Series Sarver Lernerville Speedway

World of Outlaws Preview: Lernerville Speedway

Sarver, PA--September 23, 2009--Following up a very exciting Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup Twin 30's at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pennsylvania back in July, the World of Outlaws will return to the high-banked four-tenths mile this weekend for the Commonwealth Clash on Saturday, September 26. The race will be the first fall event for the series at Lernerville since 2001, as the Commonwealth Clash has normally taken place in the spring.

Danny Lasoski heads to Lernerville as the reigning Silver Cup champion, winning the opener of that twin event and charging all the way from 19th to finish seventh in the finale to take the overall title. It was Lasoski's first win at the track where has been competing since 1992. Stevie Smith won the finale of the Silver Cup, to earn his first World of Outlaws win in 2005.

Jason Meyers won the Commonwealth Clash last season when it was held in the spring and the California native is currently locked in a tight point battle with Donny Schatz and Joey Saldana as the trio battles down to the wire for the series title. Meyers is currently second in the standings, just 18 markers out of the lead heading into the pair of events this weekend. He leads the series with 48 Top-10 finishes.

Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws champion, leads the series in wins at Lernerville with 17 dating back to his debut at the track in 1979. He won the 2008 Silver Cup, which was his second triumph in the storied race. He finished third in the opener of the Twin 30's this season and has finished fourth or better in nine of his last 11 starts at the track.

Donny Schatz, the three-time and defending series champion, won the Commonwealth Clash in 2003 and followed that up with wins in the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup in 2006 and 2007. He finished 10th earlier this season in the Twin 30's at Lernerville.

For current rookie contender Brian Ellenberger, Lernerville is his home track, and he has won there three times over the years. Craig Dollansky also has been victorious at the high-banked four-tenths mile.

The World of Outlaws made their debut at Lernerville Speedway in 1979 with Steve Kinser winning that event, and have been competing at the always racy four-tenths mile ever since. A total of 20 drivers have won A-Feature events with the series over that span.

Slidejobs- Lernerville Speedway:

A long time coming: Danny Lasoski won his first race at Lernerville Speedway back in July during the first Twin-30 of the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup and won the overall Silver Cup title after a seventh-place run in the finale. The 2001 World of Outlaws champion has racked up 27 Top-10 finishes in 31 career starts at the track dating back to 1992. He has won five times this season and is currently battling Jason Sides for the fifth spot in the series championship standings.

Plenty of laps & plenty of success: Steve Kinser leads all World of Outlaws drivers with 17 career wins at Lernerville Speedway dating back to a victory in the series debut at the track in 1979. He has won in 16 different seasons at the high-banked four-tenths mile with the series. In his career at Lernerville, Kinser has over 50 Top-10 finishes, with over 40 of those being Top-Fives. He finished third in the opener of the Silver Cup this season. The 20-time series champion has won twice this season and is currently fourth in points.

A run of 10: Donny Schatz, the three-time and defending World of Outlaws champion, has 10 consecutive Top-10 finishes at Lernerville Speedway including two wins in that span. He has three career triumphs at the track, with the first of those coming in the 2003. The North Dakota native has won 12 times this season and clings to an 18-point lead over Jason Meyers in the series championship standings, in what is shaping up to be one of the best point races in the 31-year history of the series. Schatz currently leads the series with 36 Top-Five finishes entering the pair of races this weekend.

Home sweet home: Lernerville Speedway is Brian Ellenberger's home track. The leading contender for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year award has won three times over the years at the track. The Commonwealth Clash will be his third start of the season with the World of Outlaws at Lernerville. He is currently 11th in points as he continues his first full season on the road. The native of Butler, Pennsylvania finished a career-best third with the series at Dodge City Raceway Park in Kansas back in June and has four Top-10 finishes as he continues to gain priceless experience in his rookie season.

Not far behind: Jason Meyers won the Commonwealth Clash last season to earn his second career win at Lernerville Speedway. He won for the first time at the track in 2000 in a Gumout Series event, which was also his first win as a "traveling" driver outside of his home state of California. Meyers leads the series with 48 Top-10 finishes this season as he chases his first series title. He finished sixth and ninth in the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup Twin 30's and has finished in the Top-10 in five of his last six starts at the track.

