World of Outlaws: Patience paying off for Donny Schatz

RAPID CITY - Kerry Madsen jumped to the front on the opening lap of Monday night's World of Outlaws sprint car "A" feature at Black Hills Speedway and hugged the faster low racing groove like a long lost brother.

Donny Schatz kept the leader in his sights, saved his tires and waited.

Schatz pounced when Madsen bobbled on the 35th and final lap, charging into the lead off the second turn en route to his second straight "Thunder in the Hills" triumph at BHS on a controversial marathon night at the Rapid Valley oval.

"He just plain made a mistake coming off of two," said Schatz of Madsen, "(That) left the door open for me, and I went right on by."

Schatz who won here last year in a duel with Ohio veteran Jac Haudenschild, said the dry-slick track conditions demanded that he not play all of his cards.

"We tried to save the tires. We didn't know if it would make it the whole race. When I saw the white flag, I knew even if I had a half a lap on a flat tire I could probably still finish," he said.

Outlaws rookie Madsen, of St. Mary's, New South Wales, Australia, lamented his inability to close the deal on his second feature win of the year.

"I picked up a push on the last lap and (Schatz) got me," said Madsen, "I let a win get away…tough."

"It was my mistake, and he capitalized on it," said Madsen. "It's been rough start, but still a good result for the team."

Points leader Schatz of Fargo, N.D., grabbed his series-leading eighth win of the 2007 season in a race that almost didn't happen.

Drivers and an estimated crowd of 4,500 fans endured two extended delays, first to rework the track surface after time trials and again midway through the heat races when the redo exposed a embedded layer of small rocks.

"They tried to rework the track to create a better race

"They tried to rework the track to create a better race track to make a better show for the fans," driver Craig Dollansky of Elk River, Minn., said.

"There's obviously a lot of rocks in this racetrack We were surprised to see that there were that many."

At least two drivers and a spectator in the main grandstand were injured by stones churned up during the first two heat races.

Chad Hillier of Burlington, Wash., suffered a cut on his left arm, and Danny Lasoski of Dover. Mo. was struck on the elbow, according to Outlaws publicist Tony Veneziano.

Capt. Mark Kirchgesler of the Rapid City Department of Fire and Emergency Services said Tuesday that a person was treated by an ambulance crew at the speedway, but was not transported to the hospital.

Kirchgesler said federal patient privacy regulations prevented release of any further information.

Promoter Shane Liebig said his track crew worked since late Friday evening preparing the track for Monday's race card. Reworking the track after time trials exposed the layer of stones, he said.

"It was the Outlaws that decided to tear up the track," he said. "They should have left it alone."

Liebig credited Schatz and 20-time Outlaws champion Steve Kinser for keeping the show going.

"The World of Outlaws was ready to load up and leave," Schatz said. "I didn't want to do that to the fans and some of the other drivers didn't either."

"Shane Liebig and his crew here at the racetrack did everything to get us the best show they could," he said. "Some things happened that weren't in their control."

Rounding out the top ten finishers were Jason Meyers of Clovis, Calif., Lasoski, Tim Schaffer of Aliquippa, Penn., Dollansky, Randy Hannagan of Pittsboro, Ind., Kinser, of Bloomington, Ind., Terry McCarl of Altoona, Iowa, and Joey Saldana of Brownsburg, Ind.

Highest finishing area driver was Huset's Speedway regular Dusty Zomer of Brandon in 17th. Outlaws regular Justin Henderson of Sioux Falls failed to qualify for the feature.

Matt Heinzerling of Belle Fourche, a regular in the weekly 360 sprint class at BHS, debuted a new 410-powered car for the Outlaws.

Heinzerling clocked 23rd out of 37 drivers, finished seventh in his heat and had worked his way into a transfer position in the "B" feature, before spinning of the track and settling for 10th.

"It felt really good," Heinzerling said after time trials. "More of the weight transfers to the back and it's a lot smoother riding than a 360."

In the lineup but failing to qualify were BHS 360 sprint regulars Clint Anderson, Brandon Mills, Kass Cornella, Mike Pennel and Terry Pennel.

Chad Horst of Rapid City and Greg Nordlund of Greybull, Wyo., won limited late model division heat races, but their feature was cancelled because of the late hour.

grabbed his series-leading eighth win of the 2007 season in a race that almost didn't happen.