Chico Mini Gold Cup Saturday results 2009-03-14

Another Golden Memory for Meyers at Silver Dollar Speedway: Wins Finale of Mini Gold Cup

Chico, CA-- March 14, 2009--Ever since it was announced last September during the annual Gold Cup Race of Champions that the World of Outlaws would sanction the Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway in 2009 for the first time since 1992, Jason Meyers had been counting the days until the series returned to the always racy ¼-mile in his home state of California. After all, he was the defending winner of the race and also scored his first career sprint car win in the Mini Gold Cup in 1999.

Meyers added another memorable win in the Mini Gold Cup on Saturday night, leading all 40 laps and holding off a furious late race charge by 2001 World of Outlaws champion Danny Lasoski that saw the pair race side-by-side down the back straightaway on the last lap, to score his first win of the year and the 27th of his World of Outlaws career.

"This team really deservers this and to get this done for them with all of the work they have been putting in is great," said Meyers. "I can't thank everyone enough. It's very satisfying, not just to get this win, but to get it for all of those people that work so hard. We are looking forward to the season and I can't wait to go to Tulare (Thunderbowl Raceway) next weekend and see if we can keep this streak going."

After qualifying 31st on Saturday night, Meyers and his team worked hard and kept their chins up, knowing they had a very good race set-up for the high-banked ¼-mile. He came from the eighth starting spot in the third heat race to finish second and earn a spot in the Crane Cams Dash, which he won to earn the pole position for the main event.

Meyers jumped out to a quick lead in the 40-lap contest, while Sammy Swindell battled Kraig Kinser for the runner-up spot before the first caution of the night came out on the third lap. A strong restart again saw Meyers quickly open a comfortable lead in the GLR Investments KPC, while at the same time Danny Lasoski had already worked his way up from the 10th starting spot to fourth.

Meyers got into lapped traffic for the first time around the 14th lap and for the next 13 circuits before a caution came out, he tucked in behind a lap machine. Lasoski moved into second and set his sights on Meyers after a restart with 13 laps to go, using the high side of turns one and two to charge his way past Kraig Kinser.

Lasoski made a bid for the lead on a restart with 10 laps to go as he looked high on Meyers in turns one and two. With six laps remaining the leaders were in traffic, which allowed Lasoski to close in on Meyers again. With three laps to go, he looked low for the lead in turns one and two. The very next lap he powered his way to the high side of the track, nearly going over the banking in the second turn before gathering it back up. The final lap saw Lasoski track down Meyers and race him side-by-side down the back straightaway with Meyers having the advantage through turns three and four which propelled him to the win.

"We had a great race car," Meyers said. "Late in the race when the track gets rubber down like that you have to just hold your line. They were holding us up a little bit, but I was not going to take a chance getting out of the groove."

The win helped vault Meyers into the third spot in the championship standings, just 20 points behind Steve Kinser who is second. Meyers has five Top-10 finishes in the first six events of the year, as he and his team look to build momentum with the World of Outlaws schedule picking up in the next few weeks.

"The start to the season was not what we wanted, but it was only four races, though it seemed like forever, but it was only four races that didn't go that well," explained Meyers. "This weekend was definitely a good turn around and the momentum that this team needed."

One night after picking up a season-best fourth-place finish, Danny Lasoski found himself on the front straightaway recording a runner-up finish as he closes in on his first win of the season. He lined up 10th on Saturday night and steadily worked his way to the front using both his trademark low line and also the high side of the track. He began the night by turning the quickest lap in time trials of the 50 cars in attendance.

"This is a whole new deal for us and each week we are getting better and better," said Lasoski. "I want to thank everyone at Casey's General Stores, Kistler Engines, Penske Shocks, JEI Chassis. We'll just keep plugging away and I'll keep Lonnie (Parsons) from firing me."

Lasoski, who is a former winner of the Gold Cup Race of Champions, was thrilled to be back at Silver Dollar Speedway for the Mini Gold Cup with the World of Outlaws. His strong weekend at the ¼-mile vaulted him up to 11th in points, just one marker out of the Top-10 as he continues his first season behind the wheel of the Casey's General Store JEI.

"It was a different track tonight, but you could still run both places," noted the native of Dover, Missouri. "What more could a guy ask. You could run the top and the bottom. My hat is off to everyone here at Silver Dollar Speedway. I know that Alan (Padjen) and John (Padjen) worked their tails off to get us here with all of the rain and I thank them for that."

Kraig Kinser ran the second half of the race on Saturday night with an engine that was very off-song. He was able to nurse the car home to a season-best third-place finish. He was able to keep pace with Meyers throughout much of the race, especially in lapped traffic where he closed on his tail tank a number of times. He finished third in the Bass Pro Shops Maxim.

"It seemed like when we got on the bottom there, that the pushrod or something went on it," he said. "We were on at least seven cylinders, but that's just one of those things happens in racing sometimes. We'll get this fixed and hopefully figure out what happened and just get ready for the next race."

