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World of Outlaws Try Again at Knoxville Raceway Saturday!

(Bill W) – The Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws will descend on the Knoxville Raceway this Saturday night for their Annual Spring shootout at the "Sprint Car Capital of the World"! The event was supposed to occur last weekend, but was postponed due to weather. The famous ½ mile has hosted the WoO since their inaugural season in 1978, and will play host to the series during their 30^th season for three exciting nights! The group returns to Knoxville June 6 and 7!

Donny Schatz is both the two-time and defending Knoxville Nationals and World of Outlaws series champion. He is expected to compete in Tony Stewart's Armor All #15 with teammate and 2005 Knoxville Nationals champion Kraig Kinser, who is making his return to sprint car racing in Stewart's #20.

Also expected to be on hand are current WoO points leader and former Knoxville Raceway regular, Craig Dollansky, 12-time Knoxville Nationals champion and 20-time WoO champion, Steve Kinser, 6-time Knoxville track champion Terry McCarl, 7-time Knoxville track champion, Danny Lasoski, 2005 track champion Kerry Madsen, and many more!

Dollansky currently holds a 17 point lead in WoO points over Californian, Jason Meyers, who leads the series in wins with three. Schatz is currently third in the standings, followed by Kasey Kahne Racing's Joey Saldana, Madsen and McCarl. Other WoO drivers expected on Saturday include Tim Shaffer, Chad Kemenah, Jason Sides, Jac Haudenschild, Daryn Pittman, Lucas Wolfe, Shane Stewart, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Tony Bruce Jr. and Chad Hillier. Schatz and McCarl won April and June WoO shows, respectively in 2007.

Among the Knoxville Raceway regulars expected to compete with the WoO for the $10,000 top prize are defending track champion, Brian Brown, 2006 track champion Billy Alley, two-time track champion Skip Jackson, former WoO regulars Brooke Tatnell and Justin Henderson, Dusty Zomer, Calvin Landis and many more of your favorites!

A practice session on Thursday night from 7-9 p.m. may draw some WoO regulars along with plenty of Knoxville Raceway weekly competitors. Admission is free, so come on out!

Weekend Overview

Thursday, May 1

For the fourth time, Knoxville Raceway will attempt to open the track for practice from 7-9 p.m. Admission is free!

Saturday, May 3

Event: Budweiser World of Outlaws + 360 Sprints Season Opener!
Time: Hot laps at 6:45 p.m.
Tickets: Reserved - $27 adults, $13.50 children; General Admission - $25 adults, $12.50 children

Other Things You Should Know:

Poster Night

Saturday's Season Opener is "Poster Night". Fans will receive a collector's poster featuring the Knoxville Raceway and this year's schedule.

Gas Money Giveaway

Every race night, two lucky fans will receive $25 to go towards their gas! Both general admission and reserved ticket holders will be included in the random draw.

This Week's Autographs

Driver's will be signing autographs every week between 5 and 5:55 p.m. right behind the grandstands. This week's drivers include 2005 track champion Kerry Madsen, seven-time track champion Danny Lasoski, Kasey Kahne Racing's Joey Saldana and Daryn Pittman, driver of the Titan Racing #21! A few Knoxville drivers will also make an appearance at the 5:00 autograph session, so get to the track early!

WoO Souvenir Trailers

The Advanced Auto Parts World of Outlaws trailer will be on hand selling WoO souvenirs. Also, a number of drivers have merchandise trailers to check out, and some may be on hand to sign autographs during the afternoon or early evening.

More Information

For more information on the weekend's activities, visit www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com or call 641 842-5431!

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and will most likly be canceled again!

yup...damn rain. where we goin this weekend? besides cameron

-Austin Rankin

I dunno, but if Knoxviles cancels again, on a sat where they don't get any rain, I will glady travel, and give a different track my money. Really thinking of Lake ozark for Sat.

Jeff

is that what eldon is?

-Austin Rankin

ASCS national event Saturday. Lake of the Ozark speedway Eldin Mo. If Knoxville would happen to rain out. I would not want pull fans from Knoxville I'm just giving info. Good luck WoO's

Tell me how much money you got and I'll tell you how 
fast you can go!

with the LOS show being sanctioned by both ASCS and WoW - it is already going to be a hell of show - relative to the field seen at Lucas Oil Speedway. NOW - if Knoxville rains out - what would be an already great show ------ could turn into an absolute freakin monster of a show. anywhere from 5-20 of those K'ville guys could tow down. If Knoxville does run ---- then both Knoxville and LOS will have great shows. but like I said - if K'ville rains out then some of those guys both in 360 and 410 might make that tow. who knows what will happen. I hope for fans sake both tracks get to race - so that race fans in both areas are happy

How much would could a wouldchuck chuck if a 
wouldchuck could chuck would

i wonder how hard kville will work to have races this weekend. Saturday doesn't look as bad as it did a few days ago. looks like rain in the morning. The main problem for them is gonna be the temps which will be in the 40's at night.

-Austin Rankin

I wonder at what point they would try to run a Sunday show...

sprinter11,

They'll try a Sunday show on August 10 if it rains out on August 9, and Maybe September 28 if it rains out on Sept. 27.

