Camargo, IL (1-30-09) by Kelly Brown - Public Relations Director – Someone once said “you can’t keep a good man down.” No one could have illustrated this saying better than Donny Schatz did tonight at Volusia Speedway Park in All Star Circuit of Champions action.

When the Green Flag first flew on tonight’s main event, it was short lived as Chad Kemenah spun his 8k racing machine in Turn 3 on the first circuit. On the restart the canary banner would fly again as Steve Kinser and his son Kraig Kinser touched wheels going into Turn 2. Trying to avoid the incident Donny Schatz attempted to take evasive action, but instead made contact with the 3c of Craig Conley. The incident caused Conley to roll end-over-end, and left Schatz at a halt at the exit of Turn 2. After a stop in the work area, Schatz joined the field at the tail end. Some may have thought Schatz’s night was over, but he showed he knows how to overcome adversity.

When the race restarted Lance Dewease jumped into the lead with Sammy Swindell and Danny Lasoski in tow. It didn’t take long before Swindell would put his nose under the 30c machine on the back straight to take the lead. By Lap 5 Dewease found himself in another battle as Lasoski stole the position away from him.

Up until this point Stevie Smith had been holding on in the top-five, but now he began his steady climb up to third getting around Dewease. There was a lot of lapped traffic in his way, but Smith made his way up the next rung of the ladder getting around Lasoski to take the second position. On Lap 11 Smith made his move around Swindell into the lead and held on to it up until three laps to go. After running third in the first two nights of Winter Nationals, it looked as if it may be his night to visit Victory Lane.

At this point Schatz began to make his presence known as he moved his way into the top-ten. Lap-after-lap he began to pick off another position one-by-one, until he got around Cody Darrah to make it into the top-five. Schatz was clearly the fastest car on the track and he kept ascending in the running order moving up to fourth, third, and finally around Swindell to take the runner-up spot.

Schatz quickly closed in on Smith, and they ran nose-to-tail for a few laps with Schatz sizing up Smith each lap finding the best way to get around him to take the top spot. With three laps to go Schatz made his move and zoomed around Smith. Smith hung on and tried to battle back, but in the end Schatz proved to be too strong, taking the Checkered Flag.

This was Schatz’s fourth All Star Circuit of Champions Winter Nationals win. The first came in 2006 and the other two came last year at Volusia Speedway Park, when he won two out of three nights. Will he be able to make it a three night sweep this year?

The All Star Circuit of Champions will be back in action at Volusia Speedway Park tomorrow night for the fourth night of Florida Speedweek Winter Nationals. 

Kistler Engines Qualifying Car-Driver-Time