Craig Dollansky ran up front all night and finished fourth in the DirecTV Maxim, with 20-time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser in fifth aboard the Quaker State Maxim. Jason Sides was sixth in the Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim to score his fourth Top-10 finish of the season. Kerry Madsen was seventh in the TK Concrete KPC, with Jac Haudenschild eighth in the Owens Corning Fiberglass Maxim. Jesse Hockett was ninth piloting the Hansen Machine & Fabrication Maxim. Jonathan Allard rounded out the Top-10 in the K&N Filters Maxim.

The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21 at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California.

MINI GOLD CUP NIGHT #2 NOTES

* FAST QUALIFIER: Danny Lasoski paced the 50 cars that took time with an AMB i.t. timed lap around the high-banked 1/4-mile oval at 11.598 seconds at 77.670 mph. For his qualifying effort, Lasoski earned five bonus points. The next four fastest qualifiers also earned bonus points, including: Joey Saldana (4), Jason Sides (3), Randy Hannagan (2), and Jac Haudenschild (1).

* QUALIFYING WINNERS: Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Jesse Hockett and Craig Dollansky won heat races...Jason Meyers won the Crane Cams Dash... Randy Hannagan won the B-Main.... Bud Kaeding won the C-Main.

* FEATURE WINNERS: There has been six World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature event held in 2009. The winners include: Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park-twice and The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway), Joey Saldana (Volusia Speedway Park and Silver Dollar Speedway) and Jason Meyers (Silver Dollar Speedway).

* ¼-MILE WINNERS: Silver Dollar Speedway is a high-banked 1/4-mile oval. The World of Outlaws have raced twice this season on a track that size. The winners include: Jason Meyers (Silver Dollar Speedway) and Joey Saldana (Silver Dollar Speedway).

World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Silver Dollar Speedway; Chico, CA; March 14, 2009

Qualifying
1) 6-Danny Lasoski 11.598
2) 9-Joey Saldana 11.685
3) 7S-Jason Sides 11.705
4) 1X-Randy Hannagan 11.711
5) R19-Jac Haudenschild 11.756
6) O-Jonathan Allard 11.793
7) 24T-Tyler Walker 11.800
8) 35A-Wayne Johnson 11.900
9) 11-Steve Kinser 11.938
10) 83-Tim Kaeding 11.957
11) 5W-Lucas Wolfe 11.960
12) 19-Craig Dollansky 11.965
13) 55-Kerry Madsen 11.966
14) 10-Sammy Swindell 12.026
15) 2-Jesse Hockett 12.066
16) 20-Kraig Kinser 12.081
17) 8K-Chad Kemenah 12.093
18) 6X-Kyle Hurst 12.096
19) 75-Dan Menne 12.163
20) 1XX-Brett Miller 12.183
21) 98M-Mitch Olson 12.203
22) 15-Donny Schatz 12.266
23) 26B-Bobby McMahan 12.278
24) 11C-Roger Crockett 12.420
25) 54-Mark Hall 12.448
26) 22-Brian Ellenberger 12.462
27) 69-Brent Kaeding 12.471
28) 2SB-Sean Becker 12.476
29) 73-Jason Solwold 12.496
30) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. 12.503
31) 14-Jason Meyers 12.590
32) 92-Andy Forsburg 12.639
33) 2F-Brad Furr 12.726
34) 24C-Colby Copeland 12.734
35) 39-Greg Decaires 12.738
36) 33E-Evan Suggs 12.746
37) 25-Jason York 12.764
38) 26-Tayler Malsam 12.876
39) 19W-Tyler Wolf 12.948
40) 11VS-John-Michael Bunch 12.981
41) 7B-Brent Bjork 13.036
42) 82-Robbie Whitchurch 13.255
43) 22M-Mason Moore 13.328
44) 55X-Brandon Carey 13.530
45) 6M-Jon Maiwald 13.673
46) 4X-Toni Lutar 13.676
47) 25C-Chad Groves 13.944
48) 11MD-Mathew Davis 14.104
49) 49-Mike Monahan 14.327
50) 15X-Pat Harvey 14.991
51) 4S-Dan Simpson -.---
52) 24-Terry McCarl -.---
53) 33-Kyle Harris -.---
54) 29-Bud Kaeding -.---

Heat 1 (10 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 11-Steve Kinser
2) 55-Kerry Madsen
3) 6-Danny Lasoski
4) R19-Jac Haudenschild
5) 8K-Chad Kemenah
6) 54-Mark Hall
7) 2F-Brad Furr
8) 6M-Jon Maiwald
9) 49-Mike Monahan
10) 7B-Brent Bjork
11) 33-Kyle Harris
12) 73-Jason Solwold
13) 98M-Mitch Olson
14) 25-Jason York

