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Donny Schatz Continues Dominance at River Cities
GRAND FORKS, ND – June 15, 2018 – North Dakota’s own Donny Schatz continued his dominance at River Cities Speedway, passing race-long leader Kerry Madsen on Lap 25 to win his 11th World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature of 2018. It was Schatz’s sixth win in his last seven starts at the bullring. Brad Sweet came forward to finish second with Madsen settling for third.
The “Mad Man” Kerry Madsen won the Sears Craftsman Dash, earning the pole for the 40-lap Feature alongside Schatz. Local driver Austin Pierce brought out the first of many cautions in the lengthy event, flipping off the banking on the opening lap. Pierce, the 2017 NOSA Sprints Champion, was uninjured in the accident.
Madsen got the jump on the start once again, utilizing the bottom of the speedway as Schatz pounded the cushion. Lap 6 saw third-starting Austin McCarl go for a light tumble in turn four, bringing out the Red Flag once again. McCarl completed the race with a damaged top wing.
Four laps later, Cory Eliason and Jade Hastings bounced off the racing surface, bringing out another caution and keeping the leaders out of lapped traffic. On each restart, Schatz, on the top, was able to stay with Madsen for a lap or two before the Australian would distance himself on the bottom.
Sheldon Haudenschild’s Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing No.17 lost power while running sixth on Lap 17, bringing out the caution. A caution on the ensuing double-file restart brought the field back to Green under single-file conditions.
Following that caution, for the first time, the leaders reached traffic on the bullring. Lapped cars were littered all over the racing surface. Madsen was able to clear the first few cars getting underneath them while remaining committed to the bottom. Schatz would follow suit on the bottom by some of the lappers, but the entire capacity crowd at River Cities Speedway knew the Tony Stewart Racing No.15 would be able to maintain speed on the cushion as well.
Schatz capitalized on Madsen’s inability to clear a slower car on the backstretch, powering around the No.2M off of turn four to lead Lap 25. Schatz used the same line to clear the lapped car before getting back to the bottom to protect the lead.
Brad Sweet followed Schatz on the cushion around Madsen as well and would line up next to Schatz with eight laps remaining after the caution flew for Jason Johnson. Schatz motored away on the restart and did the same thing on the final restart with four laps to go to win his 11th Feature of the 2018 campaign and extend his lead atop the Point Standings.
Sweet would finish 2.369 seconds behind the Fargo, ND native with Madsen settling for third.
“I kept trying that top and I knew if we got into traffic I might be able to make it work,” Schatz said in Victory Lane. When asked about the multitude of cautions, Schatz simply cited that they are part of racing, but the early cautions had him wondering how the track would change as the race would go on. The North Dakota native savored the emotion of the hometown victory saying, “You never know when your last win is going to be.”
Brad Sweet was upbeat about his runner-up finish. “We were fast, I had a couple of lines working in one and two. I would have liked to give Donny a better run for his money, but he never missed a mark out front. Eventually, we’ll figure out how to beat him here,” Sweet added with a smile.
Kerry Madsen led the first 24 laps but settled for third after losing the lead in lapped traffic. “I didn’t do a good enough job. I became immobile in traffic. I tried to play a patient game and I should have been more aggressive,” Madsen said honestly before thanking his team for giving him a great car.
Shane Stewart had a strong run coming from 11th to finish fourth with Daryn Pittman completing the top five. Dominic Scelzi charged from 21st to sixth, but Mark Dobmeier grabbed KSE Hard Charger honors coming from a provisional starting 25th to finish ninth. The massive crowd at River Cities was engaged all evening, especially when track regular Thomas Kennedy set Quick Time and won his Heat Race.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series continues its 40th Anniversary Season Sunday at Nodak Speedway in Minot, ND. If you can’t make it to the track, watch every lap LIVE on DIRTVision.com!
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$5,500]; 3. 2M-Kerry Madsen [1][$3,200]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [11][$2,800]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [9][$2,500]; 6. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [21][$2,300]; 7. 18-Ian Madsen [16][$2,200]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [13][$2,100]; 9. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [25][$1,250]; 10. 5-David Gravel [10][$2,000]; 11. 83-Cory Eliason [4][$1,500]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [14][$1,200]; 13. 1A-Jacob Allen [6][$1,100]; 14. W20-Greg Wilson [24][$1,050]; 15. 21K-Thomas Kennedy [8][$1,000]; 16. 1S-Logan Schuchart [17][$900]; 17. 19L-R.J. Johnson [22][$800]; 18. 17A-Austin McCarl [3][$800]; 19. 8H-Jade Hastings [18][$800]; 20. 7S-Jason Sides [20][$800]; 21. 27-Chris Ranten [23][$800]; 22. 41-Jason Johnson [15][$800]; 23. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [7][$800]; 24. 9N-Wade Nygaard [26][$]; 25. 97G-Hunter Schuerenberg [19][$800]; 26. 2A-Austin Pierce [12][$800]
Qualifying: 1. 21K-Thomas Kennedy, 10.367; 2. 17A-Austin McCarl, 10.434; 3. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 10.444; 4. 1A-Jacob Allen, 10.482; 5. 15-Donny Schatz, 10.502; 6. 49-Brad Sweet, 10.509; 7. 27-Chris Ranten, 10.519; 8. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 10.537; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman, 10.544; 10. 5-David Gravel, 10.567; 11. 83-Cory Eliason, 10.58; 12. 19L-R.J. Johnson, 10.639; 13. 19-Brent Marks, 10.669; 14. 8H-Jade Hastings, 10.671; 15. 2-Shane Stewart, 10.724; 16. 18-Ian Madsen, 10.75; 17. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 10.755; 18. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 10.779; 19. 41-Jason Johnson, 10.799; 20. W20-Greg Wilson, 10.799; 21. 6N-Greg Nikitenko, 10.804; 22. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 10.807; 23. 97G-Hunter Schuerenberg, 10.81; 24. 2A-Austin Pierce, 10.835; 25. 10TRB-Bob Martin, 10.896; 26. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 10.897; 27. 20A-Jordan Adams, 10.976; 28. 26-Blake Egeland, 10.998; 29. 13-Clyde Knipp, 11.098; 30. 9N-Wade Nygaard, 11.103; 31. 55-Nick Ranten, 11.226; 32. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.339; 33. 8-Jack Croaker, 11.429; 34. 1AJ-Trevor Mell, 11.578; 35. 14-Tom Egeland, NT
Haudenschild Wins Inaugural FVP Platinum Battery Showdown at Fairbury
FAIRBURY, IL – June 5, 2018 – Sheldon Haudenschild took the lead on a Lap 3 restart and never looked back, scoring his fourth World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory of the season in the Series inaugural visit to Fairbury American Legion Speedway in the FVP Platinum Battery Showdown. Jacob Allen matched his career-best with a runner-up finish with Kyle Larson completing the podium.
The night didn’t start off as planned for Haudenschild, as Sheldon was just 21st quick in Qualifying and started seventh in his Heat. Haudenschild, in true Haudenschild fashion, charged from seventh to second in his Heat to secure a spot in the Sears Craftsman Dash.
Sheldon Haudenschild went on to win the Dash, earning the pole for the 40-lap Feature but it was fellow front row starter Hunter Schuerenburg getting the jump at the drop of the Green. Schuerenburg, in search of his first career Outlaw triumph, paced the field, pounding the cushion before a caution on Lap 3 for a backwards Shane Stewart halted action.
Schuerenburg elected the top on the double-file restart, but his No.20 machine stumbled on the restart as Haudenschild, who restarted alongside him, powered to the lead. Schuerenburg drastically fell to the back of the field with a flat tire. Things went from bad to worse as Tanner Thorson jumped Schuerenburg’s rear tire and went for a tumble. Thorson was uninjured in the accident and the Red Flag allowed Schuerenburg to change his tire and restart at the rear of the field.
When action resumed, Haudenschild motored away from the field and reached lapped traffic quickly around the bullring. Jacob Allen, who shattered the FALS track record in Qualifying, moved into second with his Shark Racing teammate, Logan Schuchart in tow running third. Haudenschild put on a lapped traffic clinic, slicing and dicing his way through the field.
A hellacious battle between Kyle Larson and Brent Marks for fifth was momentarily halted when a lapped car got loose and forced both Larson and Marks to take evasive action with 17 laps remaining. The duo did synchronized 360’s, but kept going, in turn two, forcing the rest of the field to check up. Greg Wilson had nowhere to go and got upside down. Gio Scelzi and Paul Nienhiser’s top-ten runs also came to an end in the accident. Wilson was uninjured but done for the evening while both Scelzi and Nienhiser tagged the rear.
With rubber prominent on the high line, World of Outlaws officials ruled single-file restarts for the remainder of the evening. Haudenschild continued to show the way as he reached traffic with the rest of the field directly on his tail.
With eight laps remaining, Schuchart pulled a slider on his teammate Allen to secure second and set his sights on Haudenschild. Haudenschild remained locked down in the rubber as Schuchart looked for a way to steal the lead. Schuchart peeked a car-length higher than Haudenschild in turn two with three laps remaining, but that was the end of Schuchart’s night as a flat tire on the No.1S brought out the final caution of the evening.
Haudenschild distanced himself from Allen, who was in search of his first career Outlaw win, on the late restart while Larson and Cory Eliason waged war for third. The pair of Californian’s exchanged sliders back and forth with Larson grabbing the final podium spot.
Sheldon Haudenschild went on to win his fourth Feature of the year aboard the NOS Energy Drink sponsored Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall No.17.
“My car was really good early and really good in the rubber,” Haudenschild said with a smile in Victory Lane. “I was able to get good drive on the early restart, grab the lead and get to the top. Other than a couple of times where I tagged the wall, I felt really good and felt like I was making good laps in traffic,” the Wooster, OH native added.
Allen’s second-place finish tied a career-best and was his first top-ten finish of 2018. “My team has worked really hard. Sheldon’s been one of my best friends for a long time, obviously I would have liked to get my first Outlaw win, but I’m extremely happy with second,” Allen said. When asked about racing with his teammate and relative Schuchart, Allen explained, “We’ll race each other hard, but clean. We both want to win, it’s unfortunate he got a flat tire ending his night. It’s always fun running up front with Logan.”
Kyle Larson, who slipped out of the top ten early, was pleased to get back to the podium. “I was pretty good as the race went on. I’m really loose until the fuel burns off, I was happy to get back to third after our start,” Larson said. Cory Eliason settled for fourth with Saturday’s winner in Wisconsin Brent Marks coming from 14th to fifth. The finish was Marks’ third consecutive top-five finish. KSE Hard Charger honors went to David Gravel and CJB Motorsports, as they came from 22nd to complete the top ten.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series continues its 40th Anniversary Season this weekend with the 40th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals. Saturday’s Feature at Jackson will pay a whopping $40,000 to win. If you can’t make it out to Jackson, MN be sure to watch every lap LIVE on DIRTVision.com!
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [1][$10,000]; 2. 1A-Jacob Allen [4][$5,500]; 3. 57-Kyle Larson [6][$3,200]; 4. 83-Cory Eliason [8][$2,800]; 5. 19-Brent Marks [14][$2,500]; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [7][$2,300]; 7. 4-Parker Price-Miller [5][$2,200]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz [13][$2,100]; 9. 49-Brad Sweet [9][$2,050]; 10. 5-David Gravel [22][$2,000]; 11. 41-Jason Johnson [12][$1,500]; 12. 71-Giovanni Scelzi [10][$1,200]; 13. 20-Hunter Schuerenberg [2][$1,100]; 14. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [11][$1,050]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [23][$1,000]; 16. 10V-Matt Vandervere [18][$900]; 17. 2-Shane Stewart [17][$800]; 18. 7S-Jason Sides [15][$800]; 19. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3][$800]; 20. 21X-Carson Short [21][$800]; 21. W20-Greg Wilson [20][$800]; 22. 25-Jacob Blackhurst [16][$800]; 23. 18-Ian Madsen [24][$800]; 24. 3C-Tanner Thorson [19][$800]; Lap Leaders: Hunter Schuerenberg 1-3, Sheldon Haudenschild 4-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 5-David Gravel[+12]
Qualifying: 1. 1A-Jacob Allen, 10.893; 2. 57-Kyle Larson, 11.193; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.278; 4. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 11.313; 5. 21-Brian Brown, 11.336; 6. 3C-Tanner Thorson, 11.354; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.354; 8. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, 11.377; 9. 21X-Carson Short, 11.39; 10. 25-Jacob Blackhurst, 11.435; 11. 20-Hunter Schuerenberg, 11.437; 12. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.439; 13. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.449; 14. 19-Brent Marks, 11.476; 15. 10V-Matt Vandervere, 11.477; 16. 71-Giovanni Scelzi, 11.495; 17. 83-Cory Eliason, 11.533; 18. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.544; 19. 5-David Gravel, 11.544; 20. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.598; 21. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.613; 22. 18-Ian Madsen, 11.636; 23. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.657; 24. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.682; 25. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.703; 26. 98-Clinton Boyles, 11.917; 27. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.083
Brad Sweet Wins Memorial Day Thriller at Lawrenceburg
LAWRENCEBURG, IN – May 28, 2018 – Brad Sweet came from eighth and passed Donny Schatz on Lap 26 to take the lead in a thriller at Lawrenceburg Speedway and never looked back for his second win of the 2018 season. Schatz, who led 15 laps, settled for second with David Gravel completing the podium in the Memorial Day Spectacular presented by KOI Auto Parts.
Paul McMahan won the Sears Craftsman Dash to earn the pole of the 35 lap Feature alongside Jason Johnson as both veterans looked for their first Outlaw wins of the year. McMahan led the opening circuit and continued to lead through a pair of cautions in the first handful of laps.
The tricky Lawrenceburg cushion got the better of Sheldon Haudenschild after the young Wooster, OH native pulled a massive slider for fourth on Lap 3.
When action resume, McMahan led as Schatz and Kyle Larson stalked closely behind. Brad Sweet established himself as a threat early moving by his good friend and fellow California native Larson for third on Lap 5.
As lapped traffic intensified, Paul McMahan bobbled out of turn two on the ninth circuit and Schatz and Sweet both pounced, shuffling the Nashville, TN driver back to third. Larson and McMahan waged war for the third position as Sweet began chasing down Schatz.
As is typical at The Burg, slide jobs were plentiful as The Greatest Show on Dirt lived up to its name in the fullest on Memorial Day. Schatz was masterful in traffic as always, but Sweet was just as good as the duo sliced and diced their way through slower traffic. Simultaneously, McMahan and Larson exchanged multiple slide jobs for the third position, with Larson finally wrestling the position away on Lap 21.
After clearing a handful of lapped cars, the top three were nose-to-tail with 10 laps remaining. Sweet gained on Schatz on an open track and made multiple bids for the lead, before completing the pass on the nine-time Series Champion in turn two to lead Lap 26.
A lap later Larson battled hard with Schatz for the runner-up position and had it as they crossed the line. Larson and Schatz continued to battle, but the Lawrenceburg cushion got the better of the California phenom as Larson spun in turn four, leaving fourth-place running McMahan nowhere to go as the caution waved with seven circuits remaining.
On the restart, Sweet showed the speed that got him to the lead from eighth and powered away from the field as David Gravel went side-by-side with Schatz for second and grabbed the position before the final caution flew with three laps remaining for Ian Madsen, who succumbed to a flat tire ending his top-ten run.
Gravel took a look underneath Sweet on the restart, opening the door for Schatz to steal second back from the CJB Motorsports No.5. Schatz had nothing left in the tank to come back after Sweet, as ‘The Big Cat’ crossed the line 1.460 seconds ahead of the Series Points Leader.
“I had a really good race car. It’s better to be in second sometimes, it allows you to move around,” Sweet said in Victory Lane about his pass for the lead. “We were terrible in the Dash going from sixth to eighth, but I was able to try some different lines, allowing us to make some changes for the Feature. We kept getting better and better as the race went on. It’s great to get this NAPA Auto Parts team in Victory Lane where they belong, hopefully we can keep this momentum up in the upcoming summer months,” Sweet said with positivity.
Schatz settled for second and endlessly thanked his Textron Off Road team for their continued work and was thankful to finally have the whole crew back, a rare occasion this season.
“I tried to go for the lead on the restart and lost a spot. We’ll take third, I can’t thank my guys and car owners enough for this opportunity,” Gravel, who set fast time during Qualifying, said. “Hopefully we can continue to qualify well and build off of this going forward.
Shane Stewart finished fourth, ending his winning streak at Lawrenceburg with Parker Price-Miller coming from 16th to complete the top five. Aaron Reutzel earned KSE Hard Charger honors advancing 15 positions, from 22nd to finish seventh.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series continues its 40th Anniversary Season Wednesday, May 30 with the Series’ inaugural visit to Fairbury American Legion Speedway (FALS) in Illinois. Tickets for the can’t miss event at FALS can be purchased here. The Series then treks to I-96 Speedway in Michigan on Friday before heading to Wilmot in Wisconsin to conclude the weekend. If you can’t make it to the track, be sure to watch all the action LIVE on DIRTVision.com!
Feature (35 Laps): 1. 49-Brad Sweet [8][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$5,500]; 3. 5-David Gravel [5][$3,200]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [7][$2,800]; 5. 4-Parker Price-Miller [16][$2,500]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [2][$2,300]; 7. 87-Aaron Reutzel [22][$2,200]; 8. 71-Giovanni Scelzi [14][$2,100]; 9. 5B-Christopher Bell [10][$2,050]; 10. 26-Joey Saldana [21][$2,000]; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman [17][$1,500]; 12. 99-Brady Bacon [18][$1,200]; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart [19][$1,100]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [9][$1,050]; 15. 7K-Cale Conley [20][$1,000]; 16. 18-Ian Madsen [12][$900]; 17. 57-Kyle Larson [4][$800]; 18. 13X-Paul McMahan [1][$800]; 19. 1A-Jacob Allen [11][$800]; 20. A79-Brandon Wimmer [24][$800]; 21. 49X-Tim Shaffer [23][$800]; 22. 11-Dominic Scelzi [15][$800]; 23. 20-Hunter Schuerenberg [13][$800]; 24. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [6][$800]; 25. 13-Clyde Knipp [25][$800]; Lap Leaders: Paul McMahan 1-9, Donny Schatz 10-25, Brad Sweet 26-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: 87-Aaron Reutzel[+15]
Qualifying: 1. 5-David Gravel, 11.835; 2. 57-Kyle Larson, 11.847; 3. 13X-Paul McMahan, 11.89; 4. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.947; 5. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.961; 6. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.972; 7. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.974; 8. 15-Donny Schatz, 12; 9. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.032; 10. 71-Giovanni Scelzi, 12.034; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.037; 12. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 12.054; 13. 20-Hunter Schuerenberg, 12.063; 14. 5B-Christopher Bell, 12.081; 15. 1A-Jacob Allen, 12.11; 16. 18-Ian Madsen, 12.114; 17. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 12.133; 18. 5X-Justin Peck, 12.146; 19. 11-Dominic Scelzi, 12.174; 20. 26-Joey Saldana, 12.183; 21. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 12.185; 22. 99-Brady Bacon, 12.207; 23. 3-Jac Haudenschild, 12.208; 24. 7K-Cale Conley, 12.23; 25. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.235; 26. A79-Brandon Wimmer, 12.249; 27. 19P-Paige Polyak, 12.286; 28. 7S-Jason Sides, 12.294; 29. 19-Brent Marks, 12.318; 30. 30-CJ Leary, 12.459; 31. 2S-Nathan Skaggs, 12.463; 32. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.522; 33. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.802; 34. 21X-Carson Short, NT
Donny Schatz Sweeps Outlaw Portion of Let’s Race Two Weekend at Eldora
ROSSBURG, OH – May 12, 2018 – The man is on a roll. Donny Schatz completed the weekend sweep of the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series portion of Let’s Race Two at Eldora Speedway holding off Logan Schuchart for the second consecutive night. It was Schatz’ eighth win of the 2018 season and fourth in his last five starts as he continues to extend his lead atop the Series Point Standings in search of his 10th Outlaw Championship.
Schatz won the Sears Craftsman Dash and shared the front row with Parker Price-Miller. It was PPM getting the jump on the start as the Indiana native set the pace for the first four laps on the cushion before Schatz took command of the field on the fifth circuit on the bottom.
Schuchart just barely edged Price-Miller to the line on Lap 7, which was significant because the caution flew for Sheldon Haudenschild, lining Schuchart to the outside of Schatz. Haudenschild, who entered the evening third in the World of Outlaws Point Standings, was unable to return to action.
The restart saw Schatz and Schuchart put a straightaway back to the rest of the field, as the duo, who finished first and second a night ago, were once again the class of the field. Schuchart was able to keep his Shark Racing No.1S glued to the bottom of the Eldora Speedway racing surface and close in on Schatz.
But, catching Donny Schatz and passing Donny Schatz are two entirely different things. Every time it appeared Schuchart may have a run to get underneath Schatz, the Fargo, ND native would go to the bottom, forcing Schuchart to the top. Schuchart’s No.1S was not as strong on the cushion, allowing Schatz to maintain the lead each time.
With consecutive Green Flag action, lapped traffic played a factor. Schatz reminded everyone why he is the nine-time and defending Series Champion with his prowess through a maze of lapped cars. Schuchart, an Outlaw winner at Eldora last year, stayed right with Schatz every step and just as he was about to pull even with the Champion, the caution flew for an ailing Spencer Bayston with five laps remaining.
With five or fewer laps remaining in the Feature, the start was single-file. Schuchart and third-place running Aaron Reutzel both stayed with Schatz on the restart, but Donny was too strong and went on to take the checkered flag 1.536 seconds ahead of Schuchart.
“We love lapped traffic. That’s where races are won and lost,” Schatz said in Victory Lane when prompted about the close-quartered racing action. “My guys are incredible. We keep working, keep digging and keep finding ways to be up here at the end of the night,” Schatz added before expressing his thanks to the fans for coming out and thanking the track and officials for running an accelerated program to beat Mother Nature.
When asked about the close racing with Schuchart, Schatz referenced an old tale from his father, “If you are worried about what is behind you, you are going to have a hell of a time handling what’s in front of you. I’ve always raced like that and tonight was no different.”
Schuchart was pleased with his second consecutive runner-up finish. “It was a lot of fun racing up there. I know my heart was pumping, it was hard to stay calm,” the upbeat Hanover, PA native said. “What a great weekend for us. Two podiums and if you are going to finish second to someone, that’s a hell of a team to finish behind. They are incredible, but we are going to try and keep working hard to beat them,” Schuchart added.
Reutzel’s 2018 speed continued as he followed up last night’s disappointment of wrecking while leading with a podium finish. “I probably should have been a little more aggressive on the top, but we definitely wanted to finish after last night,” the Texan and current All-Star point leader said.
Kraig Kinser had an impressive 15th to fourth run for his best finish of the season with Tim Shaffer completing the top five. Early race leader Parker Price-Miller settled for sixth with Kerry Madsen, 17th-starting Brad Sweet, 22nd-starting Ian Madsen and 24th-starting Daryn Pittman completing the top ten. Pittman claimed KSE Hard Charger honors for the second consecutive night.
The Greatest Show on Dirt continues its 40th Anniversary Season with a haul to the Hoosier State for a third-attempt at racing at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, IN tomorrow evening Sunday, May 13. After that, the Series will head to Central Pennsylvania to take on the tough Pennsylvania Posse at Lincoln Speedway on May 16 and at Williams Grove on May 18 and 19. If you can’t make it to the track, be sure to watch all the action LIVE on DIRTVision.com!
Abbreviated Results from Eldora Speedway: May 12, 2018
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1][$10,000]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3][$5,000]; 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel [4][$3,000]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [15][$2,700]; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer [6][$2,500]; 6. 4-Parker Price-Miller [2][$2,200]; 7. 2M-Kerry Madsen [5][$2,000]; 8. 49-Brad Sweet [17][$1,800]; 9. 18-Ian Madsen [22][$1,600]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [24][$1,450]; 11. 7S-Jason Sides [8][$1,300]; 12. 41-Jason Johnson [10][$1,200]; 13. 99-Brady Bacon [23][$1,100]; 14. 5-David Gravel [7][$1,000]; 15. 2-Shane Stewart [19][$950]; 16. 1A-Jacob Allen [18][$900]; 17. 26-Joey Saldana [14][$850]; 18. 24-Rico Abreu [13][$750]; 19. 13X-Paul McMahan [9][$725]; 20. 10H-Chad Kemenah [20][$700]; 21. 19-Brent Marks [21][$700]; 22. 39-Spencer Bayston [16][$700]; 23. 12N-Cole Duncan [12][$700]; 24. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [11][$700]; Lap Leaders: Parker Price-Miller 1-4, Donny Schatz 5-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 9-Daryn Pittman[+14]
Schatz Scores Third Win in Last Four Starts on Night One of Let’s Race Two at Eldora
ROSSBURG, OH – May 11, 2018 – Donny Schatz inherited the lead on Lap 14 and held off a late race charge from Logan Schuchart to claim the victory on the opening night of the Let’s Race Two weekend at Eldora Speedway. It was Schatz’ 7th win of the 2018, extending his point lead atop the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Point Standings. Schuchart finished second with Brad Sweet finishing third.
Ohio native Cole Duncan set fast time over the 37-car field, won his heat race and was victorious in the Sears Craftsman Dash to earn the pole for the 30-lap Feature. Duncan, in search of his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory, shared the front row with legend and fellow Buckeye Jac Haudenschild, who was seeking his 74th career Outlaw victory.
It was Haudenschild getting the jump at the tip of the Green and leading the opening circuit. Third-starting Donny Schatz swooped underneath Duncan to take second the following lap. Haudenschild, or more often referred to as ‘The Wild Child’, lived up to his nickname every bit as he flirted with the dangerous cushion and was up against the wall fending off Schatz narrowly at the line for the first five laps in exciting fashion.
A Lap 6 caution for Hunter Schuerenberg halted the action and bunched the field together. On the restart, Schatz, on the bottom, remained right with Haudenschild, but this time sixth-starting Aaron Reutzel was right in tow. The trio sliced and diced their way as they battled for the lead, utilizing every inch of the Eldora Speedway racing surface.
On Lap 11, Reutzel made an eye-catching move going around the nine-time Series Champion before going wheel-to-wheel with Haudenschild and pulling even with The Wild Child on the front stretch, trailing him by .005 at the conclusion of the 11th circuit. Reutzel would take command of the field on Lap 12.
Schatz continued to jockey with Haudenschild, which allowed Reutzel, who scored his first career Outlaw win earlier this season at Tulare, to put a couple car-lengths between himself and Schatz and Haudenschild. Schatz finally wrestled the runner-up spot away from Haudenschild on Lap 13 and set his eyes on the Texas native for the lead on what promised to be a great battle.
Disaster struck for Reutzel on Lap 14, as he bobbled just enough on the thin Eldora Speedway cushion to lose the handle on his No.87, before making heavy contact with the outside retaining wall, ending his night. Schatz and Haudenschild both showed their veteran prowess avoiding Reutzel’s ailing machine as it bounced back into the racing line. Reutzel was uninjured in the accident and expressed his apologies to his race team stating the dangerous Eldora cushion got the better of him tonight.
One lap later, David Gravel was left nowhere to go and spun in turn two, creating a logjam that included Carson Macedo, Rico Abreu and Joey Saldana. Gravel and Abreu were able to make repairs, but Macedo and Saldana’s nights both came to an end.
The action remained intense on the restart as cars scattered around the Eldora racing surface. Brad Sweet had an excellent restart and moved into the runner-up position and nearly completed a slider on Schatz for the lead, to no avail as the Fargo, ND native powered around Sweet on the cushion.
Eighth-starting Logan Schuchart began making the bottom work and took the runner-up spot away from Sweet with eight laps remaining. Schuchart closed in on Schatz, who made a daring move splitting lapped cars, to extend the lead once again just as Schuchart was preparing to bid for the lead. Schuchart, who won during last year’s Let’s Race Two event at Eldora, closed in one last time with two laps remaining, but Schatz was too strong and took the checkered flag 1.041 seconds in front of the Hanover, PA native with Sweet completing the podium.
“I had a good car, we played around a little and tried something different, but this team just continues to work. We probably weren’t the best car tonight, but we are here standing with the checkered flag,” Schatz said in Victory Lane. When asked about Reutzel’s move for the lead and crash, Schatz said, “He was really fast, but he wore it out. That’s the big part of racing with the World of Outlaws. You’ve got to finish races to win the Championship and sometimes you can’t go as hard to make sure you finish these races.
Schatz also praised the Eldora Speedway track crew, “Everyone has a different perspective of what is a good race or not. There were multiple grooves and guys were making moves all over the place and that’s really all you can ask for.”
Jac Haudenschild settled for fourth with Duncan completing the top five. Gary Taylor, who was as high as second at one point, faded late to sixth. Sheldon Haudenschild came forward to seventh with 14th-starting Jason Johnson, 26th-starting Daryn Pittman and Kerry Madsen completing the top ten. Pittman’s effort was good enough to earn KSE Hard Charger honors, advancing 17 positions. Brady Bacon was the lone driver to compete in both portions of the Let’s Race Two. Bacon was victorious with USAC by nearly five seconds and finished 16th with the wing on in the Feature.
The Let’s Race Two weekend at Eldora Speedway wraps up tomorrow night Saturday, May 12. If you can’t make it to the track, be sure to catch all the action live on DIRTVision.com!
Abbreviated Results from Eldora Speedway: May 11, 2018
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$10,000]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8][$5,000]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$3,000]; 4. 3-Jac Haudenschild [2][$2,700]; 5. 12N-Cole Duncan [1][$2,500]; 6. 57-Gary Taylor [7][$2,200]; 7. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [11][$2,000]; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [14][$1,800]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [26][$900]; 10. 2M-Kerry Madsen [4][$1,450]; 11. 83-Cory Eliason [19][$1,300]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [27][$500]; 13. 5-David Gravel [12][$1,100]; 14. 49X-Tim Shaffer [17][$1,000]; 15. 10H-Chad Kemenah [10][$950]; 16. 99-Brady Bacon [21][$900]; 17. 13X-Paul McMahan [20][$850]; 18. 18-Ian Madsen [9][$750]; 19. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [16][$725]; 20. 39-Spencer Bayston [13][$700]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [24][$700]; 22. 2-Shane Stewart [25][$]; 23. 4-Parker Price-Miller [15][$700]; 24. 24-Rico Abreu [22][$700]; 25. 21B-Carson Macedo [18][$700]; 26. 26-Joey Saldana [23][$700]; 27. 87-Aaron Reutzel [6][$700]; 28. 7S-Jason Sides [28][$] Lap Leaders: Jac Haudenschild 1-11, Aaron Reutzel 12, Donny Schatz 13-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 9-Daryn Pittman[+17]
Schatz Thrills Massive Crowd at Devil’s Bowl with Late Race Pass Worth $20,000
MESQUITE, TX – April 28, 2018 – “I heard Ted Johnson telling me to get my ass in gear,” an elated Donny Schatz said after making a late race pass on Brad Sweet to capture the finale of the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. Sweet led the first 25 laps, but settled for second with Shane Stewart completing the podium.
For the second night in a row, Jason Johnson paced the field in Qualifying and won his heat race. Brad Sweet edged his boss Kasey Kahne to take the Craftsman Club Dash, earning the pole for the 30-lap Feature. Sweet set a torrid pace as Schatz and Stewart waged war for the runner-up position.
Schatz wrestled the runner-up position away from Stewart on the eighth circuit and set his eyes on the leader. The lone caution during the race flew on Lap 11 as Tucker Klaasmeyer lost the handle on his Keith Kunz No.67K.
Stewart edged in front of Schatz on the double-file restart, but Schatz re-gained control of second down the backstretch. Sweet continued to lead and navigated traffic at a quick pace, but Schatz stayed with the Grass Valley, CA native through traffic and began to close on the bottom side of the speedway.
Sweet, who won the Texas Outlaw Nationals last year, continued to pound the cushion as Schatz showed his nose underneath him. With anticipation building amongst the crowd, Schatz powered off of the bottom of turn four to take command of the top spot and never look back.
“What an awesome race track. They gave us a top and bottom, the bottom was tricky, but if it was easy, everyone would be doing it,” Schatz said. The win for Schatz was his fifth of the 2018 season and was worth $20,000 and the Ted Johnson Memorial trophy.
“Ted looked after his people, he had great relationships with his guys. He had a serious passion, not only for his guys, but for putting on a great race. I remember watching him bounce up and down because Steve [Kinser] and Sammy [Swindell] were putting on a show,” Schatz reminisced about the late great Johnson. “He was a race fan.”
Sweet settled for second and was in good spirits, but understandably disappointed as he was searching for the first win of the season. “That’s the difference between winning and losing and Donny’s the best at it. The race track was great, it slicked off with multiple grooves,” Sweet said.
Shane Stewart was pleased with his podium finish, “This is a special place for me. I have a lot of friends and family out here, so to finish on the podium is special. I wish we could have been fighting for the lead up there, it was a great race, I watched it.”
Logan Schuchart charged from 12th to finish fourth for his second consecutive top-five finish with crowd favorite Jason Johnson completing the top five. After changing motors after his Heat, David Gravel bounced back with the KSE Hard Charger award coming from 19th to complete the top ten.
World of Outlaws hits the track at Salina Highbanks Speedway on May 5
SALINA, Okla. — April 26, 2018 — The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series makes their annual appearance at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Okla., on Saturday, May 5 for the running of the Twister Showdown. The event will mark the seventh time the series has raced at the ultra-high-banked three-eighths-mile.
Kerry Madsen was victorious last year at Salina over Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet. Madsen took the lead from Sweet on lap-23 and held off several charges from Sweet, Schatz and Shane Stewart in the late going to pick up the win. For Madsen, it was his first win at Salina.
Daryn Pittman scored a very popular win in 2016 at Salina Highbanks Speedway. The victory was the second straight for an Oklahoma native at the track, as Stewart was victorious in the 2015 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series event at Salina.
Leading the way into Salina Highbanks Speedway this season is Schatz, who has four wins and is on top of the point standings as he chases his 10th series title. Salina Highbanks Speedway is one of the few tracks on the circuit that he has never won at. The North Dakota native has a pair of runner-up showings among his five top-10 finishes in six starts at Salina.
Brad Sweet has finished on the podium in two of the last three years at Salina, including a third-place effort last year, which saw him lead the first 22 laps of the main event. The California native is currently third in points as he chases his first win of the season.
David Gravel has four top-10 finishes in five starts at Salina, including a runner-up performance in 2016. The 25-year-old was battling for the lead on the opening lap last season, when contact led him getting upside and ending his night. Gravel, who won a career-high 18 races last season is currently sixth in points as he chases his first win of 2018.
Pittman, who recently scored back-to-back wins in Arkansas and Missouri, is the only driver who has finished in the top-10 in all previous six World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series races at Salina. Fellow Oklahoman Shane Stewart has three top-10 finishes in four starts at the track.
Jason Johnson has finished in the top-five in each of the last two World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series races at Salina. Fellow veteran drivers who will be in attendance include Kraig Kinser, Greg Wilson and Jason Sides, as well as youngsters Logan Schuchart, Jacob Allen and Clyde Knipp.
Sheldon Haudenschild and Brent Marks each visited Salina for the first time last year. Haudenschild, who scored his first-career win on opening night in Florida this season, has added a couple of more victories and is currently second in points.
Ian Madsen, who is in his first full year on the road with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series has two straight top-10 finishes with the series at Salina. The Australian ran sixth last year and was fourth in 2016. Dane Lorenc, a rookie driver from New York, will be the lone driver making his debut at the track this year.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series raced for the first time at Salina Highbanks Speedway in 2011, with Craig Dollansky picking up the win. The veteran driver would win again in 2013 at the high-banked oval. Joey Saldana was victorious at Salina Highbanks Speedway in 2014.
Tickets for the Twister Showdown, featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Oklahoma on Saturday, May 5 can be purchased online at https://slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by calling 815-344-2023 and at the track on race day.
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Pittman Goes Back-to-Back with Second Consecutive Win at Pevely
PEVELY, MO – April 21, 2018 - Daryn Pittman got underneath Sheldon Haudenschild to lead Lap 31 en route to his second consecutive World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win of the weekend and second in a row at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, MO. Donny Schatz finished second and long-time race leader Sheldon Haudenschild completed the podium.
Donny Schatz won the Craftsman Club Dash and earned the pole of the 40-lap Feature alongside Ian Madsen. But it was Madsen who powered around Schatz to lead the opening circuit of the Feature. Sheldon Haudenschild used every bit of the racing surface to quickly take second from Schatz and begin chasing down Madsen for the lead. Just as Haudenschild was ready to make a move on Ian Madsen for the lead on the sixth circuit, the caution flew Ian’s older brother, Kerry, who was facing traffic on the backstretch.
Ian Madsen was able to turn under a pair of Sheldon sliders, before Haudenschild took command to lead Lap 8. As Haudenschild navigated heavy traffic, both Madsen and Pittman were able to erase Sheldon's lead. Daryn Pittman made an eye-catching three-wide pass for the lead down the backstretch on Lap 13, only for it to be negated by a yellow for Cory Eliason.
As the rubber became more prominent on the racing surface, experience became a factor. Pittman and Schatz quickly closed in on Haudenschild for the lead. Haudenschild had a minor hiccup in turn one and missed the rubber by no more than a car length, but that was all Pittman needed as the 2013 Series Champion stuffed his Kasey Kahne Racing No.9 car underneath Haudenschild to take command down the backstretch. A couple laps later Haudenschild hiccupped in turn one again and Schatz was able to sneak by for second.
Ian Madsen’s top-five run came to an end with five laps remaining, due to a flat tire. A clear track ahead of Pittman allowed the veteran driver to hit his marks en route to his 74th career Outlaw victory.
“Man, this is starting to be fun again. It’s been a frustrating start to the season, but this car has been a blast to drive the past two nights,” Pittman said upon exiting his Ionomy sponsored KKR No.9 machine.
“This is the way we envisioned we would start the year. We are really happy with where we are at right now, this is why you never give up,” an enthusiastic Pittman added. Pittman eluded to the harder tire compound his team elected to go with before thanking his car owner, Kasey Kahne, and all of his sponsorship partners. When asked about the negated three-wide pass for the lead, Pittman said, “I thought that was the end of our chance to win it. This really was a great team win.”
Donny Schatz also went with a harder tire compound. “I was way too loose in the beginning and we had to pay the price, but we made it back it up. All in all, it was a great night,” Schatz said in good spirits.
After leading 22 laps, Sheldon Haudenschild had all the reason to be dejected, but that was not the case. “We definitely want to win these races, but we want to finish them too. I’m happy with a podium. The guys worked really hard after tearing a car up last night. I missed the rubber twice and I got passed twice,” Sheldon, who continues to sit second in the Series Point Standings, said.
David Gravel and Brad Sweet completed the all-Outlaw top five. Nine of the top ten were World of Outlaws regulars, including Brent Marks who came from 22nd to 10th, earning KSE Hard Charger honors. Indiana youngster Cale Thomas was the lone non-Outlaw regular in the top-ten, finishing eighth. Jason Sides set fast-time over the 44-car field for the first time this season.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series completes its three-race bullring weekend Sunday evening at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, IN. Another strong car count is expected, and all the action can be watched live on DIRTVision.com. Next week, the Outlaws ramp up its 40th Anniversary Celebration with three races in four days in Texas, capped off at the Series birthplace, Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55:
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [6][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [1][$5,500]; 3. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [3][$3,200]; 4. 5-David Gravel [7][$2,800]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$2,500]; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [5][$2,300]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [8][$2,200]; 8. 91-Cale Thomas [14][$2,100]; 9. 26-Joey Saldana [15][$2,050]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [22][$2,000]; 11. 45-Paul McMahan [10][$1,500]; 12. 5C-Christopher Bell [12][$1,200]; 13. 99-Brady Bacon [16][$1,100]; 14. 41-Jason Johnson [13][$1,050]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [23][$1,000]; 16. 24-Rico Abreu [17][$900]; 17. 21-Brian Brown [24][$800]; 18. 2M-Kerry Madsen [9][$800]; 19. 83-Cory Eliason [20][$800]; 20. 18-Ian Madsen [2][$800]; 21. 1S-Logan Schuchart [25][$]; 22. 21X-Carson Short [18][$800]; 23. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [19][$800]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [11][$800]; 25. 3-Sammy Swindell [21][$800] Lap Leaders: Ian Madsen 1-7, Sheldon Haudenschild 8-30, Daryn Pittman 31-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 19-Brent Marks[+12]
Qualifying Flight-A: 1. 7S-Jason Sides, 10.764; 2. 5-David Gravel, 10.809; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 10.828; 4. 1A-Jacob Allen, 10.861; 5. 18-Ian Madsen, 10.899; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman, 10.943; 7. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 10.998; 8. 21-Brian Brown, 11.011; 9. 24-Rico Abreu, 11.053; 10. 26-Joey Saldana, 11.092; 11. 3-Sammy Swindell, 11.105; 12. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, 11.113; 13. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg, 11.225; 14. 1M-James Moughan, 11.256; 15. O1-Matt Vandervere, 11.342; 16. OO-Dane Lorenc, 11.348; 17. 51B-Joe Miller, 11.495; 18. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.503; 19. 9JR-Derek Hagar, 11.539; 20. 8S-Steve Short, 11.683; 21. 10P-Jim Perricone, 12.327
Qualifying Flight-B: 1. 49-Brad Sweet, 10.808; 2. 15-Donny Schatz, 10.961; 3. 91-Cale Thomas, 10.997; 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.056; 5. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.059; 6. 5C-Christopher Bell, 11.061; 7. 45-Paul McMahan, 11.085; 8. 83-Cory Eliason, 11.094; 9. O5-Gary Taylor, 11.104; 10. 99-Brady Bacon, 11.156; 11. 19-Brent Marks, 11.207; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.248; 13. 21X-Carson Short, 11.452; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.506; 15. 64-Scotty Thiel, 11.514; 16. 13-Clyde Knipp, 11.554; 17. 25-Jacob Blackhurst, 11.896; 18. 5B-Chase Briscoe, 11.987; 19. 12-Robert Ballou, 11.994; 20. 79J-Jacob Patton, 12.153; 21. 14T-Jimmy Bridgeman, 12.176; 22. 71M-Andy Bradley, 12.193
Schatz Storms from 12th for Fourth Win of Young Season
QUEEN CREEK, AZ – Donny Schatz started 12th and passed Shane Stewart on a Lap 20 restart to score his first career victory at Arizona Speedway Saturday Night in front of a standing room only crowd. It was Schatz, who was the fourth and final driver to lead a lap in the Feature, fourth win of the season as he extended his early season points lead in his quest for his tenth Series Championship.
California native Cory Eliason continued to show impressive speed winning the Craftsman Club Dash and leading the opening lap of the 30 lap Arizona Desert Shootout. That lead was short-lived, however, as Sheldon Haudenschild slid in front of the Roth Motorsports No.83 to lead the second circuit. Haudenschild, who entered the evening second in points and tied with Schatz with three wins, appeared to be the man to beat, extending his lead to a sizeable margin through lapped traffic.
A Lap 13 caution bunched the field together and Haudenschild extended the lead once again. The move of the restart, which proved to be crucial at the race’s end, was Donny Schatz powering from eighth to third on the bottom off of turn four.
Lap 16 saw disaster strike for Sheldon as the thin cushion in turn four got the better of the young Wooster, OH native. It was the second time in the young 2018 campaign that Haudenschild has brought out the yellow while leading. Unlike at Tulare, this time there was no damage to the NOS Energy Drink No.17 machine and he was able to restart at the rear of the field.
Sheldon’s misfortune moved Shane Stewart, who advanced forward from his fifth starting position, to the point. By Lap 20, when the thin cushion claimed two more victims – Brad Sweet and Brian Brown, Schatz had worked by Joey Saldana for the runner-up position and was ready to pounce on the next restart.
Pounce he did, as Schatz shot underneath Stewart and led down the backstretch only to have the pass negated by another caution. That set up a single-file restart and Stewart went to the bottom entering turn one, only to see Schatz, this time on the outside of the speedway, roll by him down the backstretch once again. In an attempt to get the lead back from Schatz, Stewart allowed Saldana to regain the runner-up spot.
A pair of late race restarts allowed the field to have a crack at Schatz and Saldana had the crowd holding their breath with two to go as he narrowed the gap to three car-lengths. A valiant effort was not meant to be for the “Brownsburg Bullet” as he finished 0.821 seconds behind the Tony Stewart Racing No.15.
Schatz first order of business in Victory Lane was to express his thoughts to the Humboldt Broncos community following their hockey team’s tragic accident Friday evening. Additionally, the Tony Stewart Racing No.15 team had a little bit of a different look in the pit area tonight. “We were minus the backbone of our team tonight, Scuba broke his ankle at Bakersfield and is on the couch for a while,” Schatz explained.
“We’ve won in Arizona before, but not at this place. My race car was awesome all over the race track tonight, a true testament to my team’s excellence,” the Fargo, ND native said. When asked about the multitude of late-race restarts, Schatz chuckled and said, “I’m getting older and the older I get, the more patient I am.” It was Schatz’s 265th World of Outlaws victory in his illustrious career.
Saldana, who finished fourth last outing at Bakersfield, was pleased with his car speed once again. “Kevin Rudeen gives us a great car, with great equipment. We have everything we need to succeed and it’s starting to show. Hopefully we can win one of these soon, we’ve been real close the last two weeks.”
“It’s hard to win these races and it’s hard to win against guys like Donny Schatz. When you can finish on the front stretch, it’s a solid night,” Saldana added.
The KSE Hard Charger award went to Logan Schuchart, who charged from 16th to finish third. “What an improvement that was from our Qualifying effort. I can’t thank my guys enough. Our team never gives up,” a pleased Schuchart said.
Stewart settled for a fourth-place finish, his third straight top-five outing with Eliason rounding out the top five. Despite spinning past the halfway point of the race, Sheldon Haudenschild charged back to finish seventh at the checkered flag.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series heads to the Midwest next week with a date at the Jacksonville Speedway in Illinois on Friday, April 13th before heading to Haubstadt, IN the following night to compete at the Tri-State Speedway. If you can’t make it to the track, be sure to watch all the action LIVE on DIRTVision.com.
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [12][$10,000]; 2. 26-Joey Saldana [2][$5,500]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [16][$3,200]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$2,800]; 5. 83-Cory Eliason [1][$2,500]; 6. 5-David Gravel [9][$2,300]; 7. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [3][$2,200]; 8. 45-Paul McMahan [11][$2,100]; 9. 41-Jason Johnson [8][$2,050]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [17][$2,000]; 11. 49-Brad Sweet [10][$1,500]; 12. 24-Rico Abreu [19][$1,200]; 13. 18-Ian Madsen [4][$1,100]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [15][$1,050]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [21][$1,000]; 16. OO-Dane Lorenc [18][$900]; 17. 11K-Kraig Kinser [22][$800]; 18. 2B-Billy Chester [23][$800]; 19. 90-Randy Waitman [24][$800]; 20. 9-Daryn Pittman [13][$800]; 21. 19AZ-Hunter Schuerenberg [7][$800]; 22. 21-Brian Brown [6][$800]; 23. 13-Clyde Knipp [20][$800]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [14][$800] Lap Leaders: Cory Eliason 1, Sheldon Haudenschild 2-16, Shane Stewart 17-20, Donny Schatz 21-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+13]
Qualifying: 1. 18-Ian Madsen, 12.96; 2. 1A-Jacob Allen, 12.96; 3. 83-Cory Eliason, 12.978; 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.994; 5. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.006; 6. 21-Brian Brown, 13.06; 7. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.098; 8. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.103; 9. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.129; 10. 19AZ-Hunter Schuerenberg, 13.144; 11. 26-Joey Saldana, 13.15; 12. 5-David Gravel, 13.155; 13. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.163; 14. 19-Brent Marks, 13.223; 15. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.243; 16. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.263; 17. 45-Paul McMahan, 13.272; 18. OO-Dane Lorenc, 13.272; 19. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.308; 20. 2B-Billy Chester, 13.312; 21. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.347; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.425; 23. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.691; 24. 90-Randy Waitman, 21.534
SLS Promotions & River Cities Speedway announce ticket updates for World of Outlaws events
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — April 6, 2018 -- A pair of changes are on the horizon for tickets and the seating arrangement at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., for both World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series events in 2018.
First and foremost, all reserved seats will be enlarged to 20-inches in width to provide a more spacious and fan-friendly atmosphere in the grandstands. After this process is complete, the seat numbering of rows will be updated to reflect this change. In addition, advance ticket sales for both World of Outlaws events this year will be handled predominately by SLS Promotions.
To ensure a smooth transition, patrons who purchased advance tickets last year from River Cities Speedway, will have the opportunity to purchase those same seats, before they go on sale to the general public. SLS Promotions will work to accommodate patrons to place them in the same seats or as close as possible to that patron's seating preference from 2017. A limited number of reserved seats will be available for purchase from River Cities Speedway.
Patrons will receive an email or phone call with further instructions in regards to renewing their tickets from last year.
The 1st Leg of the Gerdau Recycling Northern Tour for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at River Cities Speedway is set for Friday, June 15, with the 2nd Leg of the Northern Tour hitting the track on Friday, August 17.
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World of Outlaws tickets on sale for I-96 Speedway on June 1
LAKE ODESSA, Mich. — April 2, 2018 -- Tickets are now on sale for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series return to I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Mich., on Friday, June 1. Tickets can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by calling SLS Promotions at 815-344-2023. The event will be the series only race of the season in the state of Michigan.
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In the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series most recent visit to I-96 Speedway in 2016, David Gravel was victorious. Brad Sweet, who drives for Kasey Kahne Racing, won at I-96 Speedway for the first time in his career in 2015. Donny Schatz, the nine-time and defending series champion, won his first race at I-96 Speedway in 2014. A total of seven different drivers have visited victory lane in the last seven events for the series at I-96 Speedway.
Battling Schatz, Gravel and Sweet in 2017 is a talented group of full-time competitors, including Sheldon Haudenschild, who already has three wins this season and is second in points, Daryn Pittman, the 2013 series champion, Shane Stewart, who is a past winner in the state of Michigan, Jason Johnson, the 2016 winner of the Knoxville Nationals, fan favorite Jason Sides, third-generation driver Kraig Kinser, Tim Shaffer, who won the Knoxville Nationals in 2010 and Greg Wilson, the Outlaws top rookie in 2016.
Logan Schuchart, who picked up four wins last season, leads the next generation of drivers, along with his Shark Racing teammate Jacob Allen, as well teenager Clyde Knipp from Missouri and sophomore driver and Brent Marks. Ian Madsen and Dane Lorenc are each in the midst of their first full season on the road with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.
Tickets for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series return to I-96 Speedway on Friday, June 1 for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event at I-96 Speedway can purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by phone by calling: 815-344-2023.
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Sheldon Haudenschild Continues Torrid Start to 2018; Captures Third Win of Season at Bakersfield
BAKERSFIELD, CA – March 24, 2018 – Last year’s Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Sheldon Haudenschild means business in 2018, as the young Wooster, OH native scored his third World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory of the young 2018 season at Bakersfield Speedway. Haudenschild stormed to the front of the Feature from ninth and was undoubtedly the class of the field, winning by nearly three and a half seconds despite a late caution. Shane Stewart came from seventh for his second consecutive podium finish with early race leader Jason Johnson completing the all World of Outlaws regulars podium.
Johnson was attempting to pull a clean sweep of the program after setting fast time, winning his Heat and taking the Craftsman Club Dash, earning the pole for the 35-lap Feature. Johnson set a fast pace, surviving a couple of cautions and leading the first 14 laps.
2016 Bakersfield winner Brad Sweet appeared to be the man to beat when he took the lead, to a huge applause, on the 15th circuit from his fifth-starting position, after exchanging multiple slide jobs with Johnson. Disaster struck three laps later for Sweet as he did a full 360 rotation and a massive wheelie before his NAPA Auto Parts No.49 machine came to a stop in turn two.
That allowed Johnson to re-assume the lead with Haudenschild right beside him on the double-file restart. Johnson kept Sheldon at bay for a couple of laps as the duo traded the lead each corner for a handful of laps enthralling the large Bakersfield Speedway crowd once again. Haudenschild officially led Lap 23 and was never truly challenged after that point.
The excitement didn’t stop there though for the driver of the NOS Energy Drink, Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall No.17 as Sheldon asserted his dominance over the field by lapping cars at a rapid pace, throwing massive slide jobs along the way.
On Lap 29, Sheldon saw a four-second lead erased for one final caution. Sheldon powered away on the restart, with no challenge going to win by 3.446 seconds.
Haudenschild was the topic amongst the crowd all night after coming from 10th in his Heat Race, after spinning, to finish third. “It just shows how good my guys are,” Haudenschild said in reference to his recovery from the Heat Race blunder. “A lot of guys were fighting for the bottom and I just went where the track was free,” Haudenschild added about his cushion-pounding move in the qualifying event. “It feels really good to a get a third win this early on in the season. This NOS Energy Drink No.17 was on a rail all night,” Haudenschild said in Victory Lane.
Shane Stewart secured his second consecutive podium finish on the strength of restarts. “[Double-file restarts] are one of the crazy and cool things about the World of Outlaws and I’ve been on the wrong end of them before, but tonight they worked out for us. Hopefully we can get a win here real soon,” Stewart said after exiting his DC Solar sponsored Kyle Larson Racing No.2 machine.
Jason Johnson was in good spirits with his third-place finish despite leading a large portion of the race. “We came up a little bit short, we were a little too free once the fuel burned off, but still a very good night for this team. It’s always good to be on the podium,” the Eunice, LA native said.
Joey Saldana came from 14th to finish fourth with Ian Madsen coming from 16th to complete the top five. Neither of those efforts were good enough to secure KSE Hard Charger honors as that belonged to Donny Schatz, who came from 21st to finish sixth. The first six finishers, and eight of the first nine across the line, were World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series regulars.
The Series takes next weekend off as the Series allows its drivers, crews and teams a weekend to observe the Easter Holiday. The Greatest Show on Dirt continues its 40th Anniversary Season at Arizona Speedway on April 7, tickets can be purchased here. If you can’t make it to the track, be sure to tune into DIRTVision.com to watch all the action live!
Feature: (35 Laps) 1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [9][$10,000]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [7][$5,500]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$3,200]; 4. 26-Joey Saldana [14][$2,800]; 5. 18-Ian Madsen [16][$2,500]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz [21][$2,300]; 7. 21X-Carson Macedo [10][$2,200]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [19][$2,100]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [11][$2,050]; 10. 7S-Tim Kaeding [4][$2,000]; 11. 24-Rico Abreu [23][$1,500]; 12. 5-David Gravel [18][$1,200]; 13. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$1,100]; 14. 19-Brent Marks [15][$1,050]; 15. 83-Cory Eliason [6][$1,000]; 16. 57-Giovanni Scelzi [13][$900]; 17. O-Bud Kaeding [2][$800]; 18. 7SS-Jason Sides [8][$800]; 19. 83JR-Kyle Hirst [24][$800]; 20. 87-Aaron Reutzel [22][$800]; 21. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [3][$800]; 22. 49X-Tim Shaffer [20][$800]; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen [12][$800]; 24. 45-Paul McMahan [17][$800]; Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-14, 19-22; Brad Sweet 15-18; Sheldon Haudenschild 23-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz[+15]
Qualifying: 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.271; 2. 7S-Tim Kaeding, 11.362; 3. 7SS-Jason Sides, 11.388; 4. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 11.393; 5. O-Bud Kaeding, 11.405; 6. 83-Cory Eliason, 11.472; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.506; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.519; 9. 57-Giovanni Scelzi, 11.519; 10. 26-Joey Saldana, 11.527; 11. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.53; 12. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.548; 13. 45-Paul McMahan, 11.561; 14. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.573; 15. 29-Willie Croft, 11.576; 16. 18-Ian Madsen, 11.592; 17. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.6; 18. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 11.617; 19. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.633; 20. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 11.658; 21. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.604; 22. 5-David Gravel, 11.698; 23. 19-Brent Marks, 11.74; 24. 24-Rico Abreu, 11.75; 25. 22-Shane Golobic, 11.798; 26. 21X-Carson Macedo, 11.813; 27. 98-Sean Watts, 11.944; 28. 83JR-Kyle Hirst, 11.962; 29. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.979; 30. OO-Dane Lorenc, 11.995; 31. 88N-DJ Netto, 12.005; 32. 68-Chase Johnson, 12.052; 33. 16A-Colby Copeland, 12.077; 34. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.109; 35. 86-Chris Ennis, 12.333; 36. 10-Matthew Moles, 12.612; 37. 28-Nathan Rolfe, 12.633
World of Outlaws tickets on sale for the Badger 40 at Wilmot Raceway
WILMOT, Wisc. — March 19, 2018 -- Tickets are now on sale for the Badger 40, featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, Wisconsin on Saturday, June 2 and can be purchased online atslspromotions.ticketforce.com or by calling SLS Promotions at 815-344-2023.
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David Gravel remained undefeated in World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series competition at Wilmot Raceway in 2017, by winning the Badger 40. Gravel has won each of the last three Outlaws races at Wilmot. Last season, he was victorious in a thriller over Shane Stewart and Brad Sweet. That trio traded the lead five times in the last 11 laps of the 40-lap race. Gravel also won at Wilmot with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series in 2014 and 2016.
Daryn Pittman, the 2013 series champion, is a past winner at Wilmot Raceway, taking the checkered flag in 2008. In the inaugural event for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at the third-mile bullring in 2006, Mark Dobmeier was victorious, which marked his first-career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win.
Battling Gravel, Pittman, Stewart and Sweet in 2017 is another stout group of full-time competitors including nine-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz, as well as fellow veteran drivers Jason Johnson, Tim Shaffer Kraig Kinser, Jason Sides and Greg Wilson.
Logan Schuchart, who won four races last year, along with his Shark Racing teammate Jacob Allen are back on the road again this season, as is teenager Clyde Knipp from Missouri. Sheldon Haudenschild and Brent Marks who battled for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award last year, are back on the Outlaws trail this season. Haudenschild has visited victory twice thus far in 2018 and is currently second in points.
Ian Madsen, Parker Price-Miller and Dane Lorenc are all in the midst of their first full season on the tour.
Tickets for the Badger 40, featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, Wisconsin on Saturday, June 2 and can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by calling SLS Promotions at 815-344-2023. Also in action will be the Wisconsin wingLESS Sprint Series and the Wisconsin Illinois Mini Sprints.
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Cory Eliason Leads All 30 Laps to Score First Career Outlaw Victory at Stockton
STOCKTON, CA - March 17, 2018 – California native Cory Eliason, aboard the famed Roth Motorsports No.83, dominated the FVP Platinum Battery Western Spring Shootout at Stockton to score his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory. Eliason, who scored a career-high second place finish last weekend at Tulare, survived numerous cautions to secure the hometown victory. Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Contender Ian Madsen finished second with Shane Stewart completing the podium.
Eliason won the Craftsman Club Dash, earning the pole for the 30-lap Feature alongside FVP-sponsored driver Brian Brown. Eliason powered out to the early lead on the 'elbows up' surface and reached lapped traffic on the fourth circuit.
The first of a handful of cautions came on lap 10, as the hole in turn three swallowed up Brown while he was running second. That allowed Rico Abreu to assume second on the restart. Three laps later, during a caution for Parker Price-Miller, Abreu surrendered his runner-up position and pulled into the work area.
When action resumed, Madsen found himself in second looking for a way around Eliason. But the Selma, CA native was masterful in traffic, never allowing the field to mount a serious challenge. The closest call of the night for Eliason was entering turn one on lap 24, as his No.83 car hit a rut and bobbled heavily.
Brad Sweet, while running in the top five, slowed to a stop with three laps remaining giving the field one last chance to steal a victory from Eliason. It was not meant to be tonight, Eliason was the class of the field as he distanced himself from the field on the restart to win by nearly two seconds.
“It feels great to finally get an Outlaw win. And at home, too,” an out-of-breath Eliason said in Victory Lane. “That track was technical and it definitely wore me out. Hopefully, we can another one next weekend,” Eliason added.
Ian Madsen was pleased with his runner-up finish, “We had nothing for those guys. Congrats to Cory on his first career win. This was a great night for our KCP team. We haven’t had much luck to start the season, so it’s great to a good night under our belt.”
Likewise, Shane Stewart was also happy for his first podium finish of 2018. “I don’t think it was the prettiest third-place run, but we’ll take it,” Stewart said with a chuckle. “We need some good runs to get our momentum rolling.” 10th-starting Carson Macedo followed up his top-five at Tulare with an impressive fourth-place finish. Tim Kaeding, aboard Jason Sides No. 7S, came from 13th to complete the top five.
During intermission, the World of Outlaws announced that the Brad Sweet Placerville Short Track Showdown has been postponed to Wednesday, September 12. The Outlaws continue their 40th Anniversary Season Friday, March 23 at Ocean Speedway before heading south to Bakersfield Speedway on Saturday, March 24. Tickets for both events are still available at woosprint.com. If you can’t make it to the track, be sure to tune into DIRTVision.com for live video of every World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series race in 2018.
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 83-Cory Eliason [1][$10,000]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [3][$5,500]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [6][$3,200]; 4. 21X-Carson Macedo [10][$2,800]; 5. 7S-Tim Kaeding [13][$2,500]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [11][$2,300]; 7. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [12][$2,200]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [20][$2,100]; 9. 5-David Gravel [5][$2,050]; 10. 29-Willie Croft [15][$2,000]; 11. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [21][$1,500]; 12. 49-Brad Sweet [7][$1,200]; 13. 83JR-Kyle Hirst [9][$1,100]; 14. 15-Donny Schatz [16][$1,050]; 15. 45-Paul McMahan [17][$1,000]; 16. 4-Parker Price-Miller [22][$900]; 17. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8][$800]; 18. 3C-Tanner Thorson [18][$800]; 19. 57-Giovanni Scelzi [23][$800]; 20. 87-Aaron Reutzel [14][$800]; 21. 24-Rico Abreu [4][$800]; 22. 21-Brian Brown [2][$800]; 23. 49X-Tim Shaffer [19][$800]; 24. 19-Brent Marks [24][$800]; 25. OO-Dane Lorenc [25][$]; Lap Leaders: Cory Eliason 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 9-Daryn Pittman[+12]
Qualifying Flight-A: 1. 21-Brian Brown, 13.007; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.111; 3. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.16; 4. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.202; 5. 45-Paul McMahan, 13.208; 6. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 13.245; 7. 83JR-Kyle Hirst, 13.25; 8. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.255; 9. 57-Giovanni Scelzi, 13.276; 10. 29-Willie Croft, 13.299; 11. 7S-Tim Kaeding, 13.319; 12. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.37; 13. 7SS-Jason Sides, 13.403; 14. 68-Chase Johnson, 13.41; 15. 88N-DJ Netto, 13.45; 16. 7-John Carney, 13.693; 17. 22-Shane Golobic, 13.7; 18. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.889; 19. 28-Nathan Rolfe, NT; 20. OO-Dane Lorenc, 13.482
Qualifying Flight-B: 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.129; 2. 5-David Gravel, 13.132; 3. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.176; 4. 83-Cory Eliason, 13.178; 5. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.178; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.213; 7. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 13.231; 8. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 13.237; 9. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 13.251; 10. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.252; 11. 21X-Carson Macedo, 13.342; 12. 19-Brent Marks, 13.406; 13. 37-Mitchell Faccinto, 13.492; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.504; 15. 26-Joey Saldana, 13.55; 16. 5H-Michael Kofoid, 13.612; 17. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.777; 18. 98-Sean Watts, 13.822; 19. 3C-Tanner Thorson, 13.835
Reutzel Earns First Outlaw Win in Thunderbowl Thriller
TULARE, CA - March 9, 2018 - Texas native Aaron Reutzel scored his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory in thrilling fashion after exchanging multiple slide jobs with local driver Cory Eliason. A lap 20 yellow for then race leader Sheldon Haudenschild bunched the field together and Reutzel began picking off the leaders in exciting fashion. Eliason settled for second with Donny Schatz completing the podium.
Eliason, aboard the famed Roth Motorsports No.83, won the Craftsman Club Dash, earning the pole for the 35-lap Feature alongside fellow California native Jason Meyers. Eliason, in search of his first Outlaw victory, set the pace for the first 11 laps before giving way to red-hot Sheldon Haudenschild on the 12th circuit.
Sheldon, who set a new Tulare track record in qualifying, seemingly had the fastest car on the track and maneuvered the heavy lapped traffic well as he continued to extend his lead. Coming off of turn four on lap 18, Haudenschild got into the back of a lapped car and the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall No.17 never settled down. Haudenschild muscled his ill-handling machine through turn one and two, before making heavy contact with the frontstretch wall at the completion of the lap, ending the young gun's bid for his third win of the young season.
Eliason assumed the lead, but this time with nine-time Series Champion Donny Schatz alongside of him. The young Visalia, CA native got a strong restart and established a sizeable lead over the veteran. Reutzel, who restarted sixth, came to life as he pounded the cushion, weaving in and out of cars grabbing third on lap 23 and passing Schatz two circuits later to claim the second spot.
Reutzel arrived at leader Eliason on lap 28 and the duo waged war for the top spot, as you would expect of two drivers looking for their first World of Outlaws victory. The duo exchanged sliders in each corner exciting the large Thunderbowl Raceway crowd. Reutzel secured the victory on lap 31 as he powered his Baughman/Reutzel owned No.87 around Eliason down the backstretch and pulled away for his first career Outlaw triumph.
"This is a dream come true. I've led a handful of Outlaw shows in the past, but never been able to finish the job; you start doubting yourself. It's something you don't think will ever happen," a jubilant Reutzel said. "It all played out perfect tonight. This track is truly special. It fits my driving style - gas it up on the fence. I am so lucky to have the people behind me that I do," the former 360-winged sprint car ace added.
Eliason settled for second and was in good spirits, "It's always tough when you are out front in traffic. Aaron drove a great race. Hopefully, the weather cooperates and we get another chance at it tomorrow," the Visalia, CA native said.
Schatz was also pleased with his podium finish as he extended his early Series points lead, "A top-three finish is very respectable for us at Tulare. We usually don't run too well on tracks like this."
Dominic Scelzi and 12th-starting Carson Macedo completed the top five. Tim Kaeding, aboard the Sides Motorsports No.7S, earned KSE Hard Charger honors coming from 16th to finish eighth in his first start for Sides. Action continues Saturday night at the Thunderbowl Raceway as the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series tackles the high-banked bullring once again.
Abbreviated Results from Thunderbowl Raceway - March 9, 2018
Feature (35 Laps): 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel [4][$10,000]; 2. 83-Cory Eliason [1][$5,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [5][$3,000]; 4. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [8][$2,700]; 5. 21X-Carson Macedo [12][$2,500]; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [10][$2,200]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet [6][$2,000]; 8. 7S-Tim Kaeding [16][$1,800]; 9. 14-Jason Meyers [2][$1,600]; 10. 24-Rico Abreu [11][$1,450]; 11. 57-Giovanni Scelzi [7][$1,300]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [14][$1,200]; 13. 45-Paul McMahan [17][$1,100]; 14. 29-Willie Croft [21][$1,000]; 15. 4-Parker Price-Miller [9][$950]; 16. 2-Shane Stewart [19][$900]; 17. 41-Jason Johnson [20][$850]; 18. 21-Brian Brown [18][$750]; 19. 5-David Gravel [13][$725]; 20. 26-Joey Saldana [26][$]; 21. OO-Dane Lorenc [28][$]; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart [25][$]; 23. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [3][$700]; 24. 49X-Tim Shaffer [23][$700]; 25. 88N-DJ Netto [22][$700]; 26. 13-Clyde Knipp [27][$]; 27. 83JR-Kyle Hirst [15][$700]; 28. 1A-Jacob Allen [24][$700]; Lap Leaders: Cory Eliason 1-11, 20-30; Sheldon Haudenschild 12-19, Aaron Reutzel 31-35 KSE Hard Charger Award: 7S-Tim Kaeding[+8]
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Returns to Bakersfield Speedway March 24th
PETERSEN MEDIA- After a successful showing during the 2016 season, the famed World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series is set to return to Bakersfield Speedway on March 24th in an event that will mark their final race in the Golden State before returning later this fall.
During the 2016 event, the stars and cars of the series made their return to the Central CA bullring a memorable one as California product, Brad Sweet, fended off challenges from Joey Saldana, who was behind the wheel of a California based Roth Motorsports entry, to claim the popular win in front of a capacity crowd.
Not hosting the series in 2017, Bakersfield Speedway is eagerly awaiting a return appearance by 'The Greatest Show on Dirt' on March 24th as over 20 National drivers with a mix of California's best are expected to be on hand for a great show.
With five World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series races ran thus far in 2018, the story has been all about multi-time Series Champion, Donny Schatz, and second year WoO driver Sheldon Haudenschild. The duo has been the only two to win to date as Schatz has picked off three feature event wins, and Haudenschild has scored two victories.
Tickets for the Bakersfield Speedway World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series event are now on sale, and fans can purchase their $40 reserved seating seats by calling 1-844-Dirt-Tix (347-8849). General Admission Tickets will be available for $35. Fans can also click over to http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?orgid=52711&agency=WRG_SNG&pid=8525932 the purchase tickets.
STAY CONNECTED: Stay connected to the Bakersfield Speedway for more information on this event by following on twitter @BakoSpeedway, 'Liking' the track on Facebook at www. Facebook.com/Bakersfield.Speedway, or by clicking over to www.bakersfieldspeedway.com.
The Bakersfield Speedway is located at 5001 N. Chester Ext. Bakersfield, CA 93308.
PETERSEN MEDIA: Petersen Media is a promotional agency that can handle your public relations, marketing, and any other promotional needs. Petersen Media utilizes multiple tactics to help you reach your intended audience, and boost awareness.
For more information contact sales@petersenmediainc.com, by phone at 916-342-3424, visit www.petersenmediainc.com, www.facebook.com/PetersenMedia, or follow www.twitter.com/petersen_media.
Tim Shaffer: Full-Time Outlaw for 2018
CONCORD, NC – March 4, 2018 – The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series is thrilled to announce that TheSteel City Outlaw Tim Shaffer and car owner Jeff Rudzik have signed on as full-time Outlaws for the 2018 40th Anniversary Season in the familiar No.49X machine.
Shaffer has been a staple with The Greatest Show on Dirt since scoring his first career victory 20 years ago in Elma, WA at Grays Harbor Raceway in 1998. A year later, Tim Shaffer was crowned the 1999 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year with the World of Outlaws before spending the better part of the next decade as a Series regular.
“We feel extremely competitive and I don’t how many years left I have doing this. Most importantly, I am enjoying myself out here,” Shaffer, who scored two Outlaw wins in 2017, cited as his main reason for joining the Outlaws full-time. “I work really with Cody Jacobs as my crew chief and we have had a lot of speed, while also enjoying ourselves,” Shaffer added with a smile.
Shaffer will land in the Sprint Car Hall of Fame when he chooses to retire on the strength of his 25 Outlaw wins, 60 All-Star Circuit of Champion triumphs, hundreds of regional victories and, of course, his unforgettable 2010 Knoxville Nationals Championship.
“I was on the road for about 10 years and I bet it has been about 10 years since I was last out here. I absolutely love it,” the Aliquippa, PA native said.
During those 10 years when Shaffer was not a full-time Outlaw, he re-established himself as a dominant force in Pennsylvania and Ohio amidst capturing four consecutive All-Star Championships.
Shaffer’s addition brings the current total of full-time Outlaws to a whopping 19 as they head West for California. Tim Shaffer left us with this parting thought, “This is really exciting. I feel at home again.”
Catch Shaffer and the rest of the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series next at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, CA March 9 and 10. As always, if you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.com.
Schatz Masters Lapped Traffic to Capture Second Consecutive Win and First DIRTcar Nationals Championship
BARBERVILLE, FL – February 11, 2018 – Donny Schatz is starting 2018 firing on all cylinders, which is bad news for the rest of the competition. Schatz fought off a pesky Brian Brown early in the race and held off charges from Sheldon Haudenschild and Brad Sweet late to capture his fourth win in five nights at Volusia Speedway Park. Schatz, who has won just about everything to win in Sprint Car racing, captured his first ever DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator Championship.
Brian Brown won the Craftsman Club Dash earning the pole of the 30-lap Feature alongside Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender Parker Price-Miller. Brown was strong leading the opening circuit before Schatz flew underneath the FVP No.21 to lead lap two.
Rico Abreu brought out the lone yellow flag of the Feature on lap six. On the ensuing restart, Brown muscled his way back by Schatz to lead laps seven and eight before Schatz overtook him once again to lead lap nine and the rest of the way, despite challenges from Haudenschild and Sweet.
“We slowed down in traffic a lot,” Schatz said in Victory Lane. “We thought we had a solid car in the Dash, but this is the time to learn,” said the driver who won four of five Features at DIRTcar Nationals. “Sometimes you win some you shouldn’t, I think we were lucky we started up front,” a humble Schatz added before being awarded his first ever Big Gator trophy.
Friday night’s Feature winner Sheldon Haudenschild worked forward from his 13th starting spot into the top three on lap 12 and moved by Brown into second on lap 16. Haudenschild, who is in his first year with the Stenhouse Jr. – Marshall Racing No.17, brought the capacity crowd to their feet as he closed in on the Tony Stewart Racing No.15 but couldn’t pull the trigger.
“Catching Donny Schatz and passing Donny Schatz are two completely different things,” Sheldon said with a smile. While Sheldon had his eyes set on the No.15, Brad Sweet powered his NAPA Racing No.49 around the cushion, eventually overtaking Sheldon in turn two with five laps remaining.
Sweet closed on Schatz, but was never able to mount a series charge and settled for second - his fourth podium in five nights. “My guys worked hard all week and we are still chasing the 15. He makes us better though and we’ll take second,” Sweet said.
Jason Johnson finished his strong week with a fourth-place finish and 15th-starting Chad Kemenah completed the top five. Haudenschild picked up KSE Hard Charger honors advancing 10 positions.
That completes the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series portion of the 47th Annual DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. The Outlaws return to action in two weeks in Texas at the Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, TX on Friday, February 23, 2018 and then LoneStar Speedway in Kilgore, TX the following night Saturday, February 24. If you can’t make it to the track, you can catch all the action live on DIRTVision.com!
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [9][$5,500]; 3. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [13][$3,200]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$2,800]; 5. 10H-Chad Kemenah [15][$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$2,300]; 7. 21-Brian Brown [1][$2,200]; 8. 13X-Paul McMahan [6][$2,100]; 9. 5-David Gravel [18][$2,050]; 10. 4-Parker Price-Miller [2][$2,000]; 11. 49X-Tim Shaffer [16][$1,500]; 12. 27-Greg Hodnett [8][$1,200]; 13. 11K-Kraig Kinser [22][$1,100]; 14. 18-Ian Madsen [14][$1,050]; 15. 26-Joey Saldana [11][$1,000]; 16. 2M-Kerry Madsen [20][$900]; 17. 9-Daryn Pittman [25][$]; 18. 1K-Kyle Larson [10][$800]; 19. 7S-Jason Sides [17][$800]; 20. 1S-Logan Schuchart [21][$800]; 21. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [24][$800]; 22. 70-Dave Blaney [12][$800]; 23. W20-Greg Wilson [26][$]; 24. 44-Trey Starks [19][$800]; 25. 24-Rico Abreu [7][$800]; 26. 1A-Jacob Allen [23][$800]; 27. 13-Clyde Knipp [27][$] Lap Leaders Brian Brown 1, 7-8 Donny Schatz 2-6, 9-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[+10]
Qualifying: 1. 13X-Paul McMahan, 13.058; 2. 21-Brian Brown, 13.083; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.198; 4. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.22; 5. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.238; 6. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 13.268; 7. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.29; 8. 27-Greg Hodnett, 13.348; 9. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.349; 10. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.367; 11. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.428; 12. 70-Dave Blaney, 13.44; 13. 44-Trey Starks, 13.458; 14. 26-Joey Saldana, 13.471; 15. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.529; 16. 1K-Kyle Larson, 13.577; 17. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.598; 18. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.635; 19. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.638; 20. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 13.644; 21. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.648; 22. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 13.664; 23. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.681; 24. 5-David Gravel, 13.698; 25. 19-Brent Marks, 13.749; 26. OO-Dane Lorenc, 13.799; 27. 83-Cory Eliason, 13.815; 28. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.84; 29. 30-CJ Leary, 13.965; 30. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.093; 31. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.220
Donny Schatz outduels Jason Johnson for 250th Career WoO victory
BARBERVILLE, FL – February 10, 2018 – Clearly, Donny Schatz has a flair for the dramatic in 2018. After sweeping All-Stars competition with a pair of thrilling victories, Schatz excited the DIRTcar Nationals standing room only crowd once again Saturday night, exchanging slide jobs with Jason Johnson en route to his 250th World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature victory. Johnson settled for second with Tim Shaffer, who rebounded from a nasty crash last night, completing the podium.
Johnson won the Craftsman Club Dash and set a torrid pace from the drop of the green. Paul McMahan and Tim Shaffer continued their fantastic battle from the Dash and went side-by-side for multiple laps battling for the runner-up position. That battle allowed Schatz to close in from his sixth position.
By the halfway point, Shaffer had established the position and Schatz had worked into third. Johnson continued to lead, maneuvering lapped traffic at a rapid pace. A lap 17 yellow for 2018 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender Parker Price-Miller cleared Johnson from the heavy traffic but allowed Schatz to restart on his bumper.
On the restart, Schatz quickly disposed of Shaffer and set his eyes on the Eunice, LA native. Johnson was able to keep Schatz at bay in clean air, but in traffic Schatz narrowed the gap quickly.
With three laps to go, Schatz engaged Johnson with a big slider arousing the huge DIRTcar Nationals crowd. Johnson turned back underneath the nine-time Series Champion, but Schatz prevailed to lead the white flag lap and never look back.
“That is what we live for,” Schatz said in reference of the slide job exchange with Johnson. “It had my heart pumping,” Donny added before asking the crowd if they enjoyed the show. “Good. Come back tomorrow, it will be even better.”
Johnson, despite leading 28 laps, was in good spirits, “I hesitated too long in traffic and Donny never hesitates. He is one of the toughest in the business,” Johnson said before praising his crew for their efforts.
Tim Shaffer and the Demyan-Rudzik Racing, who will follow the World of Outlaws through the entire month of March, put together a new car after flipping last night and Shaffer cited the quick turnaround was a part of racing. 10th-starting Brad Sweet and 18th-starting David Gravel had strong runs to complete the top five. Last night's winner, Sheldon Haudenschild picked up KSE Hard Charger honors coming from 21st to seventh.
Schatz’ victory extends his DIRTcar Nationals points lead to a monumental margin heading into the final night of Sprint Car racing at Volusia Sunday evening. As always, if you cannot make it to the track, watch live on DIRTVision.com.
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [6][$10,000]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$5,500]; 3. 49X-Tim Shaffer [2][$3,200]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [10][$2,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [18][$2,500]; 6. 2M-Kerry Madsen [4][$2,300]; 7. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [21][$2,200]; 8. 10H-Chad Kemenah [12][$2,100]; 9. 13X-Paul McMahan [3][$2,050]; 10. 2-Shane Stewart [8][$2,000]; 11. 26-Joey Saldana [22][$1,500]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$1,200]; 13. 9-Daryn Pittman [11][$1,100]; 14. 19-Brent Marks [14][$1,050]; 15. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [20][$1,000]; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser [19][$900]; 17. 83-Cory Eliason [24][$800]; 18. 70-Dave Blaney [9][$800]; 19. 4K-Kasey Kahne [13][$800]; 20. 7S-Jason Sides [23][$800]; 21. 44-Trey Starks [17][$800]; 22. W20-Greg Wilson [25][$]; 23. 4-Parker Price-Miller [15][$800]; 24. 27-Greg Hodnett [16][$800]; 25. 13-Clyde Knipp [26][$]; 26. 21-Brian Brown [7][$800] Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-28, Donny Schatz 29-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[+14]
Qualifying: 1. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.959; 2. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 13.037; 3. 21-Brian Brown, 13.038; 4. 13X-Paul McMahan, 13.058; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 13.061; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.09; 7. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.113; 8. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.114; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.155; 10. 5-David Gravel, 13.16; 11. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 13.164; 12. 27-Greg Hodnett, 13.173; 13. 70-Dave Blaney, 13.186; 14. 19-Brent Marks, 13.188; 15. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.209; 16. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.223; 17. 4K-Kasey Kahne, 13.275; 18. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.278; 19. 83-Cory Eliason, 13.284; 20. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.31; 21. 44-Trey Starks, 13.31; 22. 26-Joey Saldana, 13.322; 23. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.329; 24. 7K-Cale Conley, 13.345; 25. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.363; 26. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.372; 27. OO-Dane Lorenc, 13.437; 28. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.438; 29. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.472; 30. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.474; 31. 30-CJ Leary, 13.481; 32. 17C-Caleb Helms, 13.684; 33. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.702
Sheldon Haudenschild scores first career WoO win
BARBERVILLE, FL - February 9, 2018 - Sheldon Haudenschild passed race-long leader Paul McMahan on a Lap 27 restart to win his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature in thrilling fashion at the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. Haudenschild, in his first Outlaw start with the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing No.17, assumed the runner-up position with three laps remaining after Ian Madsen caught the rut in turn one and landed on his side. The 2017 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year muscled his way underneath McMahan, who was nursing a flat tire, on the restart and never looked back for a popular victory in front of the standing room only crowd. McMahan held on for second with Shane Stewart completing the podium.
McMahan won the Craftsman Club Dash, earning him the pole on the opening night of the 2018 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series 40th Anniversary Season alongside Madsen. McMahan, in search of his first Outlaw win since 2015, was strong all night and led the opening lap before a Red Flag for David Gravel and Tim Shaffer halted the action. Gravel and Shaffer were both uninjured, but the accident scene took some time to clean up, providing the first Open Red of the 2018 Season.
When action resumed, McMahan continued to show the way in his new ride for 2018, the Tom Buch 13. McMahan navigated traffic masterfully and survived another restart with 11 to go as Madsen threatened to take the lead.
With three laps remaining Madsen bounced hard in the looming rut in turn one and lost the handle of the KCP Racing No.18. That was all that Sheldon Haudenschild needed. Haudenschild pounced on McMahan down the backstretch, overtook the veteran and went on to win by 1.418 seconds.
“That was the plan. I saw [McMahan] had a tire going down. I wanted to square the car up and get underneath him on the backstretch,” an elated Haudenschild said in Victory Lane. “This team works incredibly hard. I can’t thank Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall and NOS Energy enough,” Sheldon added.
