ParkerStore team is starting to gel on the World of Outlaws trail

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, MARCH 14, 2003 - Donny Schatz in his familiar #15 ParkerStore J&J captured his 14th career World of Outlaws victory with a convincing win at State Fair Speedway, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The victory moved Schatz to sixth in the current WoO point standings.

"We were just at the right place at the right time," said Schatz. "Jason [Johnson) and Johnny (Herrera) got a little messed up at the start, just like I did in the dash, and we were able to get by them in the first corner. My guys have worked really hard this winter, and they've given me a great car. It's kind of a shame-I'm not running the whole series because I'm going to do some (USAC) Silver Crown racing. The car's going to be at all the races, but I'm not, so I have to make these wins count when I can. The upside is I can focus on the wins and don't have as much pressure with the point standings. The goal this season is to get ParkerStores and our other sponsors to victory lane as much as we possibly can."

Schatz win of 15 carlengths came after a bold move from his fourth starting spot on the opening lap of the 30 lap A-feature, getting by front row starters Jason Johnson and Johnny Herrera on the outside as the trio raced through turns one and two. As the leaders began to encounter traffic on lap five, Schatz had stretched his lead to 20 carlengths over Johnson but Johnson and Herrera quickly closed the gap to the leader as they wove their way through heavy traffic beginning on lap seven.

As the field stretch out over the semi-banked ½ mile oval, Schatz continued to maintain about a four-carlength lead over Johnson with Herrera hot on Johnson's tail. Herrera got by Johnson for second on lap 17 setting his sights on Schatz. On lap 25 Schatz was trapped behind lapped cars allowing Herrera to close to within two carlengths but was able to maneuver by the slower cars low on the frontstretch to build his lead back to 15 carlengths at the checkered flag. Craig Dollansky got by Johnson for third, Johnson was fourth and Danny Lasoski came home in fifth.

Schatz opened the night with an eighth place qualifying effort, third in his heat race and second in his dash landing him on the outside of the second row for the A-main.

(Photo by David Allio)