World’s Best To Battle Tough Attica Stars On Friday Night

By Brian Liskai

(Attica, OH) The world’s best sprint car drivers will battle the tough weekly competition Friday when the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series comes to Attica Raceway Park.

Many drivers from the World of Outlaws began their careers visiting Attica and they know the stiff competition the weekly drivers will present. Here’s a look at some of the drivers who will be competing for the $10,000 top prize on Kistler Engines Classic Night:

Chad Kemenah of Alvada, Ohio is third on the track’s all-time win list with 20 victories and nearly got his first WoO win of 2013 Monday at Lawrenceburg Speedway. Chad has 8 top five runs with the Outlaws and 10 top 10 finishes and is 9th in the series’ points. Chad began his racing career at Attica and is a four time champion of the University of Northwestern Ohio All Star Circuit of Champions.

Daryn Pittman of Owosso, Oklahoma, is having a dream season in his first year with the Kasey Kahne Racing team. Leading the World of Outlaw points, he has five series wins to go with his 18 top five finishes and 24 top ten runs. Pittman has never won a race at Attica.

Five time series champion Donny Schatz of Fargo, North Dakota, picked up his fifth World of Outlaws win of the season Monday at Lawrenceburg Speedway. Schatz, who sits second in the series points, has 13 top five finishes and 20 top 10 runs. Driving one of the Tony Stewart Racing machines, Schatz picked up his second career Attica win the last time the series visited “Ohio’s Finest Racing” speedplant in 2011.

Paul McMahan of Nashville, Tenn., has scored two World of Outlaw wins in 2013 to move him into third in the series’ standings. He has 13 top five finishes and 18 top 10s. McMahan does not own a victory at Attica.

The legendary Sammy Swindell, a three time series champion, currently sits fourth in the World of Outlaw points. Swindell has one win with the series this season to go with 7 top five runs. Swindell has four career wins at Attica, including one with the World of Outlaws in 1994.

Brownsburg, Indiana’s Joey Saldana is with a new team in 2013 and has yet to get a World of Outlaws win this season and sits fifth in the series’ points. He has five top five finishes and picked up a series win at Attica in 2007 to run his career total at the track to six.

Craig Dollansky of Elk River, MN, has two World of Outlaw wins in 2013 to go with his 6 top five finishes and is sixth in the series’ points. Dollansky has one career victory at Attica.

Watertown, Connecticut’s David Gravel began his career with the UNOH All Stars and raced at Attica many times but has yet to find victory lane. Driving a team car to fellow World of Outlaws competitor Bill Rose, Gravel sits seventh in the series’ points and has four top five finishes and 11 top 10 runs.

Cody Darrah, driving a Kasey Kahne Racing machine, is eighth in the World of Outlaws points with a pair of top five finishes and 10 top ten runs. Darrah, who began his racing career in the tough central Pennsylvania area, is winless at Attica.

“The King” Steve Kinser of Bloomington, Indiana, has had a rough season so far in 2013, but could easily turn it around at Attica. Kinser, a 20-time World of Outlaws champion, has two series wins at the track (1990 and 1991) and has a total of four at the track. Kinser is 10th in the series points with one win and two top five finishes.

Kraig Kinser of Bloomington, Indiana, is 11th in the World of Outlaw points with one win in 2013 to go with 4 top five finishes and 12 top 10 runs. He has not found victory lane in his career at Attica.

Australia’s Kerry Madsen is 12th in the World of Outlaw points with one win and 11 top 10 finishes. Madsen has no wins at Attica.

Jason Sides of Bartlett, Tenn. , is currently 13th in the series’ points with 3 top five runs and 9 top 10 finishes. He has no wins at Attica.

Benton Ridge, Ohio’s Greg Wilson is 16th in the World of Outlaw points and is a two-time UNOH All Star champion. Wilson has two wins in weekly competition in 2013 at nearby Fremont Speedway and is fourth on Attica’s all-time win list with 19 victories.

