For many drivers, picking up the first win of a new season is one of the toughest feats to accomplish in racing. After being victorious 21 times overall last season with the World of Outlaws, Joey Saldana certainly knew the way to the winners circle heading into 2010. He came close to winning each of the first four races this season, finishing in the runner-up spot in three of those.

Saldana broke though in a big way on Saturday night at Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California before a huge crowd to score his first A-Feature win of the season to earn $10,000 in the 35-lap contest aboard the Budweiser Maxim. It was the 60th A-Feature triumph of his career with the World of Outlaws.

"It was a great effort by my team," said Saldana. "We blew up in the dash and they worked hard to get the motor changed, so we really didn't get to work on our car too much. My car was pretty good for 35 laps and the motor held in there. It was a total team effort by everyone involved."

For Saldana, the win was his third at Thunderbowl Raceway with the World of Outlaws, which is the most of any driver dating back to the series debut at the track in 2003. The second generation driver scored his first victory at the track in 2007 and followed that up with a triumph last season at the high-banked 1/3-mile. He used a couple of strong starts to jump to the lead over pole sitter Tim Kaeding.

"It's very hard to win out here," shared Saldana. "Last year we won the second race of the season and it just rolled. Once you win one, it seems like it comes easier and easier. It seems like you are not thinking about winning as much and worrying about racing. Now, we can focus on racing and hopefully win some more."

Jason Meyers has been involved in some thrilling races over the years, but probably none quite as exciting as Friday night, when he battled 20-time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser and four-time and defending series titlist Donny Schatz right down to the wire to score a breathtaking win in the Second Annual Las Vegas Super Sprint Classic at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway before a huge crowd. Even more impressive was the fact that Meyers lined up 18th on the grid for the 30-lap contest and steadily worked his way to the front.

Meyers took the lead from Schatz on the 28th lap on the low side of turns one and two and quickly open a slight gap. Kinser battled Schatz and took the second spot on that same lap and tracked down Meyers on the white flag lap, taking the lead on the low side of turn three, with Meyers battling back off turn four to win a drag race down the front straightway aboard the GLR Investments KPC to score the $10,000 triumph, which was the 36th A-Feature victory of his World of Outlaws career.

"I don't think I have ever won a race from that far back and I don't know when the last time an Outlaws race was won from that far back," said Meyers. "We went out and were trying to get a Top-Five on a night that had kind of gone backwards on us. The guys gave me one heck of a race car and there was a great track tonight. My hat's off to my team."

The win was extra special for Meyers, as his team was mourning the loss of his crew chief D.J. Lindsey's father-in-law Jim Boyd. The Wisconsin native was a fixture at many World of Outlaws events over the years.

Steve Kinser (World of Outlaws Photo)The 2010 Gold Rush Tour for the World of Outlaws just got even bigger as the Magic City Showdown at Nodak Speedway in Minot, North Dakota will now be a two-day event on Friday, August 20 and Saturday, August 21. The pair of races at the high-banked 3/8-mile will serve as the kick-off of the 11-race mini-tour which will visit six tracks in four states and one Canadian Province.

A brand new state-of-the-art grandstand is currently being constructed at Nodak Speedway which is housed on the North Dakota State Fairgrounds, and will feature over 22,000 square feet of usable concourse, which is 10 times more than the old grandstand, along with 7,000 reserved seats. The new grandstand is scheduled to be completed by July 1, 2010 in time for the North Dakota State Fair and well in advance of the Magic City Showdown which will be presented by Gerdau Ameristeel on August 20-21.

The World of Outlaws raced at Nodak Speedway for the first time in 2006, with Terry McCarl picking up the win in that race. Daryn Pittman was victorious in 2007, with Jason Meyers taking the win in 2008. Danny Lasoski, the 2001 World of Outlaws champion, picked up the win last year to earn his first career triumph at the track.

Donny Schatz, the four-time and defending World of Outlaws champion, who was born and raised in Minot, has won twice in his career at the track, though he is still chasing his first World of Outlaws win at Nodak Speedway. He has three finishes of seventh or better in three of his four starts with the series at his hometown track, including fourth and fifth-place performances in each of the last two years.

Barberville, FL- February 7, 2010-Heading into the 2010 season, 20-time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser said that he felt better than he had in two or three years, after having off-season surgery to fix a bulging disc in his neck. He started the season off very strong and was in contention for wins in each of the first three races of the 39th Annual Florida DIRTcar Nationals by University of Northwestern Ohio at Volusia Speedway. Kinser sealed the deal on Sunday night, picking up his first win of the season and his first victory since joining Tony Stewart Racing.

Barberville, FL-February 6, 2010-Donny Schatz wrapped up 2009 standing on top of the podium after claiming his fourth consecutive World of Outlaws title, and he began the 2010 season on top again taking the win on Saturday night in the season opening 39th Annual Florida DIRTcar Nationals by University of Northwestern Ohio at Volusia Speedway Park.