Joe Gibbs Driven

Schatz, the two-time defending series champion and current points leader, earned his third consecutive victory in the event after passing Jason Meyers with five laps to go and holding on for a $150,000 victory in his Armor All J&J car.

Meyers, who is second in Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws standings, led the first 25 laps in his GLR Investments KPC machine and drove to his first Knoxville runner-up finish, worth $75,000. Craig Dollansky, third in the series standings, rounded out the podium with his Snap-on Maxim as Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws drivers stole the spotlight, with seven series drivers finishing in the Top 10.

“There’s no question the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws guys are the premier drivers in the sport,” said Schatz, a native of Fargo, N.D., who received congratulations via cell phone from his car owner Tony Stewart in Victory Lane after joining Steve Kinser as the only drivers in the history of the prestigious race to win it at least three times in a row. “Jason set a great pace, but when you get to the last five laps of this race it’s a whole different race because you do not want to make a mistake. He didn’t make a mistake, but I just think we had a bit of an upper hand from winning it before. The Outlaws race so much and race so hard they definitely push everybody to the next level.”

Schatz posted the quickest lap of the four-day event when he hit the track on Wednesday’s qualifying night and put up a time of 14.897 seconds, which helped him earn a spot on the outside of Row 2 for the main event.

Meyers, who started alongside pole-sitter Danny Lasoski on the front row, quickly charged to the lead Saturday night and set a blistering pace on the high side of the historic half-mile oval. Meyers reeled off 23 consecutive laps with the lead before a caution flew for Tyler Walker, whose car slowed in Turn 3 before coming to a stop at the exit of Turn 4.

That moved several lapped cars to the end of the 24-car field and placed second-running Schatz right on Meyers’ tail for the restart. Meyers drove back the top of the track in Turns 1 and 2 with Schatz looking at the bottom. Schatz then went to the top and raced past Meyers coming off of Turn 4 with five laps to go.

A caution with three laps remaining for Shane Stewart, whose car lost power steering, gave Meyers a chance for immediate payback on the restart. Schatz, though, powered back to the top of the track and wouldn’t allow Meyers to close the gap.

“I know what Jason’s feeling,” said Schatz, a 12-time winner this season on the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series tour. “I’ve finished second four times at the Knoxville Nationals. I told him I think you’ve got to run second before you win it.”

Meyers, a six-time winner this season with the Outlaws who posted the second quickest time of the event during Thursday’s qualifying action, was aiming for the biggest victory of his career.

“I’ve said it all year, I think the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is tougher than it has ever been,” said Meyers, of Clovis, Calif. “You’ve got five, six, seven, eight guys who are right there and another eight who could be there on any given night. It’s very tough and we are pushing each other. We work every day to get a little bit better. Everybody is out there working hard to find a little bit of an edge. You see the Outlaws come here and have a dominating run, it’s tough this year. We deal with it day in and day out. People say how tough the Knoxville Nationals are, well, with the World of Outlaws we do it every night.”

Dollansky, who started on the inside of Row 3 for the main event, struggled with motor issues throughout the qualifying rounds, going to a third motor following Saturday’s warm-up session. With a car he described as phenomenal for the main event, Dollansky battled past Lasoski and 20-time Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser to grab third, worth $37,500.

“Obviously there are some very strong teams on the World of Outlaws tour and that showed at the Knoxville Nationals, it carries over,” said Dollansky, who has seven victories and led the series standings earlier this season.

Overall, it was a successful event for the drivers who compete on the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series circuit, which begins the Third Annual Gold Rush Tour on Tuesday at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, N.D.