outlaws Mean 15 racers will invade historic Eldora Speedway for a two-day event presented by McDonald’s on April 7-8 before racing in Indiana April 15 at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt and April 21 in the City of Lawrenceburg Sprint Nationals at Lawrenceburg Speedway near Cincinnati. The series closes out the month with races April 29 at legendary Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, and April 30 at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D.

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

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

World of Outlaws Sprint Series Statistical Report; Batesville Speedway; Locust Grove, Ark.; March 31, 2006
Qualifying
1) Jason Solwold, Carnahan R19, 10.746
2) Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 10.760
3) Sammy Swindell, Forbrook 5, 10.793
4) Paul McMahan, Stewart 20, 10.826
5) Craig Dollansky, Karavan 7, 10.848
6) Kevin Swindell, Swindell 1, 10.854
7) Justin Henderson, Oswalt D1, 10.856
8) Brooke Tatnell, Rush Racing 8, 10.895
9) Terry McCarl, McCarl 24, 10.906
10) Daryn Pittman, Titan Racing USA 21, 10.921
11) Mark Dobmeier, Dobmeier 13, 10.949
12) Danny Lasoski, Roith 83, 10.966
13) Jac Haudenschild, Wright 35, 10.984
14) Chad Kemenah, Kemenah 15K, 11.004
15) Tony Bruce, Jr., Bruce 18B, 11.030
16) Travis Rilat, Threatt 29, 11.033
17) Joey Saldana, Kahne 9, 11.033
18) Sam Hafertepe, Jr., Hafertepe 15H, 11.056
19) Kerry Madsen, VerMeer 55, 11.060
20) Greg Wilson, Warnimont 20W, 11.081
21) Brian Carlson, SC Motorsports 18, 11.113
22) Jeremy Campbell, Campbell 10C, 11.141
23) Tim Montgomery, Cooper 01, 11.177
24) Bill Rose, Rose 6, 11.192
25) Dion Hindi, Hindi 11D, 11.200
26) Randy Hannagan, TH Racing 1X, 11.206
27) Becca Anderson, Woodring 19, 11.231
28) Mike Ward, Ward 88, 11.242
29) Jerrod Hull, Hammers 94, 11.253
30) Rob Chaney, Martin 36, 11.294
31) Kaley Gharst, Gharst 44G, 11.405
32) Natalie Sather, Sather 94S, 11.416
33) Abe Sherwood, Kantor 44, 11.476
35) Adam Jones, Jones 1A, 11.584
36) Sean Walden, Walden 14W, 11.616
37) Danny Horner, Horner 75H, 12.098
38) James Mosher, Mosher 12M, 12.273
39) Joe Young, Young 12T, 12.403

First Heat Race (8 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) Bill Rose
2) Joey Saldana
3) Terry McCarl
4) Jason Solwold
5) Travis Rilat
6) Brooke Tatnell
7) Dion Hindi
8) Abe Sherwood
9) Jerrod Hull (DNS)

Second Heat Race (8 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) Donny Schatz
2) Sam Hafertepe, Jr.
3) Daryn Pittman
4) Justin Henderson
5) Tim Montgomery
6) Rob Chaney
7) Tony Bruce, Jr.
8) Randy Hannagan
9) James Mosher

Third Heat Race (8 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) Kerry Madsen
2) Sammy Swindell
3) Jeremy Campbell
4) Mark Dobmeier
5) Chad Kemenah
6) Kevin Swindell
7) Kaley Gharst
8) Becca Anderson
9) Adam Jones
10) Joe Young

Fourth Heat Race (8 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) Brian Carlson
2) Greg Wilson
3) Jac Haudenschild
4) Danny Lasoski
5) Paul McMahan
6) Craig Dollansky
7) Mike Ward
8) Sean Walden
9) Natalie Sather
10) Danny Horner (DNS)

First Dash (6 laps, finishing order determined inside first 6 rows of A-feature)
1) Jason Solwold
2) Justin Henderson
3) Danny Lasoski
4) Chad Kemenah
5) Sammy Swindell
6) Daryn Pittman

Second Dash (6 laps, finishing order determined outside first 6 rows of A-feature)
1) Terry McCarl
2) Donny Schatz
3) Paul McMahan
4) Mark Dobmeier
5) Travis Rilat
6) Jac Haudenschild

