At a Glance 2006-03-23

World of Outlaws Sprint Series Thundering Into Batesville Speedway and I-55 Raceway

Norman, OK -- March 23, 2006 -- The vibrant Arkansas city of Batesville is home to NASCAR superstar Mark Martin, but on March 31 the World of Outlaws Sprint Series thunders into town for the $51,600 Batesville Bash.

The Mean 15 racers will meet up with some of the most exciting winged sprint car drivers in the Midwest and converge for one night only at Batesville Speedway, nestled into the foothills of the Ozark Mountains and one of the fastest 3/8-mile ovals in the country.

The World of Outlaws returned last season to Batesville for the first time since 1993 and didn't disappoint as 24 cars shattered the single-lap record, which now stands at 10.746 seconds with an average speed of 125.628 mph.

One of the Mean 15 racers with the most experience at Batesville is Daryn Pittman, a native of Owasso, Okla., who finished second there last season. Fans who arrive early to the area on March 31 can see Pittman's Titan Racing USA Maxim between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Pizza Hut at 1070 St. Louis in Batesville. Later at the track, several drivers will be available to sign autographs before the night of racing begins, too.

"I enjoy Batesville," said Pittman, who is off to a quick start this season with three top-five runs. "From the first time I got in a sprint car it was one of my favorite race tracks. I wish we could go back more often."

If for some reason a fan can't make it to the high-powered Batesville Bash, they can tune in live at 8 p.m. Eastern for a DIRTVision Cybercast featuring video as well as the DIRT Radio Network coverage of the race. Check out http://www.dirtvision.com for more information.

Following the Batesville Bash, the Mean 15 racers will roll north April 1 to Pevely, Mo., as Surdyke Harley-Davidson presents the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars in a $51,600 event that pays $10,000 to the winner at I-55 Raceway, a little south of St. Louis. In addition, the U.M.P. Modifieds will be on the card, as well, for a full day of action at the 1/3-mile high-speed and high-banked oval.

Chad Kemenah, a Mean 15 racer and winner of the past four All Star Circuit of Champions titles, captured the checkered flag last July in a thriller at I-55 Raceway for the first World of Outlaws victory of his career. If he can duplicate that feat he would become the first repeat winner this season after taking the season opener in February at Volusia Speedway Park.

WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT SERIES AT A GLANCE: Batesville Speedway & I-55 Raceway

WHAT
* The World of Outlaws Sprint Series is gearing up to invade Batesville Speedway on March 31 in Locust Grove, Ark., for the $51,600 Batesville Bash and I-55 Raceway on April 1 in Pevely, Mo., for a $51,600 event presented by Surdyke Harley-Davidson. The following weekend, April 7-8, the series returns to historic Eldora Speedway for the World of Outlaws presented by McDonald's.

WHEN
* On March 31 at Batesville Speedway, pit gates will open at 4 p.m. with grandstands opening at 5 p.m. Several Mean 15 racers will be available for autographs preceding the night of action on the 3/8-mile oval.

* On April 1 at I-55 Raceway, the pit gates will open at 2 p.m. with grandstands opening at 3 p.m. Several Mean 15 racers will be available for an autograph session preceding the night of racing on the high-banked 1/3-mile oval.

WHERE
* Batesville Speedway is about seven miles west of Batesville in Locust Grove on Heber Springs Road at the junction of SR 14 and SR 25.

* For I-55 Raceway, take Interstate 55 to Herculaneum exit (#178), head east on U.S. 61/67, go north to Herky-Horine Road, then 1/2-mile west.

TICKETS
* For tickets to the Batesville Bash, call the track at 870-251-1200 or go to www.batesvillespeedway.com for more information.

* For tickets to I-55 Raceway, call 636-479-3219 or go to www.i55raceway.com for more information.

ON THE INTERNET
* Listen live to all World of Outlaws Sprint Series races on the DIRT Radio Network at Dirtvision.com. Go to www.dirtvision.com for more information on all the features, including updated results from each night of racing as well as a chat room to interact with other fans listening to the action.

* The Batesville Bash will air as a Video Cybercast through DIRTVision.com in addition to the regular coverage on the DIRT Radio Network. Go to www.dirtvision.com for more information.

* The World of Outlaws Sprint Series is at www.dirtmotorsports.com/sprint.

* Batesville Speedway is at www.batesvillespeedway.com.

* I-55 Raceway is at www.i55raceway.com.

ON TELEVISION
* The Outdoor Channel will air at 8 p.m. (ET) on March 29 all the finale to the Las Vegas World of Outlaws Nationals at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. On April 5, The Outdoor Channel will air coverage of the World of Outlaws event from I-55 Raceway. The Outdoor Channel is available nationwide through the DISH Network (Channel 153) and DIRECTV (Channel 606).