Obviously disappointed, McMahan also referenced his flat tire but credited Haudenschild for driving a great race. Stewart, who failed to qualify for last night’s All-Star Feature, was pleased with his team’s rebound effort. “I’ll take a podium finish on the first night. That is way better than we have been here in the past,” Stewart said with a smile.
Donny Schatz maintained his DIRTcar Nationals points lead coming from 14th to fourth with California’s Cory Eliason coming home an impressive fifth.
A DIRTcar Nationals event high 35 cars signed into action with Logan Schuchart setting fast time with a blistering lap of 12.975. Brent Marks scored the KSE Hard Charger Award coming from 25th to finish in the top ten.
Action resumes tomorrow at the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. As always, you can catch all the action from DIRTcar Nationals and the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series 40th Anniversary Season on DIRTVision.com.
Abbreviated Results from Volusia Speedway Park - February 9, 2018
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [6][$10,000]; 2. 13X-Paul McMahan [1][$5,500]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$3,200]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [14][$2,800]; 5. 83-Cory Eliason [10][$2,500]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu [4][$2,300]; 7. 41-Jason Johnson [18][$2,200]; 8. 2M-Kerry Madsen [12][$2,100]; 9. 27-Greg Hodnett [21][$2,050]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [25][$1,200]; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3][$1,500]; 12. 9-Daryn Pittman [15][$1,200]; 13. 21-Brian Brown [11][$1,100]; 14. 49-Brad Sweet [19][$1,050]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17][$1,000]; 16. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [24][$900]; 17. 4-Parker Price-Miller [7][$800]; 18. 7S-Jason Sides [23][$800]; 19. 7K-Cale Conley [16][$800]; 20. W20-Greg Wilson [26][$]; 21. 4K-Kasey Kahne [13][$800]; 22. 18-Ian Madsen [2][$800]; 23. 70-Dave Blaney [20][$800]; 24. 5-David Gravel [8][$800]; 25. 49X-Tim Shaffer [9][$800]; 26. 1A-Jacob Allen [22][$800] Lap Leaders: Paul McMahan 1-28, Sheldon Haudenschild 29-30 KSE Hard Charger Award: 19-Brent Marks[+15]
Qualifying: 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.975; 2. 83-Cory Eliason, 12.98; 3. 21-Brian Brown, 12.993; 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.041; 5. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.054; 6. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 13.059; 7. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.069; 8. 13X-Paul McMahan, 13.072; 9. 4K-Kasey Kahne, 13.075; 10. 27-Greg Hodnett, 13.163; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.166; 12. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 13.183; 13. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 13.241; 14. 5-David Gravel, 13.271; 15. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.276; 16. 7K-Cale Conley, 13.285; 17. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.312; 18. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.317; 19. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.319; 20. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.362; 21. 30-CJ Leary, 13.382; 22. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.417; 23. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.449; 24. 70-Dave Blaney, 13.472; 25. 19-Brent Marks, 13.522; 26. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.523; 27. 26-Joey Saldana, 13.602; 28. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.603; 29. 48-Danny Dietrich, 13.645; 30. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.665; 31. 44-Trey Starks, 13.673; 32. OO-Dane Lorenc, 13.71; 33. 17C-Caleb Helms, 13.837; 34. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.858; 35. 40-George Hobaugh, 14.249
Gravel Thrills Sellout World Finals Crowd with Last Lap Pass on Schatz
Charlotte, NC - November 4, 2017 – David Gravel couldn’t clear Donny Schatz with seven to go, but would not be denied, scoring the victory in a thriller with a last-lap pass of Schatz. It was Gravel and CJB Motorsports 18th World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win of the season, doubling their total from last season. Schatz and Brian Brown completed the podium on the final night of the Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Ryan Smith led the opening lap of the 30-lap Feature, before Brian Brown took control on lap two with a slide job. Brad Sweet brought out the first of a handful of cautions on lap two, as he faced backwards in turn two.
Schatz worked by Smith for second on the ensuing restart before another caution on lap four halted competition. Schatz was strong on the restart once again, this time sliding Brown for the top spot to lead lap five.
Lap five saw a scary incident in turn two with Jason Johnson, Shane Stewart, Greg Hodnett, Sheldon and Jac Haudenschild creating a pileup and bringing out an #OpenRed with 25 to go. All drivers were okay.
On the restart, Brown kept pace with Schatz as the duo reached traffic before the final caution of the event flew; this time for Kraig Kinser with 14 laps to go. Gravel pounced on the restart, with a big slider on Brown to claim second as he begun to chase down Schatz with 10 laps remaining.
With seven to go, Gravel and Schatz exchanged sliders with the latter maintaining the advantage at the line. With five to go, Gravel pounded the cushion to try and get one more shot at the Series Champion. He got his shot and he took advantage of it. The Watertown, Connecticut driver brought the sold-out Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals crowd to their feet with a thrilling last-lap pass to score the victory.
“That was a blast. I hope this crowd enjoyed it,” an elated Gravel said in Victory Lane. “Barry Jackson, Derek and Zach give me an awesome car every night. It’s been a badass year,” Gravel, who will return to CJB Motorsports in 2018, added.
While Gravel may have won the battle, Schatz won the war – again. “It’s been a great year. This race team is phenomenal. We are top three seemingly every night and the car does not drop out of races,” Schatz said after the race. After being awarded the Championship hardware for the ninth time in his career and asked about how long he can enjoy this title he said, “You enjoy it. But as long as you’re an active race car driver, you continue to put it in the back of your mind.”
Brian Brown completed the podium and put it simply, “We got beat by two of the best drivers in the world.”
Kerry Madsen, a five-time World of Outlaws winner this season, finished fourth with 2017 IRA Champion, Bill Balog completing the top five.
Logan Schuchart started 22nd and made it to sixth to earn KSE Hard Charger honors. Daryn Pittman, Cole Duncan, Brent Marks and Smith completed the top ten.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Banquet is Sunday, November 5 and puts the bowtie on the end of what was a fantastic 2017 season. The offseason is much needed but soon enough, it will be time to go racing once again in Florida. Stay tuned to all World of Outlaws social media channels for breaking news on 2018 drivers, the schedule and much more.
Feature (30 Laps) 1. 5-David Gravel [5][$12,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$5,500]; 3. 21-Brian Brown [1][$3,200]; 4. 2M-Kerry Madsen [7][$2,800]; 5. 17B-Bill Balog [6][$2,500]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [22][$2,300]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$2,200]; 8. 12N-Cole Duncan [9][$2,100]; 9. 19-Brent Marks [14][$2,050]; 10. 59-Ryan Smith [2][$2,000]; 11. 49-Brad Sweet [17][$1,500]; 12. 44-Trey Starks [12][$1,200]; 13. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [21][$1,100]; 14. 2-Shane Stewart [19][$1,050]; 15. 15H-Sam Hafertepe [23][$1,000]; 16. W20-Greg Wilson [28][$]; 17. 7S-Jason Sides [26][$]; 18. 19P-Paige Polyak [15][$1,000]; 19. 13M-Paul McMahan [8][$1,000]; 20. 18-Ian Madsen [11][$1,000]; 21. 4-Parker Price-Miller [27][$]; 22. 11K-Kraig Kinser [25][$]; 23. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$1,000]; 24. 71-Joey Saldana [10][$1,000]; 25. 41-Jason Johnson [18][$1,000]; 26. 27-Greg Hodnett [13][$1,000]; 27. 71M-Dave Blaney [24][$1,000]; 28. 17-Jac Haudenschild [20][$1,000]; Lap Leaders: Ryan Smith 1, Brian Brown 2-4, Donny Schatz 5-29, David Gravel 30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+16]
Schatz Reaches 20-Win Plateau for Fifth Straight Year with Win at Textron Off Road World Finals
CHARLOTTE, NC – November 3, 2017 – No matter who is in the pits, it’s tough to bet against Donny Schatz. That proved true on Night Two of the Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as Schatz bested a stout field of 53 cars from across the world to win his 20th World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature of 2017. Ian Madsen and 10th-starting Dave Blaney completed the podium.
The 2017 IRA Champion, Bill Balog, grabbed the early lead from fellow front row starter, Ian Madsen. Balog, a one-time World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Winner in his career, led the first nine laps of the Feature before extremely heavy lapped traffic slowed his torrid pace. Balog was stalked by the Madsen Brothers in the early going, but it was Donny Schatz that made a three-wide pass for the lead down the backstretch to lead lap 10.
As Balog went high to navigate the lapped cars, Schatz made a jaw-dropping move. The, now nine-time, Series Champion glued his car to the bottom to work by Balog, Kerry Madsen and the lapped car of Parker Price-Miller off of turn two for the lead.
Lap 11 saw a pair of World of Outlaws young guns, Sheldon Haudenschild and David Gravel, succumb to flat right rear tires. Gravel was running third at the time of the misfortune.
The ensuing restart saw Ian Madsen maneuver his way back into the runner-up position. The Australian actually closed significantly on Schatz for the lead, coming as close as a car-length back of the Tony Stewart Racing No. 15.
With six laps remaining, Daryn Pittman’s top five run came to an end due to a flat tire. This set up a double-file restart with Ian to the outside of Schatz. Schatz got a brilliant restart and paced the field comfortably the final six circuits to score the victory.
The first thing Schatz mentioned in Victory Lane was the outstanding World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Feature that was held beforehand. “That [Feature] was pretty cool to watch. It got me motivated to get it done as well,” Schatz, who is doing double-duty this weekend, said.
“My team has worked awful hard lately. We’ve been stuck on 19 wins for a long time, so it was great to finally reach 20. It sucks the season is over, because we are rolling right now,” Schatz added. Tonight’s win marked the fifth consecutive season that Schatz has won at least 20 Features.
Ian Madsen, the 2017 Knoxville Raceway Track Champion, finished second with 1995 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Champion, Dave Blaney coming from 10th to complete the podium.
“It’s pretty cool to be able to run up front with these guys. I thought we had a shot for the lead a couple of times. It was a lot of fun out there,” Madsen said. Schatz echoed Madsen’s statement about the track conditions, “I thought the track would rubber up, but it really cleaned off and made it a lot of fun as a driver.”
Blaney cited restarts being a focal point to his success on the evening. “The car really took off on the starts and restarts. Going forward in the Heat Races is very important with this format,” the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Member said.
Kerry Madsen and Joey Saldana completed the top five. Balog, 20th-starting Logan Schuchart, Jason Johnson, 25th-starting Brad Sweet and Tim Shaffer completed the top ten. Sweet’s effort was good enough to earn KSE Hard Charger Honors.
The 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series concludes tomorrow with the finale of the Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway. If you can’t make it to the track, be sure to tune in to DIRTVision.com for LIVE VIDEO of all the action
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$12,000]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [1][$5,500]; 3. 71M-Dave Blaney [10][$3,200]; 4. 2M-Kerry Madsen [4][$2,800]; 5. 71-Joey Saldana [5][$2,500]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog [2][$2,300]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart [20][$2,200]; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [12][$2,100]; 9. 49-Brad Sweet [25][$1,050]; 10. 49X-Tim Shaffer [9][$2,000]; 11. 13M-Paul McMahan [11][$1,500]; 12. 21-Brian Brown [19][$1,200]; 13. 12N-Cole Duncan [23][$1,100]; 14. 2-Shane Stewart [15][$1,050]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [28][$]; 16. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [26][$]; 17. 5-David Gravel [7][$1,000]; 18. 3-Sammy Swindell [16][$1,000]; 19. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [6][$1,000]; 20. 17-Jac Haudenschild [29][$]; 21. 14-Tony Stewart [18][$1,000]; 22. 9-Daryn Pittman [8][$1,000]; 23. 44-Trey Starks [13][$1,000]; 24. 11K-Kraig Kinser [24][$1,000]; 25. 24-Terry McCarl [14][$1,000]; 26. 19-Brent Marks [27][$]; 27. 59-Ryan Smith [22][$1,000]; 28. 4-Parker Price-Miller [30][$]; 29. 15H-Sam Hafertepe [21][$1,000]; 30. W20-Greg Wilson [17][$1,000]; Lap Leaders: Bill Balog 1-9, Donny Schatz 10-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 49-Brad Sweet[+16]
Gravel, Starks Claim Top Qualifying Honors on Opening Night of World Finals; Schatz Clinches 2017 Title
CHARLOTTE, NC – November 2, 2017 – David Gravel and Trey Starks topped Friday and Saturday Qualifying, respectively, but it was Donny Schatz stealing the show on the opening night of the Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Schatz clinched his ninth World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Championship by taking the Green Flag in Hot Laps.
In true The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway fashion, the track surface held its condition throughout the evening. David Gravel set fast-time for Friday’s program with a lap of 12.530, over two hours and thousands of laps later, Trey Starks set fast-time for Saturday’s program with a lap of 12.606; a true accolade to The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway track preparation crew. Additionally, Starks was the second to last car, out of the 52 sprint cars signed in, to take time for Saturday’s program.
“It’s really nice to see the track didn’t change with all the laps put on it. As a driver, especially when you don’t draw well, that’s all you can ask for. The track being equal for everyone is a big key when you have a big car count,” Starks, who was fourth quick in Friday’s program, said following his Saturday fast-time effort.
“Fast time is obviously how you want to start any night. Hopefully we can park this CJB Motorsports on the frontstretch a couple of times this weekend,” Gravel, who was also third quick in Saturday’s program, said.
Daryn Pittman had a strong evening, setting fast time in Flight B for Friday’s program as well as going second quick for Saturday’s program. 2018 IRA Champion, Bill Balog cashed in with a pair of third place Qualifying runs.
Additionally, Joey Saldana, Kerry Madsen and Paul McMahan all set themselves up nicely with front row Heat Race positions for both nights. McMahan is making his first starts of the season in the Tom Buch owned No.13.
As for Donny Schatz, all the North Dakota native needed to do was take the Green in hot laps to clinch his ninth Series Championship. Schatz did more than just that, securing second quick for both programs this weekend. Schatz will seek his 20th win of the season this weekend at the Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Racing action for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series begins at the Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals tomorrow evening. You can catch all the action LIVE on DIRTVision.com; don’t miss a second of the action.
Outlaw Boot Hill Showdown at Dodge City Raceway Park Cancelled
CONCORD, NC — The arrival of Winter and the frigid northern cold blast has prompted an early cancellation of this weekend’s World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Outlaw Boot Hill Showdown at Dodge City Raceway Park.
“The Outlaw Boot Hill Showdown is traditionally an outstanding event that everyone looks forward to attending, however, in the best interest of the fans and racers that we have decided to cancel this weekend’s event at Dodge City Raceway Park,” said Series Director Carlton Reimers.
Track and Series officials are working together to determine a 2018 date for the Outlaw Boot Hill Showdown at Dodge City Raceway Park. Stay tuned to the World of Outlaws website and social media for future announcements of the Outlaw Boot Hill Showdown 2018 date.
All advanced tickets purchases will be honored at the 2018 date when announced. Ticket holders may request a refund by mailing their ticket stub back to World Racing Group office 7575 W Winds Blvd NW D, Concord, NC 28027 for a refund; refunds will not be issued at the track.
Dodge City Raceway Park has concluded the 2017 season.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series heads to The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the final weekend of the 2017 season. The most prestigious dirt racing event in the country, the Textron Off Road World Finals returns Nov. 2-4 for three days of heart-pounding, clay-slinging action on the lightning-fast, four-tenths mile oval. The Textron Off Road World Finals brings together the top series in the sport — the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series and the Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds — for a full weekend of racing, culminating in the crowning of all three series champions
Kerry Madsen Wins Outstanding Salina Highbanks Feature
SALINA, OK. – October 21, 2017 – Kerry Madsen had over an eight second lead last night at Lakeside Speedway before spinning in heavy lapped traffic. Tonight, the ‘Mad Man’ made sure he parked his GoMuddy.com No.2M where it belonged – on the frontstretch. In thrilling fashion, Madsen went from third to the lead in half a lap and went on to win his fifth World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature of the season. Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet completed the podium at the Salina Highbanks Speedway.
With severe weather looming in the area, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series was in a race against Mother Nature all night. David Gravel won the Craftsman Club Dash, but blew up coming to the checkered. Gravel and his CJB Motorsports No.5 scrambled to swap motors before the Feature and did so successfully.
Gravel edged fellow front row starter Brad Sweet down the backstretch on the opening lap. Sweet went for the lead with a slide job into turn three and made contact with Gravel at the exit of turn four, ending the CJB No.5’s evening.
“We were racing for inches at 130MPH and neither of us gave an inch,” Gravel said post-race in regard to the incident. “There just wasn’t enough room.”
Sweet survived the incident unscathed and led the field back to Green. Sweet pounded the cushion through lapped traffic as Kerry Madsen and Shane Stewart waged war for second.
At the halfway point, Sweet was in heavy lapped traffic and Stewart had wrestled second from Madsen. Sweet split two lapped cars on lap 19 and had a straightaway of clear track ahead of him.
By this point, the Salina Highbanks crowd was on their feet and with good reason as there were cars all over the racing surface throwing slide jobs in every corner.
On lap 24, Kerry Madsen used a big run down the backstretch to get back by Stewart for second and then threw a huge slider on Sweet to take the lead down the frontstretch. Sweet tried to return the favor as Donny Schatz stuck himself in the mix as well. A blanket could have been thrown over the top four, as they battled for the race lead.
Race action was halted on lap 28 when RJ Johnson took a vicious crash into the frontstretch guardrail. Johnson was uninjured in the incident and walked away under his own power.
The Red Flag allowed fans and drivers alike to catch their breath and set up a single-file restart with two to go.
Madsen powered away on the restart and went on to score the victory. “We gave one away last night,” the Australian said. “I’m glad I was able to put this car where it belongs. It is an absolute joy to drive every night.”
“Salina is always exciting and I thought that was pretty exciting. I hope the fans did as well,” Madsen added.
Schatz settled for second with Sweet completing the podium. “It’s tough with a single-file restart with two to go, you almost are just hoping to hang on for second,” Schatz said. “We’ll come back and try and pick up a pair of wins next weekend.”
Sweet led the first 23 laps and was understandably a little disappointed. “I was surprised I hit him. I was expecting him to turn back underneath me,” he said in reference to the lap one incident with Gravel. “I’ll have to go back and watch it.”
Shane Stewart and Jason Johnson completed the top five.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action next weekend at the Dodge City Raceway Park before wrapping up the 2017 season at the Textron Offroad World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen [2][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [5][$5,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [1][$3,200]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [4][$2,800]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$2,500]; 6. 18-Ian Madsen [9][$2,300]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6][$2,200]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [7][$2,100]; 9. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8][$2,050]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [13][$2,000]; 11. 99-Brady Bacon [11][$1,500]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [12][$1,200]; 13. W20-Greg Wilson [16][$1,100]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [19][$1,050]; 15. 4-Parker Price-Miller [15][$1,000]; 16. 13-Clyde Knipp [18][$900]; 17. 17B-Ryan Bickett [20][$800]; 18. 71A-R.J. Johnson [14][$800]; 19. 17-Jac Haudenschild [10][$800]; 20. 1P-Curtis Evans [21][$800]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [17][$800]; 22. 5-David Gravel [22][$800]; 23. 3-Sammy Swindell [23][$800] Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-22, Kerry Madsen 23-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 11K-Kraig Kinser[+5]
Brian Brown Thrills Hometown Crowd with Outlaw Win at Lakeside
KANSAS CITY, KS – October 20, 2017 – Brian Brown led the first seven laps before Kerry Madsen took command on the eighth circuit. Brown inherited the lead with 10 to go after Madsen got spun around in lapped traffic. ‘BlackJack’ went on to score a popular hometown win in the FVP Platinum Battery Shootout at the Lakeside Speedway. Sheldon Haudenschild and 12th starting Donny Schatz completed the podium.
Brown, who is sponsored by FVP, passed Brent Marks in his Heat Race to score the victory and came from third to win the Craftsman Club Dash to earn the pole of the FVP Platinum Battery Shootout.
Brown survived multiple slide job attempts from both Jac and Sheldon Haudenschild to maintain the early lead as he reached traffic on lap six. By lap eight, Kerry Madsen had worked his way forward from his fifth starting position, surpassed both Haudenschild’s and swooped underneath Brown for the lead.
Madsen, who has four World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series wins to his credit this season, clearly established himself as the car to beat once he took command. While Madsen stretched his lead, complete mayhem took place behind him with drivers utilizing all the real estate Lakeside Speedway had to offer. Sheldon Haudenschild and Brown continued their battle for the runner-up position, exchanging the spot multiple times.
Madsen was well on his way to scoring his fifth Outlaw win of the season before disaster struck on lap 20. Madsen got turned around in turn three and ended up with a flat right rear tire. At the time of the accident, Madsen had seven lapped cars and over 8.5 seconds in between himself and the rest of the field.
The see-saw battle between Sheldon and Brown saw the latter assume the lead on lap 20. On the ensuing restart, Schatz and Sheldon waged war for the runner-up position allowing Brown to extend his lead. Brown wouldn’t relinquish the lead twice on one night as he was masterful in lapped traffic the last few laps en route to the popular victory.
“My guys did a phenomenal job. These Outlaw races are so tough to win. You can feel the pressure in lapped traffic,” a jubilant Brown said in Victory Lane.
“I’ve won with the Outlaws in Arizona and North Carolina so I’ve never really been able to celebrate. To do it here, with all the FVP guys in attendance – we’ll celebrate with a few beers tonight,” the Grain Valley, Missouri native said to a big ovation from the crowd.
Sheldon, who remains the leading contender for Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, settled for second once again as he continues to knock on the door of his first career win with the Series. Schatz, Jason Johnson and Kerry Madsen, with a remarkable comeback completed the top five.
Madsen restarted 14th with ten laps to go and showed the same speed he had while leading, sliding his way forward back to fifth at the finish line.
After the race, Madsen was in good spirits, “Obviously it’s a huge disappointment when you have a car that good, but that’s racing. We’ll try again next time.”
Sheldon cited the great racing between he and Brown, although most of it was when they were battling for second. “We had some really good racing going on back there. I threw a couple of good sliders in the middle of the race but could never make it stick,” Sheldon said. He then added with a smile, “The track was absolutely perfect.”
Shane Stewart, David Gravel, Brad Sweet, Daryn Pittman and 21st-starting Logan Schuchart, who earned KSE Hard Charger honors, completed the top ten.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series is in action Saturday night, October 21, at the Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Oklahoma. If you can’t make it to the track, DIRTVision.com will have live video coverage of The Greatest Show on Dirt from the high banks of Salina. For more information on Saturday’s event at the Salina Highbanks, click here.
Feature: (30 Laps) 1. 21-Brian Brown [1][$10,000]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4][$5,500]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [12][$3,200]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$2,800]; 5. 2M-Kerry Madsen [5][$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [2][$2,300]; 7. 5-David Gravel [11][$2,200]; 8. 49-Brad Sweet [9][$2,100]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [7][$2,050]; 10. 1S-Logan Schuchart [21][$2,000]; 11. 18-Ian Madsen [17][$1,500]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [8][$1,200]; 13. 99-Brady Bacon [13][$1,100]; 14. 17-Jac Haudenschild [3][$1,050]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [16][$1,000]; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser [15][$900]; 17. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [22][$800]; 18. 82-Dusty Zomer [10][$800]; 19. 4-Parker Price-Miller [23][$800]; 20. W20-Greg Wilson [25][$]; 21. 55-Brooke Tatnell [18][$800]; 22. 3-Sammy Swindell [19][$800]; 23. 14-Tony Stewart [14][$800]; 24. 12-Lynton Jeffrey [20][$800]; 25. 1A-Jacob Allen [24][$800]; 26. 13-Clyde Knipp [26][$]: Lap Leaders: Brian Brown 1-7, 21-30; Kerry Madsen 8-20KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+11]
Tim Shaffer Goes Flag-to-Flag at Ransomville
RANSOMVILLE, New York – October 16, 2017 - The ‘Steel City Outlaw’ Tim Shaffer led flag-to-flag in the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series first visit to the Ransomville Speedway in 20 years. Shaffer fell off the narrow frontstretch in lapped traffic with two to go, but was able to corral his No. 49X and pilot it to his second World of Outlaws Feature win of the year. Brad Sweet and Shane Stewart completed the podium at ‘The Big R Outlaw Shootout’ presented by Budweiser.
The Craftsman Club Dash inversion was zero lining Shaffer on the pole of the Dash, which he would win to earn the pole of the 30-lap Feature.
Shaffer reached lapped traffic quickly and was nearly taken out by a spinning Dane Lorenc on lap eight. “I have no idea how we missed the 00,” was the first thing Shaffer mentioned after the race.
Sheldon Haudenschild brought out the only other caution on lap ten, as he was battling inside the top ten before a broken front axle sidelined the No.93.
Shaffer was untouchable in open air and had a commanding lead with ten to go with Brad Sweet and David Gravel waiting for lapped traffic to make their move in on the ‘Steel City Outlaw’. With three to go, Shaffer had to slow his pace significantly with a hoard of lapped cars battling for position in front him. Shaffer actually slipped off the frontstretch into the small moat with three to go, allowing Sweet and Gravel to close in. Shaffer recovered quickly and went to claim the win .581 seconds in front of Sweet.
“I thought I was in trouble when I slid off, but here we are,” the Aliquippa, Pennsylvania native said. Quite possibly the most remarkable feat of the victory was it was just Tim and his crew chief, Cody Jacobs, tonight at Ransomville. “Hats off to Cody, he gave me a great race car that was a lot of fun to drive,” Shaffer said sincerely in Victory Lane.
It was Shaffer’s second World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win in the past month as he scored a victory at Eldora in late September. Shaffer hinted that he and his Demyan-Rudzik Racing No.49X may head West with the Series to Kansas next week.
Sweet settled for second “My one shot was when Tim went off the edge. I’d like to do that lap over again,” the Grass Valley, California native cited. “It’s nice to be on the podium, we’ll keep pushing to get some wins,” Sweet added.
David Gravel blew a tire running third, coming to the checkered, allowing Shane Stewart to inherit the final podium spot. “Lately, I’ve been the one blowing tires,” Stewart said with a smile as he expressed his condolences to Gravel. “I’m thankful to be here, we’ll settle for third and move forward,” Stewart added.
Donny Schatz finished fourth with Gravel limping the CJB Motorsports No.5 to the finish to complete the top five.
Schatz set fast time over the 32-car field in qualifying at a 12.629 easily establishing a new Ransomville Track Record. The previous track record was 14.360 set by Mark Kinser back in 1997.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series schedule is winding down, as the Series makes one final trek West to compete at the Lakeside Speedway Friday October 20 and the Salina Highbanks Speedway the following night. After that, The Greatest Show on Dirt has two dates at the Dodge City Raceway Park on October 27-28 before heading to The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the World of Outlaws World Finals on November 2-4.
Feature (30 laps): 1. 49X-Tim Shaffer [2][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1][$5,500]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3][$3,200]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [5][$2,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [4][$2,500]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [6][$2,300]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [7][$2,200]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [8][$2,100]; 9. 17-Jac Haudenschild [17][$2,050]; 10. 41-Jason Johnson [15][$2,000]; 11. 4-Parker Price-Miller [10][$1,500]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [14][$1,200]; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart [13][$1,100]; 14. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [9][$1,050]; 15. 1A-Jacob Allen [12][$1,000]; 16. 7S-Jason Sides [19][$900]; 17. 10-Paul Colagiovanni [24][$800]; 18. 49K-Scott Kreutter [16][$800]; 19. W20-Greg Wilson [23][$800]; 20. 13-Clyde Knipp [21][$800]; 21. 5B-Justin Barger [20][$800]; 22. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [11][$800]; 23. OO-Dane Lorenc [22][$800]; 24. 19P-Paige Polyak [18][$800]; Lap Leaders: Tim Shaffer 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 17-Jac Haudenschild[+8]
Qualifying: 1. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.629; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.738; 3. 5-David Gravel, 12.877; 4. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.956; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 12.97; 6. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 12.973; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.002; 8. 19-Brent Marks, 13.022; 9. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.057; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.094; 11. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.113; 12. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.185; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.193; 14. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.216; 15. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.262; 16. 49K-Scott Kreutter, 13.264; 17. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 13.267; 18. 19P-Paige Polyak, 13.273; 19. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.342; 20. 5R-Tyler Ross, 13.432; 21. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.462; 22. OO-Dane Lorenc, 13.524; 23. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.562; 24. 5B-Justin Barger, 13.575; 25. 19JK-Joe Kubiniec, 13.801; 26. 10-Paul Colagiovanni, 13.814; 27. 18X-Ryan Susice, 13.927; 28. 7K-Dan Shetler, 14; 29. 98-Joeseph Trenca, 14.165; 30. 36-Matt Billings, 14.413; 31. 58-Joe Lockhart, 14.54; 32. 54J-Scott Just, 14.654
Donny Schatz Downs ‘The Posse’ and Claims 19th Win of Season at Port Royal
PORT ROYAL, PA – October 14, 2017 – Donny Schatz passed Port Royal Speedway Track Champion, Brock Zearfoss on lap 18 and survived a late charge from Lance Dewease to extend his points lead atop the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Point Standings and score his 19th win of the season. Dewease and 10th starting Daryn Pittman completed the podium at Port Royal.
The Craftsman Club Dash Inversion was eight, putting Zearfoss on the pole. Zearfoss, who scored his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory back in July at Williams Grove, led all six laps of the Dash to earn the pole of the 30-lap Feature.
Zearfoss edged fellow front row starter, Jason Sides to lead lap one. As Zearfoss extended his lead, Schatz worked by Sides for the runner-up position on lap three. It didn’t take long for the leaders to catch traffic as Zearfoss did so on lap six. The Jonestown, Pennsylvania native was strong in traffic, utilizing the top of the Speedway to clear the first five or so lapped cars. Just as Schatz began cutting into Zearfoss’ lead, last year’s event winner, Logan Schuchart came to a stop with 14 laps complete.
On the ensuing double-file restart, Zearfoss choose the bottom but quickly made his way back to the top of the racing surface. Schatz attempted a pair of sliders in turn one, but Zearfoss never lifted and maintained the lead. On lap 18, Zearfoss went a couple car lengths lower in turns one and two allowing Schatz to get enough momentum down the backstretch and take command going into turn three.
A lap later, Tim Shaffer brought out the yellow with 11 laps remaining with Schatz as your leader. Schatz, who chose the inside for the double-file restart, got a good restart, allowing Lance Dewease to work by Zearfoss for second. As Dewease and Schatz put distance between themselves and the rest of the field, Zearfoss began to fade, eventually bringing out the caution with two to go, out of fuel.
The restart gave Pennsylvania Posse member Lance Dewease one last chance to steal the victory for the hometown crowd. Dewease stayed right on the back bumper of the Tony Stewart Racing No.15 on the restart and brought the crowd to their feet with a slide job into turn one. Schatz stayed on the hammer and powered back in front down the backstretch and went to win by .792 seconds.
When asked about the restart with two go Schatz said, “I knew [Lance] was going to try something. We weren’t the greatest on the start, but once we got up to speed I could move around the racetrack. He races clean. He gave me just enough room to get by. We come here for excitement and that got me excited so I hope it got the crowd into it too.”
Schatz, who is en route to his ninth Series Championship, was pleased to get his first win since the West Coast swing, “We need to get these wins. It seems like it’s been a while. With the season coming to an end, we’ve got to get these wins. It’s good to get one in PA.”
Dewease, who has 106 career Port Royal Speedway victories, was happy with second. “That’s all we had,” he said in regard to the late race restart slider. “[Donny] was really good all night. We’re happy to end the year with a ninth to second run against these guys,” Dewease added.
Before Daryn Pittman could comment on his 10th to third run, he applauded the Port Royal Speedway. “Our guys work really hard on our racecars, so it’s fun to go to tracks that you can see the effort they put into the track. For a driver that only gets here once a year, you see the huge differences and improvements,” Pittman, who spent a handful of years racing as a local in Central Pennsylvania, said.
“With the way we started, we’ll take third,” Pittman, who fell as far back as 11th, said. “Late restarts went our way and some holes opened up. The track was nice and wide for the Feature, the best cars ended up winning and running up front. As a racer, that’s all you can ask for,” the Oklahoma native added.
Schatz echoed the positive statements about the improvements. “This place is incredible. The improvements, the lighting, everything. It’s crazy the amount of work and financial effort Port Royal is putting in. When you come here, you know the parking lot will be full; the pits will be full and you’ll see a race,” the eight-time series Champion said to a nice applause from the Pennsylvania fans.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action in New York Sunday evening at the Weedsport Speedway and again at the Ransomville Speedway Monday night. Both races are makeup rain dates from earlier this year. DIRTVision.com will have live video coverage of all the action from Weedsport Sunday. For more information about the Empire State Challenge at the Weedsport Speedway, click here.
Feature: (30 Laps) 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$10,000]; 2. 69K-Lance Dewease [9][$5,500]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [10][$3,200]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$2,800]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$2,500]; 6. 71M-Dave Blaney [4][$2,300]; 7. 48-Danny Dietrich [8][$2,200]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7][$2,100]; 9. 17-Jac Haudenschild [13][$2,050]; 10. 5-David Gravel [22][$2,000]; 11. 2-Shane Stewart [25][$700]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [21][$1,200]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [14][$1,100]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [11][$1,050]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [2][$1,000]; 16. 20-Ryan Taylor [12][$900]; 17. 11-T.J. Stutts [18][$800]; 18. 19P-Paige Polyak [15][$800]; 19. 14-Tony Stewart [20][$800]; 20. W20-Greg Wilson [17][$800]; 21. 4-Parker Price-Miller [16][$800]; 22. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [1][$800]; 23. 49X-Tim Shaffer [23][$800]; 24. 1S-Logan Schuchart [19][$800]; 25. 39-Cory Haas [24][$800]; 26. 24-Lucas Wolfe [26][$]; Lap Leaders: Brock Zearfoss 1-17, Donny Schatz 18-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 2-Shane Stewart[+14]
David Gravel, CJB Score 17th Win of Season at Fulton
FULTON, NY – October 7, 2017 – David Gravel inherited the lead on lap nine after race leader Daryn Pittman got into the back of a slower car and spun to a stop. Gravel survived a multitude of restarts and held off Jason Johnson and Donny Schatz to score his career-best 17th win of the season for CJB Motorsports at the Fulton Speedway Saturday night in conjunction with NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week.
Daryn Pittman muscled his way from fourth to second in his heat race, setting him up perfectly for the Craftsman Club Dash inversion of four. Pittman outdueled Jac Haudenschild in an entertaining Dash to earn the pole of the 25-lap Feature.
At the drop of the Green, Pittman and fellow front row starter Jason Johnson preferred the bottom line, while David Gravel was banging down the cushion. Pittman had a healthy lead when he reached lapped traffic before disaster struck. Clyde Knipp was trying to pull off the racing surface, got on the brakes and Pittman hit the back of the Knipp and spun to a stop in front of the field off of turn four with eight laps complete. Pittman went to the work area and re-joined the field while Knipp called it a night.
Gravel assumed the lead and battled hard with Johnson on the ensuing restart as Donny Schatz maneuvered his way from his eighth-starting position to third. Another caution flag flew on lap 11 with Scott Kreutter, Parker Price-Miller and Paige Polyak, who qualified for her first ever Craftsman Club Dash earlier in the night, stopped in turn four.
Gravel continued to show the way on restarts and utilized the entire racing surface searching for the fastest way around.
A pair of yellows on lap 21 and 24 gave Johnson and the rest of the field chances to steal the win, to no avail as Gravel took the checkered flag nearly a second in front of Johnson and Schatz.
“The track got so technical. The top was good, then the bottom was good, then I thought the bottom was too slow,” Gravel explained in Victory Lane.
“I ran just about every line you could run tonight,” the driver of the CJB Motorsports No.5 said with a smile.
Greg Wilson charged from 14th to fourth with ‘The Wild Child’ Jac Haudenschild completing the top five. World of Outlaws Rookie Brent Marks had a strong night coming home sixth with 13th-starting Kraig Kinser finishing seventh.
Jason Johnson was pleased with his team’s runner-up efforts. “We gave it our best shot tonight. I did my best to race clean and hard and finishing between [Gravel and Schatz] is an accomplishment in itself,” Johnson said.
Brad Sweet, 22nd-starting Mike Mahaney and Sheldon Haudenschild completed the top ten. Mahaney, who is qualified for Sunday’s Billy Whittaker Cars and Trux 200 at the Oswego Speedway, picked up the KSE Hard Charger award.
Donny Schatz, who extended his points lead, said, “We battled the best we could. That’s what you have to do to win a championship.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action next Saturday at the Port Royal Speedway for one final date with the Pennsylvania Posse before returning to New York for a pair of rain date events at the Weedsport Speedway and Ransomville Speedway Sunday and Monday October 15 and 16, respectively. Information on all three of these events are available on the World of Outlaws website.
NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week concludes Sunday afternoon at the Oswego with Championship events for the Big Block Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds and Pro Stocks. Sunday’s Billy Whittaker Cars and Trux 200 for the Big Blocks will pay a hefty $50,000 to the winner. For all things, Super DIRT Week, vist SuperDIRTWeekOnline.com!
Feature: (26 Laps due to green-white-checkered finish) 1. 5-David Gravel [4][$10,000]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [2][$5,500]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [8][$3,200]; 4. W20-Greg Wilson [14][$2,800]; 5. 17-Jac Haudenschild [3][$2,500]; 6. 19-Brent Marks [9][$2,300]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$2,200]; 8. 49-Brad Sweet [7][$2,100]; 9. 33-Mike Mahaney [22][$2,050]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$2,000]; 11. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$1,500]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [10][$1,200]; 13. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$1,100]; 14. 4-Parker Price-Miller [20][$1,050]; 15. 9-Daryn Pittman [1][$1,000]; 16. 10-Paul Colagiovanni [19][$900]; 17. 49K-Scott Kreutter [15][$800]; 18. 87-Jason Barney [23][$800]; 19. 1S-Logan Schuchart [11][$800]; 20. 99L-Larry Wight [12][$800]; 21. 7-Ed Aikin [18][$800]; 22. 19P-Paige Polyak [6][$800]; 23. 13-Clyde Knipp [24][$800]; 24. 10K-Joe Kata [17][$800]; Lap Leaders: Daryn Pittman 1-8, David Gravel 9-26; KSE Hard Charger Award: 33-Mike Mahaney[+13]
David Gravel, CJB Pocket $50,000 in Williams Grove National Open Victory
MECHANICSBURG, PA – September 30, 2017 – David Gravel passed Donny Schatz for the lead on lap six and went on to capture his 16th win of the season aboard the CJB Motorsports entry. It was Gravel’s second career Champion Racing Oil National Open win at Williams Grove worth $50,000. Schatz and James McFadden completed the podium.
David Gravel was second in National Open event points, lining him up second in the Craftsman Club Dash. Gravel went on to win the event, lining him up on the pole of the $50,000 to win, 40-lap Feature.
Donny Schatz got the jump on the initial start and led the first five laps before Gravel took the lead on the front stretch, leading lap six. Friday night’s winner, James McFadden worked by Schatz on lap 18 just before the yellow came out for a slowing Brian Montieth.
On the ensuing double-file restart, Gravel opted for the top giving McFadden the bottom, a somewhat unexpected move.
“I made a mistake and gave McFadden the bottom, luckily I was able to get around him on the top in three and four,” a relieved Gravel said in Victory Lane.
McFadden hit the rubber off of turn two and took the lead down the backstretch and led lap 19, before Gravel powered back around the Australian the following lap. The next circuit Shane Stewart shredded a tire running sixth bringing out another yellow.
Schatz worked by McFadden on the restart and set his eyes on the CJB Motorsports No.5. A red flag on lap 28 for Jason Johnson, Kraig Kinser and Shane Stewart brought out an open red. All drivers were okay.
With the bottom being the preferred line around, Gravel was forced to slow his pace as he closed in on the back of the field. Schatz cut the lead down and was on Gravel’s bumper as they received the two to go signal. Before Schatz could make a move, the final yellow of the night flew for Brian Brown, who cut down a tire running in the top ten.
The caution gave Gravel an open track which secured the $50,000 payday for he and the CJB Motorsports No.5 team.
“It’s been a special year. I’m happy to solidify my place here with 3 wins at Williams Grove this season,” Gravel said. “I wish we could have raced a little more tonight, but I’ll take it.”
Schatz settled for second. “We hit traffic and needed to stay there if we wanted a chance to get back by for the lead. We’ll try and pick up some more wins this year and get that Championship,” the eight-time and defending and current Series point leader said.
McFadden wished he would have been more aggressive once taking the lead, but was nonetheless happy with his weekend. His finish was easily good enough to secure the National Open Rookie Award worth $2,250 thanks to BeerHill Gang TV.
20th-starting Logan Schuchart earned the KSE Hard Charger award coming to fourth with Daryn Pittman completing the top five. Greg Hodnett, Kerry Madsen, Sheldon Haudenschild, 16th starting Brock Zearfoss and Jason Sides completed the top ten.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action next Saturday October 7 at the Fulton Speedway in New York before returning to Central Pennsylvania the following weekend at the Port Royal Speedway.
Feature: (40 Laps) 1. 5-David Gravel [1][$50,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$12,000]; 3. 3-James McFadden [6][$7,500]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [20][$4,000]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [3][$3,500]; 6. 27-Greg Hodnett [9][$3,000]; 7. 2M-Kerry Madsen [5][$2,700]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [11][$2,500]; 9. 58-Brock Zearfoss [16][$2,200]; 10. 7S-Jason Sides [8][$2,100]; 11. 24-Lucas Wolfe [10][$2,000]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [14][$1,650]; 13. 18-Ian Madsen [12][$1,550]; 14. 51-Freddie Rahmer [25][$300]; 15. 39-Cory Haas [22][$1,100]; 16. 1-Dale Blaney [24][$1,050]; 17. 41-Jason Johnson [15][$1,000]; 18. 48-Danny Dietrich [18][$950]; 19. 49-Brad Sweet [21][$950]; 20. 17-Jac Haudenschild [19][$950]; 21. 21-Brian Brown [13][$900]; 22. 2-Shane Stewart [7][$900]; 23. 69K-Lance Dewease [4][$900]; 24. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17][$900]; 25. 11-T.J. Stutts [26][$]; 26. 21P-Brian Montieth [23][$900]; Lap Leaders: Donny Schatz 1-5; David Gravel 6-18, 20-40; James McFadden 19; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart [+16]
Australian James McFadden Scores First Career World of Outlaws Victory at Williams Grove
MECHANICSBURG, PA – September 29, 2017 – Australian James McFadden scored his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win in exciting fashion holding off Greg Hodnett and Donny Schatz to win the second night of the Williams Grove Champion Racing Oil National Open. Heading into tomorrow's finale, Donny Schatz leads the National Open points and will be locked in to tomorrow’s Craftsman Club Dash. David Gravel, McFadden and Daryn Pittman are also locked in to tomorrow’s Dash.
McFadden, who has spent the majority of the past two Summer's running in Central Pennsylvania for Matt Highlands, won his heat race and the Craftsman Club Dash to earn the pole of the 25-lap Feature.
Racing was delayed twice due to rain throughout the evening, once during the C Main and again after the initial start of the Feature.
After the final rain delay, McFadden got the jump on the complete restart over fellow front row starter, Greg Hodnett. A lap three red flag for Jac Haudenschild, who went for a wild ride after Danny Dietrich and Trey Starks got together, halted the action. Haudenschild walked away from the incident. On the ensuing double-file restart, Dale Blaney received contact and ended up on the hook setting up a single-file start.
McFadden once again was strong extending his lead as he approached traffic. McFadden had no problems with the first few lapped cars but was slowed significantly as he approached Alan Krimes, on the bottom, and Brian Brown, on the cushion.
“The track was equal. The bottom and the top were nearly the same speed. Krimes kept hitting the bottom perfectly and Brown was flirting with that cushion. I nearly destroyed myself and ended up in the trees trying to get by them,” McFadden said.
McFadden followed Krimes and Brown for the better part of the last ten laps, waiting to make a move. McFadden eventually got around Krimes but then was pinched hard by Brown, forcing him across the track allowing Krimes to get back by down low and more importantly allow Greg Hodnett and Donny Schatz to be on the leader’s back bumper.
Luckily for McFadden, he was able to work through lapped traffic and fend off a late race effort from both Hodnett and Schatz to score both his first career World of Outlaws and Williams Grove win.
“This is pretty amazing. I have never won on a half-mile before and to do so in Pennsylvania is pretty crazy,” an elated McFadden said in Victory Lane. The result was good enough for McFadden to lock into tomorrow’s Craftsman Club Dash as he sits third in event points.
Hodnett, who finished just .244 behind McFadden, and Schatz completed the podium. Brad Sweet and Shane Stewart completed the top five.
The Champion Racing Oil National Open comes down to Saturday night where the winner will take home a hefty $50,000 check.
Feature: (25 Laps) 1. 3-James McFadden [1][$10,000]; 2. 27-Greg Hodnett [2][$5,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$3,000]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [6][$2,700]; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$2,500]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$2,200]; 7. 18-Ian Madsen [8][$2,000]; 8. 24-Lucas Wolfe [7][$1,800]; 9. 2M-Kerry Madsen [10][$1,600]; 10. 5-David Gravel [12][$1,450]; 11. 69K-Lance Dewease [21][$1,300]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [11][$1,200]; 13. 9-Daryn Pittman [20][$1,100]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [9][$1,000]; 15. 11-T.J. Stutts [15][$950]; 16. 58-Brock Zearfoss [16][$900]; 17. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [23][$850]; 18. 94-Ryan Smith [17][$750]; 19. 21-Brian Brown [18][$725]; 20. 87-Alan Krimes [24][$700]; 21. 11K-Kraig Kinser [19][$700]; 22. 44-Trey Starks [14][$700]; 23. 21P-Brian Montieth [27][$]; 24. 48-Danny Dietrich [13][$700]; 25. 1-Dale Blaney [22][$700]; 26. 17-Jac Haudenschild [25][$]; 27. 51-Freddie Rahmer [26][$]; Lap Leaders: James McFadden 1-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 69K-Lance Dewease[+10]
Greg Hodnett Pockets $20,000 in Summer Nationals Makeup Feature
MECHANICSBURG, PA – Greg Hodnett’s eventful evening was capped off in style as he led all 30 laps to score the $20,000 Summer Nationals Makeup Feature from July. Lucas Wolfe came from eighth to finish second with Donny Schatz completing the podium.
Hodnett started on the front row and was strong from the drop of the green edging fellow front row starter, David Gravel early on. Gravel and Danny Dietrich had a spirited battle for second with the eventually latter taking over. Dietrich was strong on the cushion in turns one and two and closed on Hodnett significantly as the Heffner Racing No.27 was stuck in lapped traffic.
On lap 13, Dietrich got another big run coming off of turn two and dove to the inside of Hodnett down the long Williams Grove backstretch. Hodnett slammed the door on Dietrich, with the two making contact and Dietrich ending up backwards atop turn three. Brian Montieth, who was running sixth, was left with nowhere to go and was collected in the accident. Hodnett’s car was unscathed as he continued to lead.
The ensuing restart saw Lucas Wolfe charge into second with Donny Schatz following him into third. By the end of the 30-lap Feature the racing surface was exhausted with the bottom being the preferred line for most drivers. Hodnett went on to win over Wolfe, Schatz, Daryn Pittman and Gravel completing the top five.
“Didn’t want to crash in the first Feature. After that, the last thing I wanted to do was get together with Danny [Dietrich] in this one. I’m very fortunate to be standing here now,” Hodnett said in Victory Lane.
Wolfe, who came forward from eighth, said, “We were able to get going up top early, but once we got to the front we couldn’t get close enough to make a run for the lead. This was a good way to end the night. Hopefully we can be back up here tomorrow.”
For the second time in the evening, Freddie Rahmer was the KSE Hard Charger, this time coming from 26th to 11th.
Racing action continues in the Champion Racing Oil National Open Friday evening with another complete program. DIRTVision.com has you covered with live video of all the action if you can’t make it to the track.
Feature: (30 Laps)1. 27-Greg Hodnett [1][$20,000]; 2. 24-Lucas Wolfe [8][$12,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [9][$6,000]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [6][$5,250]; 5. 5-David Gravel [2][$4,500]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$4,000]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [10][$3,500]; 8. 69K-Lance Dewease [11][$3,000]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$2,750]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [15][$2,500]; 11. 51-Freddie Rahmer [26][$2,300]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [7][$2,250]; 13. 41-Jason Johnson [16][$2,000]; 14. 44-Trey Starks [14][$1,600]; 15. 3H-James McFadden [19][$1,500]; 16. 1-Dale Blaney [18][$1,300]; 17. 16-Matt Campbell [13][$1,250]; 18. 19-Brent Marks [17][$1,050]; 19. 4-Parker Price-Miller [23][$1,050]; 20. 11K-Kraig Kinser [25][$50]; 21. 29-Danny Dietrich [3][$1,000]; 22. 21-Brian Montieth [12][$1,000]; 23. 39M-Anthony Macri [20][$1,000]; 24. 17B-Steve Buckwalter [24][$1,000]; 25. 25-Aaron Ott [22][$1,000]; Lap Leaders: Greg Hodnett 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 51-Freddie Rahmer[+15]
David Gravel Wins Opening Night of Champion Racing Oil National Open
Mechanicsburg, PA – September 29, 2017 – David Gravel assumed the lead after race leaders Greg Hodnett and Shane Stewart got together on lap nine. Gravel led the rest of the way, but not without a fight from Daryn Pittman and Lance Dewease, who finished second and third. Pittman and Dewease finished within a second of Gravel at the finish.
Greg Hodnett set fast time overall, won his heat and the Craftsman Club Dash and led the opening nine laps of the Feature. Hodnett’s lead dwindled as Shane Stewart closed in on the bottom of the half-mile. Stewart made his move for the lead off of turn four coming to the line on lap ten but made contact with Hodnett sending the Heffner Racing No.27 into the front stretch guardrail spinning. Hodnett miraculously kept the car going and was able to restart in second after the caution was thrown.
On the ensuing restart, Hodnett tried to slide Stewart for the lead in turns one and two pushing the Larson/Marks No.2 up the track. Stewart maintained the lead underneath the famous backstretch Williams Grove bridge. Hodnett drove into turn three hard making heavy contact with Stewart sending both cars into the fence hard. A costly move for both drivers in the National Open weekend point standings. Stewart was able to restart, but Hodnett was not.
Gravel, who narrowly missed being collected in the aforementioned accident, assumed the lead as Pittman and Dewease waged war behind him for the runner-up spot. As Gravel closed in on traffic, Pittman and Dewease closed in, to no avail as the CJB Motorsports No.5 collected their 15th win of the season. Donny Schatz and local Cory Haas completed the top five. Williams Grove point leader Freddie Rahmer picked up KSE Hard Charger Award coming from 21st to eighth.
“I don’t know how I didn’t crash,” Gravel said in Victory Lane referencing the Stewart/Hodnett accident. “I can’t thank all guys, sponsors and everyone that makes this CJB team so strong enough.”
Pittman, who came close to Gravel in the closing laps, was pleased with his night, “We had a really solid night. Hopefully we can qualify well tomorrow again and be up front. Saturday is where our focus is at.”
Feature: 1. 5-David Gravel [4][$10,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [3][$5,000]; 3. 69K-Lance Dewease [5][$3,000]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [6][$2,700]; 5. 39-Cory Haas [7][$2,500]; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8][$2,200]; 7. 2M-Kerry Madsen [12][$2,000]; 8. 51-Freddie Rahmer [21][$1,800]; 9. 21-Brian Brown [11][$1,600]; 10. 49-Brad Sweet [19][$1,450]; 11. 19-Brent Marks [18][$1,300]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [9][$1,200]; 13. 48-Danny Dietrich [26][$400]; 14. 21P-Brian Montieth [13][$1,000]; 15. 3-James McFadden [14][$950]; 16. 4-Parker Price-Miller [10][$900]; 17. 1-Dale Blaney [23][$850]; 18. 11K-Kraig Kinser [20][$750]; 19. 18-Ian Madsen [16][$725]; 20. 24-Lucas Wolfe [22][$700]; 21. 41-Jason Johnson [25][$]; 22. 2-Shane Stewart [2][$700]; 23. 39M-Anthony Macri [27][$]; 24. 16-Matt Campbell [17][$700]; 25. 58-Brock Zearfoss [24][$700]; 26. 17-Jac Haudenschild [15][$700]; 27. 27-Greg Hodnett [1][$700] Lap Leaders: Greg Hodnett 1-9, Shane Stewart 10, David Gravel 11-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 51-Freddie Rahmer[+13]
Gravel On Top At Lernerville
SARVER, PA – David Gravel survived a pair of late caution flags and held off Brad Sweet to pick up his 14th victory of the season at Lernerville in the running of the Commonwealth Clash. Gravel saw the white flag on two separate occasions only to see a caution come out both times. Gravel led all 37 (extended because of the yellows) laps over Sweet and Donny Schatz.
Gravel and the CJB Motorsports team, who did a scheduled engine change after Qualifying, won their heat race before finishing second in the Craftsman Club Dash.
Gravel got the jump on fellow front row starter Brad Sweet and led the opening three laps before a Red Flag for Jason Sides, who took a wild crash on the front stretch and off of turn one, stopped the action. Thankfully, Sides walked away from the accident under his own power.
On the ensuing restart, Sweet took the lead from Gravel down the backstretch but a caution for Lernerville Track Champion AJ Flick, who had major front end damage, negated the pass.
On lap eight, fourth-place running Daryn Pittman jumped the tricky cushion in turn four bringing out the caution. A handful of laps later Brent Marks, who was running in the top ten, suffered the same fate.
Brad Sweet fell off the banking in turn two allowing Sheldon Haudenschild to take over the second spot at the time of the open red flag on lap 14. Sheldon began closing in on Gravel, before making the same mistake as Sweet off of two and letting the aforementioned re-gain second.
As laps winded down, Gravel grappled with heavy lapped traffic allowing Sweet to close in. Sweet lurked behind the CJB Motorsports No.5 before making a bid for the lead with a slide job attempt off of turn four, to no avail. The unsuccessful slider allowed Gravel to pull away.
On the final circuit, Danny Holtgraver ended up backwards in turn two setting up a Green, White, Checkered finish. Gravel again commanded control on the restart before taking the white flag, only to see another caution. Gravel was strong once again on the restart and this time went on to pick up the victory.
“I didn’t really know what to do. I knew I didn’t want to give the bottom away,” Gravel said about the multiple restarts. “I saw Brad stick his nose under me early and I knew I had to step it up,” the Watertown, CT native said in Victory Lane.
“Once David got control, it was tough to get by him. We had lots of chances in lapped traffic, but could not get the job done,” Sweet said following his runner-up finish.
Donny Schatz quietly worked his way forward from seventh to complete the podium. Shane Stewart and Friday’s winner at Eldora, Tim Shaffer completed the top five. Kraig Kinser, Jason Johnson, Daryn Pittman (from the rear), Logan Schuchart and Chris Andrews completed the top ten. Danny Holtgraver picked up the KSE Hard Charger award.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action this Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the heart of Pennsylvania Posse country, at the Williams Grove Speedway. The unique 3-day Champion Racing Oil National Open awaits The Greatest Show on Dirt. Saturday’s National Open finale pays a whopping $50,000 to win.
Lernerville Speedway – September 23, 2017
Feature - (37 Laps due to green-white-checkered restarts): 1. 5-David Gravel [2][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1][$5,500]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [7][$3,200]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$2,800]; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer [10][$2,500]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [6][$2,300]; 7. 41-Jason Johnson [11][$2,200]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$2,100]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [13][$2,050]; 10. 16-Chris Andrews [18][$2,000]; 11. D4-Danny Holtgraver [20][$1,500]; 12. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [3][$1,200]; 13. W20-Greg Wilson [17][$1,100]; 14. 19-Brent Marks [12][$1,050]; 15. 98-Carl Bowser [15][$1,000]; 16. 17-Jac Haudenschild [8][$900]; 17. 42-Sye Lynch [21][$800]; 18. 13-Clyde Knipp [16][$800]; 19. 7K-Dan Shetler [22][$800]; 20. 4-Parker Price-Miller [9][$800]; 21. 40-George Hobaugh [23][$800]; 22. 58-Joe Lockhart [24][$800]; 23. 76-David Jones [25][$]; 24. 2F-A.J. Flick [14][$800]; 25. 7S-Jason Sides [19][$800]; Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-37; KSE Hard Charger Award: D4-Danny Holtgraver[+9]
Shaffer Scores At Eldora
ROSSBURG, OH – September 22, 2017 - The ‘Steel City Outlaw’ Tim Shaffer held off Donny Schatz to win the Night Before the 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora. Shaffer was strong all night going second quick in his Flight in qualifying, winning his heat and scoring the Craftsman Club Dash victory. As laps winded down, Schatz closed significantly in on Shaffer, but couldn’t pull ahead. The margin of victory was .227 seconds. Joey Saldana came forward to complete the podium.
Shaffer earned the pole by winning the Craftsman Club Dash, where Shane Stewart moved from fourth to second to earn the other front row starting spot. Shaffer, who has an Eldora win earlier this year with the Arctic Cat All-Star Circuit of Champions got the early jump in the Feature working the top side of the famous half-mile. Stewart was closing in on Shaffer before shredding a right rear tire on lap 13. It was the second consecutive night, dating back to last weekend at Calistoga, Stewart lost a tire running in second.
Schatz assumed second as Shaffer once again stretched his lead. With ten laps to go, Shaffer had a comfortable lead as he reached traffic. Schatz began working the line a car-length off of the cushion and closing on the leader, noticeably in turns three and four.
With two to go, Schatz looked poised to make his bid for the lead, but Shaffer’s momentum on the top side of the Speedway was too much as he became the 18th different winner with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series in 2017.
“That’s a great team,” Shaffer said in Victory Lane in regards to Donny Schatz / Tony Stewart Racing No.15 group. “We have a great team too, we keep building and getting better. We’ve got wins all over this year, but to get an Outlaw win at Eldora is really special. This is one tough place,” Shaffer said upon exiting his Demyan-Rudzik Racing No.49X.
Schatz credited Shaffer, “Second sucks, we just couldn’t find a way around them. They were really good. We’ll take it and move on.”
Joey Saldana completed the podium in the Indy Race Parts No.71. “We had a really good car. I felt like I could move around in lapped traffic. The track was so fast. We had a lot of fun,” the Brownsburg, Indiana native said.
Jason Johnson and David Gravel completed the top five. Brent Marks picked up KSE Hard Charger Honors coming from 22nd to finish eighth. Early race contender Shane Stewart made it back to 13th.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series travels to Western Pennsylvania Saturday evening for the Commonwealth Clash at the Lernerville Speedway in Sarver.
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 49X-Tim Shaffer [1][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$5,500]; 3. 71-Joey Saldana [6][$3,200]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$2,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [7][$2,500]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [11][$2,300]; 7. 24-Rico Abreu [5][$2,200]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [22][$2,100]; 9. 10H-Chad Kemenah [19][$2,050]; 10. 17-Jac Haudenschild [13][$2,000]; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman [15][$1,500]; 12. 2-Shane Stewart [2][$1,200]; 13. 18-Ian Madsen [9][$1,100]; 14. W20-Greg Wilson [10][$1,050]; 15. 12N-Cole Duncan [21][$1,000]; 16. 1ST-Gary Taylor [12][$900]; 17. 4-Parker Price-Miller [24][$800]; 18. 7S-Jason Sides [18][$800]; 19. 1S-Logan Schuchart [17][$800]; 20. 5T-Travis Philo [23][$800]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [16][$800]; 22. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [14][$800]; 23. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8][$800]; 24. 99-Brady Bacon [20][$800]; Lap Leaders: Tim Shaffer 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 19-Brent Marks[+14]
Schatz back on top
CALISTOGA, CA – September 16, 2017 – Donny Schatz passed Brad Sweet on lap 25 to pick up his 18th win of the season Saturday night at Calistoga Speedway. Sweet, who swept Friday’s event, held off a charge from Shane Stewart, who succumbed to a flat tire, before giving way to Schatz in heavy lapped traffic. Daryn Pittman surged late for second while Sweet settled for third.
It has been far from easy the last two weeks for the eight-time and defending champion. Schatz was forced to use a provisional both nights at Chico last weekend and had to switch to a backup car last night. It was evident Schatz wanted to wrap up the West Coast swing on a good note.
Schatz assumed second on lap 10 after Shane Stewart was forced pit-side with a flat tire and lurked behind Sweet’s Ollie’s Bargain Outlet No.49 as he maneuvered through lapped traffic around the half-mile. Sweet hiccupped in traffic on lap 22, allowing the rest of the field to close in. As Schatz began to make the bottom work, Jason Johnson pulled outside of Schatz looking to make a move of his own.
“I knew someone was outside of me. I had to go,” Schatz said. Go he did, as Schatz darted to the bottom and slid up on Sweet to take command on lap 25. Sweet tried to return the favor but incidentally let Johnson get by for second.
An open red on lap 27 set up a three-lap dash to the finish. Schatz was strong on the restart as Pittman, who restarted fourth, slid underneath Johnson and Sweet to take second. The maneuvering behind him allowed Schatz to go unchallenged the final three laps and score his 18th victory of the season.
When asked about his troubles last night, Schatz said, “It was just one of those nights. You don’t know if it’s a nightmare or a freak show.” “That’s racing, you have to battle through adversity. These guys never stopped working and here we are,” he added.
Pittman, who was working out the bugs of a new car, was happy with the progress his Great Clips No.9 made throughout the evening, “We didn’t start off where we needed to be. But these guys worked really hard and made some great changes for the Feature. We’ll take this and build on it heading back East.”
Sweet, who set fast time and won his heat for the second night in a row, said, “I was trying to get runs on the lapped cars and I opened up the door for Donny. Still, it was a great weekend overall.”
Johnson settled for fourth with David Gravel completing the top five. Shane Stewart made it back up to tenth from the rear. Austen Wheatley picked up KSE Hard Charger honors.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series now heads East and will compete Friday, September 22 at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio before heading to the Lernerville Speedway Saturday the 23rd for the running of the Commonwealth Clash.
Abbreviated Results from Calistoga Speedway - September 16, 2017
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$12,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$5,700]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$3,500]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$3,000]; 5. 5-David Gravel [9][$2,600]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu [10][$2,400]; 7. 17-Jac Haudenschild [5][$2,300]; 8. 35-Jamie Veal [15][$2,200]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [14][$2,150]; 10. 2-Shane Stewart [1][$2,100]; 11. 7S-Jason Sides [7][$1,600]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [18][$1,350]; 13. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [8][$1,300]; 14. 44W-Austen Wheatley [22][$1,200]; 15. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$1,100]; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser [12][$1,000]; 17. 83-Kyle Hirst [11][$900]; 18. 3C-DJ Netto [17][$850]; 19. 22-Shane Golobic [21][$800]; 20. O-Bud Kaeding [19][$800]; 21. 20-Cory Eliason [23][$800]; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen [13][$800]; 23. 29-Willie Croft [24][$800]; 24. 4-Paul McMahan [20][$800]; 25. 1S-Logan Schuchart [25][$] Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-23, Donny Schatz 24-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 44W-Austen Wheatley[+8]
SWEET SWEEPS NIGHT 1 AT CALISTOGA
CALISTOGA, CA – September 15, 2017 – California native Brad Sweet swept the program on Night 1 of the Wine Country Outlaw Showdown at Calistoga Speedway. Sweet passed Rico Abreu on lap three and withstood a charge from Abreu in lapped traffic to pick up his fifth win of the Season. Abreu was light at the scales after running out of fuel. 13th starting Logan Schuchart finished second with Shane Stewart completing the podium.
Sweet actually took the lead from Abreu on lap two but a caution flag gave the lead back to the Abreu Vineyards No.24. Sweet dove to the inside of Abreu to officially lead lap three and while he statistically led the rest of the way, it was not easy. Heavy lapped traffic allowed Abreu to pull side by side with Sweet on lap 11. Sweet would clear a lapped car and re-extend his lead. While Abreu stayed within striking distance for much of the race, Sweet was able to capture his fifth win of the season.
“I just tried to get through lapped traffic as good as I could. I knew Rico would be charging,” Sweet said upon exiting his Ollie’s Bargain Outlet No.49. “We have a lot of podiums, it’s nice to be on the top step tonight where this team belongs,” he added.
Numerous cautions, including one for fifth place running Kyle Hirst, led to a handful of teams running out of fuel coming to the finish. World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series officials allocated for 60 combined green/yellow flag laps before a fuel stop and that is exactly how many laps the teams ran as they took the checkered. One more caution would have forced a fuel stop. Abreu, who crossed the line second, was one of the teams that was out of fuel and subsequently his No. 24 was light at the scales. David Gravel, who was running in the top five all race, was another competitor to slow on the final lap.
Logan Schuchart charged forward from his 13th starting position to finish second officially, “This Shark Racing team did a great job giving me a fast car. It was a lot of fun,” Schuchart, who also came forward four positions in his heat race, said.
Gold Cup Champion Shane Stewart finished on the podium once again and was quick to thank his Larson/Marks team for their continued hard work.
Donny Schatz battled issues all night. He did not run hot laps, time trials and limped through his heat race before switching to a backup car for the Last Chance Showdown, where he came from ninth to fourth. Schatz muscled his way through the field in the early stages, cracking the top ten (from 22nd) in under five laps. The eight-time Series champion crossed the line fourth. Daryn Pittman completed the all World of Outlaws top five.
Kraig Kinser, 20th starting Bud Kaeding, 23rd starting Brent Marks, Jamie Veal and Jason Johnson completed the top ten.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to the Calistoga Speedway Saturday night for the completion of the Wine Country Outlaw Showdown. Once again, DIRTVision.com will have live video coverage of the event.
Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1][$8,000]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [13][$4,000]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3][$2,500]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [22][$2,200]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [10][$2,100]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8][$2,000]; 7. O-Bud Kaeding [20][$1,800]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [23][$1,600]; 9. 35-Jamie Veal [11][$1,500]; 10. 41-Jason Johnson [5][$1,300]; 11. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$1,200]; 12. 83-Kyle Hirst [9][$1,100]; 13. 4-Paul McMahan [12][$1,000]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [6][$700]; 15. 20-Cory Eliason [15][$600]; 16. 3C-DJ Netto [18][$600]; 17. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [14][$600]; 18. 5-David Gravel [4][$600]; 19. 44W-Austen Wheatley [19][$600]; 20. 29-Willie Croft [17][$600]; 21. 68-Chase Johnson [24][$600]; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$600]; 23. 17-Jac Haudenschild [7][$600]; 24. 24-Rico Abreu [2][$600]; Lap Leaders: Rico Abreu 1-2, Brad Sweet 3-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz[+18]
SHANE STEWART CLAIMS DESIRED GOLD CUP RACE OF CHAMPIONS VICTORY
CHICO, CA – September 9, 2017 – Shane Stewart passed local driver Justin Sanders to win his eighth World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature of the season, but his first Gold Cup Race of Champions. Sanders finished a career-best second with Friday’s winner Kyle Hirst completing the podium.
Before the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Feature pushed off, Stewart already knew that team owner Kyle Larson picked up the NASCAR victory. Stewart, who is no stranger to Victory Lane at Silver Dollar Speedway, can finally cross off the Gold Cup Race of Champions off of his bucket list.
“When you retire, you are only remembered for the big races you win and this was one that I’ve always wanted to win. We’ve been close the last few years and to finally get it means so much to me,” Stewart said.
Sanders, in search of his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory, was strong all weekend. Sanders led the first 11 laps before Stewart got grip on the bottom of turn four to take the lead. Stewart never looked back.
As lapped traffic became heavier Sanders closed back in on Stewart looking to make a move but a caution on lap 28 gave Stewart a clear track sealing the victory for the Larson/Marks Racing No.2
“Before this weekend, if you would have told me that I was going to run second and fifth with the Outlaws, I would have been ecstatic,” Sanders said. “I made one mistake in traffic, it’s heartbreaking. We are happy no doubt, but we’re bummed at the same time.
Kyle Hirst was all smiles after finishing on the podium and thanked the California faithful multiple times for packing the stands all weekend at the Gold Cup Race of Champions.
Australian Jamie Veal finished fourth with 11th starting Willie Croft completing the top five. Brad Sweet was strong coming from 13th to sixth with Carson Macedo coming home seventh. 14th starting Mitchell Faccinto, Jac Haudenschild and 18th starting Logan Schuchart completed the top ten. Donny Schatz, who was forced to use a provisional for the second consecutive night, scored KSE Hard Charger honors coming from 25th to 11th.
Abbreviated Results from Silver Dollar Speedway September 9, 2017
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 2-Shane Stewart [3][$12,000]; 2. 121-Justin Sanders [1][$5,700]; 3. 83-Kyle Hirst [4][$3,500]; 4. 35-Jamie Veal [6][$3,000]; 5. 29-Willie Croft [11][$2,600]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [13][$2,400]; 7. 21X-Carson Macedo [8][$2,300]; 8. 37-Mitchell Faccinto [12][$2,200]; 9. 17-Jac Haudenschild [2][$2,150]; 10. 1S-Logan Schuchart [18][$2,100]; 11. 15-Donny Schatz [25][$800]; 12. 41-Jason Johnson [10][$1,350]; 13. O-Bud Kaeding [14][$1,300]; 14. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [9][$1,200]; 15. 9-Daryn Pittman [17][$1,100]; 16. 3C-DJ Netto [21][$1,000]; 17. 7-Kalib Henry [16][$900]; 18. 5-David Gravel [22][$850]; 19. 21W-Jake Wheeler [23][$800]; 20. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [26][$]; 21. 24-Rico Abreu [7][$800]; 22. 20-Cory Eliason [5][$800]; 23. 83JR-Jonathan Allard [15][$800]; 24. 75-Sean Becker [20][$800]; 25. 19-Brent Marks [19][$800]; 26. 1A-Jacob Allen [24][$800]; Lap Leaders: Justin Sanders 1-11, Shane Stewart 12-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz[+14]
Qualifying Flight-A: 1. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 11.694; 2. 20-Cory Eliason, 11.723; 3. 83-Kyle Hirst, 11.745; 4. 29-Willie Croft, 11.783; 5. 35-Jamie Veal, 11.788; 6. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.799; 7. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.855; 8. 21W-Jake Wheeler, 11.914; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.951; 10. 22-Shane Golobic, 11.958; 11. 5-David Gravel, 11.964; 12. 83JR-Jonathan Allard, 11.987; 13. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.992; 14. 19-Brent Marks, 12.057; 15. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.174; 16. 19X-Chase Majdic, 12.19; 17. 26-Tayler Malsam, 12.228; 18. 7B-Brent Bjork, 12.617; 19. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.684; 20. 98-Sean Watts, 12.736
Qualifying Flight-B: 1. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 11.521; 2. 24-Rico Abreu, 11.581; 3. 21X-Carson Macedo, 11.714; 4. 121-Justin Sanders, 11.775; 5. 3C-DJ Netto, 11.794; 6. 7-Kalib Henry, 11.805; 7. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.816; 8. 37-Mitchell Faccinto, 11.846; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.854; 10. 75-Sean Becker, 11.86; 11. O-Bud Kaeding, 11.926; 12. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.012; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.049; 14. 22M-Mason Moore, 12.055; 15. 92-Andy Forsberg, 12.074; 16. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.077; 17. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.136; 18. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.173; 19. 18-Jennafer Frazier, 12.935; 20. 44W-Austen Wheatley, NT
KYLE HIRST THRILLS HOMETOWN CROWD IN FIRST CAREER WORLD OF OUTLAWS WIN AT SILVER DOLLAR
CHICO, CA – Kyle Hirst is no stranger to Victory Lane, especially in California. Hirst outdueled Shane Stewart in a thrilling finish Friday at the Silver Dollar Speedway on the opening night of the Gold Cup Race of Champions. It was Hirst's first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature Win. Dominic Scelzi came home third, a career-best for him as well.
Hirst was victorious in Heat 4 after leader Kalib Henry lost power steering and that was crucial as the Craftsman Club Dash Inversion was four, lining Hirst up on the front row of that event. Hirst would walk away with the aforementioned Dash with Shane Stewart coming from fifth to second.
Hirst took command from the drop of the green and led the first six laps before Stewart closed in as traffic thickened. Stewart and Hirst made contact the following lap with the Larson/Marks Racing No.2 leading lap seven. As Stewart navigated traffic, Hirst and Scelzi remained within striking distance.
Coming off of turn four on the 11th circuit, Stewart bobbled on the cushion and allowed Hirst to re-take the lead on lap 12. A caution for Sheldon Haudenschild the following lap allowed everyone to catch their breath.
The lone Red Flag for the evening came on lap 16 when Bud Kaeding got sideways and collected Daryn Pittman and Paul McMahan. All drivers were uninjured in the accident. On the ensuing restart, Jac Haudenschild got contact from another competitor ending his night. Jac was running 5th at the time.
The final 14 laps went non-stop with Hirst and Stewart exchanging slide jobs for the lead multiple times. On two occasions, Stewart cleared Hirst off of turn four for the lead but Hirst turned it under and re-gained command into turn one.
Hirst’s win was a popular one among the California faithful and led to an emotion-filled Victory Lane with his Roth Motorsports No. 83 team. “I’ve been racing for 15 years and I’ve finally snagged one of these World of Outlaw wins. That’s for Chico, California,” an exuberant Hirst said in Victory Lane.
Stewart and Scelzi completed the podium. “Coming home second is nothing to shake your head at. We continue to have fast a car and that’s a testament to my guys. I feel like we have a shot to win every time we roll out,” Stewart said.
Cory Eliason and Justin Sanders completed the top five. California drivers took six of the top seven positions as Jonathan Allard, in the second Roth Motorsports entry, and 14th starting Shane Golobic crossed the line next.
David Gravel picked up KSE Hard Charger Honors with an impressive 24th to eighth run. Donny Schatz used a provisional to start 25th and made it up to ninth. Sheldon Haudenschild recovered from a spin mid-race to complete the top ten.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to the Silver Dollar Speedway Saturday night for the conclusion of the 64th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions. DIRTVision.com will have Live Video of the event and if it is anything like it was tonight, you don’t want to miss a second of the action.
Abbreviated Results from Silver Dollar Speedway – September 9, 2017
Feature (30 Laps) - 1. 83-Kyle Hirst [1][$8,000]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [2][$4,000]; 3. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [3][$2,500]; 4. 20-Cory Eliason [5][$2,200]; 5. 121-Justin Sanders [4][$2,100]; 6. 83JR-Jonathan Allard [11][$2,000]; 7. 22-Shane Golobic [14][$1,800]; 8. 5-David Gravel [24][$1,600]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz [25][$900]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$1,300]; 11. 35-Jamie Veal [18][$1,200]; 12. 22M-Mason Moore [13][$1,100]; 13. 49-Brad Sweet [21][$1,000]; 14. 1S-Logan Schuchart [26][$100]; 15. 3C-DJ Netto [15][$600]; 16. O-Bud Kaeding [9][$600]; 17. 37-Mitchell Faccinto [20][$600]; 18. 9-Daryn Pittman [7][$600]; 19. 7S-Jason Sides [17][$600]; 20. 11K-Kraig Kinser [19][$600]; 21. 17-Jac Haudenschild [6][$600]; 22. 4-Paul McMahan [8][$600]; 23. 24-Rico Abreu [12][$600]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [10][$600]; 25. 29-Willie Croft [22][$600]; 26. 92-Andy Forsberg [23][$600] Lap Leaders: Kyle Hirst 1-6, 12-30; Shane Stewart 7-1; KSE Hard Charger Award: 5-David Gravel[+16]
JASON JOHNSON SCORES WILLAMETTE VICTORY IN LAPPED TRAFFIC
LEBANON, OR – September 6, 2017 – Jason Johnson took the lead from Daryn Pittman on lap 15 in heavy traffic and never looked back. Just two laps earlier Pittman snuck under race-long leader Shane Stewart, who succumbed to a flat tire later in the race. Pittman settled for second with his Kasey Kahne Racing teammate, Brad Sweet coming home third to complete the podium at Willamette Speedway.
Heading into tonight’s action, Shane Stewart and Daryn Pittman had collectively won the last five World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Features and it looked early on as if though one of them would claim the victory again. Stewart won the Craftsman Club Dash and led the first 12 laps in search for his second consecutive victory. Stewart navigated the top of the 3/10th mile oval masterfully and looked strong. Pittman began making the bottom work in second and closed in as lapped traffic thickened.
Pittman got underneath Stewart in turn three and led for two laps before getting hung up behind lapped traffic allowing both Stewart and Jason Johnson to close in. The three drivers waged war for the top spot with Johnson taking the position coming to the line on the 15th circuit.
Johnson took the lead and extended it quickly. He survived a trio of cautions in the final six laps, including one for early race leader Stewart, in route to his fourth win of the 2017 Season.
“That was a lot of fun. I thought the track was great. I know it was a little wet early on but come Feature time it had two lanes,” an elated Johnson said in Victory Lane while holding his son, Jaxx. Johnson was, as always, thankful for his entire crew’s effort and sponsors that allow him to get up and down the road with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.
Pittman settled for second with Brad Sweet coming on late to finish on the podium once again. Kraig Kinser, who set fast time in Qualifying, and Donny Schatz completed the top five.
Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contenders Sheldon Haudenschild and Brent Marks had strong runs finishing sixth and seventh, respectively. Logan Schuchart finished eighth with 19th-starting David Gravel and 20th-starting Jamie Veal completing the top ten. Gravel picked up KSE Hard Charger honors.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series continues their West Coast swing at the 64th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions on Friday and Saturday at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California. The Outlaws conclude their West Coast swing the following weekend at the scenic Calistoga Speedway. For information on this weekend’s Gold Cup Race of Champions, click here.
Abbreviated Results from Willamette Speedway September 6, 2017:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson [2][$6,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [3][$3,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [6][$2,000]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [4][$1,800]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [9][$1,500]; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7][$1,400]; 7. 19-Brent Marks [13][$1,350]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart [11][$1,300]; 9. 5-David Gravel [19][$1,250]; 10. 35-Jamie Veal [20][$1,200]; 11. 2-Shane Stewart [1][$900]; 12. 4-Paul McMahan [8][$800]; 13. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [15][$700]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [5][$650]; 15. 44W-Austen Wheatley [12][$600]; 16. 18S-Jason Solwold [14][$550]; 17. 55-Trey Starks [24][$500]; 18. W20-Greg Wilson [21][$500]; 19. 17-Jac Haudenschild [10][$500]; 20. 7N-Roger Crockett [18][$500]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [17][$500]; 22. 21W-Jake Wheeler [22][$500]; 23. 5X-Brian Boswell [23][$500]; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp [16][$500]; Lap Leaders: Shane Stewart 1-12, Daryn Pittman 13-14, Jason Johnson 15-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 5-David Gravel[+10]
STEWART SURVIVES LATE CHARGE FROM SWEET FOR 7TH WIN OF SEASON AT GRAYS HARBOR
ELMA, WA – September 4, 2017 - Shane Stewart led all 30 laps at Grays Harbor Raceway, but it wasn’t easy. With five lapped cars battling for position directly in front of the leaders in the closing laps, Brad Sweet stalked the Larson/Marks Racing No. 2 before pitching his No. 49 to the bottom off of turn four coming to checkered. Sweet led momentarily, but Stewart’s momentum on the cushion was enough to cross the line .205 seconds in front of Sweet. David Gravel charged late to land on the podium for the second consecutive race.
Stewart started third and won a hectic Craftsman Club Dash that saw the front row starters end up finishing at the rear and Sweet come from fifth to second.
The lone caution flag of the Feature came on lap 15 when Jacob Allen suffered front end damage, spinning his No. 1A to safety on the bottom of the track. The caution erased Stewart’s sizeable lead, but also gave him a clear track with no lapped cars in sight.
By lap 20 Stewart had once again stretched his lead to over two seconds. However, it was inevitable that he would reach the back of the field before the conclusion of the Feature. He did, in a big way.
“I was trapped. I could not get a good enough run to split the two lapped cars in front of me,” Stewart said in Victory Lane about the stressful final laps.
“My car has been really good lately and that is a testament to Lee, Heath and Dennis. It’s a tough gig out here. Lots of miles on the road and countless hours spent maintaining these cars to compete at this level. I wouldn’t be here without these guys,” a thankful Stewart said.
Stewart’s boldest move was on the final circuit where he was forced to come off his preferred line, the cushion, entering turn one. The aforementioned allowed Sweet to get a run down the backstretch to make his challenge for the lead, to no avail.
“I wish I could redo that last corner. I might have done something different,” Sweet said following yet another runner-up finish. “Overall, it was a good night. We like to be on the front stretch at the end of the night, but we have a lot of second places this year. This West Coast swing is usually pretty for good us, I’m back at my hometown tracks so hopefully we can get this Ollie’s Bargain Outlet where it belongs,” the Grass Valley, California native said.
While all eyes focused on Sweet chasing down Stewart, David Gravel might have had the fastest car on the track in the closing laps. “We were really good there at the end. We just need to do a better job in the heat races and put ourselves up front in the Feature. We’ve been really strong the last two nights,” Gravel said after coming from his eighth starting position tonight.
Jason Johnson and Daryn Pittman, who established a new Grays Harbor Track Record in Qualifying, completed the top five. Dominic Scelzi picked up KSE Hard Charger Honors coming forward to 11th.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series travels to Oregon to race at the Willamette Speedway on Wednesday, September 6. For more information on Wednesday’s event, click here. After that the Series will continue to trek South for the Gold Cup Race of Champions at the Silver Dollar Speedway over the weekend.
Abbreviated Results from Grays Harbor Raceway - September 4, 2017
Feature (30 laps) 1. 2-Shane Stewart [1][$6,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$3,500]; 3. 5-David Gravel [8][$2,000]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$1,800]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$1,500]; 6. 17-Jac Haudenschild [6][$1,400]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz [10][$1,350]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [13][$1,300]; 9. 18S-Jason Solwold [9][$1,250]; 10. 4-Paul McMahan [11][$1,200]; 11. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [18][$900]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17][$800]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [19][$700]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [5][$650]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [14][$600]; 16. 35-Jamie Veal [12][$550]; 17. 55-Trey Starks [23][$500]; 18. 7N-Roger Crockett [22][$500]; 19. 33V-Henry VanDam [20][$500]; 20. 1S-Logan Schuchart [21][$500]; 21. 44W-Austen Wheatley [16][$500]; 22. 21P-Robbie Price [24][$500]; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen [7][$500]; 24. 26-Tayler Malsam [15][$500]; Lap Leaders: Shane Stewart 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 41S-Dominic Scelzi[+7]
PITTMAN SURGES LATE IN THRILLING WIN AT SKAGIT
Alger, WA – September 2, 2017 – Former World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Champion Daryn Pittman is hitting stride and that is not a good sign for the rest of the competition. A night after being collected in an accident going for the lead, Pittman convincingly charged forward late to pocket $12,000 in the Outlaw Energy Showdown at Skagit Speedway. David Gravel picked up KSE Hard Charger honors finishing second with Brad Sweet completing the podium.
