Garden State fans will have ringside seats for the national battle of the titans, as the 25th anniversary O’Reilly Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Tour rolls into New Egypt Speedway Monday to present its patented brand of fire-breathing, mud-slinging action celebrated as "the greatest show on dirt."
The titans at the top of the World of Outlaws standings halfway through this silver anniversary season are former series champions Danny "the Dude" Lasoski of Dover, Mo., and "King of the Outlaws" Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Ind., who are battling furiously for the championship title on this multimillion dollar tour. Lasoski, who drives the No. 20 J.D. Byrider Eagle for NASCAR Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart, has won eight "A" feature events and two preliminaries, and has finished out of the top 10 only twice this year.
"I’m really happy for the team," said Stewart, who will be making his own appearance at New Egypt Speedway on Wednesday, Aug. 20, to meet fans and pilot a big-block Modified on NASCAR’s day off.
"I’ve always told them (his teammates): if you win races, the points will take care of themselves. They’ve been really consistent this year and, in my opinion, they have the right mindset to go out and win another championship," Stewart said.
Kinser, however, is a most formidable foe. In 2003, the 17-time World of Outlaws champ has won 14 main events and five preliminaries in his familiar No. 11 Quaker State Maxim. Obviously, he knows what it takes to succeed in this grueling year-long series that stops at 51 raceways as it snakes through 27 states in the country.
"Steve’s been winning more than we have, but we’ve been right there every time," Lasoski said recently. "We’re running a lot of races and we’ve got to stay in contention with Steve, but I think we’ve got the car to do it."
Their Garden State stop on Monday will prove interesting for one reason, in the two Outlaws events run to date at New Egypt, neither Kinser nor Lasoski has really gotten a handle on the tricky half-mile tri-oval. In 2001, Lasoski and Kinser finished fourth and fifth, respectively, as North Dakota’s Donny Schatz made off with the money. Last year, the top duo didn’t fare that well. Johnny Herrera subbed for Lasoski, who was injured in a violent crash just days earlier, while Kinser was a disappointing eighth to first-time winner and home-state favorite P.J. Chesson, who wowed the huge crowd with his exuberant victory lane dramatics.
Will either "The King" or "The Dude" finally master New Egypt’s challenging layout and leave Jersey with championship points in his pocket? Will Joey Saldana, Daryn Pittman, Mark Kinser, rookie sensation Jason Sides, Paul McMahan or previous New Egypt winner Donny Schatz find the fast line and ultimately outshine Kinser and Lasoski? Or will a spoiler — like home-track star Billy Pauch, who’ll be wheeling the Jeff Brockovich No. 7 Sprinter on very familiar turf, or any of the extremely talented members of the Pennsylvania Sprint posse — come on to surprise the Outlaws’ top guns?
Gates open at 2 p.m. Monday, with warm-ups at 6:30 and time trials starting at 7:15. Tickets are available at the speedway on Saturday nights or the day of the show, All reserved seats cost $32, with general admission seating (race day only) priced at $30.
Women get racy on New Egypt Ladies’ Night
It’s Ladies’ Night and the competition’s right on Saturday, Aug. 2 at New Egypt Speedway.
The regular drivers will hand their helmets over to the women for an eagerly awaited series of Powder Puff events, sponsored by Burnett Racing Engines of Belle Mead, which will cap off the track’s three-division race card.
"I’m a firm believer that all male drivers are motivated by the females who support them," said race sponsor John Burnett, who builds power for many of the top teams in New Jersey. "On this night, the women get their own chance to shine, and they really deserve it."
The ladies-only portion of the Aug. 2 program is open to any member of the fairer sex who has not previously competed in a regular weekly division in a full-sized race car at any speedway. Ladies may opt to borrow the wheel of a big-block Modified, Sportsman or Super Stock — the three types of race cars that compete each week at New Egypt. As mandated by the state of New Jersey, all entrants must be outfitted in full safety apparel and cars must pass state technical requirements for safety. The number of Powder Puff events scheduled and distance in laps will be determined by the size and diversity of the field.
This is the fourth year New Egypt has presented an annual Powder Puff special, and it has become one of the most successful Saturday night programs at the speedway. The 2002 event attracted 58 women racers who drove their hearts out in four race meets, won by Randie Rudy, Tracey Murphy, Sandra Jo Kell and Kristina McVay. Once again, there will be purse money for the top three finishers in each event; all race winners will receive a trophy, and every participant will receive a personalized, framed certificate, all courtesy of Burnett Racing Engines.
Sick of sitting on the sidelines watching the guys goof up lap after lap? Now is your chance to get out there and prove you are the next Shawna Robinson or Shirley Muldowney. Ladies with a lead foot and a desire to show the boys how it is done are urged to register for Powder Puff competition prior to the July 26 deadline. Drivers may pre-enter at the pit office on Saturday nights, or may call the track during the week at (609) 758-1900 and leave their name and contact number.
Prior to the Powder Puffs on Aug. 2, there will be a full bill of macho Modified, Sportsman and Super Stock action. It all starts at 5:45 p.m. Adult admission is $16, children ages 7-12 get in for $5, and kids age 6 and younger enter free.