Donny Schatz dictated the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series 40-lap A-Feature event last night to give his hometown fans the performance that they paid to see. Taking the top spot in everything except for the Crane Cams Dash, Schatz nearly gave the crowd a perfect sweep on Friday night.

The three-time champion’s triumph at River Cities Speedway on Friday was the second consecutive race that Schatz has won at the track, and his eighth victory of the season.

“Anytime you can win in front of your fans at home is great,” informed Schatz. “This is just like being at home sweet home. I'm glad to get this Armor All car to Victory Lane here tonight.”

Normally shaking off the team’s victories to prepare focusing on the next race, Schatz said that the team would celebrate the night of the race a little more than usual. With a race at Red River Valley Speedway on Saturday, Schatz is hoping to collect another win in his home state of North Dakota.

“Everybody always asks me what my favorite race is and I say there is nothing better than the next one,” Schatz said. “We're going to celebrate this one tonight. Normally we shrug it off and go to the next one, but we're going to enjoy this one tonight and go on and try to get the same thing tomorrow.”

With two consecutive wins heading into Friday’s race and winning the series’ opening race at River Cities, Joey Saldana was able to pass Steve Kinser on the final lap to earn the runner-up position.

“We had a great car,” Saldana noted. “It just takes so long to get to second when you start seventh with these guys. I wish we could have raced them because we had a pretty good car, but that's our own fault. Hopefully we get better tomorrow.”

Battling Schatz for most of the race only to lose a spot and fall back to third, Kinser managed to collect a podium finish. Noting that his decision to go low on the concluding lap may have ultimately cost him the win and at least his second place finish, the 20-time series champion left the track mildly disappointed.

“I should have just stayed on the top the last lap,” said Kinser. “I tried to go to the bottom and missed the bottom and got hung up and let Joey (Saldana) get by me at the end.”

Jason Sides and Craig Dollansky rounded out the top-5 for Friday’s race.

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