Heat 2 (10 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 10-Sammy Swindell
2) 9-Joey Saldana
3) 15-Donny Schatz
4) 6X-Kyle Hirst
5) 83-Tim Kaeding
6) O-Jonathan Allard
7) 22-Brian Ellenberger
8) 29-Bud Kaeding
9) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.
10) 4X-Toni Lutar
11) 82-Robbie Whitchurch
12) 15X-Pat Harvey
13) 24C-Colby Copeland

Heat 3 (10 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 2-Jesse Hockett
2) 14-Jason Meyers
3) 7S-Jason Sides
4) 24T-Tyler Walker
5) 5W-Lucas Wolfe
6) 69-Brent Kaeding
7) 39-Greg Decaires
8) 19W-Tyler Wolf
9) 25C-Chad Groves
10) 22M-Mason Moore
11) 26B-Bobby McMahan
12) 75-Dan Menne

Heat 4 (10 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 19-Craig Dollansky
2) 20-Kraig Kinser
3) 11C-Roger Crockett
4) 2SB-Sean Becker
5) 24-Terry McCarl
6) 35A-Wayne Johnson
7) 1XX-Brett Miller
8) 1X-Randy Hannagan
9) 33E-Evan Suggs
10) 92-Andy Forsburg
11) 55X-Brandon Carey
12) 11VS-John-Michael Bunch
13) 11MD-Mathew Davis

Crane Cams Dash (8 laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature)
1) 14-Jason Meyers
2) 20-Kraig Kinser
3) 10-Sammy Swindell
4) 11-Steve Kinser
5) 9-Joey Saldana
6) 19-Craig Dollansky
7) 7S-Jason Sides
8) 55-Kerry Madsen
9) 2-Jesse Hockett
10) 6-Danny Lasoski

C-main (10 laps, top 2 finishers transferred to B-main)
1) 29-Bud Kaeding
2) 55X-Brandon Carey
3) 11VS-John-Michael Bunch [$125]
4) 22M-Mason Moore [$125]
5) 4X-Toni Lutar [$125]
6) 49-Mike Monahan [$100]
7) 33-Kyle Harris [$100]
8) 7B-Brent Bjork [$100]
9) 25C-Chad Groves [$100]
10) 15X-Pat Harvey [$100]
11) 11MD-Mathew Davis [$100]
12) 82-Robbie Whitchurch [$100]
13) 19W-Tyler Wolf [$100]
14) 6M-Jon Maiwald [$100]
15) 98M-Mitch Olson [$100]
16) 25-Jason York [$100]
17) 26-Tayler Malsam [$100]
18) 4S-Dan Simpson [$100]

B-main (12 laps, top 4 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 1X-Randy Hannagan
2) 35A-Wayne Johnson
3) O-Jonathan Allard
4) 26B-Bobby McMahan
5) 22-Brian Ellenberger [$200]
6) 2F-Brad Furr [$180]
7) 73-Jason Solwold [$175]
8) 33E-Evan Suggs [$160]
9) 92-Andy Forsburg [$150]
10) 39-Greg Decaires [$150]
11) 29-Bud Kaeding [$150]
12) 55X-Brandon Carey [$150]
13) 1XX-Brett Miller [$150]
14) 54-Mark Hall [$150]
15) 69-Brent Kaeding [$150]
16) 75-Dan Menne [$150]
17) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. [$150]
18) 25C-Chad Groves [$150]

A-main (40 laps) - Starting Position [#]
1) 14-Jason Meyers[1] [$10,000]
2) 6-Danny Lasoski[10] [$5,000]
3) 20-Kraig Kinser[2] [$3,000]
4) 19-Craig Dollansky[6] [$2,700]
5) 11-Steve Kinser[4] [$2,500]
6) 7S-Jason Sides[7] [$2,200]
7) 55-Kerry Madsen[8] [$2,000]
8) R19-Jac Haudenschild[12] [$1,800]
9) 2-Jesse Hockett[9] [$1,600]
10) O-Jonathan Allard[13] [$1,450]
11) 35A-Wayne Johnson[15] [$1,300]
12) 24T-Tyler Walker[14] [$1,200]
13) 15-Donny Schatz[20] [$1,100]
14) 83-Tim Kaeding[16] [$1,000]
15) 6X-Kyle Hirst[19] [$950]
16) 1X-Randy Hannagan[11] [$900]
17) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[17] [$850]
18) 24-Terry McCarl[24] [$750]
19) 9-Joey Saldana[5] [$725]
20) 2SB-Sean Becker[23] [$700]
21) 8K-Chad Kemenah[18] [$700]
22) 26B-Bobby McMahan[21] [$700]
23) 11C-Roger Crockett[22] [$700]
24) 10-Sammy Swindell[3] [$700]

Lap leaders: Jason Meyers 1-40

SuperClean Start of the Night Award: Terry McCarl
Penske Power Position: Kraig Kinser
KSE Hard Charger Award: Danny Lasoski

-credit: WoO