Feb. 5

BARBERVILLE, Fla. — Donny Schatz made his debut for Tony Stewart Racing on Feb. 5 in the opener of the 37th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida and was victorious in the 30-lap event for the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions.
The two-time defending Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion battled with Jason Meyers throughout the race, which ran non-stop and was completed in just more than eight minutes.
The race began with Schatz leading down the front straightaway, with Meyers passing him on the high side of the second turn and leading at the line. Schatz battled back on the second lap as the pair ran side-by-side, with Meyers retaining the lead.
Meyers began to pull away and with less than 10 laps on the board was already in lapped traffic.
This allowed Schatz to close the gap, and on the 12th lap he took the lead as Meyers had to get on the brakes when a lapped car nearly stopped in front of him. Schatz opened a comfortable lead, with Meyers making a late charge in traffic to come home second.
“It was a good night,” said Schatz. “Our first night in the car and we picked up our first win. I look forward to calling Tony (Stewart) to tell him how we did. The team worked hard and they have worked hard all off-season to put us in this position. It’s a great way to start the year.”
Schatz earned $7,000 for his second career All Star triumph.
“We came out here tonight to play around and try a few things and to learn,” said Schatz. “We’ll try some more things the next two nights and see what happens. We have to get used to a few of the changes this year and this was a good start.”
Meyers was making his first start driving a KPC Chassis, which his team designed and built during the off-season.
“The car was great,” said Meyers. “Our Charlie Garrett engine ran great and the guys did a great job. I just got beat tonight. I got stuck behind a lapped car and that’s the down side of leading.”
Steve Kinser started seventh and finished third, while Lance Dewease and Daryn Pittman filled the top five.
The summary:
Qualifications: 1. Daryn Pittman, Titan 21, 12.951; 2. Sam Hafertepe, Jr., Hafertepe 15h, 13.025; 3. Donny Schatz, Stewart 15, 13.048; 4. Lance Dewease, Owens 30c, 13.064; 5. Jason Meyers, Stockbridge 14, 13.066; 6. Chad Kemenah, Hard Eight 8k, 13.127; 7. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 13.167; 8. Danny Lasoski, Forbrook 5, 13.185; 9. Randy Hannagan, Hannagan 1x, 13.204; 10. Terry McCarl, McCarl 24, 13.205; 11. Joey Saldana, Kahne 9, 13.208; 12. Craig Dollansky, Woodward 2, 13.217; 13. Kraig Kinser, Stewart 20, 13.236; 14. Chad Layton, Postupack 25, 13.243; 15. Fred Rahmer, Clemens 51, 13.250; 16. Mark Smith, Smith 7mx, 13.259; 17. Bob Felmlee, Felmlee 6f, 13.267; 18. Lucas Wolfe, Allebach 52, 13.276; 19. Tony Bruce, Jr., Bruce 18, 13.285; 20. Brock Mayes, Mayes 11b, 13.288; 21. Wayne Johnson, Hammers 94, 13.320; 22. John Westbrook, Westbrook 3w, 13.322; 23. Greg Hodnett, Cline 22, 13.329; 24. Brian  Ellenberger, Ellenberger 22e, 13.331; 25. Brandon Martin, Martin 11m, 13.332; 26. Jeff Shepard, Zemaitis 1z, 13.353; 27. Cody Darrah, Darrah 89, 13.387; 28. Ben Gregg, Gregg 22b, 13.388; 29. Brian Paulus, P&P 28, 13.392; 30. T.J. Stutts, Trones 39, 13.413; 31. Greg Wilson, Warnimont w20, 13.418; 32. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 13.428; 33. Spud Gustin, Gustin 80, 13.482; 34. Danny Smith, Smith 4, 13.487; 35. Dale Blaney, Fisher 2b, 13.492; 36. Jac Haudenschild, Carnahan r19, 13.495; 37. Tim Kaeding, Rolfe 10k, 13.504; 38. Shane Stewart, Roth 83, 13.521; 39. Paul McMahan, Ferkel 0, 13.582; 40. Eric Baldaccini, Baldaccini b4, 13.595; 41. Paul May, May 71, 13.623; 42. Craig Mintz, Mintz 09, 13.657; 43. Dustin Morgan, Holbrook 8h, 13.679; 44. Lee Stark, Stark 16s, 13.747; 45. Ryan Myers, Myers 56r, 13.768; 46. Bob Schaeffer, Schaeffer 71j, 13.776; 47. Neil Shepherd, Shepherd 4n, 13.881; 48. Geoff  Dodge, Dodge 7m, 13.973; 49. Rager Phillips, Phillips 9p,14.182; 50. Jason Botsford, Botsford 29a, 14.429; 51. Johnny Johnson, Johnson 72j, 17.365; 52. Natalie Sather, Sather 94s, no time.
