Advance Auto Parts WoO Sprint Car Series Preview

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Since 1984, sprint car drivers have been makingan annual pilgrimage to the legendary Eldora Speedway in Ohio forthe Kings Royal, looking to add their name to the illustrious listof winners of the race. Over the years, 13 drivers have worn thepurple robe and crown, and have sat on the throne at the end of thenight, pocketing $50,000 for the win in each of those races,including six current Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws SprintCar Series drivers.

The 25th edition of the Kings Royal will take place on Saturday,July 12 at Tony Stewarts Eldora Speedway, for the Advance AutoParts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. Adding even more lusterto the event, the cameras from SPEED will be rolling to capture allof the action, beginning on Friday, July 11 during the KnightBefore the Kings Royal.

Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws Sprint champion, is theonly driver that has started all 24 Kings Royal main events datingback to 1984. He won the inaugural Kings Royal and has six triumphsin the race during his career, with the most recent coming in 2005.The native of Bloomington , Indiana has 15 finishes of third orbetter in his career in the race, to earn him a spot on the podiumat the end of the night. He is the winningest driver in the historyof Eldora Speedway with nearly 60 total victories at the half-mile.

Jac Haudenschild has won the Kings Royal three times in his careerand along with Kinser is the only driver that has won it more thantwo times. The Ohio native has nine Top-10 finishes in his careerin the event, with seven of those being podium finishes. He has 23career wins at the half-mile, where he has been competing for 30years.

Donny Schatz, the two-time defending World of Outlaws champion wonthe Kings Royal for the first time in his career last season. Hehas four career wins at the famed half-mile, which is owned by hiscar owner Tony Stewart, including in the series most recent visiton May 31. He has made three starts at Eldora this season andfinished on the podium in each of those. In his career at the KingsRoyal, the North Dakota native has seven Top-10 finishes.

Joey Saldana has won the Kings Royal twice, in 2002 and again in2006. He has three consecutive Top-Five finishes in the race and inhis career has seven Top-10 finishes. He won earlier this season atEldora Speedway against a stout field and has 15 wins in his careerat the half-mile.

Jason Sides won the Kings Royal in 2004, a year after claiming theKevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award with the World of Outlaws.The native of Bartlett , Tennessee finished third at Eldora earlierthis season and has finished third in two of his last threeA-Feature event starts at the track.

Craig Dollansky has six consecutive Top-10 finishes in the KingsRoyal as he closes in on his first win in the famed event. He haswon six times this season and is currently second in thechampionship standings. The native of Elk River , Minnesota pickedup his sixth career win at the track back in April in the firstAdvance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event of theseason at Eldora.

Jason Meyers finished second in the Kings Royal last season to earnhis best career finish in the event. He has won twice in his careerat Eldora, including last season. He has been hampered by flattires in both events at Eldora this season, though he battled backto pick up a Top-10 finish in April at the track, after he had aflat tire while leading the Crane Cams Dash. The California nativewon his sixth event of the season on Wednesday night at the BradDoty Classic at Limaland Motorsports Park . He is currently thirdin points, just seven markers behind Dollansky.

Kerry Madsen, the reigning Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year hasfinished fourth and seventh this season at Eldora. He has made theA-Feature in the Kings Royal in each of the last two seasons. Hehas 18 Top-10 finishes as he closes in on his first win of theseason.

Chad Kemenah has finished in the Top-10 in five of the last sixKings Royal events, including a third-place performance in 2003.The native of Findlay , Ohio has three wins in his career at thehalf-mile. He has two Top-10 finishes in three starts this seasonat the track.

Shane Stewart finished third with the World of Outlaws at Eldora onMay 31. The 2005 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year has one careerwin at the track. He finished fourth on Wednesday night in the BradDoty Classic after setting a new track record in time trials, toearn his 14th Top-10 finish of the season.

