WoO coming to Grand Forks twice next summer.

I just read that the World of Outlaws Sprint Car racing tour will be making two appearances in Grand Forks, ND. This is really good news.

Schedule

6/19/2009 River Cities Speedway (Grand Forks, ND)
6/20/2009 Red River Valley Speedway (West Fargo, ND)
6/21/2009 Nodak Speedway (Minot, ND)
8/21/2009 River Cities Speedway (Grand Forks, ND)
8/22/2009 Dacotah Speedway (Mandan, ND)

Also the WoO Late Models will be invading River Cities Speedway.
July 10 – Fri. – River Cities Speedway/Grand Forks, ND – Wild West Tour - $10,000 – 50L

Here is a nice story about Donny Schatz.

(Click here for story)
“It was a great year,” said Schatz. “Championships are definitely won and lost by how long you struggle and stumble. We didn’t do it very long. The last few years we have put the most wins on the board. That’s probably the biggest factor in that. We won 18 races and had something like 17 seconds, so that’s over 50 percent of the races that we were first or second, and that’s big. It was a great year. The guys on this Armor All Chevy team surpassed themselves again and did a great job. Even when we are winning racing and feeling good, they are not satisfied with that. They keep charging and keep plugging away. It’s a good feeling.”

Schatz, who won his first two World of Outlaws title while driving for his family owned team, claimed the second series title for his car owner Tony Stewart, and the first for Chevrolet with the series. He also had the chance to race against his boss at Sharon Speedway in an event in June, a race that Schatz won. Including his pre-season wins in Australia, the North Dakota native wrapped up the year with 25 total wins.

Final 2008 410 Sprint Car Poll

rank, driver (first place votes), hometown, state, points

1.) Donny Schatz (24), Fargo, ND, 2300
2.) Jason Meyers, Clovis, CA, 1135
3.) Steve Kinser, Bloomington, IN, 628
4.) Craig Dollansky, Elk River, MN, 626
5.) Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, IN, 469
6.) Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, OH, 419
7.) Fred Rahmer, Salfordville, PA, 406
8.) Dale Blaney, Fowler, OH, 304
9.)Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK, 202
10.) Danny Lasoski, Higginsville, MO, 197
(Next 10 racers)
11.) Lance Dewease, Fayetteville, PA, 141
12.) Terry McCarl, Pleasant Hill, PA, 125
13.) Mark Dobmeier, Grand Forks, ND, 105
14.)Kerry Madsen, St. Marys, NSW, AUS, 76
15.) Danny Smith, Danville, IN, 53
16.) Todd Shaffer, Millerstown, PA, 51
17.) Chad Kemenah, Findlay, OH, 50
tie, Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, PA, 50
19.) Tim Kaeding, Campbell, CA, 43
20.) Jonathan Allard, Chico, CA, 41
21.) Tyler Walker, Los Angeles, CA, 27
22.) Jason Johnson, Eunice, LA, 18
23.) Brooke Tatnell, San Souci, NSW, AUS, 17
24.) Doug Esh, Lancaster, PA, 16
25.) Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, IN, 14

The WoO Late Models Invade River Cities Speedway

Tuesday night the WoO Late Models invaded River Cities Speedway to race for 10,000.00. Although the sky appeared as if it was going to open up and pour cats and dogs at any moment, mother nature answered the Goon's prayers and held back the rain and WoO Late Models rookie of the year candidate Tim Fuller won the 10,000.00 check. Fuller also picked up 250.00 in rookie bonus money.



Here is a picture from the east bleachers during the heats of the WoO Late Models special at River Cities speedway on 6-12-2007. The track at River Cities speedway was really fast. The weather as of late probably attributed to the great racey surface. During last season race the track was really dry and didn't facilitate passing and there was some obvious grumbling from the drivers. The lack of passing meant and the race winner basically lead from start of the race till the drop of the checkered flag. This season there was lots of passing and great racing action.

Here is a look into WoO LM's rookie Brian Shirley's hauler. This is what a typical hauler from the WoO Late Models series looks like. The big boys travel over 100 nights a year to race in speedways all over the USA. Most of the Travelers on the WoO LM's appeared to have two full cars sitting in the top of their haulers.


Local kid Tommy T-Bone gets his NRLA die cast car that he won in the NLRA raffle signed by NLRA driver Dustin Hapka.

