Unless there are some last minute changes the World of Outlaws will be making their final appearance ever on Manzanita Speedway’s half mile track Saturday night. The veterans in the field have all expressed sadness at the closing of the legendary track that, at the present time, is due to close the gates for the last time after the April 11 race.

Quite naturally the biggest name in the World of Outlaws is the 20 time champion Steve Kinser who last won on the famed half mile track in 2005 heaps praise on the facility and sadness in its closing. "I’ve always enjoyed running there. Its always been a good track for us and I’ve had a lot of success there," he says. He continued "That track has all the history behind it, many years before I started going there. I can remember my Dad (Bob Kinser) going there and racing in the 60’s. There have been a lot of great race drivers that have had the opportunity to race there".

Kinser has been far and away the most success of the Outlaws at the Southwest Phoenix track. His Dad finished fourth in the first ever Western World Championships which ran in 1968. Kinser made his first start in a Western in 1979 and finished second. He won his first Western in 1982 and backed it up with a wire to wire win in ‘83. He went on to win three more as he topped the star studded fields in 1985, ‘87 and ‘90. He also won three other regular World of Outlaws shows in addition to his 2005 win.

The field for Saturday night’s racing may be the strongest assembled in years. Joey Saldana, whose father ran in several Westerns in the early days, heads the list of 2009 winners. He has won three times, defending champion Donny Schatz also has three wins while Randy Hannagan and Jason Meyers have made one trip to the winner’s circle. Saldana has the momentum as he is coming off a win in the last outing for the Outlaws.

The Outlaws, like many of us, are hoping that Manzy gets a new life or that a new track will be built so that they can continue to come to Phoenix.

Mini Sprints are also running Saturday night. The gates open at 4:00 and racing starts at 7:00.

The Friday night outing at Manzy marks the fist race of the year for the IMCA Dirt Modifieds and Bombers and the Factory Stocks are also on the card. Anthony Madrid is the pre-race favorite in the Dirt Modifieds, Bobby Taylor, a three time champion, heads up the Factory Stocks, and Jeff Czoka figures to be the driver to beat in the Bombers.

Gates open at 6:00 and racing starts at 7:30.