Tony Stewart Racing Limaland, Eldora preview
Tony Stewart Racing's (TSR) Paul McMahan is geared up for the World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Series' third return to Ohio this week as he seeks two prestigious event titles and one "royal crown." On Wednesday night, McMahan and company will make their first appearance at Limaland Motorsports Park (LMP) in Lima, Ohio, for the 19th Annual Brad Doty Classic. On Friday and Saturday, the WoO will make its third appearance of the season at
Tony Stewart's Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, for the King's Royal by Crown Royal event.
McMahan did not compete at the quarter-mile LMP in 2006 because of a scheduling conflict due to the team's commitment with the National Sprint Tour Series. Joey Saldana won the 18th Annual Brad Doty Classic event on July 13, 2006.
Eldora Speedway's half-mile oval was very kind to McMahan in his last appearance on June 2, 2007, as he earned his first WoO Sprint Series victory of the season. In last year's King's Royal event on July 15, 2006, McMahan earned a 10th-place finish in the historic race. Saldana won the A-main to collect the hardware.
In 40 starts this season, McMahan has earned two victories, four fast time awards, nine top-five finishes and 20 top-10s in WoO competition. He is currently ranked eighth in the series standings with 5,272 points.
Gates open to the public at LMP Wednesday at 4 p.m. EDT. Qualifying is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. with racing beginning at 7:30 p.m. To purchase tickets for the 19th Annual Brad Doty Classic, race fans can call 419-998-3199 or visit the track's official Web site, www.limaland.com.
Friday and Saturday at Eldora, gates will open at 3 p.m. EDT. Racing will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the King's Royal by Crown Royal event can be purchased by calling 937-338-3815 or by logging on to www.eldoraspeedway.com.
Race fans can listen to all the action from this weekend on the DIRTVision.com cybercast, as well as on the DIRT Radio Network. Visit www.DIRTVision.com for more information on all the features, including updated results from each night of racing, as well as a chat room to interact with other fans listening to the action.
The WoO Sprint Series also returns to television this year with the series' fifth broadcast on ESPN2 set for Sunday at noon EDT. A total of 20 races are scheduled for broadcast either on SPEED or ESPN2, including the World of Outlaws SuperClean Summer of Money Series. ESPN2 began an eight-broadcast schedule that began June 17 and runs through August 5. All shows on ESPN2 begin at 12:30 p.m. EDT. For a complete television schedule, or more information regarding the WoO Sprint Series, log on to www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Quotes from Paul McMahan, driver of the No. 20 TSR/Bass Pro Shops/Eagle:
What would winning the Brad Doty Classic mean to you as a driver?
"To win the Brad Doty Classic would rank right up there with winning the Knoxville Nationals. When I was growing up, I really looked up to Brad and tried to model myself after him in terms of how he treated people. Not only was he a great driver, but he was good with the fans and the way he handled himself really stuck with me growing up. Brad was my hero and to win an event that celebrates his career would be a huge achievement for me."
Having won at Eldora Speedway in June, are you looking forward to returning to the track this week for the King's Royal by Crown Royal event?
"We're going into Eldora with a new slate. Even though we won there in June, you're only as good as your last race results say you are. The win came in June. This is July and it's going to be a whole new ballgame this weekend. I'll definitely say that our confidence is up but the King's Royal isn't a normal format. They take less transfer spots from the heat races and you really have to be on your A-game the entire night. It would be great to end the night on the stage with Tony and receive that crown. The $50,000 that comes with winning would be great, but I've always wanted to sit on that throne. Hopefully, we'll be able to take Bass Pro Shops and Chevrolet along for that experience on Saturday night."
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