The folks with the World of Outlaws know how to throw a farewell party, as drivers and fans will surely see at this weekend’s World Finals in Charlotte.
Jim Chiappelli
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Posted November 03, 2009
Charlotte, NC
The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway will be packed with World of Outlaws Finals action this weekend. (WoO)
The folks with the World of Outlaws know how to throw a farewell party. Although many of the veteran drivers miss the array of entertainment choices available when Las Vegas used to host the season-finale, this weekend’s World Finals at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway will suffice.
“Everybody’s in a pretty good mood,” reflected Steve Kinser, who says the atmosphere at the three-day show in the Charlotte, North Carolina suburb of Concord is similar to the excitement of a season-opener.
“It’s a destination location. They’ve turned it into a great big event,” cited Donny Schatz.
This year, the World Finals has added significance in its third year at LMS. The Outlaws will crown a sprint car champion, putting an exclamation point on the closest three-way title-fight in series history before nearly 15,000 fans and a live, nationwide television audience. (SPEED, Saturday 8pm ET/PT)
Schatz, whose number-15 will carry the throwback STP/Mario Andretti paint scheme used at this year’s Knoxville Nationals, leads runner-up Jason Meyers by 19 points with Joey Saldana 46 markers out of the lead in third.
Schatz is pursuing a fourth-consecutive title.
In addition to the coronation, the event will set the table for 2010.
First, Hoosier tires will be mounted to rear wheels on sprinters for the final time in at least three years. Goodyear takes over as the official tire supplier starting next season.
Second, teams often use the increased media presence to announce plans for the upcoming year.
Here’s what we know.
Tony Stewart Racing will make what I’m told is a “significant announcement” Saturday night—one that will surprise some people.
While thousands of sprint car fans flock to the hub of stock-car racing, NASCAR’s other driver/sprint car owner is apparently not ready to reveal his team’s plans for 2010. At issue is the driver of a second entry for Kasey Kahne Racing.
“There’s no timetable for an announcement,” Kahne told SPEED Sunday in Talladega, Alabama, where he was competing in a Sprint Cup Series event.
“We’re still weighing the options on who is a good fit with Joey,” (other KKR driver Saldana), stated Kahne.
You can count Saldana among those in the dark.
“I wish I knew,” he told me Sunday when asked about his teammate for 2010.
Cody Darrah, the 20-year old Prince of the Pennsylvania Posse, appears to have the inside line on the coveted ride, which opened up when Craig Dollansky left the team in September.
Darrah will drive the KKR number-19 this weekend.
“It’s a heck of an opportunity and an absolute honor,” Darrah said.
Also not ready to announce his future plans is Ohio racer Chad Kemenah, four-time All Star Circuit of Champions title-holder and 2006 Outlaws Rookie of the Year. Kemenah, who lost a full-time Outlaws ride in April when his car owner folded the team, is inquiring about openings and exploring sponsorship opportunities that might allow him to continue to field his own number-63 car, which he will drive at the World Finals.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, SPEED, FOX, or NewsCorp.
Jim Chiappelli is SPEED’s News Director. He has worked in broadcast journalism since 1986, producing or overseeing the production of more than 6,000 newscasts and sportscasts in a career that began at network affiliates in Johnstown and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania before shifting to the NBC affiliate in Pittsburgh, where he spent 11 years, leaving as Executive Producer in 2001.
Before graduating from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Jim briefly competed in the limited late model division in Western Pennsylvania for his family, which has been involved in racing for nearly 35 years and continues to campaign a 410 sprint car team.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator
and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