Wierd thing is that when I was in high school (15 years ago), it didn't matter how cold it was, or even if it rained during the race program, the track would just get the track back ready for racing and race (even if it went until 2:00 AM) for a regular show, and even more effort to get in a WoO or Nationals week race.

Over the last 5 years or so, Cappi seems very willing to pull the plug on Wednesday if there is a scant chance of rain for Saturday. Last 2 weeks in a row, no racing, sunny skies. I realize they don't have to pay out tow $$ by cancelling on Friday or early enough (10:00 AM) on Saturday, but most of thier pre-event costs have already been spent (track prep, advertising).

Time for a new race director in my opinion.

Just my $.02

Vande:

Perhaps you should consider the idea that it isn't all up to Cappy alone and there are others who are part of the decision making process at the track before you go throwing him out for something new. Be careful what you wish for...you might get more than you wanted.

The days of sunshine and wind we're having this week are doing some good...

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I realize it isn't "all" Cappi's decision, however when he tells the maintence staff (bathrooms) that the first 3 weekends are going to be "rainouts" the 1st week of April, he doesn't give me a lot of faith.

As far as what I wish for goes...

The Fairboard needs some "new blood" so to speak. Current fairboard members are not businessmen, but for the track to continue to be successful into the years ahead, it is exactly what they need. Brian Stickel has been a great hire, but there is still an obvious disconnect as his ideas are great, but the Fairboard or Cappi (whoever controls the purse-strings) refuses to spend $$ to make $$. So far (over 2 weeks time period) I have seen a total of (1) TV commercial for the WoO show, and that was last Saturday during the Nationwide Series Race on Channel 5 (ironically, the sun was out, they advertised, but the races were cancelled for rain/snow/sleet according to the press release from the WoO).

It is time for "new blood" and a new race director in this fan's opinion. There are certain individuals that would be terrible for the track, but there are others that would be a breath of fresh air (take a look at Newton (or Marshalltown) as an example, without the IRL race, they would probably be Out of Business already, yet they have pre-race or post race concerts at every race (this is called promoting by the way), Knoxville needs to do some of this type of activity to gain the casual fan interest, us die-hards are even starting to get disgruntled). Marshalltown has seen a huge resurgence of attendees under Toby Kruse's leadership. The Fairboard can still lay down the ground rules that Sprints will be the only class of cars and what they are willing to spend for a purse.

Enough of my rant, I say Cappi pulls the plug again Friday @ 5:00 PM because it "might rain and gonna be a little cool". Let's send everyone up the road to Boone or down to 34 Raceway (which have both ran the last 2 Saturday nights in a row and gotten just as much rain as Knoxville).

Let's go racin' and get the summer started.

Amen

I think that the advertising issues lie much deeper than how deep the board's pockets are... you can spend money to make money, but it'd be best if the advertising was good to begin with.

Yes, it is true that Knoxville used to wait all night to get a WoO show in during the days of Ted, but the show didn't cost &70-75k (before operating expenses). Also, tow money doesn't cover the cost of fuel for teams that have to travel five or six hours to get there. Therefore, the early decisions the last couple of weeks. It's an expensive proposition. Frankly, there weren't going to be many fans brave the weather on either cancelled night. Why risk losing big money at the start of the season?

Could they/should they have waited to see how the weather was going to be? Could the track surface and infield have been ready for racing the last two weeks? I don't know. I've heard opinions from people who should know on both sides and I'm not qualified to say.

In case folks haven't noticed...there have been changes at Knoxville in personnel and leadership positions. Some of it is gradual and "behind the scenes". Change can also lead to new ideas and modes of operation. Some of that is evident and some isn't to the public/fan's eye. Time will tell how it plays out.

I've been as hard on Capitani as anyone over the past many years. I have always had high expectations for Knoxville, maybe even unrealistically, when it comes to marketing the track and the general public's view of the place. Hey, it's home and I've been going to races there since 1960.

That said, I can't really fault the track for not racing the last two weekends. At the very least, it's a prudent financial decision in the short run. Of course, it's also not a good thing to get a reputation for cancelling events when it's debateable whether or not they can be held. But, it's, at the very least, understandable due to circumstances.

The Outlaws race is rescheduled for Saturday. I know the track and series want to race. We'll just have to see what the weather brings.

Once again, people talk and talk about who is "great" and who is a "hemorrhoid" as Duane so eloquently puts it. But everyone has faults and good points. And those who are "great" to some are not "great" to others and those who are bad to some are not bad to others. I just wish people would stop talking about other people on here. If you're upset that it's been too wet the last two weeks, then be upset about it. I am too. Just don't go around assessing blame to people. So much more goes into everything than just what Cappy wants to do or what Brian wants to do or anyone else. If the person Duane thinks is a "hemorrhoid" was still with the track, he would probably be getting blamed unfairly for all of this stuff now.

I hate to pass blame, but I heard some lady named Stacy Ervin was behind these shows being cancelled. Just a rumor, but I thought I'd pass it on...

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Damn her

bite me