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Interview Donny Schatz

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Donny Schatz, Driver of the No. 15 TSR/STP/Armor All/Chevy J&J:

With the way you ended last year’s World of Outlaws campaign, would you have liked the 2012 season to start right away?

“We finished the season off pretty strong and really started to get that feeling back. Any time you are winning, you want to keep racing. Last year, we had some struggles and fortunately found our way toward the end of the year. The crew needed some time to get our program where we need it to be. I was happy to be able to stay active and race both in New Zealand and Australia. I spent some time at the raceshop recently and I can tell you Ricky, Steve and Bob worked hard this winter. I’m excited to get things going.”
You mentioned your team. How important is it that you have all the same people working together for the second year in a row?

“It’s really big when you are in a competitive environment like we are. At the end of last year, we were all getting along great and having an absolute blast. Even though we struggled at times during the year, we just had to keep working together. You can’t have success without failure. If you don’t learn what not to do, you don’t know what to do. The team that Tony has assembled, we’re all competitive people. We pushed each other to the limit and maybe even over the limit. The same mentally that got us in trouble is what brought us back to the winning stages and having a dominant racecar. I know how hard they work and it motivates me to be the best I can in the car and win races for those guys.”
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Schatz Looks To Continue Winning Ways

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Tony Stewart Racing Driver Opens World of Outlaws Campaign in Florida

INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 15, 2012) – When the 2011 World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Series season concluded last November, there was a bug going around the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) camp. It was something that not only TSR’s Donny Schatz felt, but his boss, Tony Stewart, also caught it. The 2012 WoO season is set to open this weekend with the 41st Annual Florida DIRTcar Nationals by University of Northwestern Ohio at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., and Schatz is hoping he hasn’t been cured.

Schatz closed 2011 by sweeping the WoO World Finals in Charlotte. Two weeks later, he scored his second straight Western World Championships triumph in Arizona, and he followed that by winning in New Zealand in his first-ever race at Western Springs Speedway near Auckland. The victories didn’t stop there as he picked up two more wins during the holiday season while competing in Australia.

The late-season surge boosted the psyche of the TSR team as it enters the 2012 season. Schatz will campaign with the WoO for the 16th season, and he’ll once again be behind the wheel of the TSR No. 15 STP/Armor All/Chevy J&J. The Fargo, N.D., racer has finished second in the WoO championship standings the past two seasons after winning four consecutive titles.
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Steve Kinser, Driver of the No. 11 TSR/Bass Pro Shops/Chevy/J.D. Byrider Maxim Interview

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Steve Kinser, Driver of the No. 11 TSR/Bass Pro Shops/Chevy/J.D. Byrider Maxim:

Another season is set to begin with the DIRTcar Nationals in Florida. Last year, you started out strong by winning four of the first seven races, and closed the season with consistent finishes. What is your mindset heading into the season-opening weekend?

“I’m ready to race. I’ve worked hard. The team has worked hard. We’re all ready to get back to competition. The beginning of the year is always something you look forward to. We’ve spent all winter in Indiana, and being able to catch some good weather puts everyone in a good mood. If you can have some early success in Florida and then also out west, it can be a really fun start of the year.”

For the eighth straight year, the World of Outlaws begins the season at Volusia Speedway Park. You’ve won three of the last four races contested at the track. Can you explain why you have been so successful there in recent openers?
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‘King’ Kinser Aims High in 2012

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20-Time Outlaws Champion Ready for Action in Florida

INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 14, 2012) – Twenty-time World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Series champion Steve Kinser started his day with a morning bike ride in the fresh Florida sunshine. It was a chance for the driver of the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) No. 11 Bass Pro Shops/JD Byrider/Chevy Maxim to break a sweat on the final day of his offseason. On Wednesday night, it’s back to business behind the wheel of a Winged Sprint car for the 56-year-old with the 41st Annual Florida DIRTcar Nationals by University of Northwestern Ohio kicking off the 2012 season at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.

Kinser will begin his third season driving for three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and 34th season competing with “The Greatest Show on Dirt.” He put himself through a rigorous training program following the 2011 season to prepare for the 10-month WoO season, which includes more than 80 nights of racing from now until the first week of November. In each of his first two campaigns with TSR, the Bloomington, Ind., native has finished with nine WoO A-Feature victories and a third-place finish in the championship standings. The start of another season provides a new opportunity and the chance to put a complete season together in order to have a shot at that 21st title in November. Read Full Article →