Terry McCarl finished third last season in the Kings Royal, afterrunning second in the Knight Before the Kings Royal event. He hasfinished in the Top-10 in the last six A-Feature events that he hasqualified for during the Kings Royal. He finished sixth in May withthe World of Outlaws at the track.

Daryn Pittman has finished in the Top-Five twice this season atEldora. He has three career Top-10 finishes in the event. Thenative of Owasso , Oklahoma is just outside of the Top-10 in thechampionship standings on the strength of 13 Top-10 finishes. Hehas two Top-Five finishes in three starts at the track this season.

Sam Hafertepe Jr. competed in the Kings Royal for the first time inhis career last season. He earned his first career Top-10 finishearlier this season and was second the other night at the track ina special event.

Kraig Kinser finished sixth in his last Kings Royal in 2005. He hasfive career Top-10 finishes at the track. The 2004 Kevin GobrechtRookie of the Year has five Top-10 finishes this season driving forTony Stewart Racing.

Tony Bruce Jr. competed in the Kings Royal for the first time inhis career last season. The native of Liberal Kansas competed atthe track earlier this week as he continues to gain experience atthe famed half-mile.

Chad Hiller also made his first appearance at the Kings Royal lastseason. He had previously attended the event as a crew member. Hehas raced his way into both World of Outlaws A-Feature events atthe track this season. He recently picked up his second Top-10finish of the season.

Paul McMahan finished sixth in the Kings Royal last season. In hiscareer, he has four Top-10 finishes in event. He has won twice atEldora in his career with the World of Outlaws, once in apreliminary feature and last season in an A-Feature. He has twoTop-10 finishes this season at the track.

Lucas Wolfe, the leading contender for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie ofthe Year Award will miss the event after sustaining a back injurylast month, which he continues to recover from.

2007 Race Recaps- July 13- Knight Before the Kings Royal:
Steve Kinser continued to add to his legacy at Eldora Speedway,adding another win in a very dominating performance.
He led all 30 laps of the Knight Before the Kings Royal to take thecheckered flag and the $10,000 top prize at the track owned byfellow Indiana native Tony Stewart.
Kinser took the lead on the opening lap powering past pole sitterKenny Jacobs in the first turn and never looked back. On the firstlap, Terry McCarl jumped into the second spot after starting fifthand looked to the high side of the track in turn two and again inturn four for the lead, with Donny Schatz just behind him.
McCarl dove under Kinser on the fifth lap for the lead exiting thesecond turn, but the caution flag flew, negating the pass. On theensuing restart, McCarl looked high coming off the second turn forthe lead, but Kinser charged down the back straightaway andcontinued to hold the point. McCarl would finish in the runner-upposition.
Donny Schatz was third, with Jason Solwold fourth and Jason Meyersfifth.

July 14- Kings Royal:
Donny Schatz added another trophy to his collection, earning hisfirst career Kings Royal triumph, which paid $50,000.
The 40-lap event began with Craig Dollansky charging from the thirdstarting spot to take the lead on the high side of the track.Schatz, who started on the pole, battled back exiting the secondturn as he looked low for the lead.
Dollansky continued to run the high side of the track in theopening laps, with Schatz on the bottom. Schatz began to close onDollansky on the fourth lap. Two laps later, the reigning World ofOutlaws champion dove under Dollansky exiting the fourth turn totake the lead.
On the seventh lap, Schatz entered lapped traffic and would weavehis way through the slower machines until the yellow flag flew onthe 22nd lap. Under the Kings Royal format, the lapped carsmaintained their position on the track, thus putting six carsbetween Schatz and Dollansky on the ensuing restart.
Schatz quickly pulled away with open track ahead of him and wasagain in traffic on the 29th lap. When the final checkered flagflew, Schatz had won by over seven seconds, in what was one of themost dominating performances in Kings Royal history, leading thefinal 35 laps of the event.
Jason Meyers ended up second, with Terry McCarl third, JasonSolwold fourth, and Joey Saldana fifth.