In open air, Jason Johnson set a torrid pace. Timely caution flags helped Johnson led the first 34 laps before giving way to Pittman on the 35th circuit. The longer the race stayed under Green Flag conditions, the better Pittman was. Pittman’s surge to the front happened in a matter of laps. With the top five cars under a blanket, Pittman surged from fourth to the lead in a span of six laps around the tight 3/10th racing surface.
“Man, I can’t say enough about this Great Clips team. I messed up early and kept losing spots on those restarts,” Pittman said upon exiting his Kasey Kahne Racing No.9 machine.
One of the biggest storylines of the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series was Pittman having no wins heading into the month of August. Now, Pittman has three wins – the most of any driver since August – to his credit. “I’m not sure I’ve ever had more fun driving this race car. It’s fast every time it hits the track,” a relieved Pittman said in a rare appearance racing in front of his friends and family.
Pittman excelled in turns three and four after getting a big run down the short backstretch. I saw Jason [Johnson] was struggling in traffic. When I got in opening in [turn] three and four, I took it and luckily it was good enough to hold on,” the Owasso, OK native said about his race-winning pass.
As Pittman made his charge to the lead, Gravel was equally as fast coming from fifth to second in a span of three laps. By the time Gravel reached second on lap 38, Pittman had already extended a sizeable lead. “We were able to really charge at the end. First through sixth was a hell of a battle and a lot of fun as a race car driver. Just happy to end the race on a good note,” Gravel said.
Brad Sweet and Johnson settled for third and fourth respectively with Donny Schatz completing the top five. Shane Stewart, Sheldon Haudenschild, Jason Sides, Paul McMahan and Logan Schuchart completed the all World of Outlaws regular top ten. There was an open red for a fuel leakage on lap 15 after Skagit 360 Sprint Car points leader Robbie Price had nowhere to go after Clyde Knipp and Jacob Allen got together battling. All three were uninjured in the accident.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series stays in Washington with an appearance at the Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma on Labor Day - Monday, September 4th. For information on the Grays Harbor event, click here.
Abbreviated Results from Skagit Speedway September 2, 2017:
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [5][$12,000]; 2. 5-David Gravel [8][$5,700]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$3,500]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$3,000]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$2,600]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [4][$2,400]; 7. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [11][$2,300]; 8. 7S-Jason Sides [6][$2,200]; 9. 4-Paul McMahan [12][$2,150]; 10. 1S-Logan Schuchart [14][$2,100]; 11. 35-Jamie Veal [7][$1,600]; 12. 18S-Jason Solwold [10][$1,350]; 13. 17-Jac Haudenschild [15][$1,300]; 14. W20-Greg Wilson [16][$1,200]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [9][$1,100]; 16. 19-Brent Marks [17][$1,000]; 17. 44W-Austen Wheatley [13][$900]; 18. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [22][$850]; 19. 59-Eric Fisher [19][$800]; 20. 26-Tayler Malsam [18][$800]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [20][$800]; 22. 13-Clyde Knipp [23][$800]; 23. 21P-Robbie Price [21][$800]; 24. 11EH-Marc Duperron [24][$800]; Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-34, Daryn Pittman 35-40, KSE Hard Charger Award: 5-David Gravel[+6]
STEWART CAPITALIZES ON MISFORTUNE; CLAIMS 6TH WIN OF 2017
ALGER, WA - September 1, 2017 - Brad Sweet led the first eight laps before getting together with a slower car and collecting second place running Daryn Pittman. Shane Stewart assumed the lead and never looked back, scoring his sixth win of the 2017 season. Jason Johnson and Jac Haudenschild completed the podium on Night 1 of the Outlaw Energy Showdown at Skagit Speedway with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Cars.
With an inversion of six, Sweet and Kraig Kinser shared the front row of the Craftsman Club Dash. In an action-packed event Sweet powered around Kinser earning the pole position for the 30-lap Feature.
In the Feature, Sweet was strong early as was his Kasey Kahne Racing teammate, Pittman. Pittman made his bid for the lead on the backstretch of the eighth circuit but Sweet muscled back ahead to lead the lap.
The following lap, off of turn four, a chain reaction sent the slower car of Austen Wheatley into the front end of Brad Sweet's Ollie's Bargain Outlet No. 49 ultimately sending the car down the track into his teammate Pittman. Pittman and Clyde Knipp, who was also a lapped down, had nowhere to go on the tight 3/10th mile racing surface.
Both Pittman and Sweet were able to make repairs and return to the rear of the field. Shane Stewart, who was just inches away from being collected as well, assumed the lead with Kinser, Jason Johnson and Jac Haudenschild in tow. 'The Wild Child' used a great restart on the top to shoot into the runner-up position and begin chasing down Stewart for the lead.
A pair of double-file restarts, for cautions on lap 10 and 18 respectively, gave Haudenschild a chance for the lead but the Wooster, Ohio veteran couldn't get close enough to mount a serious challenge. With seven to go, Haudenschild took a chance ultimately opening the door for Johnson to squeeze by for second.
A yellow with five to go gave the field one last chance to steal the win from Stewart. To no avail as the Bixby, OK native piloted the Larson/Marks Racing No.2 to Victory Lane for the sixth time in 2017. Johnson, who has never finished worse than fourth at Skagit, settled for second with Haudenschild scoring a strong podium finish in the Stenhouse Jr./Wood Racing No. 17. Donny Schatz and Jac's son, Sheldon, completed the top five. Greg Wilson picked up KSE Hard Charger honors coming from 14th to sixth. Pittman and Sweet made it back forward to tenth and 12th, respectively.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to the Skagit Speedway Saturday evening for the conclusion of the Outlaw Energy Showdown. For more information and a link to purchase tickets, click here. The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to the Skagit Speedway Saturday evening for the conclusion of the Outlaw Energy Showdown. For more information and a link to purchase tickets, click here.
Abbreviated Results From Skagit Speedway September 1, 2017:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2-Shane Stewart [4]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [5]; 3. 17-Jac Haudenschild [6]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [7]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [10]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [14]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2]; 8. 5-David Gravel [8]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [11]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [3]; 11. 4-Paul McMahan [17]; 12. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [21]; 14. 1A-Jacob Allen [19]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [9]; 16. 35-Jamie Veal [12]; 17. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [15]; 18. 59-Eric Fisher [20]; 19. 44W-Austen Wheatley [22]; 20. 18S-Jason Solwold [16]; 21. 21P-Robbie Price [18]; 22. 26-Tayler Malsam [13]; 23. 13-Clyde Knipp [24]; 24. 11EH-Marc Duperron [23]; Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-8, Shane Stewart 9-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: W20-Greg Wilson[+8]
Qualifying: 1. 2-Shane Stewart, 10.894; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.062; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.108; 4. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 11.118; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.123; 6. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.162; 7. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.202; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.263; 9. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.266; 10. 26-Tayler Malsam, 11.312; 11. 5-David Gravel, 11.321; 12. 35-Jamie Veal, 11.328; 13. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.334; 14. 4-Paul McMahan, 11.365; 15. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 11.422; 16. 18S-Jason Solwold, 11.442; 17. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.451; 18. 44W-Austen Wheatley, 11.467; 19. 59-Eric Fisher, 11.473; 20. 19-Brent Marks, 11.548; 21. 13-Clyde Knipp, 11.55; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.614; 23. 11EH-Marc Duperron, 11.677; 24. 21P-Robbie Price, 11.789; 25. 5X-Brian Boswell, 12.614
Gravel Scores 13th Win of Season at Nodak
MINOT, ND – August 20, 2017 – After a pair of pedestrian finishes Friday and Saturday, David Gravel and the CJB Motorsports No.5 team switched cars and scored their 13th victory of the season Sunday night at Nodak Speedway. Gravel’s win stopped Donny Schatz, who finished second, five-race win streak at the Minot oval. Brad Sweet challenged Gravel for the lead early, but ended up settling for third.
Gravel led all 35 laps, although it was not easy. The Nodak Speedway track crew watered the track prior to the Feature, leaving the surface faster and heavier than many teams anticipated.
The inside row got a good intial start, allowing third place starting Brad Sweet to be second by the backstretch. Schatz got in line in third as the track continued to widen out as the Feature progressed. Sweet pulled even with Gravel for the lead multiple times coming off of turn four, but could never pull ahead.
The first caution of the event came for Jason Sides, who was backwards in turn four, on lap 24. Sheldon Haudenschild made contact with the wall and spun on the ensuing restart. Sheldon was running sixth at the time.
Gravel extended his lead once again, made the right decisions in lapped traffic and picked up the victory without seeing another serious challenge. When asked about stopping Schatz five race win streak at Nodak, Gravel said with a smile, “He wins too much. I want some wins too.”
“We brought this car down and I’m glad we got it done tonight because we were not very good the last two nights. This is three straight wins for this car,” the Watertown, CT native said upon exiting his No.5 machine.
Like many, Schatz anticipated the track would slow down earlier in the race. “We got going at the end. I think I used way too much of my tires to get there, though. We did the best we could and sometimes you are going to have that,” a content Schatz said.
Schatz scored at least a top-five finish in every start this season in his home state of North Dakota. He spoke highly about the North Dakota faithful, who packed the grandstands for the third consecutive night, “North Dakota has a huge presence with the World of Outlaws and I don’t think anyone realizes how big it is. Thank you to the fans, without you guys we would not have nearly as much fun as we do.”
Brad Sweet picked up his 44th top-five of the finish of the season, completing the podium. “We were right there a lot of the race. David never made any mistakes and then I made one and Donny got by me,” Sweet said. “All in all it was a good night.”
Shane Stewart and Daryn Pittman completed the top five. Saturday’s Feature winner at Red River Valley, Jason Johnson, picked up the KSE Hard Charger award in sixth.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series takes a few days off before returning to the Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, SD Friday August 25th. For more information about the Black Hills event click here.
Abbreviated Results from Nodak Speedway:
Feature (35 Laps) 1. 5-David Gravel [1][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$5,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$3,200]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [4][$2,800]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [7][$2,500]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [12][$2,300]; 7. 17-Jac Haudenschild [5][$2,200]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart [10][$2,100]; 9. 18-Ian Madsen [9][$2,050]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [15][$2,000]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$1,500]; 12. 3-Tim Kaeding [18][$1,200]; 13. 35-Jamie Veal [6][$1,100]; 14. 4-Paul McMahan [14][$1,050]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [17][$1,000]; 16. 7S-Jason Sides [11][$900]; 17. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [16][$800]; 18. 13-Clyde Knipp [20][$800]; 19. 7T-Trent Stengl [24][$800]; 20. 21-Ryder Olson [23][$800]; 21. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8][$800]; 22. 6N-Greg Nikitenko [19][$800]; 23. 20-Kevin Lawson [22][$800]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$800]; Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: 41-Jason Johnson[+6]
Qualifying: 1. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.477; 2. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.544; 3. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.565; 4. 5-David Gravel, 13.576; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.604; 6. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.611; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.642; 8. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 13.654; 9. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.656; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.672; 11. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.713; 12. 35-Jamie Veal, 13.738; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.741; 14. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.796; 15. 19-Brent Marks, 13.852; 16. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.866; 17. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.931; 18. 6N-Greg Nikitenko, 14.026; 19. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 14.059; 20. 21-Ryder Olson, 14.141; 21. 3-Tim Kaeding, 14.166; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.251; 23. 91K-Kyle Fedyk, 14.289; 24. 7T-Trent Stengl, 14.444; 25. 10-Tyson Turnbull, 14.91; 26. 90-Randy Blotsky, 15.384; 27. 20-Kevin Lawson, 15.852; 28. 20L-Dusty Lawson, 15.945; 29. 14-Bill Holler, 16.1; 30. 17M-Todd Mickelson, NT
Jason Johnson Goes Flag to Flag
WEST FARGO, ND - August 19, 2017 - Jason Johnson started on the outside of the front row, took command down the backstretch on the opening circuit and never looked back to score his third win of the season Saturday at Red River Valley Speedway. Johnson survived heavy traffic and multiple restarts to pick up the popular victory. Australian Kerry Madsen and Shane Stewart completed the podium.
Johnson got the jump on pole-sitter Kraig Kinser and established a healthy advantage before a caution for a slowing Jamie Veal on lap four. On the ensuing restart, Dominic Scelzi and Brent Marks took a wild ride on the front stretch. Both drivers were uninjured in the accident.
Shane Stewart got underneath Kraig Kinser for second and began chasing down Johnson as lapped traffic intensified. Kerry Madsen began his charge on the bottom of the racing surface as he surged by both Kinser and Thomas Kennedy to move into third.
Johnson battled with the slower car of David Gravel, allowing Stewart and Madsen to close in. Once Johnson cleared Gravel, he re-extended his lead and drove away from the field for the victory.
“My guys never give up. During the ‘Month of Money’, the tracks got a little slick and we struggled a bit. But this is my type of race track. Cowboy up,” an elated Johnson said upon climbing out of his Priority Aviation, Mesilla Valley Transportation backed No. 41.
“With the World of Outlaws, these guys are so tough night in and night out, to win one of these races speaks magnitudes about this team,” Johnson reiterated.
Kerry Madsen praised his team once again after landing on the podium for the second consecutive night. “It was a fun race, bouncing around and driving hard,” the hard-nosed Australian said.
Shane Stewart, who is now the new track record holder at the Red River Valley Speedway, came home third after grappling with pesky lapped traffic. “Quick time, which I’m usually not, a new track record, which is cool, and a podium finish. We’ll just carry this on to tomorrow and hopefully keep the momentum going,” the Bixby, OK native said following his strong, consistent evening.
Kinser and Donny Schatz completed the top five. Tim Kaeding was the KSE Hard Charger. Clyde Knipp scored his first career top-ten with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series with a 9th place finish.
Sunday night the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series concludes a three-race swing through North Dakota in Minot at the Nodak Speedway. For more information on Sunday’s event click here.
ABBREVIATED RESULTS FROM: Red River Valley Speedway
Feature (30 Laps) 1. 41-Jason Johnson [2][$10,000]; 2. 2M-Kerry Madsen [6][$5,500]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3][$3,200]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1][$2,800]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [7][$2,500]; 6. 17-Jac Haudenschild [8][$2,300]; 7. 21K-Thomas Kennedy [4][$2,200]; 8. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$2,100]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [12][$2,050]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [10][$2,000]; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman [14][$1,500]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [9][$1,200]; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart [16][$1,100]; 14. 3-Tim Kaeding [22][$1,050]; 15. 18-Ian Madsen [13][$1,000]; 16. 5-David Gravel [21][$900]; 17. 24-Terry McCarl [15][$800]; 18. 4-Paul McMahan [19][$800]; 19. 35-Jamie Veal [18][$800]; 20. 7T-Trent Stengl [24][$800]; 21. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [17][$800]; 22. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [11][$800]; 23. 19-Brent Marks [20][$800]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [23][$800]
Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-30
KSE Hard Charger Award: 3-Tim Kaeding[+8]
Qualifying
1. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.925; 2. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 12.043; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 12.079; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.114; 5. 21K-Thomas Kennedy, 12.116; 6. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.148; 7. 18-Ian Madsen, 12.195; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.208; 9. 7S-Jason Sides, 12.221; 10. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.233; 11. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 12.25; 12. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.26; 13. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.277; 14. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 12.338; 15. 24-Terry McCarl, 12.339; 16. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.342; 17. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 12.405; 18. 35-Jamie Veal, 12.431; 19. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.432; 20. 5-David Gravel, 12.439; 21. 3-Tim Kaeding, 12.493; 22. 19-Brent Marks, 12.52; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen, 12.632; 24. 8-Casey Mack, 12.688; 25. 7T-Trent Stengl, 12.694; 26. 6N-Greg Nikitenko, 12.73; 27. 82-Dusty Zomer, 12.857; 28. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.866; 29. 13X-Ty Hanten, 13.4; 30. 91M-Jackson Moffett, 13.414; 31. 17M-Todd Mickelson, 15.218
Double Duty Donny
GRAND FORKS, ND – August 18, 2017 - Six days after winning sprint car’s biggest prize – the 5-Hour ENERGY Knoxville Nationals - for the 10th time, Donny Schatz landed in Victory Lane in his home state, twice. Schatz outdueled Brad Sweet to win his 17th feature of the 2017 season at River Cities. To make things sweeter, Schatz also picked up the NLRA Late Model feature earlier in the night.
When asked if he learned anything from winning the 25-lap Late Model feature, Schatz said with a smile, “I learned that I am not in as good of shape as I think I am.”
Sheldon Haudenschild led the first eight laps, in search of his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory, before getting loose off of turn two and losing the lead to Brad Sweet. Schatz worked underneath Haudenschild shortly after and was second when the red flag flew for Canadian driver Thomas Kennedy, who was uninjured in the accident, on lap 12.
Sweet led the next three laps before Schatz pulled ahead with grip on the bottom on the 16th circuit. A lap 17 yellow for sixth place running Dominic Scelzi was the final stoppage of the event. Following the caution, Schatz and Sweet continued their duel and were side by side for multiple laps with Sweet being scored as the leader on the 18th lap. Schatz regained the lead on lap 19 and never looked back masterfully maneuvering through lapped traffic.
“It’s a huge weekend for this race team. Speaking of this race team…it is incredible what they do and an honor to drive their race car,” Schatz said.
Sweet settled for second. “The Ollie’s Bargain Outlet car was fast all night. I probably should have ran the bottom, but it’s hard to judge traffic when you are the leader. Donny’s always the guy to beat here, we’ll take our second and move on,” the Grass Valley, CA native said.
Australian Kerry Madsen finished on the podium, thanked his GoMuddy.com team and Guy Forbook for a great race car and praised River Cities Speedway with the statement, “Grand Forks never disappoints.”
Daryn Pittman and Jason Johnson completed the top five. Mark Dobmeier was the KSE Hard Charger coming from 21st to finish sixth.
Daryn Pittman Scores First Victory of 2017 at I-55
PEVELY, MO - August 5, 2017 - It’s been a long time coming for Daryn Pittman, who secured his first win of the season Friday night at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55. The 2014 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Champion has had a trying season by his standards. Friday night, he was able to fend off the eight-time and defending Series Champion Donny Schatz, including on a late-race restart with six laps to go.
“Man, I needed that. I think this team needed that,” a relieved Daryn Pittman said upon exiting his Great Clips No. 9 for his first win of the 2017 season Friday night at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55.
The Craftsman Club Dash draw was four putting Sheldon Haudenschild and Paul McMahan on the front row. Haudenschild and McMahan led laps in the dash before giving way to Pittman on the third circuit.
“I’m blessed to be able to drive for Kasey [Kahne],” Pittman said in Victory Lane. “I was on the phone with him all night. He worked on this thing during the week and put in a setup that I would have bet everything in the world would not have worked,” Pittman said with a smile. “Thanks to DIRTVision.com for the great coverage so he could watch up in New York.”
Although, Pittman led all 35 laps it was far from an easy victory. Donny Schatz stalked the Owasso, Oklahoma-native for the majority of the race.
“You get nervous when you’re leading, even when it is hard to pass, when that No. 15 car is behind you. He has stolen more than one rubber race away from me pretty late,” Pittman said of the eight-time series champion, Schatz.
Schatz took a peak to the outside of the Kasey Kahne Racing No. 9 momentarily in turn three, “You got to try something if given the opportunity,” the current Series point leader said.” All around it’s a decent finish. We haven’t been in the top three here in a little bit, so I’m glad to get to a good finish.”
Sheldon Haudenschild came home third, in what was his Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 debut. “I’m happy. I feel like we haven’t been on the podium since California,” Haudenschild said jokingly. Although it was Sheldon’s first visit to Pevely, his crew chief Bonzai and father, Jac, have many laps around the bullring. “Having Bonzai on our team for these tracks I’ve never been to has been huge,” Sheldon, the leading contender for Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, reiterated.
Kraig Kinser and Brad Sweet completed the top five. The first twelve drivers across the finish line were World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series regulars, with last year’s Ironman 55 winner, Rico Abreu, finishing 13th. Brandon Hanks was the KSE Hard Charger coming from 23rd to 16th aboard his No. 84 machine.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to the Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 Saturday night August 5th for the running of the Ironman 55, which pays $20,000 to win. Grandstands open at 2pm.
FEATURE (35 Laps): 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [1][$8,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$4,000]; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [3][$2,500]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2][$2,200]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$2,100]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$2,000]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [10][$1,800]; 8. 17-Jac Haudenschild [8][$1,600]; 9. 4-Paul McMahan [7][$1,500]; 10. 7S-Jason Sides [12][$1,300]; 11. 19-Brent Marks [17][$1,200]; 12. 5-David Gravel [9][$1,100]; 13. 24-Rico Abreu [13][$1,000]; 14. O5-Brad Loyet [16][$700]; 15. 3-James McFadden [20][$600]; 16. 84-Brandon Hanks [23][$600]; 17. 1S-Logan Schuchart [24][$600]; 18. 91-Cale Thomas [11][$600]; 19. 48-Danny Dietrich [18][$600]; 20. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$600]; 21. 2-Shane Stewart [15][$600]; 22. 3G-Carson Macedo [14][$600]; 23. 17B-Bill Balog [19][$600]; 24. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [22][$600];Lap Leaders: Daryn Pittman 1-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: 84-Brandon Hanks[+7]
Three-Peat: David Gravel Wins again at Wilmot Raceway in a thriller
WILMOT, Wisc. — July 29, 2017 — If it was up to David Gravel he would race at Wilmot Raceway every week if he could. At least that’s what he jokingly said after winning for the third time in the same number of starts with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Wilmot on Saturday night in the Badger 40. Gravel remains undefeated in three starts with the Outlaws at the third-mile in Southern Wisconsin.
Gravel used some late race heroics for the second straight night to take the lead with just two laps remaining en route to a thrilling win over Shane Stewart. That pair traded the lead four times officially, but unofficially swapped the lead numerous times in the late-going, with Gravel running the top of the track and Stewart a little lower.
“It’s been awesome racing here,” said Gravel. “Wisconsin is great. It doesn’t matter if we are at Beaver Dam (Raceway) or Cedar Lake (Speedway), the stands are always packed. They are just as good as Pennsylvania fans. It was racing with Shane. We both raced real hard.”
Gravel led on three separate occasions on Saturday night for a total of five laps, but for the second straight night, he led the most important one, the white flag lap. Gravel took the lead for the first time on lap-29 when Brad Sweet made contact with an infield tire, which dropped him from the point to third. Shane Stewart also moved up a spot at that point in time.
Stewart took the top spot on the very next lap and would remain out front for six circuits. Gravel got back by on lap-36 and was out front for two laps, before Stewart took the lead again on lap 38. Gravel moved back to the lead on lap-39 and paced the final two laps to secure his 12th win of the season.
“I think I may have been to patient and Shane (Stewart) got by us,” shared Gravel. “Luckily Brad (Sweet) got into the infield tire and that gave us track position. I know we had a really good car. The track was awesome. The bottom was good and so was the top. It was even. The curb got out there really gnarly at the end and bit me a couple of times, but I knew that was the fastest place. I just had to play Russian roulette with the curb those last few laps and it worked out.”
Stewart started fourth and was up to third on the second lap and kept pace with Sweet and Gravel in the early going. With six laps to go the caution flag flew, which set up one final double-file restart with Stewart choosing the low side and Gravel up top. Following that unfurling of the green flag, the duo waged war, trading the lead at both ends of the track a number of times.
“It was exciting,” said Stewart. “I honestly felt like I drove a little too cautious there at the end. I was trying to block him and hit my lines. That team has been really, really good here lately and we were close. We were a lot closer than we have been lately. My guys continue to work crazy hours to make sure the car is ready each and every night. We just came up a little short tonight, but it was a fun race.
Stewart ran among the top-three for just about the duration of the 40-lap race. Late in the race, Stewart seemed to have an advantage on the lows sides of turns one and two, with Gravel getting the upper hand on the top side of turns three and four.
“I think that race could have gone anyway,” noted Stewart. “Obviously the little issue Brad had with the infield tire made it a lot more interesting. We’ll keep on digging and hopefully we can click off a few more wins before the Knoxville Nationals.”
Sweet took the lead on the opening lap in turns one and two from Paul McMahan, who started on the pole. He was just about to get to lapped traffic, when the first caution flag of the night flew on the eighth lap. Sweet chose the low line for the ensuing double file restart, with Gravel moving up to second and taking a peek for the lead on the high side of turn four. Sweet was able to maintain his lead in lapped traffic near the halfway point of the race. Gravel got a good run on Sweet on lap-28, with Sweet getting out of shape on the next lap, after contact with the infield tire in turn two.
“I’m tired of making mistakes,” said Sweet. “The NAPA guys are giving me a great race car each and every night. We are in contention to win every night. This one tonight is on me. It was driver error. I was trying to get through lapped cars. We were setting a good pace. The car felt great and I didn’t really have anything to complain about. Once you make a mistake with these guys they do a great job and Shane was right there. They capitalized on my mistake. I’m just happy it didn’t knock the front axle out and end out night.”
Sweet would end up finishing third, which was his 41st top-five finish of the season, which keeps him tied with eight-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz for the series lead in that department. Following a caution with just six laps remaining, Sweet was nearly three-wide for the lead with Gravel and Stewart going into turn one as he looked to rebound from the mishap earlier in the race.
“We’ll take a third and everyone needs to get home and get a break for a minute and regroup,” noted Sweet. “We have some of the biggest races coming up. We’ll keep our heads up and try o look forward and be positive and try to win some more of these races.”
Sheldon Haudenschild finished fourth, after lining up on the outside of the fifth row. Schatz worked his way to a fifth-place showing, after starting 13th. Logan Schuchart continued his recent string of strong finished with a sixth-place run. Jason Johnson crossed the line seventh, with McMahan in eighth, Daryn Pittman ninth and Brent Marks 10th.
Blake Nimee picked up tonight’s KSE Hardcharger award after qualifying for the Badger 40 Feature from the Last Chance Showdown. Nimbee started 24th and finished 14th.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action on Friday, August 4 with the Night Before the Ironmanat Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo., followed by the $20,000-to-win Ironman 55 on Saturday, August 5.
FEATURE (40 Laps): 1. 5-David Gravel [3][$10,000]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [4][$5,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$3,200]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [12][$2,800]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [13][$2,500]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [11][$2,300]; 7. 41-Jason Johnson [5][$2,200]; 8. 4-Paul McMahan [1][$2,100]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [9][$2,050]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [7][$2,000]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17][$1,500]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [10][$1,200]; 13. W20-Greg Wilson [15][$1,100]; 14. 79-Blake Nimee [24][$1,050]; 15. 17B-Bill Balog [6][$1,000]; 16. 1A-Jacob Allen [23][$900]; 17. 64-Scott Thiel [8][$800]; 18. 65-Jordon Goldesberry [22][$800]; 19. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski [18][$800]; 20. 17-Jac Haudenschild [16][$800]; 21. 3G-Carson Macedo [14][$800]; 22. 29-Joey Moughan [20][$800]; 23. 5J-Jeremy Schultz [19][$800]; 24. 23-Russel Borland [21][$800]; Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-28; David Gravel 29, 36-37, 39-40; Shane Stewart 30-35, 38; KSE Hard Charger Award: 79-Blake Nimee[+10]
Patience Pays Off: David Gravel wins at Hartford Speedway
By: Tony Veneziano
HARTFORD, Mich. — July 28, 2017 — Patience was certainly a must on Friday night in the Battle of Michigan for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series. David Gravel showed the patience of a true veteran, enduring five cautions and one red flag period en route to winning at the re-configured Hartford Speedway.
Gravel, who started third, was able to get by Brad Sweet in lapped traffic with just three laps remaining, after erasing a sizeable lead that Sweet had as the laps wound down in the 30-lapper. For Gravel, it was his 11th win of the season for the CJB Motorsports team. He credited the changes his team made during a lap-17 open red flag to helping him reach victory lane.
“I think it was better running second,” said Gravel. “It was a lot of fun. We raced real hard, even with how slick it was. It was very technical out there. We had the red flag and I think we made the car better during it. We were really tight, but you needed to be on a slick track like this. Thanks to my guys for busting their butts and I’m happy we could get another one.”
Brad Sweet jumped out to the lead on the start, after lining up on the outside of the front row. He paced the field for the first eight laps, with Gravel taking the lead on the top side of turn two. Sweet returned to the point on a lap-11 restart using the high groove. Gravel ran side-by-side with Sweet through three and four with four laps to go and took the top spot on the very next lap.
“When I was second, I had a really good restart and got the lead,” explained Gravel. “Then when I was leading, I lost the lead on a restart, so they went both ways tonight. It was tough to get going on the starts. You kind of had to ease on the throttle on the straightaway to get into turn one.”
Sweet, who led 25 total laps in the 30-lapper, finished second to earn his 40th top-five finish of the season, which is tied for the series lead in that category with eight-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz.
“I got a little free at the end and just didn’t cover the lines well enough in traffic,” said Sweet. “I got to the first lapped car and we just weren’t good enough to pass him. If I could have moved around, I think I could have held David (Gravel) off. It just got super technical and line-sensitive. I just made too many mistakes and gave the race away late. We’ll keep fighting and hopefully we can get this NAPA Auto Parts car to victory lane where it belongs. The car is good enough to win, we just need to make it happen.”
Logan Schuchart followed up a win earlier this week at Ohsweken Speedway in Canada with a third-place finish. The Pennsylvania native battled for a large portion of the race with Gravel, while the eventual winner was running second. Since debuting a new car, the driver of the No. 1S for Shark Racing hasn’t finished off the podium.
“We wanted a better car about a month ago,” said Schuchart. “The one we were running was worn out. This one is brand new and has a first and a third. I can’t say enough about the guys who put this car on the race track. It was a fast race car when we got it and its rolling good. This is a good time of the year to be rolling good and be fast. We just have to keep it up and make the right changes at the right times.”
Brent Marks, one of the contenders for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award, finished a season-best fourth at Hartford Speedway. For the Pennsylvania native, it was his first top-five finish of the season.
Kraig Kinser crossed the line fifth, with Donny Schatz sixth. Daryn Pittman recovered from a trip to the work area on the 11th lap to weave his way back through the field to finish seventh. Sheldon Haudenschild was eighth with fellow Ohioan Greg Wilson ninth. Wilson was the KSE Hard Charger, after taking a provisional to start 25th. Shane Stewart rounded out the top-10.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action on Saturday, July 29 at Wilmot Raceway in Wisconsin for the running of the Badger 40.
FEATURE (30 Laps): 1. 5-David Gravel [3][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$5,500]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8][$3,200]; 4. 19-Brent Marks [15][$2,800]; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7][$2,500]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz [12][$2,300]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [10][$2,200]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [9][$2,100]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [25][$1,250]; 10. 2-Shane Stewart [1][$2,000]; 11. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$1,500]; 12. 3G-Carson Macedo [19][$1,200]; 13. 71-Joey Saldana [16][$1,100]; 14. 17M-Max McGhee [21][$1,050]; 15. 5J-Jeremy Schultz [11][$1,000]; 16. 7S-Jason Sides [4][$900]; 17. 17-Jac Haudenschild [13][$800]; 18. 16-Ryan Ruhl [14][$800]; 19. 4-Paul McMahan [5][$800]; 20. 27Z-Sean Zemunik [23][$800]; 21. 7J-Joe Swanson [22][$800]; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen [18][$800]; 23. 5B-Chad Blonde [17][$800]; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp [20][$800]; 25. 10S-Jason Steinebach [24][$800], Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-8, 11-27; David Gravel 9-10, 28-30, KSE Hard Charger Award: W20-Greg Wilson[+16]
Logan Schuchart Takes a Bite Out of Donny Schatz for Win at Ohsweken
Schuchart Earns First Career Victory in Canada
OHSWEKEN, ON, CAN – July 25, 2017 – Logan Schuchart hunted down Donny Schatz in heavy lapped traffic and then dominated the second half of the Six Nations Showdown at Ohsweken Speedway for his fourth World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series win of 2017 on Tuesday night.
The victory was a much-needed confidence boost for Schuchart and his Shark Racing team who had struggled of late. The slick Ohsweken surface was exactly to the liking of the Hanover, Pa. native in the Outlaws only visit to Canada this season.
“I love these type of racetracks, not just because we ran well on it tonight. I love slick racetracks,” Schuchart said in Victory Lane. “I love when you have to drive the car straight and smooth. I feel like it makes it fun. Obviously if you’re not running good it’s not fun, but if you can glide around the racetrack, be smooth and have forward drive, it’s fun.”
Schuchart had all of those ingredients at Ohsweken. While Schatz grabbed an early lead from the pole and drove away from the majority of the field, Schuchart was the only driver able to keep pace. The top duo wandered into heavy lapped traffic by lap nine and as Schatz was forced to give up his preferred line on the bottom to move past a slower car, Schuchart capitalized when he found room on the bottom of turn two and down the backstretch to take the lead.
“I was having trouble catching Donny when we were in an open run,” Schuchart admitted. “It wasn’t until we got to lapped traffic, I felt like, that some lapped cars made him go where he didn’t want to. I could just move around a little bit more than he could and go through the middle. When some lapped cars took his line away, I just felt like I was able to get the forward drive off the corners to get by him.”
One lap after Schuchart took the lead, the caution flag waved for Sheldon Haudenschild, who suffered a flat right-rear tire. He made the repairs in the work area and returned to the rear of the field. Schuchart held the point on the lap nine restart while Greg Wilson and Kyle Larson battled tooth and nail for the third spot.
Schuchart led the top-five into traffic again on lap 16 of the 30-lap main event, but was able to run the bottom the lane the whole time to continue pulling away from Schatz. His advantage with 10 laps to go was 2.6 seconds but grew each lap until he achieved the eventual 5.984-second margin of victory.
Schatz was openly disappointed he was not able to capitalize on his pole starting position to claim his 16th win of the season. His runner-up finish was his 40th top-five finish of the season.
“We got beat,” Schatz stated bluntly. “Logan was really good. He could go all over. Obviously, we got to traffic and you have to move around. We did that a little bit and he found the better groove. Those guys rolled pretty good and I couldn’t stay down there very well. I had to roll the middle and do what I could. These guys did a great job, Logan was just that good tonight.”
Schuchart was ecstatic to score his fourth Outlaw win of the season and to beat the current Series point leader to achieve the feat.
“Anytime you can beat Donny Schatz on any type of racetrack, but especially a slick racetrack, it’s saying something,” Schuchart said. “We’ve had a car for a while that’s given us some trouble and this is the first night on this new XXX (chassis) and it was hooked up on this slick surface. I felt like it was just gliding around the racetrack and I was just guiding it.”
Wilson rounded out the podium finishers after holding off Kyle Larson in the second half of the race. It was Wilson’s fifth top-five finish of the season on a surface he raved about in his post-race interview.
“We’ve been struggling pretty bad lately, so I can’t thank the folks at Hercules Tires, Ohio Logistics, DNC Hydraulics, Gear Alloy and Weikel Sportswear for staying with us,” Wilson said. “This is always an amazing show. (Track Owner) Glenn (Styres) and the whole crew gave us an excellent racetrack. It’s fun. I wish some other tracks in the country would take a look at this. I realize we’re not going 100mph, but there’s racing all over the racetrack and that’s what it’s about.”
Larson settled for a fourth-place finish and 19-year-old Dylan Westbrook, who was making his first career Outlaw start in his first night with a 410ci motor, rounded out the top-five after starting 16th. Jacob Allen was the KSE Hard Charger award winner after he advanced 13 positions from 24th to 11th.
Brad Sweet was the night’s fast qualifier with a lap of 12.280 seconds. Sweet, Schuchart, Larson and Wilson all won heat races in some of the most thrilling qualifying action all season. Schatz won the Craftsman Club Dash from the pole, but had to take the lead back from Brent Marks midway through the race to gain the pole. Kraig Kinser came out on top of a three-car battle for the lead with Jared Zimbardi and Steve Lyons to win the Last Chance Showdown.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series now has two days off before returning to competition for the Battle of Michigan at Hartford Speedway in Hartford, MI on Friday, July 28. The Outlaws will see the track’s new 3/8-mile configuration for the first time. For additional event information, including advanced reserved ticket purchases, visit www.slspromotions.com.
Feature (30 Laps) - 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [1][$5,500]; 3. W20-Greg Wilson [5][$3,200]; 4. 57-Kyle Larson [7][$2,800]; 5. 47X-Dylan Westbrook [16][$2,500]; 6. 5-David Gravel [12][$2,300]; 7. 18-Ryan Susice [17][$2,200]; 8. 49-Brad Sweet [8][$2,100]; 9. 11K-Kraig Kinser [21][$2,050]; 10. 67X-Parker Price-Miller [9][$2,000]; 11. 1A-Jacob Allen [24][$1,500]; 12. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$1,200]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [2][$1,100]; 14. 9X-Steve Lyons [23][$1,050]; 15. 2-Shane Stewart [10][$1,000]; 16. O-Max Johnston [6][$900]; 17. 87-Jason Barney [14][$800]; 18. 10-Mitch Brown [15][$800]; 19. 4-Paul McMahan [19][$800]; 20. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [20][$800]; 21. 7S-Jason Sides [18][$800]; 22. OO-Dane Lorenc [11][$800]; 23. 35-Jared Zimbardi [22][$800]; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp [13][$800]. Lap Leaders:Donny Schatz 1-8. Logan Schuchart 9-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1A-Jacob Allen[+13]
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Clyde Knipp; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Ryan Susice; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Kraig Kinser; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Jacob Allen; Extended Stay America ($50 cash): Jacob Allen; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Super Flow ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Brent Marks, Logan Schuchart, Daryn Pittman, Greg Wilson, Brad Sweet; Craftsman/Sears: Max Johnston; KSE Hard Charger: Jacob Allen; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Logan Shuchart; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jason Sides.
Zearfoss Scores First Career Series Win and First Posse Win of the Season
MECHANICSBURG, PA — July 21, 2017 — Jonestown, PA-native Brock Zearfoss scored his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series win during the Champion Racing Oil Summer Nationals opener, ringing in the first Posse win of the season in the ongoing Outlaws versus Pennsylvania Posse battle. David Gravel came in second after a strong battle for the lead with Lance Dewease, who ultimately went into the wall and flipped with nine laps to go. Defending Champion Donny Schatz completed the podium.
"How many times do you get to win an Outlaw race?" asked Zearfoss from Victory Lane. "This first time, I don’t even know what to say. I’m sick to my stomach; I’m that excited. You know, this is just a dream come true.”
Zearfoss’s first Outlaws race behind the wheel of Aaron Long’s No. 58 car last May didn’t go quite so well. He didn’t make the Feature.
“We debuted this deal at the first Outlaw race, and we weren’t good at all. To go from not making the show to standing on the front stretch of an Outlaw show, that’s just saying something about these guys.”
The Feature started with Lance Dewease on the pole after a full-field Craftsman Club Dash inversion (eight) worked in his favor. Last year's champion, Daryn Pittman, started beside him and managed to steal the lead in lap one, but Dewease would take it back and go on to lead the next 15 laps.
Meanwhile, behind him Zearfoss battled his way past Schatz and Pittman to second with Gravel on his tail.
While spectators' attentions were focused keenly on the five-car battle in front, Danny Dietrich and Sheldon Haudenschild got into each other entering lap 17 outside turn one, forcing a restart that would allow Gravel to charge past Zearfoss on the frontstretch before throwing a slider at Dewease. Trying to hold off Gravel, the leader jumped the cushion, fumbled, and flipped several times inside turn two.
To the tune of an outraged crowd, a double-file restart was called according to Series rules when the caution is not a result of contact between cars. Despite video replays showing no contact between the GoMuddy.com No. 5 and the Schanauer Plumbing No. 69K, Posse supporters expressed their discontent and disbelief.
“I know I never touched him," argued Gravel. "Lance probably had a pretty tight race car and flipped over in the curb. I honestly didn’t want to slide him. I checked up. I thought, he doesn’t get back around me, but he obviously got stumbled up in the curb. That’s what happened, and then I had to work really hard to get back to second. I feel like we had the best car but finished second."
Zearfoss and Gravel were to lead the field, but officials called a jump start on Gravel after Zearfoss stumbled and slowed, sending Gravel back a row and putting Schatz beside Zearfoss for another restart.
“This motor was stumbling all night," said Zearfoss. "I got it to go a couple of times, but obviously that one time David [Gravel} actually didn’t jump me, but it just didn’t go. I kind of got lucky there. Got it to go for Schatz and didn’t want to see another caution because I wasn’t sure if I could do it again. Luckily I got a good jump on him on that last restart and held him off. Tell you what, I was either going out of the park or I was winning this bitch.“
And win he did, with Gravel battling his way back to second after a few exchanged with Schatz.
"Brock Zearfoss is a good friend of mine, and I’m happy he won his first Outlaw show," said Gravel. "We’ll take second tonight. Me and Donny [Schatz] raced really really hard there. Just good hard racing."
RESULTS FROM WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY
Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 58-Brock Zearfoss [4][$8,000]; 2. 5-David Gravel [5][$4,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$2,500]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [7][$2,200]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [2][$2,100]; 6. 21-Brian Montieth [20][$2,000]; 7. 25-Aaron Ott [9][$1,800]; 8. 11-T.J. Stutts [10][$1,600]; 9. 51-Freddie Rahmer [23][$1,500]; 10. 27-Greg Hodnett [16][$1,300]; 11. 24-Lucas Wolfe [11][$1,200]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [14][$1,100]; 13. 44-Trey Starks [6][$1,000]; 14. 17-Jac Haudenschild [24][$700]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17][$600]; 16. 1S-Logan Schuchart [22][$600]; 17. 39M-Anthony Macri [18][$600]; 18. 4-Paul McMahan [15][$600]; 19. 41-Jason Johnson [27][$]; 20. 3H-James McFadden [21][$600]; 21. 69K-Lance Dewease [1][$600]; 22. 48-Danny Dietrich [12][$600]; 23. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [13][$600]; 24. 1-Dale Blaney [8][$600]; 25. 1A-Jacob Allen [19][$600]; 26. 2-Shane Stewart [25][$]; 27. 44W-Rodney Westhafer [26][$]; Lap Leaders: Daryn Pittman 1, Lance Dewease 2-16, Brock Zearfoss 17-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 21-Brian Montieth[+14]
Schatz Scores Fifth Silver Cup Win;
Haundenschild Flips after Leading First 35 Laps
SARVER, PA - July 18, 2017 - Eight-time Series Champion and current points leader Donny Schatz scored his fifth Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup win at Lernerville Speedway after a heated battle with Sheldon Haudenschild left the Rookie of the Year contender flipping off the wall on the front stretch outside turn four.
"It’s been a good week," said Schatz, fresh off his Kings Royal win at Eldora Speedway just last Saturday. "This race team is incredible, what they do. When they get the race car good, you get in that zone, and they fine tune things and just keep making strides and making it better. It’s good to have that feeling for sure."
Haudenschild dominated the first 35 laps of the 40-lap Feature, jumping to the lead right from the start and leaving pole-sitter Daryn Pittman between he and Schatz as he continued to lengthen the distance between them.
Meanwhile, Schatz had a rocky start as his front tires lurched up on the front stretch outside turn four in lap three, and he went over the cushion outside turn one in lap nine, causing him to fall back to sixth. But the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing driver regained some ground before an engine failure on the Shark Racing No. 1s of Logan Schuchart forced a restart in lap 15; and by lap 22, Schatz had his No. 15 Arctic Cat machine back in third again.
Two laps later, Schatz passed Pittman, but Haudenschild was driving hard and still had a good three-second lead on him.
It took the veteran driver another eight laps to gain enough ground to start pushing on the rookie, but on lap 33 the exchanges began. Schatz passed Haudenschild. Haudenschild took it back. Schatz did it again, and again Haudenschild took it back.
A beautiful battle transpired until another caution — this time Brent Marks spinning outside turn four — forced another restart.
With $25,000 on the line, the Feature continued with a single-file restart, Haudenschild at the helm. He did what he had to do and shot out to a strong lead again, but hit the cushion so hard in turn four, he simply ran out of cushion. The No. 93 hit the wall and flipped several times down the front stretch.
"[The cushion] was getting pretty thin," said Schatz from Victory Lane. "In case anyone didn’t notice there were crashes. That’s why we had that [caution] before [Sheldon] did it. There was two cars sitting there, and the cushion was kind of rolled up over the edge of the track. It just kept getting slower and slower. When it starts slowing down... I guess old age is making me slow down a bit too."
All was quiet when the Open Red was called. But when the Wild Child's child finally got out of his car unharmed, the crowd erupted in applause. And Schatz went on to take the checkers unchallenged, with Pittman and David Gravel rounding out the podium.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series takes on the Pennsylvania Posse at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday and Saturday, July 21-22 for the Champion Racing Oil Summer Nationals before heading to Ransomville Speedway for The Big "R" Outlaw Shootout on Sunday, July 23.
Feature (40 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$25,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [1][$7,000]; 3. 5-David Gravel [5][$5,000]; 4. 49X-Tim Shaffer [4][$4,000]; 5. 10H-Chad Kemenah [8][$3,000]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [11][$2,900]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7][$2,800]; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [18][$2,700]; 9. 13D-Danny Dietrich [16][$2,600]; 10. 17X-Carson Macedo [6][$2,500]; 11. 2-Shane Stewart [15][$2,400]; 12. 4-Paul McMahan [20][$2,300]; 13. 1-Dale Blaney [9][$2,200]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [10][$2,100]; 15. 22-Brandon Spithaler [17][$2,000]; 16. 17-Jac Haudenschild [14][$1,500]; 17. 98-Carl Bowser [19][$1,300]; 18. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2][$1,200]; 19. 2M-Kerry Madsen [12][$1,200]; 20. 19-Brent Marks [24][$1,200]; 21. 3H-James McFadden [21][$1,200]; 22. 2AJ-A.J. Flick [25][$]; 23. 1S-Logan Schuchart [13][$1,200]; 24. 24-Lucas Wolfe [23][$1,200]; 25. 7K-Dan Shetler [26][$]; 26. 1A-Jacob Allen [22][$1,200]; Lap Leaders: Sheldon Haudenschild 1-35, Donny Schatz 36-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 41-Jason Johnson[+10]
Donny Schatz Dominates 34th Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway
Makes History as First Back-to-Back Winner of the Prestigious Event
ROSSBURG, OH – July 15, 2017 – Donny Schatz turned in a perfect score card and walked away with a $50,000 check after dominating the 34th annual Kings Royal for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series at Eldora Speedway on Saturday night. Schatz set fast time in qualifying and then won his heat from the fifth starting position following the traditional Kings Royal heat race inversion.
Schatz’s win in Heat 1 put him sixth on the starting grid. He wasted no time at all jumping forward. He took the lead from polesitter and Kings Royal rookie Cole Duncan on lap 14 and never looked back. Schatz lead was as big as six seconds and he crossed the finish line 3.966 seconds ahead of teammate Christopher Bell.
“I just tried to play it cautious, but I seemed to be a little better than the guys in front of me while I tried to search out and find the right line,” Schatz explained of his early race strategy. “I got (to the front) fairly quick. “Brad (Sweet), I didn’t know if he would keep getting better, he looked okay. He didn’t really slow down, we just seemed to get a little bit better towards the end of the race as the fuel came off. That comes to the three guys that work on this car. They take it with the utmost pride and passion and it’s those sort of things that get us in these positions.”
Schatz took the lead from Duncan and third-starting Brad Sweet followed him to take the second position. From there, Schatz found his way into traffic and seemingly got faster as worked around the slower cars.
“I was better in dirty air and that’s something this race team works hard on,” Schatz said. “It seems like I can get my car to stick when I’m behind somebody else. Why that is, I don’t know. I seem to be better in dirty air than I am in open air.”
The proficiency of Schatz No.15 in traffic left podium finishers Christopher Bell and Sweet a bit befuddled.
“It just goes back to car handling,” Sweet said. “That really shows your car, how good you are in dirty air. That’s where the No.15 tends to shine. Once he got there, we started getting some bad air and the car wasn’t feeling as good behind some of those lapped guys and that’s when Donny just drove by and that’s when I knew we were in trouble.”
Despite his dominance, Schatz said he never let up or felt he good relax.
“I’ve raced the same way for the last 20 years: the race isn’t over until it’s over,” Schatz said. “You can clearly be the best car some nights and force yourself into a mistake. I probably pushed the issue with a lapped car and I got myself in a spot where I could have been the fence. It’s never over until you roll under that checkered flag.”
Bell put on a show on his own as he raced from the 20th starting spot after he qualified into the race as one of the two-fastest qualifiers who did transfer to the Feature from the heat races. The starting position wasn’t too much of a hindrance to Bell, other than to track down Schatz at the end of the caution-free race.
“That was a ton of fun running up there right around the fence,” Bell said following the race. “For me, I was just trying to run smart and take my time. I knew I had a really good car. Looking back at it, if I had known it was going to go green to checkered, I probably could have made a couple more moves to get through the field faster to give me more time to run down Donny. To come from 20th to second on a green to checkered race is something that I’m pretty proud of.”
The Norman, OK driver suffered damage to his car’s no wing when he hit Jac Haudenschild ,who was a lapped car, in the rear bumper in turn two in turn two while in the rear bumper with less than two laps to go,. The damage, however, didn’t seem to inhibit Bell at all.
“I don’t think it really mattered,” Bell said of the damage. “I was worried about it when it first happened. It hurt me whenever I was in dirty air because the nose kept coming up, but as far as running by myself, I don’t think it really affected me.”
The Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing teammates raced to their second straight 1-2 finish. Sweet was a strong third-place finishers and was on the podium for the third straight night at Eldrora. Still, Sweet feels like his team can find another gear.
“We have a lot of consistency in our car, just some of these races we haven’t hit it exactly right for the main event,” Sweet said. “Donny was just a good bit better. He just drove by us and checked out. I searched around on the racetrack and just never found a spot where it was super good. I think we kind of know where we missed it. There’s a lot of human element in decision-making before these races and you have to make the right decisions if you want to win them. We’ll learn from this and try to keep getting better.”
After claiming the VP Racing Fuels checkered flag, Schatz was crowned King Donny the 34th in traditional Kings Royal Victory Lane. This year, the King of the Outlaws and original Kings Royal winner Steve Kinser, presented Schatz with his winning crown.
“I think more than anything, this probably isn’t going to happen a whole lot that I’m going to get to stand next to the real King,” Schatz said of Kinser. “That means a lot to me. He’s always been a hero, he’s been the ambassador of our sport, he’s the best thing our sport’s ever seen. I’m damn proud to stand next to that guy tonight.”
Schatz refused to acknowledge his new accomplishment as the first back-to-back winner of the Kings Royal. Instead, Schatz is happy he becomes a statistical footnote.
“Anytime you can do anything that Steve Kinser hasn’t done is incredible,” Schatz said of his victory.
Earlier in the night, Schatz set quick time with a lap of 13.197 seconds, identical to Kerry Madsen’s quick time in Hot Laps. Schatz then used a late restart in Heat 1 to take the lead and claim the sixth-starting spot in the Feature. Tim Shaffer, Sheldon Haudsenchild, Jac Haudenchild, Brad Sweet and Cole Duncan all won earlier qualifying heats. Clyde Knipp earned the C-Main win while David Gravel made a last lap pass to edge Shane Stewart for a win in the Last Chance Showdown.
Despite Bell passing 18 cars to finish second, Ryan Smith took home the KSE Hard Charger award as he advanced from 24th to 5th behind Duncan, who finished fourth in his first-ever Kings Royal start.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series now continues its travel back east with a stop of Lernverville Speedway in Sarver, PA on July 18 for the $20,000-to-win Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup. For additional event information, click here.
Eldora Speedway Kings Royal Notebook
Feature (40 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [6][$50,000]; 2. 14-Christopher Bell [20][$20,000]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$15,000]; 4. 12N-Cole Duncan [1][$12,500]; 5. O7-Ryan Smith [24][$10,000]; 6. 81-Lee Jacobs [7][$7,500]; 7. 10H-Chad Kemenah [8][$6,500]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [14][$6,000]; 9. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17][$5,500]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4][$5,000]; 11. 24-Rico Abreu [13][$4,750]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart [10][$4,500]; 13. 2M-Kerry Madsen [9][$4,000]; 14. 18-Ian Madsen [23][$3,750]; 15. 2-Shane Stewart [22][$3,500]; 16. 71-Joey Saldana [15][$3,450]; 17. 5-David Gravel [21][$3,400]; 18. 21-Brian Brown [11][$3,350]; 19. 39-Sammy Swindell [18][$3,300]; 20. 7S-Jason Sides [19][$3,250]; 21. 3H-James McFadden [12][$3,200]; 22. 17-Jac Haudenschild [3][$3,150]; 23. 19-Brent Marks [16][$3,100]; 24. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5][$3,000]. Lap Leaders: Cole Duncan 1-13, Donny Schatz 14-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 07-Ryan Smith[+19]
Bell Gets Knighted
Christopher Bell Outduels Teammate Donny Schatz to Win The Knight Before the Kings Royal at Eldora
ROSSBURG, OH – July 14, 2017 – Christopher Bell took the lead from Brad Sweet in turn three and then held off a surging Donny Schatz on a restart with nine laps to go to win the Knight Before the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway on Friday night. Bell, who lined up for the 30-lap main event in third, had to be perfect on the race’s only restart with less than 10 laps to go as the eight-time Outlaw Champion threw everything he had at the 22-year-old Norman, OK native who was driving the No.14 Tony Stewart Racing-Curb/Agajanian entry.
“It’s a dream come true,” Bell said following the victory. “To be able to drive for Tony (Stewart) is a dream come true, to win at Eldora on Kings Royal weekend with the Outlaws, I’m just speechless. I’ve had a lot of good runs here at the Kings Royal. I think I’ve been in the top three the last couple of years whenever I’ve crashed. So, to be able to finally win one was really special. Tonight was only 30 laps and we have 40 of them tomorrow.”
At the drop of the green flag, it was outside pole starter Brad Sweet who jumped out to an early advantage. Behind Sweet, Bell engaged in a thrilling battle with polesitter Brian Brown for the third position in the opening laps.
Sweet’s lead quickly expanded to 1.9 seconds over Bell, but evaporated just as fast when he struggled to navigate through a sea of slower traffic. Bell saw his opportunity on lap 10 and seized it as he drove by Sweet entering turn three and claimed the point.
From there, Bell found himself racing against the cushion, which was nearly against the outside retaining wall, all the way around the racetrack. At the halfway points, his gap was 1.3 seconds over Sweet and Ian Madsen with Schatz running in third.
A few short laps later, Schatz began to make his move forward as he got by Madsen and then Sweet to take second on lap 20.
The only caution of the race came on lap 21 for a stopped Sheldon Haudenschild in turn two and reset the battle upfront with a double-file restart. Bell chose the bottom lane for the restart despite running the high outside groove up to that point.
“The only reason I did it was because I got beat when I started on the top in the heat race,” Bell said. “I watched the heat races and every time the bottom was able to get the jump. I felt like either or would work, but I felt I was more vulnerable if I took the top.”
Despite losing his advantage, Bell felt the caution actually played to his advantage.
“I think the caution helped me out big time because I was struggling in lapped traffic,” Bell explained. “I knew I needed to get my wing back and I had just reached for the lever when the yellow came out.
Bell’s choice worked as it put him in the catbird seat to drive to the top lane in turns one and two, but prevented Schatz from attempting a slide job in turns one and two. Schatz poked inside Bell on the bottom in turns three and four and then pulled even for a half lap. Bell maintained his momentum enough in turn two to carry the lead down the backstretch on lap 22 and he dropped to the bottom to take away Schatz’s lane.
“At the time, I didn’t know the bottom was where I needed to be,” Bell said. “I got my wing back and went to the top and was pretty good in one and two. Then, Donny got back beside me off of four and I felt like I hit a pretty good corner, so it was at that point that I knew I needed to change my line in three and four. Luckily I was able to get the momentum again in one and two to drop down in front of him.”
Schatz felt he may have shown Bell the preferred line a little bit early, but also suggested he didn’t have much choice in his bid for the win.
“You just have to go where he’s not and that’s where I was better anyways,” Schatz said. “He stayed up there and we ran side-by-side for a lap there. It forced him to move his lane and maybe I was a little too nice. Maybe I should have bulldozed him in there, but that’s not me.”
Over the final five laps, Bell found some lapped traffic and navigated the chaos with finer precision was able to drive to the checkered flag 0.591 seconds ahead of Schatz’s No.15. The win was a sure confidence boost for Bell entering tomorrow’s $50,000-to-win 34th annual Kings Royal.
“This place is my favorite racetrack in the world,” Bell said. “I’ve had a lot of success here and a lot of hard luck, some of it self-inflicted. I’ve been able to win here in a Midget, a Silver Crown car, a 360 Winged Sprint, and now with the Outlaws, and a Truck too. It’s been really good to me the last couple of years. I’m excited to try and get a big win tomorrow.”
Bell will be looking to use his momentum from Friday’s win to avenge a DNF in last year’s Kings Royal when he flipped against the turn four wall while running second. Despite the strong run in The Knight Before, Bell was cautiously optimistic for Saturday’s main event.
“I felt really, really confident coming in here and then yesterday we just struggled,” said Bell, who failed to qualify for Thursday’s Jokers Wild Feature. “ For some reason, we just didn’t have the speed. They worked really hard and (crew chief) Jimmy Car made some adjustments. I don’t feel like we have enough speed yet to qualify where we need to tomorrow, but obviously we can race okay. Our car is really good when it’s slick. That’s the most important part.”
Schatz’s second-place finish completed a 1-2 finish for the Tony Stewart Racing-Curb/Agajanian team.
“Every car owner’s dream is to have one-two finishes. Tony got one tonight and he also owns the track, so it’s a good feeling. Obviously I think it should be the other way around, I think it should be 15 then the 14, but that’s the way it goes,” Schatz joked.
Sweet maintained the third spot late in the race despite the best efforts of fourth-place finisher Ian Madsen. Brown settled for fifth.
For the second straight night, Brent Marks was the KSE Hard Charger. Marks used a World of Outlaws provisional starting spot to enter the Feature and started 25th. He gained 12 total positions and finished 13th.
Schatz was also the night’s fast qualifier with a lap of 13.057 seconds around the high-banked half-mike track. Jason Johnson, Kraig Kinser, Ian Madsen, Schatz, Shane Stewart and Tim Shaffer all won qualifying heats. Brown and Sweet won the pair of Craftsman Club Dashes. Joey Saldana won the Last Chance Showdown while Mark claimed the C-Main victory and Chris Andews drove to a D-Main checkered flag.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action on Saturday night at Eldora Speedway with the $50,000-to-win winner’s share on the line. The event will be broadcast with live pay-per-view video on DIRTvision.com. For more information on the 34th annual Kings Royal, please visit here.
Eldora Speedway Knight Before the Kings Royal Notebook
Feature (30 Laps) - 1. 14-Christopher Bell [3][$12,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [6][$5,700]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$3,500]; 4. 18-Ian Madsen [5][$3,000]; 5. 21-Brian Brown [1][$2,600]; 6. 2M-Kerry Madsen [8][$2,400]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [9][$2,300]; 8. 5-David Gravel [16][$2,200]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [15][$2,150]; 10. 24-Rico Abreu [20][$2,100]; 11. 49X-Tim Shaffer [4][$1,600]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart [12][$1,350]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [25][$500]; 14. 71-Joey Saldana [19][$1,200]; 15. 10H-Chad Kemenah [11][$1,100]; 16. 2-Shane Stewart [10][$1,000]; 17. 41-Jason Johnson [7][$900]; 18. 55XM-Dale Blaney [18][$850]; 19. 81-Lee Jacobs [17][$800]; 20. 17-Jac Haudenschild [14][$800]; 21. 3H-James McFadden [13][$800]; 22. 4-Paul McMahan [26][$]; 23. O7-Ryan Smith [22][$800]; 24. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [24][$800]; 25. 12N-Cole Duncan [21][$800]; 26. 1ST-Gary Taylor [23][$800]; Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-9; Christopher Bell 10-21, 23-30; Donny Schatz 22; KSE Hard Charger Award: 19-Brent Marks[+12]
Mad Man Marches On
Kerry Madsen Dominates Jokers Wild at Eldora Despite Hand Injury
ROSSBURG, OH – July 14, 2017 – After a three hour rain delay in the early evening, Kerry Madsen dominated the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Jokers Wild event at Eldora Speedway on Thursday night that stretched into the early hours of Friday morning. Madsen was third-quick in Flight A qualifying and second in his heat before claiming victory in the Craftsman Club Dash. The Dash win gave Madsen the pole for the 30-lap, $10,000-to-win Jokers Wild and he led every circuit to score the win in convincing fashion.
Madsen’s win to begin the 34th annual Kings Royal weekend is even more impressive after he revealed in Victory Lane he battled an injury throughout most of the race after a rock cut his hand in the opening five laps. The Australian pilot persevered through the pain to claim his fourth Outlaw win of the season and the third in the Series’ last four races.
“A couple of times the car took off on me and I didn’t quite have the wheel,” Madsen joked about his injury after he was treated following the race. “I could just see all the blood in the glove. It was hurting, but I just kept going.”
Off the initial start, Madsen grabbed the early lead while fellow front row starter Brad Sweet drag raced Madsen into turn three for the lead. The battle was short-lived, however, as Brady Bacon flipped in turn two before the opening lap was complete to bring out the red flag. Bacon was uninjured.
A complete restart followed and saw Madsen jump out front again while 14th starting Jac Haudenschild slowed almost immediately, but pulled pitside, which allowed the race to continue.
“I got side-by-side down the backstretch,” Sweet said of the start. “Kerry left just enough there and I had a run. He was able to go across the track in turn three and take some air off my car and, honestly, that was kind of the race. He was really fast out in clean air. There was definitely no catching him there.”
Madsen set a blistering pace on the lightning quick track and worked into traffic on lap eight. While the bottom was the preferred lane, Madsen drove to the top on the cushion that was slightly more than halfway up the track to work past the slower cars.
The dirtier top lane for Madsen did slow his pace slightly and allowed Sweet to pull within one second of the No.2m. It was a short glimmer of hope for Sweet though as the caution waved on lap 12 when Logan Schuchart suffered a broken front axle and came to a stop in turn four.
The yellow flag gave Madsen the clean air he needed on the restart to pull away from Sweet again and he did just that. By lap 18, Madsen had opened a 1.7-second gap over Sweet while Brian Brown battled with David Gravel for the third position.
“I knew the starts were going to be super important because if someone got a lead and got through traffic, you weren’t going to get them, so it was super critical,” Madsen explained. “When we got to the traffic, I was just trying to be super aggressive with it and go hard at it because you know what those guys are like, they’ll pass you in two seconds if you screw up.”
Madsen again caught traffic on lap 20, but this time was able to navigate the slower cars more efficiently with his aggressive game plan. He continued at his lightning-quick pace over the final laps and drove off to the victory by 2.6 seconds over Sweet. Brown raced to a third-place finishing after holding off Gravel in an exciting third-place battle. Tim Shaffer got by Gravel late to claim fourth while the No.5 settled for fifth.
The victory continues a red-hot streak for Madsen who has now won in each of his last three Outlaw starts after he swept last weekend’s events at Wisconsin’s Cedar Lake Speedway. Madsen is far from surprised by his team’s most recent success.
“I’ve been saying it all year and I feel like we’ve been super under the radar,” Madsen said. “We’ve had like 10 second (place finishes) and a few wins now. It’s fast. I know the performance has been there all year, we just haven’t caught the breaks to get the wins, which I feel like was a good thing because we just kept making the car better.”
Sweet settled for a second-place finish, which felt like a victory for the Grass Valley, CA native after beginning the night with a seventh-place qualifying effort.
“We weren’t that great tonight, to be honest,” Sweet said. “We didn’t qualify great, but we had a really good start in our heat and got up in there to give ourselves a chance. Then they drew the six (inversion pill) and that was a lottery pick. Sometimes you’ll have nights like that where things go a little more your way then other night.
“We realize we have to get the NAPA Auto Parts car a little faster if we want to really have a shot at it Saturday night,” Sweet continued. “We’ll take a second tonight. Kerry’s been awful fast and did a great job there. We’re hungry to win and we’re knocking on the door. We just need to get the car a little better and the driver needs to do a little better job.”
Gravel was the night’s overall fast qualifier with a lap of 12.847 seconds around the half-mile track, just 0.140 seconds off Craig Dollansky’s 2002 track record of 12.707. Shaffer, Ian Madsen, Gravel and Brown won qualifying heats. Cole Duncan won the Last Chance Showdown while Trevor Baker won the C-Main.Brent Marks was the night's KSE Hard Charger after racing from the 24th starting position up to 12th, an impressive achievement on a very fast racetrack.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action at Eldora on Friday night with the Knight Before the Kings Royal. The event will be broadcast live on DIRTvision.com. For additional event information or to buy tickets, please click here.
Eldora Speedway Jokers Wild Notebook
Feature (40 Laps) - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen [1][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$5,500]; 3. 21-Brian Brown [3][$3,200]; 4. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5][$2,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [4][$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [11][$2,300]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [6][$2,200]; 8. 18-Ian Madsen [7][$2,100]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz [9][$2,050]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [8][$2,000]; 11. 41-Jason Johnson [12][$1,500]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [24][$1,200]; 13. 24-Rico Abreu [23][$1,100]; 14. 10H-Chad Kemenah [10][$1,050]; 15. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [17][$1,000]; 16. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [16][$900]; 17. 4-Paul McMahan [13][$800]; 18. W20-Greg Wilson [15][$800]; 19. 12N-Cole Duncan [21][$800]; 20. 1S-Logan Schuchart [20][$800]; 21. 49D-Shawn Dancer [19][$800]; 22. 81-Lee Jacobs [22][$800]; 23. 17-Jac Haudenschild [14][$800]; 24. 99-Brady Bacon [18][$800]; Lap Leaders: Kerry Madsen 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 19-Brent Marks[+12]
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Brady Bacon; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; JE Pistons ($50 cash): David Gravel; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Extended Stay America ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Brent Marks; Super Flow ($50 cash): Chad Kemenah; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Brad Sweet, David Gravel, Kraig Kinser, Daryn Pittman; Craftsman/Sears: Kerry Madsen; KSE Hard Charger: Brent Marks (+12); Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Brad Sweet; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jac Haudenschild.
SEASON WINNERS
· Donny Schatz - 13 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18, Missouri State Fair Speedway on May 5, 81 Speedway on May 6, Eldora Speedway May 13, Knoxville Raceway on June 10, Granite City on June 20, Dirt Oval at Route 66 on June 27, Dakota State Fair Speedway on July 1)
· David Gravel - 10 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1, Gator Motorplex on April 13, Plymouth Speedway on April 28, Lincoln Speedway on May 17, Williams Grove on May 19, New Egypt Speedway on May 24, River Cities Speedway on June 16, Attica Raceway Park on July 11)
· Brad Sweet - 4 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25, Devil’s Bowl on April 15, Jackson Motorplex on June 3, Knoxville Raceway on June 9)
· Shane Stewart – 4 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 20, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 29, West Liberty Raceway on June 23, Beaver Dam Raceway on June 24)
· Kerry Madsen – 4 (Jackson Motorplex on June 2, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 7, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 8, Eldora Speedway on July 13)
· Logan Schuchart - 3 (Keller Auto Speedway on March 31, Eldora Speedway on May 12, Charlotte on May 26)
· Jason Johnson - 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17, Devil’s Bowl on April 14)
· Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway on April 7)
· Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway on April 8)
· Parker Price-Miller – 1 (Tri-State Speedway on May 14)
· Ian Madsen – 1 (Jackson Motorplex on June 1)
· Kyle Larson – 1 (Eagle Raceway on June 13)
· Kraig Kinser - 1 (Deer Creek Speedway on July 6)
Madsen Sweeps the FVP Platinum Battery Showdown; Sweet, Schatz Round out Podium
NEW RICHMOND, WI — July 8, 2017 — In what looked a bit like a repeat of the night before, Kerry “The Madman” Madsen took the checkers on night two at Cedar Lake Speedway with Brad Sweet and Donny Schatz behind him.
“I just enjoy racing with the World of Outlaws so much,” said Madsen from Victory Lane. "I mean, you just have to be on point all the way.”
Certainly the Kasey Kahne Racing driver and the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing driver never let up. They came prepared to do battle with the Big Game Motorsports 2M after the previous night’s finish.
"Last night I took a swing but then gave him the room,” said Sweet. "And tonight I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to try a little bit harder.’"
In fact, everything was a little harder for Madsen the second time around. Jason Johnson started on the pole and maintained his lead for the first 11 laps of the race while Schatz took Madsen on from third, passing him seven laps in only to lose his advantage in the following lap just as Sweet started pressing on him.
With Sweet and Schatz battling it out for third, Madsen focused his attention on the Priority Aviation No. 41, passing him with 29 laps to go. Five laps later, after Johnson slowed off the bottom of turn two, Sweet charged past Schatz and continued onward past Johnson to resume the battle with Madsen from the night before.
Schatz followed suit, and by lap 20, halfway into the race, the top four positions were set, with David Gravel holding the rear. Though Madsen had a strong lead, a caution on Jac Haudenschild (who lost a wheel) gave the drivers a final opportunity to steal the lead.
"Brad [Sweet] had a hell of a run, and he put a big move on in one and two,” said Madsen. “Fortunately, in that corner I had enough time to turn back down and try to tuck right in down the backstretch and repay the favor in three and four. Then I was just trying to mix it up and run a different line here or there to keep him guessing. I feel like I didn’t have much ties there at the end. There was a lot of wheel spin going on, but with two to go you’re just foot to the floor, and you’re like, 'I’m not losing this now.’ So that was a great run.
“I got up in front of him,” said Sweet, "but he turned down. And then he did what he had to do those last few laps. You know, he kind of played defense. We were trying to search to get the run on him, but his car was good all weekend.
Sweet, who is second in points standings behind Donny Schatz (-80) has more top-10 finishes than him so far this season, and almost as many top-fives, but he’s nine wins behind him and hasn’t taken the checkers since exactly one month ago, at Knoxville Raceway. .
“My guys keep giving me great race cars,” said the No. 49 Napa Auto Parts driver. "We just have to figure out how to win some of these. They come down to the last five laps like that, and we’re just a hair off. If we can just find it, we’ll get some more of these wins. I know I keep saying that every night, but it’s the truth. As long as we’re up here on the podium we’re happy though."
Schatz had less to say from Victory Lane, but expressed a similar sentiment. “When you can’t win you gotta do the best you can . . . That’s why they call it racing, so we’ll learn from our mistakes and move on.”
Behind Gravel at the finish was Jason Sides rounding out the top five. While Sides started in 16, his fifth place finish is even more impressive given the fact that he was pushed to the back (24) on a reset after a collision before completing the first lap of the race. Sadly, his 19-position charge only counted as 11, and the KSE Hard Charger Award went to Bill Balog for another impressive charge — from 24 to 10.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series takes on Attica Raceway Park on Tuesday, July 11 for the Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic before heading to Eldora Speedway for the Kings Royal, July 13-15.
Feature (40 Laps) - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen [2][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$5,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$3,000]; 4. 5-David Gravel [10][$2,700]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [16][$2,500]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$2,200]; 7. 3-Tim Kaeding [9][$2,000]; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$1,800]; 9. 2-Shane Stewart [7][$1,600]; 10. 17B-Bill Balog [24][$1,450]; 11. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [6][$1,300]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart [21][$1,200]; 13. 21-Brian Brown [18][$1,100]; 14. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [11][$1,000]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [22][$950]; 16. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8][$900]; 17. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [17][$850]; 18. 4-Paul McMahan [14][$750]; 19. 9-Daryn Pittman [3][$725]; 20. 84-Scott Bogucki [20][$700]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [12][$700]; 22. 26-Tayler Malsam [19][$700]; 23. 17-Jac Haudenschild [15][$700]; 24. 19-Brent Marks [23][$700]; Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-11, Kerry Madsen 12-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 17B-Bill Balog[+14]
Qualifying - 1. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.116; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.207; 3. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 12.269; 4. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.326; 5. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 12.35; 6. 19-Brent Marks, 12.355; 7. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 12.403; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen, 12.508; 9. 3-Tim Kaeding, 12.517; 10. 5-David Gravel, 12.56; 11. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.586; 12. 84-Scott Bogucki, 12.597; 13. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, 12.61; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.65; 15. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 12.688; 16. 41-Jason Johnson, 12.688; 17. 23W-Scott Winters, 12.732; 18. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.755; 19. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.755; 20. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.764; 21. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.77; 22. 21-Brian Brown, 12.797; 23. 82-Craig Dollansky, 12.84; 24. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 12.842; 25. 19P-Paige Polyak, 12.872; 26. 17B-Bill Balog, 12.874; 27. 26-Tayler Malsam, 13.183; 28. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.298; 29. 23-Russel Borland, 13.305; 30. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.368; 31. 9Z-Jared Goerges, 13.393; 32. 85-Jason Tostenson, 13.4; 33. 19L-Todd King, 13.80
It Takes a Madman to Bring Down a Wild Child
NEW RICHMOND, WI — July 7, 2017 — Night One of the Platinum Battery Showdown at Cedar Lake Speedway went to former Outlaw and current Australian Sprintcar champion, Kerry "The Madman” Madsen, who swept all but the Craftsman Club Dash and led 38 laps of the 40-lap Feature behind the wheel of the Big Game Motorsports 2M. Brad Sweet and Donny Schatz followed him through the checkers after a heated battle with several exchanges.
While Madsen set Quicktime during Qualifying and won his Heat race, It was Jac “The Wild Child” Haudenschild who won the Craftsman Club Dash on his return to the Stenhouse Jr./Wood Racing No. 17 machine after a three-race medical absence resulting from an injury at Beaver Dam Raceway. It was starting to look like “Jac is Back” would be the headline for the night, but Haudenschild lost steam all the way through the Feature, coming in at 13 after getting lapped by Madsen in the final two laps.
Meanwhile, Greg Wilson was playing the same game in reverse. Having started in 15, Wilson charged his W20 to tenth in the first five laps, battled with Ian Madsen for the next 14 laps, charged to fifth on a restart, and got past David Gravel with seven laps to go to come in fourth right on Schatz’s tail.
Having started the Feature in second behind the Wild Child, and having won his share of races at the high-banked 3/8-mile oval, the eighth-time defending champion surprised the crowd with his third-place finish. But the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing driver suffered a bit of a mishap on his first lap around as he scraped his right rear tire along the wall of the backstretch after getting into K. Madsen, causing a flurry of sparks as Madsen passed him. And Sweet came at him from fifth, passing him just a couple laps later in the first of numerous exchanges between the the the two No. 15 Arctic Cat and the No. 49 Napa Auto Parts machines.
Meanwhile, Madsen was strengthening his lead and looked nearly unbeatable until Jason Johnson went into the wall outside of turn two, taking the No. 41 out of the race and forcing a restart with 19 laps to go.
Despite the threat created by the restart, Madsen charged forward instantly and re-gained his lead. From the looks of it, he was just too fast and too aggressive to beat.
Nine laps and a solid lead later, Madsen had a minor fumble coming out of a turn, and again after passing Sheldon Haudenschild in lap traffic, and with seven laps to go Sweet had finally caught up to him. Five laps to go and the Kasey Kahne Racing driver was all over Madsen, looking like he might actually win. During the next lap, Sweet managed to steal the lead, but Madsen immediately reclaimed it. With only two laps left, when Madsen finally lapped the Wild Child, Sweet was caught behind Haudenschild and Paul McMahan, and that was that. Madsen crossed the checkers.
The FVP Platinum Battery Showdown continues tomorrow night and will be streamed LIVE on DIRTVision.com.
CEDAR LAKE SPEEDWAY ABBREVIATED RESULTS
Feature (40 Laps) - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen [3][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$5,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$3,000]; 4. W20-Greg Wilson [15][$2,700]; 5. 5-David Gravel [4][$2,500]; 6. 18-Ian Madsen [7][$2,200]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides [6][$2,000]; 8. 3-Tim Kaeding [17][$1,800]; 9. 21-Brian Brown [13][$1,600]; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser [11][$1,450]; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman [14][$1,300]; 12. 4-Paul McMahan [12][$1,200]; 13. 17-Jac Haudenschild [1][$1,100]; 14. 2-Shane Stewart [10][$1,000]; 15. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [9][$950]; 16. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [16][$900]; 17. 1S-Logan Schuchart [19][$850]; 18. 19-Brent Marks [23][$750]; 19. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [18][$725]; 20. 19L-Todd King [24][$700]; 21. 41-Jason Johnson [8][$700]; 22. 55-Brooke Tatnell [20][$700]; 23. 19P-Paige Polyak [22][$700]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$700]; Lap Leaders: Jac Haudenschild 1, Kerry Madsen 2-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: W20-Greg Wilson[+11]
Qualifying - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 11.543; 2. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.643; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.686; 4. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.734; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.737; 6. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.765; 7. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 11.765; 8. 18-Ian Madsen, 11.795; 9. 5-David Gravel, 11.802; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.912; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.965; 12. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.967; 13. 19P-Paige Polyak, 11.979; 14. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.992; 15. 19-Brent Marks, 12.001; 16. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.021; 17. 3-Tim Kaeding, 12.031; 18. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 12.044; 19. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.071; 20. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, 12.072; 21. 21-Brian Brown, 12.15; 22. 84-Scott Bogucki, 12.196; 23. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.235; 24. 7W-Tasker Phillips, 12.312; 25. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.344; 26. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 12.353; 27. 82-Craig Dollansky, 12.393; 28. 55-Brooke Tatnell, 12.423; 29. 19L-Todd King, 12.589; 30. 85-Jason Tostenson, 12.592; 31. 56N-David Heskin, 12.781; 32. 9Z-Jared Goerges, 12.951; 33. 91A-Reed Allex, 13.912
Redemption: Kraig Kinser Wins the Clash at the Creek at Deer Creek Speedway
By: Tony Veneziano
SPRING VALLEY, Minn. — July 6, 2017 — Kraig Kinser was five laps away from picking up his first win of the season last week with the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series at The Dirt Oval at Route 66 in Joliet, Ill., only to have the power steering go bad while leading, the third-generation driver made up for that near-miss on Thursday night, as he was victorious in the Clash at the Creek at Deer Creek Speedway in Minnesota.
For Kinser, it was his first World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win of the season and his first since 2014. The veteran driver now has 17 career World of Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature wins.
“You never want to have issues when you are running up front and tonight we didn’t,” said Kinser. “It was a struggle, because we were so good at the beginning. I knew we weren’t going to be quite as good at the end. Seeing Donny (Schatz) the last five or 10 laps, you have to be at your best. I definitely wasn’t leaving much on the table. There were a few spots I was getting really good bite, but other than that, I was sliding through the turns and just trying to keep momentum up.”
The event, which began on Thursday, June 29 and was postponed by rain three laps into the feature, set up a unique race night, which consisted of hot laps and the remaining 37 laps of the 40-lapper. Kinser asserted himself early in the race as a contender, while David Gravel, the pole sitter paced the first one-third of the race.
“We were pretty good here the other day and had to wait a week, but were close to how good we were last week,” Kinser noted. “This is a high-banked momentum track and if you can get the top working it’s usually better than hitting the bottom. Early, it had some moisture and we could stop, get the car turned and get off the corner. At the end, it was kind of just a momentum deal.”
Kinser lined up fifth when the race resumed on Thursday night and was up to third just a handful of laps into the 40-lap race. He moved into second when Brad Sweet had a flat tire on the 10th lap. Just prior to the halfway point of the race, Kinser used a strong run on the high side of the track to take the lead from David Gravel coming off turn four. Down the stretch, Kinser held off a furious charge by Donny Schatz to claim the win. Kinser endured a number of restarts while out front,
“The restarts were very important, though everything you do with the Outlaws is,” said Kinser.
“To say you beat the 15 car and 2 car and all the guys, everything is important and has to go right.”
Schatz, who re-started the race ninth on Thursday night, steadily worked his way forward. He tried both the high and low side of the track as he tracked down Kinser. Schatz nearly drew even with Kinser a handful of times, often diving under him turns three and four, but never was able to quite make a pass stick.
“Our job is to make something happen,” said Schatz. “I tried to make something happen, but Kraig (Kinser) was pretty good. I knew I didn’t want to get next to him unless I could get by him. He had a little bit left in there. Hats off to those guys. They have been knocking on the door for quite some time and got one done tonight. For us, we normally don’t run that well here, so second is pretty respectable. We were wanting to win and were there fighting for it and that’s all you can ask for.”
Shane Stewart, who lined up eighth for the re-started main event, used a late-race charge to cross the line third to continue his recent hot streak. Stewart was engaged in a spirited battle with Ian Madsen and Sheldon Haudenschild for the third spot for several laps.
“That was a fun race,” Stewart said. “My car seems to get better as the race goes on. On a 40-lap race, that’s what you want. It would have been interesting if there would have been a late-race caution. I’m happy with third. I have to thank all the fans for coming back out and supporting this race. I am looking forward to the rest of the summer.”
Sheldon Haudenschild, who ran as high as third, ended up fourth. The leading contender for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award, put on a show, as he bounced the right rear off the wall several times, even passing cars in the process.
Brad Sweet recovered from an early race flat tire to round out the top-five, after having to re-start at the tail of the field.
Paul McMahan was sixth, with Greg Wilson seventh, early leader David Gravel was eighth, with Jason Johnson recovering from a trip to the work area to finish ninth. Jacob Allen rounded out the top-10.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action this weekend with the FVP Platinum Battery Showdown at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wisc., on Friday, July 7 and Saturday, July 8.
