World of Outlaws

Hartford: Race Finale report

Meyers Dominates Rain-Delayed Hartford Event HARTFORD, MI (July 14) -- Jason Meyers put together a near-perfect performance Wednesday when the World of Outlaws Sprint Series returned to Hartford Speedway Park. Meyers set fast time, won the First ...

Published: Jul 17, 2004, 3:01 PM

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Meyers Dominates Rain-Delayed Hartford Event

HARTFORD, MI (July 14) -- Jason Meyers put together a near-perfect performance Wednesday when the World of Outlaws Sprint Series returned to Hartford Speedway Park.

Meyers set fast time, won the First Dash Race and led all 30 laps from the pole in the "A" Feature as sprint car racing's premier series completed the race originally scheduled for June 11th. Finishing second behind World of Outlaws Sprint Series points leader Steve Kinser in the First Dash Race was all that kept Meyers from recording a clean sweep. Meyers' fourth main event victory of the season pushed him past Craig Dollansky into fourth place in the standings.

"This is a great win for the Elite Landscaping team," Meyers said. "Bob (Curtis) and Steve (Swenson) have been working hard to give me a great car. Mother Nature has played havoc with us all year long, and I'm glad everyone was able to make it back out here tonight. I know it threw a wrench into your plans like it did ours, but we hope you got to see some good racing out of it. This Kistler engine was running really strong tonight, and we have a lot of great sponsors that have come on board like Craviotto Drums, Peninsula Floors and Pacific Union Homes. Without them we could never do this. Anyone who was here last year knows that I should have won that one. I gave it away in the last 10 laps, so it's nice to come and get this one from the start."

Meyers led the first 21 laps from the pole last August 6th at Hartford Speedway Park, but Brian Paulus raced past Meyers and Donny Schatz during the final 1 2/3 laps on his way to claiming the first victory of his World of Outlaws Sprint Series career. Ironically, Paulus' problems in Wednesday's race forced the two of the three caution periods slowing the fast-paced main event.

The drivers ranking 1-11 in the point standings finished in the top 11 in the "A" Feature for the first time in the World of Outlaws Sprint Series' 27th season.

Meyers burst into the lead as the green flag fell in the main event, but a mid-pack collision sent Paulus and the #28 Arnold Transport Maxim spinning in the third corner, nullifying the original start.

Meyers won a front-stretch drag race with Second Dash Race winner Donny Schatz when the green flag replaced the yellow, and entered lapped traffic with a full straightaway advantage five laps later.

Kinser steered his #11 Quaker State Maxim into the high groove in turn four to pass Tim Shaffer for fourth place late in lap eight. Brian Carlson's second-corner spin took the leaders out of lapped traffic several seconds later. Joey Saldana drove the #2 Volcano Joe's Coffee Maxim past Shaffer on the back straightaway half a lap after the race resumed.

Meyers was half a straightaway ahead of Schatz when he caught the back-markers midway through the race. Kinser passed Third Heat Race winner Danny Lasoski for third place with an inside move turn three late in the 18th lap.

Paulus, who raced back through the field into 12th place from the rear of the field in 17 laps, lost the position several seconds later when a mechanical malfunction forced him to stop in the fourth corner.

Meyers controlled the final restart, and opened a half-straightaway advantage within seven laps. Schatz narrowed the gap in dense lapped traffic, but was six car-lengths behind when Meyers took the checkered flag.

"We got into a lot of lapped traffic there, and I had to move around and go to the bottom," Meyers said. "I wasn't very fast down there, and I could feel the tires spinning. Under that last caution (crewman) Steve (Swenson) went up to the fence to tell me to get back on the top, and the car was just perfect after that. You're supposed to win races from the pole, but it doesn't always work out that way."

"The King of the Outlaws" increased his lead in the standings to 66 points by finishing in third place. Lasoski finished fourth, ahead of Saldana, 11th-starting Daryn Pittman, Paul McMahan, Shaffer, Kraig Kinser and Dollansky.

Kraig Kinser, the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year leader, drove father Steve's #11K Delco-Remy Maxim past five cars to finish in ninth place.

Meyers paced the qualifying session for the first time this season, circling the high-banked, ½-mile oval in 16.148 seconds, an average speed of 111.469 M.P.H.

Brett Mann lost third place in the First Dash Race when the engine in his #19 Mann Enterprises Wolfweld lost power. Unable to race in the "A" Feature, Mann was replaced by Mike Schumacher.

-WoO

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