Schatz Overcomes Illness, Battles Past Dollansky to Score Calistoga Win
It is the fifth World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series win of the season for the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing driver
CALISTOGA, Calif. – April 12, 2015 – Donny Schatz powered past two formidable foes in Sunday night’s Wine Country Outlaw Showdown at Calistoga Speedway – illness and Craig Dollansky.
“I was a little nervous there,” Schatz said in victory lane. “These guys carried this whole race team tonight. I don’t know what I did last night – either I’ve got the flu coming on again or something but I feel like hell. I’ve been having the chills here for the last hour but I’m just glad to get the win.”
It was the fifth World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory of the season for Schatz – the most of any driver so far this season. The six-time series champion also extended his points lead over second place Shane Stewart to 30.
While the night may have belonged to Schatz and his Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing team, it was series veterans Craig Dollansky and Jason Sides, with an appearance from Shane Stewart, who put on the biggest show throughout the feature.
Dollansky, who has 59 series wins and last stood in victory lane at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 nearly two years ago, led the field to the green flag. By lap six, the Elk River, Minn.-native had built up a sizable half-straightaway lead. Then disaster nearly struck. As Dollansky exited turn two on lap seven, he nearly lost control of his car.
“Initially they had rolled the top in and I had raced more around the top part and it was coming apart – some ruts were developing in both corners,” Dollansky said.
The driver recovered and maintained the lead, but Schatz was able to close the gap.
In the third position, Joey Saldana, who started the night in fifth but battled forward in the opening lap, was fending off a challenge from third place starter Jason Sides. After a two lap fight, Sides took over the position on lap nine.
A three-way battle at the front commenced with Schatz trying to get around Dollansky while fending off a challenge from Sides. Both Schatz and Sides got around Dollansky on lap 12. A caution flag flew the next lap by.
Dollansky ultimately slipped as far as the fourth position before he worked his way back to second. A caution flag with eight to go bunched the field back up and gave Dollansky and Stewart the opportunity they needed.
On the restart, the Destiny Motorsports driver powered his No. 7 Aggressive Hydraulics car forward. He battled Schatz through the next several laps as he tried to regain the lead. Stewart got around Sides to take over the third position, but it was a short-lived five laps, as Sides worked his way back.
As Schatz extended the lead for his No. 15 Bad Boy Buggies car in the final three laps, all eyes turned to the battle for second. Dollansky and Sides worked the low side and the middle on the cushion – Dollansky held off Sides with two to go.
“Then the last lap, Craig was hung on the outside there and I just kept hitting the bottom,” Sides said. “There was a little bit of moisture coming down the front straightaway and I hit it and drag raced by him.”
With the checkered flag in the air, Sides drag raced his No. 7s Mesilla Valley Transportation car past Dollansky to the finishline, taking home a second place finish.
“It’s just one of those things where we just kept plugging away on the bottom,” Sides said. “We were actually pretty good early. Some of the cautions there we felt like we had a right rear flat and it took three or four laps to get back going but the longer it went, the better it was and we’d get back on a rhythm.”
Dollansky led the first 12 laps of the feature on the way to scoring the best finish of the season for his team.
“We’re leaps and bounds ahead of where we have been and this Destiny Motorsports team is just going to keep working hard,” Dollansky said. “These two guys who beat us tonight, they’ve been on their game and obviously Donny has been in a class of his own for a while. I raced with him, raced with Jason, some good clean racing. Those guys are the best it gets.”
After a run Saturday night at Calistoga that saw his team as far back eighth, Schatz said they learned from their mistakes and entered the night with changes in mind. As Dollansky set the pace early, Schatz said he was confident the bottom line would be the best as the night wore on.
“I didn’t figure it would come in until we got to traffic and (Jason) kind of showed me the bottom there and got down there and was able to get by Craig and stay there,” Schatz said. “The car just got better and better and better, and that’s what this Bad Boy team does. They just make phenomenal decisions and do all the right things.”
Logan Schuchart was the night’s KSE Racing Hard Charger, advancing 11 positions to finish in eighth.
The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series wraps up its spring California swing next weekend at Keller Auto Speedway at King’s Fairgrounds in Hanford and Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway. Great seats remain for both events and can be purchased by visiting http://www.WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets, or by calling (877) 395-8606.