DEER CREEK RESULTS:
FEATURE (40 Laps): 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [10][$5,500]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [9][$3,200]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [5][$2,800]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$2,500]; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [7][$2,300]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [14][$2,200]; 8. 5-David Gravel [1][$2,100]; 9. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$2,050]; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen [20][$2,000]; 11. 19-Brent Marks [19][$1,500]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [6][$1,200]; 13. 55-Brooke Tatnell [11][$1,100]; 14. 1S-Logan Schuchart [23][$1,050]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [21][$1,000]; 16. 84-Scott Bogucki [15][$900]; 17. 9-Daryn Pittman [25][$800]; 18. 24-Terry McCarl [16][$800]; 19. 1M-Danny Lasoski [13][$800]; 20. 21-Brian Brown [12][$800]; 21. 17B-Bill Balog [17][$800]; 22. 19P-Paige Polyak [18][$800]; 23. 7W-Tasker Phillips [24][$800]; 24. 3-Tim Kaeding [22][$800]; 25. 2M-Kerry Madsen [4][$800]; Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-3, 5-14; Brad Sweet 4; Kraig Kinser 15-40;KSE Hard Charger Award: 1A-Jacob Allen[+10]
Schatz Outlasts Kaeding and Stewart for Victory at Dakota State Fair
Schatz picks up 13th victory of the Outlaws season
HURON, S.D — July 1, 2017 — Starting from the front row, Shane Stewart grabbed the lead exiting Turn 2 on the opening lap and set sail setting a blistering pace. With the main event being cut short by one lap due to track conditions, Stewart had to withstand one final restart. On that restart with one lap to go, Stewart restarted directly in front of Schatz. The top two of Stewart and Schatz headed down the backstretch coming to the checkers. Schatz was able to get a run on the high side coming out of Turn 2 allowing him to drive by Stewart to pick up his 13th victory of the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series season.
In a night that saw numerous flat tires throughout the 22-car field, the 30-lap race at Dakota State Fair Speedway was shortened to 29 laps due to track conditions.
Shane Stewart, the driver of the No. 2 Larson Marks Racing entry has been on a hot streak over the last couple of week. Having won two-in-a-row at West Liberty and Beaver Dam, just a week ago, Stewart was looking to pick up his fifth win of the season at Dakota State Fair Speedway on Saturday night.
After jumping out to an early lead on the start, Stewart set a blistering pace putting a gap between him and the No. 9 of Daryn Pittman who also started on the front row with Stewart. The first of six stoppages of the night was for the No. 93 who slowed at the top of Turn 1 with a flat tire. Sheldon Haudenschild would recover for a fifth-place finish.
Stewart would jump back out to a big lead on the restart. Schatz who was running third behind Pittman at the time was able to get by the No. 9 Great Clips machine on lap 22 for second. It was on lap 25 that Pittman sustained a flat tire, bringing out a yellow flag.
As the field was coming to get two laps to go at the stripe, Schatz dove aggressively under Stewart for the lead in Turn 3 and made it stick. However, the No. 5 of David Gravel went for a flip in Turn 1 at the same time, giving Stewart the lead back for the restart, Gravel was able to be pushed to the work area but could not return.
“We got by [Stewart] before the red came out,” Said Donny Schatz. “I knew it got to be where [Stewart] was going to stay down on the bottom groove and we just had a little bit left to get around him on the outside coming out of Turn 2.”
Due to track conditions, officials made the decision to the shorten the race by one lap. Stewart regained the lead after the previous lap was not scored complete. Stewart lead Schatz, Kaeding and the rest of the field to the restart where both the green and white flags were displayed.
“Man, that was tough,” said Shane Stewart. “I actually thought my tire was going flat coming to the green [on the last restart]. When [track] takes rubber like this the restarts are so hard on your tires.”
Stewart led into Turn 1 but Schatz used the top grove exiting Turn 2 to get by Stewart for the lead.
“You don’t ever want to lead that many laps and finish third,” said Shane Stewart. “It’s a testament to how good my car is right now. My guys did a great job, just wasn’t meant to be.”
“I’m here to win races, that’s what we’re here to do,” said Schatz regarding his winning pass. “When you’re in second and got an opportunity to win a race, that’s what you’re going to do – you’re going to go for it. You’re not going to do anything silly and we didn’t. We got the win and that’s what matters,” added Schatz.
Schatz would complete the rest of the 3/8th-mile en-route to his 13th victory of the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car season.
“We definitely got our monies worth on the tires tonight,” said Donny Schatz who’s right-rear tire was bald.
“I didn’t think it was going to get that abrasive and rubbered up that early,” said Schatz. “Shane [Stewart] got out there and set a pretty good pace and I was trying to make the bottom work, it felt ok but those guys got away. I moved up and you could feel it – that’s the point you have to decide how hard you want to go. I’m glad I did that because there was no way I was going to be around at the end to have an opportunity to win that race.”
Stewart would eventually lose another position to Tim Kaeding in the No. 3 who took advantage of others misfortunes and drove up through the field from the 12th-starting spot.
“Man, this feels like a win for me,” said Tim Kaeding. “We’ve struggled pretty much all year. To run second with these guys on a rubbered down track like that and not pop a tire, I’m definitely going to enjoy a beer tonight.”
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action on Thursday, July 6 for a make-up Feature at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, MN before heading off to Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, WI on Saturday and Sunday, July 7 and 8. Tickets for these events can be purchased on WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets or by calling 844-DIRT-TIX.
RESULTS FROM DAKOTA STATE FAIR SPEEDWAY:
Feature (29 Laps—shortened due to track conditions): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$10,000]; 2. 3-Tim Kaeding [12][$5,500]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [2][$3,200]; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [7][$2,800]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [19][$2,500]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$2,300]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [11][$2,200]; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [10][$2,100]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [1][$2,050]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [14][$2,000]; 11. 82-Thomas Kennedy [16][$1,500]; 12. 49-Brad Sweet [8][$1,200]; 13. 5-David Gravel [6][$1,100]; 14. 17B-Ryan Bickett [15][$1,050]; 15. 2K-Kevin Ingle [20][$1,000]; 16. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$900]; 17. 47-Brant O'Banion [21][$800]; 18. 4-Paul McMahan [4][$800]; 19. 13-Clyde Knipp [18][$800]; 20. 19P-Paige Polyak [9][$800]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [17][$800]; 22. 101-Chuck McGillivray [22][$800]; Lap Leaders: Shane Stewart 1-28, Donny Schatz 29; KSE Hard Charger Award: 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[+14]
Rain Forces Postponement of World of Outlaws Feature at Deer Creek Speedway to July 6
SPRING VALLEY, Minn. — June 29, 2017 —Rain has forced the postponement of the Feature event for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Deer Creek Speedway on Thursday, June 29. Rain began falling a couple of laps into the main event, forcing drivers to the pit area, with rain continuing to fall.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will return on Thursday, July 6 to complete the remainder of the Feature event. The USRA Stock Car main event will also be run that evening.
All tickets and pit pass armbands from Thursday, June 29 will be honored on Thursday, July 6 and fans are asked to keep their tickets and armbands.
The start time on Thursday, July 6 will be one hour later, with hot laps at 7:30 p.m.
Schatz Scores Win 12 on Return to The Dirt Oval, Where He Won 12 Years Ago
JOLIET, IL — June 27, 2017 — Eight-time champion and current points leader Donny Schatz took the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 15 Arctic Cat machine through the checkers to win the FVP Outlaw Clay Classic at The Dirt Oval at Route 66 Raceway, stealing the lead from Kraig Kinser with only five laps to go. Although Kinser saw his best race of the season to date, Schatz rode him hard, and he ultimately landed in eighth with Kasey Kahne Racing teammates Brad Sweet and Daryn Pittman following Schatz through the checkers.
“Kraig [Kinser] was really good at the start,” said Schatz from Victory Lane. "He took off there on the bottom. I didn’t quite know if the bottom or the top, the middle, what was going to happen. I just had to give a little time for the race car to come in and the tires to get warm. You kind of had to be all over really. It was a guessing game there for a while, and then we had to restart. Being on the outside I kind of felt like I was hung out to dry a little bit, and Brad [Sweet] got by. Obviously they were really good. I think he started a ways back.”
Sweet, who walked away with the KSE Hard Charger Award, started in 13 and worked his way into second. A restart with 13 laps to go saw a three-wide battle for the lead between Kinser, Schatz and Sweet, in which Kinser prevailed, holding the lead for eight more laps, while Sweet and Schatz continued the battle for second with exchanges.
Throughout the race, another tough battle was playing out behind the leaders between Pittman and David Gravel, ending in Pittman’s favor after several exchanges.
Pittman, who set Quick Time at 13.637 second, was the only one in Victory Lane who even ran the Craftsman Club Dash, which was led by Jason Sides and Paul McMahan.
Starting on the pole after winning the Dash, Sides led the first four laps of the Feature as Kinser charged up from midfield in position 11 in some of his finest racing this season.
By Lap 5, Kinser was leading, with Sides and Brian Brown behind him as Schatz and Sweet followed suit, diligently taking on car after car, working their way up, and McMahan was losing ground.
Overall, it an exciting return to the half-mile oval, which last saw true oval-track racing twelve years ago. And while the racing was certainly better this time around, one thing remained the same: the champion. Schatz won at the track on July 8, 2005 during the Series’ last visit. Twelve years later, he scored win number 12 of the season.
Feature (30 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [8][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [13][$5,500]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$3,200]; 4. 5-David Gravel [6][$2,800]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [1][$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [9][$2,300]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [17][$2,200]; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser [11][$2,100]; 9. 41-Jason Johnson [10][$2,050]; 10. 99-Brady Bacon [5][$2,000]; 11. 19-Brent Marks [18][$1,500]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [15][$1,200]; 13. 3-Tim Kaeding [20][$1,100]; 14. 17B-Bill Balog [7][$1,050]; 15. 24-Terry McCarl [16][$1,000]; 16. 59H-Justin Henderson [12][$900]; 17. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$800]; 18. 27Z-Sean Zemunik [23][$800]; 19. 10V-Matt Vandervere [22][$800]; 20. 1S-Logan Schuchart [19][$800]; 21. 21-Brian Brown [3][$800]; 22. 4-Paul McMahan [2][$800]; 23. 17A-Austin McCarl [24][$800]; 24. 1M-Danny Lasoski [14][$800]; Lap Leaders: Jason Sides 1-4, Kraig Kinser 5-25, Donny Schatz 26-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 49-Brad Sweet[+11]
Qualifying - 1. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.637; 2. 5-David Gravel, 13.722; 3. 99-Brady Bacon, 13.726; 4. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.782; 5. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.782; 6. 59H-Justin Henderson, 13.819; 7. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.875; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.887; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.93; 10. 17B-Bill Balog, 13.958; 11. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.007; 12. 21-Brian Brown, 14.012; 13. 24-Terry McCarl, 14.076; 14. 1M-Danny Lasoski, 14.113; 15. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.122; 16. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.141; 17. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.166; 18. 18-Ian Madsen, 14.225; 19. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.278; 20. 10V-Matt Vandervere, 14.441; 21. 71-Max McGhee, 14.448; 22. 64-Scott Thiel, 14.466; 23. 17A-Austin McCarl, 14.467; 24. 19-Brent Marks, 14.524; 25. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.544; 26. 3-Tim Kaeding, 14.588; 27. 27Z-Sean Zemunik, 14.65; 28. 51B-Joe B, 14.713; 29. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.747; 30. 23-Russel Borland, 14.758; 31. 7J-Joe Swanson, NT
Caution: Stewart Is on a Streak
BEAVER DAM, WI — June 24, 2017 — In a night full of cautions and chaos, and even a bit of rain after Time Trials, Larson Marks Racing driver Shane Stewart secured a weekend sweep as he took the checkers for the second night in a row, this time at the Jim "JB" Boyd Memorial presented by Karavan Trailers at Beaver Dam Raceway.
Greg Wilson, who led the race for 24 laps, came in just short of the podium as Kerry Madsen charged from the back to come in second with Jason Johnson behind him.
"That was a crazy long race,” said Stewart from Victory Lane as the racing wrapped up near 1:00AM.
It was a night full of hardship at the high-banked third-mile. A bit of rain after Time Trials delayed the racing and made for a challenging surface. A number of cautions during the second Heat had the crowd on the edge of their seats and set the tone for the 40-lap Feature. “They’re picking them off one by one," said a fan in the backstretch grandstand. “There's too much grip. It’s going to be the last man standing."
Greg Wilson came in second in that Heat, in which only four drivers managed to complete all 10 laps, so he was looking at the last row of the Craftsman Club Dash. A full Dash inversion, with a draw of eight, however, moved him to the front, just outside of Donny Schatz, which is just where he started the Feature. Wilson wasn’t about to let that get away from him. He charged out ahead of Schatz in Lap 1.
Schatz got a second chance, just as Stewart got at West Liberty Raceway the night before, but he came out less than victorious.
A caution in Lap 1 forced a re-start, and set the field back to its original position. Jac Haudenschild bit the wall in Turn 2 with the Stenhouse Jr./Wood Racing No. 17 and was out of the race.
Wilson took the lead again on the restart, and Stewart passed Schatz for second in Lap 6, starting a battle between them. Unfortunately, the battle resulted in contact between the two drivers that sent the Arctic Cat No. 15 flying into the air before taking several flips on the backstretch with 33 laps to go. Although the Series champ came out unharmed, he was done for the night.
“I’ve got to say sorry to Donny,” said Stewart from Victory Lane. “I didn’t mean to get into him. I got backed up there a little bit, and I didn’t see him go last minute. He’s definitely the last person that you’d ever want to wreck.”
Sheldon Haudenschild was the next driver to taste the wall. More and more cautions followed, and while Wilson and Stewart battled it out up front, Kerry Madsen and Jason Johnson made themselves busy, climbing lap after lap and taking advantage of every restart.
Madsen had some challenges earlier in the night. He had a strong lead in his Heat when he spun into the wall between Turns 3 and 4, losing a wheel and limping off into the work area while his car was towed. But he refused to be defeated. He went on to win the Last Chance Showdown and make the Feature, where he started in the 21 spot. Yes, 21. And with only two laps to go, there he was, passing Wilson for second.
For Stewart it was a different kind of second: his second win in just two nights, and his second race with new crew chief Lee Stauffer. Asked what Stauffer has brought to the team, Stewart replied, “Confidence. We just lacked a little bit of that. He has a lot of self confidence, and so has brought a lot to the team. He’s a good leader."
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series meets up with the Late Model Series next at the Dirt Oval at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL for the FVP Outlaw Clay Classic on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 27 and 28. Tickets are still available online.
BEAVER DAM RACEWAY ABBREVIATED RESULTS:
Feature (40 Laps) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [4][$10,000]; 2. 2M-Kerry Madsen [21][$5,500]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [9][$3,200]; 4. W20-Greg Wilson [2][$2,800]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$2,500]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog [16][$2,300]; 7. 3-Tim Kaeding [17][$2,200]; 8. 4-Paul McMahan [12][$2,100]; 9. 5-David Gravel [10][$2,050]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [14][$2,000]; 11. 59H-Justin Henderson [13][$1,500]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [23][$1,200]; 13. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [22][$1,100]; 14. 25-Jacob Blackhurst [8][$1,050]; 15. 10W-Scotty Thiel [18][$1,000]; 16. O2-Mike Reinke [11][$900]; 17. 7S-Jason Sides [7][$800]; 18. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [20][$800]; 19. 15-Donny Schatz [1][$800]; 20. 19-Brent Marks [24][$800]; 21. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [25][$]; 22. 79-Blake Nimee [15][$800]; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen [19][$800]; 24. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$800]; 25. 17-Jac Haudenschild [6][$800]; Lap Leaders: Greg Wilson 1-24, Shane Stewart 25-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 2M-Kerry Madsen[+19]
With a Lot of Skill and a Little Luck, Stewart Locks in West Liberty Win
WEST LIBERTY, IL — June 23, 2017 — Bixby, OK-native Shane Stewart commanded the Larson Marks Racing No. 2 car for 25 laps through the checkers to win the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series debut at the 1/2-mile West Liberty Raceway. Behind him Kasey Kahne Racing driver Brad Sweet fought Jason Johnson for second to round out the podium.
Stewart started the day out strong, qualifying second, but a bit of luck also came into play later that night. At the start of the West Liberty Hawkeye 25 Feature, both Johnson and Sweet got past Stewart, but a caution before the lap was complete forced a reset, giving him a second chance.
“That was my race, honestly,” said Stewart. “I would’ve never passed those guys back if that caution hadn’t come out. I honestly don’t know what the heck happened. I just spun my tires really bad."
This marks the third win of the season and the first this month for Stewart, who came to this event with a new crew chief, Lee Stauffer, at his side and now sits fourth in points standings, just four points past Daryn Pittman.
Behind the leader, Johnson and Sweet fell in line throughout the first half of the race. Ian Madsen made an early run on Pittman for fourth, but some Turn 4 trouble in Lap 12 resulted in a tow off the field and the end of the race for Madsen.
On the restart, Johnson just couldn’t steal the lead from Stewart, and Sweet took advantage of the fumble, charging past him for second. Despite additional restarts, the three crossed the checkers in just that order: Stewart, Sweet, Johnson.
The battle between Stewart and Johnson commenced earlier, in the Craftsman Club Dash, with Stewart successfully stealing the lead for the win — a lead which Johnson had already stolen from Jac “Wild Child” Haudenschild during the Dash Draw.
From the looks — and sound — of it, this was to be the Wild Child’s day. The twittersphere was ablaze all afternoon with news of his commanding the Stenhouse Jr./Wood Racing No. 17 car that night. And despite the many hard feelings aroused by Joey Saldana’s absence, fans rallied behind J. Haudenschild, who answered back with Quick Time in Qualifying, setting the track record with a 15.737.
J. Haudenschild went on to win Heat 1 and was looking pretty great for the Feature until the Dash Inversion came in with a six, for a full-field inversion that set him back to sixth. There would be no win for the No. 17 that night as the Wild Child came in at 16.
Meanwhile, the younger Haudenschild, who started the feature beside his dad, just one position behind, took over dad’s spot to come in sixth, and even held off Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing driver and eight-time Series Champion Donny Schatz for half the race.
As fans rushed to meet their favorite drivers in the Pit area after the race, though, a young boy ran in screaming: “Did you find the Wild Child yet? Did you?"
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series heads to Beaver Dam Raceway next for the Jim "JB" Boyd Memorial presented by Karavan Trailers on Saturday, June 24, 2017. Tickets can still be purchased online.
Traveling in for the show? World of Outlaws fans get 20% off accommodations at a nearby Extended Stay America.
WEST LIBERTY RACEWAY ABBREVIATED RESULTS:
Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [1][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$5,500]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [2][$3,200]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [3][$2,800]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [8][$2,500]; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [9][$2,300]; 7. 21-Brian Brown [11][$2,200]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [15][$2,100]; 9. 4-Paul McMahan [10][$2,050]; 10. 5-David Gravel [14][$2,000]; 11. 1M-Danny Lasoski [12][$1,500]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [13][$1,200]; 13. 11K-Kraig Kinser [16][$1,100]; 14. 24-Terry McCarl [21][$1,050]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [20][$1,000]; 16. 17-Jac Haudenschild [6][$900]; 17. 71A-R.J. Johnson [22][$800]; 18. 5J-Jeremy Schultz [17][$800]; 19. 15M-Bobby Mincer [24][$800]; 20. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [19][$800]; 21. 13-Clyde Knipp [23][$800]; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart [18][$800]; 23. 18-Ian Madsen [5][$800]; 24. 6-Carson McCarl [7][$800]; Lap Leaders: Shane Stewart 1-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 19-Brent Marks[+7]
Schatz Outduels Johnson for 11th Victory of Season at Granite City Speedway
Sweet charges from 10th for podium finish
SAUX RAPIDS, M.N. —June 20, 2017 — In what looked like it was Jason Johnson’s night at Granite City Speedway, Donny Schatz capitalized on a mid-race restart. Schatz drove under Johnson exiting Turn 4 to get by for the lead. Schatz had to hold off a determined Johnson and the KSE Hard Charger Brad Sweet to pick up his 11th victory of the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car season.
Looking for the clean sweep on the evening, Jason Johnson got the early jump on the 30-lap Feature at Granite City Speedway. Opening up a five-car length lead over the eight-time and defending World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion, Donny Schatz. Just shy of the halfway point of the 30-lap race, a yellow flag was displayed for a slowed Ian Madsen who had a flat tire.
On the ensuing restart, Johnson looked like he was going to pick up where he left off, rocketing out to a quick lead over Schatz. As the field made their way down the backstretch, Johnson choose to enter Turn 3 on the top-side, leaving Schatz the bottom.
“[Schatz] just knew what he needed to do to get by me on that restart,” said Jason Johnson. “We had a car just as fast as his.”
“Races aren’t won on the start, a lot of people never figure that out,” said Donny Schatz. “We just wait for an opportunity. We got a run on [Jason] on the start and we went down the back and he decided to go up top into three and I went where he didn’t and we were able to get by.”
At the same time, Sweet wanted a piece of the action having got by Madsen on the restart for third place.
“The car was really good in the beginning,” said Brad Sweet.
With Schatz out front, Johnson and Sweet were nipping at his heels.
The top-three all within a half-second of each other had to contend with lap traffic the remain half of the race. That didn’t seem to slow them down as the three were trading positions looking to pick up their next win on the season.
“I threw everything I knew I had at [Schatz] to try to get by him,” added Johnson. “We like to win for sure. Anytime you can race with Donny and battle with [Donny], it’s a lot of fun. [Schatz] is one of the cleaner racers out here.”
The final five laps of the race it looked like it could have to gone to Schatz, Johnson or Sweet all trading positions back and forth. Schatz was just able to pick his line and get through heavy lap traffic first to power his way home for his 11th victory of the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car season.
“I think everything raises the heartrate,” said Donny Schatz in Victory Lane. “There’s a lot of great racers out here right now and they’ve got their game on. These Arctic Cat guys are in the same boat. They work their tails off to be good. We were a lot better earlier in the night – that’s kind of odd, usually we get better as the night goes on. We got the job done and that’s about it.”
Sweet who started on the outside of the fifth row of the Feature, charged his way forward and looked like he had something for both Schatz and Johnson picked up the KSE Hard Charger award.
“Lap cars just didn’t play out or if we got [Johnson], [Johnson] got us back. This NAPA Auto Parts car has been really fast, we put ourselves a little behind tonight but it was nice to drive up in there. If we keep having cars like this, we’ll be able to win some more of these.”
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series heads to West Liberty Raceway on Friday, June 23 for the West Liberty Hawkeye 25. For tickets, visit WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets.
GRANITE CITY RESULTS:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$6,000]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$3,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [10][$2,000]; 4. 2M-Kerry Madsen [5][$1,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [11][$1,500]; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [9][$1,400]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides [6][$1,350]; 8. 2-Shane Stewart [15][$1,300]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7][$1,250]; 10. 17-Joey Saldana [3][$1,200]; 11. 4-Paul McMahan [17][$900]; 12. 9-Daryn Pittman [14][$800]; 13. W20-Greg Wilson [12][$700]; 14. 19-Brent Marks [20][$650]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8][$600]; 16. 18-Ian Madsen [4][$550]; 17. 3-Tim Kaeding [13][$500]; 18. 91A-Reed Allex [23][$500]; 19. 55-Brooke Tatnell [18][$500]; 20. 13-Clyde Knipp [21][$500]; 21. 19P-Paige Polyak [19][$500]; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen [16][$500]; 23. 9Z-Jared Goerges [22][$500]; Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-13, Donny Schatz 14-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 49-Brad Sweet[+7]
Gravel Wins Rain-Soaked River Cities SpeedwayAfter three-hour delay,
Gravel held off Madsen for ninth win of season
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — June 17, 2017 — It was Jacob Allen who jumped out to an early lead during the initial start of the Gerdau Recycling Northern Tour. As Allen was coming to complete lap five of the 40-lap race, Allen jumped the cushion in Turn 4 went for a wild flip, bringing out the red flag. During the red-flag stoppage, a passing rain storm hit the Grand Forks, N.D.-area forcing a nearly three-hour stoppage. When the show got back under way, it was Gravel that withstood a couple charges from the No. 2M of Kerry Madsen en route to his ninth World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series win of the 2017 season.
“There’s some crazy fans here,” said David Gravel. “They were standing in the bleachers that had no roof over them in the down-pouring rain. Those guys are diehard; I give them props for sure.”
With weather threatening the River Cities Speedway, the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series was forced to go into hurry up mode in an effort to get night one of the Gerdau Recycling Northern Tour at River Cities Speedway in its entirety. After winning the Craftsman Club Dash, Jacob Allen secured the pole position for the Feature. Jumping out to an early lead over second-place David Gravel, Allen was quickly catching lap traffic early in the race.
“I tried to go to the top because I saw that I was coming up on some lap cars,” said Jacob Allen. “I figured I needed to go up there and see how it was before I got up on [lap cars]. Unfortunately, it was slick up in Turn 4 and [the car] flew into the barrier. I probably should have stuck on the bottom; but I was able to lead my first Outlaws race.”
After getting the track back in racing condition, the field was allotted a couple lap hot lap session. Drivers were turning laps in the nine-second bracket; close to a half-second quicker than lap times that were being turned earlier in the day. When it was time to go, David Gravel and Kerry Madsen led the field to the restart with four-laps complete.
“It’s a bummer it rained,” said David Gravel. “Typically the track is three-grooves top-to-bottom. It was pretty narrow, you just had to try not to make any mistakes.”
David Gravel and Kerry Madsen led the field back to the green. As the field was getting up to speed exiting Turn 4, the No. 41 of Jason Johnson slapped the outside wall with his right-rear tire, sending the field scrambling. Multiple cars, including the No. 4 of Paul McMahan and the No. 3 of Tim Kaeding went for a flip. Both drivers were able to get out under their own power, however, their night was done early.
For the second attempt the field would line up single file. Gravel was able to get another solid jump on Kerry Madsen and put a five-car length gap between the two. That gap closed on lap nine when Madsen and Gravel banged wheels coming off Turn 2; both where able to keep going.
“I drifted up and let Kerry [Madsen] get by me, but we were lucky enough to get right back by him.”
Madsen pounced on lap 19 to get by Gravel on the backstretch, however, Gravel was able to work his way back by the No. 2M.
“We had the car to beat,” said Kerry Madsen. “We got the lead there once, just couldn’t hang onto it good enough, it’s a great result for the team.”
With five laps to go, the field was slowed when Clyde Knipp in the No. 13 slowed on the backstretch.
Again with a single-file restart, Gravel was able to rocket out to a commanding lead and didn’t look back en route to his ninth win of the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series season.
The Series returns to action on Saturday, June 17 at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, N.D. Fans can purchase tickets by visit the ticket gate or by visiting slspromotions.ticketforce.com.
Larson Parks It at Eagle Raceway
Stenhouse Jr. Wood Racing picks up first Outlaws win
EAGLE, NE — June 14, 2017— After leading 29 of the 30-lap Feature, Daryn Pittman couldn't withstand the late-race charge from Kyle Larson and Shane Stewart. Larson whipped around the top-side of the high-banked third-mile track to go by Pittman en route to win the return of the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series at Eagle Raceway.
When Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series superstars Kyle Larson and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. team up, you get one potent team. During an off day from NASCAR, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. co-owner of Stenhouse Jr. Wood Racing decided to put Monster Energy Cup Series standout, Kyle Larson in a second entry for the Eagle Nationals at Eagle Raceway.
Good friends away from the track, Larson and Stenhouse Jr. also share a special bond, having been really close friends with the late-Bryan Clauson.
Stenhouse Jr. during the off season teamed up with Matt Wood to form Stenhouse Jr. Wood Racing — the team that Clauson raced with before his tragic death in 2016.
When the 24-car field got the green flag, it was Daryn Pittman that got the jump and rocketed out to the lead — a lead that he had to relinquish because of a yellow flag for a spinning Paul McMahan and Jason Johnson. The field would have a complete restart with the yellow coming out before a lap could be completed.
Once the field got back going again, Pittman once again found himself out front, holding off eight-time and defending World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion, Donny Schatz.
Having worked his way up from the sixth starting-spot to inside the top-five at the time of a red flag on Lap 12. It was the No. 2KS and No. 82 who got upside-down in Turn 3; both drivers were able to walk away unscathed.
Back under green, Larson Marks Racing’s Shane Stewart and Kyle Larson put the pressure on second place Donny Schatz. With under 10-laps remaining, both Stewart and Larson were able to get by and set their sights on the leader, Pittman.
“I got racing Shane [Stewart] pretty hard — I have fun racing him,” said Kyle Larson.
Navigating their way through lap traffic through Turns 3 and 4 with less than three laps to go, Stewart stuck to the bottom of the track while Larson went to the top. As the two entered Turn 1, they banged wheels; Larson was able to gain the second position.
With his sights clearly set on the leader, Larson kept his No. 17K wound up on the top-side of the Eagle Raceway to get by Pittman to lead the white flag lap. Larson would go on to win
“We are there [close to a win], unfortunately we just need to finish it out,” said Daryn Pittman. “Second sucks. We haven’t been in the position all year and here we were. [Kyle] ran a good race and we just got beat.”
Clearly a special win for Larson and the Stenhouse Jr. Wood Racing team as Larson paid homage to an old friend, Bryan Clauson in Victory Lane.
“I can’t believe I parked it here, it’s pretty cool. I think this is this team’s first win, so happy to be a part of that.”
Larson joked in Victory Lane that he had three crew chief’s at Eagle, Ricky Stehouse Jr., Tyler Swank and David Fero, a crew member on his No. 42 NASCAR entry.
This win marks the first Outlaws win for the newly formed Stenhouse Jr. Wood Racing. This is Larson’s firth overall World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win; first since 2013 and his first Outlaws win outside of his home state of California.
Second to None: Kerry Madsen Wins Night 2 of AGCO Jackson Nationals
By: Tony Veneziano
JACKSON, Minn. — June 2, 2017 — Kerry Madsen was part of a historic finish on the opening night of the 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series at Jackson Motorplex, finishing second to his brother Ian, which made them the first-ever Australian-born brothers to finish 1-2 in an Outlaws race. K. Madsen felt as if he didn’t get the job done, though on Thursday night. He made up for the near-miss on Friday night, leading flag-to-flag in the 25-lap main event to earn his first World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win of the season and the 20th of his career.
Madsen withstood a trio of yellow flags and one red flag period en route to the win. For the native of St. Marys, NSW, Australia, who now calls Knoxville, Iowa home, it was his second win of the season at Jackson Motorplex, which is owned by his car owner, Tod Quiring.
“The car was working everywhere until we lost the front wing, then we lost our front downforce,” said Madsen. “I had to run not as hard as I wanted to going into (turn) one and gave up a lot of speed there. I just kept watching the front wing and it was still on so, I kept trying harder. I saw Kraig and thought, ‘Oh no,’ but I saw the lapped traffic and knew if I could get to the outside of the lapped traffic it would block the lane and I would be okay. I was just hanging on at the end and it was a handful in (turn) one and two. It was great to get the job done tonight.”
Madsen, who entered the night as the overall event point leader, put himself in a very solid position to go for a repeat in the AGCO Jackson Nationals, which he won for the first time last season.
“This track is all about being in the right place and being in the right line,” explained Madsen. “You can’t just stick to a line. You have to constantly search and keeping your eye out. It’s going to take 30 good laps to be in contention again tomorrow.”
Madsen started on the pole Friday night and jumped to an early lead, when the red flag flew for his brother, getting upside in turns three and four on the opening lap. On the complete restart, K. Madsen again jumped to a lead, with Jason Johnson in second. Johnson tried a huge slide job, going for the lead on the lap-5 and spun, which brought out the caution. Madsen chose the low side of the track each time on double file restarts, with Kraig Kinser lining on the outside and was able to open a quick gap each time.
Kinser was able to pull alongside Madsen coming off turn four with five laps to go, but the latter was able to pull away on the front straightaway to retain the lead. Kinser, who started sixth, earned his best World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series finish of the season in second.
“I was trying to follow him and stay as close as I could in (turns) one and two,” said Kinser. “He was pretty good in one and two and always kept a little gap. The closer I got to him the worse the handling got, going through those bumps. I had a couple of chances at him, but he kept motoring around. The little bit I could gain in (turns) three and four he just motored down the straightaway and kept it nice and straight. It was tough and I was going to need some help. I saw traffic down low and knew I probably wasn’t going to get him.”
Brad Sweet finished third for the second straight night. After having trouble in the dash, he lined up eighth and found himself in third by the fifth lap of the race. He was able to gain some ground on Kinser in the middle stages of the race, but in the late going fell back a bit.
“We just have to keep working on it,” said Sweet. “Kerry (Madsen) is fast. We had that problem in the dash and that set us back. It’s nice to come from eighth to third. We got to third pretty quick and I thought we may have something for those guys. My car just didn’t feel as good those last few laps. We’ll take some good notes tonight and the big night is tomorrow night. I think we are in a good position and have had a solid two nights and should be in the top-four in points. We’ll come back tomorrow night”
Donny Schatz finished fourth for the second consecutive night, with Jason Sides rounding out the top-five. Daryn Pittman crossed the line sixth, followed by Shane Stewart in seventh. Stewart, who started 20th picked up the KSE Hard Charger Award. David Gravel was eighth, with Joey Saldana ninth and Johnson rebounding from the early spin to charge back through the field to finish 10th.
The 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals wraps up on Saturday, June 3 with a $25,000-to-win main event for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.
Tickets for the remaining two nights of the 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals, featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, along with the Upper Midwest Sprint Car Series (UMSS), Midwest Sprint Touring Series (MSTS), Nebraska 360 Sprint Series and the RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Cars at the Jackson Motorplex can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com and at the track.
Brotherly Battle: Ian Wins Battle of Madsen Brothers on opening night of 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals
JACKSON, MN — June 1, 2017 — The Madsen brothers are nothing short of exciting every time they strap into a sprint car. The intensity level is often ratcheted up even more when they are racing each other for a win. They lived up to this moniker Thursday on the opening night of the 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series. While younger brother Ian led all 25 laps of the main event, older brother Kerry gave him a run for his money, especially on a late-race double file restart.
Ian fended off Kerry on that restart, which saw the elder brother get a monster run on the high side of the track heading down the front straightaway. As the laps wound down, the leaders encountered lapped traffic, with Kerry closing back in on Ian, nearly stealing a win on the last lap. The finale margin of victory was a scant three-tenths-of-a-second.
“When you come to race with the World of Outlaws, the double-file restarts are always tough,” said Ian Madsen. “It’s pretty cutthroat and can go either way. You have to give it your all. I’m really thankful we could get the job done tonight. We’ve had an awesome car lately and have been strong with the World of Outlaws all years. It’s great to finally get one.”
The race started with I. Madsen on the pole, quickly jumping out to a lead before a caution with four laps in the books. On the ensuing double-file restart, I. Madsen chose the low side of the track. David Gravel actually took the lead in turns one and two on that restart, but a red flag, before that lap was completed, kept I. Madsen in the lead for the next restart, which was single-file.
The win was Madsen’s second with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, with the first coming in 2013 at Deer Creek Speedway, also in Minnesota.
“Jackson is kind of like a home track for us,” said Ian Madsen. “We gave a lot of friends, fans and supporters of the KPC team here tonight. I can’t thank my team enough. This is awesome. Minnesota is kind of close to home and I really like the tracks. Thanks to Tod (Quiring) and everyone for putting this event on. Hopefully it gets bigger and bigger each year.”
Kerry Madsen, the defending winner of the AGCO Jackson Nationals, started third and had a torrid battle in the early going with David Gravel, before moving into second behind his brother. Kerry had a strong car on the top side of the half-mile and used this to his advantage to keep pace with brother as the laps wound down.
“That last restart, I was thinking, ‘You gave me the top’ and I got a good run,” said Kerry Madsen. “I thought I was going to get him, but just didn’t quite have it. That last corner, the last lap, I thought I had position and kind of wished I had gone in there a little harder and maybe was a little forceful. I just didn’t get it done, but the Go Muddy/AGCO car was great. This car is a rocket ship right now and it’s fun to drive and I am enjoying every minute of it.”
Brad Sweet finished third aboard his No. 49 NAPA machine for Kasey Kahne Racing. Sweet lined up sixth and worked his way into the top-five in the early going. He used a couple of strong restarts to gain spots on his way to a podium finish.
“It’s fun watching the Madsen brothers up there,” said Sweet. “Kerry definitely gave his brother a run for his money. I guess he had to make his little bro work for it. The key was to get through this first night. Our NAPA car has been fast, so we’ll come the next two nights and hopefully can get a win.”
Current series point leader Donny Schatz finished fourth in the Arctic Cat machine for Tony Stewart Racing, while Danny Lasoski rounded out the top-five. David Gravel, who ran among the lead pack in the early going, ended up sixth, after nearly getting into the wall coming off turn four, battling for the second spot. Jason Sides was seventh, with Tim Kaeding eighth, while Sheldon Haudenschild came from 16th to ninth. Shane Stewart rounded out the top-10.
The 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals continues on Friday, June 2, with another complete race program for all three sprint car classes.
Tickets for the remaining two nights of the 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals, featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, along with the Upper Midwest Sprint Car Series (UMSS), Midwest Sprint Touring Series (MSTS), Nebraska 360 Sprint Series and the RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Cars at the Jackson Motorplex can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com or at the track.
Stewart Beats the Boss at Lawrenceburg Speedway
Larson charges from sixth for runner-up finish
LAWRENCEBURG, IN. — May 29, 2017 — In an action-packed 35-lap Feature at the Lawrenceburg Speedway, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standout and Larson Marks Racing team owner, Kyle Larson used a line that no one dared to run, enabling him to the lead with over 10-laps remaining. A mistake in traffic by Larson allowed his driver, Shane Stewart to get back by his Boss in lap-traffic for his second World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series win of the 2017 season at Lawrenceburg Speedway.
The fans at Lawrenceburg Speedway were treated to one of the best World of Outlaws races of the season. It was a day that had everything from, slide-job passes, several lead changes, drama and much more.
“Man, that was blast,” said Kyle Larson. “I hope you [fans] enjoyed that because that was awesome from my seat. That was one of the most intense Sprint Car races I’ve ran.”
With three-time Lawrenceburg Speedway winner, Donny Schatz starting on the front row of the 35-lap Feature, he knew he had to contend with some heavy-hitter drivers in the field such as Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, David Gravel, Shane Stewart and the rest of the 25-car field.
2016 Lawrenceburg Speedway winner, Shane Stewart started the day off on the wrong foot. During hot laps, the team found an oil leak, but wasn’t able to find the cause. The Larson Marks Racing team decided to change the powerplant on the No. 2 machine for precautionary reasons.
During the opening lap of the Feature event, Schatz rocketed out front but he was quickly challenged by Stewart, who started the race in the fourth position.
Schatz was able to hold the lead for the opening six laps, until the leaders got into slower lap traffic. Stewart, running second, was able to pounce on Schatz and overtake the No. 15 machine for the lead. The two would run side-by-side until the only yellow flag of the event was displayed on lap 13.
Stewart would hold the lead for the restart with Schatz in second. Kyle Larson who had started the event in the ninth spot had worked his way up to the sixth position.
A great restart by Larson propelled him from sixth to fourth but he didn’t settle there as he quickly worked his way up to the runner-up position.
“I found a line just before the caution, running just above the cushion in Turns 1 and 2 and do a little bit of the same in Turns 3 and 4; was able to get to the lead like that,” added Larson.
Larson Marks Racing co-owner didn’t take it easy on his driver, as the No. 57 of Larson and the No. 2 of Stewart came together battling for the lead in turn two.
“I feel like I race [Shane] harder, it’s always fun racing Shane,” said Larson.
“I was just out there for a cool drive, until [Larson] came up,” said Stewart. “I was shocked when [Larson] went by me up [top]; its Kyle Larson, what can you say?”
Larson would get by the No. 2 of Stewart for a couple laps as the two approached lap traffic.
“I got to lead there and made a mistake in traffic and [Shane] got back by,” said Larson. “I cut across [the cushion] a little too soon and got in the holes and starting bouncing, that was what allowed Shane to get back by me. I knew I showed [Shane] my line and what I was doing so it was going to be tough to get back by him. We had a couple more opportunities at [Shane] but we just ran out of time, but that how’s racing goes. I can’t wait to race Sprint Cars some more.”
After getting back by his Boss in lap traffic, Stewart was able to put a lap car between him and the No. 57 of Larson on the white flag lap giving Stewart the separation he needed to go on to repeat as winner at Lawrenceburg Speedway.
“It was fun racing against my car owner, definitely a fun race. I always enjoy coming here. The guys gave me a great car; they work endless hours to keep this car fast. I’m just the lucky man that gets to drive it.”
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action for three-nights at the The 39thAnnual AGCO Jackson Nationals at the Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, MN on Thursday, June 1 – 3. Tickets can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by calling SLS Promotions at 815-344-2023.
Lawrenceburg Speedway Results:
Feature (35 Laps): 1. 2-Shane Stewart [4][$10,000]; 2. 57-Kyle Larson [9][$5,500]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [1][$3,200]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [10][$2,800]; 5. 4-Paul McMahan [2][$2,500]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu [11][$2,300]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [5][$2,200]; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$2,100]; 9. 18-Ian Madsen [3][$2,050]; 10. 5-David Gravel [19][$2,000]; 11. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [12][$1,500]; 12. 49X-Tim Shaffer [13][$1,200]; 13. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7][$1,100]; 14. 10H-Chad Kemenah [15][$1,050]; 15. 17-Joey Saldana [8][$1,000]; 16. A67-Brandon Wimmer [20][$900]; 17. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [14][$800]; 18. 11K-Kraig Kinser [22][$800]; 19. 7S-Jason Sides [23][$800]; 20. 3-Tim Kaeding [21][$800]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [18][$800]; 22. 67-Christopher Bell [17][$800]; 23. 99-Brady Bacon [16][$800]; 24. 12N-Cole Duncan [24][$800]; 25. 19-Brent Marks [25][$800];Lap Leaders: Donny Schatz 1-6; Shane Stewart 7-22, 25-35; Kyle Larson 23-24; KSE Hard Charger Award: 5-David Gravel[+9]
Schuchart Shines Bright in Charlotte
Schuchart wins third Outlaws race of 2017
CONCORD, N.C. — May 26, 2017 — After starting in the third position for the Outlaw Showdown at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the 30-lap Feature event, Logan Schuchart had a scare just before the half-way mark of the race. When Schuchart he attempted a slide job on the leader Brad Sweet, he overshot the attempt, forcing him up to the wall. Still managing to continue on, Schuchart would get another opportunity as the field came to the white flag, Schuchart would slip by Sweet for the lead. The driver of the No. 1s machine would round the final circuit of the 4/10-mile clay-oval en route to his third win of the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series season.
Earlier this week, the Shark Racing team of Logan Schuchart and Jacob Allen put out a cry for help on social media for the second time this season looking for a way to get their two-car operation to the racetrack. After getting help from the racing industry friends, the two-car team showed up at New Egypt Speedway just as the Heats were getting underway. Schuchart would eventually qualify for the Feature event through the Last Chance Showdown and go on to finish 12th from the 24th-starting spot.
“We got a lot of people that stand behind us and that put these racecars on the track,” said Logan Schuchart. “I just have a lot to be thankful for just to be in this position, [to] race in Charlotte and with the World of Outlaws.”
Fast forward three-days and the No. 1s of Logan Schuchart not only made it to Charlotte (thanks to the help from their newly-repaired toterhome) but he and the Shark Racing team ended the night by standing in Victory Lane, grabbing his third win of the 2017 season.
When the field got the green flag for the 30-lap Feature at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, it was the Brad Sweet show looking to cap off the sweep, having won quick time, his Heat race and the Craftsman Club Dash. Rocketing out to a big lead, Sweet worked the top-groove as he caught the tail end of the 24-car field.
Schuchart would had started third in the Feature event threw a slide job in turns three and four on Kraig Kinser for second place as the field came to complete lap five. Schuchart would set his sights on the No. 49 NAPA Auto Parts entry of Sweet as they both picked their way through lap traffic. On lap 11, Schuchart attempted another slide job that failed to stick, causing him to tag the outside turn two wall.
“I thought we had a chance at Brad [Sweet] earlier in the race and I tried to slide him but my throttle stuck and ran me way too far into the corner,” said Logan Schuchart. “We actually got into the wall and I think we bent a wheel.”
Still able to continue, Sweet opened up the gap over Schuchart as the laps ticked away.
The Hanover, PA-driver made one-final attempt at Sweet as the two exited turn four; Schuchart made this attempt stick and would hold off Sweet and Daryn Pittman for his third win of the season.
“Winning in Charlotte, North Carolina in front of all these fans, is what makes our sport,” added Schuchart. “You fans in the stands is what make us come out and continue to do what we do, thank you,” exclaimed Schuchart.
“Overall tonight was good for us,” stated Brad Sweet who won quick time, his heat race and the Craftsman Club Dash. “I just got stuck behind those lap cars, that’s where you win or lose these races. Hats off to that team; Logan drove a great race.
The 2016 Outlaw Showdown winner, Greg Wilson made up 10 position in the Outlaw Showdown Feature event to bring home another top-five at Charlotte and earn the KSE Hard Charger award.
Clyde Knipp had an impressive run at Charlotte, bringing his No. 13 machine home in 16th place, a career run for the California-MO driver.
Logan Schuchart’s teammate, Jacob Allen gave Shark Racing two top-10 finishes on the evening by finishing in the ninth position.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will make the trek north to Lawrenceburg, IN for a Memorial Day special on Monday, May 29 at Lawrenceburg Speedway. For tickets, visit WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets.
The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway Results:
Feature (30 Laps) : 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3][$12,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1][$5,700]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$3,500]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [6][$3,000]; 5. W20-Greg Wilson [15][$2,600]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2][$2,400]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$2,300]; 8. 5-David Gravel [11][$2,200]; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen [8][$2,150]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7][$2,100]; 11. 49X-Tim Shaffer [10][$1,600]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [19][$1,350]; 13. 22-Cole Duncan [13][$1,300]; 14. 41-Jason Johnson [9][$1,200]; 15. 7K-Cale Conley [12][$1,100]; 16. 13-Clyde Knipp [21][$1,000]; 17. 44-Trey Starks [20][$900]; 18. 17-Joey Saldana [14][$850]; 19. 7S-Jason Sides [18][$800]; 20. 4S-Danny Smith [23][$800]; 21. 47-Eric Riggins [22][$800]; 22. 71M-Dave Blaney [16][$800]; 23. 4-Paul McMahan [17][$800]; 24. 1-Zach Ames [24][$800]; Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-28, Logan Schuchart 29-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: W20-Greg Wilson[+10]
David Gravel Victorious at New Egypt Speedway
Pittman’s winning streak comes to an end
NEW EGYPT, N.J. – May 24, 2017 – David Gravel continued his east coast dominance Wednesday night at New Egypt Speedway by picking up his third win in the last four World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series races and his eighth-overall win for the 2017 season. Gravel, no stranger to the D-shaped clay oval, cut his teeth in Sprint Car racing at New Egypt in his URC Sprint Car.
“I’m glad I could win in front of everybody here that came out to watch me,” Gravel said. “I have to thank Barry, Derek and Zack for working hard to give me a good car; I just have to do my part.”
Jason Johnson and Gravel led the 24-car field to the green flag to start the 30-lap Feature. Gravel dove into turn one and came out of turn two as the new leader on the initial start and never looked back.
The first caution of the night was brought out on lap six for a slow Tyler Ross.
Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet put pressure on Johnson for second on the restart as they went three-wide going into turn one. Sweet came out on top as he pulled away in second.
Dave Blaney, Jason Sides and Davey Sammons went upside-down in turns one and two, bringing out the red flag on lap seven. All drivers were okay. The four-time defending race winner Daryn Pittman was also involved, causing wing damage and a broken front axle.
After spending time in the work area, Sides, Pittman and Sammons were able to rejoin the back of the field. Blaney suffered too much damage to return.
After the field got going again, Gravel was able to get back out front and hold a steady lead over Sweet until they caught lapped traffic on lap 14.
Gravel maneuvered his way through the lapped cars smoothly until Sweet and Schatz started the second and third-place cars a glimmer of hope.
With four laps remaining. Schatz dove under Sweet going into turn one and took away the second spot by the time he exited for the back stretch.
Schatz then set his sights on Gravel but only to have a lapped car act has a pick as they exited the final turn.
“I’m sure he was close,” mentioned Gravel about Schatz. “I really couldn’t do anything. It was a pretty narrow track but I just tried not to slip up. I don’t know if he was running high or low. I was trying to be patient in lap traffic.”
Gravel crossed the line and took the victory over Schatz, Sweet, Shane Stewart and Jason Johnson. Gravel is red-hot on the east coast having won three races in the last week.
“It’s been a great year and hopefully we keep doing this,” Gravel noted.
The 2016 defending World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Champion, Schatz, felt his car wasn’t good enough to beat Gravel.
“We got there in traffic but that’s what it was going to take to win the race,” Schatz said. “The lap cars were pretty tough to get around. He was better than we were in the open. You’re not going to win these races anymore if you’re not a very good car and we just haven’t seem to get that right rear feel. We’ll keep working on it.”
Sweet, the third-place finisher, was happy with his performance in his No. 49 machine despite rough track conditions.
“There were some holes out there and lap traffic and that’s what easily wins or loses it,” Sweet added. “We were right there on David and tried to move up a little bit but there wasn’t much up there. David did a good job and just kind of managed the race and kept his car out front in the right position.”
Shark Racing ran into hauler troubles heading to New Egypt, forcing them to arrive late. Logan Schuchart tagged on to the back of the heat race while Jacob Allen’s car arrived later and made it just in time for the Last Chance Showdown. Schuchart transferred to the feature through the Last Chance Showdown from last place and finished in a solid 12th-place, grabbing the KSE Hard Charger Award in the process.
Pittman, who had won the last four races at New Egypt, was set to start ninth in the third heat and immediately went pit side to change an engine after trailing oil on the track. Pittman finished second in the Last Chance Showdown to transfer into the Feature. He was then tangled up in an early wreck, damaging the wing and breaking the front axle. Pittman made it back out and finished 14th.
Donny Schatz kicked off the night with the fastest time in time trials with a time of 13.422. Heat races went to Stewart, Shaffer and Gravel. Johnson won the Craftsman Club Dash and Jason Sides won the Last Chance Showdown.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action on Friday, May 26 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the Outlaw Showdown. Last year saw Greg Wilson find his way to the big stage under the lights over Shane Stewart and Cole Duncan.
New Egypt Speedway Results:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 5-David Gravel [2][$6,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$3,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$2,000]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [6][$1,800]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$1,500]; 6. 37-J.J. Grasso [11][$1,400]; 7. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5][$1,350]; 8. 4-Paul McMahan [7][$1,300]; 9. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [8][$1,250]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [10][$1,200]; 11. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [13][$900]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart [24][$800]; 13. 17-Joey Saldana [9][$700]; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman [20][$650]; 15. 7-Kyle Reinhardt [18][$600]; 16. 13D-Danny Dietrich [12][$550]; 17. 89-Robbie Stillwagon [14][$500]; 18. 7S-Jason Sides [19][$500]; 19. 11K-Kraig Kinser [16][$500]; 20. 747-Davey Sammons [21][$500]; 21. 27Z-Sean Zemunik [23][$500]; 22. 71M-Dave Blaney [15][$500]; 23. 5R-Tyler Ross [17][$500]; 24. W20-Greg Wilson [22][$500]; Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+12]
Stewart Stands Tall At Morgan Cup Win
Earns First Career Williams Grove Win
Shane Stewart started on the pole for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Morgan Cup at Williams Grove Speedway, but didn’t lead the opening lap. Instead, he battled with PA Posse driver TJ Stutts of Liverpool, PA and used a slide job in turns one and two to take the lead on a lap 11 restart. From there, Stewart held off Stutts and then Daryn Pittman on a pair of restarts over the final 10 laps to earn his first career Williams Grove win and his first Outlaw victory of the 2017 season.
“You don’t even know what it means to me to finally get here in Victory Lane,” Stewart said in Victory Lane. “I know the East Coast isn’t always kind to me, but I am very happy and going to cherish this win.”
Stewart earned the pole after winning the Craftsman Club Dash and led the field to the green flag with Stutts on the outside of the front row. It was Stutts who grabbed the lead by the time the two drivers had raced turn three. The top two quickly broke away from a third-place battle between Outlaw rookie Sheldon Haudenschild and Tim Shaffer of Aliquippa, PA. Shaffer took the spot on lap seven when Haudenschild spun at the bottom of turn one, but kept his foot in the gas and continued without incident despite losing five positions.
The battle for the lead gained momentum as Stewart closed on Stutts and on lap 10 moved to the outside lane to setup a pass. A lap later, Stewart appeared to have enough steam in the outside lane to take the lead, but Stutts led by 0.002 seconds at the line, just as the first caution of the race waved when Haudenschild spun to a stop at the top of turn three.
On the restart, Stewart made the race-winning move when he dove to the bottom of the track and slid in front of Stutts to drive off turn two with the lead.
“I didn’t get a break on the initial start of the Feature and I told myself that if TJ took the bottom, I actually thought the top was going to be better,” Stewart said. “It just worked out really well for us. Man, clean air makes everything and makes a big difference.”
Stewart ran the rest of the race in clean air as the top pairing never had the chance to wade into lapped traffic. The second caution of the race waved at lap 15 when Brent Marks and Brian Montieth made contact and tangled together at the top of turn two, ending the night for both drivers.
Stewart kept the field at bay when the green waved and again on a lap 21 restart. Meanwhile, Pittman darted from eighth to fourth on the latter restart before jumping into second on the final restart with seven laps to go. He earned his second runner-up finish of the week, finishing 2.044 seconds behind Stewart’s Larson Marks Racing No.2.
“I had such a good car on restarts that every time we went green, my car had the right attitude,” Pittman said following the race. “Everybody seemed to be a little rolled up down there on the start in turns three and four and I could get by a couple guys every time.”
Stewart cruised over the final five laps on his way to the victory, which he celebrated in Victory Lane with his fiancée Jenn, daughter Nixon and the Larson Marks Racing crew.
“It means a lot to me,” Stewart said. “I know that the rivalry here is out of this world, which I appreciate. I love the enthusiasm and the Pennsylvania fans.”
The track was an interesting mix of tacky and dry slick throughout the night, conditions that were unusual for Williams Grove, Pittman said.
“I’ve seen this place about every which way that’s an option, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it quite like it was tonight,” Pittman explained. “It was definitely different. I’ve never seen a wet strip a car length and a half off the bottom stay that long throughout the night. It was the dominant way around.”
During Pittman’s charge forward, Shaffer worked past Stutts to maintain the third spot and earn a third-place finish, equaling the best results of PA Posse drivers Danny Dietrich and Freddie Rahmer earlier in the week.
“Last night we missed it there at the beginning and it killed us,” Shaffer said, “but tonight we did the right things and put ourselves in position (to contend) and we’re on the front straightaway.”
Lance Dewease of Fayetteville, PA and Outlaw driver Logan Schuchart completed the top-five following a spirited battle for fourth in the closing laps.
Jason Johnson set quick time to start the night with a lap of 16.402 seconds, less than three-tenths of a second off the track record of 16.140 set by Brian Paulus on April 26, 2002. He was the 25th of 37 drivers to take time. Johnson followed with a heat race win. Dewease, Schuchart and Jason Sides were the other heat winners, while Marks won the Last Chance Showdown.
The Outlaws now travel north for the Empire State Challenge at Weedsport (NY) Speedway on Sunday, May 21. Fans who can’t make it to the track can watch live pay-per-view video coverage on DIRTvision.
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Williams Grove Speedway, PA; May 20, 2017
Feature (30 Laps) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [1][$17,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [12][$5,700]; 3. 49X-Tim Shaffer [4][$3,500]; 4. 69K-Lance Dewease [7][$3,000]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$2,600]; 6. 11-T.J. Stutts [2][$2,400]; 7. 20-Ryan Taylor [9][$2,300]; 8. 5-David Gravel [10][$2,200]; 9. 41-Jason Johnson [8][$2,150]; 10. 49-Brad Sweet [20][$2,100]; 11. 1-Dale Blaney [14][$1,600]; 12. 48-Danny Dietrich [15][$1,350]; 13. 24-Lucas Wolfe [19][$1,300]; 14. 15-Donny Schatz [16][$1,200]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [6][$1,100]; 16. 88-Brandon Rahmer [22][$1,000]; 17. 17-Joey Saldana [11][$900]; 18. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [3][$850]; 19. 44-Trey Starks [18][$800]; 20. 39M-Anthony Macri [24][$800]; 21. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$800]; 22. 27-Greg Hodnett [17][$800]; 23. 19-Brent Marks [21][$800]; 24. 21-Brian Montieth [23][$800]. Lap Leaders: T.J. Stutts 1-11, Shane Stewart 12-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 9-Daryn Pittman [+10].
Gravel Leads Flag-To-Flag For Williams Grove Win
Second Straight Victory For CJB MotorsportsDavid Gravel withstood a late surge from Donny Schatz and a pair of restarts with less than five laps remaining to kickoff the weekend with a Spring Classic win at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night.
Gravel started on the pole for the 25-lap main event after winning the Craftsman Club Dash and led flag-to-flag even despite restarts with three and four laps remaining in the main event. It was the second win of the week in Central Pennsylvania for the Watertown, CT native who also won at Lincoln Speedway on Wednesday. It was also Gravel’s seventh victory of the season.
“It’s definitely huge to win in PA at all,” Gravel said. “To win Lincoln and Williams Grove is really good. We have to enjoy this a little bit tonight, but tomorrow’s a new day. We’re really happy with where we’re at right now and we’ll keep moving forward.”
After timing second quick in Flight B Qualifying and second in his heat, Gravel was scheduled to roll off eighth for the dash in his CJB Motorsports No.5, but an eight inversion draw put him on the pole and he never looked back, scoring wins in the Dash and Feature just as he did Wednesday night at Lincoln.
“I’m definitely lucky right now,” Gravel concluded. “I need to play the lottery or something. It’s just one of those things where when it goes your way, it goes your way. Last year, Daryn Pittman got a lot of draws that went his way and right now it’s our time. It goes in phases. It’s a long, long season and we’ll take it when we can.”
Gravel brought the field to the green flag for the main event with Brad Sweet starting on the outside of the front row aboard his Kasey Kahne Racing with Mike Curb No.49. Gravel jumped to an early lead while fifth-starting Schatz overtook Daryn Pittman for fourth on lap two. The caution waved one lap later when Lucas Wolfe and Joey Saldana spun and stopped against the turn three wall.
An 18-lap green flag run followed allowed Gravel to extend his lead to 1.806 seconds over Sweet by lap 10. However, it withered away when Gravel caught lapped traffic at the halfway mark and Sweet began close the gap. Right behind the two leaders, Schatz worked past Greg Hodnett for the second time in the race to acquire the third spot.
With six laps remaining, Gravel struggled to find a line around the slower can of Jason Sides. That allowed Schatz to catch the two leaders and the reigning series champion took second from Sweet with four laps to go.
Two more cautions with four laps to go kept Gravel on his toes, but he rode the cushion flawlessly on the outside of the speedway, disabling any of Schatz’s attempts to take the lead.
“That’s just typical lapped traffic,” Gravel said. “You get caught up and you have to pass some guys before the second-place guy passes you. I got by Sides and I actually thought I was pretty good. I probably didn’t want a yellow. After I got past Sides, I thought I would be able to work the lapped cars pretty good and then the yellow came out. I got a good restart and then the yellow came out again. I didn’t want that second yellow, but it worked out and we held on.”
Schatz felt that if the yellow flag had not waved with four laps to go, he would have had a chance to catch and pass Gravel for the $8,000 payday.
“Everything we run is longer races so you have to be prepared for the end,” Schatz said, explaining his surge over the final 10 laps.” That’s what you shoot for – trying to be good at the end of the race and we were definitely good at the end of the race. We just didn’t need to see that yellow (with four laps to go). When you get traffic, you force (the leader) to move out of their line and that’s what we needed. When the yellow came out, I knew it was going to take a miracle.”
The miracle didn’t happen for Schatz as Gravel executed flawlessly on the pair of single-file restarts by running the fast top lane and by taking away Schatz’s preferred corner entry.
For Freddie Rahmer, the third-place finish was worth celebrating. Rahmer was the top finishing Pennsylvania Posse member ahead of Hodnett, who finished fifth. He felt he may have had something for Schatz if he could have changed one of his last-race restarts.
“I couldn’t do anything in (turns) three and four because Donny was where my car was the best,” Rahmer said. “Just the way it played out, we ran third. I think we’re fast enough to win, we just need a different scenario.”
Joey Saldana was the night’s overall fast qualifier with a lap of 16.639 seconds. He also picked up a heat race win along with Rahmer, Schatz and Pittman. Logan Schuchart earned the KSE Hard Charger award for advancing from 18th to 11th.
The Outlaws remain at Williams Grove for Saturday’s Morgan Cup. Drivers are expecting significantly different track conditions with an expected temperature drop to the mid-60s on Saturday from the high-80s on Friday.
“The track was really heavy for how warm it was,” Gravel said. “We’ll see. Tomorrow’s going to be cooler, but the track might be slick or it might be even heavier than tonight.”
Saturday’s Morgan Cup at Williams Grove will once again be available via live pay-per-view on DIRTvision.
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Williams Grove Speedway, PA; May 19, 2017
Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 5-David Gravel [1][$8,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [5][$4,000]; 3. 51-Freddie Rahmer [7][$2,500]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$2,200]; 5. 27-Greg Hodnett [3][$2,100]; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$2,000]; 7. 21-Brian Montieth [13][$1,800]; 8. 69K-Lance Dewease [12][$1,600]; 9. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [6][$1,500]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [11][$1,300]; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart [18][$1,200]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [15][$1,100]; 13. 2-Shane Stewart [17][$1,000]; 14. 41-Jason Johnson [14][$700]; 15. 4-Paul McMahan [20][$600]; 16. 1-Dale Blaney [16][$600]; 17. 17B-Steve Buckwalter [19][$600]; 18. 11-T.J. Stutts [22][$600]; 19. 48-Danny Dietrich [10][$600]; 20. 44-Trey Starks [21][$600]; 21. 7S-Jason Sides [24][$600]; 22. 24-Lucas Wolfe [9][$600]; 23. 71M-Dave Blaney [23][$600]; 24. 17-Joey Saldana [8][$600]
Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-25
KSE Hard Charger Award: Logan Schuchart +7 (18th to 11th)
David Gravel Dominates at Lincoln for Gettysburg Clash Win
Earns First Career Lincoln Win
ABBOTTSTOWN, PA – May 17, 2017 – David Gravel dominated the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Gettysburg Clash at Lincoln Speedway on Wednesday night, leading all 35 laps of the Feature at the historic 3/8-mile track to take the checkered flag 6.501 seconds ahead of runner-up finisher Daryn Pittman.
The Feature win completed a perfect night for Gravel. The Watertown, CT driver was quickest in Flight A Time Trials before winning his Heat and the Craftsman Club Dash to earn the pole and eventually the Feature triumph that lifted the Outlaws over the Pennsylvania Posse in the first rivalry race of the season. It was both Gravel’s first career win at Lincoln and his sixth of the season with the Outlaws.
“It’s definitely huge,” Gravel said following his win. “World of Outlaws guys do not win many Outlaw shows in PA, so to win here is great, at a track that I haven’t really been good at in the past. To do that is awesome, to get our sixth win is awesome.”
“You never know when your next win will be and it’s been a couple weeks, so it’s good to get another one and keep clicking them off. Hopefully this momentum carries on to Williams Grove.”
Gravel used his pole starting position to jump out to an early lead over second-starting Pittman until the only caution of the race came on lap two when Freddie Rahmer of Salfordville, PA spun and stopped at the bottom of turn two.
Gravel enjoyed an open track for eight laps following the restart, but worked his way into lapped traffic on lap 10. The often side-by-side racing around the track created a number of challenges for the leaders as they worked through the field.
“It was real difficult just because I didn’t know what kind of lead I had,” Gravel said. “I got through the first couple lapped cars really well, but after that I didn’t know if guys were catching me or not. It was really tough to judge. I didn’t know I had a huge lead. It was just one of those things where I had to keep pushing forward and keep getting lapped cars behind me.”
Behind Gravel, it was local favorite Danny Dietrich of nearby Gettysburg, PA who worked his way past Brad Sweet and then Pittman to take second on lap 17. Dietrich was unable to gain any ground on Gravel to challenge for the lead while he battled the traffic.
“I got to second and couldn’t get any help at all from lapped cars,” Dietrich said. “It’s unfortunate because I thought we were fast enough to run with Gravel, but never got the opportunity.”
Dietrich held second until the final lap, when he made a daring move in turns one and two to move past a lapped car. The move cost him as he drifted up the track, allowing Pittman to capitalize and re-take the second spot.
“I was just trying to make something happen,” Dietrich said of his last lap move. “I felt like if I couldn’t get by the lapped cars, I was going to get passed anyways. I should have just probably settled in, but that’s hard to do when you’re running second for a World of Outlaws win.”
“Lapped traffic was hairy,” echoed Pittman. “I don’t know that they were really doing anything wrong, but they were just racing hard side-by-side and using up the whole track. Dietrich kind of got held up behind one of them and gave me a run to get back by him.”
Pittman was satisfied to earn a second-place finish after the last lap pass, especially against a field of 43 cars at a difficult track.
“We had a really solid car and a solid night,” Pittman said. “I’m not disappointed at all, but we were all racing for second. David was in a league of his own.”
Donny Schatz raced from the 15th starting position to finish fourth while KSE Hard Charger Brian Montieth advanced 15 positions to round out the top-five after starting 20th. Kevin Gobrecht rookie-of-the-year contender Sheldon Haudenschild was in the middle of a top-five battle when he did a complete 360 in turn two on lap 22 and the race continued without incident. The miscue cost Haudenschild four positions as he fell to eighth.
While Gravel started the night by setting quick time in Flight A qualifying with a time of 13.434 seconds, Dietrich was fastest in Flight B and overall at 13.328 seconds.
Gravel and Pittman won the first two heat races for the Outlaws before Dietrich and Rahmer answered for the Posse with wins in heats three and four, respectively. Gravel’s dash win was sandwiched between a C-Main victory for Binghamton, NY driver Coleman Gulick and Lucas Wolfe’s win in the Last Chance Showdown.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series remains in Central Pennsylvania entering the weekend for the Morgan Cup at Williams Grove Speedway on May 19 and 20. It’s the first of five races at the Mechanicsburg, PA track this season. Fans who can’t make it to the track can watch LIVE on DIRTvision.
35-LAP FEATURE RESULTS: 1. 1. 5-David Gravel [1][$10,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [2][$5,500]; 3. 48-Danny Dietrich [4][$3,200]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [15][$2,800]; 5. 21-Brian Montieth [20][$2,500]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [11][$2,300]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet [7][$2,200]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [10][$2,100]; 9. 1-Dale Blaney [6][$2,050]; 10. 27-Greg Hodnett [14][$2,000]; 11. W20-Greg Wilson [8][$1,500]; 12. 39-Cory Haas [16][$1,200]; 13. 17-Joey Saldana [5][$1,100]; 14. 87-Alan Krimes [18][$1,050]; 15. 4K-Kasey Kahne [12][$1,000]; 16. 24-Lucas Wolfe [21][$900]; 17. 1S-Logan Schuchart [19][$800]; 18. 51-Freddie Rahmer [3][$800]; 19. 16-Gerard McIntyre [17][$800]; 20. 2-Shane Stewart [22][$800]; 21. 49X-Tim Shaffer [13][$800]; 22. 4-Paul McMahan [25][$]; 23. 8-Billy Dietrich [23][$800]; 24. 7S-Jason Sides [9][$800]; 25. 19-Brent Marks [24][$800]; 26. 59-Jim Siegel [26]. Lap Leader: 1-35 David Gravel KSE Hard Charger Award: 21-Brian Montieth [+15]
Price-Miller Runs the Cushion En Route to First Outlaws Win at Tri-State Speedeway
Gravel and Johnson round out the top-three at Haubstadt
All the stars aligned at Tri-State Speedway for Parker Price-Miller. Inheriting the lead on Lap 18 after Sheldon Haundenschild ran into a slower car in lap traffic, causing him to do a complete 360, Price-Miller had to endure challenges from last year’s Tri-State Speedway winner, David Gravel. Meticulously working his way through lap traffic, Price-Miller picked the best lanes and would go on to win his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series race.
Starting the season out at DIRTcar National at Volusia Speedway Park in February and continuing with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series tour through mid-April, before eventually dropping off full-time, Price-Miller knew it was going to be a steep-learning curve.
“We knew going into the season we were going to get our butt-kicked,” Price-Miller said about starting the season with the World of Outlaws. “But this was going to make us better as a team. This surely has paid off making me better as driver, getting our car better and making us overall better as a unit.”
Price-Miller has shown speed over the last several weeks, having earned fast qualifier at Plymouth Speedway. Entering the special Mother’s Day race at Tri-State Speedway, Price-Miller’s career best Outlaw finish was a third-place, coming at Tri-State Speedway in 2016.
“I can’t explain how I feel right now. Whenever you can get an Outlaw win you take it. Whether it’s on a slick, heavy, small or big [track].”
CJB Motorsports entered Tri-State Speedway as the team everyone was looking to knock off. Each of the last three-years, the team has made trips down to Victory Lane at the high-banked quarter-mile speedway. 2016 winner, already a five-time winner in the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series season was poised to continue the team’s win streak at the Haubstadt, IN-track.
Starting from the pole for the evenings 40-lap feature, David Gravel quickly shot out to an early lead. It wasn’t long before he was being challenged by 2017 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie-of-the-Year contender, Sheldon Haudenschild. Haudenschild on the top-side of the race track worked his way by Gravel and rocketed out to a commanding lead.
“I knew Sheldon was going to have a [quick] pace and it was a 40-lap race so I was going to let him do what he wanted to do and wait for lap traffic and catch back up,” Gravel said.
While Haudenschild was checking out with the race lead, the battle for second heated up with Price-Miller forcing the issue on Gravel. Just shy of the half-way mark Price-Miller was able to get by Gravel for the second position.
It was on Lap 18 when Haudenschild was working his way through lap traffic that he got tangled up with a slower car, sending him into a complete 360-spin dropping the young rookie back in the running order. The yellow flag would eventually come out for a stopped car in Turn 1.
Taking over the lead for the restart and getting the jump, Price-Miller went right back to the top-side of the track. Setting sail from the rest of the field, Price-Miller had the first opportunity to pick his way through traffic.
With under 10-laps to go and in heavy traffic, Gravel starting to close the gap on Price-Miller; setting up the reigning race winner with a chance to go back-to-back at Tri-State Speedway.
“Sheldon [Haudenschild] and Parker [Price-Miller] could really run the cushion pretty aggressively. In open track they’re were faster. In open track I think they had us beat but in traffic I thought I could run the bottom and we were pretty good.”
Price-Miller seemed to able to point his No. 2X machine wherever he wanted, eventually steering him clear of the lap traffic and runner-up finisher, David Gravel en route to his first World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory.
“When you’ve never won an Outlaw race and you’re leading, you just go as hard as you can and that’s what I did. Luckily we pulled it off.”
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series kicks off another busy week with a stop at Lincoln Speedway on Wednesday, May 17 before heading to Williams Grove for a doubleheader on Friday and Saturday, May 20-21. The Series will then make the trek north to Weedsport Speedway to close out the week of racing on Sunday, May 22. For tickets, visit WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets.
Tri-State Speedway Notebook
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 9 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18, Missouri State Fair Speedway on May 5, 81 Speedway on May 6, Eldora Speedway May 13); David Gravel - 5 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1, Gator Motorplex on April 13, Plymouth on April 28); Jason Johnson - 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17, Devil’s Bowl on April 14); Brad Sweet - 2 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25, Devil’s Bowl on April 15), Logan Schuchart - 2 (Keller Auto Speedway, Eldora Speedway May 12), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway), Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway on April 8) Parker Price-Miller – 1 (Tri-State Speedway May 14).
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Logan Schuchart; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Parker Price-Miller; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Sheldon Haundenschild; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Extended Stay ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Super Flow ($50 cash): Kraig Kinser; Craftsman Club ($100 cash each): David Gravel, Sheldon Haundenschild, Brad Sweet, Jason Johnson, Paul McMahan; Craftsman/Sears ($100 cash): Parker Price-Miller; KSE Racing Products ($100 product certificate): Parker Price-Miller; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Parker Price-Miller; JE Pistons (Set of Rings each): Brent Marks, Logan Schuchart.
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [4][$10,000]; 2. 5-David Gravel [1][$5,500]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [5][$3,200]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [12][$2,800]; 5. 99-Brady Bacon [8][$2,500]; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2][$2,300]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$2,200]; 8. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [7][$2,100]; 9. 4-Paul McMahan [6][$2,050]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [13][$2,000]; 11. 15-Donny Schatz [10][$1,500]; 12. 39-Spencer Bayston [9][$1,200]; 13. 17-Joey Saldana [16][$1,100]; 14. 24-Rico Abreu [17][$1,050]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [18][$1,000]; 16. 19-Brent Marks [19][$900]; 17. 7S-Jason Sides [20][$800]; 18. 21-Carson Short [14][$800]; 19. W20-Greg Wilson [21][$800]; 20. 3G-Carson Macedo [11][$800]; 21. 44-A.J. Bruns [23][$800]; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart [22][$800]; 23. 5X-Justin Peck [15][$800]; 24. 51B-Joe B [24][$800]; Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-5, Sheldon Haudenschild 6-18, Parker Price-Miller 19-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 2-Shane Stewart[+8]
Qualifying: 1. 99-Brady Bacon, 12.396; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.435; 3. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.437; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.441; 5. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 12.455; 6. 5-David Gravel, 12.554; 7. 41-Jason Johnson, 12.577; 8. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg, 12.598; 9. 39-Spencer Bayston, 12.608; 10. 21-Carson Short, 12.696; 11. 19-Brent Marks, 12.736; 12. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.747; 13. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.78; 14. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.822; 15. 5X-Justin Peck, 12.915; 16. 48-Danny Dietrich, 12.92; 17. 24-Rico Abreu, 12.922; 18. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.958; 19. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.003; 20. 84-Brandon Hanks, 13.006; 21. 51B-Joe B, 13.042; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.064; 23. 3G-Carson Macedo, 13.079; 24. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.105; 25. 44-A.J. Bruns, 13.122; 26. 4K-Kody Kinser, 13.153; 27. 42-Cory Bruns, 13.155; 28. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.237; 29. 42X-Andy Mcelhannon, 13.276; 30. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.378; 31. 3-Dakota Jackson, 13.504; 32. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.751; 33. 71M-Paul May, 18.607; 34. 85-Mike Terry, NT
Heat #1 (10 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature: 1. 99-Brady Bacon [1]; 2. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [2]; 3. 39-Spencer Bayston [3]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [4]; 5. 24-Rico Abreu [5]; 6. 51B-Joe B [6]; 7. 44-A.J. Bruns [7]; 8. 42X-Andy Mcelhannon [8]; 9. 71M-Paul May [9]
Heat #2 (10 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature: 1. 5-David Gravel [2]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 4. 21-Carson Short [3]; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 8. 4K-Kody Kinser [7]; 9. 85-Mike Terry [9]
Heat #3 (10 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature: 1. 41-Jason Johnson [2]; 2. 4-Paul McMahan [1]; 3. 3G-Carson Macedo [6]; 4. 5X-Justin Peck [4]; 5. 19-Brent Marks [3]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [5]; 7. 42-Cory Bruns [7]; 8. 3-Dakota Jackson [8]
Heat #4 (10 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature: 1. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [1]; 2. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [2]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [6]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [7]; 6. 48-Danny Dietrich [4]; 7. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]; 8. 84-Brandon Hanks [5]
Craftsman Club Dash (8 Laps): 1. 5-David Gravel [2]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [6]; 4. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [5]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [3]; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [7]; 7. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [8]; 8. 99-Brady Bacon [1]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 4 Transfer to Feature: 1. W20-Greg Wilson [2][-]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][-]; 3. 44-A.J. Bruns [6][-]; 4. 51B-Joe B [4][-]; 5. 4K-Kody Kinser [7][$300]; 6. 3-Dakota Jackson [11][$250]; 7. 42X-Andy Mcelhannon [9][$225]; 8. 42-Cory Bruns [8][$200]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [12][$200]; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen [10][$200]; 11. 48-Danny Dietrich [1][$200]; 12. 84-Brandon Hanks [3][$200]; 13. 71M-Paul May [13][$200]; 14. 85-Mike Terry [14][$200]
It's a Game of Numbers at Eldora: #15 Scores #9 on Night 2 of #LetsRaceTwo
Donny Schatz leads all 30 laps for his ninth season win
ROSSBURG, OH — May 13, 2017 — Eight-time World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Champion and current points leader Donny Schatz scored his ninth season win on the second and final night of #LetsRaceTwo at Eldora Speedway, leading all 30 laps into the checkers. Behind him, a fierce battle for second and third ensued, in which Outlaws Brad Sweet and Jason Johnson ultimately lost out to Ohio native Chad Kemenah and West Coast favorite Rico Abreu.
World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year contender Sheldon Haundenschild — quite popular at the track given the loud applause heard from fans — started in second next to Schatz, but fell back almost immediately with Brad Sweet and Jason Johnson battling for his spot. Heading into Lap 12, however, Kemenah, who had been dilligently working his way up from eighth, stole third from Johnson and started pressing on Sweet.
A Lap 20 restart after Shane Stewart slapped the wall in Turn 4, ending the night for the Larson Marks Racing #2 car, gave Kemenah an opening to battle Schatz for the lead, but the reigning champ pulled ahead and maintained his lead throughout the race.
"That's not me; that's this race team," said Schatz. "These guys are incredible. They're all capable of being crew chiefs on this car. They feed off each other. Sometimes I don't give the best information. I try to do my best job, but some days I'm racing Lap 29 and they're trying to figure out how to start the race. It's just lucky to be around great people like that. It's fun to get a win, especially here at Eldora."
Unlike the previous night — in which the Craftsman Club Dash inversion pushed Schatz back into position seven from Row 1 and put Johnson on the pole — the Tony Stewart Racing driver got lucky with an invert of six that put him on the pole after a less than stellar start to the day, while Tim Shaffer got pushed all the way to the back after earning the pole.
Surprisingly, no driver visited Victory Lane twice during the two-day event at the famed half-mile oval, and spectators witnessed two very different nights of racing at the 'Big E'. The bottom was slicker, and the track was faster overall, allowing Shaffer to score a qualifying Quick Time of 12.915, not far off from the 12.707-second track record established by Craig Dollansky 15 years ago. And despite Schatz's win, he remained the only Outlaw in Victory Lane.
"We'll take second against these guys," said Kemenah. "You know, they are the best."
But this wasn't Kemenah's first trip to Victory Lane during #LetsRaceTwo. Last year, he followed Kerry Madsen into the checkers for another second place win. "This is really good," said the Alvada, Ohio native. "Two years in a row now I ran second in this thing, so I need one more."
Eldora Speedway Notebook
RACE NOTES: Eight-time World of Outlaws Champion Donny Schatz scored his ninth win of the season on the second and final night of #LetsRaceTwo at Eldora Speedway on Saturday. Schatz led all 30 laps, with only a short-lived challenge from Chad Kemenah on a Lap 20 restart after Shane Stewart hit the wall in Turn 4. Kemenah followed Schatz into Victory Lane after a fierce battle for second and third, which resulted in the Alvada, OH native and Rico Abreu overtaking Outlaws Brad Sweet and Jason Johnson.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Dale Blaney; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Brent Marks; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild; Extended Stay ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Brent Marks; Super Flow ($50 cash): David Gravel; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild, Brad Sweet, Joey Saldana, Jason Johnson; Craftsman/Sears: Tim Shaffer; KSE Hard Charger: Brent Marks; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jason Sides; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Clyde Knipp.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 9 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18, Missouri State Fair Speedway on May 5, 81 Speedway on May 6, Eldora Speedway on May 13); David Gravel - 5 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1, Gator Motorplex on April 3, Plymouth Speedway on April 28); Jason Johnson - 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 14); Brad Sweet - 2 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 15), Logan Schuchart - 2 (Keller Auto Speedway on March 31, Eldora Speedway on May 12), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway on April 7), Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway on April 8).
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Eldora Speedway, OH; May 13, 2017
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1][$10,000]; 2. 10H-Chad Kemenah [8][$5,000]; 3. 24-Rico Abreu [9][$3,000]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$2,700]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$2,500]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [13][$2,200]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [12][$2,000]; 8. 17-Joey Saldana [4][$1,800]; 9. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5][$1,600]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2][$1,450]; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman [16][$1,300]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [20][$1,200]; 13. 4-Paul McMahan [19][$1,100]; 14. 5-David Gravel [7][$1,000]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [15][$950]; 16. 12N-Cole Duncan [18][$900]; 17. 7S-Jason Sides [21][$850]; 18. 1A-Jacob Allen [23][$750]; 19. 48-Danny Dietrich [14][$725]; 20. 2-Shane Stewart [10][$700]; 21. 44-Trey Starks [17][$700]; 22. 99-Brady Bacon [11][$700]; 23. 13-Clyde Knipp [22][$700]; 24. 11N-Dale Blaney [24][$700]; Lap Leader: Donny Schatz 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 19-Brent Marks[+8]
Qualifying: 1. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 12.915; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.055; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.056; 4. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.059; 5. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.068; 6. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.136; 7. 5-David Gravel, 13.149; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.159; 9. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.178; 10. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.203; 11. 44-Trey Starks, 13.207; 12. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.213; 13. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.219; 14. 99-Brady Bacon, 13.258; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.289; 16. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.298; 17. 48-Danny Dietrich, 13.361; 18. 12N-Cole Duncan, 13.384; 19. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.36; 20. 19-Brent Marks, 13.435; 21. 17X-Caleb Helms, 13.436; 22. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.439; 23. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.457; 24. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg, 13.475; 25. 11N-Dale Blaney, 13.518; 26. 7C-Caleb Armstrong, 13.657; 27. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 13.684; 28. 45-Trevor Baker, 13.762; 29. 1A-Jacob Allen, NT
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer: 1. 49X-Tim Shaffer [1]; 2. 17-Joey Saldana [2]; 3. 5-David Gravel [3]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [5]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [4]; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [6]; 7. 4-Paul McMahan [7]; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]; 9. 45-Trevor Baker [10]; 10. 11N-Dale Blaney [9]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer: 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [3]; 3. 10H-Chad Kemenah [2]; 4. 99-Brady Bacon [5]; 5. 48-Danny Dietrich [6]; 6. 44-Trey Starks [4]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides [8]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [7]; 9. 7C-Caleb Armstrong [9]; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen [10]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer: 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [2]; 3. 24-Rico Abreu [3]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5]; 5. W20-Greg Wilson [4]; 6. 12N-Cole Duncan [6]; 7. 49D-Shawn Dancer [9]; 8. 17X-Caleb Helms [7]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [5]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [3]; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer [6]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [4]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer: 1. 4-Paul McMahan [1][-]; 2. 19-Brent Marks [2][-]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [5][-]; 4. 13-Clyde Knipp [4][-]; 5. 1A-Jacob Allen [10][-]; 6. 11N-Dale Blaney [6][-]; 7. 17X-Caleb Helms [3][$300]; 8. 45-Trevor Baker [9][$250]; 9. 7C-Caleb Armstrong [7][$225]; 10. 49D-Shawn Dancer [8][$200]; 11. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [11][$200]
Logan Schuchart scores his first-ever Eldora Speedway win
ROSSBURG, OH — May 12, 2017 — Logan Schuchart scored his first-ever Eldora Speedway win Friday night during the #LetsRaceTwo opener, battling Eldora veteran Shane Stewart for the lead from laps eight through 12, after which Schuchart retained it for the remaining 18 laps to secure his fourth career World of Outlaws win and second win this season.