Results from the Race

1. (6) Tim Fuller/50 $10,250
2. (2) Eddie Carrier Jr./50 $5,050
3. (24) Shannon Babb/50 $3,000
4. (4) Shane Clanton/50 $2,500
5. (8) Steve Francis/50 $2,000
6. (5) Darrell Lanigan/50 $1,700
7. (7) Clint Smith/50 $1,400
8. (9) Chub Frank/50 $1,300
9. (1) Rick Eckert/50 $1,200
10. (3) Brian Shirley/50 $1,100
11. (12) Josh Richards/50 $1,050
12. (10) Mike Balcaen/50 $1,500
13. (13) Brad Seng/50 $950
14. (16) Joey Pederson/50 $900
15. (23) Kevin Sexton/48 $850
16. (18) Steve Anderson/48 $800
17. (22) Dave Tyrchniewicz/32 $770
18. (11) Ricky Weiss/31 $750
19. (15) Doyle Erickson/20 $730
20. (17) Mitch Johnson/17 $700
21. (20) James Sangrait Jr./8 $700
22. (14) Pat Doar/7 $700
23. (21) Roy Mitchell/7 $700
24. (19) Tom Corcoran/6 $700

Local Driver Mike Balcan was the top local driver in the special.

A Clip from the World of Outlaws Late Models

Check out this video. This is from the feature of the World of Outlaws Late models feature.



The Goon with World of Outlaws Star Rick Eckert's car.


The Winning Car driven by WoO LM driver Tim Fuller, last season Tim was racing modifieds and this season Tim is in the running for the rookie of the year in the WoO Late Models.


From the back of the car driven Dave Tyrchniewicz: this is a nice tribute to a great driver John Seitz that passed away last winter while snowmobiling out west. Last night before the feature there was also a missing driver formation in honor of the late John Seitz. I would have to say that I was a bit choked up when they did it. I think many fans such as myself miss watching the four time NLRA champion John Seitz running around the track and winning races.

WoO Late Models are coming to River Cities Speedway

The Big Boys are coming to town

If you like Racing this is the place to be tomorrow night. Last season's WoO Late Model race went 50 laps green, white checkered, no yellow flags, it was some of the best dirt track racing I have ever seen. These guys are the best of the best in the Super Late Model racing in the country...

No slouches themseleves the NOSA Sprint Cars will be the support class for tomorrow night special. Now cross your fingers and hope that mother nature co-operates.

Grand Forks, ND — By Kevin Kovac, WoO LMS P.R. Director
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is headed north – way north – to kick off one of its busiest stretches of competition in history.

River Cities Speedway, a quarter-mile clay oval in Grand Forks, N.Dak., will host a $10,000-to-win, 50-lap A-Main for the nation’s premier dirt Late Model tour on Tues., June 12.

Stops at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn. (June 14), Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway (June 15), Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. (June 16) and the Belleville (Kan.) High Banks (June 17) will follow for the series, which has never before contested events on four consecutive calendar days in its six seasons (1988-89, 2004-07).

The visit to River Cities will mark the most northerly event of the 2007 WoO LMS schedule, which sports 48 dates in 22 states. The track’s latitude is just slightly higher than that of Autodrome Drummond in Drummondville, Que., a Canadian oval located roughly 1,700 miles from Grand Forks that will be graced for the first time by the full-fender Outlaws on June 23.

Most of this year’s WoO LMS regulars are familiar with the fast, high-banked River Cities speedplant, which hosted its first-ever tour program last season. Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., won the track’s caution-free 50-lapper on May 30, 2006, before a very healthy crowd and will lead the traveling clan back for what promises to be another intriguing event.

“Last year’s race was very successful and we felt there was room for more growth,” said River Cities Speedway P.R. representative Monica Evavold. “That’s why we’re doing it again (on June 12).”

There’s a buzz about the race in the Grand Forks area, which is roughly 75 miles south of the Canadian border, and Evavold expects the track’s 6,500 seats to be packed with fans for the mid-week special. The centerpiece of the former Grand Forks Speedway, which has undergone a significant facelift since four partners purchased it in 1991, is an intimate covered grandstand on the homestretch.

Last year’s WoO LMS show drew a quality field of 43 dirt Late Models to River Cities, and a similar turnout is expected again.

A raging WoO LMS points battle will continue at River Cities, with Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., entering the race with a slim 12-point edge over top ’07 winner Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill. Also within 66 points of the top spot is Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., and Rick Eckert of York, Pa.

Other WoO LMS travelers expected for the event include Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., Lanigan, 2006 Rookie of the Year Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, W.Va., top ’07 rookie contender Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., and John Blankenship of Williamson, W.Va.

Several top racers from the Upper Midwest region have the event on their schedules, including Terry Casey of New London, Wis., who finished third in last year’s WoO LMS 50 at River Cities, Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., Adam Hensel of Barron, Wis., and Canadian Joel Cryderman.

A strong contingent of River Cities dirt Late Model regulars is also expected to participate, led by defending track champion Mike Balcaen of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Other contenders to watch include Joey Pederson of East Grand Forks, Minn., Brad Seng of Grand Forks, N.Dak., and Troy Olsen of Fargo, N.Dak.