ON RADIO
* Brooke Tatnell will join Dirt Nation with hosts Doc Lehman and Dave Seay on Monday, April 3, for a segment airing between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern. To listen to Dirt Nation online, go to www.dirtnation.net/ or in the Hampton, Va., area tune into WLRT FOX 1490 AM.

ABOUT THE TRACKS
* Batesville Speedway is a high-banked, 3/8-mile oval where Kraig Kinser set the track record of 10.746 seconds at 125.628 mph on April 1, 2005.

* I-55 Raceway is a high-banked, 1/3-mile oval. Steve Smith's 10.189-second lap on March 30, 2002, is still the track record in a World of Outlaws event.

NEWS & NOTES
* Consistency: Through the first six races of the 2006 season, the World of Outlaws have had a total car count of 232 cars, with 36 cars both nights at Volusia Speedway Park, 43 cars at Manzanita Speedway, 46 cars at USA Race Park, 37 cars on the first night at Las Vegas and 34 cars on the second night at Las Vegas. Through the first six races of the 2005 season, the Outlaws had a total car count of 233 cars, with 56 cars on the first night at Volusia Speedway Park, 43 cars on the second night at Volusia, 35 cars at Thunderbowl Raceway, 36 cars at Bakersfield Speedway, 34 cars at Manzanita Speedway and 29 cars on the first night at Las Vegas.

* SLS event tickets: Following highly successful events in Arizona, SLS Promotions and the World of Outlaws are gearing up for more shows. Tickets are on sale for the April 21 City of Lawrenceburg Sprint Car Nationals featuring the World of Outlaws and the All Star Circuit of Champions Winged Challenge at legendary Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway. -- Tickets also are available for the inaugural Missouri High-Bank Nationals May 5 at the ultrafast U.S. 36 Raceway in Osborn, Mo., where Mean 15 racer Terry McCarl owns the astonishing single-lap record of 9.91 seconds on the 3/8-mile clay oval. -- The next night, Saturday, May 6, the crew travels down to C. Ray Hall's historic 81 Speedway for the Third Annual Wichita Twister Showdown, won last year by Mean 15 racer Daryn Pittman. Tickets are available for this popular Kansas event thru SLS or by calling the track direct at 316-755-1781. -- Tickets for the two-day Duel In The Dakotas, run in conjunction with the Red River Valley Fair in West Fargo, N.D., also are on sale. The June 16-17 Duel will be tri-sanctioned with the All Stars and NOSA adding their stars and cars to the field for an incredibly competitive event that SLS is truly proud to be part of this in 2006. To purchase tickets to these events, contact SLS Promotions at 815-344-2023 on Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central or go to www.slspromotions for more information.

* Party time: The City of Lawrenceburg Sprint Nationals figures to be a non-stop party built around some exciting racing at the historic quarter-mile Lawrenceburg Speedway near Cincinnati. A pre-race party on Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Downtown Lawrenceburg on Walnut Street will get things rolling as Craig Dollansky and his Karavan Trailers J&J and Terry McCarl and his Big Game Treestands Eagle will be there to jump start the action. The party then will shift to the Hoosier Wings and Rings restaurant, which will have specials for fans each day during the event. The World of Outlaws will battle with the All Star Circuit of Champions on Friday, April 21, with USAC wingless sprints taking to the track on Saturday, April 22. For tickets to the Friday night event, call SLS Promotions at 815-344-2023.

* Bonus bucks: The traditional Month of Money might not start until mid-July, but that hasn't stopped Dave Blaney and Sharon Speedway from joining Lernerville Speedway to offer a $50,000 bonus to any driver up to taking The $50,000 Challenge. If the winner of the Commonwealth Clash on May 19 at Lernerville Speedway agrees to take The $50,000 Challenge, that racer can pocket the monster bonus by winning the next night at Sharon Speedway. Since both events offer a $51,600 purse that pays $10,000 to the winner, there's a potential $70,000 available for capturing the checkered flag on back-to-back nights. Of course, there has to be a catch. The driver who wins the Commonwealth Clash and agrees to take The $50,000 Challenge will start the 40-lap main event at 3/8-mile Sharon Speedway from the 24th spot on the grid.

* Gaining support: The SC Motorsports No. 18 driven by Mean 15 racer Brian Carlson will be utilizing 100 percent quality Brad Penn Penn Grade 1 Racing Oil "The Green Oil" for the entire 2006 season. "We're excited to have Brad Penn Racing Oils showcased on a World of Outlaws Sprint Car team," said DND Oil owner Danny Fisher. Says Sarah Carlson: "Sprint car engines are notorious for being stressful to all the internal components of an engine. The most important part of keeping them going is the proper lubrication. Penn Grade 1 Racing Oils will stand up to the rigors of a touring sprint team like ours." Brian Carlson had a successful run through Arizona, qualifying for the a dash at Manzanita Speedway. "Danny and his family have been good friends for several years now. We're just happy to have them involved as a sponsor now as well," Brian Carlson said. "Growing up in Western Pennsylvania, this match couldn't be better." The Brad Penn refinery located in Bradford Pa., (formerly the Kendall Refinery) is a subsidiary of American Refining Group Inc. Brad Penn offers their exclusive Penn-Grade 1 Racing Oils in several viscosities (10W-30 Partial Synthetic, 20W-50 Partial Synthetic, SAE 50 and NITRO 70) for a variety of applications. Brad Penn is a well-respected name in racing circles with it's famous 100 percent Made in the USA "The Green Oil." For more information on Brad Penn Penn Grade 1 racing oils, contact DND Oil at 765-362-3774, BRAD PENN racing oils at 814-368-1340 or visit go to www.amref.com.

