MECHANICSBURG, PA (September 30) -- It was only a
matter of time before Donny Schatz returned to victory lane.
The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series 1997 Rookie of the Year was the hottest driver in sprint car racing the final two weeks of last season. He also won a record six straight World Series of Sprint Cars races in Australia last December.
The first five months of the 2000 season were tough for Schatz, however. His crewmembers quit, forcing him to be his own mechanic. Hiring Kenny Woodruff before the Amoco Knoxville Nationals turned his situation around in a hurry. He led 24 of 30 laps and finished second at the Nationals, then ran in the top 10 in the next eight events.
Schatz won his first "A" Feature of the year Saturday, passing Williams Grove track champion Fred Rahmer early in the 27th lap and holding off Cris Eash to win the Williams Grove National Open.
"This is just awesome," Schatz yelled to the sellout crowd. "I've never run very good here in Pennsylvania, but this car was so good tonight that I think anyone could have driven it. We made some major changes before the feature, and it worked out pretty good."
"Kenny Woodruff has probably been responsible for 99% of (our recent success). He's got the motors running good, and we're trying some things with these new J&J cars." said Donny. "It seems like these races at the end of the year are the ones you remember when the season's done, so we'll just go on down the road and try to get another one in Charlotte, then Texas and Vegas. I want to thank Parker Stores, Blue Beacon and Featherlite for all their support this season. We haven't been up front as much, but they've been there through it all."
Schatz, the fifth-fastest qualifier in time trials, beat Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner Sammy Swindell across the finish line in the First NAPA AUTO PARTS Heat Race for a starting position in the CHANNELLOCK Dash. He earned the right to start the 40-lap main event inside the fourth row by finishing seventh in the six-lap race
Rahmer burst into the lead from the pole as the green flag fell in the championship feature. Preliminary Feature winner Steve Kinser, who has won 22 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series main events at Williams Grove Speedway, took over second place with a high move around Danny Lasoski early in the third lap.
Rahmer was four car-lengths ahead of the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points leader six laps into the race. Kinser caught Rahmer the next time around, and threatened to take the lead several times before his #11 Quaker State Maxim hit a spinning Dean Jacobs in turn four and flipped late in the 12th lap.
Schatz started making his way toward the front when the green flag replaced the red, steering the #15 Parker Stores J&J low in the second corner to pass Third NAPA AUTO PARTS Heat Race winner Jac Haudenschild and winning a back-straightaway drag race with Johnny Herrera and Lasoski to take over second place the next time around.
A last-place finish in the Second NAPA AUTO PARTS Heat Race notwithstanding, Eash qualified for the main event by finishing second in the "B" Feature. The 1987 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year started outside the fifth row and raced into third place by lap 17.
Kinser tightened the field when he stopped in turn two with a flat tire one lap later.
Two-time Williams Grove track champion Keith Kauffman raced past 16 cars during the first half of the race. He passed 1996 National Open champion Lance Dewease early in lap 21, then took the high line around Herrera for fourth place 4 1/2 laps later.
Schatz chased Rahmer for 13 laps before riding the rim around the first and second corners to take the lead. Kauffman followed Schatz' lead, passing Eash and Rahmer in the high groove within four laps.
Rahmer surrendered third place late in the 32nd lap, stopping on the back straightaway with a flat right front tire.
Defending National Open champion Mark Kinser raced toward the front after the race resumed, steering the #5M Mopar Maxim into the low groove between turns one and two to pass Herrera and Eash.
Mechanicsburg resident Brian Paulus set up a two-lap dash to the checkered flag when he stopped in the second corner with a flat left rear tire late in the 39th lap. Kauffman tried to take over first place with a slide job in turn two, but Schatz surged ahead. Mark Kinser used a similar move on Kauffman several seconds later, but they collided and flipped in turn three.
"Keith just ran her down across there, but I didn't think he'd be able to get by us because our Goodyear tires were working pretty good," Schatz said.
Eash made a last-lap run at Schatz in the third corner, but was three car-lengths behind when Donny claimed the $25,000 first prize.
Herrera finished in third place, ahead of Dewease, Lasoski, Sean Michael, Swindell, Tim Shaffer, Dale Blaney and 23rd-starting Andy Hillenburg.
The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series will sanction the $102,670 TALK.com Outlaws Championship at The Dirt Track at Lowe's Motor Speedway Thursday and Friday.