"It's the place you always want to win at," said the Shark Racing 1s driver about Eldora after his win. "As a little kid I dreamt about being a World of Outlaws driver. Eldora, with all the history behind it, it's really cool. My grandfather won the first Outlaw race here in '78, so being able to win this race with him by my side is really cool. I hope it means something for July. My grandfather won the Knoxville Nationals. He won the Williams Grove National Open. But nobody won the Kings Royal, so that's a race I really want to run well in, and this is where you get your notes and stuff. To win tonight, hopefully that means something for the next couple races in the next couple months."
Schuchart's win emerged from a field of 35 cars, a third of them Ohio natives. But the night went to the Outlaws. Following Schuchart into Victory Lane were fellow Outlaws Stewart and Brad Sweet. Quicktime went to Outlaw Jason Sides, the very first driver to qualify. Three of the four heat races went to Outlaws — the fourth going to Aliquippa, PA-native Tim Shaffer. The Dash went to Outlaw Jason Johnson. And all four that transfered from the Last Chance Showdown were Outlaws as well, with Kraig Kinser in the lead.
Meanwhile, Alvada, OH-native Chad Kemenah, who came in second on both nights of last year's #LetsRaceTwo, failed to make the Feature. And last year's winner, Kerry Madsen, was noticeably absent.
Initally, it was looking like a pretty good day for Jason Johnson, who started the Feature on the pole after winning the Craftsman Club Dash, which he also started on the pole after a full-field inversion stemming from a Dash draw of eight. But Stewart managed to steal Johnson's lead in lap seven, after which Johnson fell back and was overtaken by Sweet and points leader Donny Schatz, who had worked their way up from positions nine and seven respectively.
After qualifying in third and winning Heat 3, Schuchart started the Feature in the third row (fifth position) and jumped to third at the onset of the race. But when Stewart stole the lead from Johnson, the battle between Stewart and Schuchart was on. In lap nine, Schuchart finally took the lead from the JJR-Marshall 41, only to lose it again on a restart after a red flag on Ohio natives Trevor Philo and Jac Haudenschild, who collided outside turn one when Philo bounced off the wall. Three laps later, Schuchart took back his lead and held it through the checkers.
It was a night of celebration for Shark Racing, but not so much for Philo and J Haudenschild, who were both transported to a local hospital for further examination. Haudenschild, an Eldora veteran with six World of Outlaws wins and five USAC wins at the track, was there with his son and rookie Outlaw, Sheldon. According to a tweet from Haudenschild Racing, "Sheldon spoke to Jac, he's ready to leave the hospital and is insistent on racing tomorrow."
Eldora Speedway Notebook
RACE NOTES: Logan Schuchart battled Shane Stewart for his first Eldora Speedway win on night one of #LetsRaceTwo Friday night, marking his fourth career World of Outlaws win. Stewart, who had the most recent World of Outlaws win at Eldora after taking the checkers at the 2016 Four Crown Nationals last September, took the lead from Jason Johnson in lap 7 and battled Schuchart through the next five laps, losing the lead in lap 9, and again in 12 to follow Schuchart to the checkers with Brad Sweet behind him.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Travis Philo; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jacob Allen; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Karig Kinser; Extended Stay ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Super Flow ($50 cash): Brent Marks; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Brent Marks, Jason Johnson, Jason Sides, Shane Stewart, Logan Schuchart, David Gravel; Craftsman/Sears: Travis Philo; KSE Hard Charger: Kraig Kinser; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Logan Schuchart; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Joey Saldana; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Danny Dietrich.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 8 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18, Missouri State Fair Speedway on May 5, 81 Speedway on May 6); David Gravel - 5 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1, Gator Motorplex on April 3, Plymouth Speedway on April 28); Jason Johnson - 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 14); Brad Sweet - 2 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 15), Logan Schuchart - 2 (Keller Auto Speedway on March 31, Eldora Speedway on May 12), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway on April 7), Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway on April 8).
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Eldora Speedway, OH; May 12, 2017
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$10,000]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [4][$5,000]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [9][$3,000]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [7][$2,700]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$2,500]; 6. 5-David Gravel [6][$2,200]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides [2][$2,000]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [12][$1,800]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [11][$1,600]; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser [21][$1,450]; 11. 49X-Tim Shaffer [8][$1,300]; 12. W20-Greg Wilson [20][$1,200]; 13. 44-Trey Starks [10][$1,100]; 14. 19-Brent Marks [24][$1,000]; 15. 24-Rico Abreu [14][$950]; 16. 17-Joey Saldana [13][$900]; 17. 4-Paul McMahan [23][$850]; 18. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [22][$750]; 19. 11N-Dale Blaney [19][$725]; 20. A67-Brandon Wimmer [17][$700]; 21. 48-Danny Dietrich [15][$700]; 22. 5T-Travis Philo [3][$700]; 23. 6M-Jac Haudenschild [16][$700]; 24. 17X-Caleb Helms [18][$700]; Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-6; Shane Stewart 7-8, 10-11; Logan Schuchart 9, 12-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 11K-Kraig Kinser[+11]
Qualifying: 1. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.843; 2. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.065; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.24; 4. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.299; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.319; 6. 44-Trey Starks, 14.376; 7. 48-Danny Dietrich, 14.401; 8. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 14.427; 9. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.443; 10. 24-Rico Abreu, 14.476; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman, 14.536; 12. 41-Jason Johnson, 14.593; 13. A67-Brandon Wimmer, 14.607; 14. 5-David Gravel, 14.624; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.635; 16. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.636; 17. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.655; 18. 12N-Cole Duncan, 14.71; 19. 11N-Dale Blaney, 14.733; 20. 6M-Jac Haudenschild, 14.753; 21. 17-Joey Saldana, 14.844; 22. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 14.854; 23. 5T-Travis Philo, 14.865; 24. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg, 14.867; 25. 45L-Brian Lay, 14.869; 26. 17X-Caleb Helms, 14.912; 27. 7C-Caleb Armstrong, 14.941; 28. 4-Paul McMahan, 14.982; 29. 19-Brent Marks, 14.998; 30. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 15; 31. 7J-Joe Swanson, 15.148; 32. 13-Clyde Knipp, 15.247; 33. 45-Trevor Baker, 15.264; 34. 99-Brady Bacon, 15.376; 35. 83X-Adam Cruea, NT
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer: 1. 2-Shane Stewart [3]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [1]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [5]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [6]; 5. A67-Brandon Wimmer [4]; 6. 19-Brent Marks [8]; 7. 45L-Brian Lay [7]; 8. 45-Trevor Baker [9]; 9. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer: 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1]; 2. 5-David Gravel [4]; 3. 44-Trey Starks [2]; 4. 24-Rico Abreu [3]; 5. 17X-Caleb Helms [7]; 6. 49D-Shawn Dancer [6]; 7. 99-Brady Bacon [9]; 8. 10H-Chad Kemenah [8]; 9. 12N-Cole Duncan [5]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer: 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1]; 2. 5T-Travis Philo [6]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [3]; 4. 48-Danny Dietrich [2]; 5. 11N-Dale Blaney [5]; 6. 7C-Caleb Armstrong [7]; 7. 7J-Joe Swanson [8]; 8. 83X-Adam Cruea [9]; 9. 11K-Kraig Kinser [4]
Heat #4 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer: 1. 49X-Tim Shaffer [2]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [3]; 3. 1A-Jacob Allen [1]; 4. 6M-Jac Haudenschild [5]; 5. W20-Greg Wilson [4]; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [7]; 7. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [6]; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [4]; 3. 5T-Travis Philo [2]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [8]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6]; 6. 5-David Gravel [3]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz [7]; 8. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 4 Transfer: 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2][-]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [1][-]; 3. 4-Paul McMahan [8][-]; 4. 19-Brent Marks [9][-]; 5. 49D-Shawn Dancer [4][$300]; 6. 12N-Cole Duncan [3][$250]; 7. 10H-Chad Kemenah [10][$225]; 8. 99-Brady Bacon [14][$200]; 9. 45L-Brian Lay [6][$200]; 10. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [5][$200]; 11. 7C-Caleb Armstrong [7][$200]; 12. 7J-Joe Swanson [11][$200]; 13. 45-Trevor Baker [13][$200]; 14. 13-Clyde Knipp [12][$200]; 15. 83X-Adam Cruea [15][$200]
Donny Schatz wins Outlaws return to 81 Speedway to score eighth victory of the season
By: Tony Veneziano
PARK City, KS.- May 7, 2017 - Quite a bit has changed over the last 11 years since the last Donny Schatz had raced at 81 Speedway, prior to Saturday night. The track surface was reconfigured before this season, while the tires and wings on the cars have also changed over the last decade. One things that didn’t change was the end result as he won for the second straight time at the three-eights-mile as the Outlaws returned to 81 Speedway for the Kansas Outlaw Klassic presented by Great Clips, Murphy Tractor and the City of Park City, Kansas.
Schatz’s second consecutive win at 81 Speedway had extra meaning, as his crew chief Ricky Warner and his wife, have family members from the area, who are involved with the operations at 81 Speedway.
“This is like a hometown win for Rick and Danele Warner,” said Schatz. “Rick has been with me a long time and we have won a lot of races together. The last time we were here, we won and were fortunate to get here again tonight. It was a great crowd tonight and it’s great to see all of the enthusiasm here. It’s incredible to be standing here in front of them winning.”
Schatz started on the pole and led all 30 laps, but had a very close call, after some contact, when a pair of lapped cars got together right in front of him on the 18th lap. Despite sustaining some damage to his machine, the North Dakota native was able to lead flag-to-flag.
“The (No.) 4 car stopped and I got into him there,” noted Schatz. “I thought I was going over and when I got away from him I could steer, but I knew something was bent in the front. It obviously bent the front axle, but it didn’t really hurt me much. It might have actually helped me.”
On the double file restart, which was the only restart of the 30-lap main event, Schatz chose the low side of the three-eighths-mile, with Jason Johnson lined up beside him. A strong restart propelled Schatz as Johnson, David Gravel and Daryn Pittman all battled for second.
“We just had the car rolling and are trying a lot of funky things right now and there are a lot of weird pieces on this race car, but we are learning,” explained Schatz. “Sometimes you pay the price and April was that time, so May is going a lot better.”
Pittman used a last lap pass of Gravel to earn his second consecutive runner-up finish, as he continues to close in on his first win of the season in the Great Clips, No. 9 for Kasey Kahne Racing. Pittman started second and looked on the low side of the track a couple of times in the early going as he kept pace with Schatz.
“We are bringing better race cars to the track,” said Pittman. “Eric Prutzman is making great changes as the night goes on. Getting in the dash has been huge with the extra track time. Most of the headway we have made with our race cars the last two nights has been in the dash. That’s really been key. When the car is faster, it’s a lot more fun to drive.”
Pittman started second and kept pace with Schatz for the first few laps, before losing a couple of positions. Late in the race he had an entertaining battle with Gravel and Johnson for the runner-up position.
“We had to fight hard for that one,” shared Pittman. “We fell back to fourth and got by Jason (Johnson) after the yellow. (David) Gravel got caught up by a few lapped cars and we were able to get back by him coming to the checkers. It was a good finish and a good weekend for us.”
Gravel continued his strong season by picking up his 13th top-five finish of the season, with a third-place finish. The Connecticut native ran as high as second in the late going and was keeping up with Schatz in open track, before having some trouble getting by slower cars.
“Lapped cars were pretty tough, they were running pretty high and made it pretty difficult,” said Gravel. “It was hard to tell where they were going to go. Daryn (Pittman) got by me, but I think we had a second-place car. I just wish we could have qualified a little better to get in the dash and get another shot at the race track. If we had started on the front two rows, I think we could have gotten the win. We’ll take our podium and move on to the next race.”
Johnson finished fourth, with Brad Sweet in fifth. Shane Stewart worked his way from the 16th starting spot to finish sixth. Logan Schuchart was seventh, with Aaron Reutzel eighth, Jason Sides ninth and rookie Brent Marks 10th.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action at the famed Eldora Speedway in Ohio on Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13.
Lucky Seven: Donny Schatz wins at Missouri State Fair Speedway to score seventh win of season
SEDALIA, Mo.—May 5, 2017—Missouri State Fair Speedway has always been a special place for eight-time and defending World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz. He made his first start with the series back in 1993 as a teenager at the historic track.
Schatz returned to the half-mile on Friday night, as the Outlaws visited the track for the first time since 2012 and was victorious in the Sedalia Show-Me State Showdown to earn his third-career win at Missouri State Fair Speedway and his seventh of the season aboard the Arctic Cat/Ford Performance J&J for Tony Stewart Racing.
“This is extra special, with this being the first place I ran at,” said Schatz. “We had Mark Miller from Artic Cat here and this is kind of his home track. He had a premonition that we were going to have a good night and I’m glad he had that premonition.”
Schatz started third and got around Joey Saldana for second on the seventh lap. He then began to close on leader Daryn Pittman as the lead duo negotiated lapped traffic. Schatz made his move on the low side of the back straightaway to take the top spot on lap-11.
Once out front, Schatz began to pull away. After the taking the white flag, the only caution of the 25-lap main event flew, setting up a green-white-checker finish with Schatz in the lead and Kerry Madsen lining up second. Schatz used a strong restart to pull away en route to the win.
“I was actually looking for the car that was stopped, but it wasn’t stopped,” said Schatz of the caution. “That’s the way it goes sometimes and those breaks sometimes go your way. Our car was awesome. April really didn’t show it, but April is over. That’s what racing is about. You’ll have some good days and you are going to have a lot of bad ones. Today was one of the good ones. We just keep digging and finding ways to make the race car faster. Hats off to them, they are on their game and they got us a win tonight.”
The win for Schatz snapped a month-plus win drought, dating back to March 18 at Thunderbowl Raceway in California. He used traffic to his advantage and managed tire wear as well on his way to the $10,000 triumph. With the first 24 laps going non-stop, Schatz was in his comfort zone on the long green-flag run.
“You don’t really ever bide your time,” explained Schatz. “You have to be smart with your tires. This is a high speed track and it’s pretty easy the fine line between stuck (to the track) and spinning (your tires). When I rolled across the scales, I saw the other cars around me and I saw their tires were really blistered. Mine looked good, so I guess that means I did my job at the right parts of the race. Early on, when you have all that fuel, they are not a lot of fun to drive. You have to be cautious and search out the race track and see what happens.”
Pittman, who led the first 10 laps, after starting on the pole, finished a season-best second, as he continues to close in on his first win of the season. In open track in the early going, Pittman pulled away from Joey Saldana and had couple-second lead in the first six laps.
“It did feel good to run up front,” said Pittman. “These guys are really working hard. It’s been a struggle this year and I have a great group of guys and I am really proud to be a part of this team. There is no doubt we’ll get that win and we keep getting better. We made a lot of headway and had a pretty solid car all night long. If we are going to beat the 15 car and some of these guys consistently, we still have some work to do. We’ll get this Great Clips car to victory lane and it will be fun when we do.”
Kerry Madsen lined up second for the green-white-checker restart and ended up in third, after Pittman used a strong restart to get around him. Madsen lined up fifth at the start of the 25-lap main event
“I was going for the win,” said Madsen of his strategy on the restart. “I tried that low-middle there and feed off Donny’s right rear on the restart. I should have done the opposite and fed off the left rear and gotten better grip. I went to attack and wasn’t close enough to attack and got attacked. It was a fun race and our car was a rocket ship.”
Joey Saldana, who ran second early in the race, ended up fourth. Brian Brown, who hails from Grain Valley, Mo., finished fifth. Jason Johnson, who now calls Missouri home was sixth, followed by Brad Sweet in seventh, Danny Lasoski, another Missouri native in eighth, David Gravel in ninth and Kraig Kinser rounded out the top-10.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action on Saturday, May 6 at 81 Speedway in Park City, Kansas. The Kansas Outlaw Klassic presented by Great Clips, Murphy Tractor & Equipment Co and the City of Park City, Kansas marks the series’ first visit to 81 Speedway since 2006.
Outlaws to Tackle PA, NY, NJ Stretch
The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series has reached the point of the schedule where teams are starting to settle in and get into a groove — setting themselves up for the endurance of the 90-plus races a year. However, it’s tests like five races in seven days in three different states that make the Outlaws “The Greatest Show on Dirt”.
The middle of May takes the Outlaws through their first stretch of mid-week races that includes five races in seven nights at four different tracks in three different states. The series makes its only stop at Lincoln (PA) Speedway on May 17 before the Spring Classic and Morgan Cup at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA on May 19 and 20.
Nonetheless, there’s no stopping as the Series digs deep and continues down the road to Weedsport (NY) Speedway on May 21 to complete three consecutive nights of racing before getting a night with its date with New Egypt Speedway.
“I’ve done it long enough that it’s just normal for me,” said Daryn Pittman, driver of the Kasey Kahne Racing No.9 and the most recent Outlaws winner at Williams Grove. “Other than making sure we’ve got everything packed up with the family to go in the motorhome, it doesn’t change us. I look forward to more races and a lot of times feel like I only get better the more I race.”
It’s also the Series’ first march into Pennsylvania Posse territory, a set of races that always bring an added test. The trip to historic Williams Grove in Central Pennsylvania is always one of the toughest challenges on the tour.
“At a regular Outlaw show, you’re never going to win if you’re off a little bit,” said Pittman. “That holds even truer at a race in Pennsylvania. There’s just no room for error because not only are you trying to beat all of your regulars, but there’s a handful of locals that can win if they’ve got their stuff together that night.”
The Outlaws trip to Williams Grove is also a homecoming for Kevin Gobrecht Rookie-of-the-Year contender Brent Marks, who calls nearby Myerstown, PA home.
“That’s where I grew up and got involved into racing,” said Marks. “I was a little kid sitting in the infield playing in the dirt with Sprint Cars. I’ve been around Williams Grove my entire life. That’s kind of where it all started for me, so when you go back there it’s a pretty surreal moment.”
Sprint Car racing has a long history at Williams Grove, including with the Outlaws. The World of Outlaws have raced at the track every year but one (1985) since their inception in 1978. Since 2009, the Outlaws have raced Williams Grove at least four times per season.
“The history of the racetrack itself and the prestigious events that have been held there forever, as well as the rivalry between the Outlaws and the locals, is pretty much unmatched anywhere in the country,” said Pittman.
Williams Grove fans personify the rivalry between the World of Outlaws and the drivers of the Pennsylvania Posse. The rivalry is most evident at the Grove. Over the last five seasons, the two sides are tied with 11 wins apiece. However, the Posse held the edge last season with three victories to the Outlaws one, courtesy of Pittman.
“Pennsylvania fans are as well educated in Sprint Car racing as anywhere in the country and as diehard as they come,” said Pittman. “They live and breathe it. It’s just something that’s embedded into that part of the country. It’s a lot of fun, I think, to show up and be part of it.”
Following a pair of nights at Williams Grove, the series travels north to Weedsport, NY for the first of three races this season in the Empire State. Weedsport Speedway hosts the Empire State Challenge for the third straight season since the 3/8-mile oval underwent major renovations in 2014. Donny Schatz will look to make it three wins in a row at the Central New York track on May 21. Many drivers now look forward to visiting Weedsport and recognize the track as one of the premier dirt track racing facilities in the country.
“It’s not a cookie-cutter, normal racetrack. It’s tricky,” said Pittman. “It’s an odd shape with an odd surface. I enjoy those; they’re fun. I don’t know that we’ve seen the same conditions twice yet. We’ve only been a few times, but I definitely look forward to going and seeing what it’s going to throw at us this time and seeing how good we can be this time around.”
The Series wraps up their five-races-in-seven-days-in-three-states tour at New Egypt (NJ) Speedway on Tuesday, May 23. The semi-banked half-mile New Egypt, NJ track has hosted a World of Outlaws event nine times since 2000. One driver’s name has been tied to the top of the charts for the past four years: Daryn Pittman. A fifth consecutive win at New Egypt Speedway for Pittman could help get the ball rolling as the Series starts to head into the grueling month of June.
Tickets for the Gettysburg Clash at Lincoln Speedway and the Jersey Outlaw Classic can be purchased at WorldofOutlaws.com/tickets.
Advanced tickets for the Empire State Challenge at Weedsport Speedway are available online at www.weedsportspeedway.com.
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Event at Tri-State Speedway Postponed
CONCORD, NC— April 29, 2017— Due to record rainfall hitting the Haubstadt, IN area and localized flooding, the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series has postponed the event at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, IN to their previous longstanding Outlaw date of Mother Day’s, Sunday, May 14.
Fans that currently have tickets for the World of Outlaws Tri-State Speedway event will be able to use them for the rescheduled event on Sunday, May 14, 2017. Tickets for when the Outlaws return to Tri-State Speedway are available through the track website.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will resume Wednesday, May 3 for a make-up race at Riverside Speedway in West Memphis, AR.
Win Number Five for the No. 5 of David Gravel
Plymouth, IN — April 28, 2017 — After starting seventh on the field at the beginning of the 35-lap feature at Plymouth Speedway, David Gravel worked his way up to third-place just shy of the halfway mark. It was with three laps to go Gravel took advantage of a bobble by the No. 87 of Aaron Reutzel to put him in the runner-up spot; but he wasn’t done just yet. Setting his sights on the leader of No. 7 of Jason Sides, Gravel squeezed his way under Sides as the two entered Turn 3. Gravel completed the move en route his fifth World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series win of the 2017 season.
With rain all around the Plymouth-IN area, the stars of the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series were determined to put on a great show for the Plymouth Speedway fans — and they did just that. Early in the evenings schedule, 26 cars of the 29 that entered the event all were quicker than the track record in hot laps. When it came to qualifying, Parker Price-Miller set fast time and in the process set a new track record with a lap of 11.079-second, eclipising the previous record set in 2016 by Logan Schuchart.
It was Jason Sides and Donny Schatz showing the way to the green flag for the Feature event at Plymouth Speedway. Just as the 24-car field was making their way around the the track for the first lap of the 35-lap Feature event, the No. 41 of Jason Johnson went for a tumble in-between Turns 3 and 4, bringing out the red flag and setting up a complete restart. Johnson would head to the work area and rejoin the field after some work to his No. 41 machine.
After a bad initial start and slipping back to fourth, Schatz had a second opportunity to hold his ground. Jason Sides once again got a solid restart, vaulting the No. 7 machine back to the lead. Schatz will hold onto second place until he was able to get by Sides on Lap 9 for the lead.
The No. 4 of Paul McMahan slowed in Turn 4 bringing out the yellow flag on Lap 15. On the ensuing restart the No. 15 of Donny Schatz selected the top leaving Sides the bottom groove. Entering the picture for the first time of the evening, David Gravel from seventh worked his way up to a podium running position. A master of the restarts all evening, Sides worked his way by Schatz to give him the top spot once again. Schatz didn’t let that No. 7 out of his sights, staying glued to the leader’s bumper — Gravel stayed within striking distance of the two.
The field would once again be slowed on Lap 23 when the No. 49D of Shawn Dancer spun in Turn 4. With 12 laps to go, Sides got another great restart, while the No. 15 of Schatz dropped back to fourth. The No. 87 of Aaron Reutzel leapfrogged Gravel and Schatz in the standings to put him in the runner-up spot.
With three laps to go, Reutzel bobbled slightly coming out of Turn 2, giving Gravel a chance to get by. With Sides out front with two laps to go, Gravel made a charge down the backstretch and planted his No. 5 under Sides for the lead coming to the white flag.
“We just wanted to start further up than we did last year and we did that,” said David Gravel. “We were really, really good until the red came out and the car was insane after that. After we got heat back in the tires the car came back to life, grabbed a little bit more wing and the car was really good with three laps to go. I was good when I needed to be good and just being patient and Reutzel slipped up and I took advantage.”
Gravel would go on to grab his fifth win of the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series season with Sides in second and Reutzel in third. After leading a portion of the 35 lap race, Schatz brought the No. 15 Arctic Cat machine home in fourth.
“From the get-go we had a pretty good car,” said Jason Sides. “We got a good run here tonight and that’s what we were hoping for. I just got to thank all my guys for all the hard work. We’ve had a couple good runs at [Tri-State Speedway], we hope we can bring it home tomorrow.”
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will be back in action tomorrow, Saturday, April 29 at Tri-State Speedway then again next Wednesday for a make-up race at Riverside Speedway on May 3. For tickets, visit WorldofOutlaws.com/tickets.
Feature (35 Laps) : 1. 5-David Gravel [7][$10,000]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [1][$5,500]; 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel [3][$3,200]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$2,800]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [10][$2,500]; 6. 19-Brent Marks [4][$2,300]; 7. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [14][$2,200]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [12][$2,100]; 9. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$2,050]; 10. W20-Greg Wilson [20][$2,000]; 11. 17-Joey Saldana [17][$1,500]; 12. 3G-Carson Macedo [16][$1,200]; 13. 99-Brady Bacon [8][$1,100]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [19][$1,050]; 15. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [6][$1,000]; 16. 4K-Kody Kinser [11][$900]; 17. 17B-Bill Balog [13][$800]; 18. 41-Jason Johnson [18][$800]; 19. 23C-Tyler Courtney [23][$800]; 20. 49D-Shawn Dancer [22][$800]; 21. 4-Paul McMahan [9][$800]; 22. 4S-Danny Smith [21][$800]; 23. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [24][$800]; 24. 1S-Logan Schuchart [15][$800]; Lap Leaders: Jason Sides 1-9, 16-33; Donny Schatz 10-15; David Gravel 34-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: W20-Greg Wilson[+10]
Qualifying: 1. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 11.079; 2. 99-Brady Bacon, 11.132; 3. 4-Paul McMahan, 11.155; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 11.2; 5. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.217; 6. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.302; 7. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.325; 8. 19-Brent Marks, 11.325; 9. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, 11.347; 10. 5-David Gravel, 11.348; 11. 4K-Kody Kinser, 11.373; 12. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.403; 13. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.413; 14. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.468; 15. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.478; 16. 17B-Bill Balog, 11.483; 17. 23C-Tyler Courtney, 11.516; 18. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.538; 19. 3G-Carson Macedo, 11.547; 20. 17-Joey Saldana, 11.552; 21. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.578; 22. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.632; 23. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg, 11.641; 24. 4S-Danny Smith, 11.688; 25. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.806; 26. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 11.859; 27. 13-Clyde Knipp, 11.985; 28. 7J-Joe Swanson, 12.108; 29. 51B-Joe B. Miller 12.119
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel [2]; 2. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [1]; 3. 5-David Gravel [4]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [3]; 5. 17B-Bill Balog [6]; 6. 3G-Carson Macedo [7]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [5]; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8]; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen [9]; 10. 7J-Joe Swanson [10]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature:1. 7S-Jason Sides [2]; 2. 19-Brent Marks [3]; 3. 99-Brady Bacon [1]; 4. 4K-Kody Kinser [4]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [5]; 6. 17-Joey Saldana [7]; 7. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [8]; 8. 23C-Tyler Courtney [6]; 9. 51B-Joe B. Miller [10]; 10. 49D-Shawn Dancer [9]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature:1. 15-Donny Schatz [2]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [4]; 3. 4-Paul McMahan [1]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [7]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [5]; 7. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [3]; 8. 4S-Danny Smith [8]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [9]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps): 1. 7S-Jason Sides [2]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel [1]; 4. 19-Brent Marks [5]; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [6]; 6. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [4]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature:1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [4][-]; 2. W20-Greg Wilson [2][-]; 3. 4S-Danny Smith [6][-]; 4. 49D-Shawn Dancer [8][-]; 5. 23C-Tyler Courtney [3][-]; 6. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [5][-]; 7. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [1][$300]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [7][$250]; 9. 51B-Joe B. Miller [11][$225]; 10. 13-Clyde Knipp [9][$200]; 11. 7J-Joe Swanson [10][$200]
OUTLAW SPRINT CARS RAINED OUT AT PEVELY
PEVELY, MO — April 21, 2017 — A forecast of continued rain through the weekend as it pours down on Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 has obligated the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series to cancel the Spring Classic at the Pevely, MO track tomorrow. The 2017 Spring Classic will not be rescheduled.
Fans that have tickets for the 2017 Spring Classic can use their tickets as credit when the World of Outlaws return to Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 later this summer on Friday, August 4 and Saturday, August 5 for the Ironman 55. Fans also have the option to roll their credit over to the 2018 Spring Classic at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 (date to be announced). No refunds for the 2017 Spring Classic will be given.
The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series will resume action at Plymouth Speedway (Plymouth, IN) on Friday, April 28, then on Saturday, April 29 at Tri-State Speedway (Haubstadt, IN). For tickets, visit WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets or call (844) DIRT-TIX.
Rained Out at Riverside
CONCORD, NC. – April 21, 2017 – Due to morning thunderstorms today, the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series is postponing the Bull Ring Outlaw Blitz at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, AR. The Bull Ring Outlaw Blitz has been rescheduled for Wednesday, May 3.
All advanced reserved seating tickets for the event will be honored for the rescheduled date on May 3. Fans who purchased tickets for pickup at will call can obtain those tickets on race day. Advanced reserved seating tickets are still available by visiting WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets or by calling 844-DIRT-TIX.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will resume racing Saturday, April 22 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, MO. For LIVE coverage of the Spring Classic from Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, visit dirtvision.com.
Sweet Works the Bottom of the Bowl for the Win
Fans & Superstars Honor the Legendary Lanny Edwards
MESQUITE, TX — April 15, 2017 — For the second night in a row, Brad Sweet worked his Kasey Kahne Racing 49 machine along the bottom of the high-banked half-mile oval at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, this time sticking it out for the win. With only five laps to go, Sweet stole the win from David Gravel, who led all previous laps but was having some trouble getting his CJB Motorsports No. 5 out of lap traffic.
"Awesome race there with David [Gravel],” said Sweet. "Lap traffic was just crucial. My car seemed like it was a little bit better. We were just right on him. Once I got a little clean air I was able to start picking off those lap cars and it felt good.”
Gravel had been working on the bottom all race, but he got caught behind Shane Stewart and met his demise when he tried to go high to pass him.
“I cleared a lot of lap cars really good, and then I got to Shane and I just could’t do anything with him,” said Gravel. "He was running the bottom in 3 and 4. I tried to pass him on the outside, and obviously the bottom of three and four was the best lane to be in. That’s where Brad was. That’s just the advantage sometimes of sitting back there watching, seeing what happens.”
Third through the checkers was Danny “The Dude" Lasoski, who took his position from Christopher Bell early in the race and held it through the checkers. Lasoski, the 2001 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Champion, has previous wins at Devil’s Bowl in 1999 and 2000. He was also right there at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in 1978 for the first-ever World of Outlaws Sprint Car race.
This year’s Texas Outlaw Nationals was a tribute to the late Lanny Edwards. A number of superstars — including Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Johnny Rutherford, and Christopher Bell — joined the Outlaws to honor the legendary promoter and World of Outlaws co-founder (along with Ted Johnson).
"Lanny went out on a limb and really got something going that has been pretty spectacular and pretty amazing,” said Tony Stewart during the opening ceremony, "and definitely pretty entertaining for all of America to watch.”
The opening ceremony continued with World of Outlaws CEO Brian Carter presenting the Ted Johnson Memorial Award to the Edwards family for their contribution to the sport.
"We really want to recognize all of the people that helped us get to where we are today," said Carter. "We are the World of Outlaws: the fans here, the community, the racers, the teams, everybody here. We are what the World of Outlaws was meant to be 40 years ago. What happened here 40 years ago next year impacts sprint car racing around the world; all were impacted by Ted Johnson and Lanny Edwards."
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will return to action Friday, April 21 for the Bull Ring Outlaw Blitz at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, AK.
RACE NOTES: Brad Sweet worked the bottom to steal the win in lap 26 of a 30-lap Feature of the Lanny Edwards Memorial Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil's Bowl Speedway after David Gravel led all previous 25 laps. Danny Lakoski fights Christopher Bell for third early on and maintains his position through the checkers.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Clyde Knipp; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Danny Lasoski; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Super Flow ($50 cash): Kraig Kinser; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): David Gravel, Sheldon Haudenschild, Greg Wilson, Brad Sweet; Craftsman/Sears: Christopher Bell; KSE Hard Charger: Logan Schuchart; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Brad Sweet; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Brady Bacon; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Parker Price-Miller.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 6 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18 ); David Gravel - 4 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1, Gator Motorplex on April 3); Jason Johnson - 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 14); Brad Sweet - 2 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 15), Logan Schuchart - 1 (Keller Auto Speedway on March 31), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway on April 7), Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway on April 8).
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Devil's Bowl Speedway, TX; April 15, 2017
Feature (30 Laps) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$20,000]; 2. 5-David Gravel [1][$6,000]; 3. 33-Danny Lasoski [5][$3,750]; 4. 67-Christopher Bell [3][$3,250]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2][$2,750]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [10][$2,500]; 7. 19-Brent Marks [8][$2,400]; 8. 7S-Jason Sides [7][$2,300]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [6][$2,200]; 10. 15-Donny Schatz [14][$2,100]; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart [19][$1,700]; 12. 9-Daryn Pittman [11][$1,400]; 13. 4-Paul McMahan [12][$1,300]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$1,200]; 15. 82-Cap Henry [18][$1,100]; 16. 4K-Kasey Kahne [15][$1,000]; 17. 1A-Jacob Allen [9][$1,000]; 18. 2-Shane Stewart [21][$1,000]; 19. 17-Joey Saldana [16][$1,000]; 20. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [22][$1,000]; 21. 1X-Gary Taylor [23][$1,000]; 22. 14-Tony Stewart [20][$1,000]; 23. 99-Brady Bacon [17][$1,000]; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp [24][$1,000]; Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-25, Brad Sweet 26-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+8]
Qualifying - 1. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.706; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.711; 3. 67-Christopher Bell, 13.714; 4. 33-Danny Lasoski, 13.754; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.76; 6. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.784; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.789; 8. 19-Brent Marks, 13.79; 9. 5-David Gravel, 13.807; 10. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.82; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.846; 12. 4K-Kasey Kahne, 13.866; 13. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.919; 14. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.93; 15. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.937; 16. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.937; 17. 99-Brady Bacon, 14.004; 18. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.008; 19. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.968; 20. 14-Tony Stewart, 14.043; 21. 82-Cap Henry, 14.073; 22. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.081; 23. 1X-Gary Taylor, 14.153; 24. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 14.225; 25. 81W-Danny Wood, 14.354; 26. 12W-Dale Wester, NT
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 33-Danny Lasoski [2]; 2. W20-Greg Wilson [4]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [1]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [6]; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3]; 6. 17-Joey Saldana [5]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [8]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7]; 9. 81W-Danny Wood [9]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 3. 19-Brent Marks [3]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [4]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [5]; 6. 99-Brady Bacon [6]; 7. 1X-Gary Taylor [8]; 8. 14-Tony Stewart [7]; 9. 12W-Dale Wester [9]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 67-Christopher Bell [1]; 2. 5-David Gravel [3]; 3. 1A-Jacob Allen [2]; 4. 4-Paul McMahan [5]; 5. 4K-Kasey Kahne [4]; 6. 82-Cap Henry [7]; 7. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8]; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [6]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps) - 1. 5-David Gravel [1]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 3. 67-Christopher Bell [4]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [5]; 5. 33-Danny Lasoski [6]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [3]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2][-]; 2. 14-Tony Stewart [3][-]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [4][-]; 4. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [6][-]; 5. 1X-Gary Taylor [5][-]; 6. 13-Clyde Knipp [1][-]; 7. 81W-Danny Wood [7][$300]; 8. 12W-Dale Wester [8][$250]
The Ragin' Cajun Scores His First Devil's Bowl Win
Second Win of the Season, Seventh Career Series Win
MESQUITE, TX — April 15, 2017 — Jason "the Ragin' Cajun" Johnson dominated night one of the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil's Bowl Speedway, leading all 25 laps of the evening's Feature after winning the Craftsman Club Dash from the pole and running fastest in qualifying.
"It’s one of these nights you always imagine and you dream of," said Johnson from Victory Lane. "We set quicktime, won a heat, won a dash, won a feature. That’s a first for me, so hats off to this crew: Jeff, Jacob, Phillip. They’re working their tails off, and it’s a lot of fun to drive right now,” he continued with a chuckle. “It feels great to be back in Victory Lane."
Johnson's second win of the season leaves him fourth in points standings and finally puts a little distance between him and Daryn Pittman. It's also his seventh career series victory, the first one having been at Texas Motor Speedway fourteen years ago.
While Johnson led flag-to-flag, Brad Sweet was patiently working his Napa Auto Parts/ Kasey Kahne Racing No. 49 up from five to make a late-race push for the lead. Running the bottom, he made a pass for second over Jason Sides between turns three and four, but then chose to follow Johnson on the top and came in after him.
"It was a fine line. I moved up to the top a little bit," explained Sweet. "I think if I would have committed to the bottom and hit it a few more times we would have been a lot closer there at the end. Or maybe I would have been able to get in there. But hats off to [Jason Johnson]. He did a great job."
Sides, who had been running second throughout the race, lost steam in the final laps and dropped back to eight, leaving the final podium spot to Logan Schuchart, who had been running in fourth.
Meanwhile, it wasn't a stellar day for the expected superstars on the field. NASCAR stars Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne came in 22 and 11 respectively, both falling back two spots from their starting positions. And eight-time Series Champion Donny Schatz washed way up the track in the first half of lap one and never fully recovered.
The previous night's winner, David Gravel, managed to work his way up from the back, but it just wasn't enough, leaving him in 14. But last year's night one winner, Joey Saldana barely missed the podium with a fourth place finish.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will return to action tomorrow for the final night of the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, TX.
RACE NOTES: Jason "the Ragin' Cajun" Johnson dominated night one of the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil's Bowl Speedway, leading all 25 laps of the evening's Feature after winning the Craftsman Club Dash from the pole and running fastest in qualifying. Following him into Victory Lane was Brad Sweet in the KKR 49 after a failed last-lap effort to steal first. Logan Schuchart in third.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Travis Rilat; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Brent Marks; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Karig Kinser; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Brent Marks; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Brady Bacon; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Brady Bacon; Super Flow ($50 cash): David Gravel; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Jason Johnson, Jason Sides, Logan Schuchart, Brad Sweet, Joey Saldana; Craftsman/Sears: Christopher Bell; KSE Hard Charger: Kraig Kinser; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Jason Johnson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Sheldon Haudenschild; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jacob Allen.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 6 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18 ); David Gravel - 4 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1, Gator Motorplex on April 3); Jason Johnson - 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 14); Brad Sweet - 1 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25), Logan Schuchart - 1 (Keller Auto Speedway on March 31), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway on April 7), Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway on April 8).
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Devil's Bowl Speedway, TX; April 14, 2017
Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$8,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$4,000]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [4][$2,500]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [6][$2,200]; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [12][$2,100]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [8][$2,000]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [14][$1,800]; 8. 7S-Jason Sides [2][$1,600]; 9. 19-Brent Marks [11][$1,500]; 10. 33-Danny Lasoski [13][$1,300]; 11. 4K-Kasey Kahne [9][$1,200]; 12. 99-Brady Bacon [17][$1,100]; 13. 2C-Wayne Johnson [7][$1,000]; 14. 5-David Gravel [21][$700]; 15. 4-Paul McMahan [15][$600]; 16. 15-Donny Schatz [10][$600]; 17. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [22][$600]; 18. 67-Christopher Bell [3][$600]; 19. 82-Cap Henry [23][$600]; 20. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [16][$600]; 21. 81W-Danny Wood [18][$600]; 22. 14-Tony Stewart [20][$600]; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen [19][$600]; 24. 29-Travis Rilat [24][$600]; Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 11K-Kraig Kinser[+7]
Qualifying - 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.707; 2. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.78; 3. 67-Christopher Bell, 14.076; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.135; 5. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.166; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.229; 7. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 14.253; 8. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.263; 9. 17-Joey Saldana, 14.27; 10. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.308; 11. 19-Brent Marks, 14.367; 12. 4K-Kasey Kahne, 14.44; 13. 33-Danny Lasoski, 14.465; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman, 14.479; 15. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.49; 16. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.501; 17. 14-Tony Stewart, 14.519; 18. 81W-Danny Wood, 14.52; 19. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 14.552; 20. 99-Brady Bacon, 14.564; 21. 4-Paul McMahan, 14.584; 22. 5-David Gravel, 14.588; 23. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.612; 24. 82-Cap Henry, 14.686; 25. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.754; 26. 99T-Skylar Gee, 14.92; 27. 29-Travis Rilat, 15.237; 28. 1X-Gary Taylor, 23.157; 29. 84-Scott Bogucki, 23.278
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2]; 3. 2C-Wayne Johnson [3]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 5. 33-Danny Lasoski [5]; 6. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [7]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [6]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [9]; 9. 5-David Gravel [8]; 10. 1X-Gary Taylor [10]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 7S-Jason Sides [1]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [2]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3]; 4. 19-Brent Marks [4]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [5]; 6. 99-Brady Bacon [7]; 7. 14-Tony Stewart [6]; 8. W20-Greg Wilson [8]; 9. 99T-Skylar Gee [9]; 10. 84-Scott Bogucki [10]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 67-Christopher Bell [1]; 2. 17-Joey Saldana [3]; 3. 4K-Kasey Kahne [4]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2]; 5. 4-Paul McMahan [7]; 6. 81W-Danny Wood [6]; 7. 29-Travis Rilat [9]; 8. 82-Cap Henry [8]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [5]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [2]; 3. 67-Christopher Bell [3]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [4]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [5]; 6. 17-Joey Saldana [6]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 1A-Jacob Allen [2][-]; 2. 14-Tony Stewart [3][-]; 3. 5-David Gravel [4][-]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7][-]; 5. 82-Cap Henry [6][-]; 6. 29-Travis Rilat [9][-]; 7. 99T-Skylar Gee [8][$300]; 8. W20-Greg Wilson [5][$250]; 9. 1X-Gary Taylor [10][$225]; 10. 13-Clyde Knipp [1][$200]; 11. 84-Scott Bogucki [11][$200]
David Gravel Scores His Fourth Season Win at Gator Motorplex
Packed House Cheers on Haudenschild after Three Collisions
WILLIS, TX — April 14, 2017 — "It is official. David Gravel has cleared the scales in the CJB Motorsports No. 5, headed to Victory Lane!” cried Johnny Gibson over the P.A. at Gator Motorplex Thursday night. This was win number four of the season in the No. 5 machine, and a twentieth career win for Gravel.
He worked hard for this one, starting in ten and working the high side. While Jason Sides started on the pole, with NASCAR driver Kasey Kayne in second, it was Paul McMahan in the lead when Gravel finally took it in lap 30 — and he took it from below.
“I started tenth and was in second before I knew it,” said the inaugural Gator Bash champ. "I knew it was a 40-lap race. I tried to be really patient with Paul [McMahan]. The curve got really really really tricky as the race went on, and I almost bit the wall a couple of times.”
But it wasn’t Gravel who bit the wall at all. That fell on Rookie-of-the-Year-contender Sheldon Haudenschild, who with four laps to go got into his third tangle of the night. Haudenschild was the unofficial fan favorite at Gator Motorplex, drawing loud cheers for his persistence each time he returned to the field after two flips. But the last one set him bouncing off the wall outside of turn four, right into Brad Sweet.
Sweet had been busy battling Donny Schatz for the fourth spot, which is precisely where Schatz remained after the checkered flag flew.
The inaugural Gator Bash saw a packed house in Willis, Texas, where fans cheered on Kahne as he made his return to dirt in the iRacing.com 4K. But after a lucky Dash inversion draw that put him on the pole, Kahne spun out during the Feature, turning sideways in turn four and causing Daryn Pittman and Dustin Gates to flip over each other.
Meanwhile, Sides maintained his lead until lap 14, when McMahan come up from third to take it from him. It wasn’t until 26 laps later that Gravel managed to final clear both of them, leading them into the checkers in just that order.
"Finishing second right now feels like a win - the way all last year went. But second still sucks,” said McMahan from Victory Lane.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will return to action tomorrow, Friday night, at Devil's Bowl Speedway for the Texas Outlaw Nationals in Mesquite, TX.
RACE NOTES: David Gravel scored his fourth season win at the inaugural Gator Outlaw Bash at Gator Motoroplex, leading the final 11 laps of the 40-lap Feature. Paul McMahan and Jason Sides, the only two other lap leaders in the race, followed Gravel to Victory Lane, leaving points leader and defending champion Donny Schatz just short after a turn four incident took Brad Sweet and Sheldon Haudenschild out of the running.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Aaron Reutzel; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): David Gravel; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Brady Bacon; Comp Cams ($50 cash): SHane Stewart; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Kraig Kinser; Super Flow ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Jason Sides, Paul McMahan, Sheldon Haudenschild; Craftsman/Sears: Kasey Kahnef; KSE Hard Charger: Logan Schuchart; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): David Gravel; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Greg Wilson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Aaron Reutzel.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 6 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18 ); David Gravel - 4 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1, Gator Motorplex on April 3); Jason Johnson - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17); Brad Sweet - 1 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25), Logan Schuchart - 1 (Keller Auto Speedway), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway), Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway).
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Gator Motorplex, TX, April 13, 2017
Feature (40 Laps) - 1. 5-David Gravel [10][$10,000]; 2. 4-Paul McMahan [3][$5,500]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [1][$3,200]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$2,800]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [8][$2,500]; 6. 17-Joey Saldana [15][$2,300]; 7. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [11][$2,200]; 8. 99-Brady Bacon [14][$2,100]; 9. 2-Shane Stewart [19][$2,050]; 10. 1S-Logan Schuchart [22][$2,000]; 11. 19-Brent Marks [12][$1,500]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [18][$1,200]; 13. 67-Christopher Bell [21][$1,100]; 14. 82-Cap Henry [17][$1,050]; 15. 9-Daryn Pittman [9][$1,000]; 16. 84-Scott Bogucki [7][$900]; 17. W20-Greg Wilson [20][$800]; 18. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$800]; 19. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [6][$800]; 20. 4K-Kasey Kahne [2][$800]; 21. 87-Aaron Reutzel [13][$800]; 22. 17G-Dustin Gates [23][$800]; 23. 33-Danny Lasoski [16][$800]; 24. 2C-Wayne Johnson [24][$800]; Lap Leaders: Jason Sides 1-13, Paul McMahan 14-29, David Gravel 30-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+12]
Qualifying - 1. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.479; 2. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.517; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.53; 4. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.573; 5. 4-Paul McMahan, 11.618; 6. 4K-Kasey Kahne, 11.631; 7. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 11.651; 8. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.661; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.663; 10. 84-Scott Bogucki, 11.681; 11. 82-Cap Henry, 11.687; 12. 19-Brent Marks, 11.773; 13. 5-David Gravel, 11.805; 14. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 11.838; 15. 17-Joey Saldana, 11.854; 16. 33-Danny Lasoski, 11.93; 17. 99-Brady Bacon, 11.947; 18. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.991; 19. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.027; 20. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.044; 21. 17G-Dustin Gates, 12.054; 22. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 12.081; 23. 67-Christopher Bell, 12.106; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen, 12.163; 25. 99T-Skylar Gee, 12.385; 26. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.385; 27. 88-Scottie McDonald, 12.672; 28. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.69
Heat #1 (10 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [2]; 3. 84-Scott Bogucki [4]; 4. 5-David Gravel [5]; 5. 87-Aaron Reutzel [3]; 6. 33-Danny Lasoski [6]; 7. 2C-Wayne Johnson [8]; 8. W20-Greg Wilson [7]; 9. 99T-Skylar Gee [9]; 10. 13-Clyde Knipp [10]
Heat #2 (10 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1]; 2. 4-Paul McMahan [2]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [3]; 4. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [5]; 5. 99-Brady Bacon [6]; 6. 82-Cap Henry [4]; 7. 67-Christopher Bell [8]; 8. 2-Shane Stewart [7]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [9]
Heat #3 (10 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [1]; 2. 4K-Kasey Kahne [2]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [3]; 4. 19-Brent Marks [4]; 5. 17-Joey Saldana [5]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [6]; 7. 17G-Dustin Gates [7]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 9. 88-Scottie McDonald [9]
Craftsman Club Dash (8 Laps) - 1. 7S-Jason Sides [3]; 2. 4K-Kasey Kahne [1]; 3. 4-Paul McMahan [2]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [5]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [6]; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [2][-]; 2. W20-Greg Wilson [1][-]; 3. 67-Christopher Bell [5][-]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8][-]; 5. 17G-Dustin Gates [3][-]; 6. 2C-Wayne Johnson [4][-]; 7. 13-Clyde Knipp [10][$300]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [6][$250]; 9. 99T-Skylar Gee [7][$225]; 10. 88-Scottie McDonald [9][$200]
Abreu Closes Out Western Swing in Victory Lane Arizona Speedway
Gravel and Brown finish on the podium at Arizona Desert Shootout
QUEEN CREEK, AZ — April 8, 2017 — In a caution free event that saw passing throughout the 24-car field, it was Rico Abreu that perfectly timed a slide-job in Turn 2 to take over the top spot from Brian Brown at the half-way point of the 30-lap event. David Gravel was able to follow Abreu through to give him the second position. Abreu held off a hard-charging Gravel as they made their way through heavy lap traffic to pick up his first World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series win of the 2017 season at Arizona Speedway.
Coming into the Arizona stretch of the 2017 season, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series full-time drivers scored wins in first 12 events of the season. That stat changed after Brian Brown ran away with the Yuma Valley Showdown at Cocopah Speedway on Friday Night. The outsiders were looking to make it two-for-two in Arizona when the Series visited the Arizona Speedway for the second time in their history.
For the second night in a row, Brown started from the pole position. After jumping out to an early lead, Brown opened up a half-second lead over Abreu after a pass attempt that didn't stick.
On lap 12 of the 30-lap Arizona Desert Shootout, David Gravel who was running third made a move on Jason Sides to move him inside the top three.
At the half-way point, Abreu, from St. Helena, CA closed the gap on Brown while he was dealing with lap traffic and took advantage of the opportunity and threw a perfectly executed slide-job pass on Brown in Turn 2 to vault him into the lead.
"It's so easy to slow down to someone's pass, especially when they're in traffic," said Rico Abreu. "You've got to be committed on your slide jobs - that's what I do nowadays. I got a little impatient when we got to lap traffic but once I cleared some lap cars I felt really confident and made the move. I just tried to save my tires for the end as I knew it was going to get trickier for someone to peel off and pass."
While Abreu was making his move on Brown, Gravel was also able to sneak his No. 5 GoMuddy.com machine by for second.
"[traffic] started to play an issue there but I'm happy with a second-place finish," said David Gravel. "It was a really fun race with a lot of sliders. I just wanted to thank all my guys and everyone at CJB Motorsports. We'll take a second and move onto next week."
Out front as the leader, Abreu was left to navigate his way around heavy lap traffic but Abreu made quick work and was able to grow his lead to a one-second advantage.
As the laps started to tick away, Gravel worked his way back up to the rear bumper of Abreu. With just a few laps remaining, Gravel didn't get the opportunity to get by Abreu to add to his win total, instead it was Rico Abreu playing spoiler to the Outlaw regulars as the outsiders swept the Arizona weekend.
The Outlaws will head back east after a spending a month on the west coast of the United States for a makeup race at Gator Motorplex on Thursday April 13. A trip back to the place where it all started for the Outlaws at Devil's Bowl Speedway for a doubleheader on April 14 and 15.
For tickets visit WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets or by calling 844-DIRT-TIX.
Arizona Speedway Notebook
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 6 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18 ); David Gravel - 3 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1); Jason Johnson - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17); Brad Sweet - 1 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25), Logan Schuchart - 1 (Keller Auto Speedway), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway), Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway).
CONTINGENCY WINNERS - MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Billy Chester; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): David Gravel; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Jason Sides; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Sheldon Haudensheld,; Super Flow ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Craftsman Club ($100 cash each):Jason Johnson, Joey Saldana, Jason Sides, David Gravel, N/A; Craftsman/Sears ($100 cash): Brian Brown; KSE Racing Products ($100 product certificate): Kraig Kinser; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): David Gravel; JE Pistons (Set of Rings each): Logan Schuchart, Jacob Allen.
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Arizona Speedway, AZ. April 8, 2017
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 24-Rico Abreu [2][$10,000]; 2. 5-David Gravel [6][$5,500]; 3. 21-Brian Brown [1][$3,200]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [7][$2,800]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [5][$2,500]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz [9][$2,300]; 7. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$2,200]; 8. 2-Shane Stewart [8][$2,100]; 9. 17-Joey Saldana [4][$2,050]; 10. 4-Paul McMahan [10][$2,000]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [19][$1,500]; 12. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [15][$1,200]; 13. 18-Ian Madsen [12][$1,100]; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman [18][$1,050]; 15. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [13][$1,000]; 16. W20-Greg Wilson [16][$900]; 17. 1S-Logan Schuchart [14][$800]; 18. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [17][$800]; 19. 19-Brent Marks [11][$800]; 20. 82-Stevie Sussex [21][$800]; 21. 2A-Austin Pierce [22][$800]; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen [20][$800]; 23. 5C-Billy Chester [23][$800], 24. 90-Lance Norick [24][$800]
Qualifying : 1. 5-David Gravel, 12.747; 2. 17-Joey Saldana, 12.751; 3. 7S-Jason Sides, 12.773; 4. 41-Jason Johnson, 12.79; 5. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.825; 6. 21-Brian Brown, 12.827; 7. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.852; 8. 24-Rico Abreu, 12.94; 9. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.971; 10. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 12.974; 11. 19-Brent Marks, 12.977; 12. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.977; 13. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.994; 14. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.041; 15. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.064; 16. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.099; 17. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 13.188; 18. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.215; 19. 82-Stevie Sussex, 13.219; 20. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.25; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.267; 22. 90-Lance Norick, 13.351; 23. 2A-Austin Pierce, 13.354; 24. 5C-Billy Chester, 13.503; 25. 22-Cori Andrews, 13.781; 26. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.784. Lap Leaders: Brian Brown 1-15, Rico Abreu 16-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 11K-Kraig Kinser[+8]
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 5-David Gravel [1]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [2]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [3]; 4. 4-Paul McMahan [5]; 5. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [4]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [6]; 7. 82-Stevie Sussex [7]; 8. 90-Lance Norick [8]; 9. 22-Cori Andrews [9]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 17-Joey Saldana [1]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu [3]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [2]; 4. 19-Brent Marks [4]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5]; 6. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [6]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7]; 8. 2A-Austin Pierce [8]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [9]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature:1. 7S-Jason Sides [1]; 2. 21-Brian Brown [2]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 4. 18-Ian Madsen [5]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [3]; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [6]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [7]; 8. 5C-Billy Chester [8]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps): 1. 21-Brian Brown [1]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu [2]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [3]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [5]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [4]; 6. 5-David Gravel [6]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2][-]; 2. 1A-Jacob Allen [3][-]; 3. 82-Stevie Sussex [1][-]; 4. 2A-Austin Pierce [5][-]; 5. 5C-Billy Chester [6][-]; 6. 90-Lance Norick [4][-]; 7. 13-Clyde Knipp [8][$300]; 8. 22-Cori Andrews [7][$250]
‘Blackjack’ Brian Brown Returns to Victory Lane at Cocopah Speedway
Browns first World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory in three years
SOMERTON, AZ – April 7, 2017 - Brian Brown ousted the field in the Yuma Valley Showdown at Cocopah Speedway for his first World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series win in over three years. It was a race where track position was key and Brown had just that by starting on the pole of the 30-lap Feature event. Donny Schatz grabbed his tenth top-five of the season with a runner-up finish.
By winning the Craftsman Club® Dash, Brian Brown was awarded the pole position — a starting position that proved to be invaluable. At the drop of the green flag, the Grain Valley, MO-driver quickly jumped out to an early lead over the 24-car field.
“This is awesome, we’ve had a rough couple of nights,” said Brian Brown. “It’s been an awesome start to the year, but the last couple of nights haven’t been good. The [crew] had a talk before the race and decided to hit the reset button. We’ve been in position to win some of these races this year, we just haven’t capitalized. To beat these guys is an honor and we’re excited to get to [Arizona Speedway] tomorrow. I can’t thank Casey's General Stores, FVP and my crew enough for this.”
With Jason Sides settling into the second position from the get go, Sheldon Haudenschild tried to strike early at advancing his position with a slide job on Sides. The aggressive move didn’t stick however, proving costly as Schatz took advantage and vaulted into the fourth position.
The field started to search for more moisture on the track and eventually saw the groove move from the top of the 3/8th-mile oval down to the bottom. With leaders quickly approaching lap traffic, Schatz who was running third was able to get by Sides to move him into the runner-up position.
“We had a decent enough car to win but the way the track played out we had to be another row forward,” said Donny Schatz. “Everyone’s tires were bald and it was one groove in Turns 1 and 2 but Turn 3 and 4 had two grooves, we just used so much tires at the end. Just happy to salvage a second-place finish.”
The only slow down on the day for World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series came on lap 25 of the 30-lap Feature event. The No. 13 of Clyde Knipp and Shane Stewart tangled in Turn 4; Stewart was able to rejoin the field, while Knipp’s night was done early as he got a tow to the infield.
On the ensuing single-file restart Brown got off to a quick restart and jumped out to a five car-length lead over the No. 15 Arctic Cat machine of Donny Schatz. Making one last-ditch effort at Brown, Schatz came up unsuccessful allowing Brown to cruise to his first win of the 2017 season and his third career World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series win.
After experiencing motor issues during qualifying, Daryn Pittman and the No. 9 Great Clips Kasey Kahne Racing team changed power plants before the heat race. Pittman was able to qualify into the Feature event through the Last Chance Showdown to start 22nd on the field. The KSE Hard Charger gained positions during the feature to finish 14th.
The World of Outlaws head east for a stop at the Arizona Speedway for the Arizona Desert Showdown on Saturday, April 8th to wrap up the spring Western swing before making their way back to Texas for a make-up show at Gator Motorplex on Thursday, April 13th and Devil’s Bowl for a two-night event on April 14 and 15. For tickets visit WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets or call 844-DIRT-TIX.
Cocopah Speedway Notebook
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 6 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18 ); David Gravel - 3 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1); Jason Johnson - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17); Brad Sweet - 1 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25), Logan Schuchart - 1 (Keller Auto Speedway), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway).
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Cocopah Speedway, AZ. April 7, 2017
Feature (30 Laps) : 1. 21-Brian Brown [1][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$5,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$3,200]; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [2][$2,800]; 5. 4-Paul McMahan [6][$2,500]; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4][$2,300]; 7. 5-David Gravel [10][$2,200]; 8. 18-Ian Madsen [7][$2,100]; 9. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8][$2,050]; 10. 24-Rico Abreu [12][$2,000]; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart [13][$1,500]; 12. 41-Jason Johnson [11][$1,200]; 13. 17-Joey Saldana [15][$1,100]; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman [22][$1,050]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [14][$1,000]; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17][$900]; 17. 2-Shane Stewart [9][$800]; 18. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [18][$800]; 19. 19-Brent Marks [19][$800]; 20. 5C-Billy Chester [21][$800]; 21. 82-Stevie Sussex [16][$800]; 22. 2A-Austin Pierce [23][$800]; 23. 13-Clyde Knipp [24][$800]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [20][$800] Lap Leaders: Brian Brown 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 9-Daryn Pittman[+8]
Qualifying : 1. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.529; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.67; 3. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.778; 4. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.907; 5. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.909; 6. 21-Brian Brown, 13.926; 7. 5-David Gravel, 13.948; 8. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 14; 9. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.001; 10. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.047; 11. 41-Jason Johnson, 14.129; 12. 17-Joey Saldana, 14.161; 13. 82-Stevie Sussex, 14.167; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.218; 15. 24-Rico Abreu, 14.333; 16. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.421; 17. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.459; 18. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 14.469; 19. 19-Brent Marks, 14.737; 20. 2A-Austin Pierce, 14.768; 21. 5C-Billy Chester, 14.878; 22. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.906; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.924; 24. 22-Cori Andrews, 14.968; 25. 9-Daryn Pittman, NT
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 3. 18-Ian Madsen [2]; 4. 5-David Gravel [3]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6]; 6. 82-Stevie Sussex [5]; 7. 19-Brent Marks [7]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [9]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 4-Paul McMahan [2]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [1]; 3. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [3]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [4]; 5. W20-Greg Wilson [6]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 8. 2A-Austin Pierce [7]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 7S-Jason Sides [1]; 2. 21-Brian Brown [2]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3]; 4. 24-Rico Abreu [5]; 5. 17-Joey Saldana [4]; 6. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [6]; 7. 5C-Billy Chester [7]; 8. 22-Cori Andrews [8]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps): 1. 21-Brian Brown [1]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [4]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [6]; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [5]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) : Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 19-Brent Marks [1][-]; 2. 1A-Jacob Allen [5][-]; 3. 5C-Billy Chester [3][-]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [7][-]; 5. 2A-Austin Pierce [2][-]; 6. 13-Clyde Knipp [4][-]; 7. 22-Cori Andrews [6][$300]
Gravel Leads Green-to-Checkers for Third Win of 2017 Season
Sweet and Haudenschild round out top-three at Perris Auto Speedway
PERRIS, CA – April 1, 2017 – David Gravel was the driver to beat at Perris Auto Speedway for the SoCal Showdown bringing an end the spring California swing. As the track rubbered-up, Gravel was in the ideal position, out front. Running mainly the high-lane around the half-mile oval, Gravel was able to pull away on multiple restarts to take home his third World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory of the season.
“I’m happy I got the jump on the restarts and got the lead to manipulate the race for yourself,” said the driver of the No. 5 CJB Motorsports GoMuddy.com machine. “Just happy to get another win, this is definitely huge, this the most wins I’ve had this early in the season. Not that it takes the pressure off but you just want to keep it rolling.”
A top-five qualifying effort, a heat-race win, and a second in the Craftsman Club Dash, allowed for Gravel to start on the front row of tonight’s 30-lap Feature. The driver that started the SoCal Showdown from the pole was California-native, Brad Sweet. With Gravel checking-out on the initial start, Sweet had his hands full fending off the rookie-of-the-year contender, Sheldon Haudenschild for the second position. A red flag was displayed on Lap 10 when the No. 2x of Parker Price-Miller went for a tumble in Turn 2; Price-Miller walked away unscathed.
The battle between Haudenschild and Sweet continued with sporadic challenges from series points leader, Donny Schatz and Friday night’s runner-up Ian Madsen.
Coming off a last-place finish the night before, the No. 49 Kasey Kahne Racing team was able to rebound for a second-place finish to round out the California trip.
“[Gravel] was just able to get the run on the restarts,” said the driver of the No. 49 NAPA Auto Parts machine. “Hats off to our guys, we had a great car all night. We got into lap traffic and I would get a good run and a caution came out — sometimes [cautions] fall when you want them to sometime they don’t. We’ll keep digging and hopefully we can get the NAPA Auto Parts car back into Victory Lane soon.”
The young-gun, Sheldon Haudenschild who has been consistent the last couple of weeks brought home a podium finish for the second time this season.
“I tried to get position on Brad [Sweet] on those restarts but I didn’t gain enough ground,” said Sheldon Haudenschild. “I’m still happy with tonight — thanks to my guys for all their hardwork.”
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will be back in action next Friday, April 7 when they make their first visit to Cocopah Speedway in Somerton, AZ. The following night, the Outlaws will head east to Arizona Speedway for their second trip.
Tickets for these events can be purchased on dirtcar.ticketforce.com or by calling 844-DIRT-TIX.
Perris Auto Speedway Notebook
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 6 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18 ); David Gravel - 3 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1); Jason Johnson - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17); Brad Sweet - 1 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25), Logan Schuchart - 1 (Keller Auto Speedway).
CONTINGENCY WINNERS - MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Parker Price-Miller; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): David Gravel; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Super Flow ($50 cash): Brent Marks; Craftsman Club ($100 cash each): Brad Sweet, David Gravel, Jason Sides, Sheldon Haudensheld, Shane Stewart; Craftsman/Sears ($100 cash): N/A; KSE Racing Products ($100 product certificate): Greg Wilson; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): David Gravel; JE Pistons (Set of Rings each): Kraig Kinser, Randy Waitman.
Feature (30 Laps) - 1. 5-David Gravel [2][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1][$5,500]; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4][$3,200]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [7][$2,800]; 5. 18-Ian Madsen [8][$2,500]; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [12][$2,300]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [10][$2,200]; 8. 7S-Jason Sides [3][$2,100]; 9. 21X-Carson Macedo [15][$2,050]; 10. W20-Greg Wilson [19][$2,000]; 11. 17-Joey Saldana [11][$1,500]; 12. 21-Brian Brown [16][$1,200]; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart [17][$1,100]; 14. 19-Brent Marks [14][$1,050]; 15. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$1,000]; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$900]; 17. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$800]; 18. 82-Stevie Sussex [20][$800]; 19. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$800]; 20. 26-Tayler Malsam [18][$800]; 21. 90-Randy Waitman [23][$800]; 22. 9Z-Jared Goerges [22][$800]; 23. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [9][$800]; 24. 73-Clyde Knipp (Substitute for Brady Bacon) [24][$800] Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: W20-Greg Wilson[+9]
Qualifying - 1. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.468; 2. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.482; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 14.517; 4. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.603; 5. 5-David Gravel, 14.631; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.635; 7. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.654; 8. 18-Ian Madsen, 14.678; 9. 4-Paul McMahan, 14.69; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman, 14.748; 11. 17-Joey Saldana, 14.758; 12. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 14.799; 13. 21-Brian Brown, 14.852; 14. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.86; 15. 73-Brady Bacon, 14.913; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 15.024; 17. 19-Brent Marks, 15.088; 18. 21X-Carson Macedo, 15.115; 19. 26-Tayler Malsam, 15.144; 20. 82-Stevie Sussex, 15.172; 21. 9Z-Jared Goerges, 15.195; 22. W20-Greg Wilson, 15.229; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen, 15.347; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp, 15.467; 25. 90-Randy Waitman, 16.199; 26. 22-Cori Andrews, 16.257
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [2]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [4]; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [6]; 6. 21-Brian Brown [5]; 7. 26-Tayler Malsam [7]; 8. W20-Greg Wilson [8]; 9. 90-Randy Waitman [9]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 5-David Gravel [2]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [1]; 3. 18-Ian Madsen [3]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [4]; 5. 19-Brent Marks [6]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5]; 7. 82-Stevie Sussex [7]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 9. 22-Cori Andrews [9]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [1]; 3. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [4]; 4. 4-Paul McMahan [3]; 5. 21X-Carson Macedo [6]; 6. 73-Brady Bacon [5]; 7. 9Z-Jared Goerges [7]; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 5-David Gravel [2]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [4]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [3]; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [5]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [6]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 26-Tayler Malsam [1][-]; 2. W20-Greg Wilson [4][-]; 3. 82-Stevie Sussex [2][-]; 4. 1A-Jacob Allen [5][-]; 5. 9Z-Jared Goerges [3][-]; 6. 90-Randy Waitman [7][-]; 7. 13-Clyde Knipp [6][$300]; 8. 22-Cori Andrews [8][$250]
Schuchart Charges from Deep at Keller for First Victory of 2017
Schatz comes from 21st to third for eighth top-five finish of the year
HANFORD, CA – April 1, 2017 –Shark Racing’s Logan Schuchart started the 35-lap Kings Outlaw Showdown from the 19th position at Keller Auto Speedway — the KSE Hard Charger award winner picked his way to the front of the 26-car field. Late in the race, Schuchart found the bottom groove of the 3/8th-mile oval to work his way past eventual runner-up, Ian Madsen on the final lap to score his first victory of the 2017 season.
After starting the season having overcome adversity when the teams tow-vehicle broke down on the way to the opening World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series event, the team relied on support from the racing industry to assist with getting them to each Outlaw event.
“This adds onto the excitement and the accomplishments. It doesn’t matter if you start from the pole or wherever, if you can win an Outlaws race, these things are really tough [to win] no matter where you go. I’m just happy for my team to be able to get a win and it just makes it that much more exciting to start from 19th. We just really need to thank [Ryan] Smith family for letting us use their toter-home to come all the way [to California] and everyone that donated to the GoFundMe, you never want to be in that position but we were in a tough spot and we wouldn’t be out here if it wasn’t for those people.”
Ian Madsen and James McFadden, made up an all-Australian front-row for the start of the Kings Outlaw Showdown at Keller Auto Speedway. It was Madsen who would show the way for a total of 31 of the 35 laps in the Feature.
The event was slowed several times, including on lap four when Brad Sweet, who came into the night second in points, brushed the outside Turn 4 wall. Sweet was forced to retire from the event early resulting in a 26th-place finish.
Making his presences known, the Hanover, PA-native Schuchart had worked his way up to the fourth running position by lap 14.
It was on lap 20 when the local hero, Cory Eliason from nearby Fresno, CA made a bid to steal the show by charging from the 16th-starting position to wrangle the lead away from Madsen. As the large crowd at the Keller Auto Speedway erupted in excitement, Eliason lost the handling on his No. 00 machine and spun on the backstretch; forfeiting the lead just as quickly as he got it.
With Madsen back in control of the lead once again, he fended off a new challenger in David Gravel. In total, Madsen had five different drivers start to his right on the double-file restarts. Schuchart snuck by Gravel on the restart and immediately went to work on Madsen.
“It was a pretty strong run for the KPC team,” said Ian Madsen driver of the No. 18. “Kind of got nervous [with all those restarts] didn’t really know what to do, with someone different coming up each time. We’ll go onto Perris and see if we can win.”
The driver of the No. 1s of Schuchart started to search around for some moisture; he eventually found it on the bottom groove.
“I was able to find a little moister off [turn] four and it helped me, at least for me to get up to [Madsen] so I could make a move in [turns] three and four,” added Schuchart.
The Series points leader, Donny Schatz who had to use the Last Chance Showdown to transfer into the Feature event put on a show to grab a third-place finish. This marks Schatz’s eighth top-five of the season.
This victory marks Schuchart’s third career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win.
The Series travels south to Perris Auto Speedway for the SoCal Showdown on Saturday Night to wrap up the Spring portion of the California swing.
Feature (35 Laps) - 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [19][$10,000]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [2][$5,500]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [21][$3,200]; 4. 5-David Gravel [9][$2,800]; 5. 51-James McFadden [1][$2,500]; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [23][$2,300]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [25][$1,400]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [12][$2,100]; 9. 83-Kyle Hirst [11][$2,050]; 10. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$2,000]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [26][$700]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [15][$1,200]; 13. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$1,100]; 14. 21X-Carson Macedo [14][$1,050]; 15. 4-Paul McMahan [10][$1,000]; 16. OO-Cory Eliason [16][$900]; 17. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8][$800]; 18. 17-Joey Saldana [4][$800]; 19. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [20][$800]; 20. 9-Daryn Pittman [24][$800]; 21. 21-Brian Brown [18][$800]; 22. 3C-DJ Netto [22][$800]; 23. 83JR-Tim Kaeding [13][$800]; 24. O-Bud Kaeding [17][$800]; 25. 24-Rico Abreu [6][$800]; 26. 49-Brad Sweet [7][$800]. Lap Leaders: Ian Madsen 1-18, 21-33; Cory Eliason 19-20; Logan Schuchart 34-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+18]
Qualifying - 1. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.999; 2. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.026; 3. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.053; 4. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.093; 5. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 13.157; 6. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.187; 7. 83-Kyle Hirst, 13.23; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.245; 9. 5-David Gravel, 13.251; 10. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.258; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.273; 12. 51-James McFadden, 13.279; 13. 83JR-Tim Kaeding, 13.324; 14. 21-Brian Brown, 13.335; 15. 3C-DJ Netto, 13.364; 16. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 13.368; 17. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.369; 18. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.371; 19. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.405; 20. 98-Sean Watts, 13.41; 21. O-Bud Kaeding, 13.416; 22. 21X-Carson Macedo, 13.474; 23. 26-Tayler Malsam, 13.48; 24. OO-Cory Eliason, 13.488; 25. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.532; 26. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.58; 27. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.635; 28. 73-Brady Bacon, 13.68; 29. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.702; 30. 9Z-Jared Goerges, 13.998; 31. 19-Brent Marks, 14.034; 32. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.51; 33. 90-Randy Waitman, NT
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature- 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [2]; 3. 5-David Gravel [3]; 4. 83JR-Tim Kaeding [4]; 5. O-Bud Kaeding [6]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz [5]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [7]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 9. 90-Randy Waitman [9]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature- 1. 2-Shane Stewart [1]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [2]; 3. 4-Paul McMahan [3]; 4. 21X-Carson Macedo [6]; 5. 21-Brian Brown [4]; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [5]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [7]; 8. 9Z-Jared Goerges [8]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature- 1. 17-Joey Saldana [1]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [5]; 3. 83-Kyle Hirst [2]; 4. 19-Brent Marks [8]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7]; 7. 26-Tayler Malsam [6]; 8. 3C-DJ Netto [4]
Heat #4 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature- 1. 24-Rico Abreu [1]; 2. 51-James McFadden [3]; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 4. OO-Cory Eliason [6]; 5. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [4]; 6. 73-Brady Bacon [7]; 7. 98-Sean Watts [5]; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps) - 1. 51-James McFadden [1]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [2]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [3]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [6]; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [7]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu [5]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet [8]; 8. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [4]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 4 Transfer to Feature - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2][-]; 2. 3C-DJ Netto [1][-]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [3][-]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [6][-]; 5. 73-Brady Bacon [9][$300]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [7][$250]; 7. 98-Sean Watts [4][$225]; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8][$200]; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen [10][$200]; 10. 26-Tayler Malsam [5][$200]; 11. 13-Clyde Knipp [12][$200]; 12. 9Z-Jared Goerges [11][$200]; 13. 90-Randy Waitman [13][$200]
Friday Night of FVP Western Spring Shootout Cancelled Due to Heavy Rains
Event will resume Saturday, March 25 as regularly scheduled
STOCKTON, CA. - March 23, 2017 - The first night of the FVP Western Spring Shootout at the Stockton Dirt Track has been cancelled due to a forecast calling for rain in the Stockton, CA area most of Friday, March 24.
Despite the rain, the modern facilities at the San Joaquin Fairgrounds - including paved parking lots, under cover concourse and all-weather seating - will be ready for Saturday's event. The expansive horse track area will allow a mile of stone-based pit parking.
The FVP Western Spring Shootout will resume on Saturday, March 25, with the pit gates opening at 12 noon, tickets and will call opening at 1pm, and the grandstands opening at 4:00pm. Hot laps for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series will kick off on-track activities at 5:15pm.
Fans that have purchased Friday night tickets may exchange them for a Saturday March 24 ticket, use them at a future west coast World of Outlaw event, or submit them for a refund by mailing the ticket to: World Racing Group Inc. at 7575 W Winds Blvd NW Suite D, Concord, NC 28027 after the event; refunds will NOT be issued at the track. Fans that had tickets for Friday Night's race being held at will call, will need to call the World Racing Group office at 844-DIRT-TIX for a refund.
Fans that have purchased the two-day ticket package for both Friday and Saturday may exchange the Friday ticket for an additional Saturday March 24 ticket, use the Friday ticket at a future west coast World of Outlaw event, or receive a one-day refund by mailing your ticket back to World Racing Group Inc., at 7575 W Winds Blvd NW Suite D, Concord, NC 28027 after the event.
Donny Schatz charges from third to first in closing laps to win sixth World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series feature in eight races
By Gary Thomas
Tulare, CA – March 18, 2017…Fargo, North Dakota’s Donny Schatz found more late-race magic on Saturday night getting around Kasey Kahne Racing teammates Brad Sweet and Daryn Pittman with just a few laps left en route to his sixth victory of the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series season.
The triumph for Schatz was his first at the Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare since the 2007 season and came aboard the familiar Tony Stewart Racing/ Arctic Cat No. 15 machine. The eight-time World of Outlaws champion was settled in the third spot as the laps wound down, until making a thrilling move around the outside of the speedway to thread his way by the leaders in heavy lapped traffic.
“It feels really good to finally say we won in Tulare again,” Schatz said emphatically on the front stretch. “I didn’t think the track would take rubber so it kind of caught me by surprise. I really tried to save my tires and when we got to traffic late in the race the pace slowed down a lot. I decided I might as well try something and luckily it worked. I get all the credit, but it’s really all about my team. We have an incredible group of people that work on this race car and that makes it so much fun. I can’t thank all our sponsors enough for supporting us and giving us the opportunity to win races.”
The 35-lap feature started out with a three-wide battle for the lead that saw Pittman get the better of it to motor out into the lead over Sweet and pole sitter Shane Stewart.
Early on in the feature the racing was fantastic throughout the field, as the slick surface made for some tremendous action. Caution periods kept the leaders out of traffic however, as Pittman held command out front. Once the midway point of the feature approached rubber began to come down on the surface and made passing opportunities limited. Sweet had kept Pittman in his sights though and hounded the rear bumper of the Great Clips No. 9 for much of the distance.
When the five to go signal was given the top-three bunched up as Schatz looked to make his move. With 32-laps in the record books the current World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series point leader blasted to the high-side to drive around Sweet for the second spot. He then stayed up high and charged around Pittman for the lead coming down to complete lap 33. After that Schatz pulled away to take the checkered flag by 1.951 seconds back to runner up Pittman.
Even though he was disappointed in the outcome Pittman kept an upbeat attitude following the race saying, “This is basically a new team this year with our crew chief change so hopefully it will be a momentum boost for us. I did everything I could tonight, but our engine just wouldn’t run right in the feature. I definitely didn’t want to see the rubber because our car wouldn’t pull forward in it. Tulare is a tough track for me so I’m happy to be on the podium. It’s a long season and the wins will come. I’m definitely happy with the effort that our whole has put forth.”
Sweet crossed the stripe in third to earn another podium finish in the Kasey Kahne Racing/ Napa Auto Parts No. 49 Sprinter. “I was nervous that it would take rubber and Donny pretty much showed why he is the best tonight. He was able to make his line work the best and kind of schooled us, so we’ll keep plugging away to try and get better. We have some good tracks for us coming up so that has me excited. We’ll move on to Stockton and hopefully get a win next week.”
Wooster, Ohio’s Sheldon Haudenschild capped a strong weekend by finishing in the fourth spot, while Rutherford’s Rico Abreu rounded out the top-five. Completing the top-10 were Shane Stewart; Eunice, Louisiana’s Jason Johnson; San Jose’s Tim Kaeding; Lemoore’s Carson Macedo and Watertown, Connecticut’s David Gravel. Hanover, Pennsylvania’s Logan Schuchart earned the KSE Hard Charger Award by coming from 25th to 13th in the feature.
Australian Ian Madsen won the night’s Last Chance Showdown, with Shane Stewart taking home the Craftsman Club Dash. The four 10-lap heat races were picked off by Jason Johnson, Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz and Rico Abreu. Shane Stewart kicked-off the night by setting fast time in the 36-car field with a lap of 13.392 around the one-third mile clay oval.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will return to action this coming Friday and Saturday at the Stockton Dirt Track for the FVP Western Spring Shootout.
Thunderbowl Raceway Notebook
Race Notes: Donny Schatz used lap traffic with two laps remaining to slip by Daryn Pittman for his sixth win of the 2017 season. Sweet secures second podium finish of weekend at Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 5 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18 ); Jason Johnson - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17); David Gravel - 1 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report, Thunderbowl Raceway, CA, March 18, 2017
Feature - (35 Laps) 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3] [$10,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [2] [$5,000]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [4] [$3,000]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8] [$2,700]; 5. 24-Rico Abreu [5] [$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [1] [$2,200]; 7. 41-Jason Johnson [7] [$2,000]; 8. 83JR-Tim Kaeding [16] [$1,800]; 9. 21X-Carson Macedo [19] [$1,600]; 10. 5-David Gravel [10] [$1,450]; 11. 17-Joey Saldana [9] [$1,300]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [21] [$1,200]; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart [25] [$400]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [14] [$1,000]; 15. 19-Brent Marks [17] [$950]; 16. 18S-Jason Solwold [13] [$900]; 17. 4-Paul McMahan [18] [$850]; 18. 7S-Jason Sides [26] [$50]; 19. W20-Greg Wilson [23] [$725]; 20. 51-James McFadden [12] [$700]; 21. 21-Brian Brown [24] [$700]; 22. 3C-DJ Netto [6] [$700]; 23. 88-Terry McCarl [20] [$700]; 24. 20-Cory Eliason [11] [$700]; 25. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [15] [$700]; 26. 83-Kyle Hirst [22] [$700] Lap Leaders: Daryn Pittman 1-32, Donny Schatz 33-35 KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+12]
Qualifying - 1. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.392; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.448; 3. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.451; 4. 3C-DJ Netto, 13.498; 5. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.512; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.568; 7. 20-Cory Eliason, 13.646; 8. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.662; 9. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.672; 10. 5-David Gravel, 13.708; 11. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.799; 12. 51-James McFadden, 13.807; 13. 19-Brent Marks, 13.828; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.830; 15. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.832; 16. 88-Terry McCarl, 13.835; 17. 83-Kyle Hirst, 13.893; 18. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.894; 19. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 13.994; 20. 21-Brian Brown, 14.072; 21. 18S-Jason Solwold, 14.131; 22. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.213; 23. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.241; 24. 83JR-Tim Kaeding, 14.318; 25. 37-Mitchell Faccinto, 14.323; 26. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 14.395; 27. 21X-Carson Macedo, 14.442; 28. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.446; 29. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr, 14.460; 30. 22-Cori Andrews, 14.461; 31. 98-Sean Watts, 14.513; 32. 29-Willie Croft, 14.581; 33. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.611; 34. 68-Chase Johnson, 14.681; 35. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.760; 36. O-Bud Kaeding, 14.850
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) 1. 41-Jason Johnson[2] ; 2. 2-Shane Stewart[1] ; 3. 17-Joey Saldana[3] ; 4. 18S-Jason Solwold[6] ; 5. 19-Brent Marks[4] ; 6. 83-Kyle Hirst[5] ; 7. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr[8] ; 8. 37-Mitchell Faccinto[7] ; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart[9]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) 1. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[2] ; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman[4] ; 3. 5-David Gravel[3] ; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser[1] ; 5. 4-Paul McMahan[5] ; 6. 68-Chase Johnson[9] ; 7. 2X-Parker Price-Miller[7] ; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp[6] ; 9. 22-Cori Andrews[8]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) 1. 15-Donny Schatz[1] ; 2. 49-Brad Sweet[4] ; 3. 20-Cory Eliason[2] ; 4. 41S-Dominic Scelzi[5] ; 5. 21X-Carson Macedo[7] ; 6. W20-Greg Wilson[6] ; 7. 7S-Jason Sides[9] ; 8. 98-Sean Watts[8] ; 9. 18-Ian Madsen[3]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) 1. 24-Rico Abreu[2] ; 2. 3C-DJ Netto[1] ; 3. 51-James McFadden[3] ; 4. 83JR-Tim Kaeding[6] ; 5. 88-Terry McCarl[4] ; 6. 21-Brian Brown[5] ; 7. 29-Willie Croft[8] ; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen[7] ; 9. O-Bud Kaeding[9]
Craftsman Club® Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of Feature)
1. 2-Shane Stewart[2] ; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman[1] ; 3. 15-Donny Schatz[4] ; 4. 49-Brad Sweet[7] ; 5. 24-Rico Abreu[3] ; 6. 3C-DJ Netto[8] ; 7. 41-Jason Johnson[6] ; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[5]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the Feature)
1. 18-Ian Madsen[1] [-]; 2. 83-Kyle Hirst[2] [-]; 3. W20-Greg Wilson[5] [-]; 4. 21-Brian Brown[3] [-]; 5. 29-Willie Croft[12] [$300]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart[13] [$250]; 7. 68-Chase Johnson[14] [$225]; 8. 7S-Jason Sides[15] [$200]; 9. O-Bud Kaeding[16] [$200]; 10. 37-Mitchell Faccinto[6] [$200]; 11. 13-Clyde Knipp[4] [$200]; 12. 2X-Parker Price-Miller[7] [$200]; 13. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr[9] [$200]; 14. 98-Sean Watts[11] [$200]; 15. 22-Cori Andrews[10] [$200]; 16. 1A-Jacob Allen[8] [$200]
David Gravel gets by Shane Stewart late to claim first World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win of season Friday in Tulare
by Gary Thomas
After scoring his first Thunderbowl Raceway World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win last season Watertown, Connecticut’s David Gravel returned on Friday night and made it back-to-back, earning his first series victory of 2017.
