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Madsen Wins at Antioch in Closest Outlaws Finish Ever

Kerry Madsen scored a win for the record books Sunday night at Antioch Speedway as he held off Kyle Hirst by just .005 seconds, the smallest win margin in World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series history.

Madsen took over the lead on lap seven as the field returned to green following a caution. Madsen, who at the time was running in second behind reigning series champion Daryn Pittman, looked low as Pittman got caught up in the cushion and fell back.

Now leading, Madsen quickly built up a comfortable lead in his American Racing Custom Wheels car. By lap 11 he hit lapped traffic. As he worked his way through, Hirst crept closer.

As Madsen took the white flag, Hirst looked for an opportunity. He found it as the two entered the final turn. With Madsen bottled up by a lapped car, Hirst entered onto the front stretch side-by-side with the Australia native. The two drag raced down to the checkered flag and Madsen claimed the win by just a fraction of a second.

"It felt like I was doing it comfortably and managing traffic pretty well but I just got bottled up there and I guess he got a run," Madsen said. "I was pretty lucky to get away with that one."

Madsen said as the race wore on and he fought his way through the lapped traffic he was not concerned about what was going on behind him.

"I tried to keep the race pace at a comfortable pace so I wasn't getting bottled up," Madsen said. "The start was important but I think you had to be able to maneuver traffic to win the race."

Madsen said it was an exciting race from where he sat.

This was the sixth World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series win of the season for Madsen and the first since he won the Ironman 55 just over a month ago. He currently sits fourth in the championship standings, 480 points out of the lead.

For his part, Hirst said he was disappointed to let the win get away from him by such a small margin.

"That would happen to me! I wish I was on the other end of that but that's alright," said Hirst, the KSE Hard Charger Award recipient for the night after advancing six positions in the A main. "I'll get one, one of these years."

Hirst came into the night with the momentum of his performances at the Gold Cup Race of Champions. In the previous two nights in Chico he finished fifth and fourth. Tonight, Hirst came as close as he could to the win without capturing it.

"Yeah, I thought I had him," Hirst said. "I wasn't sure - it was going to be close… My Roth Motorsports team gave me a great car. This thing was awesome." "

"God I wish I would have had that one."

Hirst's Roth Motorsports teammate David Gravel finished the night in third after starting in third. Gravel fell back on the start but he was able to make up ground on the same restart Madsen took over the lead.

"We freed up all night but I was still flying the front end," Gravel said. "We had a good car, just missing it a little bit on the exit. We wanted a top-three and we got one. Good thing for Kyle, he's had a great weekend. And congrats to Kerry, he did awesome too."

"That one restart there with everyone biking on two wheels was pretty crazy and we took advantage of it. I've got to thank Dennis and Teresa Roth and all my guys."

Donny Schatz's lead in the championship standings is currently at 196 points over second place Pittman. Paul McMahan remains firmly in third, 306 points out of the lead.

The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series next returns to the Upper Midwest for The Arnold Motor Supply Shootout at the Clay County Fairgrounds in Spencer, Iowa on Sept. 12 and the ASGROW/DEKALB Clash at the Creek at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn. on Sept. 13.

Follow the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WorldofOutlaws, like it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws, or check out the latest videos on YouTube at www.youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws.

ANTIOCH SPEEDWAY NOTES: This was Kerry Madsen's sixth win of the season… Madsen's win ended a two race win streak for California drivers… Second place finisher Kyle Hirst finished fifth, fourth and second the last three nights… Kyle Hirst was the KSE Hard Charger Award recipient for the night after advancing six positions in the A main to finish in second… Donny Schatz, Bud Kaeding and Kyle Hirst all won their Heat races tonight… David Gravel, who finished third, scored his ninth quick time of the season.

SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 20 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 15, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 19, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 27, I-96 Speedway on May 31, River Cities Speedway on June 20, 34 Raceway on June 27, Cedar Lake Speedway on June 29, Lernerville Speedway on July 15, Autodrome Drummond on July 26, Cornwall Motor Speedway on July 27, Ohsweken Speedway on July 29, Knoxville Raceway on Aug. 9, Junction Motor Speedway on Aug. 12, Nodak Speedway on Aug. 17, Castrol Raceway on Aug. 22 and Aug. 23, Skagit Speedway on Aug. 29 and Aug. 30 and Grays Harbor Raceway on Sept. 1); Daryn Pittman - 13 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 14, Calistoga Speedway on April 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 19, Williams Grove Speedway on May 16 and May 17, Orange County Fair Speedway, May 18, New Egypt Speedway, May 20, Dodge City Raceway Park on July 4 and 5, Lincoln Speedway on July 17, Fulton Speedway on July 23, River Cities Speedway on Aug. 15 and Southern Oregon Speedway on Sept. 3); Kerry Madsen - 6 (Stockton Dirt track on March 22, El Paso Speedway Park on April 15, Lakeside Speedway on June 7, Eldora Speedway on July 12 and Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 3 and Antioch Speedway on Sept. 8); Joey Saldana - 5 (Perris Auto Speedway on April 12, Salina Highbanks on April 25, The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 23, I-80 Speedway on June 6 and Jackson Speedway on June 13); Brad Sweet - 5 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Tucson International Raceway on March 8, Calistoga Speedway on April 5, Knoxville Raceway on June 14 and Beaver Dam Raceway on June 28); David Gravel - 4 (Merced Speedway on March 28, Eldora Speedway on May 3, Wilmot Raceway on May 9 and Lebanon Valley Speedway on July 20); Paul McMahan - 4 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 5, Tri-State Speedway on May 10, Limaland Motorsports Park on July 9 and Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 1); Cody Darrah - 2 (Kings Speedway on April 11 and Lernerville Speedway on July 15);Shane Stewart - 2 (Eldora Speedway on May 2 and Willamette Speedway on Sept. 2); Sammy Swindell - 2 (Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on April 26 and Eldora Speedway on July 11); Rico Abreu - 1 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 15); Jonathan Allard - 1 (Silver Dollar Speedway, Sept. 6); Christopher Bell - 1 (Jacksonville Speedway on May 7); Dale Blaney - 1 (Attica Raceway Park on May 30); Lance Dewease - 1 (July 20 at Williams Grove Speedway); Greg Hodnett - 1 (July 18 at Williams Grove Speedway);Roger Crockett - 1 (I-94 Speedway on June 21); Mark Dobmeier - 1 (Huset's Speedway on July 2);Steve Kinser - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 16); Carson Macedo - 1 (Silver Dollar Speedway on Sept. 5); Stevie Smith - 1 (Lincoln Speedway on May 14).

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