* Variety show: Through six events this season on the World of Outlaws tour, not only has there been six different winners, but there also has been six different drivers to sit on the pole and six different drivers to win the B-main.

* What a pill: For the past three consecutive races, the field for the dashes that sets the top six rows for a single-day event has been inverted after the quickest driver of the night pulled a No. 6 pill following time trials. That means the fastest cars in time trials that transfer through their heats must start from the back of the dash. There is an equal possibility for that driver to pull a 0, 4 or 6.

* Primetime racers: The Outdoor Channel broadcasts World of Outlaws action at 8 p.m. (ET) on Wednesdays, with rebroadcasts at 1 a.m. (ET) Fridays and 1 p.m. (ET) Saturdays. The Outdoor Channel is available nationwide through the DISH Network (Channel 153) and DIRECTV (Channel 606). For more information on The Outdoor Channel, go to www.theoutdoorchannel.com.

* 3/8-mile winners: Batesville Speedway is a 3/8-mile oval. The series has raced one time this season on a track that size. On March 4 at United Sports Arizona Race Park in Tucson, Paul McMahan held off Donny Schatz as Terry McCarl, Schatz and Daryn Pittman were three of the fastest cars throughout the night.

* 1/3-mile winners: On April 1 at I-55 Raceway, the World of Outlaws will compete for the first time this season on a 1/3-mile oval. In 2005, the World of Outlaws raced 14 times on tracks that size. Current Mean 15 racers accounted for five of those victories, with Craig Dollansky earning two wins and Chad Kemenah, Daryn Pittman and Donny Schatz each picking up a victory, too.

* The Mean 15: The impressive 2006 edition of the World of Outlaws Sprint Series' Mean 15 racers includes Becca Anderson (No. 19 Woodring Racing JEI), Jeremy Campbell (No. 10c America's Best Values Inn/G-Force Racing Gear Maxim), Brian Carlson (No. 18 Lincoln Electric Maxim), Craig Dollansky (No. 7 Karavan Trailers J&J), Randy Hannagan (No. 1x Terry Hannagan Racing Maxim), Jac Haudenschild (No. 35 Wright One Construction Maxim), Justin Henderson (No. D1 Dan Dan The Sonic Man/Race Girl Schnee powered by Hollywood Racing Engines), Dion Hindi (No. 11D Butler Built Performance Seats J&J), Chad Kemenah (No. 15K UUI Underground Utilities Eagle), Jason Martin (No. 36 NOS Energy Drink/Mafia Motorsports Maxim), Terry McCarl (No. 24 Big Game Treestands/Clean-O.com/Bosma Poultry/AmeriCash Advance.com Eagle), Daryn Pittman (No. 21 Titan Garages & Carports Maxim), Joey Saldana (No. 9 Central Merchant Services/Curb Records/Dodge Mopar-powered JEI), Donny Schatz (No. 15 ParkerStore J&J), Brooke Tatnell (No. 8 Castrol/Steel Dreams/Garlic Jim's Pizza Eagle). Rob Chaney is currently driving the No. 36 NOS Energy Drink/Mafia Motorsports Maxim while Jason Martin heals from an early-season racing injury.

* Joining in: Several other drivers have competed in each of the first six World of Outlaws events this season, including Bill Rose (No. 6 Durty Country Maxim) who has signed on to compete with the Outlaws at each event in 2006. In addition, Greg Wilson (No. 20W All-Star Plumbing and Heating Maxim), 2005 Knoxville Nationals top rookie Kaley Gharst (No. 44G Maxim) and Barry Ruble (No. 63 Countryside Truck Service Eagle) also have competed in all six World of Outlaws races so far this season.

UPCOMING EVENTS
* Following the back-to-back events at Batesville Speedway and I-55 Raceway, the World of Outlaws Mean 15 racers will invade historic Eldora Speedway for a two-day event presented by McDonald's on April 7-8 before racing in Indiana April 15 at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt and April 21 in the City of Lawrenceburg Sprint Nationals at Lawrenceburg Speedway near Cincinnati. The series closes out the month with races April 29 at legendary Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, and April 30 at Huset's Speedway in Brandon, S.D.

-woo-