Gravel stalked race-long leader Shane Stewart as the laps wound down and made a beautiful power move to the outside with just a few circuits remaining to claim the victory aboard his CJB Motorsports/ Big Game Tree Stands No. 5 machine.
“I’ve watched Rico Abreu and Kyle Larson a lot here at the Trophy Cup so have definitely learned a thing or two about this place,” said Gravel on the front stretch. “Ever since the first time I came to Tulare it’s been an awesome place for me, and it feels great to win back-to-back here. I had nothing to lose there at the end so I just gave it a shot up top and luckily it worked out for us. My team gave me a great car so I can’t thank them enough. It’s been a crazy road these last few years, and I’m really happy with where I am right now. Hopefully we can come back tomorrow and do it again.”
The 35-lap feature started out with pole sitter Stewart getting the jump over outside front row Donny Schatz, who had won five of six races contested thus far going into Friday. Grass Valley, CA’s Brad Sweet quickly moved into second and tried to track down Stewart, prior to the caution waving for Willie Croft on lap nine. On the restart Carson Macedo then got upside down to bring out the red flag. On the next attempt Sweet challenged Stewart for the lead, but the Bixby, Oklahoma pilot was able to fend him off and motor away out front.
Things began to heat up at this point as the surface began to come in and allowed drivers the chance to dice it up for position on the one-third mile clay oval. Gravel and Sweet proceeded to fight hard for the second position going back and forth during one five-lap stretch. After exchanging the runner spot multiple times Sweet assumed the position and began to close in on Stewart with just 10-laps to go.
Things then came to a halt on lap 27 when Rutherford, CA’s Rico Abreu got upside down in the first and second corners while battling around the top-five.
On the restart Gravel was able to get around Sweet to grab second, before the final caution of the night flew for Terry McCarl on lap 30. After that Gravel stepped up his challenges on the leader when going back green and closed in on Stewart. With just a couple laps left he made the move of the race to go around Stewart and drive off to claim his second career Thunderbowl Raceway triumph by 0.977 seconds.
Stewart crossed the stripe in second to earn his fourth straight runner up finish in World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car competition at Thunderbowl Raceway.
“We had a good car tonight, but the driver just didn’t make the right moves late in the race,” said the pilot of the Larson Marks Racing/ Eneos No. 2 mount. “Sometimes the yellows work for you and sometimes they work against you. Tonight they didn’t quite work in our favor, but that’s how racing goes. Hats off to David Gravel, he drove a great race there at the end and found the faster line. I also have to give a big thanks to Kyle Larson, Justin Marks and all my guys. We have 90 races a year, so you just have to come back and concentrate on the next one. Big thanks to all the fans for coming out to Thunderbowl Raceway tonight.”
After racing near the front of the field for the entire feature Sweet brought home a third place finish at the checkered aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing with Mike Curb/ Napa Auto Parts No. 49 Sprinter. “Running third definitely isn’t the goal, but anytime you can finish on the podium with the World of Outlaws is something to be proud of,” Sweet commented.
“We had a good car tonight and I feel like we’re starting to gel. It’s basically a whole new team this year with Kale working on the 49 car and we are making gains. We’ll come back tomorrow and hopefully improve two more positions. This is one of my home tracks so I’d really like to get a win here.”
Wooster, Ohio’s Sheldon Haudenschild put on an entertaining charge in the feature to come from 19th to fourth and claim the KSE Hard Charger Award. The Rookie of the Year contender was very impressive on the tricky Thunderbowl clay and was reminiscent of his father Jac during the night. Australian James McFadden rounded out the top-five in the main event after putting together a solid night. Completing the top-10 were Hanover, Pennsylvania’s Logan Schuchart, Schatz, Paradise, CA’s Kyle Hirst, Nashville, Tennessee’s Paul McMahan and San Jose, CA’s Tim Kaeding.
The night’s 12-lap Last Chance Showdown was captured by Mount Vernon, Washington’s Jason Solwold, with the Craftsman Club Dash going to Shane Stewart. The four 10-lap heat races were picked off by Owasso, Oklahoma’s Daryn Pittman, Brad Sweet, Shane Stewart and Donny Schatz. Rico Abreu started out the night by setting the fastest lap in the 36-car field with a blistering 12.630.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action tomorrow night at Thunderbowl Raceway to finish off the Tulare weekend.
Thunderbowl Raceway Notebook
RACE NOTES: David Gravel chased Shane Stewart to the checkers, taking the lead with only two laps to go. Brad Sweet came in third with Sheldon Haudenschild just missing the podium after starting 19th. A total of 36 cars made the field.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz – 5 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10); Jason Johnson – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17); David Gravel – 1 (Thunderbowl Raceway in March 17)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report, Thunderbowl Raceway, CA, March 17, 2017
Feature - (35 Laps) - 1. 5-David Gravel [4] [$10,000]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [1] [$5,000]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [3] [$3,000]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [19] [$2,700]; 5. 51-James McFadden [6] [$2,500]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8] [$2,200]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz [2] [$2,000]; 8. 83-Kyle Hirst [14] [$1,800]; 9. 4-Paul McMahan [13] [$1,600]; 10. 83JR-Tim Kaeding [10] [$1,450]; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman [5] [$1,300]; 12. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [22] [$1,200]; 13. 18-Ian Madsen [9] [$1,100]; 14. 19-Brent Marks [20] [$1,000]; 15. 37-Mitchell Faccinto [17] [$950]; 16. 68-Chase Johnson [15] [$900]; 17. 88-Terry McCarl [18] [$850]; 18. 41-Jason Johnson [25] [$50]; 19. 17-Joey Saldana [26] [$25]; 20. 3C-DJ Netto [23] [$700]; 21. 24-Rico Abreu [7] [$700]; 22. O-Bud Kaeding [24] [$700]; 23. 29-Willie Croft [16] [$700]; 24. 21-Brian Brown [11] [$700]; 25. 21X-Carson Macedo [12] [$700]; 26. 18S-Jason Solwold [21] [$700]; Lap Leaders: Shane Stewart 1-32, David Gravel 33-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [+15]
Qualifying - 1. 24-Rico Abreu, 12.630; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.663; 3. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.704; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.741; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.800; 6. 83JR-Tim Kaeding, 12.806; 7. 51-James McFadden, 12.871; 8. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.879; 9. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.883; 10. 5-David Gravel, 12.889; 11. 21-Brian Brown, 12.899; 12. 29-Willie Croft, 12.900; 13. 18-Ian Madsen, 12.902; 14. 83-Kyle Hirst, 12.921; 15. 68-Chase Johnson, 12.929; 16. 21X-Carson Macedo, 12.951; 17. 18S-Jason Solwold, 12.963; 18. 88-Terry McCarl, 12.979; 19. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.981; 20. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 12.996; 21. 37-Mitchell Faccinto, 13.027; 22. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.030; 23. 20-Cory Eliason, 13.036; 24. 19-Brent Marks, 13.050; 25. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.073; 26. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 13.086; 27. O-Bud Kaeding, 13.115; 28. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.129; 29. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.154; 30. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr, 13.158; 31. 3C-DJ Netto, 13.182; 32. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.232; 33. 98-Sean Watts, 13.362; 34. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.419; 35. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.539; 36. 22-Cori Andrews, 13.725
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) - 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [2]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu [1]; 3. 18-Ian Madsen [4]; 4. 4-Paul McMahan [3]; 5. 37-Mitchell Faccinto [6]; 6. 18S-Jason Solwold [5]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides [7]; 8. 17-Joey Saldana [8]; 9. 98-Sean Watts [9]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 5-David Gravel [3]; 3. 83JR-Tim Kaeding [2]; 4. 83-Kyle Hirst [4]; 5. 88-Terry McCarl [5]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [6]; 7. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [8]; 8. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [7]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [9]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [1]; 2. 51-James McFadden [2]; 3. 21-Brian Brown [3]; 4. 68-Chase Johnson [4]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [5]; 6. O-Bud Kaeding [7]; 7. 3C-DJ Netto [8]; 8. 20-Cory Eliason [6]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [9]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1]; 3. 21X-Carson Macedo [4]; 4. 29-Willie Croft [3]; 5. 19-Brent Marks [6]; 6. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [5]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 8. 22-Cori Andrews [9]; 9. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7]
Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of Feature) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [2]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [1]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [3]; 4. 5-David Gravel [6]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [4]; 6. 51-James McFadden [7]; 7. 24-Rico Abreu [5]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the Feature) - 1. 18S-Jason Solwold [1] [-]; 2. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [2] [-]; 3. 3C-DJ Netto [11] [-]; 4. O-Bud Kaeding [7] [-]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [5] [$300]; 6. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [10] [$250]; 7. 20-Cory Eliason [4] [$225]; 8. 17-Joey Saldana [9] [$200]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [15] [$200]; 10. 41-Jason Johnson [3] [$200]; 11. 98-Sean Watts [13] [$200]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8] [$200]; 13. 13-Clyde Knipp [14] [$200]; 14. 22-Cori Andrews [16] [$200]; 15. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [6] [$200]; 16. 1A-Jacob Allen [12] [$200]
Schatz Secures the Sweep at Vegas
Abreu and Schatz battle in the closing laps
LAS VEGAS – March 10, 2017 – In front of a nearly packed grandstand, local fans and beyond witnessed an exciting performance from one of the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series’ most elite drivers, Donny Schatz. Not only were members of the Nellis Air Force Base in attendance to witness their racing heroes fly around The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but the drivers were also racing on the fast-action track as a salute to America’s servicemen and women in the final night of the FVP Outlaw Showdown.
Schatz not only won his 11th series race at the half-mile, but also swept the event. Schatz doubled his $15,000 purse from the opener, collecting a total of $30,000 in winnings at Vegas. The North Dakota native was awarded the “Badlands Bonus” for both shows, as well as a gold-toned tool set commemorating Craftsman Tool’s 90th anniversary. He also took a pair of slot-machine trophies home to Fargo, N.D., one for each of his victories. Since the season opener in mid-February, Schatz has won five of the first six shows in 2017 – a personal best to start a World of Outlaws season.
“All I can say is, I finally got to ‘Park It,’” said Schatz in front of a roaring crowd. “We had something happen there in the mid-part of the race – I just couldn’t get into rhythm. I tried to get through lapped traffic and Rico [Abreu] obviously got by us there on the restart. I got in good position to get out front and had clear track after that. It’s been tricky here, but if it was easy then it wouldn’t be fun for any of us. I was a little nervous when he got by. Every time I get into this car, it’s unbelievable.
When you get to when you win 25 or 30 races in a season, it’s expected of you. These guys work so hard to do that, and for the driver it’s the same way. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re at…you have to work on your flaws. We’ve never started strong. We’re working on that flaw, and it’s worked so far.”
Schatz, who spent the majority of his time skimming the top cushion, started on the outside of the first row for the 30-lap feature. Earlier in the program, Schatz won his heat race after a thrilling pass entering turn three in the closing laps. Though he made the pass from the bottom in his heat, Schatz laid his tracks on the outside for the feature. This proved to give Schatz’s No. 15 Tony Stewart-Curb/Agajanian Racingcar enough of a surge to thunder down the front straightaway faster than those around him. Schatz took the lead from fellow series regular Logan Schuchart almost instantaneously to when the green flag dropped; however, Schuchart did not accept an early defeat. A yellow flag followed with one lap completed, which regrouped the field – giving Schuchart a chance to reclaim the lead in his No. 1s Marty Thompson Investments/Newman’s Towing & Recovery car.
In Schuchart’s eight appearances at the track, his best finish was Thursday night when he recorded a top-five finish. By virtue of the Craftsman Club® Dash, Schuchart went on to lead the field into the green flag for the first time since September 24, 2016 at Lernerville Speedway. Though Schatz had the upper-hand – momentarily – Schuchart quickly recovered on the restart by using the extra momentum exiting turn two to recapture the lead. Thereon, he created a 1.115-second buffer. While Schuchart progressed, Schatz regressed into a battle with Abreu. Abreu climbed 19 positions Thursday night to finish third in the feature; he started third Friday night.
Lap 12 was one of the most pivotal moments of the feature, as Schuchart, Abreu and Schatz spread nearly three-wide across the front stretch. The three virtually locked wheels – a few feet from one another. Schatz reaction time was the quickest of the three, as he weaved through Schuchart and Abreu for the lead entering turn one. Two laps later, Abreu overtook Schuchart in turn two; by this time, Schatz increased his lead to more than a two-second margin.
While Schuchart faded in third position, Abreu continued to gain ground on Schatz. By lap 21, Abreu attempted a risky maneuver by jumping the cushion in turn two. Abreu’s move was successful, as he was able to carry enough speed to pass Schatz in turn four. The shear speed of his No. 24R Abreu Vineyards/Priority Aviation car though caused him to tap the wall in turn four, breaking his momentum. Schatz took advantage of Abreu’s mistake and reclaimed the spot – until a yellow flag regrouped the field. Abreu was still .053-seconds ahead of Schatz when the two crossed the line, so Abreu retained the top spot because of the caution.
“I was just thinking about what to do to stay ahead,” said Abreu, who leaves Vegas with two podium finishes. “Just some poor decisions there at the end of the race on my part. I just live and learn. You learn so much racing with the Outlaws. The pace is so fast, so you try your hardest every lap. When you’re trying really hard, it’s easy to make mistakes. I felt like once we got to traffic and I got passed Donny, I just made bad decisions behind lapped cars. I just get so nervous trying to clear guys – to try not to clear them too far to blow through the cushion and hit the wall. We’re knocking on the door and everyone is chasing this No. 15 Arctic Cat car.”
His lead was quickly thwarted. Abreu chose the bottom on the restart. Schatz, who was continually strong from the top, beat Abreu on the restart. He never looked back. Schatz opened-up a 1.272-second lead over Abreu, and finished the feature ahead of the pack by nearly the same margin. Schuchart rounded-out the podium – a personal best at the track.
“Any time you’re improving, that’s key,” Schuchart said. “We’ve been here a couple times and really haven’t had good finishes. Our season started really slow, but we got our engine working really good, and our guys are doing great. We had a good car this week, and we improved every night. But any time you start on the pole and go backward, it’s not what you want to happen. The World of Outlaws is a very tough group of drivers and teams, and to be sitting out here…you know you did a good job.”
By sweeping the Vegas stretch, Schatz is the only driver eligible for another $10,000 from Badlands Motor Speedway’s bonus system. He will attempt that feat at the Outlaw FanFest on July 1-2 at Badlands Motor Speedway. Schatz joking said, “Yeah, no pressure. But we feed off of that.”
“Ironically enough, we did win the last race there,” said Schatz, who won the finale in 2016. “It’s been a great place there. I’ve always cut my teeth there back in the day – I’ve wrecked a lot of equipment there. So, it’s fun to go there and get those victories. If we can get back there and do it again, it’ll be extra-special.”
The World of Outlaws acknowledged more than a half-dozen members of the United States Air Force at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Airmen and women took part in pre-race ceremonies before heat races were underway. During the ceremony, thousands of fans stood to their feet, giving them a standing ovation for their service. A deafening “U-S-A” chant echoed throughout the facility. On Thursday morning, drivers took a tour of the base – filled with advanced aviation technology – in hopes of reaching high-octane speeds like the fighter jets circling the Las Vegas Motor Speedway complex.
The tour begins its California swing – seven events through five tracks – with Thunderbowl Raceway from March 17-18. To learn how to purchase tickets, visit www.tularethunderbowl.com.
The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Notebook
RACE NOTES: In an instant-classic, Donny Schatz battled the podium to win the FVP Outlaw Showdown finale at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Rico Abreu, who led the race late, made contact with the turn four wall in the closing laps. His mistake gave way for Schatz to secure the lead. Logan Schuchart, who led the field into the green flag, rounded-out the podium for his best finish at the track.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Jason Johnson; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Brent Marks; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; VP Racing ($50 cash):Daryn Pittman; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Brent Marks;Cometic Gaskets ($50 cash):Greg Wilson; Super Flow ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): David Gravel, Kraig Kinser, Greg Wilson;Craftsman/Sears: Rico Abreu; KSE Hard Charger: Carson Macedo; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Terry McCarl; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Joey Saldana
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz – 5 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10);Jason Johnson – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nev.; March 10, 2017
Feature - (30 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2] [$10,000]; 2. 24R-Rico Abreu [3] [$5,000]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1] [$3,000]; 4. 21-Brian Brown [6] [$2,700]; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [14] [$2,500]; 6. 5-David Gravel [4] [$2,200]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet [10] [$2,000]; 8. 18-Ian Madsen [9] [$1,800]; 9. 2M-Kerry Madsen [5] [$1,600]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [18] [$1,450]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7] [$1,300]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [21] [$1,200]; 13. 21X-Carson Macedo [24] [$1,100]; 14. W20-Greg Wilson [8] [$1,000]; 15. 4-Paul McMahan [15] [$950]; 16. 24-Terry McCarl [19] [$900]; 17. 7S-Jason Sides [12] [$850]; 18. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [23] [$750]; 19. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [20] [$725]; 20. 1A-Jacob Allen [22] [$700]; 21. 17-Joey Saldana [13] [$700]; 22. 13-Clyde Knipp [25] [$]; 23. 41-Jason Johnson [16] [$700]; 24. 49X-Tim Shaffer [11] [$700]; 25. 29-Willie Croft [17] [$700]; Lap Leaders: Logan Schuchart 1-12; Donny Schatz 13-20, 24-30; Rico Abreu 21-23; KSE Hard Charger Award: 21X-Carson Macedo [+11]
Qualifying - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 14.228; 2. 21-Brian Brown, 14.241; 3. 18-Ian Madsen, 14.244; 4. 4-Paul McMahan, 14.386; 5. 17-Joey Saldana, 14.458; 6. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.505; 7. 24R-Rico Abreu, 14.576; 8. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 14.685; 9. 29-Willie Croft, 14.700; 10. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr, 14.768; 11. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.781; 12. 17B-Josh Baughman, 14.796; 13. 21X-Carson Macedo, 14.859; 14. 41X-Dominic Scelzi, 14.906; 15. 18S-Jason Solwold, 14.917; 16. 24-Terry McCarl, 14.952; 17. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 14.970; 18. 51-James McFadden, 15.005; 19. 22-Cori Andrews, 15.361; 20. 99T-Skylar Gee, 15.399; 21. 21P-Robbie Price, 15.432; 22. 5-David Gravel, 14.554; 23. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.670; 24. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.710; 25. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.730; 26. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.741; 27. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.742; 28. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.755; 29. 41-Jason Johnson, 14.792; 30. 9-Daryn Pittman, 14.813; 31. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.830; 32. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.980; 33. 19-Brent Marks, 15.038; 34. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 15.046; 35. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 15.074; 36. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 15.124; 37. O-Bud Kaeding, 15.137; 38. 3C-DJ Netto, 15.244; 39. 73-Brady Bacon, 15.603; 40. Y69-Randy Waitman, 15.858; 41. 90-Lance Norick, 15.881
Heat 1- (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen [1]; 2. 24R-Rico Abreu [4]; 3. 18-Ian Madsen [2]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [3]; 5. 29-Willie Croft [5]; 6. 21X-Carson Macedo [7]; 7. 18S-Jason Solwold [8]; 8. 49D-Shawn Dancer [9]; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen [6]; 10. 21P-Robbie Price [11]; 11. 22-Cori Andrews [10]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. W20-Greg Wilson [3]; 2. 21-Brian Brown [1]; 3. 49X-Tim Shaffer [4]; 4. 4-Paul McMahan [2]; 5. 24-Terry McCarl [8]; 6. 51-James McFadden [9]; 7. 17B-Josh Baughman [6]; 8. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [7]; 9. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [5]; 10. 99T-Skylar Gee [10]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 5-David Gravel [1]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [3]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [4]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [5]; 6. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [7]; 7. 3C-DJ Netto [9]; 8. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [6]; 10. Y69-Randy Waitman [10]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [2]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [4]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [5]; 6. 87-Aaron Reutzel [7]; 7. 19-Brent Marks [6]; 8. O-Bud Kaeding [8]; 9. 73-Brady Bacon [9]; 10. 90-Lance Norick [10]
Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of feature) - 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 3. 24R-Rico Abreu [5]; 4. 5-David Gravel [2]; 5. 2M-Kerry Madsen [1]; 6. 21-Brian Brown [7]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8]; 8. W20-Greg Wilson [3]
C-Main - (10 Laps - Top 2 finishers transfer to the Last Chance Showdown) - 1. 51-James McFadden [3] [-]; 2. 3C-DJ Netto [2] [-]; 3. 49D-Shawn Dancer [1] [$150]; 4. 73-Brady Bacon [4] [$150]; 5. 99T-Skylar Gee [7] [$150]; 6. 21P-Robbie Price [9] [$125]; 7. 90-Lance Norick [8] [$125]; 8. 22-Cori Andrews [5] [$125]; 9. Y69-Randy Waitman [6] [$125]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 19-Brent Marks [4] [-]; 2. 1A-Jacob Allen [3] [-]; 3. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [6] [-]; 4. 21X-Carson Macedo [7] [-]; 5. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [1] [$300]; 6. 51-James McFadden [13] [$250]; 7. O-Bud Kaeding [12] [$225]; 8. 17B-Josh Baughman [5] [$200]; 9. 18S-Jason Solwold [11] [$200]; 10. 3C-DJ Netto [14] [$200]; 11. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [9] [$200]; 12. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [10] [$200]; 13. 87-Aaron Reutzel [8] [$200]; 14. 13-Clyde Knipp [2] [$200]
Schatz Slips by to Win at Vegas
Rico Abreu battles his way from the back to finish on the podium
LAS VEGAS – March 9, 2017 – As the sun sank below The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Thursday night, a cool breeze drifted through a near-capacity crowd. Specifically on the half-mile course, the intense crosswinds from the track were the product of 42 World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series winged-sprints. The No. 15 Tony Stewart-Curb/Agajanian Racing car of Donny Schatz was the fastest in the field, taking the first night of the FVP Outlaw Showdown.
Schatz earned his 10th career series win at the track, which has hosted the tour for 20 years sporadically. The stop marks the series’ fifth consecutive multi-day event at the track, which is an extension of its 36 total appearances since 1996. Schatz’s first victory came in 1999.
“If it wasn’t for this Stewart-Curb Racing team, we wouldn’t be up here so hats off to them,” said Schatz with his team looking-on in victory lane. “They worked their tails off all winter long and it’s getting better.”
Though the eight-time series champion has reaped the riches several times at the track, this victory offered a purse larger than years passed. A $5,000 winner’s bonus was awarded to the North Dakota-native, as a part of a four-show sponsorship from Badlands Motor Speedway. Badlands will offer a $5,000 purse to winners of the Vegas stretch and at its multi-day event, the Outlaw FanFest – a total of $20,000. Schatz earned a grand total of $15,000 for his victory, including the stack of cash presented to him in Victory Lane.
“Thank you Badlands Motor Speedway,” Schatz said. “Any time you get the extra money, out of courtesy you thank them for their support – like all you fans in the seats. It sure makes it fun to be standing up here.”
Not only did the victory have a larger payout, but it also tested a driver who has won four of the first five shows in 2017. Schatz got the best case scenario in a photo-finish at the line, winning by a narrow 0.046-second margin. He started the 26-lap feature in fourth position, and used a series of restarts to gain ground on each of the podium spots ahead of him. When the green flag dropped, he made his move into the podium and had his sights set on second.
Schatz contested for the runner-up spot in the opening laps, challenging Brian Brown from the bottom. Brown shut down his advances exiting Turn 1 for the first three laps until a red flag reset the field. Shane Stewart, who led the 25-car field into the green flag, got tangled-up in lapped traffic entering turn two of the sixth lap. The aftermath of the wreck forced Stewart to forfeit the top spot, bumping the field up by one position. Schatz thereon targeted Brown for the lead.
It only took one lap for Schatz to wedge his racecar underneath Brown’s No. 21 FVP/Casey’s General Stores car in turn two. Schatz widened the gap to nearly one-second over Brown, while Jason Johnson moved into the final podium spot by Lap 16. A red flag on that lap regrouped the field yet again; at this point, three of the top-five drivers were series regulars (Schatz, Johnson and Sheldon Haudenschild).
Several battles transpired on the restart, as Brown challenged Schatz for the lead from the bottom, and Johnson and Ian Madsen rubbed tires barreling out of the front-stretch. While Johnson was successful, Brown was not as he was penalized for an early start; he was docked one position. The field regrouped for the race’s third restart with Schatz and Johnson – the only two to win a feature event in 2017 – side-by-side in the first row.
In the closing laps, Schatz built a cushion – that did not last. Brown reclaimed second position over Johnson within the final 10 laps of the feature. The race’s final caution extended the 25-lap feature by one lap by virtue of a green-white-checkered. In the final lap, Brown launched his car to the outside of Schatz. The two barreled down the front-stretch to the checkers, and it was Schatz by a nose.
“I always want to win ones like those,” Brown said. “We got a good run [at Schatz], but when you race with a guy like him you need to make a split-decision at 130 miles per hour. I felt like I got through turns one and two pretty well, but on the backstretch I probably should’ve done something a little different. He got a good run off of four and I was like, ‘Gosh darn it, I’m not going to win this race.’ To be up there and race with guys like Donny Schatz is an honor. He’s the Steve Kinser of today.”
Rico Abreu, who was awarded the KSE Hard Charger award, rounded-out the podium in his No. 24R Abreu Vineyards/Priority Aviation car. Starting 21st in the feature, Abreu swiftly navigated through the pack and eventually bested Johnson in the closing laps. Abreu said, “You just simply need to learn how to breathe and make good decisions.”
“When the race gets kind of strung-out, you have to pace yourself,” Abreu said. “You just need to be patient at times and be aggressive on those restarts. I knew we were going to get a few restarts where we could get a breather. Schatz and Brown are the best guys right now besides Jason [Johnson]. It feels good just to get a good finish.”
Stewart, who won his heat race and the Craftsman Club® Dash, rebounded not only from mechanical issues from earlier in the night but also from an unfortunate wreck in the feature. Stewart climbed his way into ninth, recording his second top-ten finish of the season.
Johnson, who ultimately recorded his fourth top-five performance of the season, set the night’s quick-time in time trials. He was roughly one-hundredth of a second off Danny Lasoski’s track record of 13.719. Five of the 42 drivers in time trials posted a lap time less than 14 seconds, recording an average time of 13.948 – nearly two-hundredths of a second off the record pace Lasoski set in 2004.
The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Notebook
RACE NOTES: Donny Schatz earned his fourth victory in the series’ first five events Thursday night, winning the first night of the FVP Outlaw Showdown at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – by a 0.046-second margin. In a race to the finish, Brian Brown was short by a nose to finish second on the night. Rico Abreu, the KSE Hard Charger award-winner, climbed his way up from 21st position to round-out the podium.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Terry McCarl; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Kerry Madsen; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; VP Racing ($50 cash):Shane Stewart; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Joey Saldana;Cometic Gaskets ($50 cash):Daryn Pittman; Super Flow ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Jason Johnson, Joey Saldana, Logan Schuchart, Sheldon Haudenschild;Craftsman/Sears: Brian Brown; KSE Hard Charger: Rico Abreu; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Greg Wilson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Aaron Reutzel
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz – 4(Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9);Jason Johnson – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nev.; March 9, 2017
Feature - (26 Laps due to green-white-checkered finish) -1. 15-Donny Schatz [4] [$10,000]; 2. 21-Brian Brown [2] [$5,000]; 3. 24R-Rico Abreu [21] [$3,000]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [5] [$2,700]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7] [$2,500]; 6. 18-Ian Madsen [3] [$2,200]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [9] [$2,000]; 8. 2M-Kerry Madsen [14] [$1,800]; 9. 2-Shane Stewart [1] [$1,600]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8] [$1,450]; 11. 49-Brad Sweet [12] [$1,300]; 12. 17-Joey Saldana [6] [$1,200]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [20] [$1,100]; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman [10] [$1,000]; 15. 73-Brady Bacon [23] [$950]; 16. 5-David Gravel [16] [$900]; 17. W20-Greg Wilson [11] [$850]; 18. 21X-Carson Macedo [17] [$750]; 19. 17B-Josh Baughman [19] [$725]; 20. 4-Paul McMahan [25] [$]; 21. 87-Aaron Reutzel [13] [$700]; 22. 7S-Jason Sides [15] [$700]; 23. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [22] [$700]; 24. 24-Terry McCarl [24] [$700]; 25. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [18] [$700];Lap Leaders:Shane Stewart 1-6; Brian Brown 7, 25; Donny Schatz 8-24, 26; KSE Hard Charger Award: 24R-Rico Abreu [+18]
Qualifying -1. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.875; 2. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.975; 3. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.021; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.049; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.145; 6. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.160; 7. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 14.181; 8. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.213; 9. 24R-Rico Abreu, 14.226; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.236; 11. 21X-Carson Macedo, 14.227; 12. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr, +; 13. 18S-Jason Solwold, 14.352; 14. 17B-Josh Baughman, 14.361; 15. O-Bud Kaeding, 14.370; 16. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 14.523; 17. 3C-DJ Netto, 14.555; 18. 99T-Skylar Gee, 14.981; 19. 9Z-Jared Goerges, 15.098; 20. 22-Cori Andrews, 15.172; 21. Y69-Randy Waitman, 15.630; 22. 21-Brian Brown, 13.903; 23. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.990; 24. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.996; 25. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.055; 26. 9-Daryn Pittman, 14.056; 27. 5-David Gravel, 14.067; 28. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 14.082; 29. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.125; 30. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 14.146; 31. 19-Brent Marks, 14.231; 32. 24-Terry McCarl, 14.316; 33. 41X-Dominic Scelzi, 14.332; 34. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 14.343; 35. 73-Brady Bacon, 14.345; 36. 29-Willie Croft, 14.422; 37. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.429; 38. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 14.465; 39. 51-James McFadden, 14.501; 40. 90-Lance Norick, 15.128; 41. 4-Paul McMahan, nt; 42. 21P-Robbie Price, nt
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) -1. 41-Jason Johnson [1] ; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [2] ; 3. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3] ; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel [4] ; 5. 21X-Carson Macedo [6] ; 6. 24R-Rico Abreu [5] ; 7. 18S-Jason Solwold [7] ; 8. O-Bud Kaeding [8] ; 9. 3C-DJ Netto [9] ; 10. 9Z-Jared Goerges [10] ; 11. Y69-Randy Waitman [11]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) -1. 18-Ian Madsen [1] ; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2] ; 3. W20-Greg Wilson [3] ; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [4] ; 5. 17B-Josh Baughman [7] ; 6. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [6] ; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [5] ; 8. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8] ; 9. 99T-Skylar Gee [9] ; 10. 22-Cori Andrews [10]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) -1. 21-Brian Brown [1] ; 2. 17-Joey Saldana [2] ; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [3] ; 4. 2M-Kerry Madsen [4] ; 5. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [5] ; 6. 24-Terry McCarl [6] ; 7. 29-Willie Croft [8] ; 8. 21P-Robbie Price [11] ; 9. 90-Lance Norick [10] ; 10. 49D-Shawn Dancer [9] ; 11. 49X-Tim Shaffer [7]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) -1. 2-Shane Stewart [1] ; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2] ; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [4] ; 4. 5-David Gravel [3] ; 5. 19-Brent Marks [5] ; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [10] ; 7. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [6] ; 8. 73-Brady Bacon [7] ; 9. 51-James McFadden [9] ; 10. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]
Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of feature) -1. 2-Shane Stewart [4] ; 2. 21-Brian Brown [2] ; 3. 18-Ian Madsen [3] ; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [5] ; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [1] ; 6. 17-Joey Saldana [6] ; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7] ; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8]
C-Main - (10 Laps - Top 2 finishers transfer to the Last Chance Showdown) -1. 51-James McFadden [4] [-]; 2. 3C-DJ Netto [1] [-]; 3. 4-Paul McMahan [8] [$150]; 4. 49D-Shawn Dancer [2] [$150]; 5. 99T-Skylar Gee [3] [$150]; 6. 21P-Robbie Price [10] [$125]; 7. Y69-Randy Waitman [9] [$125]; 8. 22-Cori Andrews [7] [$125]; 9. 90-Lance Norick [6] [$125]; 10. 9Z-Jared Goerges [5] [$125]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the feature)- 1. 24R-Rico Abreu [1] [-]; 2. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [4] [-]; 3. 73-Brady Bacon [8] [-]; 4. 24-Terry McCarl [2] [-]; 5. 51-James McFadden [13] [$300]; 6. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [5] [$250]; 7. 49X-Tim Shaffer [6] [$225]; 8. 18S-Jason Solwold [7] [$200]; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen [3] [$200]; 10. 29-Willie Croft [10] [$200]; 11. O-Bud Kaeding [9] [$200]; 12. 3C-DJ Netto [14] [$200]; 13. 13-Clyde Knipp [12] [$200]; 14. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [11] [$200]
Schatz Sweeps the Show at LoneStar
Sheldon Haudenschild records first podium finish in rookie season
KILGORE, Tex. – March 3, 2017 – There is a crater wrapped around turns one and two of LoneStar Speedway – now a reinvented third-mile dirt course. Shortened from a 3/8-mile oval since the last time the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series visited there in 2010, the “Greatest Show on Dirt” competed on the equally as fast bullring Friday night for the first time at the new length. Wheel-to-wheel with 23 other cars, Donny Schatz avoided the expected dangers of short-track racing and took the checkered flag without a hitch.
Schatz led all 35 laps in his victory, taking home not only the trophy but also a gold-toned Limited Edition Craftsman wrench set for the company’s 90th anniversary. Though Schatz established his dominance throughout the program – setting the night’s quick-time, and winning his heat and the Craftsman Club Dash – it did not come as easily as it seemed on paper. From an assumingly unlikely challenger – in terms of their resumes – the eight-time series champion was challenged by Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender Sheldon Haudenschild throughout the night.
“[Sheldon] was there from the start and did everything he needed to do,” Schatz said. “It’s an experience thing. Obviously he is a good, young driver. He’s got a bright future ahead of him. But we try not to focus on what someone else is doing. We have to focus on our own stuff to try to stay ahead of these young guys.”
Haudenschild, 23, was less than a tenth of a second off Schatz’s quick-time, and he also won his way into the dash. The two started on the front row of the feature, where the son of the "Wild Child” Jac Haudenschild would have his chance to make his own name in the series. He wasted no time.
“I had a good starting spot, but it was just difficult to pass,” Haudenschild said. “I tried to make it happen early when I slid [Donny] twice, but just didn’t have the speed in the corners to do it. I just need to be there in the end. I’m happy with the performance. To get a good run early in the season is a confidence-booster, and we’ll try to carry that momentum. I know I have a really great car and crew. Getting in these dashes is a big part of it.”
Haudenschild, starting to the right of Schatz’s No. 15 Tony Stewart-Curb/Agajanian Racing machine, dipped under him once the green flag dropped. He challenged Schatz on the bottom, but the top proved to be the quickest route to shutting down Haudenschild’s advances. Schatz and Haudenschild tangoed briefly, but the defending champion quickly opened-up his lead to a 1.345-second margin.
Thereon, Haudenschild was sandwiched in-between two drivers that have wins in 2017 – Schatz and 2016 Knoxville Nationals Champion Jason Johnson. Haudenschild’s No. 93 Southern Pacific Farms/ Rico Abreu Racing car escaped Johnson’s challenge for second with 20 laps remaining. Haudenschild distanced himself from Johnson, gaining more than a one-second advantage over his No. 41 Priority Aviation/ Mesilla Valley Transportation racecar.
The race’s first caution five laps later regrouped the field; Johnson took advantage. Barreling out of turn four, Johnson overtook Haudenschild. By this time, the top-five was all series regulars – Schatz, Johnson, Haudenschild, Brad Sweet and David Gravel respectively. Through two more cautions in the feature, Johnson managed to close the gap between him and Schatz to as narrow as a .733-second margin. He could not capitalize.
“You’re racing the best guy in the business (Schatz),” Johnson said. “He’s not going to make any mistakes. Those guys are clicking and doing a great job. But my guys have done a great job making great, consistent Maxim cars, and we communicated over the winter with Paul Kistler about the motors we had success with in 2016. We have great communication, and I’m in the best physical shape in my life as far as racing. Mentally, I’m in a great position because of the Jason Johnson Racing- Marshall Racing merger.”
The tour concludes its first stint in Texas with the Gator Outlaw Bash at Gator Motorplex on Saturday, March 4. For ticket information, visit SLS Promotions, LLC.
LoneStar Speedway Notebook
RACE NOTES: Donny Schatz swept the East Texas Lone Star Shootout program Friday, putting the exclamation point on the feature by leading all 35 laps. Sheldon Haudenschild, a Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender, dominated alongside the eight-time champion with a strong showing. The two started in the front of a 12-row feature field, where Haudenschild contested for the lead. Nearing the second-half of the feature, Jason Johnson catapulted his racecar to second place; Haudenschild was unable to reclaim his spot.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Clyde Knipp; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; VP Racing ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Cometic Gaskets ($50 cash): Parker Price Miller; Super Flow ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild, Jason Johnson, Brad Sweet, Paul McMahan; Craftsman/Sears: Tim Shaffer; KSE Hard Charger: Kriag Kinser; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Jason Johnson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Brent Marks; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz – 3 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3); Jason Johnson – 1(Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; LoneStar Speedway, Tex.; March 3, 2017
Feature - (35 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1] [$10,000]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [3] [$5,500]; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2] [$3,200]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [4] [$2,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [7] [$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [14] [$2,300]; 7. 99-Brady Bacon [12] [$2,200]; 8. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5] [$2,100]; 9. 4-Paul McMahan [6] [$2,050]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [10] [$2,000]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [20] [$1,500]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [11] [$1,200]; 13. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8] [$1,100]; 14. 17-Joey Saldana [15] [$1,050]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [17] [$1,000]; 16. 17B-Josh Baughman [23 ][$900]; 17. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [22] [$800]; 18. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [19] [$800]; 19. 19-Brent Marks [21 ][$800]; 20. 87-Aaron Reutzel [16] [$800]; 21. 7S-Jason Sides [13] [$800]; 22. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [24] [$800]; 23. 2C-Wayne Johnson [9] [$800]; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp [18] [$800]; 25. 1S-Logan Schuchart [25] [$]; Lap Leaders: Donny Schatz 1-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: 11K-Kraig Kinser [+9]
Qualifying - 1. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.170; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.247; 3. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.350; 4. 41-Jason Johnson, 12.387; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 12.393; 6. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.415; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.427; 8. 18-Ian Madsen, 12.464; 9. 17-Joey Saldana, 12.469; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.476; 11. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 12.527; 12. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 12.534; 13. 5-David Gravel, 12.548; 14. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.578; 15. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 12.633; 16. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 12.670; 17. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.719; 18. 99-Brady Bacon, 12.789; 19. 7S-Jason Sides, 12.818; 20. 17B-Josh Baughman, 12.876; 21. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr, 13.061; 22. 19-Brent Marks, 13.070; 23. 71A-R.J. Johnson, 13.137; 24. 17G-Dustin Gates, 13.334; 25. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.471; 26. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.482; 27. 13-Clyde Knipp, 15.322; 28. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, nt
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1] ; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [2] ; 3. 5-David Gravel [5] ; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [4] ; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [7] ; 6. 87-Aaron Reutzel [6] ; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3] ; 8. 19-Brent Marks [8] ; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [9] ; 10. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [10]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [1] ; 2. 49X-Tim Shaffer [2] ; 3. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [4] ; 4. 18-Ian Madsen [3] ; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [6] ; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [5] ; 7. 17B-Josh Baughman [7] ; 8. 71A-R.J. Johnson [8] ; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen [9]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 4-Paul McMahan [2] ; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1] ; 3. 2C-Wayne Johnson [4] ; 4. 99-Brady Bacon [6] ; 5. 17-Joey Saldana [3] ; 6. 13-Clyde Knipp [9] ; 7. 17G-Dustin Gates [8] ; 8. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [7] ; 9. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [5]
Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 6 starting positions of feature) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1] ; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2] ; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [4] ; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [6] ; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5] ; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [3]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [2] [-]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1] [-]; 3. 19-Brent Marks [5] [-]; 4. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [4] [-]; 5. 17B-Josh Baughman [3] [-]; 6. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [10] [-]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [9] [$300]; 8. 17G-Dustin Gates [7] [$250]; 9. 71A-R.J. Johnson [6] [$225]; 10. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8] [$200]
Schatz Charges to Win in DIRTcar Nationals Finale
Gravel awarded the coveted ‘Big Gator’
BARBERVILLE, Fla. – February 19, 2017 – Donny Schatz etched his name into DIRTcar Nationals history Sunday, winning both the afternoon and night show at Volusia Speedway Park. The trip down victory lane gave Schatz 17 career wins at the half-mile, and he captured three of the five sprint shows in the 12-day event.
With the victory, Schatz joins Jeff and Sammy Swindell as the only Outlaws to win multiple series races in one day. Jeff Swindell first accomplished the one-day sweep at Rolling Wheels (N.Y.) Raceway Park on October 8, 1994. Sammy Swindell matched his brother’s feat in 1999 at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway.
Though Schatz won the majority of the week’s sprint car races, those he did not win proved to test his No. 15 Tony Stewart-Curb/Agajanian Racing team. In the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series opener, Schatz qualified 24th in a 36-car pack and placed fourth in his heat race. Sunday night was similar, as Schatz only qualified seven positions better and placed fifth in his heat. What differed for the eight-time champion this time was his ability to move through the 26-car feature field.
”We didn’t change anything,” Schatz said. “I thought the car felt really good. I actually thought I could get to the middle pretty well, but that changed once we got that going. These guys are incredible with what they do. I love it.”
Schatz started 17th in the 30-lap feature, but made quick work of those between him and a podium position. By the 12th lap Schatz skidded through the bottom, passing multiple drivers into fourth. The next lap Schatz made his move for third, getting under quick-timer Brian Brown. Brown won his way through the program, setting the quick time and eventually leading the feature into the green flag.
Within the final 10 laps and one position later, Schatz threatened for first. David Gravel, who took the lead on the fifth lap, maintained the top spot by building speed on the top cushion. Gravel said he felt comfortable “staying on top and running alone,” but Schatz began to close the gap with each lap by cutting the corners out of turns three and four; lapped traffic gave Gravel enough real-estate to not alter his line. However with two laps remaining, the two barreled down the front stretch side by side – only for Schatz to catch him in turn one. Gravel said where he saved time with lapped traffic, he ended up giving time back at the end.
“We wanted to win there,” Gravel said. “Lapped traffic got us. Sometimes we’re better running second. I don’t know what I could have done differently, but I did the best I could. Just leading all those laps you want to win.”
Despite Gravel’s shortcoming, in hindsight he said he had a good week. Having battled through four motor changes – the CJB Motorsports team had to get three more Kistler engines delivered to even be able to run the finale – he still advanced to the Craftsman Club ® Dash in both shows. Because of the consistency, Gravel took home the coveted ‘Big Gator’ trophy, which is awarded to the top performing driver overall.
“We just need to continue to get better and run well,” said Gravel, whose focus is helping refresh and replenish his team’s inventory.
The series will head West for its annual Kick-off Tour. First, the Outlaws will tackle to Texas-tracks from March 3-4 – LoneStar Speedway and Gator Motorplex. For more information, visit woosprint.com/kick-off-tour.
Volusia Speedway Park Notebook
RACE NOTES: Donny Schatz adds his name to series regulars who have won multiple series races in one day. Schatz, the KSE Hard Charger, started from 17th position to pass David Gravel for first in the closing laps. Gravel placed second in the feature, but went on to win the “Big Gator” trophy – awarded to the best overall performance during the three-day event. Daryn Pittman took the final podium spot, recording his second top-five performance of 2017.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Jacob Allen; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Lucas Wolfe; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Brad Sweet ; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Kraig Kinser; Super Flow ($50 cash): Danny Dietrich; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): David Gravel, Daryn Pittman, Jason Sides, Jason Johnson; Craftsman/Sears: Brian Brown; KSE Hard Charger: Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Justin Henderson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jacob Allen
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz – 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on February 19, Volusia Speedway Park on February 19); Jason Johnson – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17);
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Volusia Speedway Park, Fla.; Feb., 19 2017
A-Main - (30 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [17] [$10,000]; 2. 5-David Gravel [4] [$5,500]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [5] [$3,200]; 4. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [2] [$2,800]; 5. 21-Brian Brown [1] [$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [14] [$2,300]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart [10] [$2,200]; 8. 2M-Kerry Madsen [3] [$2,100]; 9. 18-Ian Madsen [16] [$2,050]; 10. 49-Brad Sweet [21] [$2,000]; 11. 10H-Chad Kemenah [19] [$1,500]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [23] [$1,200]; 13. W20-Greg Wilson [18] [$1,100]; 14. 13D-Danny Dietrich [15] [$1,050]; 15. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [11] [$1,000]; 16. 49X-Tim Shaffer [20] [$900]; 17. 59H-Justin Henderson [22] [$800]; 18. 17-Joey Saldana [13] [$800]; 19. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [12] [$800]; 20. 41-Jason Johnson [8] [$800]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [25] [$]; 22. 13-Clyde Knipp [26] [$]; 23. 7S-Jason Sides [6] [$800]; 24. 24R-Rico Abreu [7] [$800]; 25. 1-Dale Blaney [9] [$800]; 26. 4-Paul McMahan [24] [$800]; Lap Leaders: Lucas Wolfe 1-4, David Gravel 5-28, Donny Schatz 29-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz [+16]
Qualifying - 1. 21-Brian Brown, 13.006; 2. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.014; 3. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.051; 4. 24R-Rico Abreu, 13.097; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.097; 6. 5-David Gravel, 13.125; 7. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.132; 8. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 13.134; 9. 1-Dale Blaney, 13.162; 10. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.175; 11. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.209; 12. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.210; 13. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.211; 14. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.223; 15. 13D-Danny Dietrich, 13.244; 16. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 13.248; 17. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.254; 18. 59H-Justin Henderson, 13.265; 19. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.283; 20. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.303; 21. 14-Christopher Bell, 13.303; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.314; 23. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.328; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.350; 25. 19-Brent Marks, 13.360; 26. 27-Greg Hodnett, 13.440; 27. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.468; 28. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 13.484; 29. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 13.519; 30. 24-Terry McCarl, 13.527; 31. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.539; 32. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 13.572; 33. 17X-Caleb Helms, 13.608; 34. 7W-Tasker Phillips, 13.716; 35. O7-Jacob Wilson, 13.903; 36. 59S-Ben Schmidt, nt
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 21-Brian Brown [1] ; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [2] ; 3. 1-Dale Blaney [3] ; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [4] ; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [5] ; 6. 14-Christopher Bell [6] ; 7. 19-Brent Marks [7] ; 8. 17X-Caleb Helms [9] ; 9. 87-Aaron Reutzel [8]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [1] ; 2. 5-David Gravel [2] ; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6] ; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [3] ; 5. W20-Greg Wilson [4]; 6. 27-Greg Hodnett [7] ; 7. 59H-Justin Henderson [5] ; 8. 24-Terry McCarl [8]; 9. 7W-Tasker Phillips [9]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 7S-Jason Sides [1] ; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [2] ; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [3] ; 4. 13D-Danny Dietrich [4] ; 5. 10H-Chad Kemenah [6] ; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [5] ; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7] ; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8] ; 9. O7-Jacob Wilson [9]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen [2] ; 2. 24R-Rico Abreu [1] ; 3. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [4] ; 4. 18-Ian Madsen [3] ; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer [7] ; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [5] ; 7. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8] ; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [6] ; 9. 59S-Ben Schmidt [9]
Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of feature) - 1. 21-Brian Brown [1] ; 2. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [2] ; 3. 2M-Kerry Madsen [4] ; 4. 5-David Gravel [6] ; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [5] ; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [3] ; 7. 24R-Rico Abreu [8] ; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [7]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [2] [-]; 2. 59H-Justin Henderson [1] [-]; 3. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8] [-]; 4. 4-Paul McMahan [3] [-]; 5. 19-Brent Marks [6] [$300]; 6. 14-Christopher Bell [4] [$250]; 7. 27-Greg Hodnett [7] [$225]; 8. 24-Terry McCarl [10] [$200]; 9. 17X-Caleb Helms [13] [$200]; 10. 7W-Tasker Phillips [14] [$200]; 11. 59S-Ben Schmidt [16] [$200]; 12. 13-Clyde Knipp [5] [$200]; 13. 87-Aaron Reutzel [9] [$200]; 14. O7-Jacob Wilson [15] [$200]; 15. 1A-Jacob Allen [11] [$200]; 16. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [12] [$200]
Schatz Wins Second DIRTcar Nationals Gator
Two series regulars reverse their luck to record top-five showing
BARBERSVILLE, Fla. – February 19, 2017 – It is not unusual for two series champions to face-off in the 46th Annual DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. In the first show of a Sunday double-header, eight-time World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Champion Donny Schatz revisited his fierce battle with Arctic Cat All-Star Circuit of Champions titleholder Chad Kemenah. Like the Wednesday night thriller – starting in the first row with Kemenah – Schatz again established himself as the best-of-the-best between the two series.
But it did not come easily for the Fargo, N.D. native, who has now won a DIRTcar Nationals show every year since 2011. On Friday night Schatz finished 14thin the feature, his worst finish since the series opener last season (when he placed 18th). But Schatz said one major adjustment was opting for a harder tire.
“We did make some tire changes today and went with a harder tire,” Schatz said. “I think it hurt us early in the race, but they don’t pay for the first lap they pay for the last. The driver just showed up today with an attitude. I guess you could say he made all the mistakes in one night (Friday).”
Once the green flag was waved, Schatz overtook Kemenah and extended his lead to nearly one second. Kemenah reclaimed his spot before the race’s first caution on the ensuing restart. In the race’s most exhilarating exchange, the two danced around each other – inversely switching lines high and low. Schatz was the first to take the lead, wedging his car under Kemenah’s in the second turn. Kemenah used the back-stretch to regroup, and butted his left-front tire nearly up against the inside wall in turn three for first position.
On Lap 14, strategy played to Schatz’s favor. Schatz made the decision to start on the inside of the race’s second caution – as the two made their passes on the bottom earlier. Schatz was successful on the restart. Kemenah dropped off Schatz’s pace – nearly two tenths faster than the field with each lap. This left the door open for Friday night’s winner Jason Johnson to slip by Kemenah and secure a second-place finish; Kemenah settled for third.
Like Schatz, David Gravel also underwent a roller-coaster of a week. Gravel won Thursday’s All-Star finale, but since has blown four motors. Expending his reserve, CJB Motorsports sent for three new motors to be shipped to Volusia. Gravel said race engines “eat dirt every day,” so self-inflicted malfunctions are bound to happen.
On his fifth Kistler motor, Gravel turned-around Friday’s last place finish by first setting Sunday afternoon’s quick time with a 13.453. He carried that momentum to his heat race, doubling on his successes. There was a small scare in the Craftsman® Club Dash when he got into the turn two wall. Escaping with only minor damage, this was the only hiccup Gravel had throughout the show; he ultimately collected his first World of Outlaws top-five performance of the year.
“When that fifth motor is good enough to quick time, it speaks to how good our engine program is,” said Gravel, who added that he never lost doubt in his Kistler Engine package. “We never give up. We screwed up a little in the dash, but we just kept looking forward. There’s no reason why we can’t win tonight.”
With the victory, Schatz can become the first Outlaw since Jeff Swindell and Sammy Swindell to win multiple series races in one day. Jeff Swindell first accomplished the one-day sweep at Rolling Wheels (N.Y.) Raceway Park on October 8, 1994. Sammy Swindell matched his brother’s feat in 1999 at Bloomington Speedway.
Volusia Speedway Park Notebook
RACE NOTES:Donny Schatz wins a World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series race at DIRTcar Nationals for the fourth consecutive year. After fending off Chad Kemenah – who led the 26-car feature into the green flag – Schatz nearly opened-up a two second lead. Jason Johnson, who won the previous show, caught up to Kemenah and took second place in the closing laps.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Jacob Allen; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Brent Marks; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Danny Dietrich; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Terry McCarl;Super Flow ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Joey Saldana, Paul McMahan, David Gravel;Craftsman/Sears: Chad Kemenah; KSE Hard Charger: Kerry Madsen; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Brad Sweet; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Caleb Helms
SEASON WINNERS: Jason Johnson – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17); Donny Schatz – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on February 19)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Volusia Speedway Park, Fla.; Feb. 19, 2017
Feature - (25 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1] [$10,000]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [3] [$5,500]; 3. 10H-Chad Kemenah [2] [$3,200]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [4] [$2,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [8] [$2,500]; 6. 14-Christopher Bell [6] [$2,300]; 7. 4-Paul McMahan [5] [$2,200]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [9] [$2,100]; 9. 7S-Jason Sides [12] [$2,050]; 10. 13D-Danny Dietrich [7] [$2,000]; 11. 2M-Kerry Madsen [19] [$1,500]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart [14] [$1,200]; 13. 18-Ian Madsen [10] [$1,100]; 14. 24-Terry McCarl [13] [$1,050]; 15. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [18] [$1,000]; 16. 1-Dale Blaney [20] [$900]; 17. 49-Brad Sweet [17] [$800]; 18. 27-Greg Hodnett [16] [$800]; 19. 2-Shane Stewart [24] [$800]; 20. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [23] [$800]; 21. 24R-Rico Abreu [22] [$800]; 22. 17X-Caleb Helms [15] [$800]; 23. 9-Daryn Pittman [11] [$800]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [25] [$800]; 25. 87-Aaron Reutzel [21] [$800]; 26. 13-Clyde Knipp [26] [$800]; Lap Leaders: Chad Kemenah 1-13, Donny Schatz 14-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 2M-Kerry Madsen[+8]
Qualifying - 1. 5-David Gravel, 13.453; 2. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.456; 3. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.543; 4. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.567; 5. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.574; 6. 14-Christopher Bell, 13.578; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.605; 8. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.608; 9. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.614; 10. 13D-Danny Dietrich, 13.619; 11. 17X-Caleb Helms, 13.627; 12. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.628; 13. 19-Brent Marks, 13.631; 14. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.647; 15. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.682; 16. 27-Greg Hodnett, 13.701; 17. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.720; 18. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 13.736; 19. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 13.797; 20. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 13.812; 21. 24-Terry McCarl, 13.823; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.873; 23. 24R-Rico Abreu, 13.876; 24. 1-Dale Blaney, 13.908; 25. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.920; 26. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.929; 27. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.937; 28. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.000; 29. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 14.019; 30. 59H-Justin Henderson, 14.083; 31. 7W-Tasker Phillips, 14.254; 32. 59S-Ben Schmidt, 14.315; 33. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 14.602; 34. O7-Jacob Wilson, 14.707; 35. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.917; 36. 21-Brian Brown, nt
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 5-David Gravel[1] ; 2. 41-Jason Johnson[2] ; 3. 19-Brent Marks[4] ; 4. 24-Terry McCarl[6] ; 5. 49-Brad Sweet[5] ; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[3] ; 7. 49X-Tim Shaffer[8] ; 8. W20-Greg Wilson[7] ; 9. 2X-Parker Price-Miller[9]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 14-Christopher Bell[2] ; 2. 13D-Danny Dietrich[3] ; 3. 18-Ian Madsen[4] ; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[6] ; 5. 5W-Lucas Wolfe[1] ; 6. 59H-Justin Henderson[8] ; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser[7] ; 8. 87-Aaron Reutzel[5] ; 9. O7-Jacob Wilson[9]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz[1] ; 2. 17-Joey Saldana[4] ; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman[2] ; 4. 17X-Caleb Helms[3] ; 5. 2M-Kerry Madsen[5] ; 6. 24R-Rico Abreu[6] ; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen[7] ; 8. 7W-Tasker Phillips[8] ; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp[9]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 10H-Chad Kemenah[1] ; 2. 4-Paul McMahan[2] ; 3. 7S-Jason Sides[3] ; 4. 27-Greg Hodnett[4] ; 5. 1-Dale Blaney[6] ; 6. 2-Shane Stewart[7] ; 7. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier[5] ; 8. 59S-Ben Schmidt[8]
Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of A-feature - 1. 15-Donny Schatz[2] ; 2. 10H-Chad Kemenah[1] ; 3. 41-Jason Johnson[5] ; 4. 17-Joey Saldana[7] ; 5. 4-Paul McMahan[8] ; 6. 14-Christopher Bell[3] ; 7. 13D-Danny Dietrich[6] ; 8. 5-David Gravel[4]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel[2] [-]; 2. 24R-Rico Abreu[4] [-]; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[1] [-]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart[8] [-]; 5. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier[3] [$300]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson[5] [$250]; 7. 59H-Justin Henderson[10] [$225]; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser[6] [$200]; 9. 49X-Tim Shaffer[9] [$200]; 10. 59S-Ben Schmidt[12] [$200]; 11. 7W-Tasker Phillips[11] [$200]; 12. 1A-Jacob Allen[7] [$200]; 13. O7-Jacob Wilson[14] [$200]; 14. 13-Clyde Knipp[15] [$200]; 15. 2X-Parker Price-Miller[13] [$200]; 16. 21-Brian Brown[16] [$200]
Saturday, February 18th Portion of DIRTcar Nationals Postponed Due to Rain
Event will resume Sunday with doubleheader with the World of Outlaws and DIRTcar Racing UMP Modifieds
BARBERVILLE, Fla. – February 18, 2017 – Night five of DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park has been postponed due to persistent rain setting up a doubleheader event starting Sunday afternoon.
Saturday, Feb. 18th postponed event will resume with grandstand and pit gates opening at 11:30am. Hot laps and qualifying will resume starting at 12:00pm.
Fans that have tickets and/or a wristband for Saturday’s World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series and DIRTcar Racing UMP Modified portion of DIRTcar Nationals can bring their ticket stub and/or wristband to the gate for re-entry to the first portion Sunday’s DIRTcar Nationals doubleheader.
The evening portion of the doubleheader will start with pit gates opening at 4:00pm; the grandstands will re-open at 5:00pm. Hot laps for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series starting at 6:00pm followed by qualifying.
For more information about DIRTcar Nationals by visiting www.DIRTcarNationals.com or follow DIRTcarNats on Twitter and Facebook.com/DIRTcar
Johnson Takes Flight in Outlaws Opener
Wins first career Gator at DIRTcar Nationals
BARBERSVILLE, Fla. – February 17, 2017 – Jason Johnson made a grand entrance into 2017 Friday night, winning the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series opener at the 46th Annual DIRTcar Nationals. Johnson, whose 2016 season was highlighted by a Knoxville Nationals victory, took home his first Gator and a $10,000 purse.
“Yeah, 365 days later we start the season off in the best case scenario,” said Johnson, rehashing on his team’s troubles last season. “It’s a long season, and you need to condition for it. My little [Jaxx] on FaceTime over there… he and my wife mean the world to me, and I wish he could be here for the win. [The win] is huge for our operation, for our team, for the people working on this team and for my self-confidence.”
For Johnson’s four World of Outlaws wins last season, Johnson brought his son up on stage to wave their index finger in the air symbolizing “No.1.” This time Johnson scaled the wing of his No. 41 Priority Aviation Services, LLC/ Mesilla Valley Transportation Maxim car solo, but dropped back down to high-fives and hugs from his crew. Johnson, who was involved in a horrific wreck earlier in the week, opted to withdraw from the All-Star Circuit of Champions finale Thursday night. But one day later, consistently bested 35 other cars on sprint car racing’s biggest stage.
Johnson started on the outside of the first row for the 30-lap feature event. Where he started, is where he stayed. Johnson – continuing to stay on-top of the wheel and high on the track – darted to the front within the first lap. Sweet followed Johnson to the front but from the bottom. The first of three cautions came on the third lap, when David Gravel suffered from more mechanical failures. Notably, Gravel raced nearly 80 races without blowing a motor heading into this year’s DIRTcar Nationals. The caution regrouped the field, giving Sweet the opportunity to recreate last season’s season opener with a win.
“I’ll tell you what, I really thought we were going to have something there for Jason,” Sweet said. “I had to [eventually] move to the top but Johnson set a really torrid pace out there. He did it, so hats-off to him. We have two more nights so hopefully we can end up where he is.”
Sweet swapped spots with Brian Brown throughout the race, but in the final two laps swiftly moved passed him on the front straightaway. Brown forfeited third to a red-hot Christopher Bell, who rounded-out the podium. Bell not only beat Johnson in the dash, but also set the night’s quick time with a 13.121.
“I kind of struggled on starts and restarts there,” said Bell, who led the feature field into the green flag. “Mistakes on my part for starts and restarts, but this thing is really fast. It’s a great machine to drive. Thank you Tony [Stewart] for letting me come out and have some fun.”
From the victory, Johnson leads the points championship for the first time in his career. As Sweet alluded to, Johnson’s aggressive driving style opened up the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” for him. Earlier in the program, Johnson qualified third but claimed his stake for a Gator in the third heat. His car weaved in-and-around series newcomer Brent Marks. Though he was in a transfer spot, Johnson did not let off the gas.
He went on to start fourth in the Craftsman Club Dash and finish second after yet another battle – with Brown. Brown’s uncle and crew member, 2001 Series Champion Danny Lasoski, is the most winningest sprint car driver at Volusia Speedway Park. He is scheduled to compete predominantly with the Outlaws, though it will not be full-time.
Series veteran Jason Sides set the pace early in the program, recording the quickest time in hot laps of 13.602. Sides went on to set quick-time in qualifying – putting him in position to “Double Down” as his nickname suggests – but the time only stood until Bell knocked him off with 15 drivers remaining. Ultimately, four out of the five top-qualifiers were series regulars. Three regulars finished the night in the Top-five.
Volusia Speedway Park Notebook
RACE NOTES:Jason Johnson collects his first win of the season Friday night, beating fellow series regular Brad Sweet by a 3.553-second margin. Sweet and Brian Brown battled nearly the entire 30 laps, until quick-timer Cristopher Bell made a last-minute moved to knock Brown off the podium.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Jacob Allen; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Kerry Madsen; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Super Flow ($50 cash): Kraig Kinser; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Jason Johnson, Jason Sides, Brad Sweet, Daryn Pittman, Brent Marks;Craftsman/Sears: Christopher Bell; KSE Hard Charger: Chad Kemenah; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Jason Johnson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Brent Marks; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jason Sides
SEASON WINNERS: Jason Johnson – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Volusia Speedway Park, Fla.; Feb. 18, 2017
Feature - (30 Laps) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [2] [$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [5] [$5,500]; 3. 14-Christopher Bell [1] [$3,200]; 4. 21-Brian Brown [3] [$2,800]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [7] [$2,500]; 6. 49X-Tim Shaffer [9] [$2,300]; 7. 10H-Chad Kemenah [20] [$2,200]; 8. 24R-Rico Abreu [13] [$2,100]; 9. 2M-Kerry Madsen [14] [$2,050]; 10. 18-Ian Madsen [6] [$2,000]; 11. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [11] [$1,500]; 12. 17-Joey Saldana [15] [$1,200]; 13. 1-Dale Blaney [24] [$1,100]; 14. 15-Donny Schatz [16] [$1,050]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17] [$1,000]; 16. 19-Brent Marks [8] [$900]; 17. 13D-Danny Dietrich [23] [$800]; 18. 4-Paul McMahan [10] [$800]; 19. 87-Aaron Reutzel [19] [$800]; 20. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [18] [$800]; 21. 7S-Jason Sides [4] [$800]; 22. 27-Greg Hodnett [12] [$800]; 23. 2-Shane Stewart [21] [$800]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [25]; 25. 5-David Gravel [22] [$800]; Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 10H-Chad Kemenah [+13]
Qualifying - 1. 14-Christopher Bell, 13.121; 2. 5-David Gravel, 13.126; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.161; 4. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.223; 5. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.247; 6. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.262; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.296; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.298; 9. 24R-Rico Abreu, 13.306; 10. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.312; 11. 19-Brent Marks, 13.314; 12. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.318; 13. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 13.340; 14. 21-Brian Brown, 13.345; 15. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 13.352; 16. 27-Greg Hodnett, 13.395; 17. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.413; 18. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 13.431; 19. 13D-Danny Dietrich, 13.446; 20. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.448; 21. 1-Dale Blaney, 13.460; 22. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.464; 23. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.501; 24. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.510; 25. 24-Terry McCarl, 13.521; 26. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.537; 27. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 13.555; 28. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.573; 29. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.590; 30. 17X-Caleb Helms, 13.610; 31. 59H-Justin Henderson, 13.691; 32. 7W-Tasker Phillips, 13.774; 33. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.891; 34. 59S-Ben Schmidt, 13.915; 35. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 13.916; 36. O7-Jacob Wilson, 14.016
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [2] ; 2. 14-Christopher Bell [1] ; 3. 49X-Tim Shaffer [4] ; 4. 24R-Rico Abreu [3] ; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5] ; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [8] ; 7. 1-Dale Blaney [6] ; 8. 24-Terry McCarl [7] ; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [9]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 18-Ian Madsen [2] ; 2. 21-Brian Brown [4] ; 3. 4-Paul McMahan [6] ; 4. 2M-Kerry Madsen [5] ; 5. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [3] ; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7] ; 7. 17X-Caleb Helms [8] ; 8. 59S-Ben Schmidt [9] ; 9. 5-David Gravel [1]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1] ; 2. 19-Brent Marks [3] ; 3. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [4] ; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [6] ; 5. 87-Aaron Reutzel [7] ; 6. 59H-Justin Henderson [8] ; 7. 13D-Danny Dietrich [5] ; 8. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [9] ; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 7S-Jason Sides [1] ; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [2] ; 3. 27-Greg Hodnett [4] ; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [6] ; 5. 10H-Chad Kemenah [3] ; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [5] ; 7. 7W-Tasker Phillips [8] ; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [7] ; 9. O7-Jacob Wilson [9]
Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of A-feature) - 1. 14-Christopher Bell [2] ; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [4] ; 3. 21-Brian Brown [1] ; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [3] ; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [6] ; 6. 18-Ian Madsen [5] ; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [8] ; 8. 19-Brent Marks [7]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [4] [-]; 2. 5-David Gravel [1] [-]; 3. 13D-Danny Dietrich [3] [-]; 4. 1-Dale Blaney [5] [-]; 5. 59H-Justin Henderson [11] [$300]; 6. 17X-Caleb Helms [10] [$250]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [9] [$225]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7] [$200]; 9. 59S-Ben Schmidt [14] [$200]; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen [8] [$200]; 11. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [15] [$200]; 12. 7W-Tasker Phillips [12] [$200]; 13. 24-Terry McCarl [6] [$200]; 14. 13-Clyde Knipp [13] [$200]; 15. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2] [$200]; 16. O7-Jacob Wilson [16] [$200]
The annual Kick-off Tour features 15 nights of racing in a two-month stretch
CONCORD, N.C. – February 7, 2017 – The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series will continue its annual tradition of heading westward for several nights of racing. The 2017 Kick-off Tour features 11 stops across four states – Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas.
Two of the three tracks making debuts on the national tour this season are in the west coast swing (Gator Motorplex and Cocopah Speedway). Gator (Tex.) Motorplex features a quarter-mile bullring; Cocopah (Ariz.) Speedway is a semi-banked, 3/8-mile oval. Arizona Speedway will be making its second appearance on the schedule.
“We always look forward to this stretch in our schedule,” said Series Director Carlton Reimers. “The opportunity to extend our series coast to coast makes it easier for fans nationwide to enjoy ‘The Greatest Show on Dirt.’”
Of the 16 races in last-year’s west coast swing, seven different drivers took the checkered flag – all of them series regulars. Defending Series Champion Donny Schatz won most frequently, earning four trips down Victory Lane. Kasey Kahne Racing’s duo, Daryn Pittman and Brad Sweet, were runner-up to Schatz’s mark by tripling on their successes. Joey Saldana and Shane Stewart both doubled-up, each winning two events.
The Outlaws will return to the East after making a stop at one of the series’ most historic tracks. Devil’s Bowl (Tex.) Speedway has hosted the series for 26 years since 1978. Of those 26 years, the high-banked half-mile has successfully held multi-day events in 22 of them. This season will be the Outlaws’ fourth consecutive appearance, and the series’ regulars have swept the show since 2014.
The Stockton Dirt Track will make its fifth consecutive appearance on the tour. Schatz has won three of the last four shows since 2015 and owns the track record, clocking-in at 12.566 seconds around the semi-banked, 3/8-mile oval two years ago. Three current Outlaws (Schatz, Saldana and Sweet) hold track records at one of the stops.
Following the Outlaws’ tour through the Southwest region, the series is only scheduled to make abbreviated stops to nearby tracks in September.
For more information like how to purchase tickets for the 2017 Kick-off Tour, visit woosprint.com/kick-off-tour.
World of Outlaws Launches Race Day Drug-Testing Program
Partners Exclusively with The National Center for Drug Free Sport to update Substance Abuse Policy and Manage Testing
CONCORD, N.C. — Dec. 8, 2016 — The World of Outlaws announced today an exclusive partnership with The National Center for Drug Free Sport (Drug Free Sport) for a robust drug-testing program to improve the safety of competitors in compliance with a revised World of Outlaws Substance Abuse Policy.
“Every major sport across the country has adopted drug-testing policies. As the leader in dirt track racing we felt it was time to join that group,” said World of Outlaws President Tom Deery. “Partnering with Drug Free Sport as a third-party administrator provides our participants a thorough and fair testing platform.”
Beginning with the 2017 racing season, the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series and Late Model Series will require drivers to participate in random testing for substances of abuse that could impede driving ability. “We’ve had a drug policy in place for quite a while now that allows us to test based on suspicion,” said Deery. “But we’ve never done random testing. It’s time to add another dimension to create a stronger deterrent.”
Drug Free Sport is a world-wide leader in the sport drug-testing industry, currently conducting drug testing management and/or education services for the NFL, MLB, NCAA, NBA, WNBA, NBA D-League, PGA Tour, LPGA, USGA, CrossFit Games, the Big Ten Conference, and more than 300 colleges, universities and amateur athletics organizations around the world.
“As a true independent third-party administrator, Drug Free Sport provides consistency to the process, an added layer of confidence, confidentiality, and skill, leveraging our technical expertise in industry-approved testing procedures and certified specimen collection,” said Chris Guinty, Drug Free Sport COO. “Our collectors and staff establish the tone within the industry of ensuring fair and safe sport for athletes, teams and fans.”
Random drug testing will begin at the onset of the 2017 season. Testing will apply to drivers only and will be conducted at a number of events throughout the season. Notification will not be given prior to any event. Drivers found in violation will be subject to suspension.
“We’re not looking for performance-enhancing drugs, as in other sports,” said World of Outlaws CEO Brian Carter. “Regardless of your view on recreational drug use, we can all agree they have no place on the race track. We’re trying to keep our drivers safe.”
“The World of Outlaws run in close quarters at high speeds, and we will not allow anything that puts participants and fans at risk,” said Carter.
Saldana to Park It in 2017
Will drive the No. 17 for Matt Wood and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
CONCORD, N.C. – Nov. 28, 2016 – Joey Saldana is not only carrying on his family legacy into the 2017 racing season, but also living out the legacy left by the late Bryan Clauson. Saldana teamed up with Matt Wood and NASCAR star Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to pilot the Elk Grove Ford/ Roth Investments No. 17 racecar in the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series tour next season – an aspiration of Clauson’s since he first hopped into a 410 Sprint Car.
Saldana finished the 2016 season with Dennis Roth and Roth Motorsports amassing five wins, 31 top-five and 62 top-ten performances with 10 quick times in 81 points races. Saldana is nearing the 100-win milestone heading into his 18th consecutive season with the series; he stands at 99 wins, a mark that has taken the 1996 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year 19 seasons to build.
Saldana has finished within the top five in series championship point standings three of his last four seasons full-time. Roth Motorsports, which began its first World of Outlaw season in 1995, expected to carry its team’s momentum into the following season. However, a series of unfortunate events prompted Roth to take a step back and not field the No. 83 car in 2017. Saldana, 43, said he still has plenty of gas left in the tank but worried that this may have been “it.”
“If you’re going to compete and be a racecar driver, if you don’t do it 100 percent then why do it?” Saldana said. “I’m past the point of just racing. I want to race the best, or I really don’t want to do it. This is what you dream about when you’re 15 [years-old], and what you still dream about when you’re 43. It was unsettling because I don’t want to just step back. If I can’t race at this level – the ultimate level – then I’m not going to do it. If you’re going to put the effort into it you might as well race the best.”
While Roth is taking a more reserved role – still helping to fund the new team – Saldana’s racing career took an emotional turn and came full-circle. Saldana will not only represent Wood and Stenhouse on the track, but also keep the spirit of Clauson alive in the racing community. Saldana will have the chance to “Park it” for Clauson, his team and those who have supported him throughout the difficult transition. Clauson intended to join the Outlaws full-time in 2017, and Saldana said he knows he will be there to enjoy the ride.
“You want to ‘Park It,’” Saldana said. “[Clauson] made that phrase popular so when you did park it, it meant you did your job that night and won the race. We need to do that as many times as possible for him so we can be competitive. Just making that No. 17 car competitive every night would make Bryan proud because his whole goal was to run with the World of Outlaws.”
Not only were Saldana and Clauson connected through the racing family tree, but their friendship is also rooted by their own families. Clauson was there for Saldana’s sons, Reece and Ragan. To Saldana, the ride is “Bryan helping me take care of my kids.” It was not just his family. Clauson also kept Saldana’s wide-eyed love for racing strong. Clauson had a watchful eye on Saldana and vice-versa – for a different reason.
Through Saldana’s career, his goal was to always be the proven-dirt driver in the INDY 500 field. It was uncanny that while Saldana envied Clauson’s career, he was doing the same. It was Clauson’s goal to run full-time with the Outlaws but before he made the plans, he watched Saldana. The two admired each other’s paths in motorsports, no matter how different they were. It just so happened that they were both living each other’s dreams.
“It’s weird, Bryan was doing everything that I always wanted to do, and here he was wanting to do what I was doing,” Saldana said. “He did what all racecar drivers aspired to do and that was run the INDY 500, but still be a dirt track guy. That doesn’t happen anymore. You don’t see that. But Bryan Clauson did that. He was ready for that next challenge [The Outlaws]. In a weird way, it’s all come full circle.”
In 2017, Saldana will complete the circle when he barrels down the front stretch in the No. 17 car. Saldana has not taken his road for granted. He simply wants to do right by everyone, and make the season one to remember. Both parties are in it to create a championship contending team, enough to even move the once Missouri-based team to Brownsburg, Ind., the “Brownsburg Bullet’s” hometown. Tyler Swank will remain the crew chief.
“Hopefully, we’re going to be a first-class team that will compete with the Tony Stewart Racing, Kasey Kahne Racing and Larson-Marks Racing,” Saldana said. “Hopefully I can make Bryan proud, make the Wood/Stenhouse team proud and just be competitive. I want to make them proud that they made the right choice with the driver, and that I do the right things by them and everyone that’s involved with this team. I hope we can be the thorn in other teams’ sides.”
Schatz Sweetens the Season with Win
Gravel records career-best season on tour
CONCORD, N.C. – Oct. 29, 2016 – Donny Schatz orchestrated the celebration of his 229th career trip to victory lane differently Saturday night at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. The 20-year World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series superstar – as usual – hoisted the flag into an erupting confetti machine after the Bad Boy Off Road World Finals. But the thousands of fans erupted too when he casted the VP Racing Fuels checkered flag into the stands among the falling confetti.
Another extraordinary component to Schatz’s night-cap was his reflection on the other 24 wins during the season. Each victory added value to his season – alongside the 60 top-five’s and 77 top-10’s in a season with some-90 points races. Collectively, his consistent success throughout the rigor of one of the most premier national tours led to a dominant 314-point spread in the series’ points race. With the points lead, Schatz officially captured his eighth series championship; Schatz has won a championship in 40 percent of his seasons with the Outlaws.
“I know fans would have loved to see it go down to the wire,” said Schatz about his championship campaign. “It’s hard to say in this sport when you take 92 events coast-to-coast you have during the season. We left Florida to start this season 100-plus points in the hole. We had to win. We dug out of that hole –a 100-point deficit to a 300-point deposit with four DNFs along the way. To me, it was one of the hardest fought comebacks that we’ve had, and I’m really proud of my guys for that. After that, it says there’s nothing my guys can’t do.”
Like Schatz alluded to, he and his Tony Stewart Racing team encountered adversity at DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. Though he captured his first win of the season on the second night of the three-day event, Schatz did not make the feature in the opener and concluded the event placing outside of the top 10. For the reigning series champion, who won 31 races in 2015, he felt the pressure early-on.
“On paper, we won a lot of races and had no DNFs,” said Schatz recollecting on 2015. “The hardest thing you can ever do is come out of a hole. We came out of that hole, and had consistent top-five and top-three finishes. But, there were also some things we left on the table. We left a championship out of Knoxville [Nationals], but this championship somewhat makes up for that.”
This year’s championship and a victory at the highly-regarded King’s Royal at Eldora (Ohio) Speedway were two redeemable up-sides to the season. To him, those moments are still “hard to put into perspective.” In the 10-month span of preparation and competition, Schatz’s successes have yet to resonate with him. Though it will take Schatz some time to absorb the total success of the year, his triumph for the finale of World Finals was felt immediately in victory lane.
Schatz, who started fifth for the 30-lap feature, used his momentum from the previous night toward his 2016 season send-off. Schatz was honored with the KSE Hard Charger award the previous night, climbing 10 spots to a third place finish. Starting nine spots better than Friday’s feature, Schatz was in a better position to contend for the win.
Platinum driver David Gravel, who won his heat race and the Craftsman® Club Dash earlier in the program, was seeking his 10th win of the season; by doing so, he would have joined Schatz as the only two drivers in the series to record double-digit win totals. Gravel led the field into the green flag. From there he alternated from the top in turns one and two to the bottom in turns three and four to maintain the top spot.
The first of four cautions on the second lap not only diminished Gravel’s buffer, but also regrouped the field. On the restart, Schatz charged forward. He picked-up his podium spot then, thereon setting his sights on quick-timer Greg Hodnett and Gravel ahead of him. Schatz eventually used lapped traffic to take over the second spot on the backstretch. More importantly, a trend was developing: Schatz used the breaks in momentum from the cautions to his advantage.
The race’s second caution on the 13th lap again regrouped the field; the top-three was beginning to separate by half-second intervals before the yellow flag waved. His strategy of using cautions came into play three laps later when it paired him with Gravel. Gravel defended his top spot on the restart and more importantly in turns one and two. However, the following lap reopened the door in Schatz’s favor. Schatz, unable to get under Gravel the first time, made a successful move the second time around before another caution on the 15th lap.
Halfway home, Gravel dipped below Schatz in an attempt to reclaim the lead. But, a strong restart from Schatz made it an ill-attempt. Gravel stayed on pace with Schatz thereafter, maintaining a sub-second distance away from him. The race’s final caution with nine laps remaining gave Gravel another opportunity to strike.
Gravel, taking the same approach, tried to leverage his racecar underneath Schatz’s in turns three and four. However, Schatz’s raw speed kept the battle at bay; he led Gravel by 0.472 seconds with eight laps to go. Within those laps, Platinum driver Joey Saldana sealed the deal for third. Saldana started seventh in the feature.
“As the run went on, the more and more [Schatz] slipped off turn four,” said Gravel, explaining his strategy. “The bottom was definitely better there later, but I just could not keep up on the restarts. He just checked-out on the restarts, and I just couldn’t close the gap.”
While Schatz and Gravel protected their spots for the rest of the feature, Hodnett sought revenge. In the closing laps, Hodnett was able to reclaim the final podium spot. Even so, seven Outlaws finished inside the top 10. Schatz ultimately won the race by a 0.788-second margin.
“Joey races really hard, but I could squeeze in under him a couple of times enough to get out front,” Hodnett said. “But I’ll tell you what, hats-off to Schatz, Gravel and those guys. All these guys are really tough, and just to be able to half-ass compete with them, I’m just really proud of it. Would have liked the turn out to be better, but we’ll be back God-willing to see what we can do in front of these great fans.”
Gravel, the 2013 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, recorded his best season with the Outlaws since joining the national tour. He improved on last year’s winless season, taking nine more checkered flags and earning 36 more top-five performances.
