World of Outlaws: Meyers wins at Clay County Speedway

California native Jason Meyers works his way out of a turn during the World of Outlaws' stop at the Clay County Speedway on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009, in Spencer. (Photo by Michael Fischer)

California native Jason Meyers has made the chase for the World of Outlaws Series Championship a lot more interesting.

With a final lap pass of Joey Saldana Tuesday night at the Clay County Speedway, Meyers claimed his eighth victory of the year and closed in on points leader Donny Schatz, who finished five spots behind Meyers in the 30-lap A-main feature.

World of Outlaws great Steve Kinser stays just ahead of a competitor as he competes in one of four qualifying heats at the Clay County Speedway on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009, in Spencer. (Photo by Michael Fischer)

Starting from the second position, Meyers led 10 laps, including the first seven before his brilliant pass of Saldana on the white-flag lap. Saldana was the only other driver to lead a lap, setting the pace from laps 8-25 and 28-29. For Meyers, it was his third win of the year on 3/8 mile tracks, previously winning at Paducah International Raceway and Ohsweken Speedway.

World of Outlaws driver Joey Saldana takes his No. 9 Budweiser car around the 3/8-mile track at the Clay County Speedway during hot laps on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009, in Spencer. (Photo by Michael Fischer) [Click to enlarge]

Meyers' victory was his first at the Spencer race track and broke Schatz string of two straight wins at what has become an annual stop for the World of Outlaws at the Clay County Fair. Schatz has won three straight points titles, beating Meyers by 132 points last year.

Jac Haudenschild finished third in the A-main feature, Jason Sides was fourth and Terry McCarl fifth. Pole sitter Tony Bruce, Jr., who won the Crane Cams Dash to earn the top starting spot, placed eighth.

Craig Dollansky, who helps promote the fair event with wife Julie, a Spencer natvive, placed 10th. World of Outlaws legend Steve Kinser, a 20-time series winner, placed 11th. Danny Lasoski, another longtime World of Outlaws driver and the 2001 series champion, placed 14th.

Sam Hafertepe, Jr., won the 12-lap B-main feature and placed 12th in the A-main. The top four finishers from the B-feature are transfered to the night's main event race. Schatz, Meyers, Bruce, Jr., and Tim Kaeding won the night's four heat races. Kerry Madsen turned in the top qualifying lap with a track record time of 13.345, breaking Meyers' record of 13.437, which he set in 2008.

World of Outlaws

(at Clay County Speedway, Spencer.

Qualifying

1. 55-Kerry Madsen 13.345, 2. 96-Bronson Maeschen 13.509, 3. 9-Joey Saldana 13.518, 4. 24-Terry McCarl 13.551, 5. 6-Danny Lasoski 13.581, 6. 20-Kraig Kinser 13.590, 7. 5W-Lucas Wolfe 13.608, 8. 7S-Jason Sides 13.619, 9. 15-Donny Schatz 13.637, 10. 14-Jason Meyers 13.651, 11. 23W-Scott Winters 13.701, 12. 13-Mark Dobmeier 13.703, 13. 63-Chad Kemenah 13.726, 14. R19-Jac Haudenschild 13.776, 15. 18-Tony Bruce Jr. 13.783, 16. 83-Tim Kaeding 13.791, 17. 19W-Bob Weuve 13.826, 18. 19-Craig Dollansky 13.845, 19. 15H-Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 13.849, 20. 21-Brian Brown 13.870, 21. 14AJ-Wayne Johnson 13.881, 22. 11-Steve Kinser 13.888, 23. 2W-Johnny Herrera 13.904, 24. 13V-Seth Brahmer 14.007, 25. 7TAZ-Tasker Phillips 14.087, 26. 10X-Rager Phillips 14.097, 27. 7K-Kaley Gharst 14.139, 28. 12-Lynton Jeffrey 14.162, 29. 4W-Matt Wasmund 14.179, 30. 7-Sid Blandford 14.435, 31. 12L-John Lambertz 14.531, 32. 1A-Robby Wolfgang 14.576, 33. 32-Greg Valentine 15.218.

