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Top Ten Hottest Drivers of the Week
10. Jake Peters: Jake "the Snake" began his weekend with his first IRA win of the season, taking the victory on the opening night at the specially dirt covered asphalt track, Elko Speedway. In what I would say was the best two nights of racing of the year at the track (because of the dirt), Peters would go home with a win and a sixth place finish. The win however is even more noticeable as he was able to finish ahead of drivers like Terry McCarl (two-time World of Outlaw winner this season), and Scott Winters, who swept both nights of the IRA Masters earlier this season. The following night Peters was able to charge from a tenth place starting position up to finish sixth. Peters weekend would end Sunday night at the Huset's Speedway, having an impressive run in his heat race, moving from 7th to 2nd, and would end the night with a solid fifth place finish after starting in the ninth position. Peters was able to make the most of a three race weekend in one of the few areas of the country not blanketed by rain.
9. Craig Mintz: Friday night at Attica Raceway Park, Craig Mintz was able to make it two FAST feature wins in a row, winning over just as impressive of a field as was his last win, with Tim Shaffer, Greg Wilson and Brandon Wimmer in attendance, not to mention the stout field of Attica regulars. Mintz remains the only driver to have multiple wins in the inaugural season of the Fremont-Attica Sprint Title, now bringing that number up to four, split equally among the two tracks. Unfortunately, Craig did not have the opportunity to go for win number five, and three in a row, as Fremont, where Mintz leads the track championship points, fell to rain on Saturday night. However, with his win at Attica, Mintz pulls out to a huge 72 point lead in the FAST Series Standings over second place Byron Reed, looking to be the first to ever be crowned the FAST Champion.
8. Dusty Zomer: Redemption! After having the Knoxville feature won last week, Zomer suffered a broken brake rotor on the final lap causing him to fall back to a third place finishing position. However, this weekend Zomer was not to be denied, taking the 17G to victory lane for the first time this season at the famed Knoxville Raceway. And the field was in no way filled with push-overs, with former Knoxville Raceway Champions: Terry McCarl, Kerry Madsen, Johnny Herrera, Skip Jackson, Brian Brown, and Billy Alley, all in attendance, along with a couple of Australia's finest in Garry Brazier and Todd Wanless. So it was obvious that the winner, whoever they were, would have to be on the top of their game. Zomer was on the top of his game. And he didn't just win from the front row, no, Zomer came all the way from 7th against on of the toughest fields that Knoxville has assembled all year. A sweet way to bounce back from disappointment.
7. Tyler Walker: The GSC point lead has been handed back and forth over the last few weeks, and with a win Friday night on the opening night of a two-day event at the Silver Dollar Speedway, Tyler Walker was able to take the point lead back from Brent Kaeding. Walker capped off his weekend with a third place finish, ahead of both his rivals for the championship, with Allard coming home fifth and Brent Kaeding having a tough night, finishing 15th. However, any of these three drivers can still win the championship, with a close close points battle, seeing Walker with only a 7 point lead over Jonathan Allard, and Brent Kaeding still sitting within striking distance, only 13 points out of the lead. However, with just three races left on the GSC campaign, Walker finds himself in the best position to get his first King of California Series Title.
6. Ed Lynch Jr.: It was a historic night on Friday as the "Apollo Rocket" became the first driver to hit 100 sprint car wins at the Lernerville Speedway, a milestone accomplished by very few drivers anywhere. This milestone win Friday night also closed Lynch dramatically on Rod George for the point lead. Lynch only sits 10 points back. Lynch is not only the winningest sprint car driver in Lernerville Speedway history, but is also the winningest driver this season, with four wins. It would be fitting for Ed Lynch Jr. to be the one to win the track championship this year.
5. Craig Dollansky: Finally! After the great year Dollansky had last season, the news that Dollansky was moving to Kasey Kahne Racing for this season had most thinking that he would only get better. However, the first half of the 2009 season has been very disappointing for Craig and his fans. However, Sunday night at the Lebanon Valley Speedway, Craig was finally able to get his first win for Kasey Kahne Racing, and first of the 2009 season. And he did it in dominating fashion, winning by over four seconds and lapping up to 8th place, living up to his name and pleasing the crowd. Dollansky fans can breathe a sigh of relief, the monkey is off of Craig's back. Can Craig finally become the dominant force that many thought he would be in the Kasey Kahne Racing #19?
4. Mark Dobmeier: It was another two win weekend for Mark Dobmeier. Beginning his week at River Cities Speedway, Mark Dobmeier got back into victory lane after a rare week's hiatus. This makes "Dobs" six for eight in regular weekly competition at the River Cities Speedway, where he has a stranglehold on the competition. It wasn't a stellar Saturday night at Knoxville for Mark, only coming home in the 11th position. But Mark would make up for that Sunday night at Huset's. Dobmeier started his night by winning his heat from the second row. Then after starting fifth in the A-Main, Dobmeier would move his #13 to the front, holding off a charging Terry McCarl for the win. Mark, the point leader at Huset's, now by 17 points over Gregg Bakker, becomes the first person to get three wins at Huset's in the 2009 season. Let's see how Mark does against the All-Stars this weekend, with the likes of Tim Shaffer, Greg Wilson and dale blaney in attendance at the Huset's Speedway.
3. Greg Hodnett: Hodnett got his second win with the World of Outlaws this season, both coming at the famed William's Grove on the opening night of the Summer Nationals. The 2009 Pennsylvania Speedweek Champion has been very strong since having former crew chief Lee Stauffer return to take the wrenches on the J&S Fabrication #22, helping Hodnett get his second PA Speedweek Championship (and the #1 spot on this Top Ten that week), and now to his ninth career World of Outlaw A-Main Feature Victory, with two in the first season that would see Greg in Outlaw Victory Lane since 2002 (the year that Greg won his first PA Speedweek Championship). Without a doubt, this is Hodnett's best year since that 2002 season in the Apple Chevrolet #12, and best season since taking the helm of the #22.
2. Stevie Smith: Stevie Smith, who has been hot all year, picked up his first World of Outlaw win this week at the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup, in the second of the twin features, bagging $15,000. Smith had beaten the Outlaws in an All-Star sanctioned event earlier this season at the DirtCar Nationals at the Volusia Speedway Park in Florida, but this was Stevie's first Outlaw sanctioned win this season, 67th of his career, and first since the 2005 Brad Doty classic. Stevie would stay strong at William's Grove, coming up just short in a battle with Greg Hodnett for the win, and coming home second on the opening night of the William's Grove Summer Nationals. After rain postponed the second night, Stevie is slated to start 19th for the $20,000 to win finale, which will be made up on October 2.
Hottest Driver of the Week: Danny Lasoski: The all-time winningest driver at the Knoxville Raceway graced victory lane for the first time at the prestigious Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at the Lernerville Speedway. The "Dude" got by Jason sides late in the first feature to take the win, and the $15,000 prize and his fifth Outlaw win of the season, and third in the last twelve races. The lead-lap car inversion would place Lasoski in the 19th starting position in the second of the twin features. Lasoski would quickly charge forward, moving all the way to finish seventh, earning a hard-charger award to go along with his win in the first feature, and securing Lasoski the overall Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup Championship. It is only fitting that the man to get the overall Silver Cup Championship would go home with a feature win in the first feature and hard charger in the second, proving that he was the best there that night. I'm sure Don Martin was smiling from above while watching the race named in his honor, seeing what a spectacle it has become, being one of the biggest Sprint Car races of the season anywhere, at the track Don built.
Honorable Mention: Kyle Hirst, Kerry Madsen, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Billy Balog, Tim Hunter
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