Historic Event: World of Outlaws Invade River Cities Speedway

They're Here

Is it Friday Night Yet?

It's been hard going to work this week knowing that the World of Outlaws are coming to Grand Forks Friday night for the first time in they're history. There is just no way I am going to miss this weekend's racing. That's not to say that it is not a tough decision, I am actually missing a weekend at the lake to go these historic races. Honestly, there is no place that I would rather be than River Cities Speedway known as The action track, history is in the making.

During last season the action track entertained the now defunct National Sprint Tour. So when the NST announced that it was folding the speedway had a big hole in the schedule to fill. Enter the World of Outlaws. I have to thank the SLS promotions staff for landing World of Outlaws racing circuit. Of course true to form I have to go to Saturday's race in Fargo at Red River Valley Speedway. Last season was one of the first year in ions that I missed the WoO stop at Red River Valley Speedway. According to the word around town; there are supposed to be 26 travelers in town for this Friday race.

Items of interest:

At 1800-2000 hours on Thursday night there will be a meet and greet with the World of Outlaw’s drivers at River Cities Speedway.

The Trailers are already piling into town as 11H of Kerry Madsen was spotted by my buddies at one of the local gas stations.

Donny Schatz comes to town fresh off a win in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Will Donny Schatz drive his new Snap On Tools sprint car that he won the race in Rapid City with?

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- The World of Outlaws will make their inaugural visit to River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, North Dakota on Friday, June 29. The event will be the first of two nights that make up the Duel in the Dakotas this season, with action shifting the following night to Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, which is 81 miles south.

River Cities Speedway is a high-banked 3/10-mile oval that consistently sees drivers turning sub-10 second laps in time trials. Last season Danny Lasoski stopped the clocks with a lap 9.902 seconds in an event at the track. The track record currently stands at 9.66 seconds.

Donny Schatz will head to the track in his home state, fresh off a win on Monday night at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota. He leads the series with eight wins and has a 104-point advantage over Joey Saldana in the championship standings, as he chases his second straight title. Heading into the Duel in the Dakotas, Schatz has 33 Top-10 finishes in 36 events. He also is tied for the series lead with six wins in the Crane Cams Dash which has earned him the same number of pole positions.

Joey Saldana will make his first visit to River Cities Speedway second in points, as he continues his second season driving for NASCAR star Kasey Kahne. Saldana has seven A-Feature wins on the season and leads the series with six fast time honors to his credit in time trials. The native of Brownsburg, Indiana has 29 Top-10 finishes on the season as he chases his first series title.

Danny Lasoski earned two Top-Five finishes at River Cities Speedway last season, including a win. The 2001 World of Outlaws champion is coming off a strong fourth-place finish at Black Hills Speedway on Monday night that was his 27th Top-10 finish of the season. He is solidly in the third spot in points and has three A-Feature wins on the season.

Daryn Pittman will make his first trip to the high-banked bullring fourth in points. The native of Owasso, Oklahoma won the Boot Hill Showdown at Dodge City Raceway Park in Kansas last weekend, to earn his third A-Feature win of the season. He also won earlier this season on the half-mile at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida and the ¼-mile at Riverside International Speedway in Arkansas.

Jason Meyers won his third A-Feature of the season last weekend in the opener of the Boot Hill Showdown. He competed at River Cities Speedway last season, finishing fifth and sixth. The native of Clovis, California has 25 Top-10 finishes on the season entering the Duel in the Dakotas.