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Calistoga Speedway Notebook
RACE NOTES: Donny Schatz scored his fifth World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory of the season – the most of any driver so far… After a string of eight different winners to start the season, the last seven winners have been repeat winners… Schatz’s points lead is now 30 over second place Shane Stewart… Logan Schuchart was the night’s KSE Racing Hard Charger, advancing 11 positions to finish in eighth… David Gravel got his first quick time of the season Sunday night.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS – MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Kraig Kinser; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Sweet Manufacturing ($50 cash): David Gravel; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Craig Dollansky; Mobil 1 ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Kerry Madsen; Lincoln Welders ($50 cash): David Gravel; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Jason Meyers; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Bud Kaeding; Superflow ($50 cash): Cody Darrah; Sweet Manufacturing ($50 product certificate): Craig Dollansky;KSE Racing Products ($100 product certificate): Logan Schuchart; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz;Mobil 1 (20% off Mobil1RacingStore.com): Kraig Kinser; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Austen Wheatley; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz – 5 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Stockton Dirt Track on March 21, Silver Dollar Speedway on March 28, Placerville Speedway on April 8, Calistoga Speedway on April 12); Rico Abreu – 2 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 22, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 14); Daryn Pittman – 2 (Antioch Speedway on March 29, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13); Brad Sweet – 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 15, Calistoga Speedway on April 11); Brian Brown – 1 (USA Raceway on March 7); Tim Kaeding – 1 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 13); Terry McCarl – 1 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 5); Shane Stewart – 1 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 5)
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Calistoga Speedway; Calistoga, Calif.; April 12, 2015
A-Main – (25 Laps) – 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1] [$10,000]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [3] [$5,000]; 3. 7-Craig Dollansky [2] [$3,000]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [4] [$2,700]; 5. 29-Kerry Madsen [10] [$2,500]; 6. 83-David Gravel [7] [$2,200]; 7. 71M-Joey Saldana [5] [$2,000]; 8. 1s-Logan Schuchart [19] [$1,800]; 9. 49-Brad Sweet [14] [$1,600]; 10. 41-Jason Meyers [6] [$1,450]; 11. 3C-Jonathan Allard [13] [$1,300]; 12. 21X-Carson Macedo [15] [$1,200]; 13. O-Bud Kaeding [8] [$1,100]; 14. 9-Cody Darrah [9] [$1,000]; 15. 31C-Justyn Cox [12] [$950]; 16. 35M-Kyle Hirst [21] [$900]; 17. 88N-DJ Netto [22] [$850]; 18. 44W-Austen Wheatley [24] [$750]; 19. 83JR-Kevin Swindell [23] [$725]; 20. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [18] [$700]; 21. 24-Rico Abreu [11] [$700]; 22. 51-Paul McMahan [17] [$700]; 23. 29W-Willie Croft [16] [$700]; 24. 11K-Kraig Kinser [20] [$700]. Lap Leaders: Craig Dollansky 1-12, Donny Schatz 13-25. KSE Hard Charger Award: 1s-Logan Schuchart [+11]
Qualifying – 1. 83-David Gravel, 16.799; 2. 2-Shane Stewart, 16.859; 3. 71M-Joey Saldana, 16.999; 4. 7S-Jason Sides, 17.132; 5. 9-Cody Darrah, 17.167; 6. 29-Kerry Madsen, 17.221; 7. 24-Rico Abreu, 17.359; 8. 7H-Jojo Helberg, 17.365; 9. 15-Donny Schatz, 17.441; 10. 7-Craig Dollansky, 17.463; 11. 31C-Justyn Cox, 17.509; 12. 41-Jason Meyers, 17.643; 13. 3C-Jonathan Allard, 17.804; 14. 49-Brad Sweet, 17.926; 15. O-Bud Kaeding, 17.978; 16. 21X-Carson Macedo, 18.101; 17. 29W-Willie Croft, 18.121; 18. 51-Paul McMahan, 18.143; 19. 41X-Dominic Scelzi, 18.159; 20. 1s-Logan Schuchart, 18.176; 21. 55-Trey Starks, 18.181; 22. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 18.275; 23. 35M-Kyle Hirst, 18.400; 24. 88N-DJ Netto, 18.401; 25. 98-Matt Jensen, 18.448; 26. 3F-Geoff Ensign, 18.575; 27. 37-Mitchell Faccinto, 18.627; 28. 83JR-Kevin Swindell, 18.627; 29. 94-Gordon Rodgers, 18.796; 30. 69-Brent Kaeding, 18.853; 31. 1A-Jacob Allen, 18.861; 32. 25-Bobby McMahan, 19.251; 33. 44W-Austen Wheatley, 19.450; 34. 12X-Jarrett Soares, 20.366; 35. 68-Chase Johnson, 29.964
Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2]; 2. 83-David Gravel [4]; 3. 3C-Jonathan Allard [1]; 4. 29W-Willie Croft [5]; 5. 44W-Austen Wheatley [9]; 6. 9-Cody Darrah [3]; 7. 98-Matt Jensen [7]; 8. 55-Trey Starks [6]; 9. 94-Gordon Rodgers [8]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 7-Craig Dollansky [2]; 2. 29-Kerry Madsen [3]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [4]; 5. 51-Paul McMahan [5]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [6]; 7. 69-Brent Kaeding [8]; 8. 12X-Jarrett Soares [9]; 9. 3F-Geoff Ensign [7]
Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. O-Bud Kaeding [1]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu [3]; 3. 71M-Joey Saldana [4]; 4. 31C-Justyn Cox [2]; 5. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [5]; 6. 35M-Kyle Hirst [6]; 7. 37-Mitchell Faccinto [7]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 9. 68-Chase Johnson [9]
Heat 4 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 41-Jason Meyers [2]; 2. 21X-Carson Macedo [1]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [4]; 4. 1s-Logan Schuchart [5]; 5. 83JR-Kevin Swindell [7]; 6. 7H-Jojo Helberg [3]; 7. 25-Bobby McMahan [8]; 8. 88N-DJ Netto [6]
Dash – (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of A-feature) – 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2]; 2. 7-Craig Dollansky [1]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [3]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [5]; 5. 71M-Joey Saldana [4]; 6. 41-Jason Meyers [7]; 7. 83-David Gravel [6]; 8. O-Bud Kaeding [8]
Last Chance Showdown – (12 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 35M-Kyle Hirst [5] [-]; 2. 9-Cody Darrah [1] [-]; 3. 11K-Kraig Kinser [4] [-]; 4. 88N-DJ Netto [6] [-]; 5. 7H-Jojo Helberg [2] [$300]; 6. 69-Brent Kaeding [10] [$250]; 7. 37-Mitchell Faccinto [9] [$225]; 8. 25-Bobby McMahan [12] [$200]; 9. 3F-Geoff Ensign [8] [$200]; 10. 98-Matt Jensen [7] [$200]; 11. 12X-Jarrett Soares [13] [$200]; 12. 55-Trey Starks [3] [$200]; 13. 1A-Jacob Allen [11] [$200]; 14. 94-Gordon Rodgers [14] [$200]; 15. 68-Chase Johnson [15] [$200]