Rossburg Eldora Speedway preview

World of Outlaws Preview: Kings Royal XXVI

Rossburg, OH--July 16, 2009--The traditional "Month of Money" kicks off for the World of Outlaws this weekend at Eldora Speedway in Ohio with the 26th running of the legendary Kings Royal on Saturday, July 18. The weekend will kick off with the Knight before the Kings Royal on Friday, July 17. The finale on Saturday night will pay $50,000 to the winner and the cameras from SPEED will be on hand to tape the race for broadcast on Sunday, August 9 at 5 p.m. Eastern.

Joey Saldana was bidding for his third career win in the event last season and was leading when he lost a tire with 13 laps remaining, handing the lead to Daryn Pittman, who would pace the field for the remainder of the distance to score his first win in the Kings Royal.

Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws champion, leads all drivers with six wins in event and is the only driver that has made the main event in each of the previous 25 Kings Royals.

Jac Haudenschild has won the race three times and is one of three drivers from the state of Ohio to wear the famed crown and sit on the throne at his home state track.

Donny Schatz, the three-time and defending World of Outlaws champion, won the Kings Royal for the first time in his career in 2007.

Jason Sides made history in 2004 winning the Kings Royal, as it was his first career World of Outlaws A-Feature triumph. He remains the only driver in history to accomplish this feat.

Slidejobs-Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway

What a record: Steve Kinser continues to add to his amazing record at Eldora Speedway each time he takes to the fabled half-mile in Western Ohio. He has 57 total wins at the track, with 34 of those coming in World of Outlaws A-Feature events. He also has won with the All Star Circuit of Champions at the track, as well as the United States Automobile Club (USAC) in a non-wing sprint car and a Silver Crown car. He has won the Kings Royal six times to lead all drivers and also in the only driver that has qualified for the main event in each of the previous 25 Kings Royals, racking up 16 Top-Five finishes in those events . He has nearly 150 career Top-10 finishes at the track. He heads to Eldora fresh off a win in the Brad Doty Classic at Limaland Motorsports Park on Wednesday night.

Home state hero: Jac Haudenschild has won the Kings Royal three times in his career and has a total of 23 wins at Eldora dating back to 1982. He has won both in winged and non-wing sprint cars. He made his debut at the half-mile in his home state in 1978 with the World of Outlaws during their inaugural season. In the Kings Royal, he has nine Top-10 finishes with seven of those being Top-Fives. He has finished in the Top-10 in three of the last four Kings Royal main events. He also carries momentum into the Kings Royal, having finished fifth in the Brad Doty Classic after lining up 23rd.

Nearly number 3: Joey Saldana was leading with13 laps remaining in the Kings Royal last season when he had a tire explode as he was making a bid to win the famed event for the third time in his career. He won it for the first time in 2002 and followed that up with another triumph in 2006. He has a total of 17 career wins at Eldora Speedway including two last season with the World of Outlaws. He heads to Eldora second in the World of Outlaws championship standings and leads the series with 12 A-Feature wins.

Chasing the second one: Donny Schatz, the three-time and defending World of Outlaws champion, won his first Kings Royal in 2007 in what was his 12th attempt at it. The North Dakota native has finished eighth or better in six of the last seven Kings Royal main events. He won in May at Eldora Speedway to retake the World of Outlaws point lead and has held the top position ever since. He has five career wins at the half-mile which is owned by his car owner Tony Stewart.

Making history: Jason Sides won his first career World of Outlaws event in the 2004 Kings Royal. The 2003 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year winner is the only driver in the history of the series to accomplish this feat. The native of Bartlett, Tennessee is off to the best start of his World of Outlaws career and recently moved back into fifth in points on the strength of 27 Top-10 finishes on the year. He was finished a very solid third on Wednesday night in the Brad Doty Classic.

Oh so close: Jason Meyers has finished second in each of the last two Kings Royal main events as he looks to become the first driver from the state of California to win the prized race. He has two career wins at Eldora along with 20 Top-10 finishes. He is currently third in the World of Outlaws championship standings and has won four times this season. He has finished 12th or better in all six of the Kings Royal main events he has qualified for. He heads to Eldora having finished second in each of the last two World of Outlaws A-Feature events.

It's been a while: Danny Lasoski has two career wins at Eldora Speedway, with the most recent of those coming in 2004. In the Kings Royal, he has seven Top-10 finishes, with two of those being runner-up performances and also a third-place effort. In his career at Eldora, he has 60 Top-10 finishes. He finished third at the track earlier this season and enters this weekend with three wins on the year as he continues his first season driving for the Parsons Motorsports team.

