Outlaws' future is boundless - Checkered Flag - sprint car racing series

YOU CAN HAVE THE WINSTON, ahem, Nextel Cup. You can take the IRL, CART, F1, and American Le Mans Series. Go ahead and take the superspeedways and 1.5-mile cookie-cutters, the high-banked concrete ovals, and the road courses. Just leave me the World of Outlaws sprint car series cranking its way around short dirt ovals from coast to coast.

Now that's racing.

Sure, you might need goggles to keep dirt out of your eyes, but there isn't a series out there that features more breathtaking racing than the Outlaws.

The Outlaws, however, ran into trouble in 2003. It was no secret that the series had been going through financial difficulties in recent years. Those difficulties finally ran into the law in late May at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

As part of a civil suit flied by Wheeler Television Inc., sheriff's deputies impounded several Outlaws vehicles--including a souvenir hauler--after the series competed at the dirt track near the speedway. Wheeler Television, owned by the daughter of Lowe's Motor Speedway president Humpy Wheeler, sought payment for taped segments broadcast on Speed Channel.

Many believed that to settle the suit, Outlaws president Ted Johnson would sell the series to Wheeler. That didn't happen. A settlement was eventually reached, but it was obvious the Outlaws were available for sale and its future was cloudy.

Just when things appeared hopeless, in stepped Boundless Motor Sports Racing, Inc., a new organization with a plan to unite the dirt-track world.

Formed in August by Paul Kruger, Boundless first acquired Drivers Independent Race Tracks (DIRT), which promotes high-level modified racing. It then reached a deal to bring in the Outlaws, including Johnson. That's right, for better or worse, Johnson will remain as president of the series. "We look forward to taking the World of Outlaws to the next level," says Kruger.

So how will this deal help the Outlaws survive? In today's racing world the easiest way to gain attention is on television. After several fruitless deals, the Outlaws will finally reach the masses because the acquisition of DIRT also came with that organization's production company. Every 2004 Outlaws race will be taped, a schedule which should have more than 100 racing dates at about 50 tracks in 27 states.

So go ahead and take Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. I'll finally be able to watch Steve Kinser and Danny Lasoski go wheel-to-wheel whenever I want.

And that's racing.

Chris Dolack can be contacted at cdolack@centurysports.net.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Century Publishing
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group