Dale Blaney of Hartford, Ohio, a three time UNOH All Star champion and the series’ current point leader, scored a win against the Outlaws at Attica in 2009. Blaney picked up an All Star win at the track in April and has 17 for his career at the track. Blaney scored a $10,000 win with the All Stars at Fremont Speedway last Sunday but suffered engine woes against the World of Outlaws at Lawrenceburg Monday.

Byron Reed of Monclova, Ohio, is a six time Attica champion and is second on the track’s all-time win list with 28 victories and is fourth in points at the track in 2013.

Craig Mintz of Gibsonburg, Ohio, is Attica ’s defending track champion. Mintz currently leads the track’s points and has 8 career wins at Attica.

Caleb Griffith of Sandusky, Ohio, is a former 305 champion at Attica and is second in the track’s points.

Brandon Martin, who grew up less than a mile from the track, is third in Attica’s points and has three career wins at the track.

Travis Philo of Waterville, Ohio, scored his first career win at Attica in 2012 and is fifth in the track’s points.

Cole Duncan of Lockborne, Ohio, is fifth in Attica’s points and scored a win in March at Lincoln Speedway in Pennsylvania .

Rookie D.J. Foos of Fremont, Ohio, recently had a very strong showing at Attica during the Twin 25s, scoring a pair of top five finishes. He is a former 305 sprint track champion and is 7th in the track’s points.

Chris Andrews of Sandusky, Ohio, is a former Attica champion and sits 9th in the track’s points and has 3 career wins at Attica .

Bryan Sebetto of Fremont, Ohio, who has won the past two Kistler Racing Products FAST (Fremont Attica Sprint Title) Championships and has 7 career wins at Attica and is coming off an All Star win at Fremont last weekend.

Tim Shaffer, who has claimed the last four straight UNOH All Star titles and won the 2010 Knoxville Nationals, has 10 career wins at Attica.

Stevie Smith, of Broken Arrow , Oklahoma , has two World of Outlaw wins at Attica – 1994 and 2005 – to has four career wins at the track.

Jac Haudenschild and Sheldon Haudenschild of Wooster, Ohio. The father and son have both found success at Attica. Jac has one career win at Attica while Sheldon picked up his first career win at the track earlier this year and recently scored his first non-wing victory at Wayne County Speedway.

Shane Stewart of Bixby, Oklahoma, scored his third career win at Attica a couple of weeks ago and finished second with the World of Outlaws Monday at Lawrenceburg, A two-time national ASCS champion, Stewart also posted a third place run Sunday at Fremont Speedway.

There are many financial incentives for the local drivers to defeat the invading World of Outlaw teams Friday which will add to the excitement. The Summit Racing Equipment UMP Late Models will also be in competition.

Gates will open Friday at 3:30 p.m. with racing underway at 7:45 p.m.
Reserved seats are still available by going to www.atticaracewaypark.com or call 419-680-5606. You can mark seats prior to the event by taping plastic or blankets down to the bleachers and marking them with “Outlaws – May 31st” with a sharpie. You cannot just put tape directly on the bleacher or it will be removed prior to the event. No stadium chairs with backs will be allowed.

Also, three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart and Steve Mox of TSM Logistics, along with Chuck Bills of Ohio Logistics and Janet Holbrook and Aaron Call of CH Motorsports are working together to provide transportation to deliver items to the victims of the Oklahoma tornado.  The trailer will be located at the track to collect non-perishable items such as toiletries, bottled water, work gloves, tarps, rebuilding supplies, laundry items, coolers and cleaning supplies like buckets, gloves, dust makes, trash bags, flashlights, tarps, shovels and rakes and blankets. And please don’t forget the pets – pet food, treats and other supplies are also needed.

The truck and trailer will arrive at Attica Raceway Park around 2 p.m. on Friday to collect items and depart shortly after the races start.

Of course race fans can also make monetary donations to the American Red Cross or donate $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief by texting “REDCROSS” to 90999.

For more information go to www.atticaracewaypark.com or www.woosprint.com.