BRANDON, S.D. — Huset’s Speedway has always been a special place for Craig Dollansky. He won in his first start at the track back in 1995 and has had a great deal of success over the years at the high-banked three-eighths-mile oval.
Friday night he added to his success at the track, holding off Donny Schatz and Jason Meyers to bank the $10,000 Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory.
“It feels great to win here,” said Dollansky, who has five-career wins at Huset’s Speedway. “When I get asked what some of my favorite tracks are, Huset’s is always one that I mention.
“When the race track is prepared like this, there is always great racing. That is what the fans come out to see and there are some of the best fans in the country out here. I couldn’t be happier.”
Dollansky lined up third in the Auto Value Parts Stores/Snap-on Maxim and moved into second on the opening lap, charging past Danny Lasoski. Dollansky chased down leader Shane Stewart and the pair battled for two laps before Dollansky took control on lap six.
Schatz got around Stewart on the 11th circuit and began to track down Dollansky.
After clearing all of the lapped cars, Schatz chased Dollansky for a couple of laps, before diving under him coming off the fourth turn on the 17th lap to take the lead. He quickly opened a few-car-length lead as Dollansky got bottled up in traffic.
“I didn’t feel like the race got away from us at that point,” explained Dollansky. “I knew I could stay with them and lapped traffic can make or break you sometimes. We’re glad we had another opportunity late in the race.”
After going non-stop for the first 23 laps, the caution flag waved on the 24th go-around. On the restart, Dollansky used a textbook slide job to inch ahead of Schatz. He quickly pulled out to an eight-car length lead.
A Dusty Zomer flip set up a shootout among Dollansky, Schatz and Meyers, who was running third.
Dollansky held on for his third victory of the season and the 24th of his World of Outlaws career.
Schatz and Meyers waged an epic battle late in the race, trading the runner-up spot four times.
“We had a really good car,” said Schatz after his runner-up finish. “We had a right-front torsion bar come out at the middle of the race. We were all right as long as we were in traffic, but we got the yellows and then I made a mistake going into the first corner and there was nothing I could do to keep it up. I slammed the frame rail down and got passed.”
Meyers picked up his series leading 16th top-five finish of the season as he wound up third in the GLR Investment KPC.
“It’s kind of disappointing,” said Meyers. “We have always raced Donny (Schatz) clean and tonight he decided not to do that. It was a great run for the team. I thought we had at least a second-place car. It’s just unfortunate that they want to race that way. We’ll just go on to the next race and keep doing what we are doing and keep beating that (No.) 15 car.”
Ohio drivers Jac Haudenschild and Chad Kemenah filled the top five.