Holding steady: Craig Dollansky set the track record in qualifying at Eldora in 2002, turning a lap of 12.707 seconds, which still stands nearly seven years later. In his career in the Kings Royal, the former Gumout Series champion has six Top-10 finishes. He turned in a career-best third-place performance in the famed race back in 2002. He has six career wins at Eldora and over 40 Top-10 finishes. He is in the midst of his first season driving for Kasey Kahne Racing as a teammate to Joey Saldana.

Chasing a couple of firsts: Kraig Kinser heads to the Kings Royal in search of his first win of the 2009 season and also his first win at Eldora Speedway, which is owned by his car owner Tony Stewart. He finished a career-best sixth in the Kings Royal in 2005. He has three career Top-Five finishes at Eldora. He is currently ninth in the series standings and has nearly 20 Top-10 finishes on the season including a fourth-place run on Wednesday night in the Brad Doty Classic.

On the fast track: Lucas Wolfe will return to the Kings Royal this season after missing the event due to injury last year. He qualified for the main event in the fabled race for the first time in 2007. He has one career win at the Ohio speedplant, with that coming in 2007 in an event leading up to the Kings Royal. He has six Top-10 finishes this season and is currently 10th in points.

Consistent at the legendary track: Sam Hafertepe Jr. continues to gain priceless experience at Eldora and has finished 10th and 11th in each of his last two starts at the track. He qualified for the main event of the Kings Royal for the first time in his career last season. The native of Sunnyvale, Texas has three career Top-10 finishes at the track. He led a number of laps on Wednesday night in the Brad Doty Classic as he chased his first career World of Outlaws win and was running second before he got into the wall and upside ending his night. He has six Top-10 finishes on the season.

Fourth time at the Royal: Brian Ellenberger, who is contending for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award this season, has competed in the Kings Royal three times in his career, with the first of those coming in 2001. He is looking to qualify for the main event for the first time this season. In his career at Eldora Speedway, he has three Top-10 finishes.

By the Numbers: Kings Royal

0.5- Miles around Eldora Speedway

1-Driver that has competed in all 25 Kings Royal main events, Steve Kinser

2- Drivers that led laps in the Kings Royal last season

3- Wins in the Kings Royal for Jac Haudenschild

4- Events for the World of Outlaws at Eldora Speedway this season

6- Wins in the Kings Royal for Steve Kinser to lead all drivers; Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that have won the event; Drivers that have multiple wins in the Kings Royal

7- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that have won an A-Feature event with the series at Eldora

8- Different states represented by past winners of the Kings Royal

9- Wins for drivers from the state of Indiana to lead all states (Steve Kinser, Mark Kinser and Joey Saldana)

11- Drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that have started at least one Kings Royal A-Feature

12- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws 12.707- Track record set by Craig Dollansky in 2002

14-Drivers that have won the Kings Royal

16- Top-five finishes for Steve Kinser in his career at the Kings Royal to lead all drivers

20- Different seasons that Steve Kinser has won a World of Outlaws A-Feature event at Eldora Speedway

21- Different first letters of the last name of drivers that have made at least one main event in the Kings Royal (Only ones missing are: I, O, Q, X and Y).

22- Points that separate Donny Schatz and Joey Saldana atop the World of Outlaws standings heading to the Kings Royal

27- Laps led by Joey Saldana last season in the Kings Royal before a flat tire ended his night;

30- Drivers that have won A-Feature events with the World of Outlaws at Eldora Speedway dating back to 1978

34- A-Feature wins with the World of Outlaws for Steve Kinser in his career at Eldora

57- Total wins for Steve Kinser in his career at Eldora

63- Miles from Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, Ohio where the World of Outlaws compete on July 15 to Eldora Speedway

124- Drivers that have started at least one Kings Royal main event

125- A-Feature events for the World of Outlaws at Eldora Speedway dating back to 1978

269- Laps led by Joey Saldana this season in A-Feature events to lead the series

1978- Year the World of Outlaws first competed at Eldora Speedway

1984- Year of the first Kings Royal at Eldora

10,000- Dollars the winner will receive on Friday, July 17

50,000- Dollars the winner will receive on Saturday, July 18

128,525- Dollars in the total purse for the Kings Royal finale

178,575- Dollars earned by Joey Saldana through July 15 to lead the series

(Additional information from www.eldoraspeedway.com)

Tickets: On Friday, July 17 at Eldora Speedway, tickets for those ages 16-over will be $27, with tickets for those ages 12-15 just $14 and kids 11-under jut $8. For ticket information visit: www.eldoraspeedway.com.

On Saturday, July 18 at Eldora Speedway, tickets for those ages 16-over will be $34, with tickets for those ages 12-15, $22 and tickets for kids 11-under will be just $12. For ticket information visit: www.eldoraspeedway.com

-credit: WoO