The Dirt Track at Charlotte Notebook
RACE NOTES: Donny Schatz finished the 2016 season strong, winning the Bad Boy Off Road World Finals finale at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Starting fifth, Schatz used lapped traffic and a series of cautions to eventually overtake polesitter David Gravel. Greg Hodnett maintained his podium after a late push from Platinum driver Joey Saldana.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Greg Wilson; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Danny Lasoski; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Tim Shaffer; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Super Flow ($50 cash): Danny Dietrich; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): David Gravel, Shane Stewart, Joey Saldana; Craftsman/Sears: Ian Madsen; KSE Hard Charger: Logan Schuchart; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Brad Sweet; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 25 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4, Stockton Dirt Track on March 18, Stockton Dirt Track on March 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on April 2, Lincoln Speedway on May 19, Weedsport Speedway on May 22, Lincoln Park Speedway on June 8, Knoxville Raceway on June 11, River Cities Speedway on June 17, Rockford Speedway on June 29, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 3, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9, Attica Raceway Park on July 12, Eldora Speedway on July 16, Ohsweken Speedway on July 26, Junction Motor Speedway on August 16, Angell Park Speedway on August 21, River Cities Speedway on August 26, Nodak Speedway on August 28, Willamette Speedway on September 7, Clay County Fair Speedway on September 16, Lernerville Speedway on September 24, Fulton Speedway on October 8, The Dirt Track at Charlotte on October 28); David Gravel - 9 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 12, Tri-State Speedway on May 14, I-96 Speedway on June 6, Eldora Speedway on July 14, Lernerville Speedway on July 19, Wilmot Raceway on July 30, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 5, Skagit Speedway on Sept 2 and 3); Shane Stewart - 8 (Arizona Speedway on March 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 23, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 30, Granite City Speedway on June 15, Brown County Speedway on June 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 9; Hartford Speedway on September 22; Eldora Speedway on September 24); Brad Sweet - 8 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Cotton Bowl Speedway on Feb. 26, Ocean Speedway on April 1, Bakersfield Speedway on April 15, Plymouth Speedway on May 13, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 2; Lakeside Speedway on October 21); Daryn Pittman - 8 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 27, Perris Auto Speedway on April 16, USA Raceway on April 18, New Egypt Speedway on May 24, Jackson Motorplex on June 24, Eldora Speedway on July 15, Williams Grove Speedway on July 22; Salina Highbanks Speedway on October 22); Joey Saldana - 5 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 3, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 22, Jacksonville Speedway on May 4, I-80 Speedway on June 22, U.S. 36 Raceway on September 17); Jason Johnson - 4 (Placerville Speedway on March 24, Knoxville Nationals on August 13, El Paso County Raceway on September 14, The Dirt Track at Charlotte on October 28); Lance Dewease - 2 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 20, Williams Grove Speedway on July 23); Kerry Madsen - 2 (Eldora Speedway on May 6 and 7); Rico Abreu - 2 (Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 6, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 10); Logan Schuchart - 2 (Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9; Port Royal Speedway on October 15); Bill Balog - 1 (Beaver Dam Raceway on June 25); Chad Kemenah - 1 (Fremont Speedway on June 3); Terry McCarl - 1 (Knoxville Raceway on June 10); Jason Sides - 1 (I-30 Speedway on April 26); Greg Wilson - 1 (The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 27); Danny Dietrich - 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on October 14)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; The Dirt Track at Charlotte, N.C.; Oct. 29, 2016
Feature - (30 Laps) -1. 15-Donny Schatz [5] [$12,000]; 2. 5-David Gravel [1] [$5,500]; 3. 27-Greg Hodnett [3] [$3,200]; 4. 83-Joey Saldana [7] [$2,800]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [14] [$2,500]; 6. 21-Brian Brown [9] [$2,300]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [4] [$2,200]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [12] [$2,100]; 9. 10H-Chad Kemenah [13] [$2,050]; 10. 7S-Jason Sides [18] [$2,000]; 11. 49X-Tim Shaffer [6] [$1,500]; 12. 99-Brady Bacon [17] [$1,200]; 13. 41-Jason Johnson [10] [$1,100]; 14. 48-Danny Dietrich [11] [$1,050]; 15. 2L-Danny Lasoski [21] [$1,000]; 16. 49-Brad Sweet [16] [$1,000]; 17. 1B-Dale Blaney [20] [$1,000]; 18. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [23] [$1,000]; 19. 23-Trey Starks [24] [$1,000]; 20. 17B-Bill Balog [15] [$1,000]; 21. 71M-Dave Blaney [22] [$1,000]; 22. 7-Paul McMahan [25] [$]; 23. W20-Greg Wilson [26] [$]; 24. 18-Ian Madsen [2] [$1,000]; 25. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8] [$1,000]; 26. 82-Sammy Swindell [19] [$1,000]Lap Leaders:David Gravel 1-14, Donny Schatz 15-30KSE Hard Charger Award:1S-Logan Schuchart [+9]
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) -1. 27-Greg Hodnett [1]; 2. 49X-Tim Shaffer [2]; 3. 21-Brian Brown [4]; 4. 10H-Chad Kemenah [5]; 5. 99-Brady Bacon [3]; 6. 3G-Carson Macedo [6]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8]; 8. 49H-Doug Esh [11]; 9. 23-Trey Starks [7]; 10. 4-Cole Duncan [10]; 11. 91-Chad Boespflug [12]; 12. 2MX-Hunter Schuerenberg [9]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) -1. 18-Ian Madsen [1]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 3. 48-Danny Dietrich [4]; 4. 17B-Bill Balog [3]; 5. 82-Sammy Swindell [8]; 6. 17W-Kerry Madsen [9]; 7. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [5]; 8. 2M-Brent Marks [7]; 9. A67-Cale Conley [11]; 10. 23M-Lance Moss [12]; 11. 67-Tanner Thorson [10]; 12. 1A-Jac Haudenschild [6]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) -1. 2-Shane Stewart [1]; 2. 83-Joey Saldana [2]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [4]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [9]; 6. 19-Paige Polyak [6]; 7. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [8]; 8. 2L-Danny Lasoski [5]; 9. 77X-Parker Price-Miller [10]; 10. 94-Ryan Smith [7]; 11. W20-Greg Wilson [11]; 12. 27G-Jay Galloway [12]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) -1. 5-David Gravel [2]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [1]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [4]; 5. 1B-Dale Blaney [7]; 6. 51S-Stevie Smith [6]; 7. 7-Paul McMahan [8]; 8. 23C-Tyler Courtney [9]; 9. 71M-Dave Blaney [5]; 10. 25-Tyler Bear [10]; 11. 4S-Danny Smith [11]
Craftsman Club®Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of A-feature) -1. 5-David Gravel [4]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [3]; 3. 27-Greg Hodnett [1]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [2]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [8]; 6. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5]; 7. 83-Joey Saldana [6]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7]
C-Main - (10 Laps - Top 2 finishers transfer to the B-feature) -1. 4-Cole Duncan [1] [-]; 2. 23C-Tyler Courtney [2] [-]; 3. 49H-Doug Esh [5] [$150]; 4. 77X-Parker Price-Miller [4] [$150]; 5. 67-Tanner Thorson [3] [$150]; 6. 25-Tyler Bear [6] [$125]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [8] [$125]; 8. A67-Cale Conley [7] [$125]; 9. 91-Chad Boespflug [9] [$125]; 10. 23M-Lance Moss [11] [$125]; 11. 4S-Danny Smith [10] [$125]; 12. 27G-Jay Galloway [12] [$125]; 13. 1A-Jac Haudenschild [13] [$125]; 14. 13-Clyde Knipp [14] [$125]; 15. OO-Dane Lorenc [15] [$125]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) -1. 2L-Danny Lasoski [2] [-]; 2. 71M-Dave Blaney [4] [-]; 3. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [1] [-]; 4. 23-Trey Starks [5] [-]; 5. 3G-Carson Macedo [3] [$300]; 6. 51S-Stevie Smith [8] [$250]; 7. 2M-Brent Marks [7] [$225]; 8. 94-Ryan Smith [10] [$200]; 9. 7-Paul McMahan [14] [$200]; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser [9] [$200]; 11. 17W-Kerry Madsen [13] [$200]; 12. 2MX-Hunter Schuerenberg [11] [$200]; 13. 19-Paige Polyak [6] [$200]; 14. 4-Cole Duncan [15] [$200]; 15. 23C-Tyler Courtney [16] [$200]; 16. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [12] [$200]
Johnson Earns Fourth Series Win of 2016- Eight Outlaws finish inside the Top 10
CONCORD, N.C. – Oct. 28, 2016 – Jason Johnson set the tone for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Friday night, winning the first night of racing for the Bad Boy Off Road World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Johnson, who idled his winged sprint down victory lane for the fourth time this season, has made his victories count for the series’ most celebrated races in 2016.
“I’ll tell you what, these Priority Aviation/ Mesilla Valley Transportation guys have been doing a hell of a job all year long,” said Johnson, beaming on the front-stretch. “To cap it off at the end of the year with a victory in front of this great crowd…couldn’t say any more bout the facility at such an awesome event…to win is just an honor.”
Earlier in the year, Johnson recorded his second win at the prestigious 5-Hour Energy Knoxville Nationals presented byCasey's General Stores on August 13. At Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway, the Eunice, La. native battled wheel-to-wheel with points leader Donny Schatz for a valuable extension on the event’s 56-year history. Johnson encountered a similar situation at World Finals.
Johnson, who started fourth in the feature, preceded the feature with a heat win and second place finish in the second Craftsman® Club Dash; Dale Blaney finished ahead of him. With Blaney starting second and fellow Platinum driver Brad Sweet on the pole for the 30-lap feature, Johnson faced an uphill battle chock-full of the sport’s most proven drivers.
Sweet, riding the high of winning the first dash of the night, started strong into the green flag. However, Blaney superseded his prowess and managed to take the top spot in the opening laps. Within the first three laps, Blaney increased his lead to 2.044 seconds. Two laps later, Johnson caught his stride and undertook Sweet exiting turn one for the second spot.
Sweet did not go down without a fight; he redeemed his spot on the race’s ninth lap. The two drivers thereon jockeyed for the runner-up spot, both using an under-over maneuver on each other for the next two laps. Johnson got the best of the battle, securing the spot exiting turn four on the 11th lap.
From there, Sweet faded. Logan Schuchart, who started seventh on the night, got around Sweet for the final podium position. While Schuchart was solidifying his spot on the podium, Johnson was cutting into Blaney’s lead. With 10 laps remaining, Johnson came within 0.382 seconds before the race's first and only caution. By this time, the World of Outlaws regulars claimed six out of the top seven spots. Schatz was sitting in sixth.
“I’m very lucky to drive this racecar right now,” Schuchart said. “Our guys do a very great job, and it’s a fast car. I felt better as the race went on. I felt like it was the fastest car at the end of the race. The weather looks similar tomorrow so hopefully the track is similar.”
On the restart, Johnson closed the gap more than he had originally. Blaney and Johnson fought side-by-side, their cars parallel to each other exiting turn four with nine laps remaining. All the while, Schatz began his charge to the front. The seven-time series champion – soon to be eighth once he signs in for the event’s finale – made his way up to third with six laps left in the feature.
“These guys did an incredible job,” Schatz said. “The racetrack: you really didn’t know what was going to happen there. I’m glad those guys worked it. It made for a great race. I thought we were in really great shape coming through there. I tried to change and adapt to what I had. Tonight was definitely a big learning curve, and it’s definitely fun.”
Johnson proved to be too much for Blaney, and in the closing laps fell back. Johnson had sole possession of the lead. Schuchart and Schatz were able to get by Blaney, finishing one-two respectively behind Johnson. With Schatz’s charge, he recorded his 59th top-five performance of the year. Adding to the series’ success, the Outlaws placed in eight of the top-10 spots.
“We’re a privateer team, and we’re definitely financially driven,” said Johnson, earning the $12,000 purse. “So, it’s an honor to pull-off another victory.”
Schatz, who doubled-over into the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series, finished 15th in the 50-lap feature which preceded the Sprint class. Schatz said he is having “a lot of fun” dabbling in both classes, but his focus for the finale will be in sprint car.
“I don’t think I was cut-out to drive those cars,” Schatz said. “Those 50 laps seemed like 500 to me. It was brutal. Tomorrow will be a little better being able to run the sprint car first. So, we’ll see what happens with that.”
The Dirt Track at Charlotte Notebook
RACE NOTES: Jason Johnson, who started fourth in the feature, spent the majority of the 30-lap feature battling toward the front. Once the Platinum driver sealed the deal for the second position, he had his sights toward overtaking Dale Blaney for the lead. With six laps remaining, Johnson succeeded. Streaking Logan Schuchart replaced Blaney for the second spot in the closing laps. Donny Schatz, who started in 13th position, followed Schuchart into the podium. Schatz was honored with the KSE Hard Charger Award, climbing 10 positions in all.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Paul McMahan; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Brian Brown; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Brent Marks; Super Flow ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Brad Sweet, Shane Stewart, Logan Schuchart, David Gravel, Daryn Pittman, Jason Johnson, Joey Saldana; Craftsman/Sears: Greg Hodnett, Dale Blaney; KSE Hard Charger: Donny Schatz; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Jason Johnson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Danny Dietrich; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 24(Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4, Stockton Dirt Track on March 18, Stockton Dirt Track on March 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on April 2, Lincoln Speedway on May 19, Weedsport Speedway on May 22, Lincoln Park Speedway on June 8, Knoxville Raceway on June 11, River Cities Speedway on June 17, Rockford Speedway on June 29, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 3, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9, Attica Raceway Park on July 12, Eldora Speedway on July 16, Ohsweken Speedway on July 26, Junction Motor Speedway on August 16, Angell Park Speedway on August 21, River Cities Speedway on August 26, Nodak Speedway on August 28, Willamette Speedway on September 7, Clay County Fair Speedway on September 16, Lernerville Speedway on September 24, Fulton Speedway on October 8); David Gravel - 9 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 12, Tri-State Speedway on May 14, I-96 Speedway on June 6, Eldora Speedway on July 14, Lernerville Speedway on July 19, Wilmot Raceway on July 30, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 5, Skagit Speedway on Sept 2 and 3); Shane Stewart - 8 (Arizona Speedway on March 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 23, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 30, Granite City Speedway on June 15, Brown County Speedway on June 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 9; Hartford Speedway on September 22; Eldora Speedway on September 24); Brad Sweet - 8 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Cotton Bowl Speedway on Feb. 26, Ocean Speedway on April 1, Bakersfield Speedway on April 15, Plymouth Speedway on May 13, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 2; Lakeside Speedway on October 21); Daryn Pittman - 8 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 27, Perris Auto Speedway on April 16, USA Raceway on April 18, New Egypt Speedway on May 24, Jackson Motorplex on June 24, Eldora Speedway on July 15, Williams Grove Speedway on July 22; Salina Highbanks Speedway on October 22); Joey Saldana - 5 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 3, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 22, Jacksonville Speedway on May 4, I-80 Speedway on June 22, U.S. 36 Raceway on September 17); Jason Johnson - 4 (Placerville Speedway on March 24, Knoxville Nationals on August 13, El Paso County Raceway on September 14, The Dirt Track at Charlotte on October 28); Lance Dewease - 2 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 20, Williams Grove Speedway on July 23); Kerry Madsen - 2 (Eldora Speedway on May 6 and 7); Rico Abreu - 2 (Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 6, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 10); Logan Schuchart - 2 (Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9; Port Royal Speedway on October 15); Bill Balog - 1 (Beaver Dam Raceway on June 25); Chad Kemenah - 1 (Fremont Speedway on June 3); Terry McCarl - 1 (Knoxville Raceway on June 10); Jason Sides - 1 (I-30 Speedway on April 26); Greg Wilson - 1 (The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 27); Danny Dietrich - 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on October 14)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; The Dirt Track at Charlotte, N.C.; Oct. 28, 2016
Feature - (30 Laps) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [4] [$12,000]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7] [$5,500]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [13] [$3,200]; 4. 1B-Dale Blaney [2] [$2,800]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [1] [$2,500]; 6. 5-David Gravel [9] [$2,300]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [5] [$2,200]; 8. 10H-Chad Kemenah [6] [$2,100]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [11] [$2,050]; 10. 83-Joey Saldana [10] [$2,000]; 11. 21-Brian Brown [8] [$1,500]; 12. 2M-Brent Marks [15] [$1,200]; 13. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [17] [$1,100]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [23] [$1,050]; 15. 2L-Danny Lasoski [12] [$1,000]; 16. 71M-Dave Blaney [21] [$1,000]; 17. 18-Ian Madsen [19] [$1,000]; 18. 48-Danny Dietrich [14] [$1,000]; 19. 82-Sammy Swindell [18] [$1,000]; 20. W20-Greg Wilson [25] [$]; 21. 49X-Tim Shaffer [22] [$1,000]; 22. 7-Paul McMahan [24] [$1,000]; 23. 27-Greg Hodnett [3] [$1,000]; 24. 19-Paige Polyak [20] [$1,000]; 25. 51S-Stevie Smith [16] [$1,000] Lap Leaders: Dale Blaney 1-23, Jason Johnson 24-30 KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz[+10]
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [2] ; 2. 27-Greg Hodnett [1] ; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [4] ; 4. 18-Ian Madsen [3] ; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5] ; 6. 17W-Kerry Madsen [7] ; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [6] ; 8. OO-Dane Lorenc [8] ; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [9]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [1] ; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2] ; 3. 2M-Brent Marks [4] ; 4. 67-Tanner Thorson [6] ; 5. 19-Paige Polyak [3] ; 6. 17B-Bill Balog [8] ; 7. 49H-Doug Esh [5] ; 8. 23C-Tyler Courtney [7]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 5-David Gravel [2] ; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [1] ; 3. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [4] ; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [3] ; 5. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [5] ; 6. 3G-Carson Macedo [6] ; 7. 25-Tyler Bear [7] ; 8. 4S-Danny Smith [8]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 1B-Dale Blaney [1] ; 2. 83-Joey Saldana [2] ; 3. 48-Danny Dietrich [4] ; 4. 49X-Tim Shaffer [3] ; 5. 77X-Parker Price-Miller [7] ; 6. 94-Ryan Smith [6] ; 7. 4-Cole Duncan [5] ; 8. 91-Chad Boespflug [8]
Heat 5 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 10H-Chad Kemenah [1] ; 2. 21-Brian Brown [3] ; 3. 51S-Stevie Smith [2] ; 4. 7-Paul McMahan [4] ; 5. 99-Brady Bacon [5] ; 6. 2MX-Hunter Schuerenburg [6] ; 7. 23M-Lance Moss [7] ; 8. A67-Cale Conley [8]
Heat 6 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1] ; 2. 2L-Danny Lasoski [2] ; 3. 82-Sammy Swindell [7] ; 4. 71M-Dave Blaney [3] ; 5. 23-Trey Starks [6] ; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4] ; 7. 1A-Jac Haudenschild [5] ; 8. 27G-Jay Galloway [8]
Craftsman® Club Dash 1 - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 6 starting positions of A-feature) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1] ; 2. 27-Greg Hodnett [4] ; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [2] ; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5] ; 5. 5-David Gravel [3] ; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [6]
Craftsman® Club Dash 2 - (6 Laps - Top finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 1B-Dale Blaney [1] ; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [3] ; 3. 10H-Chad Kemenah [2] ; 4. 21-Brian Brown [5] ; 5. 83-Joey Saldana [4] ; 6. 2L-Danny Lasoski [6]
C-Main - (10 Laps - Top 2 finishers transfer to the B-feature) - 1. 67-Tanner Thorson [1] [-]; 2. 23-Trey Starks [6] [-]; 3. 3G-Carson Macedo [3] [$150]; 4. 94-Ryan Smith [2] [$150]; 5. 2MX-Hunter Schuerenburg [4] [$150]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog [13] [$125]; 7. 77X-Parker Price-Miller [8] [$125]; 8. 23C-Tyler Courtney [7] [$125]; 9. 25-Tyler Bear [9] [$125]; 10. A67-Cale Conley [14] [$125]; 11. 17W-Kerry Madsen [5] [$125]; 12. 27G-Jay Galloway [16] [$125]; 13. 23M-Lance Moss [10] [$125]; 14. 91-Chad Boespflug [12] [$125]; 15. 13-Clyde Knipp [17] [$125]; 16. OO-Dane Lorenc [11] [$125]; 17. 4S-Danny Smith [15] [$125]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 18-Ian Madsen [1] [-]; 2. 19-Paige Polyak [3] [-]; 3. 71M-Dave Blaney [4] [-]; 4. 49X-Tim Shaffer [2] [-]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [5] [-]; 6. 7-Paul McMahan [6] [-]; 7. 99-Brady Bacon [12] [$300]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8] [$250]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [13] [$225]; 10. 49H-Doug Esh [9] [$200]; 11. 4-Cole Duncan [10] [$200]; 12. 23-Trey Starks [15] [$200]; 13. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [11] [$200]; 14. 1A-Jac Haudenschild [14] [$200]; 15. 67-Tanner Thorson [16] [$200]; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7] [$200]
GRAND FORKS, ND – June 15, 2018 – North Dakota’s own Donny Schatz continued his dominance at River Cities Speedway, passing race-long leader Kerry Madsen on Lap 25 to win his 11th World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature of 2018. It was Schatz’s sixth win in his last seven starts at the bullring. Brad Sweet came forward to finish second with Madsen settling for third.
The “Mad Man” Kerry Madsen won the Sears Craftsman Dash, earning the pole for the 40-lap Feature alongside Schatz. Local driver Austin Pierce brought out the first of many cautions in the lengthy event, flipping off the banking on the opening lap. Pierce, the 2017 NOSA Sprints Champion, was uninjured in the accident.
Madsen got the jump on the start once again, utilizing the bottom of the speedway as Schatz pounded the cushion. Lap 6 saw third-starting Austin McCarl go for a light tumble in turn four, bringing out the Red Flag once again. McCarl completed the race with a damaged top wing.
Four laps later, Cory Eliason and Jade Hastings bounced off the racing surface, bringing out another caution and keeping the leaders out of lapped traffic. On each restart, Schatz, on the top, was able to stay with Madsen for a lap or two before the Australian would distance himself on the bottom.
Sheldon Haudenschild’s Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing No.17 lost power while running sixth on Lap 17, bringing out the caution. A caution on the ensuing double-file restart brought the field back to Green under single-file conditions.
Following that caution, for the first time, the leaders reached traffic on the bullring. Lapped cars were littered all over the racing surface. Madsen was able to clear the first few cars getting underneath them while remaining committed to the bottom. Schatz would follow suit on the bottom by some of the lappers, but the entire capacity crowd at River Cities Speedway knew the Tony Stewart Racing No.15 would be able to maintain speed on the cushion as well.
Schatz capitalized on Madsen’s inability to clear a slower car on the backstretch, powering around the No.2M off of turn four to lead Lap 25. Schatz used the same line to clear the lapped car before getting back to the bottom to protect the lead.
Brad Sweet followed Schatz on the cushion around Madsen as well and would line up next to Schatz with eight laps remaining after the caution flew for Jason Johnson. Schatz motored away on the restart and did the same thing on the final restart with four laps to go to win his 11th Feature of the 2018 campaign and extend his lead atop the Point Standings.
Sweet would finish 2.369 seconds behind the Fargo, ND native with Madsen settling for third.
“I kept trying that top and I knew if we got into traffic I might be able to make it work,” Schatz said in Victory Lane. When asked about the multitude of cautions, Schatz simply cited that they are part of racing, but the early cautions had him wondering how the track would change as the race would go on. The North Dakota native savored the emotion of the hometown victory saying, “You never know when your last win is going to be.”
Brad Sweet was upbeat about his runner-up finish. “We were fast, I had a couple of lines working in one and two. I would have liked to give Donny a better run for his money, but he never missed a mark out front. Eventually, we’ll figure out how to beat him here,” Sweet added with a smile.
Kerry Madsen led the first 24 laps but settled for third after losing the lead in lapped traffic. “I didn’t do a good enough job. I became immobile in traffic. I tried to play a patient game and I should have been more aggressive,” Madsen said honestly before thanking his team for giving him a great car.
Shane Stewart had a strong run coming from 11th to finish fourth with Daryn Pittman completing the top five. Dominic Scelzi charged from 21st to sixth, but Mark Dobmeier grabbed KSE Hard Charger honors coming from a provisional starting 25th to finish ninth. The massive crowd at River Cities was engaged all evening, especially when track regular Thomas Kennedy set Quick Time and won his Heat Race.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series continues its 40th Anniversary Season Sunday at Nodak Speedway in Minot, ND. If you can’t make it to the track, watch every lap LIVE on DIRTVision.com!
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$5,500]; 3. 2M-Kerry Madsen [1][$3,200]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [11][$2,800]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [9][$2,500]; 6. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [21][$2,300]; 7. 18-Ian Madsen [16][$2,200]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [13][$2,100]; 9. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [25][$1,250]; 10. 5-David Gravel [10][$2,000]; 11. 83-Cory Eliason [4][$1,500]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [14][$1,200]; 13. 1A-Jacob Allen [6][$1,100]; 14. W20-Greg Wilson [24][$1,050]; 15. 21K-Thomas Kennedy [8][$1,000]; 16. 1S-Logan Schuchart [17][$900]; 17. 19L-R.J. Johnson [22][$800]; 18. 17A-Austin McCarl [3][$800]; 19. 8H-Jade Hastings [18][$800]; 20. 7S-Jason Sides [20][$800]; 21. 27-Chris Ranten [23][$800]; 22. 41-Jason Johnson [15][$800]; 23. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [7][$800]; 24. 9N-Wade Nygaard [26][$]; 25. 97G-Hunter Schuerenberg [19][$800]; 26. 2A-Austin Pierce [12][$800]
Qualifying: 1. 21K-Thomas Kennedy, 10.367; 2. 17A-Austin McCarl, 10.434; 3. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 10.444; 4. 1A-Jacob Allen, 10.482; 5. 15-Donny Schatz, 10.502; 6. 49-Brad Sweet, 10.509; 7. 27-Chris Ranten, 10.519; 8. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 10.537; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman, 10.544; 10. 5-David Gravel, 10.567; 11. 83-Cory Eliason, 10.58; 12. 19L-R.J. Johnson, 10.639; 13. 19-Brent Marks, 10.669; 14. 8H-Jade Hastings, 10.671; 15. 2-Shane Stewart, 10.724; 16. 18-Ian Madsen, 10.75; 17. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 10.755; 18. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 10.779; 19. 41-Jason Johnson, 10.799; 20. W20-Greg Wilson, 10.799; 21. 6N-Greg Nikitenko, 10.804; 22. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 10.807; 23. 97G-Hunter Schuerenberg, 10.81; 24. 2A-Austin Pierce, 10.835; 25. 10TRB-Bob Martin, 10.896; 26. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 10.897; 27. 20A-Jordan Adams, 10.976; 28. 26-Blake Egeland, 10.998; 29. 13-Clyde Knipp, 11.098; 30. 9N-Wade Nygaard, 11.103; 31. 55-Nick Ranten, 11.226; 32. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.339; 33. 8-Jack Croaker, 11.429; 34. 1AJ-Trevor Mell, 11.578; 35. 14-Tom Egeland, NT
Haudenschild Wins Inaugural FVP Platinum Battery Showdown at Fairbury
FAIRBURY, IL – June 5, 2018 – Sheldon Haudenschild took the lead on a Lap 3 restart and never looked back, scoring his fourth World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory of the season in the Series inaugural visit to Fairbury American Legion Speedway in the FVP Platinum Battery Showdown. Jacob Allen matched his career-best with a runner-up finish with Kyle Larson completing the podium.
The night didn’t start off as planned for Haudenschild, as Sheldon was just 21st quick in Qualifying and started seventh in his Heat. Haudenschild, in true Haudenschild fashion, charged from seventh to second in his Heat to secure a spot in the Sears Craftsman Dash.
Sheldon Haudenschild went on to win the Dash, earning the pole for the 40-lap Feature but it was fellow front row starter Hunter Schuerenburg getting the jump at the drop of the Green. Schuerenburg, in search of his first career Outlaw triumph, paced the field, pounding the cushion before a caution on Lap 3 for a backwards Shane Stewart halted action.
Schuerenburg elected the top on the double-file restart, but his No.20 machine stumbled on the restart as Haudenschild, who restarted alongside him, powered to the lead. Schuerenburg drastically fell to the back of the field with a flat tire. Things went from bad to worse as Tanner Thorson jumped Schuerenburg’s rear tire and went for a tumble. Thorson was uninjured in the accident and the Red Flag allowed Schuerenburg to change his tire and restart at the rear of the field.
When action resumed, Haudenschild motored away from the field and reached lapped traffic quickly around the bullring. Jacob Allen, who shattered the FALS track record in Qualifying, moved into second with his Shark Racing teammate, Logan Schuchart in tow running third. Haudenschild put on a lapped traffic clinic, slicing and dicing his way through the field.
A hellacious battle between Kyle Larson and Brent Marks for fifth was momentarily halted when a lapped car got loose and forced both Larson and Marks to take evasive action with 17 laps remaining. The duo did synchronized 360’s, but kept going, in turn two, forcing the rest of the field to check up. Greg Wilson had nowhere to go and got upside down. Gio Scelzi and Paul Nienhiser’s top-ten runs also came to an end in the accident. Wilson was uninjured but done for the evening while both Scelzi and Nienhiser tagged the rear.
With rubber prominent on the high line, World of Outlaws officials ruled single-file restarts for the remainder of the evening. Haudenschild continued to show the way as he reached traffic with the rest of the field directly on his tail.
With eight laps remaining, Schuchart pulled a slider on his teammate Allen to secure second and set his sights on Haudenschild. Haudenschild remained locked down in the rubber as Schuchart looked for a way to steal the lead. Schuchart peeked a car-length higher than Haudenschild in turn two with three laps remaining, but that was the end of Schuchart’s night as a flat tire on the No.1S brought out the final caution of the evening.
Haudenschild distanced himself from Allen, who was in search of his first career Outlaw win, on the late restart while Larson and Cory Eliason waged war for third. The pair of Californian’s exchanged sliders back and forth with Larson grabbing the final podium spot.
Sheldon Haudenschild went on to win his fourth Feature of the year aboard the NOS Energy Drink sponsored Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall No.17.
“My car was really good early and really good in the rubber,” Haudenschild said with a smile in Victory Lane. “I was able to get good drive on the early restart, grab the lead and get to the top. Other than a couple of times where I tagged the wall, I felt really good and felt like I was making good laps in traffic,” the Wooster, OH native added.
Allen’s second-place finish tied a career-best and was his first top-ten finish of 2018. “My team has worked really hard. Sheldon’s been one of my best friends for a long time, obviously I would have liked to get my first Outlaw win, but I’m extremely happy with second,” Allen said. When asked about racing with his teammate and relative Schuchart, Allen explained, “We’ll race each other hard, but clean. We both want to win, it’s unfortunate he got a flat tire ending his night. It’s always fun running up front with Logan.”
Kyle Larson, who slipped out of the top ten early, was pleased to get back to the podium. “I was pretty good as the race went on. I’m really loose until the fuel burns off, I was happy to get back to third after our start,” Larson said. Cory Eliason settled for fourth with Saturday’s winner in Wisconsin Brent Marks coming from 14th to fifth. The finish was Marks’ third consecutive top-five finish. KSE Hard Charger honors went to David Gravel and CJB Motorsports, as they came from 22nd to complete the top ten.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series continues its 40th Anniversary Season this weekend with the 40th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals. Saturday’s Feature at Jackson will pay a whopping $40,000 to win. If you can’t make it out to Jackson, MN be sure to watch every lap LIVE on DIRTVision.com!
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [1][$10,000]; 2. 1A-Jacob Allen [4][$5,500]; 3. 57-Kyle Larson [6][$3,200]; 4. 83-Cory Eliason [8][$2,800]; 5. 19-Brent Marks [14][$2,500]; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [7][$2,300]; 7. 4-Parker Price-Miller [5][$2,200]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz [13][$2,100]; 9. 49-Brad Sweet [9][$2,050]; 10. 5-David Gravel [22][$2,000]; 11. 41-Jason Johnson [12][$1,500]; 12. 71-Giovanni Scelzi [10][$1,200]; 13. 20-Hunter Schuerenberg [2][$1,100]; 14. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [11][$1,050]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [23][$1,000]; 16. 10V-Matt Vandervere [18][$900]; 17. 2-Shane Stewart [17][$800]; 18. 7S-Jason Sides [15][$800]; 19. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3][$800]; 20. 21X-Carson Short [21][$800]; 21. W20-Greg Wilson [20][$800]; 22. 25-Jacob Blackhurst [16][$800]; 23. 18-Ian Madsen [24][$800]; 24. 3C-Tanner Thorson [19][$800]; Lap Leaders: Hunter Schuerenberg 1-3, Sheldon Haudenschild 4-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 5-David Gravel[+12]
Qualifying: 1. 1A-Jacob Allen, 10.893; 2. 57-Kyle Larson, 11.193; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.278; 4. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 11.313; 5. 21-Brian Brown, 11.336; 6. 3C-Tanner Thorson, 11.354; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.354; 8. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, 11.377; 9. 21X-Carson Short, 11.39; 10. 25-Jacob Blackhurst, 11.435; 11. 20-Hunter Schuerenberg, 11.437; 12. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.439; 13. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.449; 14. 19-Brent Marks, 11.476; 15. 10V-Matt Vandervere, 11.477; 16. 71-Giovanni Scelzi, 11.495; 17. 83-Cory Eliason, 11.533; 18. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.544; 19. 5-David Gravel, 11.544; 20. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.598; 21. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.613; 22. 18-Ian Madsen, 11.636; 23. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.657; 24. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.682; 25. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.703; 26. 98-Clinton Boyles, 11.917; 27. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.083
Brad Sweet Wins Memorial Day Thriller at Lawrenceburg
LAWRENCEBURG, IN – May 28, 2018 – Brad Sweet came from eighth and passed Donny Schatz on Lap 26 to take the lead in a thriller at Lawrenceburg Speedway and never looked back for his second win of the 2018 season. Schatz, who led 15 laps, settled for second with David Gravel completing the podium in the Memorial Day Spectacular presented by KOI Auto Parts.
Paul McMahan won the Sears Craftsman Dash to earn the pole of the 35 lap Feature alongside Jason Johnson as both veterans looked for their first Outlaw wins of the year. McMahan led the opening circuit and continued to lead through a pair of cautions in the first handful of laps.
The tricky Lawrenceburg cushion got the better of Sheldon Haudenschild after the young Wooster, OH native pulled a massive slider for fourth on Lap 3.
When action resume, McMahan led as Schatz and Kyle Larson stalked closely behind. Brad Sweet established himself as a threat early moving by his good friend and fellow California native Larson for third on Lap 5.
As lapped traffic intensified, Paul McMahan bobbled out of turn two on the ninth circuit and Schatz and Sweet both pounced, shuffling the Nashville, TN driver back to third. Larson and McMahan waged war for the third position as Sweet began chasing down Schatz.
As is typical at The Burg, slide jobs were plentiful as The Greatest Show on Dirt lived up to its name in the fullest on Memorial Day. Schatz was masterful in traffic as always, but Sweet was just as good as the duo sliced and diced their way through slower traffic. Simultaneously, McMahan and Larson exchanged multiple slide jobs for the third position, with Larson finally wrestling the position away on Lap 21.
After clearing a handful of lapped cars, the top three were nose-to-tail with 10 laps remaining. Sweet gained on Schatz on an open track and made multiple bids for the lead, before completing the pass on the nine-time Series Champion in turn two to lead Lap 26.
A lap later Larson battled hard with Schatz for the runner-up position and had it as they crossed the line. Larson and Schatz continued to battle, but the Lawrenceburg cushion got the better of the California phenom as Larson spun in turn four, leaving fourth-place running McMahan nowhere to go as the caution waved with seven circuits remaining.
On the restart, Sweet showed the speed that got him to the lead from eighth and powered away from the field as David Gravel went side-by-side with Schatz for second and grabbed the position before the final caution flew with three laps remaining for Ian Madsen, who succumbed to a flat tire ending his top-ten run.
Gravel took a look underneath Sweet on the restart, opening the door for Schatz to steal second back from the CJB Motorsports No.5. Schatz had nothing left in the tank to come back after Sweet, as ‘The Big Cat’ crossed the line 1.460 seconds ahead of the Series Points Leader.
“I had a really good race car. It’s better to be in second sometimes, it allows you to move around,” Sweet said in Victory Lane about his pass for the lead. “We were terrible in the Dash going from sixth to eighth, but I was able to try some different lines, allowing us to make some changes for the Feature. We kept getting better and better as the race went on. It’s great to get this NAPA Auto Parts team in Victory Lane where they belong, hopefully we can keep this momentum up in the upcoming summer months,” Sweet said with positivity.
Schatz settled for second and endlessly thanked his Textron Off Road team for their continued work and was thankful to finally have the whole crew back, a rare occasion this season.
“I tried to go for the lead on the restart and lost a spot. We’ll take third, I can’t thank my guys and car owners enough for this opportunity,” Gravel, who set fast time during Qualifying, said. “Hopefully we can continue to qualify well and build off of this going forward.
Shane Stewart finished fourth, ending his winning streak at Lawrenceburg with Parker Price-Miller coming from 16th to complete the top five. Aaron Reutzel earned KSE Hard Charger honors advancing 15 positions, from 22nd to finish seventh.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series continues its 40th Anniversary Season Wednesday, May 30 with the Series’ inaugural visit to Fairbury American Legion Speedway (FALS) in Illinois. Tickets for the can’t miss event at FALS can be purchased here. The Series then treks to I-96 Speedway in Michigan on Friday before heading to Wilmot in Wisconsin to conclude the weekend. If you can’t make it to the track, be sure to watch all the action LIVE on DIRTVision.com!
Feature (35 Laps): 1. 49-Brad Sweet [8][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$5,500]; 3. 5-David Gravel [5][$3,200]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [7][$2,800]; 5. 4-Parker Price-Miller [16][$2,500]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [2][$2,300]; 7. 87-Aaron Reutzel [22][$2,200]; 8. 71-Giovanni Scelzi [14][$2,100]; 9. 5B-Christopher Bell [10][$2,050]; 10. 26-Joey Saldana [21][$2,000]; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman [17][$1,500]; 12. 99-Brady Bacon [18][$1,200]; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart [19][$1,100]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [9][$1,050]; 15. 7K-Cale Conley [20][$1,000]; 16. 18-Ian Madsen [12][$900]; 17. 57-Kyle Larson [4][$800]; 18. 13X-Paul McMahan [1][$800]; 19. 1A-Jacob Allen [11][$800]; 20. A79-Brandon Wimmer [24][$800]; 21. 49X-Tim Shaffer [23][$800]; 22. 11-Dominic Scelzi [15][$800]; 23. 20-Hunter Schuerenberg [13][$800]; 24. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [6][$800]; 25. 13-Clyde Knipp [25][$800]; Lap Leaders: Paul McMahan 1-9, Donny Schatz 10-25, Brad Sweet 26-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: 87-Aaron Reutzel[+15]
Qualifying: 1. 5-David Gravel, 11.835; 2. 57-Kyle Larson, 11.847; 3. 13X-Paul McMahan, 11.89; 4. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.947; 5. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.961; 6. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.972; 7. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.974; 8. 15-Donny Schatz, 12; 9. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.032; 10. 71-Giovanni Scelzi, 12.034; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.037; 12. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 12.054; 13. 20-Hunter Schuerenberg, 12.063; 14. 5B-Christopher Bell, 12.081; 15. 1A-Jacob Allen, 12.11; 16. 18-Ian Madsen, 12.114; 17. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 12.133; 18. 5X-Justin Peck, 12.146; 19. 11-Dominic Scelzi, 12.174; 20. 26-Joey Saldana, 12.183; 21. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 12.185; 22. 99-Brady Bacon, 12.207; 23. 3-Jac Haudenschild, 12.208; 24. 7K-Cale Conley, 12.23; 25. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.235; 26. A79-Brandon Wimmer, 12.249; 27. 19P-Paige Polyak, 12.286; 28. 7S-Jason Sides, 12.294; 29. 19-Brent Marks, 12.318; 30. 30-CJ Leary, 12.459; 31. 2S-Nathan Skaggs, 12.463; 32. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.522; 33. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.802; 34. 21X-Carson Short, NT
Donny Schatz Sweeps Outlaw Portion of Let’s Race Two Weekend at Eldora
ROSSBURG, OH – May 12, 2018 – The man is on a roll. Donny Schatz completed the weekend sweep of the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series portion of Let’s Race Two at Eldora Speedway holding off Logan Schuchart for the second consecutive night. It was Schatz’ eighth win of the 2018 season and fourth in his last five starts as he continues to extend his lead atop the Series Point Standings in search of his 10th Outlaw Championship.
Schatz won the Sears Craftsman Dash and shared the front row with Parker Price-Miller. It was PPM getting the jump on the start as the Indiana native set the pace for the first four laps on the cushion before Schatz took command of the field on the fifth circuit on the bottom.
Schuchart just barely edged Price-Miller to the line on Lap 7, which was significant because the caution flew for Sheldon Haudenschild, lining Schuchart to the outside of Schatz. Haudenschild, who entered the evening third in the World of Outlaws Point Standings, was unable to return to action.
The restart saw Schatz and Schuchart put a straightaway back to the rest of the field, as the duo, who finished first and second a night ago, were once again the class of the field. Schuchart was able to keep his Shark Racing No.1S glued to the bottom of the Eldora Speedway racing surface and close in on Schatz.
But, catching Donny Schatz and passing Donny Schatz are two entirely different things. Every time it appeared Schuchart may have a run to get underneath Schatz, the Fargo, ND native would go to the bottom, forcing Schuchart to the top. Schuchart’s No.1S was not as strong on the cushion, allowing Schatz to maintain the lead each time.
With consecutive Green Flag action, lapped traffic played a factor. Schatz reminded everyone why he is the nine-time and defending Series Champion with his prowess through a maze of lapped cars. Schuchart, an Outlaw winner at Eldora last year, stayed right with Schatz every step and just as he was about to pull even with the Champion, the caution flew for an ailing Spencer Bayston with five laps remaining.
With five or fewer laps remaining in the Feature, the start was single-file. Schuchart and third-place running Aaron Reutzel both stayed with Schatz on the restart, but Donny was too strong and went on to take the checkered flag 1.536 seconds ahead of Schuchart.
“We love lapped traffic. That’s where races are won and lost,” Schatz said in Victory Lane when prompted about the close-quartered racing action. “My guys are incredible. We keep working, keep digging and keep finding ways to be up here at the end of the night,” Schatz added before expressing his thanks to the fans for coming out and thanking the track and officials for running an accelerated program to beat Mother Nature.
When asked about the close racing with Schuchart, Schatz referenced an old tale from his father, “If you are worried about what is behind you, you are going to have a hell of a time handling what’s in front of you. I’ve always raced like that and tonight was no different.”
Schuchart was pleased with his second consecutive runner-up finish. “It was a lot of fun racing up there. I know my heart was pumping, it was hard to stay calm,” the upbeat Hanover, PA native said. “What a great weekend for us. Two podiums and if you are going to finish second to someone, that’s a hell of a team to finish behind. They are incredible, but we are going to try and keep working hard to beat them,” Schuchart added.
Reutzel’s 2018 speed continued as he followed up last night’s disappointment of wrecking while leading with a podium finish. “I probably should have been a little more aggressive on the top, but we definitely wanted to finish after last night,” the Texan and current All-Star point leader said.
Kraig Kinser had an impressive 15th to fourth run for his best finish of the season with Tim Shaffer completing the top five. Early race leader Parker Price-Miller settled for sixth with Kerry Madsen, 17th-starting Brad Sweet, 22nd-starting Ian Madsen and 24th-starting Daryn Pittman completing the top ten. Pittman claimed KSE Hard Charger honors for the second consecutive night.
The Greatest Show on Dirt continues its 40th Anniversary Season with a haul to the Hoosier State for a third-attempt at racing at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, IN tomorrow evening Sunday, May 13. After that, the Series will head to Central Pennsylvania to take on the tough Pennsylvania Posse at Lincoln Speedway on May 16 and at Williams Grove on May 18 and 19. If you can’t make it to the track, be sure to watch all the action LIVE on DIRTVision.com!
Abbreviated Results from Eldora Speedway: May 12, 2018
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1][$10,000]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3][$5,000]; 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel [4][$3,000]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [15][$2,700]; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer [6][$2,500]; 6. 4-Parker Price-Miller [2][$2,200]; 7. 2M-Kerry Madsen [5][$2,000]; 8. 49-Brad Sweet [17][$1,800]; 9. 18-Ian Madsen [22][$1,600]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [24][$1,450]; 11. 7S-Jason Sides [8][$1,300]; 12. 41-Jason Johnson [10][$1,200]; 13. 99-Brady Bacon [23][$1,100]; 14. 5-David Gravel [7][$1,000]; 15. 2-Shane Stewart [19][$950]; 16. 1A-Jacob Allen [18][$900]; 17. 26-Joey Saldana [14][$850]; 18. 24-Rico Abreu [13][$750]; 19. 13X-Paul McMahan [9][$725]; 20. 10H-Chad Kemenah [20][$700]; 21. 19-Brent Marks [21][$700]; 22. 39-Spencer Bayston [16][$700]; 23. 12N-Cole Duncan [12][$700]; 24. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [11][$700]; Lap Leaders: Parker Price-Miller 1-4, Donny Schatz 5-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 9-Daryn Pittman[+14]
Schatz Scores Third Win in Last Four Starts on Night One of Let’s Race Two at Eldora
ROSSBURG, OH – May 11, 2018 – Donny Schatz inherited the lead on Lap 14 and held off a late race charge from Logan Schuchart to claim the victory on the opening night of the Let’s Race Two weekend at Eldora Speedway. It was Schatz’ 7th win of the 2018, extending his point lead atop the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Point Standings. Schuchart finished second with Brad Sweet finishing third.
Ohio native Cole Duncan set fast time over the 37-car field, won his heat race and was victorious in the Sears Craftsman Dash to earn the pole for the 30-lap Feature. Duncan, in search of his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory, shared the front row with legend and fellow Buckeye Jac Haudenschild, who was seeking his 74th career Outlaw victory.
It was Haudenschild getting the jump at the tip of the Green and leading the opening circuit. Third-starting Donny Schatz swooped underneath Duncan to take second the following lap. Haudenschild, or more often referred to as ‘The Wild Child’, lived up to his nickname every bit as he flirted with the dangerous cushion and was up against the wall fending off Schatz narrowly at the line for the first five laps in exciting fashion.
A Lap 6 caution for Hunter Schuerenberg halted the action and bunched the field together. On the restart, Schatz, on the bottom, remained right with Haudenschild, but this time sixth-starting Aaron Reutzel was right in tow. The trio sliced and diced their way as they battled for the lead, utilizing every inch of the Eldora Speedway racing surface.
On Lap 11, Reutzel made an eye-catching move going around the nine-time Series Champion before going wheel-to-wheel with Haudenschild and pulling even with The Wild Child on the front stretch, trailing him by .005 at the conclusion of the 11th circuit. Reutzel would take command of the field on Lap 12.
Schatz continued to jockey with Haudenschild, which allowed Reutzel, who scored his first career Outlaw win earlier this season at Tulare, to put a couple car-lengths between himself and Schatz and Haudenschild. Schatz finally wrestled the runner-up spot away from Haudenschild on Lap 13 and set his eyes on the Texas native for the lead on what promised to be a great battle.
Disaster struck for Reutzel on Lap 14, as he bobbled just enough on the thin Eldora Speedway cushion to lose the handle on his No.87, before making heavy contact with the outside retaining wall, ending his night. Schatz and Haudenschild both showed their veteran prowess avoiding Reutzel’s ailing machine as it bounced back into the racing line. Reutzel was uninjured in the accident and expressed his apologies to his race team stating the dangerous Eldora cushion got the better of him tonight.
One lap later, David Gravel was left nowhere to go and spun in turn two, creating a logjam that included Carson Macedo, Rico Abreu and Joey Saldana. Gravel and Abreu were able to make repairs, but Macedo and Saldana’s nights both came to an end.
The action remained intense on the restart as cars scattered around the Eldora racing surface. Brad Sweet had an excellent restart and moved into the runner-up position and nearly completed a slider on Schatz for the lead, to no avail as the Fargo, ND native powered around Sweet on the cushion.
Eighth-starting Logan Schuchart began making the bottom work and took the runner-up spot away from Sweet with eight laps remaining. Schuchart closed in on Schatz, who made a daring move splitting lapped cars, to extend the lead once again just as Schuchart was preparing to bid for the lead. Schuchart, who won during last year’s Let’s Race Two event at Eldora, closed in one last time with two laps remaining, but Schatz was too strong and took the checkered flag 1.041 seconds in front of the Hanover, PA native with Sweet completing the podium.
“I had a good car, we played around a little and tried something different, but this team just continues to work. We probably weren’t the best car tonight, but we are here standing with the checkered flag,” Schatz said in Victory Lane. When asked about Reutzel’s move for the lead and crash, Schatz said, “He was really fast, but he wore it out. That’s the big part of racing with the World of Outlaws. You’ve got to finish races to win the Championship and sometimes you can’t go as hard to make sure you finish these races.
Schatz also praised the Eldora Speedway track crew, “Everyone has a different perspective of what is a good race or not. There were multiple grooves and guys were making moves all over the place and that’s really all you can ask for.”
Jac Haudenschild settled for fourth with Duncan completing the top five. Gary Taylor, who was as high as second at one point, faded late to sixth. Sheldon Haudenschild came forward to seventh with 14th-starting Jason Johnson, 26th-starting Daryn Pittman and Kerry Madsen completing the top ten. Pittman’s effort was good enough to earn KSE Hard Charger honors, advancing 17 positions. Brady Bacon was the lone driver to compete in both portions of the Let’s Race Two. Bacon was victorious with USAC by nearly five seconds and finished 16th with the wing on in the Feature.
The Let’s Race Two weekend at Eldora Speedway wraps up tomorrow night Saturday, May 12. If you can’t make it to the track, be sure to catch all the action live on DIRTVision.com!
Abbreviated Results from Eldora Speedway: May 11, 2018
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$10,000]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8][$5,000]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$3,000]; 4. 3-Jac Haudenschild [2][$2,700]; 5. 12N-Cole Duncan [1][$2,500]; 6. 57-Gary Taylor [7][$2,200]; 7. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [11][$2,000]; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [14][$1,800]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [26][$900]; 10. 2M-Kerry Madsen [4][$1,450]; 11. 83-Cory Eliason [19][$1,300]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [27][$500]; 13. 5-David Gravel [12][$1,100]; 14. 49X-Tim Shaffer [17][$1,000]; 15. 10H-Chad Kemenah [10][$950]; 16. 99-Brady Bacon [21][$900]; 17. 13X-Paul McMahan [20][$850]; 18. 18-Ian Madsen [9][$750]; 19. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [16][$725]; 20. 39-Spencer Bayston [13][$700]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [24][$700]; 22. 2-Shane Stewart [25][$]; 23. 4-Parker Price-Miller [15][$700]; 24. 24-Rico Abreu [22][$700]; 25. 21B-Carson Macedo [18][$700]; 26. 26-Joey Saldana [23][$700]; 27. 87-Aaron Reutzel [6][$700]; 28. 7S-Jason Sides [28][$] Lap Leaders: Jac Haudenschild 1-11, Aaron Reutzel 12, Donny Schatz 13-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 9-Daryn Pittman[+17]
Schatz Thrills Massive Crowd at Devil’s Bowl with Late Race Pass Worth $20,000
MESQUITE, TX – April 28, 2018 – “I heard Ted Johnson telling me to get my ass in gear,” an elated Donny Schatz said after making a late race pass on Brad Sweet to capture the finale of the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. Sweet led the first 25 laps, but settled for second with Shane Stewart completing the podium.
For the second night in a row, Jason Johnson paced the field in Qualifying and won his heat race. Brad Sweet edged his boss Kasey Kahne to take the Craftsman Club Dash, earning the pole for the 30-lap Feature. Sweet set a torrid pace as Schatz and Stewart waged war for the runner-up position.
Schatz wrestled the runner-up position away from Stewart on the eighth circuit and set his eyes on the leader. The lone caution during the race flew on Lap 11 as Tucker Klaasmeyer lost the handle on his Keith Kunz No.67K.
Stewart edged in front of Schatz on the double-file restart, but Schatz re-gained control of second down the backstretch. Sweet continued to lead and navigated traffic at a quick pace, but Schatz stayed with the Grass Valley, CA native through traffic and began to close on the bottom side of the speedway.
Sweet, who won the Texas Outlaw Nationals last year, continued to pound the cushion as Schatz showed his nose underneath him. With anticipation building amongst the crowd, Schatz powered off of the bottom of turn four to take command of the top spot and never look back.
“What an awesome race track. They gave us a top and bottom, the bottom was tricky, but if it was easy, everyone would be doing it,” Schatz said. The win for Schatz was his fifth of the 2018 season and was worth $20,000 and the Ted Johnson Memorial trophy.
“Ted looked after his people, he had great relationships with his guys. He had a serious passion, not only for his guys, but for putting on a great race. I remember watching him bounce up and down because Steve [Kinser] and Sammy [Swindell] were putting on a show,” Schatz reminisced about the late great Johnson. “He was a race fan.”
Sweet settled for second and was in good spirits, but understandably disappointed as he was searching for the first win of the season. “That’s the difference between winning and losing and Donny’s the best at it. The race track was great, it slicked off with multiple grooves,” Sweet said.
Shane Stewart was pleased with his podium finish, “This is a special place for me. I have a lot of friends and family out here, so to finish on the podium is special. I wish we could have been fighting for the lead up there, it was a great race, I watched it.”
Logan Schuchart charged from 12th to finish fourth for his second consecutive top-five finish with crowd favorite Jason Johnson completing the top five. After changing motors after his Heat, David Gravel bounced back with the KSE Hard Charger award coming from 19th to complete the top ten.
World of Outlaws hits the track at Salina Highbanks Speedway on May 5
SALINA, Okla. — April 26, 2018 — The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series makes their annual appearance at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Okla., on Saturday, May 5 for the running of the Twister Showdown. The event will mark the seventh time the series has raced at the ultra-high-banked three-eighths-mile.
Kerry Madsen was victorious last year at Salina over Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet. Madsen took the lead from Sweet on lap-23 and held off several charges from Sweet, Schatz and Shane Stewart in the late going to pick up the win. For Madsen, it was his first win at Salina.
Daryn Pittman scored a very popular win in 2016 at Salina Highbanks Speedway. The victory was the second straight for an Oklahoma native at the track, as Stewart was victorious in the 2015 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series event at Salina.
Leading the way into Salina Highbanks Speedway this season is Schatz, who has four wins and is on top of the point standings as he chases his 10th series title. Salina Highbanks Speedway is one of the few tracks on the circuit that he has never won at. The North Dakota native has a pair of runner-up showings among his five top-10 finishes in six starts at Salina.
Brad Sweet has finished on the podium in two of the last three years at Salina, including a third-place effort last year, which saw him lead the first 22 laps of the main event. The California native is currently third in points as he chases his first win of the season.
David Gravel has four top-10 finishes in five starts at Salina, including a runner-up performance in 2016. The 25-year-old was battling for the lead on the opening lap last season, when contact led him getting upside and ending his night. Gravel, who won a career-high 18 races last season is currently sixth in points as he chases his first win of 2018.
Pittman, who recently scored back-to-back wins in Arkansas and Missouri, is the only driver who has finished in the top-10 in all previous six World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series races at Salina. Fellow Oklahoman Shane Stewart has three top-10 finishes in four starts at the track.
Jason Johnson has finished in the top-five in each of the last two World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series races at Salina. Fellow veteran drivers who will be in attendance include Kraig Kinser, Greg Wilson and Jason Sides, as well as youngsters Logan Schuchart, Jacob Allen and Clyde Knipp.
Sheldon Haudenschild and Brent Marks each visited Salina for the first time last year. Haudenschild, who scored his first-career win on opening night in Florida this season, has added a couple of more victories and is currently second in points.
Ian Madsen, who is in his first full year on the road with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series has two straight top-10 finishes with the series at Salina. The Australian ran sixth last year and was fourth in 2016. Dane Lorenc, a rookie driver from New York, will be the lone driver making his debut at the track this year.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series raced for the first time at Salina Highbanks Speedway in 2011, with Craig Dollansky picking up the win. The veteran driver would win again in 2013 at the high-banked oval. Joey Saldana was victorious at Salina Highbanks Speedway in 2014.
Tickets for the Twister Showdown, featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Oklahoma on Saturday, May 5 can be purchased online at https://slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by calling 815-344-2023 and at the track on race day.
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Pittman Goes Back-to-Back with Second Consecutive Win at Pevely
PEVELY, MO – April 21, 2018 - Daryn Pittman got underneath Sheldon Haudenschild to lead Lap 31 en route to his second consecutive World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win of the weekend and second in a row at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, MO. Donny Schatz finished second and long-time race leader Sheldon Haudenschild completed the podium.
Donny Schatz won the Craftsman Club Dash and earned the pole of the 40-lap Feature alongside Ian Madsen. But it was Madsen who powered around Schatz to lead the opening circuit of the Feature. Sheldon Haudenschild used every bit of the racing surface to quickly take second from Schatz and begin chasing down Madsen for the lead. Just as Haudenschild was ready to make a move on Ian Madsen for the lead on the sixth circuit, the caution flew Ian’s older brother, Kerry, who was facing traffic on the backstretch.
Ian Madsen was able to turn under a pair of Sheldon sliders, before Haudenschild took command to lead Lap 8. As Haudenschild navigated heavy traffic, both Madsen and Pittman were able to erase Sheldon's lead. Daryn Pittman made an eye-catching three-wide pass for the lead down the backstretch on Lap 13, only for it to be negated by a yellow for Cory Eliason.
As the rubber became more prominent on the racing surface, experience became a factor. Pittman and Schatz quickly closed in on Haudenschild for the lead. Haudenschild had a minor hiccup in turn one and missed the rubber by no more than a car length, but that was all Pittman needed as the 2013 Series Champion stuffed his Kasey Kahne Racing No.9 car underneath Haudenschild to take command down the backstretch. A couple laps later Haudenschild hiccupped in turn one again and Schatz was able to sneak by for second.
Ian Madsen’s top-five run came to an end with five laps remaining, due to a flat tire. A clear track ahead of Pittman allowed the veteran driver to hit his marks en route to his 74th career Outlaw victory.
“Man, this is starting to be fun again. It’s been a frustrating start to the season, but this car has been a blast to drive the past two nights,” Pittman said upon exiting his Ionomy sponsored KKR No.9 machine.
“This is the way we envisioned we would start the year. We are really happy with where we are at right now, this is why you never give up,” an enthusiastic Pittman added. Pittman eluded to the harder tire compound his team elected to go with before thanking his car owner, Kasey Kahne, and all of his sponsorship partners. When asked about the negated three-wide pass for the lead, Pittman said, “I thought that was the end of our chance to win it. This really was a great team win.”
Donny Schatz also went with a harder tire compound. “I was way too loose in the beginning and we had to pay the price, but we made it back it up. All in all, it was a great night,” Schatz said in good spirits.
After leading 22 laps, Sheldon Haudenschild had all the reason to be dejected, but that was not the case. “We definitely want to win these races, but we want to finish them too. I’m happy with a podium. The guys worked really hard after tearing a car up last night. I missed the rubber twice and I got passed twice,” Sheldon, who continues to sit second in the Series Point Standings, said.
David Gravel and Brad Sweet completed the all-Outlaw top five. Nine of the top ten were World of Outlaws regulars, including Brent Marks who came from 22nd to 10th, earning KSE Hard Charger honors. Indiana youngster Cale Thomas was the lone non-Outlaw regular in the top-ten, finishing eighth. Jason Sides set fast-time over the 44-car field for the first time this season.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series completes its three-race bullring weekend Sunday evening at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, IN. Another strong car count is expected, and all the action can be watched live on DIRTVision.com. Next week, the Outlaws ramp up its 40th Anniversary Celebration with three races in four days in Texas, capped off at the Series birthplace, Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55:
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [6][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [1][$5,500]; 3. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [3][$3,200]; 4. 5-David Gravel [7][$2,800]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$2,500]; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [5][$2,300]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [8][$2,200]; 8. 91-Cale Thomas [14][$2,100]; 9. 26-Joey Saldana [15][$2,050]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [22][$2,000]; 11. 45-Paul McMahan [10][$1,500]; 12. 5C-Christopher Bell [12][$1,200]; 13. 99-Brady Bacon [16][$1,100]; 14. 41-Jason Johnson [13][$1,050]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [23][$1,000]; 16. 24-Rico Abreu [17][$900]; 17. 21-Brian Brown [24][$800]; 18. 2M-Kerry Madsen [9][$800]; 19. 83-Cory Eliason [20][$800]; 20. 18-Ian Madsen [2][$800]; 21. 1S-Logan Schuchart [25][$]; 22. 21X-Carson Short [18][$800]; 23. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [19][$800]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [11][$800]; 25. 3-Sammy Swindell [21][$800] Lap Leaders: Ian Madsen 1-7, Sheldon Haudenschild 8-30, Daryn Pittman 31-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 19-Brent Marks[+12]
Qualifying Flight-A: 1. 7S-Jason Sides, 10.764; 2. 5-David Gravel, 10.809; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 10.828; 4. 1A-Jacob Allen, 10.861; 5. 18-Ian Madsen, 10.899; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman, 10.943; 7. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 10.998; 8. 21-Brian Brown, 11.011; 9. 24-Rico Abreu, 11.053; 10. 26-Joey Saldana, 11.092; 11. 3-Sammy Swindell, 11.105; 12. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, 11.113; 13. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg, 11.225; 14. 1M-James Moughan, 11.256; 15. O1-Matt Vandervere, 11.342; 16. OO-Dane Lorenc, 11.348; 17. 51B-Joe Miller, 11.495; 18. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.503; 19. 9JR-Derek Hagar, 11.539; 20. 8S-Steve Short, 11.683; 21. 10P-Jim Perricone, 12.327
Qualifying Flight-B: 1. 49-Brad Sweet, 10.808; 2. 15-Donny Schatz, 10.961; 3. 91-Cale Thomas, 10.997; 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.056; 5. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.059; 6. 5C-Christopher Bell, 11.061; 7. 45-Paul McMahan, 11.085; 8. 83-Cory Eliason, 11.094; 9. O5-Gary Taylor, 11.104; 10. 99-Brady Bacon, 11.156; 11. 19-Brent Marks, 11.207; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.248; 13. 21X-Carson Short, 11.452; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.506; 15. 64-Scotty Thiel, 11.514; 16. 13-Clyde Knipp, 11.554; 17. 25-Jacob Blackhurst, 11.896; 18. 5B-Chase Briscoe, 11.987; 19. 12-Robert Ballou, 11.994; 20. 79J-Jacob Patton, 12.153; 21. 14T-Jimmy Bridgeman, 12.176; 22. 71M-Andy Bradley, 12.193
Schatz Storms from 12th for Fourth Win of Young Season
QUEEN CREEK, AZ – Donny Schatz started 12th and passed Shane Stewart on a Lap 20 restart to score his first career victory at Arizona Speedway Saturday Night in front of a standing room only crowd. It was Schatz, who was the fourth and final driver to lead a lap in the Feature, fourth win of the season as he extended his early season points lead in his quest for his tenth Series Championship.
California native Cory Eliason continued to show impressive speed winning the Craftsman Club Dash and leading the opening lap of the 30 lap Arizona Desert Shootout. That lead was short-lived, however, as Sheldon Haudenschild slid in front of the Roth Motorsports No.83 to lead the second circuit. Haudenschild, who entered the evening second in points and tied with Schatz with three wins, appeared to be the man to beat, extending his lead to a sizeable margin through lapped traffic.
A Lap 13 caution bunched the field together and Haudenschild extended the lead once again. The move of the restart, which proved to be crucial at the race’s end, was Donny Schatz powering from eighth to third on the bottom off of turn four.
Lap 16 saw disaster strike for Sheldon as the thin cushion in turn four got the better of the young Wooster, OH native. It was the second time in the young 2018 campaign that Haudenschild has brought out the yellow while leading. Unlike at Tulare, this time there was no damage to the NOS Energy Drink No.17 machine and he was able to restart at the rear of the field.
Sheldon’s misfortune moved Shane Stewart, who advanced forward from his fifth starting position, to the point. By Lap 20, when the thin cushion claimed two more victims – Brad Sweet and Brian Brown, Schatz had worked by Joey Saldana for the runner-up position and was ready to pounce on the next restart.
Pounce he did, as Schatz shot underneath Stewart and led down the backstretch only to have the pass negated by another caution. That set up a single-file restart and Stewart went to the bottom entering turn one, only to see Schatz, this time on the outside of the speedway, roll by him down the backstretch once again. In an attempt to get the lead back from Schatz, Stewart allowed Saldana to regain the runner-up spot.
A pair of late race restarts allowed the field to have a crack at Schatz and Saldana had the crowd holding their breath with two to go as he narrowed the gap to three car-lengths. A valiant effort was not meant to be for the “Brownsburg Bullet” as he finished 0.821 seconds behind the Tony Stewart Racing No.15.
Schatz first order of business in Victory Lane was to express his thoughts to the Humboldt Broncos community following their hockey team’s tragic accident Friday evening. Additionally, the Tony Stewart Racing No.15 team had a little bit of a different look in the pit area tonight. “We were minus the backbone of our team tonight, Scuba broke his ankle at Bakersfield and is on the couch for a while,” Schatz explained.
“We’ve won in Arizona before, but not at this place. My race car was awesome all over the race track tonight, a true testament to my team’s excellence,” the Fargo, ND native said. When asked about the multitude of late-race restarts, Schatz chuckled and said, “I’m getting older and the older I get, the more patient I am.” It was Schatz’s 265th World of Outlaws victory in his illustrious career.
Saldana, who finished fourth last outing at Bakersfield, was pleased with his car speed once again. “Kevin Rudeen gives us a great car, with great equipment. We have everything we need to succeed and it’s starting to show. Hopefully we can win one of these soon, we’ve been real close the last two weeks.”
“It’s hard to win these races and it’s hard to win against guys like Donny Schatz. When you can finish on the front stretch, it’s a solid night,” Saldana added.
The KSE Hard Charger award went to Logan Schuchart, who charged from 16th to finish third. “What an improvement that was from our Qualifying effort. I can’t thank my guys enough. Our team never gives up,” a pleased Schuchart said.
Stewart settled for a fourth-place finish, his third straight top-five outing with Eliason rounding out the top five. Despite spinning past the halfway point of the race, Sheldon Haudenschild charged back to finish seventh at the checkered flag.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series heads to the Midwest next week with a date at the Jacksonville Speedway in Illinois on Friday, April 13th before heading to Haubstadt, IN the following night to compete at the Tri-State Speedway. If you can’t make it to the track, be sure to watch all the action LIVE on DIRTVision.com.
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [12][$10,000]; 2. 26-Joey Saldana [2][$5,500]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [16][$3,200]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$2,800]; 5. 83-Cory Eliason [1][$2,500]; 6. 5-David Gravel [9][$2,300]; 7. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [3][$2,200]; 8. 45-Paul McMahan [11][$2,100]; 9. 41-Jason Johnson [8][$2,050]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [17][$2,000]; 11. 49-Brad Sweet [10][$1,500]; 12. 24-Rico Abreu [19][$1,200]; 13. 18-Ian Madsen [4][$1,100]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [15][$1,050]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [21][$1,000]; 16. OO-Dane Lorenc [18][$900]; 17. 11K-Kraig Kinser [22][$800]; 18. 2B-Billy Chester [23][$800]; 19. 90-Randy Waitman [24][$800]; 20. 9-Daryn Pittman [13][$800]; 21. 19AZ-Hunter Schuerenberg [7][$800]; 22. 21-Brian Brown [6][$800]; 23. 13-Clyde Knipp [20][$800]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [14][$800] Lap Leaders: Cory Eliason 1, Sheldon Haudenschild 2-16, Shane Stewart 17-20, Donny Schatz 21-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+13]
Qualifying: 1. 18-Ian Madsen, 12.96; 2. 1A-Jacob Allen, 12.96; 3. 83-Cory Eliason, 12.978; 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.994; 5. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.006; 6. 21-Brian Brown, 13.06; 7. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.098; 8. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.103; 9. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.129; 10. 19AZ-Hunter Schuerenberg, 13.144; 11. 26-Joey Saldana, 13.15; 12. 5-David Gravel, 13.155; 13. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.163; 14. 19-Brent Marks, 13.223; 15. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.243; 16. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.263; 17. 45-Paul McMahan, 13.272; 18. OO-Dane Lorenc, 13.272; 19. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.308; 20. 2B-Billy Chester, 13.312; 21. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.347; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.425; 23. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.691; 24. 90-Randy Waitman, 21.534
SLS Promotions & River Cities Speedway announce ticket updates for World of Outlaws events
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — April 6, 2018 -- A pair of changes are on the horizon for tickets and the seating arrangement at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., for both World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series events in 2018.
First and foremost, all reserved seats will be enlarged to 20-inches in width to provide a more spacious and fan-friendly atmosphere in the grandstands. After this process is complete, the seat numbering of rows will be updated to reflect this change. In addition, advance ticket sales for both World of Outlaws events this year will be handled predominately by SLS Promotions.
To ensure a smooth transition, patrons who purchased advance tickets last year from River Cities Speedway, will have the opportunity to purchase those same seats, before they go on sale to the general public. SLS Promotions will work to accommodate patrons to place them in the same seats or as close as possible to that patron's seating preference from 2017. A limited number of reserved seats will be available for purchase from River Cities Speedway.
Patrons will receive an email or phone call with further instructions in regards to renewing their tickets from last year.
The 1st Leg of the Gerdau Recycling Northern Tour for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at River Cities Speedway is set for Friday, June 15, with the 2nd Leg of the Northern Tour hitting the track on Friday, August 17.
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World of Outlaws tickets on sale for I-96 Speedway on June 1
LAKE ODESSA, Mich. — April 2, 2018 -- Tickets are now on sale for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series return to I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Mich., on Friday, June 1. Tickets can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by calling SLS Promotions at 815-344-2023. The event will be the series only race of the season in the state of Michigan.
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In the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series most recent visit to I-96 Speedway in 2016, David Gravel was victorious. Brad Sweet, who drives for Kasey Kahne Racing, won at I-96 Speedway for the first time in his career in 2015. Donny Schatz, the nine-time and defending series champion, won his first race at I-96 Speedway in 2014. A total of seven different drivers have visited victory lane in the last seven events for the series at I-96 Speedway.
Battling Schatz, Gravel and Sweet in 2017 is a talented group of full-time competitors, including Sheldon Haudenschild, who already has three wins this season and is second in points, Daryn Pittman, the 2013 series champion, Shane Stewart, who is a past winner in the state of Michigan, Jason Johnson, the 2016 winner of the Knoxville Nationals, fan favorite Jason Sides, third-generation driver Kraig Kinser, Tim Shaffer, who won the Knoxville Nationals in 2010 and Greg Wilson, the Outlaws top rookie in 2016.
Logan Schuchart, who picked up four wins last season, leads the next generation of drivers, along with his Shark Racing teammate Jacob Allen, as well teenager Clyde Knipp from Missouri and sophomore driver and Brent Marks. Ian Madsen and Dane Lorenc are each in the midst of their first full season on the road with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.
Tickets for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series return to I-96 Speedway on Friday, June 1 for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event at I-96 Speedway can purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by phone by calling: 815-344-2023.
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Sheldon Haudenschild Continues Torrid Start to 2018; Captures Third Win of Season at Bakersfield
BAKERSFIELD, CA – March 24, 2018 – Last year’s Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Sheldon Haudenschild means business in 2018, as the young Wooster, OH native scored his third World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory of the young 2018 season at Bakersfield Speedway. Haudenschild stormed to the front of the Feature from ninth and was undoubtedly the class of the field, winning by nearly three and a half seconds despite a late caution. Shane Stewart came from seventh for his second consecutive podium finish with early race leader Jason Johnson completing the all World of Outlaws regulars podium.
Johnson was attempting to pull a clean sweep of the program after setting fast time, winning his Heat and taking the Craftsman Club Dash, earning the pole for the 35-lap Feature. Johnson set a fast pace, surviving a couple of cautions and leading the first 14 laps.
2016 Bakersfield winner Brad Sweet appeared to be the man to beat when he took the lead, to a huge applause, on the 15th circuit from his fifth-starting position, after exchanging multiple slide jobs with Johnson. Disaster struck three laps later for Sweet as he did a full 360 rotation and a massive wheelie before his NAPA Auto Parts No.49 machine came to a stop in turn two.
That allowed Johnson to re-assume the lead with Haudenschild right beside him on the double-file restart. Johnson kept Sheldon at bay for a couple of laps as the duo traded the lead each corner for a handful of laps enthralling the large Bakersfield Speedway crowd once again. Haudenschild officially led Lap 23 and was never truly challenged after that point.
The excitement didn’t stop there though for the driver of the NOS Energy Drink, Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall No.17 as Sheldon asserted his dominance over the field by lapping cars at a rapid pace, throwing massive slide jobs along the way.
On Lap 29, Sheldon saw a four-second lead erased for one final caution. Sheldon powered away on the restart, with no challenge going to win by 3.446 seconds.
Haudenschild was the topic amongst the crowd all night after coming from 10th in his Heat Race, after spinning, to finish third. “It just shows how good my guys are,” Haudenschild said in reference to his recovery from the Heat Race blunder. “A lot of guys were fighting for the bottom and I just went where the track was free,” Haudenschild added about his cushion-pounding move in the qualifying event. “It feels really good to a get a third win this early on in the season. This NOS Energy Drink No.17 was on a rail all night,” Haudenschild said in Victory Lane.
Shane Stewart secured his second consecutive podium finish on the strength of restarts. “[Double-file restarts] are one of the crazy and cool things about the World of Outlaws and I’ve been on the wrong end of them before, but tonight they worked out for us. Hopefully we can get a win here real soon,” Stewart said after exiting his DC Solar sponsored Kyle Larson Racing No.2 machine.
Jason Johnson was in good spirits with his third-place finish despite leading a large portion of the race. “We came up a little bit short, we were a little too free once the fuel burned off, but still a very good night for this team. It’s always good to be on the podium,” the Eunice, LA native said.
Joey Saldana came from 14th to finish fourth with Ian Madsen coming from 16th to complete the top five. Neither of those efforts were good enough to secure KSE Hard Charger honors as that belonged to Donny Schatz, who came from 21st to finish sixth. The first six finishers, and eight of the first nine across the line, were World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series regulars.
The Series takes next weekend off as the Series allows its drivers, crews and teams a weekend to observe the Easter Holiday. The Greatest Show on Dirt continues its 40th Anniversary Season at Arizona Speedway on April 7, tickets can be purchased here. If you can’t make it to the track, be sure to tune into DIRTVision.com to watch all the action live!
Feature: (35 Laps) 1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [9][$10,000]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [7][$5,500]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$3,200]; 4. 26-Joey Saldana [14][$2,800]; 5. 18-Ian Madsen [16][$2,500]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz [21][$2,300]; 7. 21X-Carson Macedo [10][$2,200]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [19][$2,100]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [11][$2,050]; 10. 7S-Tim Kaeding [4][$2,000]; 11. 24-Rico Abreu [23][$1,500]; 12. 5-David Gravel [18][$1,200]; 13. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$1,100]; 14. 19-Brent Marks [15][$1,050]; 15. 83-Cory Eliason [6][$1,000]; 16. 57-Giovanni Scelzi [13][$900]; 17. O-Bud Kaeding [2][$800]; 18. 7SS-Jason Sides [8][$800]; 19. 83JR-Kyle Hirst [24][$800]; 20. 87-Aaron Reutzel [22][$800]; 21. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [3][$800]; 22. 49X-Tim Shaffer [20][$800]; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen [12][$800]; 24. 45-Paul McMahan [17][$800]; Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-14, 19-22; Brad Sweet 15-18; Sheldon Haudenschild 23-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz[+15]
Qualifying: 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.271; 2. 7S-Tim Kaeding, 11.362; 3. 7SS-Jason Sides, 11.388; 4. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 11.393; 5. O-Bud Kaeding, 11.405; 6. 83-Cory Eliason, 11.472; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.506; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.519; 9. 57-Giovanni Scelzi, 11.519; 10. 26-Joey Saldana, 11.527; 11. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.53; 12. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.548; 13. 45-Paul McMahan, 11.561; 14. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.573; 15. 29-Willie Croft, 11.576; 16. 18-Ian Madsen, 11.592; 17. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.6; 18. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 11.617; 19. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.633; 20. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 11.658; 21. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.604; 22. 5-David Gravel, 11.698; 23. 19-Brent Marks, 11.74; 24. 24-Rico Abreu, 11.75; 25. 22-Shane Golobic, 11.798; 26. 21X-Carson Macedo, 11.813; 27. 98-Sean Watts, 11.944; 28. 83JR-Kyle Hirst, 11.962; 29. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.979; 30. OO-Dane Lorenc, 11.995; 31. 88N-DJ Netto, 12.005; 32. 68-Chase Johnson, 12.052; 33. 16A-Colby Copeland, 12.077; 34. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.109; 35. 86-Chris Ennis, 12.333; 36. 10-Matthew Moles, 12.612; 37. 28-Nathan Rolfe, 12.633
World of Outlaws tickets on sale for the Badger 40 at Wilmot Raceway
WILMOT, Wisc. — March 19, 2018 -- Tickets are now on sale for the Badger 40, featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, Wisconsin on Saturday, June 2 and can be purchased online atslspromotions.ticketforce.com or by calling SLS Promotions at 815-344-2023.
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David Gravel remained undefeated in World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series competition at Wilmot Raceway in 2017, by winning the Badger 40. Gravel has won each of the last three Outlaws races at Wilmot. Last season, he was victorious in a thriller over Shane Stewart and Brad Sweet. That trio traded the lead five times in the last 11 laps of the 40-lap race. Gravel also won at Wilmot with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series in 2014 and 2016.
Daryn Pittman, the 2013 series champion, is a past winner at Wilmot Raceway, taking the checkered flag in 2008. In the inaugural event for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at the third-mile bullring in 2006, Mark Dobmeier was victorious, which marked his first-career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win.
Battling Gravel, Pittman, Stewart and Sweet in 2017 is another stout group of full-time competitors including nine-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz, as well as fellow veteran drivers Jason Johnson, Tim Shaffer Kraig Kinser, Jason Sides and Greg Wilson.
Logan Schuchart, who won four races last year, along with his Shark Racing teammate Jacob Allen are back on the road again this season, as is teenager Clyde Knipp from Missouri. Sheldon Haudenschild and Brent Marks who battled for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award last year, are back on the Outlaws trail this season. Haudenschild has visited victory twice thus far in 2018 and is currently second in points.
Ian Madsen, Parker Price-Miller and Dane Lorenc are all in the midst of their first full season on the tour.
Tickets for the Badger 40, featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, Wisconsin on Saturday, June 2 and can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by calling SLS Promotions at 815-344-2023. Also in action will be the Wisconsin wingLESS Sprint Series and the Wisconsin Illinois Mini Sprints.
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Cory Eliason Leads All 30 Laps to Score First Career Outlaw Victory at Stockton
STOCKTON, CA - March 17, 2018 – California native Cory Eliason, aboard the famed Roth Motorsports No.83, dominated the FVP Platinum Battery Western Spring Shootout at Stockton to score his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory. Eliason, who scored a career-high second place finish last weekend at Tulare, survived numerous cautions to secure the hometown victory. Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Contender Ian Madsen finished second with Shane Stewart completing the podium.
Eliason won the Craftsman Club Dash, earning the pole for the 30-lap Feature alongside FVP-sponsored driver Brian Brown. Eliason powered out to the early lead on the 'elbows up' surface and reached lapped traffic on the fourth circuit.
The first of a handful of cautions came on lap 10, as the hole in turn three swallowed up Brown while he was running second. That allowed Rico Abreu to assume second on the restart. Three laps later, during a caution for Parker Price-Miller, Abreu surrendered his runner-up position and pulled into the work area.
When action resumed, Madsen found himself in second looking for a way around Eliason. But the Selma, CA native was masterful in traffic, never allowing the field to mount a serious challenge. The closest call of the night for Eliason was entering turn one on lap 24, as his No.83 car hit a rut and bobbled heavily.
Brad Sweet, while running in the top five, slowed to a stop with three laps remaining giving the field one last chance to steal a victory from Eliason. It was not meant to be tonight, Eliason was the class of the field as he distanced himself from the field on the restart to win by nearly two seconds.
“It feels great to finally get an Outlaw win. And at home, too,” an out-of-breath Eliason said in Victory Lane. “That track was technical and it definitely wore me out. Hopefully, we can another one next weekend,” Eliason added.
Ian Madsen was pleased with his runner-up finish, “We had nothing for those guys. Congrats to Cory on his first career win. This was a great night for our KCP team. We haven’t had much luck to start the season, so it’s great to a good night under our belt.”
Likewise, Shane Stewart was also happy for his first podium finish of 2018. “I don’t think it was the prettiest third-place run, but we’ll take it,” Stewart said with a chuckle. “We need some good runs to get our momentum rolling.” 10th-starting Carson Macedo followed up his top-five at Tulare with an impressive fourth-place finish. Tim Kaeding, aboard Jason Sides No. 7S, came from 13th to complete the top five.
During intermission, the World of Outlaws announced that the Brad Sweet Placerville Short Track Showdown has been postponed to Wednesday, September 12. The Outlaws continue their 40th Anniversary Season Friday, March 23 at Ocean Speedway before heading south to Bakersfield Speedway on Saturday, March 24. Tickets for both events are still available at woosprint.com. If you can’t make it to the track, be sure to tune into DIRTVision.com for live video of every World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series race in 2018.
