by Bill Wright
As the World of Outlaws invade the Knoxville Raceway this Friday and Saturday, a new hope is in the air for our local competitors in the form of………..weight? That’s right; the WoO has implemented a 1375 pound weight limit (with driver). This new rule provides consistency across the country as most major tracks and sanctions have adopted the standard. How much difference weight makes is the most controversial subject in the sport since winged vs. non-winged sprints. Let’s look at some stats from very early in the season.
Let’s start with the World of Outlaws. Tim Kaeding, a California pilot, and not a World of Outlaws regular won their season opener at Kings Speedway in Hanford, CA. This got those in favor of the weight rule in a lather. A local winning a WoO race could signal a season full of this type of upset. Hold the phone! Hasn’t Kaeding won against the WoO before without a weight rule? Yes. What has happened since? Eight different drivers have won features in 17 tries. Let’s compare it to last year. More domination by fewer drivers, right? Wrong. It the first 17 feature events last year, the WoO boasted nine different winners. One reason for less winners this year may lie with “the King”, Steve Kinser, who has taken home seven checkered flags. Kinser was way heavier than 1375 last year so he shouldn’t have to make many changes to the car, right? Wrong. Just last week, a light trip across the scales at Eldora cost him his eighth win of the year to none other than Sammy Swindell! Those who believe that the cream will always rise to the top despite the weight of the car have scored a victory with “the King” this year.
Central Pennsylvania has adopted a similar weight rule, and when it hasn’t been raining, there have been eight different winners in ten races there, with three first time winners gracing victory lane. In fact, at Lincoln Speedway near Hanover, there have been five different winners in five races. Last year, there were six different winners………all year! Fred Rahmer, who has been dominant the past several years at Lincoln, has yet to take a checkered flag there. Lance Dewease and Cris Eash are the only two pilots to garner two wins this year in the Keystone state. Score an early victory for the weight rule faithful.
The All Stars have seen eight different drivers win main events in ten tries. Their weight rule has been in effect for two years. The IRA has competed with the same standard in the upper Midwest and boasted a level playing field with various feature winners. Knoxville has seen similar results, as in 2002, Terry McCarl, Skip Jackson, Travis Cram, Kerry Madsen, Jeff Mitrisin and Blake Feese all scored two feature wins in regular point nights. Car counts rose considerably at Knoxville when the weight rule went into effect for 2001.
A bigger factor in the locals unseating the WoO may be seat time. Normally, the WoO comes into town with a lot more seat time (time racing the car), but this year, the locals have spent a considerable amount of time getting warmed up for the summer season. Four-time defending point champ, Terry McCarl, has been busy. It started in Florida, when he ran events including the “King of the 360s” week. He took one of the features that week, and has added two feature wins with the Sprint Invaders series, at Donnellson and Jacksonville, IL. He also towed to Mississippi where he ran a strong fifth with the WoO. A side note is that he was using a five year old motor at the time (he has a fresher one for his assault on the Knoxville campaign). He followed that up the following evening with another top ten in Houston. He’s ready to go.
Madsen and Jackson seldom rest. They race our winters in Australia. Madsen showed little rust as he shattered Kasey Kahne’s track record by a half a second at Oskaloosa two weeks ago, and then came from the rear to run fifth in the feature event. Jackson came home fourth in the same event. Brian Brown, in his first full year in a 410, has competed in 12 WoO races, with his best showing a 14th at Hollywood Hills in New Mexico. He too, was a rocket at Oskaloosa, coming from the rear, not once, but twice, to finish ninth.
Calvin Landis took home the $3000 check from Osky. He too has spent time with the WoO, making six appearances, with his highest finish being 13th at Vegas and Hollywood Hills. Ricky Logan has tested the big boys eight times, posting a 14th place finish at I-55 Raceway in Pevely. Justin Henderson was running strong at Sedalia, when a tangle with Tyler Walker ended a solid showing. He came back the next night, and led the entire Osky feature, before Landis got by him late and relegated him to second.
Others who have seat time with the WoO this season are Derek Beckman (four times), Larry Ball Jr. (2 times), Wayne Johnson (once) and Jeff Mitrisin (once). Others who have looked solid early this season are Travis Cram and Chad Meyer. Cram had everyone covered in Osky before flipping, and Meyer ended up with a third place run. These guys should be ready to go. Look for a number of them to make feature events this weekend.
This weekend’s races also serve as a qualifying event for the Kele World Challenge at the Nationals, a 16 lap event boasting a $40,000 purse. Canadians Adam West (this year’s KIDD program recipient), Jeff Hodgson, Toni Lutar and Tony Menard are all expected to compete. This would be a record for number of Canadians competing at Knoxville in one event.
The jury is still out on the weight rule, but it is good for the local fans and drivers that there is an even playing field where weight is concerned. Time will tell whether this is the best answer to cost and competitiveness, but it is a step in the right direction in my opinion. We have seen good things from it here at Knoxville. Hopefully, the same results will follow in Pennsylvania and throughout the country. May the best driver win!