Heat 1 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)

1. 15-Donny Schatz, 2. 63-Chad Kemenah, 3. 6-Danny Lasoski, 4. 55-Kerry Madsen, 5. 14AJ-Wayne Johnson, 6. 4W-Matt Wasmund, 7. 7TAZ-Tasker Phillips, 8. 19W-Bob Weuve, 9. 32-Greg Valentine.

Heat 2 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)

1. 14-Jason Meyers, 2. R19-Jac Haudenschild, 3. 20-Kraig Kinser, 4. 19-Craig Dollansky, 5. 11-Steve Kinser, 6. 10X-Rager Phillips, 7. 96-Bronson Maeschen, 8. 7-Sid Blandford.

Heat 3 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)

1. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 2. 23W-Scott Winters, 3. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 4. 2W-Johnny Herrera, 5. 9-Joey Saldana, 6. 15H-Sam Hafertepe, Jr., 7. 7K-Kaley Gharst, 8. 12L-John Lambertz.

Heat 4 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)

1. 83-Tim Kaeding, 2. 7S-Jason Sides, 3. 24-Terry McCarl, 4. 13-Mark Dobmeier, 5. 21-Brian Brown, 6. 13V-Seth Brahmer, 7. 12-Lynton Jeffrey, 8. 1A-Robby Wolfgang.

Crane Cams Dash (6 laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature)

1. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 2. 14-Jason Meyers, 3. 63-Chad Kemenah, 4. 9-Joey Saldana, 5. 7S-Jason Sides, 6. R19-Jac Haudenschild, 7. 83-Tim Kaeding, 8. 15-Donny Schatz, 9. 55-Kerry Madsen, 10. 23W-Scott Winters.

B-main (12 laps, top 4 finishers transferred to A-feature)

1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe, Jr., 2. 19W-Bob Weuve, 3. 7K-Kaley Gharst, 4. 13V-Seth Brahmer, 5. 96-Bronson Maeschen ($200), 6. 10X-Rager Phillips ($180), 7. 1A-Robby Wolfgang ($175), 8. 12L-John Lambertz ($160), 9. 4W-Matt Wasmund ($150), 10. 32-Greg Valentine ($150), 11. 7TAZ-Tasker Phillips ($150), 12. 12-Lynton Jeffrey ($150), 13. 7-Sid Blandford ($150).

A-main (30 laps. - Starting Position [#]

1. 14-Jason Meyers [2] ($10,000), 2. 9-Joey Saldana [4] ($5,500), 3. R19-Jac Haudenschild[6] ($3,200), 4. 7S-Jason Sides [5] ($2,800), 5. 24-Terry McCarl [11] ($2,500), 6. 15-Donny Schatz [8] ($2,300), 7. 63-Chad Kemenah [3] ($2,200), 8. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr. [1] ($2,100), 9. 83-Tim Kaeding [7] ($2,050), 10. 19-Craig Dollansky [17] ($2,000), 11. 11-Steve Kinser [21] ($1,500), 12. 15H-Sam Hafertepe, Jr. [18] ($1,200), 13. 20-Kraig Kinser [13] ($1,100), 14. 6-Danny Lasoski [12] ($1,050), 15. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [14] ($1,000), 16. 14AJ-Wayne Johnson [20] ($900), 17. 2W-Johnny Herrera [22] ($800), 18. 13-Mark Dobmeier [15] ($800), 19. 23W-Scott Winters [10] ($800), 20. 13V-Seth Brahmer [23] ($800), 21. 7K-Kaley Gharst [24] ($800), 22. 55-Kerry Madsen [9] ($800), 23. 21-Brian Brown [19] ($800), 24. 19W-Bob Weuve [16] ($800).

Lap Leaders: Jason Meyers 1-7, 26-27, 30; Joey Saldana 8-25, 28-29

SuperClean Start of the Night Award: Joey Saldana

Penske Power Position Award: Jac Haudenschild

KSE Hard Charger Award: Steve Kinser