MECHANISBURG -- Shortened from three days to two this year, the seventh annual Summer Nationals for the World of Outlaw sprint cars is slated for tonight and Saturday night at Williams Grove Speedway with the 30-lap Saturday finale paying $20,000 to win. The preliminary pays $8,000 tonight.

Back in top form after struggling a bit in the early season, watch North Dakota's Donny Schatz fly when he hits the Grove this weekend.

After Steve Kinser picked up win in the only Grove date that was completed when the WoO first hit the track this year in May, Schatz got hot. He's now won 10 events, more than $190,000 and has taken the point lead from Californian Jason Meyers. The latter had a strong first half of the season but is now watching his championship hopes fade in Schatz's dust.

Schatz won two of three dates in the Summer Nationals a year ago including the big-money finale. He went five for seven in track appearances in 2007.

Oklahoman Daryn Pittman, who took the Nationals' top prize in 2006, scored his first circuit win of the season last Sunday in the $50,000 Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway and could be coming on as he rolls into the Grove. Likewise, Kinser took $40,000 out of Lernerville Speedway in Sarver on Tuesday in the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup.

Other WoO card carriers worth watching this weekend include Meyers, Craig Dollansky and Joey Saldana.

On the local front, Fred Rahmer, of Salfordville, is the clear favorite to do well against the Outlaws in the next 48 hours. Rahmer is by far the area win leader with 11 East Coast triumphs to his credit so far this year, including a pair at the Grove.

Rahmer's stumbling block has always been in failing to time well, but if the recently completed Pennsylvania Speedweek series where he set quick time in four of five shows is any indication, he could be a legitimate contender from the get-go. He generally races his way to the front in the features, only to see his time run out.

Also in the Pennsylvania Posse playing cast should be Jeff Shepard in the Zemco No. 1. Shepard and his team have been winning some big races this year. In fact, four of the team's five wins have been worth $5,000 or more. New Oxford's Brian Leppo and Lancaster driver Doug Esh also warrant consideration. Leppo has mechanical wizard Barry Jackson on board and won one of the Summer National shows last year while Esh won both races he entered last weekend, a pair of extra-distance events totaling more than $10,000.