B-main (12 laps, top 4 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) Kevin Swindell
2) Craig Dollansky
3) Brooke Tatnell
4) Randy Hannagan
5) Tony Bruce, Jr. [$200]
6) Dion Hindi [$180]
7) Becca Anderson [$175]
8) Rob Chaney [$160]
9) Kaley Gharst [$150]
10) Jerrod Hull [$150]
11) Abe Sherwood [$150]
12) Natalie Sather [$150]
13) Danny Horner [$150]
14) Adam Jones [$150]
15) James Mosher [$150]
16) Joe Young [$150]
17) Sean Walden [$150]
18) Mike Ward [$150]
19) Chad Meyer (DNS) [$150]

A-main (30 laps)
1) Donny Schatz [$10,000]
2) Terry McCarl [$5,500]
3) Brooke Tatnell [$3,200]
4) Craig Dollansky [$2,800]
5) Jac Haudenschild [$2,500]
6) Travis Rilat [$2,300]
7) Sammy Swindell [$2,200]
8) Daryn Pittman [$2,100]
9) Joey Saldana [$2,050]
10) Greg Wilson [$2,000]
11) Justin Henderson [$1,500]
12) Randy Hannagan [$1,200]
13) Jeremy Campbell [$1,100]
14) Paul McMahan [$1,050]
15) Sam Hafertepe, Jr. [$1,000]
16) Jason Solwold [$900]
17) Brian Carlson [$800]
18) Bill Rose [$800]
19) Kerry Madsen [$800]
20) Chad Kemenah [$800]
21) Danny Lasoski [$800]
22) Mark Dobmeier [$800]
23) Kevin Swindell [$800]
24) Tim Montgomery [$800]
Lap leaders: Terry McCarl 1-17, Donny Schatz 18-30

World of Outlaws Sprint Series Championship Standings, through March 31, 2006
Rk. / Driver / Driver Points / Team Points / $ / Back / Wins / Top 5 / Top 10
1 / Donny Schatz / 1004 / 1004 / $38,650 / 0 / 2 / 5 / 5
2 / Terry McCarl / 985 / 985 / $20,200 / -19 / 0 / 5 / 6
3 / Joey Saldana / 967 / 967 / $23,500 / -37 / 1 / 3 / 6
4 / Daryn Pittman / 948 / 948 / $15,150 / -56 / 0 / 3 / 6
5 / Brooke Tatnell / 930 / 930 / $16,200 / -74 / 0 / 2 / 4
6 / Jac Haudenschild / 927 / 927 / $15,450 / -77 / 0 / 2 / 4
7 / Craig Dollansky / 920 / 920 / $13,600 / -84 / 0 / 1 / 5
8 / Jeremy Campbell / 909 / 909 / $14,000 / -95 / 0 / 1 / 3
9 / Chad Kemenah / 882 / 882 / $19,350 / -122 / 1 / 2 / 4
10 / Greg Wilson / 881 / 881 / $10,050 / -123 / 0 / 0 / 3
11 / Justin Henderson / 873 / 873 / $10,250 / -131 / 0 / 0 / 2
12 / Randy Hannagan / 853 / 853 / $11,460 / -151 / 0 / 3 / 3
13 / Kaley Gharst / 739 / 739 / $5,550 / -265 / 0 / 0 / 0
14 / Brian Carlson / 708 / 708 / $4,300 / -296 / 0 / 0 / 0
15 / Sammy Swindell / 706 / 706 / $19,250 / -298 / 1 / 2 / 5
16 / Bill Rose / 702 / 702 / $4,360 / -302 / 0 / 0 / 0
17 / Dion Hindi / 638 / 638 / $3,055 / -366 / 0 / 0 / 0
18 / Kevin Swindell / 600 / 600 / $6,900 / -404 / 0 / 0 / 2
19 / Becca Anderson / 587 / 587 / $2,485 / -417 / 0 / 0 / 0
20 / Rob Chaney / 551 / 821 / $8,460 / -183 / 0 / 1 / 2

STANDINGS NOTE: The Martin Motorsports No. 36 NOS Energy Drink/Mafia Motorsports Maxim is 13th in owner’s points. Rob Chaney is currently replacing injured Mean 15 racer Jason Martin. Brian Brown drove the car for the first two races of the season.

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