Along the World of Outlaws Trail

Along the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series Trail By Richard Day FORT WORTH, TX (October 13) – The Outdoor Channel taped the ultra-exciting Cheaper Than Dirt Shootout at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track Friday and Saturday for a November 5th telecast scheduled to start at 11 p.m. Eastern Time. Art Eckman will anchor the telecast, while former O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series driver Brad Doty provides the color commentary for the series’ inaugural telecast on The Outdoor Channel. The Outdoor Channel will produce and telecast a minimum of 27 events in 2004 on a tape-delayed basis. The one-hour telecasts will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern Time between April and September as part of The Outdoor Channel’s "Wednesday Night Horsepower" time slot. Most telecasts will air within 14 days of each race. Additional replays will be presented Saturdays at 8 a.m. Eastern Time and Thursdays at 10 p.m. Pacific Time.

Cheaper Than Dirt Shootout champion Jason Johnson is the 17th driver to win a main event during the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series’ Silver Anniversary Season, and the fifth driver to record his first victory this year. Twenty different drivers won main events in 1989. Johnson passed 12 cars, the most of any "A" Feature winner this season. Donny Schatz drove his #15 Parker Stores J&J past nine cars to win the July 2nd "A" Feature at Sedalia’s State Fair Speedway.

Steve Kinser, who swept the United States Air Force Showdown at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track in March, led 56 of 70 laps while finishing second in each Cheaper Than Dirt Shootout feature race last weekend. "The King of the Outlaws" increased his advantage to 134 points over Danny Lasoski in their battle for the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series’ 25th Anniversary championship. Kinser can clinch his 18th series championship by finishing 13th or better in each of the remaining six races (two preliminaries and four main events).

The #20 J.D. Byrider Eagle driven by Lasoski was painted with a special Dr. Seuss "Cat in the Hat" movie theme throughout the Cheaper Than Dirt Shootout. Mechanical problems on opening night caused the 2001 O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series champion to finish 14th in the Preliminary Feature. "The Dude" won the First Heat Race and finished 11th in Saturday’s "A" Feature. Lasoski’s car owner, defending NASCAR Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart, won Saturday’s UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The victory, Stewart’s second of the season, clinched the Winston Cup Series manufacturers’ championship for Chevrolet. The title is Chevrolet's 27th, its 23rd in the modern era.

Blake Mallory finished 22nd in Friday’s Preliminary Feature at the Cheaper Than Dirt Shootout, then drove the #51 Ware Racing Enterprises Chevrolet past five trucks to 24th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Silverado 350 at Texas Motor Speedway Saturday. Mallory did not return to the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track for Saturday’s feature program.

Justin Henderson, who finished ninth in the 2003 Knoxville Raceway standings, plans to race for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year award with the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series next season. Henderson, from Sioux Falls, SD, finished 20th in Saturday’s Cheaper Than Dirt Shootout main event.

Kelly Kinser, driving the #35 C&W Motorsports Eagle for the first time, passed four cars to finish 15th in Friday’s Preliminary Feature. Jeff Shepard will drive for car owners Wallace and Coeta Ledford at Delta Bowl Speedway Friday and Saturday, Lone Star Speedway October 24th, Houston Raceway Park October 25th and in the season finale at the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway October 31-November 1.

Eric Vanderploug, Knoxville Raceway’s 2003 Rookie of the Year, raced in the "B" Feature during both Cheaper Than Dirt Shootout racing programs at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. The 17-year-old racer from Altoona, IA, ranked 20th in the Knoxville Raceway point standings. WoO

HammerDownUSA.com home.