First Heat: W. Johnson, Felmlee, K. Kinser, Meyers, Pittman, Kaeding, Paulus, Martin, May, Myers, Gustin, Hannagan, Phillips.
Second Heat: Wolfe, Layton, Kemenah, McCarl, Hafertepe, Shepard, Stewart, Stutts, Schaeffer, Botsford, Westbrook, Mintz, D. Smith.
Third Heat: Hodnett, Saldana, Rahmer, S. Kinser, Schatz, Bruce, Blaney, Darrah, Morgan, Wilson, McMahan, Shepherd, J. Johnson.
Fourth Heat: Ellenberger, Dollanksy, Mayes, Dewease, M. Smith, Lasoski, Haudenschild, S. Smith, Gregg, Baldaccini, Stark, Dodge, Sather.
C Main: Kaeding, Stewart, McMahan, Baldaccini, May, Shepherd, Stark, Morgan, Dodge, Myers, Schaeffer, Botsford, J. Johnson, Mintz, Phillips, Sather.
B Main: Lasoski, Shepard, Bruce, Haudenschild, Paulus, Martin, Stewart, Kaeding, Stutts, Blaney, Darrah, S. Smith, Wilson, Baldaccini, Hannagan, Gregg, Gustin, D. Smith, McMahan, Westbrook.
Feature: Schatz, Meyers, S. Kinser, Dewease, Pittman, Dollansky, Saldana, K. Kinser, Kemenah, Hafertepe, Layton, McCarl, Lasoski, Rahmer, Haudenschild, Shepard, Wolfe, M. Smith, Felmlee, Bruce, Hodnett, Mayes, Ellenberger, W. Johnson.

Feb. 6

BARBERVILLE, Fla. — It was a night for the little guy Feb. 6 at Volusia Speedway Park.
Oklahoma racer Wayne Johnson surprised a field of 52 sprint-car racers to take the $7,000 top prize put up by the O’Reilly All Star circuit of Champions on the second night of the 37th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals.

Johnson started ninth in the feature and steadily worked his way to the front. Johnson was riding third behind the battle for the lead between Danny Lasoski, who led from the green flag and Sam Hafertepe, who blasted to the front from 12th starting position.
Hafertepe took the lead on lap 18 and Lasoski regained it a lap later. But as the pair charged into turn one side by side, Johnson charged to the bottom and blasted past both drivers.
“I was trying to pass Hafertepe, but I got such a good run I just drove past them both,” Johnson explained. “I was kind of shocked myself. I knew we could run around the bottom when nobody else could, so I was just saving my tires when all those guys were running up in the rubber.”
Johnson, who was driving the No. 94 owned by Mike and Tim Hammers and Robbie Forbes, was elated with the victory.
“I have to thank all my guys and Penske Shocks,” said Johnson. “It shows just how good of a race car we’ve got. I want to thank everyone who is involved with this thing because this is a low buck team. Tony Stewart’s guys can sit over there and spend all the money they want, but we’re one of the lowest budget teams in the pit area.”
Hafertepe finished second, with Lasoski third.
“We’re doing exactly what we wanted to do this year and that is to show the guys that we can run up front,” Hafertepe said. “We want to run up front every night and we seem to be doing a pretty good job of that lately.”
Craig Dollansky charged from 24th to finish fourth, with Tuesday night winner Donny Schatz romping from 19th to fifth.
