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Series Eldora spotlight - Craig Dollansky

Dollansky Looks to Add to Win Total at Eldora this Weekend Rossburg, OH-- September 18, 2008--12.707. It's an answer to a trivia question and even appears on a t-shirt. In sprint car racing circles, it's a well known number. So, what exactly is ...

Dollansky Looks to Add to Win Total at Eldora this Weekend

Rossburg, OH-- September 18, 2008--12.707. It's an answer to a trivia question and even appears on a t-shirt. In sprint car racing circles, it's a well known number. So, what exactly is 12.707? It's the track record at the famed Eldora Speedway in Ohio, established by Craig Dollansky in time trials with the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series on April 13, 2002.

The record has stood for six-plus seasons and countless races at the storied half-mile. The night that he set the new track record, Dollansky also won his first Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws A-Feature event at Eldora Speedway. He since has won three more times with the series at the track, including this season aboard the Snap-on Tools Maxim. He will have another chance to challenge his own record this weekend, as the World of Outlaws compete in the kickoff of the Chevy American Revolution on Friday, September 19 at the track.

"It's such a unique race track and one they call the world's fastest half-mile," explained Dollansky. "To have the track record there is something has been pretty special for us. Regardless of that, we're going to go in there and do everything we can to win the final race of the year there. Hopefully we'll finish at Eldora on a high note."

Dollansky won earlier this season on April 11 in the World of Outlaws first visit of the season to the track, leading the final 10 laps of the 30-lap contest. In his last visit to the track for the Kings Royal, he was running in a transfer spot to race his way into the main event through the B-Main, when he was caught up in an accident, not of his making, which ended his night. He looks to make up for that this weekend as the series makes their final of four stops of the season at Eldora.

"It's definitely one of my favorite stops on the tour and we always enjoy going back there," he noted. "We did get a win there earlier this year and had a tough Kings Royal, so we are looking forward to going back and have a good run there."

The configuration of the legendary track has changed a number of times over the last few years, with new clay being added, as well as some tweaking to the banking. In picking up the win at Eldora earlier this season, Dollansky used a textbook slide job on two-time defending series champion Donny Schatz on a lap-21 restart to take the lead and ultimately the win. The track has had a trademark of producing countless slide jobs over the years, as well as drivers running just inches off the fence as they use the momentum of the high banks to power their way around the half-mile.

"They have certainly made some improvements there," said the native of Elk River, Minnesota. "The track surface has been better this year than what we saw there last year. I think it's been a work in progress that they are trying to make there. I'm sure it will be a good race track when we get back there this week."

Dollansky made his first visit to Eldora back in 1995 and has nearly 40 Top-10 finishes at the track since that time. He has five overall wins at the track, with four of those coming with the World of Outlaws. He has three Top-10 finishes this season at the track, in addition to a couple of Top-10 efforts in time trials, which put him in a good starting spot in heat races.

"Experience always helps at a track like that, and some guys don't even like going there," shared the veteran driver. "For me it's a high-banked fast race track and one that I have always enjoyed going to. There is definitely a lot of history and tradition at Eldora. It is one of the more special places we stop on the tour."

The former World of Outlaws Gumout Series champion enters the event at Eldora Speedway this weekend a very solid third in the championship standings on the strength of 44 Top-10 finishes, with 32 of those being Top-Five performances. Along with Jason Meyers, he is the only driver that has led more than 300 laps of feature racing competition this season. He also has been quickest in time trials on seven occasions and is tied for the series lead with six wins in the Crane Cams Dash, which has earned him six pole positions.

With just 14 events remaining on the 2008 calendar, he and his Larry Woodward team led by crew chief Mike Woodring along with Rob Beattie and Lester Groves, have one main goal and that is to add to their eight overall wins this season. The team has won has seven A-Feature wins, along with a preliminary feature victory at the Gold Cup Race of Champions a couple of weeks ago. Dollansky has won at six different tracks this season and has 28 career A-Feature wins with the World of Outlaws entering competition this weekend.

"We're focused on running strong each night and getting some more wins in the win column," said Dollansky. "We want to finish this season out as strong as we can with this Larry Woodward team, for all the people we have supporting us and standing behind us."

On Friday, September 19 at Eldora Speedway, tickets for the kickoff to the Chevy American Revolution weekend for those ages 16-over will be $25, with tickets for those ages 12-15 $12, while tickets for children ages 7-11 will be $6 and kids 6-under will be admitted free of charge. For ticket information visit www.eldoraspeedway.com.

-credit: woo

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