(Article by Richard Day)
2000 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series
38th Annual Williams Grove National Open
Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
Saturday, September 30, Feature Program #56
Vivarin Qualifications: 1. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 16.611; 2. Cris Eash, E&G Classics 17E, 16.643; 3. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 16.757; 4. Joey Saldana, Saldana 17, 16.776; 5. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 16.866; 6. Johnny Herrera, DOCC Motorsports 20, 16.918; 7. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 17.007; 8. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 17.016; 9. Lance Dewease, Harz 88H, 17.037; 10. Dale Blaney, DB Racing 93, 17.057; 11. James Chesson, Chesson 22C, 17.113; 12. Curt Michael, Dyer 461, 17.119; 13. Tim Shaffer, Helm 11H, 17.126; 14. Danny Wood, Woodburn 21W, 17.138; 15. Greg Hodnett, Millennium Racing V12, 17.237; 16. Mike Erdley, Lisi 11E, 17.241; 17. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 17.307;18. Sean Michael, Zematis 1Z, 17.310; 19. Skip Jackson, Keen 53K, 17.338; 20. Randy Hannagan, TH Racing 1X, 17.342; 21. Todd Gracey, Cooper 25, 17.344; 22. Dean Jacobs, Holbrook 8H, 17.379; 23. Brian Ellenberger, Ellenberger 20E, 17.425; 24. Jeff Rohrbaugh, Garrett Motorsports 0X, 17.435; 25. Keith Kauffman, Middleswarth 7, 17.453; 26. Todd Shaffer, Beam 88, 17.457; 27. Daryn Pittman, Pittman 3, 17.506; 28. Brook Weibley, Weibley 32, 17.513; 29. Mike Wagner, Wagner 55W, 17.533; 30. Dave Ely, Weikert 29, 17.600; 31. P.J. Chesson, Chesson 76, 17.602; 32. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 17.651; 33. Brooke Tatnell, Parsons 6, 17.668; 34. Todd Hestor, Middleswarth 7M, 17.668; 35. Len Thompson, Thompson 10, 17.678; 36. Mike Lutz, Tangert/ Gilbert 07, 17.716; 37. Dave Calaman, Long 99, 17.851; 38. Troy Whitesel, Outback Motorsports 17B, 17.921; 39. Ed Lynch, Jr., Lynch 2L, 17.931; 40. Christi Passmore, GAP Roofing 1A, 18.051; 41. Shawn Keen, Keen 53, 18.112; 42. Tim Kuhn, Kuhn 2C, 18.447; 43. Troy Fraker, Fraker 21T, 18.984; 44. Bill Kiley, Kiley 4K, 19.242.
First NAPA AUTO PARTS Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Donny Schatz, 2. Sammy Swindell, 3. Todd Gracey, 4. Stevie Smith, 5. Lance Dewease, 6. Keith Kauffman, 7. Mike Wagner, 8. Tim Shaffer, 9. Shawn Keen, 10. Dave Calaman, 11. Brooke Tatnell. (first four qualified for the "A"Feature)
Second NAPA AUTO PARTS Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Johnny Herrera, 2. Dale Blaney, 3. Sean Michael, 4. Dean Jacobs, 5. Danny Wood, 6. Todd Shaffer, 7. Todd Hestor, 8. Tim Kuhn, 9. Troy Whitesel, 10. Dave Ely, 11. Cris Eash. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature)
Third NAPA AUTO PARTS Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jac Haudenschild, 2. James Chesson, 3. Skip Jackson, 4. Brian Paulus, 5 Greg Hodnett, 6. Len Thompson, 7. P.J. Chesson, 8. Daryn Pittman, 9 Ed Lynch, Jr., 10. Brian Ellenberger, 11. Troy Fraker. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature)
Fourth NAPA AUTO PARTS Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Mark Kinser, 2. Curt Michael, 3. Andy Hillenburg, 4. Christi Passmore, 5. Randy Hannagan, 6. Mike Lutz, 7. Brook Weibley, 8. Joey Saldana, 9. Bill Kiley, 10. Jeff Rohrbaugh, 11. Mike Erdley. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature)
CHANNELLOCK Dash (six laps): 1. Fred Rahmer, 2. Danny Lasoski, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Johnny Herrera, 5. Don Kreitz, Jr., 6. Jac Haudenschild, 7. Donny Schatz, 8. Mark Kinser. (finishing order determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature)
A Feature (40 laps): 1. [7] Donny Schatz ($25,000); 2. [10] Cris Eash ($10,020); 3. [4] Johnny Herrera ($6,000); 4. [12] Lance Dewease ($4,020); 5. [2] Danny Lasoski ($3,750); 6. [18] Sean Michael ($3,000); 7. [9] Sammy Swindell ($2,500); 8. [16] Tim Shaffer ($2,220); 9. [13] Dale Blaney ($2,100); 10. [23] Andy Hillenburg ($2,050); 11. [5] Don Kreitz, Jr. ($2,000); 12. [19] Skip Jackson ($1,600); 13. [3] Steve Kinser ($1,500); 14. [27] Shawn Keen ($1,220); 15. [1] Fred Rahmer ($1,100); 16. [15] Curt Michael ($1,000); 17. [17] Stevie Smith ($1,000); 18. [26] Todd Shaffer ($920); 19. [14] James Chesson ($900); 20. [20] Todd Gracey ($900); 21. [24] Christi Passmore ($800); 22. [11] Brian Paulus ($800); 23. [22] Keith Kauffman ($820); 24. [8] Mark Kinser ($800); 25. [21] Dean Jacobs ($800); 26. [6] Jac Haudenschild ($800); 27. [25] Brooke Tatnell ($840); 28. [28] Joey Saldana ($820). Provisional starters - Brooke Tatnell, Joey Saldana, Shawn Keen, Todd Shaffer
Lap leaders: Fred Rahmer 1-9, 13-26; Steve Kinser 10-12; Donny Schatz 27-40
Vivarin Fast-Time Award Winner: Sammy Swindell