It's been a while: Joey Saldana won for the first time in his career at Lernerville Speedway in 2005 in a preliminary feature. The native of Brownsburg, Indiana is the current Lernerville Speedway track record holder, setting that mark in 2002. He leads the World of Outlaws with 18 A-Feature wins this season and is currently third in points as he chases his first title. He is 30 markers behind Meyers for the second position and 48 out of the lead. The second generation driver has 19 career Top-10 finishes at Lernerville, with nine of those being Top-Five performances.

Oh so close: Jason Sides led the first 21 laps of the opener of the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup Twin-30 in July, before finishing second to Danny Lasoski. For Sides, it was a career-best finish at Lernerville. The 2003 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, who is having the best season of his World of Outlaws career, is currently fifth in points on the strength of 43 Top-10 finishes with 22 of those being Top-Fives.

Looking for another win: Craig Dollansky won for the first time at Lernerville Speedway in 2000 in a Gumout Series race. The native of Elk River Minnesota has 14 career Top-10 finishes at the track including a fourth-place effort in the opener of the Twin 30's back in July. He has finished in the Top-10 in seven of his last nine starts at Lernerville. In his first season driving for Kasey Kahne Racing, Dollansky has three wins to go along with 40 Top-10 finishes and is currently seventh in points, just 23 markers behind Danny Lasoski as the pair battles for the sixth spot.

More and more laps: Kraig Kinser continues to learn Lernerville Speedway as he has just raced there a handful of times over the last few years. He made his debut at the track in 2004 and raced there again the following year and then did not return until last year, finishing ninth in the Silver Cup. In his second season driving for Tony Stewart Racing, the third generation driver is eighth in points on the strength of 28 Top-10 finishes with 10 of those being Top-Fives.

Closer and closer: Jac Haudenschild finished second in the finale of the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup Twin 30's back in July to match the best finish of his career at Lernerville Speedway. Over the years, the 2009 inductee into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame has racked up 26 Top-10 finishes at the track with 11 of those being Top-Fives. This season he is ninth in points on the strength of 28 Top-10 finishes with 13 of those being Top-Fives.

A home state race: Lucas Wolfe who hails from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania has made a handful of starts over the last few years at Lernerville Speedway which is located in his home state. The reigning Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year is currently 10th in points on the strength of 15 Top-10 finishes with five of those being Top-Fives as he chases his first career World of Outlaws win.

By the Numbers: Lernerville Speedway:

0.4-Miles around Lernerville Speedway

2- Visits to Lernerville Speedway this season for the World of Outlaws

3- Wins for Brian Ellenberger in his career at Lernerville Speedway, his home track

4- Drivers that led laps during the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup Twin 30's this season; Laps led by Stevie Smith to win the finale of the Silver Cup this year

8- Laps led by Danny Lasoski to win the opener of the Silver Cup in July

10- Track records that have been established in time trials this season at World of Outlaws events

11- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws

12.234- Track record at Lernerville set by Joey Saldana in time trials 2002

17- A-Feature wins for Steve Kinser in his career at Lernerville Speedway

18- Points that separate Donny Schatz and Jason Meyers in the World of Outlaws standings entering this weekend's pair of event

19- Drivers that have been quickest in time trials with the World of Outlaws this season

20- Drivers that have won A-Feature events with the World of Outlaws at Lernerville Speedway dating back to 1979

36- Top-Five finishes for Donny Schatz to lead the series through September 19

44- Drivers that competed in the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup back in July

58- A-Feature events contested this season by the World of Outlaws through September 19

70- A-Feature events contested by the World of Outlaws at Lernerville Speedway dating back to 1979

327- Miles from Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio where the World of Outlaws compete on Friday, September 25 to Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pennsylvania

432- Laps led in feature events by Joey Saldana this season to lead the series

1979-Year the World of Outlaws first competed at Lernerville Speedway

10,000- Dollars the winner will receive on Saturday, September 26 51,690- Dollars in the total purse on Saturday, September 26

329,335- Dollars earned by Joey Saldana through September 19 to lead the series

Tickets: On Saturday, September 26 at Lernerville Speedway, Adult General Admission tickets will be $26 with general admission tickets for seniors $24 and general admission tickets for students $22. Reserved tickets for adults will be $28, with reserved tickets for seniors $26 and reserved tickets for students $24. Children 10-under will be admitted free of charge to the general admission section. For tickets visit www.lernerville.com or call the track at (724)-353-1511.

-credit: WoO