The summary:
Qualifications: 1. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 15.206; 2. Sam Hafertepe, Jr., Hafertepe 15h, 15.250; 3. Brian Paulus, P&P 28, 15.301; 4. Mark Smith, Smith 7mx, 15.303; 5. Paul May, May 71, 15.309; 6. Chad Hillier, Hillier 5c, 15.315; 7. Tim Kaeding, Rolfe 10, 15.331; 8. Joey Saldana, Kahne 9, 15.336; 9. Dustin Morgan, Holbrook 8h, 15.373; 10. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., Bruce 18t, 15.381; 11. Jason Sides, Sides 7s, 15.403; 12. Danny Lasoski, Forbrook 5, 15.469; 13. T.J. Stutts, Trones 39, 15.489; 14. Jac Haudenschild, Carnahan r19, 15.491; 15. Brian Ellenberger, Ellenberger 20e, 15.497; 16. Greg Hodnett, Cline 22, 15.500; 17. Wayne Johnson, Hammers 94, 15.521; 18. Daryn Pittman, Titan 21, 15.522; 19. Cody Darrah, Darrah 89, 15.548; 20. Danny Smith, Smith 4, 15.567; 21. Fred Rahmer, Clemens 51, 15.630; 22. Donny Schatz, Stewart 15, 15.632; 23. Ryan Myers, Myers 56r, 15.774; 24. Lucas Wolfe, Allebach 5w, 15.782; 25. Jason Meyers, Stockbridge 14, 15.789; 26. Randy Hannagan, Hannagan 1x, 15.818; 27. Shane Stewart, Roth 83, 15.825; 28. Chad Kemenah, Hard Eight 8k, 15.826; 29. Brandon Martin, Martin 11m, 15.862; 30. Chad Layton, Postupack 25, 15.877; 31. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 15.883; 32. Jeff Shepard, Zemaitis 1z, 15.922; 33. Lance Dewease, Owens 30c, 15.937; 34. Dale Blaney, Fisher 2b, 15.956; 35. Lee Stark, Stark 16s, 15.965; 36. Terry McCarl, McCarl 24, 15.982; 37. Paul McMahan, Ferkel 0, 15.998; 38. Greg Wilson, Warnimont w20, 16.001; 39. Bob Felmlee, Felmlee 6f, 16.008; 40. Kraig Kinser, Stewart 20, 16.023; 41. Brock Mayes, Mayes 11b, 16.057; 42. Craig Dollanksy, Woodward 2, 16.119; 43. Rager Phillips, Phillips 9p, 16.219; 44. Jason Botsford, Botsford 29a, 16.261; 45. Natalie Sather, Sather 94s, 16.340; 46. Spud Gustin, Gustin 80, 16.414; 47. Geoff Dodge, Dodge 7m, 16.438; 48. Neil Shepherd, Shepherd 4n, 16.615; 49. Ben Gregg, Gregg 22b, 16.789; 50. Bob Schaeffer, Schaeffer 71j, 17.095; 51. Eric Baldaccini, Baldaccini, b4, 18.022; 52. Johnny Johnson, Johnson 72j, 18.912.
First Heat: Rahmer, W. Johnson, May, Stutts, Martin, S. Kinser, Meyers, Dewease, Morgan, Mayes, McMahan, Gregg, Sather.
Second Heat: Schatz, Pittman, Layton, Dollansky, Bruce, Hafertepe, Blaney, Hillier, Hannagan, Wilson, Haudenschild, Gustin, Schaeffer.
Third Heat: Darrah, Ellenberger, Sides, Paulus, Stewart, Kaeding, Felmlee, S. Smith, Phillips, Myers, Dodge, Stark, Baldaccini.
Fourth Heat: Wolfe, Lasoski, D. Smith, M. Smith, Hodnett, Kemenah, Saldana, McCarl, K. Kinser, Shepard, Shepherd, Botsford, J. Johnson.
C Main: Wilson, McMahan, Mayes, Felmlee, Phillips, Sather, Dodge, Shepherd, Gregg, K. Kinser, Gustin, Schaeffer, J. Johnson, McCarl, Botsford, Baldaccini.
B Main: S. Kinser, Saldana, Hafertepe, Hillier, Kaeding, Meyers, Shepard, Kemenah, Morgan, McMahan, Myers, Haudenschild, Blaney, S. Smith, Dewease, Hannagan, Wilson, Felmlee, Mayes, Stark.
Feature: W. Johnson, Hafertepe, Lasoski, Dollansky, Schatz, M. Smith, S. Kinser, Bruce, May, Sides, Hodnett, Paulus, D. Smith, Wolfe, Hillier, Layton, Stewart, Saldana, Rahmer, Stutts, Darrah, Pittman, Martin, Ellenberger.