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 83-Cory Eliason [1][$10,000]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [3][$5,500]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [6][$3,200]; 4. 21X-Carson Macedo [10][$2,800]; 5. 7S-Tim Kaeding [13][$2,500]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [11][$2,300]; 7. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [12][$2,200]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [20][$2,100]; 9. 5-David Gravel [5][$2,050]; 10. 29-Willie Croft [15][$2,000]; 11. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [21][$1,500]; 12. 49-Brad Sweet [7][$1,200]; 13. 83JR-Kyle Hirst [9][$1,100]; 14. 15-Donny Schatz [16][$1,050]; 15. 45-Paul McMahan [17][$1,000]; 16. 4-Parker Price-Miller [22][$900]; 17. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8][$800]; 18. 3C-Tanner Thorson [18][$800]; 19. 57-Giovanni Scelzi [23][$800]; 20. 87-Aaron Reutzel [14][$800]; 21. 24-Rico Abreu [4][$800]; 22. 21-Brian Brown [2][$800]; 23. 49X-Tim Shaffer [19][$800]; 24. 19-Brent Marks [24][$800]; 25. OO-Dane Lorenc [25][$]; Lap Leaders: Cory Eliason 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 9-Daryn Pittman[+12]
Qualifying Flight-A: 1. 21-Brian Brown, 13.007; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.111; 3. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.16; 4. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.202; 5. 45-Paul McMahan, 13.208; 6. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 13.245; 7. 83JR-Kyle Hirst, 13.25; 8. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.255; 9. 57-Giovanni Scelzi, 13.276; 10. 29-Willie Croft, 13.299; 11. 7S-Tim Kaeding, 13.319; 12. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.37; 13. 7SS-Jason Sides, 13.403; 14. 68-Chase Johnson, 13.41; 15. 88N-DJ Netto, 13.45; 16. 7-John Carney, 13.693; 17. 22-Shane Golobic, 13.7; 18. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.889; 19. 28-Nathan Rolfe, NT; 20. OO-Dane Lorenc, 13.482
Qualifying Flight-B: 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.129; 2. 5-David Gravel, 13.132; 3. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.176; 4. 83-Cory Eliason, 13.178; 5. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.178; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.213; 7. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 13.231; 8. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 13.237; 9. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 13.251; 10. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.252; 11. 21X-Carson Macedo, 13.342; 12. 19-Brent Marks, 13.406; 13. 37-Mitchell Faccinto, 13.492; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.504; 15. 26-Joey Saldana, 13.55; 16. 5H-Michael Kofoid, 13.612; 17. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.777; 18. 98-Sean Watts, 13.822; 19. 3C-Tanner Thorson, 13.835
Reutzel Earns First Outlaw Win in Thunderbowl Thriller
TULARE, CA - March 9, 2018 - Texas native Aaron Reutzel scored his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory in thrilling fashion after exchanging multiple slide jobs with local driver Cory Eliason. A lap 20 yellow for then race leader Sheldon Haudenschild bunched the field together and Reutzel began picking off the leaders in exciting fashion. Eliason settled for second with Donny Schatz completing the podium.
Eliason, aboard the famed Roth Motorsports No.83, won the Craftsman Club Dash, earning the pole for the 35-lap Feature alongside fellow California native Jason Meyers. Eliason, in search of his first Outlaw victory, set the pace for the first 11 laps before giving way to red-hot Sheldon Haudenschild on the 12th circuit.
Sheldon, who set a new Tulare track record in qualifying, seemingly had the fastest car on the track and maneuvered the heavy lapped traffic well as he continued to extend his lead. Coming off of turn four on lap 18, Haudenschild got into the back of a lapped car and the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall No.17 never settled down. Haudenschild muscled his ill-handling machine through turn one and two, before making heavy contact with the frontstretch wall at the completion of the lap, ending the young gun's bid for his third win of the young season.
Eliason assumed the lead, but this time with nine-time Series Champion Donny Schatz alongside of him. The young Visalia, CA native got a strong restart and established a sizeable lead over the veteran. Reutzel, who restarted sixth, came to life as he pounded the cushion, weaving in and out of cars grabbing third on lap 23 and passing Schatz two circuits later to claim the second spot.
Reutzel arrived at leader Eliason on lap 28 and the duo waged war for the top spot, as you would expect of two drivers looking for their first World of Outlaws victory. The duo exchanged sliders in each corner exciting the large Thunderbowl Raceway crowd. Reutzel secured the victory on lap 31 as he powered his Baughman/Reutzel owned No.87 around Eliason down the backstretch and pulled away for his first career Outlaw triumph.
"This is a dream come true. I've led a handful of Outlaw shows in the past, but never been able to finish the job; you start doubting yourself. It's something you don't think will ever happen," a jubilant Reutzel said. "It all played out perfect tonight. This track is truly special. It fits my driving style - gas it up on the fence. I am so lucky to have the people behind me that I do," the former 360-winged sprint car ace added.
Eliason settled for second and was in good spirits, "It's always tough when you are out front in traffic. Aaron drove a great race. Hopefully, the weather cooperates and we get another chance at it tomorrow," the Visalia, CA native said.
Schatz was also pleased with his podium finish as he extended his early Series points lead, "A top-three finish is very respectable for us at Tulare. We usually don't run too well on tracks like this."
Dominic Scelzi and 12th-starting Carson Macedo completed the top five. Tim Kaeding, aboard the Sides Motorsports No.7S, earned KSE Hard Charger honors coming from 16th to finish eighth in his first start for Sides. Action continues Saturday night at the Thunderbowl Raceway as the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series tackles the high-banked bullring once again.
Abbreviated Results from Thunderbowl Raceway - March 9, 2018
Feature (35 Laps): 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel [4][$10,000]; 2. 83-Cory Eliason [1][$5,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [5][$3,000]; 4. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [8][$2,700]; 5. 21X-Carson Macedo [12][$2,500]; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [10][$2,200]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet [6][$2,000]; 8. 7S-Tim Kaeding [16][$1,800]; 9. 14-Jason Meyers [2][$1,600]; 10. 24-Rico Abreu [11][$1,450]; 11. 57-Giovanni Scelzi [7][$1,300]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [14][$1,200]; 13. 45-Paul McMahan [17][$1,100]; 14. 29-Willie Croft [21][$1,000]; 15. 4-Parker Price-Miller [9][$950]; 16. 2-Shane Stewart [19][$900]; 17. 41-Jason Johnson [20][$850]; 18. 21-Brian Brown [18][$750]; 19. 5-David Gravel [13][$725]; 20. 26-Joey Saldana [26][$]; 21. OO-Dane Lorenc [28][$]; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart [25][$]; 23. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [3][$700]; 24. 49X-Tim Shaffer [23][$700]; 25. 88N-DJ Netto [22][$700]; 26. 13-Clyde Knipp [27][$]; 27. 83JR-Kyle Hirst [15][$700]; 28. 1A-Jacob Allen [24][$700]; Lap Leaders: Cory Eliason 1-11, 20-30; Sheldon Haudenschild 12-19, Aaron Reutzel 31-35 KSE Hard Charger Award: 7S-Tim Kaeding[+8]
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Returns to Bakersfield Speedway March 24th
PETERSEN MEDIA- After a successful showing during the 2016 season, the famed World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series is set to return to Bakersfield Speedway on March 24th in an event that will mark their final race in the Golden State before returning later this fall.
During the 2016 event, the stars and cars of the series made their return to the Central CA bullring a memorable one as California product, Brad Sweet, fended off challenges from Joey Saldana, who was behind the wheel of a California based Roth Motorsports entry, to claim the popular win in front of a capacity crowd.
Not hosting the series in 2017, Bakersfield Speedway is eagerly awaiting a return appearance by 'The Greatest Show on Dirt' on March 24th as over 20 National drivers with a mix of California's best are expected to be on hand for a great show.
With five World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series races ran thus far in 2018, the story has been all about multi-time Series Champion, Donny Schatz, and second year WoO driver Sheldon Haudenschild. The duo has been the only two to win to date as Schatz has picked off three feature event wins, and Haudenschild has scored two victories.
Tickets for the Bakersfield Speedway World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series event are now on sale, and fans can purchase their $40 reserved seating seats by calling 1-844-Dirt-Tix (347-8849). General Admission Tickets will be available for $35. Fans can also click over to http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?orgid=52711&agency=WRG_SNG&pid=8525932 the purchase tickets.
STAY CONNECTED: Stay connected to the Bakersfield Speedway for more information on this event by following on twitter @BakoSpeedway, 'Liking' the track on Facebook at www. Facebook.com/Bakersfield.Speedway, or by clicking over to www.bakersfieldspeedway.com.
The Bakersfield Speedway is located at 5001 N. Chester Ext. Bakersfield, CA 93308.
PETERSEN MEDIA: Petersen Media is a promotional agency that can handle your public relations, marketing, and any other promotional needs. Petersen Media utilizes multiple tactics to help you reach your intended audience, and boost awareness.
For more information contact sales@petersenmediainc.com, by phone at 916-342-3424, visit www.petersenmediainc.com, www.facebook.com/PetersenMedia, or follow www.twitter.com/petersen_media.
Tim Shaffer: Full-Time Outlaw for 2018
CONCORD, NC – March 4, 2018 – The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series is thrilled to announce that TheSteel City Outlaw Tim Shaffer and car owner Jeff Rudzik have signed on as full-time Outlaws for the 2018 40th Anniversary Season in the familiar No.49X machine.
Shaffer has been a staple with The Greatest Show on Dirt since scoring his first career victory 20 years ago in Elma, WA at Grays Harbor Raceway in 1998. A year later, Tim Shaffer was crowned the 1999 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year with the World of Outlaws before spending the better part of the next decade as a Series regular.
“We feel extremely competitive and I don’t how many years left I have doing this. Most importantly, I am enjoying myself out here,” Shaffer, who scored two Outlaw wins in 2017, cited as his main reason for joining the Outlaws full-time. “I work really with Cody Jacobs as my crew chief and we have had a lot of speed, while also enjoying ourselves,” Shaffer added with a smile.
Shaffer will land in the Sprint Car Hall of Fame when he chooses to retire on the strength of his 25 Outlaw wins, 60 All-Star Circuit of Champion triumphs, hundreds of regional victories and, of course, his unforgettable 2010 Knoxville Nationals Championship.
“I was on the road for about 10 years and I bet it has been about 10 years since I was last out here. I absolutely love it,” the Aliquippa, PA native said.
During those 10 years when Shaffer was not a full-time Outlaw, he re-established himself as a dominant force in Pennsylvania and Ohio amidst capturing four consecutive All-Star Championships.
Shaffer’s addition brings the current total of full-time Outlaws to a whopping 19 as they head West for California. Tim Shaffer left us with this parting thought, “This is really exciting. I feel at home again.”
Catch Shaffer and the rest of the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series next at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, CA March 9 and 10. As always, if you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.com.
Schatz Masters Lapped Traffic to Capture Second Consecutive Win and First DIRTcar Nationals Championship
BARBERVILLE, FL – February 11, 2018 – Donny Schatz is starting 2018 firing on all cylinders, which is bad news for the rest of the competition. Schatz fought off a pesky Brian Brown early in the race and held off charges from Sheldon Haudenschild and Brad Sweet late to capture his fourth win in five nights at Volusia Speedway Park. Schatz, who has won just about everything to win in Sprint Car racing, captured his first ever DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator Championship.
Brian Brown won the Craftsman Club Dash earning the pole of the 30-lap Feature alongside Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender Parker Price-Miller. Brown was strong leading the opening circuit before Schatz flew underneath the FVP No.21 to lead lap two.
Rico Abreu brought out the lone yellow flag of the Feature on lap six. On the ensuing restart, Brown muscled his way back by Schatz to lead laps seven and eight before Schatz overtook him once again to lead lap nine and the rest of the way, despite challenges from Haudenschild and Sweet.
“We slowed down in traffic a lot,” Schatz said in Victory Lane. “We thought we had a solid car in the Dash, but this is the time to learn,” said the driver who won four of five Features at DIRTcar Nationals. “Sometimes you win some you shouldn’t, I think we were lucky we started up front,” a humble Schatz added before being awarded his first ever Big Gator trophy.
Friday night’s Feature winner Sheldon Haudenschild worked forward from his 13th starting spot into the top three on lap 12 and moved by Brown into second on lap 16. Haudenschild, who is in his first year with the Stenhouse Jr. – Marshall Racing No.17, brought the capacity crowd to their feet as he closed in on the Tony Stewart Racing No.15 but couldn’t pull the trigger.
“Catching Donny Schatz and passing Donny Schatz are two completely different things,” Sheldon said with a smile. While Sheldon had his eyes set on the No.15, Brad Sweet powered his NAPA Racing No.49 around the cushion, eventually overtaking Sheldon in turn two with five laps remaining.
Sweet closed on Schatz, but was never able to mount a series charge and settled for second - his fourth podium in five nights. “My guys worked hard all week and we are still chasing the 15. He makes us better though and we’ll take second,” Sweet said.
Jason Johnson finished his strong week with a fourth-place finish and 15th-starting Chad Kemenah completed the top five. Haudenschild picked up KSE Hard Charger honors advancing 10 positions.
That completes the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series portion of the 47th Annual DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. The Outlaws return to action in two weeks in Texas at the Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, TX on Friday, February 23, 2018 and then LoneStar Speedway in Kilgore, TX the following night Saturday, February 24. If you can’t make it to the track, you can catch all the action live on DIRTVision.com!
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [9][$5,500]; 3. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [13][$3,200]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$2,800]; 5. 10H-Chad Kemenah [15][$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$2,300]; 7. 21-Brian Brown [1][$2,200]; 8. 13X-Paul McMahan [6][$2,100]; 9. 5-David Gravel [18][$2,050]; 10. 4-Parker Price-Miller [2][$2,000]; 11. 49X-Tim Shaffer [16][$1,500]; 12. 27-Greg Hodnett [8][$1,200]; 13. 11K-Kraig Kinser [22][$1,100]; 14. 18-Ian Madsen [14][$1,050]; 15. 26-Joey Saldana [11][$1,000]; 16. 2M-Kerry Madsen [20][$900]; 17. 9-Daryn Pittman [25][$]; 18. 1K-Kyle Larson [10][$800]; 19. 7S-Jason Sides [17][$800]; 20. 1S-Logan Schuchart [21][$800]; 21. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [24][$800]; 22. 70-Dave Blaney [12][$800]; 23. W20-Greg Wilson [26][$]; 24. 44-Trey Starks [19][$800]; 25. 24-Rico Abreu [7][$800]; 26. 1A-Jacob Allen [23][$800]; 27. 13-Clyde Knipp [27][$] Lap Leaders Brian Brown 1, 7-8 Donny Schatz 2-6, 9-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[+10]
Qualifying: 1. 13X-Paul McMahan, 13.058; 2. 21-Brian Brown, 13.083; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.198; 4. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.22; 5. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.238; 6. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 13.268; 7. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.29; 8. 27-Greg Hodnett, 13.348; 9. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.349; 10. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.367; 11. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.428; 12. 70-Dave Blaney, 13.44; 13. 44-Trey Starks, 13.458; 14. 26-Joey Saldana, 13.471; 15. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.529; 16. 1K-Kyle Larson, 13.577; 17. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.598; 18. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.635; 19. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.638; 20. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 13.644; 21. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.648; 22. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 13.664; 23. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.681; 24. 5-David Gravel, 13.698; 25. 19-Brent Marks, 13.749; 26. OO-Dane Lorenc, 13.799; 27. 83-Cory Eliason, 13.815; 28. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.84; 29. 30-CJ Leary, 13.965; 30. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.093; 31. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.220
Donny Schatz outduels Jason Johnson for 250th Career WoO victory
BARBERVILLE, FL – February 10, 2018 – Clearly, Donny Schatz has a flair for the dramatic in 2018. After sweeping All-Stars competition with a pair of thrilling victories, Schatz excited the DIRTcar Nationals standing room only crowd once again Saturday night, exchanging slide jobs with Jason Johnson en route to his 250th World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature victory. Johnson settled for second with Tim Shaffer, who rebounded from a nasty crash last night, completing the podium.
Johnson won the Craftsman Club Dash and set a torrid pace from the drop of the green. Paul McMahan and Tim Shaffer continued their fantastic battle from the Dash and went side-by-side for multiple laps battling for the runner-up position. That battle allowed Schatz to close in from his sixth position.
By the halfway point, Shaffer had established the position and Schatz had worked into third. Johnson continued to lead, maneuvering lapped traffic at a rapid pace. A lap 17 yellow for 2018 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender Parker Price-Miller cleared Johnson from the heavy traffic but allowed Schatz to restart on his bumper.
On the restart, Schatz quickly disposed of Shaffer and set his eyes on the Eunice, LA native. Johnson was able to keep Schatz at bay in clean air, but in traffic Schatz narrowed the gap quickly.
With three laps to go, Schatz engaged Johnson with a big slider arousing the huge DIRTcar Nationals crowd. Johnson turned back underneath the nine-time Series Champion, but Schatz prevailed to lead the white flag lap and never look back.
“That is what we live for,” Schatz said in reference of the slide job exchange with Johnson. “It had my heart pumping,” Donny added before asking the crowd if they enjoyed the show. “Good. Come back tomorrow, it will be even better.”
Johnson, despite leading 28 laps, was in good spirits, “I hesitated too long in traffic and Donny never hesitates. He is one of the toughest in the business,” Johnson said before praising his crew for their efforts.
Tim Shaffer and the Demyan-Rudzik Racing, who will follow the World of Outlaws through the entire month of March, put together a new car after flipping last night and Shaffer cited the quick turnaround was a part of racing. 10th-starting Brad Sweet and 18th-starting David Gravel had strong runs to complete the top five. Last night's winner, Sheldon Haudenschild picked up KSE Hard Charger honors coming from 21st to seventh.
Schatz’ victory extends his DIRTcar Nationals points lead to a monumental margin heading into the final night of Sprint Car racing at Volusia Sunday evening. As always, if you cannot make it to the track, watch live on DIRTVision.com.
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [6][$10,000]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$5,500]; 3. 49X-Tim Shaffer [2][$3,200]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [10][$2,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [18][$2,500]; 6. 2M-Kerry Madsen [4][$2,300]; 7. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [21][$2,200]; 8. 10H-Chad Kemenah [12][$2,100]; 9. 13X-Paul McMahan [3][$2,050]; 10. 2-Shane Stewart [8][$2,000]; 11. 26-Joey Saldana [22][$1,500]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$1,200]; 13. 9-Daryn Pittman [11][$1,100]; 14. 19-Brent Marks [14][$1,050]; 15. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [20][$1,000]; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser [19][$900]; 17. 83-Cory Eliason [24][$800]; 18. 70-Dave Blaney [9][$800]; 19. 4K-Kasey Kahne [13][$800]; 20. 7S-Jason Sides [23][$800]; 21. 44-Trey Starks [17][$800]; 22. W20-Greg Wilson [25][$]; 23. 4-Parker Price-Miller [15][$800]; 24. 27-Greg Hodnett [16][$800]; 25. 13-Clyde Knipp [26][$]; 26. 21-Brian Brown [7][$800] Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-28, Donny Schatz 29-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[+14]
Qualifying: 1. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.959; 2. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 13.037; 3. 21-Brian Brown, 13.038; 4. 13X-Paul McMahan, 13.058; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 13.061; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.09; 7. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.113; 8. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.114; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.155; 10. 5-David Gravel, 13.16; 11. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 13.164; 12. 27-Greg Hodnett, 13.173; 13. 70-Dave Blaney, 13.186; 14. 19-Brent Marks, 13.188; 15. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.209; 16. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.223; 17. 4K-Kasey Kahne, 13.275; 18. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.278; 19. 83-Cory Eliason, 13.284; 20. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.31; 21. 44-Trey Starks, 13.31; 22. 26-Joey Saldana, 13.322; 23. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.329; 24. 7K-Cale Conley, 13.345; 25. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.363; 26. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.372; 27. OO-Dane Lorenc, 13.437; 28. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.438; 29. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.472; 30. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.474; 31. 30-CJ Leary, 13.481; 32. 17C-Caleb Helms, 13.684; 33. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.702
Sheldon Haudenschild scores first career WoO win
BARBERVILLE, FL - February 9, 2018 - Sheldon Haudenschild passed race-long leader Paul McMahan on a Lap 27 restart to win his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature in thrilling fashion at the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. Haudenschild, in his first Outlaw start with the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing No.17, assumed the runner-up position with three laps remaining after Ian Madsen caught the rut in turn one and landed on his side. The 2017 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year muscled his way underneath McMahan, who was nursing a flat tire, on the restart and never looked back for a popular victory in front of the standing room only crowd. McMahan held on for second with Shane Stewart completing the podium.
McMahan won the Craftsman Club Dash, earning him the pole on the opening night of the 2018 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series 40th Anniversary Season alongside Madsen. McMahan, in search of his first Outlaw win since 2015, was strong all night and led the opening lap before a Red Flag for David Gravel and Tim Shaffer halted the action. Gravel and Shaffer were both uninjured, but the accident scene took some time to clean up, providing the first Open Red of the 2018 Season.
When action resumed, McMahan continued to show the way in his new ride for 2018, the Tom Buch 13. McMahan navigated traffic masterfully and survived another restart with 11 to go as Madsen threatened to take the lead.
With three laps remaining Madsen bounced hard in the looming rut in turn one and lost the handle of the KCP Racing No.18. That was all that Sheldon Haudenschild needed. Haudenschild pounced on McMahan down the backstretch, overtook the veteran and went on to win by 1.418 seconds.
“That was the plan. I saw [McMahan] had a tire going down. I wanted to square the car up and get underneath him on the backstretch,” an elated Haudenschild said in Victory Lane. “This team works incredibly hard. I can’t thank Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall and NOS Energy enough,” Sheldon added.
Obviously disappointed, McMahan also referenced his flat tire but credited Haudenschild for driving a great race. Stewart, who failed to qualify for last night’s All-Star Feature, was pleased with his team’s rebound effort. “I’ll take a podium finish on the first night. That is way better than we have been here in the past,” Stewart said with a smile.
Donny Schatz maintained his DIRTcar Nationals points lead coming from 14th to fourth with California’s Cory Eliason coming home an impressive fifth.
A DIRTcar Nationals event high 35 cars signed into action with Logan Schuchart setting fast time with a blistering lap of 12.975. Brent Marks scored the KSE Hard Charger Award coming from 25th to finish in the top ten.
Action resumes tomorrow at the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. As always, you can catch all the action from DIRTcar Nationals and the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series 40th Anniversary Season on DIRTVision.com.
Abbreviated Results from Volusia Speedway Park - February 9, 2018
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [6][$10,000]; 2. 13X-Paul McMahan [1][$5,500]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$3,200]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [14][$2,800]; 5. 83-Cory Eliason [10][$2,500]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu [4][$2,300]; 7. 41-Jason Johnson [18][$2,200]; 8. 2M-Kerry Madsen [12][$2,100]; 9. 27-Greg Hodnett [21][$2,050]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [25][$1,200]; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3][$1,500]; 12. 9-Daryn Pittman [15][$1,200]; 13. 21-Brian Brown [11][$1,100]; 14. 49-Brad Sweet [19][$1,050]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17][$1,000]; 16. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [24][$900]; 17. 4-Parker Price-Miller [7][$800]; 18. 7S-Jason Sides [23][$800]; 19. 7K-Cale Conley [16][$800]; 20. W20-Greg Wilson [26][$]; 21. 4K-Kasey Kahne [13][$800]; 22. 18-Ian Madsen [2][$800]; 23. 70-Dave Blaney [20][$800]; 24. 5-David Gravel [8][$800]; 25. 49X-Tim Shaffer [9][$800]; 26. 1A-Jacob Allen [22][$800] Lap Leaders: Paul McMahan 1-28, Sheldon Haudenschild 29-30 KSE Hard Charger Award: 19-Brent Marks[+15]
Qualifying: 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.975; 2. 83-Cory Eliason, 12.98; 3. 21-Brian Brown, 12.993; 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.041; 5. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.054; 6. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 13.059; 7. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.069; 8. 13X-Paul McMahan, 13.072; 9. 4K-Kasey Kahne, 13.075; 10. 27-Greg Hodnett, 13.163; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.166; 12. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 13.183; 13. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 13.241; 14. 5-David Gravel, 13.271; 15. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.276; 16. 7K-Cale Conley, 13.285; 17. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.312; 18. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.317; 19. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.319; 20. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.362; 21. 30-CJ Leary, 13.382; 22. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.417; 23. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.449; 24. 70-Dave Blaney, 13.472; 25. 19-Brent Marks, 13.522; 26. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.523; 27. 26-Joey Saldana, 13.602; 28. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.603; 29. 48-Danny Dietrich, 13.645; 30. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.665; 31. 44-Trey Starks, 13.673; 32. OO-Dane Lorenc, 13.71; 33. 17C-Caleb Helms, 13.837; 34. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.858; 35. 40-George Hobaugh, 14.249
Gravel Thrills Sellout World Finals Crowd with Last Lap Pass on Schatz
Charlotte, NC - November 4, 2017 – David Gravel couldn’t clear Donny Schatz with seven to go, but would not be denied, scoring the victory in a thriller with a last-lap pass of Schatz. It was Gravel and CJB Motorsports 18th World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win of the season, doubling their total from last season. Schatz and Brian Brown completed the podium on the final night of the Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Ryan Smith led the opening lap of the 30-lap Feature, before Brian Brown took control on lap two with a slide job. Brad Sweet brought out the first of a handful of cautions on lap two, as he faced backwards in turn two.
Schatz worked by Smith for second on the ensuing restart before another caution on lap four halted competition. Schatz was strong on the restart once again, this time sliding Brown for the top spot to lead lap five.
Lap five saw a scary incident in turn two with Jason Johnson, Shane Stewart, Greg Hodnett, Sheldon and Jac Haudenschild creating a pileup and bringing out an #OpenRed with 25 to go. All drivers were okay.
On the restart, Brown kept pace with Schatz as the duo reached traffic before the final caution of the event flew; this time for Kraig Kinser with 14 laps to go. Gravel pounced on the restart, with a big slider on Brown to claim second as he begun to chase down Schatz with 10 laps remaining.
With seven to go, Gravel and Schatz exchanged sliders with the latter maintaining the advantage at the line. With five to go, Gravel pounded the cushion to try and get one more shot at the Series Champion. He got his shot and he took advantage of it. The Watertown, Connecticut driver brought the sold-out Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals crowd to their feet with a thrilling last-lap pass to score the victory.
“That was a blast. I hope this crowd enjoyed it,” an elated Gravel said in Victory Lane. “Barry Jackson, Derek and Zach give me an awesome car every night. It’s been a badass year,” Gravel, who will return to CJB Motorsports in 2018, added.
While Gravel may have won the battle, Schatz won the war – again. “It’s been a great year. This race team is phenomenal. We are top three seemingly every night and the car does not drop out of races,” Schatz said after the race. After being awarded the Championship hardware for the ninth time in his career and asked about how long he can enjoy this title he said, “You enjoy it. But as long as you’re an active race car driver, you continue to put it in the back of your mind.”
Brian Brown completed the podium and put it simply, “We got beat by two of the best drivers in the world.”
Kerry Madsen, a five-time World of Outlaws winner this season, finished fourth with 2017 IRA Champion, Bill Balog completing the top five.
Logan Schuchart started 22nd and made it to sixth to earn KSE Hard Charger honors. Daryn Pittman, Cole Duncan, Brent Marks and Smith completed the top ten.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Banquet is Sunday, November 5 and puts the bowtie on the end of what was a fantastic 2017 season. The offseason is much needed but soon enough, it will be time to go racing once again in Florida. Stay tuned to all World of Outlaws social media channels for breaking news on 2018 drivers, the schedule and much more.
Feature (30 Laps) 1. 5-David Gravel [5][$12,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$5,500]; 3. 21-Brian Brown [1][$3,200]; 4. 2M-Kerry Madsen [7][$2,800]; 5. 17B-Bill Balog [6][$2,500]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [22][$2,300]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$2,200]; 8. 12N-Cole Duncan [9][$2,100]; 9. 19-Brent Marks [14][$2,050]; 10. 59-Ryan Smith [2][$2,000]; 11. 49-Brad Sweet [17][$1,500]; 12. 44-Trey Starks [12][$1,200]; 13. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [21][$1,100]; 14. 2-Shane Stewart [19][$1,050]; 15. 15H-Sam Hafertepe [23][$1,000]; 16. W20-Greg Wilson [28][$]; 17. 7S-Jason Sides [26][$]; 18. 19P-Paige Polyak [15][$1,000]; 19. 13M-Paul McMahan [8][$1,000]; 20. 18-Ian Madsen [11][$1,000]; 21. 4-Parker Price-Miller [27][$]; 22. 11K-Kraig Kinser [25][$]; 23. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$1,000]; 24. 71-Joey Saldana [10][$1,000]; 25. 41-Jason Johnson [18][$1,000]; 26. 27-Greg Hodnett [13][$1,000]; 27. 71M-Dave Blaney [24][$1,000]; 28. 17-Jac Haudenschild [20][$1,000]; Lap Leaders: Ryan Smith 1, Brian Brown 2-4, Donny Schatz 5-29, David Gravel 30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+16]
Schatz Reaches 20-Win Plateau for Fifth Straight Year with Win at Textron Off Road World Finals
CHARLOTTE, NC – November 3, 2017 – No matter who is in the pits, it’s tough to bet against Donny Schatz. That proved true on Night Two of the Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as Schatz bested a stout field of 53 cars from across the world to win his 20th World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature of 2017. Ian Madsen and 10th-starting Dave Blaney completed the podium.
The 2017 IRA Champion, Bill Balog, grabbed the early lead from fellow front row starter, Ian Madsen. Balog, a one-time World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Winner in his career, led the first nine laps of the Feature before extremely heavy lapped traffic slowed his torrid pace. Balog was stalked by the Madsen Brothers in the early going, but it was Donny Schatz that made a three-wide pass for the lead down the backstretch to lead lap 10.
As Balog went high to navigate the lapped cars, Schatz made a jaw-dropping move. The, now nine-time, Series Champion glued his car to the bottom to work by Balog, Kerry Madsen and the lapped car of Parker Price-Miller off of turn two for the lead.
Lap 11 saw a pair of World of Outlaws young guns, Sheldon Haudenschild and David Gravel, succumb to flat right rear tires. Gravel was running third at the time of the misfortune.
The ensuing restart saw Ian Madsen maneuver his way back into the runner-up position. The Australian actually closed significantly on Schatz for the lead, coming as close as a car-length back of the Tony Stewart Racing No. 15.
With six laps remaining, Daryn Pittman’s top five run came to an end due to a flat tire. This set up a double-file restart with Ian to the outside of Schatz. Schatz got a brilliant restart and paced the field comfortably the final six circuits to score the victory.
The first thing Schatz mentioned in Victory Lane was the outstanding World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Feature that was held beforehand. “That [Feature] was pretty cool to watch. It got me motivated to get it done as well,” Schatz, who is doing double-duty this weekend, said.
“My team has worked awful hard lately. We’ve been stuck on 19 wins for a long time, so it was great to finally reach 20. It sucks the season is over, because we are rolling right now,” Schatz added. Tonight’s win marked the fifth consecutive season that Schatz has won at least 20 Features.
Ian Madsen, the 2017 Knoxville Raceway Track Champion, finished second with 1995 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Champion, Dave Blaney coming from 10th to complete the podium.
“It’s pretty cool to be able to run up front with these guys. I thought we had a shot for the lead a couple of times. It was a lot of fun out there,” Madsen said. Schatz echoed Madsen’s statement about the track conditions, “I thought the track would rubber up, but it really cleaned off and made it a lot of fun as a driver.”
Blaney cited restarts being a focal point to his success on the evening. “The car really took off on the starts and restarts. Going forward in the Heat Races is very important with this format,” the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Member said.
Kerry Madsen and Joey Saldana completed the top five. Balog, 20th-starting Logan Schuchart, Jason Johnson, 25th-starting Brad Sweet and Tim Shaffer completed the top ten. Sweet’s effort was good enough to earn KSE Hard Charger Honors.
The 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series concludes tomorrow with the finale of the Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway. If you can’t make it to the track, be sure to tune in to DIRTVision.com for LIVE VIDEO of all the action
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$12,000]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [1][$5,500]; 3. 71M-Dave Blaney [10][$3,200]; 4. 2M-Kerry Madsen [4][$2,800]; 5. 71-Joey Saldana [5][$2,500]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog [2][$2,300]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart [20][$2,200]; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [12][$2,100]; 9. 49-Brad Sweet [25][$1,050]; 10. 49X-Tim Shaffer [9][$2,000]; 11. 13M-Paul McMahan [11][$1,500]; 12. 21-Brian Brown [19][$1,200]; 13. 12N-Cole Duncan [23][$1,100]; 14. 2-Shane Stewart [15][$1,050]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [28][$]; 16. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [26][$]; 17. 5-David Gravel [7][$1,000]; 18. 3-Sammy Swindell [16][$1,000]; 19. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [6][$1,000]; 20. 17-Jac Haudenschild [29][$]; 21. 14-Tony Stewart [18][$1,000]; 22. 9-Daryn Pittman [8][$1,000]; 23. 44-Trey Starks [13][$1,000]; 24. 11K-Kraig Kinser [24][$1,000]; 25. 24-Terry McCarl [14][$1,000]; 26. 19-Brent Marks [27][$]; 27. 59-Ryan Smith [22][$1,000]; 28. 4-Parker Price-Miller [30][$]; 29. 15H-Sam Hafertepe [21][$1,000]; 30. W20-Greg Wilson [17][$1,000]; Lap Leaders: Bill Balog 1-9, Donny Schatz 10-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 49-Brad Sweet[+16]
Gravel, Starks Claim Top Qualifying Honors on Opening Night of World Finals; Schatz Clinches 2017 Title
CHARLOTTE, NC – November 2, 2017 – David Gravel and Trey Starks topped Friday and Saturday Qualifying, respectively, but it was Donny Schatz stealing the show on the opening night of the Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Schatz clinched his ninth World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Championship by taking the Green Flag in Hot Laps.
In true The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway fashion, the track surface held its condition throughout the evening. David Gravel set fast-time for Friday’s program with a lap of 12.530, over two hours and thousands of laps later, Trey Starks set fast-time for Saturday’s program with a lap of 12.606; a true accolade to The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway track preparation crew. Additionally, Starks was the second to last car, out of the 52 sprint cars signed in, to take time for Saturday’s program.
“It’s really nice to see the track didn’t change with all the laps put on it. As a driver, especially when you don’t draw well, that’s all you can ask for. The track being equal for everyone is a big key when you have a big car count,” Starks, who was fourth quick in Friday’s program, said following his Saturday fast-time effort.
“Fast time is obviously how you want to start any night. Hopefully we can park this CJB Motorsports on the frontstretch a couple of times this weekend,” Gravel, who was also third quick in Saturday’s program, said.
Daryn Pittman had a strong evening, setting fast time in Flight B for Friday’s program as well as going second quick for Saturday’s program. 2018 IRA Champion, Bill Balog cashed in with a pair of third place Qualifying runs.
Additionally, Joey Saldana, Kerry Madsen and Paul McMahan all set themselves up nicely with front row Heat Race positions for both nights. McMahan is making his first starts of the season in the Tom Buch owned No.13.
As for Donny Schatz, all the North Dakota native needed to do was take the Green in hot laps to clinch his ninth Series Championship. Schatz did more than just that, securing second quick for both programs this weekend. Schatz will seek his 20th win of the season this weekend at the Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Racing action for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series begins at the Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals tomorrow evening. You can catch all the action LIVE on DIRTVision.com; don’t miss a second of the action.
Outlaw Boot Hill Showdown at Dodge City Raceway Park Cancelled
CONCORD, NC — The arrival of Winter and the frigid northern cold blast has prompted an early cancellation of this weekend’s World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Outlaw Boot Hill Showdown at Dodge City Raceway Park.
“The Outlaw Boot Hill Showdown is traditionally an outstanding event that everyone looks forward to attending, however, in the best interest of the fans and racers that we have decided to cancel this weekend’s event at Dodge City Raceway Park,” said Series Director Carlton Reimers.
Track and Series officials are working together to determine a 2018 date for the Outlaw Boot Hill Showdown at Dodge City Raceway Park. Stay tuned to the World of Outlaws website and social media for future announcements of the Outlaw Boot Hill Showdown 2018 date.
All advanced tickets purchases will be honored at the 2018 date when announced. Ticket holders may request a refund by mailing their ticket stub back to World Racing Group office 7575 W Winds Blvd NW D, Concord, NC 28027 for a refund; refunds will not be issued at the track.
Dodge City Raceway Park has concluded the 2017 season.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series heads to The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the final weekend of the 2017 season. The most prestigious dirt racing event in the country, the Textron Off Road World Finals returns Nov. 2-4 for three days of heart-pounding, clay-slinging action on the lightning-fast, four-tenths mile oval. The Textron Off Road World Finals brings together the top series in the sport — the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series and the Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds — for a full weekend of racing, culminating in the crowning of all three series champions
Kerry Madsen Wins Outstanding Salina Highbanks Feature
SALINA, OK. – October 21, 2017 – Kerry Madsen had over an eight second lead last night at Lakeside Speedway before spinning in heavy lapped traffic. Tonight, the ‘Mad Man’ made sure he parked his GoMuddy.com No.2M where it belonged – on the frontstretch. In thrilling fashion, Madsen went from third to the lead in half a lap and went on to win his fifth World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature of the season. Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet completed the podium at the Salina Highbanks Speedway.
With severe weather looming in the area, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series was in a race against Mother Nature all night. David Gravel won the Craftsman Club Dash, but blew up coming to the checkered. Gravel and his CJB Motorsports No.5 scrambled to swap motors before the Feature and did so successfully.
Gravel edged fellow front row starter Brad Sweet down the backstretch on the opening lap. Sweet went for the lead with a slide job into turn three and made contact with Gravel at the exit of turn four, ending the CJB No.5’s evening.
“We were racing for inches at 130MPH and neither of us gave an inch,” Gravel said post-race in regard to the incident. “There just wasn’t enough room.”
Sweet survived the incident unscathed and led the field back to Green. Sweet pounded the cushion through lapped traffic as Kerry Madsen and Shane Stewart waged war for second.
At the halfway point, Sweet was in heavy lapped traffic and Stewart had wrestled second from Madsen. Sweet split two lapped cars on lap 19 and had a straightaway of clear track ahead of him.
By this point, the Salina Highbanks crowd was on their feet and with good reason as there were cars all over the racing surface throwing slide jobs in every corner.
On lap 24, Kerry Madsen used a big run down the backstretch to get back by Stewart for second and then threw a huge slider on Sweet to take the lead down the frontstretch. Sweet tried to return the favor as Donny Schatz stuck himself in the mix as well. A blanket could have been thrown over the top four, as they battled for the race lead.
Race action was halted on lap 28 when RJ Johnson took a vicious crash into the frontstretch guardrail. Johnson was uninjured in the incident and walked away under his own power.
The Red Flag allowed fans and drivers alike to catch their breath and set up a single-file restart with two to go.
Madsen powered away on the restart and went on to score the victory. “We gave one away last night,” the Australian said. “I’m glad I was able to put this car where it belongs. It is an absolute joy to drive every night.”
“Salina is always exciting and I thought that was pretty exciting. I hope the fans did as well,” Madsen added.
Schatz settled for second with Sweet completing the podium. “It’s tough with a single-file restart with two to go, you almost are just hoping to hang on for second,” Schatz said. “We’ll come back and try and pick up a pair of wins next weekend.”
Sweet led the first 23 laps and was understandably a little disappointed. “I was surprised I hit him. I was expecting him to turn back underneath me,” he said in reference to the lap one incident with Gravel. “I’ll have to go back and watch it.”
Shane Stewart and Jason Johnson completed the top five.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action next weekend at the Dodge City Raceway Park before wrapping up the 2017 season at the Textron Offroad World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen [2][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [5][$5,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [1][$3,200]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [4][$2,800]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$2,500]; 6. 18-Ian Madsen [9][$2,300]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6][$2,200]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [7][$2,100]; 9. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8][$2,050]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [13][$2,000]; 11. 99-Brady Bacon [11][$1,500]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [12][$1,200]; 13. W20-Greg Wilson [16][$1,100]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [19][$1,050]; 15. 4-Parker Price-Miller [15][$1,000]; 16. 13-Clyde Knipp [18][$900]; 17. 17B-Ryan Bickett [20][$800]; 18. 71A-R.J. Johnson [14][$800]; 19. 17-Jac Haudenschild [10][$800]; 20. 1P-Curtis Evans [21][$800]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [17][$800]; 22. 5-David Gravel [22][$800]; 23. 3-Sammy Swindell [23][$800] Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-22, Kerry Madsen 23-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 11K-Kraig Kinser[+5]
Brian Brown Thrills Hometown Crowd with Outlaw Win at Lakeside
KANSAS CITY, KS – October 20, 2017 – Brian Brown led the first seven laps before Kerry Madsen took command on the eighth circuit. Brown inherited the lead with 10 to go after Madsen got spun around in lapped traffic. ‘BlackJack’ went on to score a popular hometown win in the FVP Platinum Battery Shootout at the Lakeside Speedway. Sheldon Haudenschild and 12th starting Donny Schatz completed the podium.
Brown, who is sponsored by FVP, passed Brent Marks in his Heat Race to score the victory and came from third to win the Craftsman Club Dash to earn the pole of the FVP Platinum Battery Shootout.
Brown survived multiple slide job attempts from both Jac and Sheldon Haudenschild to maintain the early lead as he reached traffic on lap six. By lap eight, Kerry Madsen had worked his way forward from his fifth starting position, surpassed both Haudenschild’s and swooped underneath Brown for the lead.
Madsen, who has four World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series wins to his credit this season, clearly established himself as the car to beat once he took command. While Madsen stretched his lead, complete mayhem took place behind him with drivers utilizing all the real estate Lakeside Speedway had to offer. Sheldon Haudenschild and Brown continued their battle for the runner-up position, exchanging the spot multiple times.
Madsen was well on his way to scoring his fifth Outlaw win of the season before disaster struck on lap 20. Madsen got turned around in turn three and ended up with a flat right rear tire. At the time of the accident, Madsen had seven lapped cars and over 8.5 seconds in between himself and the rest of the field.
The see-saw battle between Sheldon and Brown saw the latter assume the lead on lap 20. On the ensuing restart, Schatz and Sheldon waged war for the runner-up position allowing Brown to extend his lead. Brown wouldn’t relinquish the lead twice on one night as he was masterful in lapped traffic the last few laps en route to the popular victory.
“My guys did a phenomenal job. These Outlaw races are so tough to win. You can feel the pressure in lapped traffic,” a jubilant Brown said in Victory Lane.
“I’ve won with the Outlaws in Arizona and North Carolina so I’ve never really been able to celebrate. To do it here, with all the FVP guys in attendance – we’ll celebrate with a few beers tonight,” the Grain Valley, Missouri native said to a big ovation from the crowd.
Sheldon, who remains the leading contender for Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, settled for second once again as he continues to knock on the door of his first career win with the Series. Schatz, Jason Johnson and Kerry Madsen, with a remarkable comeback completed the top five.
Madsen restarted 14th with ten laps to go and showed the same speed he had while leading, sliding his way forward back to fifth at the finish line.
After the race, Madsen was in good spirits, “Obviously it’s a huge disappointment when you have a car that good, but that’s racing. We’ll try again next time.”
Sheldon cited the great racing between he and Brown, although most of it was when they were battling for second. “We had some really good racing going on back there. I threw a couple of good sliders in the middle of the race but could never make it stick,” Sheldon said. He then added with a smile, “The track was absolutely perfect.”
Shane Stewart, David Gravel, Brad Sweet, Daryn Pittman and 21st-starting Logan Schuchart, who earned KSE Hard Charger honors, completed the top ten.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series is in action Saturday night, October 21, at the Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Oklahoma. If you can’t make it to the track, DIRTVision.com will have live video coverage of The Greatest Show on Dirt from the high banks of Salina. For more information on Saturday’s event at the Salina Highbanks, click here.
Feature: (30 Laps) 1. 21-Brian Brown [1][$10,000]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4][$5,500]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [12][$3,200]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$2,800]; 5. 2M-Kerry Madsen [5][$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [2][$2,300]; 7. 5-David Gravel [11][$2,200]; 8. 49-Brad Sweet [9][$2,100]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [7][$2,050]; 10. 1S-Logan Schuchart [21][$2,000]; 11. 18-Ian Madsen [17][$1,500]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [8][$1,200]; 13. 99-Brady Bacon [13][$1,100]; 14. 17-Jac Haudenschild [3][$1,050]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [16][$1,000]; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser [15][$900]; 17. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [22][$800]; 18. 82-Dusty Zomer [10][$800]; 19. 4-Parker Price-Miller [23][$800]; 20. W20-Greg Wilson [25][$]; 21. 55-Brooke Tatnell [18][$800]; 22. 3-Sammy Swindell [19][$800]; 23. 14-Tony Stewart [14][$800]; 24. 12-Lynton Jeffrey [20][$800]; 25. 1A-Jacob Allen [24][$800]; 26. 13-Clyde Knipp [26][$]: Lap Leaders: Brian Brown 1-7, 21-30; Kerry Madsen 8-20KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+11]
Tim Shaffer Goes Flag-to-Flag at Ransomville
RANSOMVILLE, New York – October 16, 2017 - The ‘Steel City Outlaw’ Tim Shaffer led flag-to-flag in the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series first visit to the Ransomville Speedway in 20 years. Shaffer fell off the narrow frontstretch in lapped traffic with two to go, but was able to corral his No. 49X and pilot it to his second World of Outlaws Feature win of the year. Brad Sweet and Shane Stewart completed the podium at ‘The Big R Outlaw Shootout’ presented by Budweiser.
The Craftsman Club Dash inversion was zero lining Shaffer on the pole of the Dash, which he would win to earn the pole of the 30-lap Feature.
Shaffer reached lapped traffic quickly and was nearly taken out by a spinning Dane Lorenc on lap eight. “I have no idea how we missed the 00,” was the first thing Shaffer mentioned after the race.
Sheldon Haudenschild brought out the only other caution on lap ten, as he was battling inside the top ten before a broken front axle sidelined the No.93.
Shaffer was untouchable in open air and had a commanding lead with ten to go with Brad Sweet and David Gravel waiting for lapped traffic to make their move in on the ‘Steel City Outlaw’. With three to go, Shaffer had to slow his pace significantly with a hoard of lapped cars battling for position in front him. Shaffer actually slipped off the frontstretch into the small moat with three to go, allowing Sweet and Gravel to close in. Shaffer recovered quickly and went to claim the win .581 seconds in front of Sweet.
“I thought I was in trouble when I slid off, but here we are,” the Aliquippa, Pennsylvania native said. Quite possibly the most remarkable feat of the victory was it was just Tim and his crew chief, Cody Jacobs, tonight at Ransomville. “Hats off to Cody, he gave me a great race car that was a lot of fun to drive,” Shaffer said sincerely in Victory Lane.
It was Shaffer’s second World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win in the past month as he scored a victory at Eldora in late September. Shaffer hinted that he and his Demyan-Rudzik Racing No.49X may head West with the Series to Kansas next week.
Sweet settled for second “My one shot was when Tim went off the edge. I’d like to do that lap over again,” the Grass Valley, California native cited. “It’s nice to be on the podium, we’ll keep pushing to get some wins,” Sweet added.
David Gravel blew a tire running third, coming to the checkered, allowing Shane Stewart to inherit the final podium spot. “Lately, I’ve been the one blowing tires,” Stewart said with a smile as he expressed his condolences to Gravel. “I’m thankful to be here, we’ll settle for third and move forward,” Stewart added.
Donny Schatz finished fourth with Gravel limping the CJB Motorsports No.5 to the finish to complete the top five.
Schatz set fast time over the 32-car field in qualifying at a 12.629 easily establishing a new Ransomville Track Record. The previous track record was 14.360 set by Mark Kinser back in 1997.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series schedule is winding down, as the Series makes one final trek West to compete at the Lakeside Speedway Friday October 20 and the Salina Highbanks Speedway the following night. After that, The Greatest Show on Dirt has two dates at the Dodge City Raceway Park on October 27-28 before heading to The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the World of Outlaws World Finals on November 2-4.
Feature (30 laps): 1. 49X-Tim Shaffer [2][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1][$5,500]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3][$3,200]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [5][$2,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [4][$2,500]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [6][$2,300]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [7][$2,200]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [8][$2,100]; 9. 17-Jac Haudenschild [17][$2,050]; 10. 41-Jason Johnson [15][$2,000]; 11. 4-Parker Price-Miller [10][$1,500]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [14][$1,200]; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart [13][$1,100]; 14. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [9][$1,050]; 15. 1A-Jacob Allen [12][$1,000]; 16. 7S-Jason Sides [19][$900]; 17. 10-Paul Colagiovanni [24][$800]; 18. 49K-Scott Kreutter [16][$800]; 19. W20-Greg Wilson [23][$800]; 20. 13-Clyde Knipp [21][$800]; 21. 5B-Justin Barger [20][$800]; 22. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [11][$800]; 23. OO-Dane Lorenc [22][$800]; 24. 19P-Paige Polyak [18][$800]; Lap Leaders: Tim Shaffer 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 17-Jac Haudenschild[+8]
Qualifying: 1. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.629; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.738; 3. 5-David Gravel, 12.877; 4. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.956; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 12.97; 6. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 12.973; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.002; 8. 19-Brent Marks, 13.022; 9. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.057; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.094; 11. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.113; 12. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.185; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.193; 14. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.216; 15. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.262; 16. 49K-Scott Kreutter, 13.264; 17. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 13.267; 18. 19P-Paige Polyak, 13.273; 19. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.342; 20. 5R-Tyler Ross, 13.432; 21. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.462; 22. OO-Dane Lorenc, 13.524; 23. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.562; 24. 5B-Justin Barger, 13.575; 25. 19JK-Joe Kubiniec, 13.801; 26. 10-Paul Colagiovanni, 13.814; 27. 18X-Ryan Susice, 13.927; 28. 7K-Dan Shetler, 14; 29. 98-Joeseph Trenca, 14.165; 30. 36-Matt Billings, 14.413; 31. 58-Joe Lockhart, 14.54; 32. 54J-Scott Just, 14.654
Donny Schatz Downs ‘The Posse’ and Claims 19th Win of Season at Port Royal
PORT ROYAL, PA – October 14, 2017 – Donny Schatz passed Port Royal Speedway Track Champion, Brock Zearfoss on lap 18 and survived a late charge from Lance Dewease to extend his points lead atop the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Point Standings and score his 19th win of the season. Dewease and 10th starting Daryn Pittman completed the podium at Port Royal.
The Craftsman Club Dash Inversion was eight, putting Zearfoss on the pole. Zearfoss, who scored his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory back in July at Williams Grove, led all six laps of the Dash to earn the pole of the 30-lap Feature.
Zearfoss edged fellow front row starter, Jason Sides to lead lap one. As Zearfoss extended his lead, Schatz worked by Sides for the runner-up position on lap three. It didn’t take long for the leaders to catch traffic as Zearfoss did so on lap six. The Jonestown, Pennsylvania native was strong in traffic, utilizing the top of the Speedway to clear the first five or so lapped cars. Just as Schatz began cutting into Zearfoss’ lead, last year’s event winner, Logan Schuchart came to a stop with 14 laps complete.
On the ensuing double-file restart, Zearfoss choose the bottom but quickly made his way back to the top of the racing surface. Schatz attempted a pair of sliders in turn one, but Zearfoss never lifted and maintained the lead. On lap 18, Zearfoss went a couple car lengths lower in turns one and two allowing Schatz to get enough momentum down the backstretch and take command going into turn three.
A lap later, Tim Shaffer brought out the yellow with 11 laps remaining with Schatz as your leader. Schatz, who chose the inside for the double-file restart, got a good restart, allowing Lance Dewease to work by Zearfoss for second. As Dewease and Schatz put distance between themselves and the rest of the field, Zearfoss began to fade, eventually bringing out the caution with two to go, out of fuel.
The restart gave Pennsylvania Posse member Lance Dewease one last chance to steal the victory for the hometown crowd. Dewease stayed right on the back bumper of the Tony Stewart Racing No.15 on the restart and brought the crowd to their feet with a slide job into turn one. Schatz stayed on the hammer and powered back in front down the backstretch and went to win by .792 seconds.
When asked about the restart with two go Schatz said, “I knew [Lance] was going to try something. We weren’t the greatest on the start, but once we got up to speed I could move around the racetrack. He races clean. He gave me just enough room to get by. We come here for excitement and that got me excited so I hope it got the crowd into it too.”
Schatz, who is en route to his ninth Series Championship, was pleased to get his first win since the West Coast swing, “We need to get these wins. It seems like it’s been a while. With the season coming to an end, we’ve got to get these wins. It’s good to get one in PA.”
Dewease, who has 106 career Port Royal Speedway victories, was happy with second. “That’s all we had,” he said in regard to the late race restart slider. “[Donny] was really good all night. We’re happy to end the year with a ninth to second run against these guys,” Dewease added.
Before Daryn Pittman could comment on his 10th to third run, he applauded the Port Royal Speedway. “Our guys work really hard on our racecars, so it’s fun to go to tracks that you can see the effort they put into the track. For a driver that only gets here once a year, you see the huge differences and improvements,” Pittman, who spent a handful of years racing as a local in Central Pennsylvania, said.
“With the way we started, we’ll take third,” Pittman, who fell as far back as 11th, said. “Late restarts went our way and some holes opened up. The track was nice and wide for the Feature, the best cars ended up winning and running up front. As a racer, that’s all you can ask for,” the Oklahoma native added.
Schatz echoed the positive statements about the improvements. “This place is incredible. The improvements, the lighting, everything. It’s crazy the amount of work and financial effort Port Royal is putting in. When you come here, you know the parking lot will be full; the pits will be full and you’ll see a race,” the eight-time series Champion said to a nice applause from the Pennsylvania fans.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action in New York Sunday evening at the Weedsport Speedway and again at the Ransomville Speedway Monday night. Both races are makeup rain dates from earlier this year. DIRTVision.com will have live video coverage of all the action from Weedsport Sunday. For more information about the Empire State Challenge at the Weedsport Speedway, click here.
Feature: (30 Laps) 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$10,000]; 2. 69K-Lance Dewease [9][$5,500]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [10][$3,200]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$2,800]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$2,500]; 6. 71M-Dave Blaney [4][$2,300]; 7. 48-Danny Dietrich [8][$2,200]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7][$2,100]; 9. 17-Jac Haudenschild [13][$2,050]; 10. 5-David Gravel [22][$2,000]; 11. 2-Shane Stewart [25][$700]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [21][$1,200]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [14][$1,100]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [11][$1,050]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [2][$1,000]; 16. 20-Ryan Taylor [12][$900]; 17. 11-T.J. Stutts [18][$800]; 18. 19P-Paige Polyak [15][$800]; 19. 14-Tony Stewart [20][$800]; 20. W20-Greg Wilson [17][$800]; 21. 4-Parker Price-Miller [16][$800]; 22. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [1][$800]; 23. 49X-Tim Shaffer [23][$800]; 24. 1S-Logan Schuchart [19][$800]; 25. 39-Cory Haas [24][$800]; 26. 24-Lucas Wolfe [26][$]; Lap Leaders: Brock Zearfoss 1-17, Donny Schatz 18-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 2-Shane Stewart[+14]
David Gravel, CJB Score 17th Win of Season at Fulton
FULTON, NY – October 7, 2017 – David Gravel inherited the lead on lap nine after race leader Daryn Pittman got into the back of a slower car and spun to a stop. Gravel survived a multitude of restarts and held off Jason Johnson and Donny Schatz to score his career-best 17th win of the season for CJB Motorsports at the Fulton Speedway Saturday night in conjunction with NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week.
Daryn Pittman muscled his way from fourth to second in his heat race, setting him up perfectly for the Craftsman Club Dash inversion of four. Pittman outdueled Jac Haudenschild in an entertaining Dash to earn the pole of the 25-lap Feature.
At the drop of the Green, Pittman and fellow front row starter Jason Johnson preferred the bottom line, while David Gravel was banging down the cushion. Pittman had a healthy lead when he reached lapped traffic before disaster struck. Clyde Knipp was trying to pull off the racing surface, got on the brakes and Pittman hit the back of the Knipp and spun to a stop in front of the field off of turn four with eight laps complete. Pittman went to the work area and re-joined the field while Knipp called it a night.
Gravel assumed the lead and battled hard with Johnson on the ensuing restart as Donny Schatz maneuvered his way from his eighth-starting position to third. Another caution flag flew on lap 11 with Scott Kreutter, Parker Price-Miller and Paige Polyak, who qualified for her first ever Craftsman Club Dash earlier in the night, stopped in turn four.
Gravel continued to show the way on restarts and utilized the entire racing surface searching for the fastest way around.
A pair of yellows on lap 21 and 24 gave Johnson and the rest of the field chances to steal the win, to no avail as Gravel took the checkered flag nearly a second in front of Johnson and Schatz.
“The track got so technical. The top was good, then the bottom was good, then I thought the bottom was too slow,” Gravel explained in Victory Lane.
“I ran just about every line you could run tonight,” the driver of the CJB Motorsports No.5 said with a smile.
Greg Wilson charged from 14th to fourth with ‘The Wild Child’ Jac Haudenschild completing the top five. World of Outlaws Rookie Brent Marks had a strong night coming home sixth with 13th-starting Kraig Kinser finishing seventh.
Jason Johnson was pleased with his team’s runner-up efforts. “We gave it our best shot tonight. I did my best to race clean and hard and finishing between [Gravel and Schatz] is an accomplishment in itself,” Johnson said.
Brad Sweet, 22nd-starting Mike Mahaney and Sheldon Haudenschild completed the top ten. Mahaney, who is qualified for Sunday’s Billy Whittaker Cars and Trux 200 at the Oswego Speedway, picked up the KSE Hard Charger award.
Donny Schatz, who extended his points lead, said, “We battled the best we could. That’s what you have to do to win a championship.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action next Saturday at the Port Royal Speedway for one final date with the Pennsylvania Posse before returning to New York for a pair of rain date events at the Weedsport Speedway and Ransomville Speedway Sunday and Monday October 15 and 16, respectively. Information on all three of these events are available on the World of Outlaws website.
NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week concludes Sunday afternoon at the Oswego with Championship events for the Big Block Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds and Pro Stocks. Sunday’s Billy Whittaker Cars and Trux 200 for the Big Blocks will pay a hefty $50,000 to the winner. For all things, Super DIRT Week, vist SuperDIRTWeekOnline.com!
Feature: (26 Laps due to green-white-checkered finish) 1. 5-David Gravel [4][$10,000]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [2][$5,500]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [8][$3,200]; 4. W20-Greg Wilson [14][$2,800]; 5. 17-Jac Haudenschild [3][$2,500]; 6. 19-Brent Marks [9][$2,300]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$2,200]; 8. 49-Brad Sweet [7][$2,100]; 9. 33-Mike Mahaney [22][$2,050]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$2,000]; 11. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$1,500]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [10][$1,200]; 13. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$1,100]; 14. 4-Parker Price-Miller [20][$1,050]; 15. 9-Daryn Pittman [1][$1,000]; 16. 10-Paul Colagiovanni [19][$900]; 17. 49K-Scott Kreutter [15][$800]; 18. 87-Jason Barney [23][$800]; 19. 1S-Logan Schuchart [11][$800]; 20. 99L-Larry Wight [12][$800]; 21. 7-Ed Aikin [18][$800]; 22. 19P-Paige Polyak [6][$800]; 23. 13-Clyde Knipp [24][$800]; 24. 10K-Joe Kata [17][$800]; Lap Leaders: Daryn Pittman 1-8, David Gravel 9-26; KSE Hard Charger Award: 33-Mike Mahaney[+13]
David Gravel, CJB Pocket $50,000 in Williams Grove National Open Victory
MECHANICSBURG, PA – September 30, 2017 – David Gravel passed Donny Schatz for the lead on lap six and went on to capture his 16th win of the season aboard the CJB Motorsports entry. It was Gravel’s second career Champion Racing Oil National Open win at Williams Grove worth $50,000. Schatz and James McFadden completed the podium.
David Gravel was second in National Open event points, lining him up second in the Craftsman Club Dash. Gravel went on to win the event, lining him up on the pole of the $50,000 to win, 40-lap Feature.
Donny Schatz got the jump on the initial start and led the first five laps before Gravel took the lead on the front stretch, leading lap six. Friday night’s winner, James McFadden worked by Schatz on lap 18 just before the yellow came out for a slowing Brian Montieth.
On the ensuing double-file restart, Gravel opted for the top giving McFadden the bottom, a somewhat unexpected move.
“I made a mistake and gave McFadden the bottom, luckily I was able to get around him on the top in three and four,” a relieved Gravel said in Victory Lane.
McFadden hit the rubber off of turn two and took the lead down the backstretch and led lap 19, before Gravel powered back around the Australian the following lap. The next circuit Shane Stewart shredded a tire running sixth bringing out another yellow.
Schatz worked by McFadden on the restart and set his eyes on the CJB Motorsports No.5. A red flag on lap 28 for Jason Johnson, Kraig Kinser and Shane Stewart brought out an open red. All drivers were okay.
With the bottom being the preferred line around, Gravel was forced to slow his pace as he closed in on the back of the field. Schatz cut the lead down and was on Gravel’s bumper as they received the two to go signal. Before Schatz could make a move, the final yellow of the night flew for Brian Brown, who cut down a tire running in the top ten.
The caution gave Gravel an open track which secured the $50,000 payday for he and the CJB Motorsports No.5 team.
“It’s been a special year. I’m happy to solidify my place here with 3 wins at Williams Grove this season,” Gravel said. “I wish we could have raced a little more tonight, but I’ll take it.”
Schatz settled for second. “We hit traffic and needed to stay there if we wanted a chance to get back by for the lead. We’ll try and pick up some more wins this year and get that Championship,” the eight-time and defending and current Series point leader said.
McFadden wished he would have been more aggressive once taking the lead, but was nonetheless happy with his weekend. His finish was easily good enough to secure the National Open Rookie Award worth $2,250 thanks to BeerHill Gang TV.
20th-starting Logan Schuchart earned the KSE Hard Charger award coming to fourth with Daryn Pittman completing the top five. Greg Hodnett, Kerry Madsen, Sheldon Haudenschild, 16th starting Brock Zearfoss and Jason Sides completed the top ten.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action next Saturday October 7 at the Fulton Speedway in New York before returning to Central Pennsylvania the following weekend at the Port Royal Speedway.
Feature: (40 Laps) 1. 5-David Gravel [1][$50,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$12,000]; 3. 3-James McFadden [6][$7,500]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [20][$4,000]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [3][$3,500]; 6. 27-Greg Hodnett [9][$3,000]; 7. 2M-Kerry Madsen [5][$2,700]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [11][$2,500]; 9. 58-Brock Zearfoss [16][$2,200]; 10. 7S-Jason Sides [8][$2,100]; 11. 24-Lucas Wolfe [10][$2,000]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [14][$1,650]; 13. 18-Ian Madsen [12][$1,550]; 14. 51-Freddie Rahmer [25][$300]; 15. 39-Cory Haas [22][$1,100]; 16. 1-Dale Blaney [24][$1,050]; 17. 41-Jason Johnson [15][$1,000]; 18. 48-Danny Dietrich [18][$950]; 19. 49-Brad Sweet [21][$950]; 20. 17-Jac Haudenschild [19][$950]; 21. 21-Brian Brown [13][$900]; 22. 2-Shane Stewart [7][$900]; 23. 69K-Lance Dewease [4][$900]; 24. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17][$900]; 25. 11-T.J. Stutts [26][$]; 26. 21P-Brian Montieth [23][$900]; Lap Leaders: Donny Schatz 1-5; David Gravel 6-18, 20-40; James McFadden 19; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart [+16]
Australian James McFadden Scores First Career World of Outlaws Victory at Williams Grove
MECHANICSBURG, PA – September 29, 2017 – Australian James McFadden scored his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win in exciting fashion holding off Greg Hodnett and Donny Schatz to win the second night of the Williams Grove Champion Racing Oil National Open. Heading into tomorrow's finale, Donny Schatz leads the National Open points and will be locked in to tomorrow’s Craftsman Club Dash. David Gravel, McFadden and Daryn Pittman are also locked in to tomorrow’s Dash.
McFadden, who has spent the majority of the past two Summer's running in Central Pennsylvania for Matt Highlands, won his heat race and the Craftsman Club Dash to earn the pole of the 25-lap Feature.
Racing was delayed twice due to rain throughout the evening, once during the C Main and again after the initial start of the Feature.
After the final rain delay, McFadden got the jump on the complete restart over fellow front row starter, Greg Hodnett. A lap three red flag for Jac Haudenschild, who went for a wild ride after Danny Dietrich and Trey Starks got together, halted the action. Haudenschild walked away from the incident. On the ensuing double-file restart, Dale Blaney received contact and ended up on the hook setting up a single-file start.
McFadden once again was strong extending his lead as he approached traffic. McFadden had no problems with the first few lapped cars but was slowed significantly as he approached Alan Krimes, on the bottom, and Brian Brown, on the cushion.
“The track was equal. The bottom and the top were nearly the same speed. Krimes kept hitting the bottom perfectly and Brown was flirting with that cushion. I nearly destroyed myself and ended up in the trees trying to get by them,” McFadden said.
McFadden followed Krimes and Brown for the better part of the last ten laps, waiting to make a move. McFadden eventually got around Krimes but then was pinched hard by Brown, forcing him across the track allowing Krimes to get back by down low and more importantly allow Greg Hodnett and Donny Schatz to be on the leader’s back bumper.
Luckily for McFadden, he was able to work through lapped traffic and fend off a late race effort from both Hodnett and Schatz to score both his first career World of Outlaws and Williams Grove win.
“This is pretty amazing. I have never won on a half-mile before and to do so in Pennsylvania is pretty crazy,” an elated McFadden said in Victory Lane. The result was good enough for McFadden to lock into tomorrow’s Craftsman Club Dash as he sits third in event points.
Hodnett, who finished just .244 behind McFadden, and Schatz completed the podium. Brad Sweet and Shane Stewart completed the top five.
The Champion Racing Oil National Open comes down to Saturday night where the winner will take home a hefty $50,000 check.
Feature: (25 Laps) 1. 3-James McFadden [1][$10,000]; 2. 27-Greg Hodnett [2][$5,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$3,000]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [6][$2,700]; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$2,500]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$2,200]; 7. 18-Ian Madsen [8][$2,000]; 8. 24-Lucas Wolfe [7][$1,800]; 9. 2M-Kerry Madsen [10][$1,600]; 10. 5-David Gravel [12][$1,450]; 11. 69K-Lance Dewease [21][$1,300]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [11][$1,200]; 13. 9-Daryn Pittman [20][$1,100]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [9][$1,000]; 15. 11-T.J. Stutts [15][$950]; 16. 58-Brock Zearfoss [16][$900]; 17. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [23][$850]; 18. 94-Ryan Smith [17][$750]; 19. 21-Brian Brown [18][$725]; 20. 87-Alan Krimes [24][$700]; 21. 11K-Kraig Kinser [19][$700]; 22. 44-Trey Starks [14][$700]; 23. 21P-Brian Montieth [27][$]; 24. 48-Danny Dietrich [13][$700]; 25. 1-Dale Blaney [22][$700]; 26. 17-Jac Haudenschild [25][$]; 27. 51-Freddie Rahmer [26][$]; Lap Leaders: James McFadden 1-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 69K-Lance Dewease[+10]
Greg Hodnett Pockets $20,000 in Summer Nationals Makeup Feature
MECHANICSBURG, PA – Greg Hodnett’s eventful evening was capped off in style as he led all 30 laps to score the $20,000 Summer Nationals Makeup Feature from July. Lucas Wolfe came from eighth to finish second with Donny Schatz completing the podium.
Hodnett started on the front row and was strong from the drop of the green edging fellow front row starter, David Gravel early on. Gravel and Danny Dietrich had a spirited battle for second with the eventually latter taking over. Dietrich was strong on the cushion in turns one and two and closed on Hodnett significantly as the Heffner Racing No.27 was stuck in lapped traffic.
On lap 13, Dietrich got another big run coming off of turn two and dove to the inside of Hodnett down the long Williams Grove backstretch. Hodnett slammed the door on Dietrich, with the two making contact and Dietrich ending up backwards atop turn three. Brian Montieth, who was running sixth, was left with nowhere to go and was collected in the accident. Hodnett’s car was unscathed as he continued to lead.
The ensuing restart saw Lucas Wolfe charge into second with Donny Schatz following him into third. By the end of the 30-lap Feature the racing surface was exhausted with the bottom being the preferred line for most drivers. Hodnett went on to win over Wolfe, Schatz, Daryn Pittman and Gravel completing the top five.
“Didn’t want to crash in the first Feature. After that, the last thing I wanted to do was get together with Danny [Dietrich] in this one. I’m very fortunate to be standing here now,” Hodnett said in Victory Lane.
Wolfe, who came forward from eighth, said, “We were able to get going up top early, but once we got to the front we couldn’t get close enough to make a run for the lead. This was a good way to end the night. Hopefully we can be back up here tomorrow.”
For the second time in the evening, Freddie Rahmer was the KSE Hard Charger, this time coming from 26th to 11th.
Racing action continues in the Champion Racing Oil National Open Friday evening with another complete program. DIRTVision.com has you covered with live video of all the action if you can’t make it to the track.
Feature: (30 Laps)1. 27-Greg Hodnett [1][$20,000]; 2. 24-Lucas Wolfe [8][$12,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [9][$6,000]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [6][$5,250]; 5. 5-David Gravel [2][$4,500]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$4,000]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [10][$3,500]; 8. 69K-Lance Dewease [11][$3,000]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$2,750]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [15][$2,500]; 11. 51-Freddie Rahmer [26][$2,300]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [7][$2,250]; 13. 41-Jason Johnson [16][$2,000]; 14. 44-Trey Starks [14][$1,600]; 15. 3H-James McFadden [19][$1,500]; 16. 1-Dale Blaney [18][$1,300]; 17. 16-Matt Campbell [13][$1,250]; 18. 19-Brent Marks [17][$1,050]; 19. 4-Parker Price-Miller [23][$1,050]; 20. 11K-Kraig Kinser [25][$50]; 21. 29-Danny Dietrich [3][$1,000]; 22. 21-Brian Montieth [12][$1,000]; 23. 39M-Anthony Macri [20][$1,000]; 24. 17B-Steve Buckwalter [24][$1,000]; 25. 25-Aaron Ott [22][$1,000]; Lap Leaders: Greg Hodnett 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 51-Freddie Rahmer[+15]
David Gravel Wins Opening Night of Champion Racing Oil National Open
Mechanicsburg, PA – September 29, 2017 – David Gravel assumed the lead after race leaders Greg Hodnett and Shane Stewart got together on lap nine. Gravel led the rest of the way, but not without a fight from Daryn Pittman and Lance Dewease, who finished second and third. Pittman and Dewease finished within a second of Gravel at the finish.
Greg Hodnett set fast time overall, won his heat and the Craftsman Club Dash and led the opening nine laps of the Feature. Hodnett’s lead dwindled as Shane Stewart closed in on the bottom of the half-mile. Stewart made his move for the lead off of turn four coming to the line on lap ten but made contact with Hodnett sending the Heffner Racing No.27 into the front stretch guardrail spinning. Hodnett miraculously kept the car going and was able to restart in second after the caution was thrown.
On the ensuing restart, Hodnett tried to slide Stewart for the lead in turns one and two pushing the Larson/Marks No.2 up the track. Stewart maintained the lead underneath the famous backstretch Williams Grove bridge. Hodnett drove into turn three hard making heavy contact with Stewart sending both cars into the fence hard. A costly move for both drivers in the National Open weekend point standings. Stewart was able to restart, but Hodnett was not.
Gravel, who narrowly missed being collected in the aforementioned accident, assumed the lead as Pittman and Dewease waged war behind him for the runner-up spot. As Gravel closed in on traffic, Pittman and Dewease closed in, to no avail as the CJB Motorsports No.5 collected their 15th win of the season. Donny Schatz and local Cory Haas completed the top five. Williams Grove point leader Freddie Rahmer picked up KSE Hard Charger Award coming from 21st to eighth.
“I don’t know how I didn’t crash,” Gravel said in Victory Lane referencing the Stewart/Hodnett accident. “I can’t thank all guys, sponsors and everyone that makes this CJB team so strong enough.”
Pittman, who came close to Gravel in the closing laps, was pleased with his night, “We had a really solid night. Hopefully we can qualify well tomorrow again and be up front. Saturday is where our focus is at.”
Feature: 1. 5-David Gravel [4][$10,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [3][$5,000]; 3. 69K-Lance Dewease [5][$3,000]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [6][$2,700]; 5. 39-Cory Haas [7][$2,500]; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8][$2,200]; 7. 2M-Kerry Madsen [12][$2,000]; 8. 51-Freddie Rahmer [21][$1,800]; 9. 21-Brian Brown [11][$1,600]; 10. 49-Brad Sweet [19][$1,450]; 11. 19-Brent Marks [18][$1,300]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [9][$1,200]; 13. 48-Danny Dietrich [26][$400]; 14. 21P-Brian Montieth [13][$1,000]; 15. 3-James McFadden [14][$950]; 16. 4-Parker Price-Miller [10][$900]; 17. 1-Dale Blaney [23][$850]; 18. 11K-Kraig Kinser [20][$750]; 19. 18-Ian Madsen [16][$725]; 20. 24-Lucas Wolfe [22][$700]; 21. 41-Jason Johnson [25][$]; 22. 2-Shane Stewart [2][$700]; 23. 39M-Anthony Macri [27][$]; 24. 16-Matt Campbell [17][$700]; 25. 58-Brock Zearfoss [24][$700]; 26. 17-Jac Haudenschild [15][$700]; 27. 27-Greg Hodnett [1][$700] Lap Leaders: Greg Hodnett 1-9, Shane Stewart 10, David Gravel 11-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 51-Freddie Rahmer[+13]
Gravel On Top At Lernerville
SARVER, PA – David Gravel survived a pair of late caution flags and held off Brad Sweet to pick up his 14th victory of the season at Lernerville in the running of the Commonwealth Clash. Gravel saw the white flag on two separate occasions only to see a caution come out both times. Gravel led all 37 (extended because of the yellows) laps over Sweet and Donny Schatz.
Gravel and the CJB Motorsports team, who did a scheduled engine change after Qualifying, won their heat race before finishing second in the Craftsman Club Dash.
Gravel got the jump on fellow front row starter Brad Sweet and led the opening three laps before a Red Flag for Jason Sides, who took a wild crash on the front stretch and off of turn one, stopped the action. Thankfully, Sides walked away from the accident under his own power.
On the ensuing restart, Sweet took the lead from Gravel down the backstretch but a caution for Lernerville Track Champion AJ Flick, who had major front end damage, negated the pass.
On lap eight, fourth-place running Daryn Pittman jumped the tricky cushion in turn four bringing out the caution. A handful of laps later Brent Marks, who was running in the top ten, suffered the same fate.
Brad Sweet fell off the banking in turn two allowing Sheldon Haudenschild to take over the second spot at the time of the open red flag on lap 14. Sheldon began closing in on Gravel, before making the same mistake as Sweet off of two and letting the aforementioned re-gain second.
As laps winded down, Gravel grappled with heavy lapped traffic allowing Sweet to close in. Sweet lurked behind the CJB Motorsports No.5 before making a bid for the lead with a slide job attempt off of turn four, to no avail. The unsuccessful slider allowed Gravel to pull away.
On the final circuit, Danny Holtgraver ended up backwards in turn two setting up a Green, White, Checkered finish. Gravel again commanded control on the restart before taking the white flag, only to see another caution. Gravel was strong once again on the restart and this time went on to pick up the victory.
“I didn’t really know what to do. I knew I didn’t want to give the bottom away,” Gravel said about the multiple restarts. “I saw Brad stick his nose under me early and I knew I had to step it up,” the Watertown, CT native said in Victory Lane.
“Once David got control, it was tough to get by him. We had lots of chances in lapped traffic, but could not get the job done,” Sweet said following his runner-up finish.
Donny Schatz quietly worked his way forward from seventh to complete the podium. Shane Stewart and Friday’s winner at Eldora, Tim Shaffer completed the top five. Kraig Kinser, Jason Johnson, Daryn Pittman (from the rear), Logan Schuchart and Chris Andrews completed the top ten. Danny Holtgraver picked up the KSE Hard Charger award.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action this Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the heart of Pennsylvania Posse country, at the Williams Grove Speedway. The unique 3-day Champion Racing Oil National Open awaits The Greatest Show on Dirt. Saturday’s National Open finale pays a whopping $50,000 to win.
Lernerville Speedway – September 23, 2017
Feature - (37 Laps due to green-white-checkered restarts): 1. 5-David Gravel [2][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1][$5,500]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [7][$3,200]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$2,800]; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer [10][$2,500]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [6][$2,300]; 7. 41-Jason Johnson [11][$2,200]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$2,100]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [13][$2,050]; 10. 16-Chris Andrews [18][$2,000]; 11. D4-Danny Holtgraver [20][$1,500]; 12. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [3][$1,200]; 13. W20-Greg Wilson [17][$1,100]; 14. 19-Brent Marks [12][$1,050]; 15. 98-Carl Bowser [15][$1,000]; 16. 17-Jac Haudenschild [8][$900]; 17. 42-Sye Lynch [21][$800]; 18. 13-Clyde Knipp [16][$800]; 19. 7K-Dan Shetler [22][$800]; 20. 4-Parker Price-Miller [9][$800]; 21. 40-George Hobaugh [23][$800]; 22. 58-Joe Lockhart [24][$800]; 23. 76-David Jones [25][$]; 24. 2F-A.J. Flick [14][$800]; 25. 7S-Jason Sides [19][$800]; Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-37; KSE Hard Charger Award: D4-Danny Holtgraver[+9]
Shaffer Scores At Eldora
ROSSBURG, OH – September 22, 2017 - The ‘Steel City Outlaw’ Tim Shaffer held off Donny Schatz to win the Night Before the 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora. Shaffer was strong all night going second quick in his Flight in qualifying, winning his heat and scoring the Craftsman Club Dash victory. As laps winded down, Schatz closed significantly in on Shaffer, but couldn’t pull ahead. The margin of victory was .227 seconds. Joey Saldana came forward to complete the podium.
Shaffer earned the pole by winning the Craftsman Club Dash, where Shane Stewart moved from fourth to second to earn the other front row starting spot. Shaffer, who has an Eldora win earlier this year with the Arctic Cat All-Star Circuit of Champions got the early jump in the Feature working the top side of the famous half-mile. Stewart was closing in on Shaffer before shredding a right rear tire on lap 13. It was the second consecutive night, dating back to last weekend at Calistoga, Stewart lost a tire running in second.
Schatz assumed second as Shaffer once again stretched his lead. With ten laps to go, Shaffer had a comfortable lead as he reached traffic. Schatz began working the line a car-length off of the cushion and closing on the leader, noticeably in turns three and four.
With two to go, Schatz looked poised to make his bid for the lead, but Shaffer’s momentum on the top side of the Speedway was too much as he became the 18th different winner with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series in 2017.
“That’s a great team,” Shaffer said in Victory Lane in regards to Donny Schatz / Tony Stewart Racing No.15 group. “We have a great team too, we keep building and getting better. We’ve got wins all over this year, but to get an Outlaw win at Eldora is really special. This is one tough place,” Shaffer said upon exiting his Demyan-Rudzik Racing No.49X.
Schatz credited Shaffer, “Second sucks, we just couldn’t find a way around them. They were really good. We’ll take it and move on.”
Joey Saldana completed the podium in the Indy Race Parts No.71. “We had a really good car. I felt like I could move around in lapped traffic. The track was so fast. We had a lot of fun,” the Brownsburg, Indiana native said.
Jason Johnson and David Gravel completed the top five. Brent Marks picked up KSE Hard Charger Honors coming from 22nd to finish eighth. Early race contender Shane Stewart made it back to 13th.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series travels to Western Pennsylvania Saturday evening for the Commonwealth Clash at the Lernerville Speedway in Sarver.
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 49X-Tim Shaffer [1][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$5,500]; 3. 71-Joey Saldana [6][$3,200]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$2,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [7][$2,500]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [11][$2,300]; 7. 24-Rico Abreu [5][$2,200]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [22][$2,100]; 9. 10H-Chad Kemenah [19][$2,050]; 10. 17-Jac Haudenschild [13][$2,000]; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman [15][$1,500]; 12. 2-Shane Stewart [2][$1,200]; 13. 18-Ian Madsen [9][$1,100]; 14. W20-Greg Wilson [10][$1,050]; 15. 12N-Cole Duncan [21][$1,000]; 16. 1ST-Gary Taylor [12][$900]; 17. 4-Parker Price-Miller [24][$800]; 18. 7S-Jason Sides [18][$800]; 19. 1S-Logan Schuchart [17][$800]; 20. 5T-Travis Philo [23][$800]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [16][$800]; 22. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [14][$800]; 23. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8][$800]; 24. 99-Brady Bacon [20][$800]; Lap Leaders: Tim Shaffer 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 19-Brent Marks[+14]
Schatz back on top
CALISTOGA, CA – September 16, 2017 – Donny Schatz passed Brad Sweet on lap 25 to pick up his 18th win of the season Saturday night at Calistoga Speedway. Sweet, who swept Friday’s event, held off a charge from Shane Stewart, who succumbed to a flat tire, before giving way to Schatz in heavy lapped traffic. Daryn Pittman surged late for second while Sweet settled for third.
It has been far from easy the last two weeks for the eight-time and defending champion. Schatz was forced to use a provisional both nights at Chico last weekend and had to switch to a backup car last night. It was evident Schatz wanted to wrap up the West Coast swing on a good note.
Schatz assumed second on lap 10 after Shane Stewart was forced pit-side with a flat tire and lurked behind Sweet’s Ollie’s Bargain Outlet No.49 as he maneuvered through lapped traffic around the half-mile. Sweet hiccupped in traffic on lap 22, allowing the rest of the field to close in. As Schatz began to make the bottom work, Jason Johnson pulled outside of Schatz looking to make a move of his own.
“I knew someone was outside of me. I had to go,” Schatz said. Go he did, as Schatz darted to the bottom and slid up on Sweet to take command on lap 25. Sweet tried to return the favor but incidentally let Johnson get by for second.
An open red on lap 27 set up a three-lap dash to the finish. Schatz was strong on the restart as Pittman, who restarted fourth, slid underneath Johnson and Sweet to take second. The maneuvering behind him allowed Schatz to go unchallenged the final three laps and score his 18th victory of the season.
When asked about his troubles last night, Schatz said, “It was just one of those nights. You don’t know if it’s a nightmare or a freak show.” “That’s racing, you have to battle through adversity. These guys never stopped working and here we are,” he added.
Pittman, who was working out the bugs of a new car, was happy with the progress his Great Clips No.9 made throughout the evening, “We didn’t start off where we needed to be. But these guys worked really hard and made some great changes for the Feature. We’ll take this and build on it heading back East.”
Sweet, who set fast time and won his heat for the second night in a row, said, “I was trying to get runs on the lapped cars and I opened up the door for Donny. Still, it was a great weekend overall.”
Johnson settled for fourth with David Gravel completing the top five. Shane Stewart made it back up to tenth from the rear. Austen Wheatley picked up KSE Hard Charger honors.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series now heads East and will compete Friday, September 22 at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio before heading to the Lernerville Speedway Saturday the 23rd for the running of the Commonwealth Clash.
Abbreviated Results from Calistoga Speedway - September 16, 2017
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$12,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$5,700]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$3,500]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$3,000]; 5. 5-David Gravel [9][$2,600]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu [10][$2,400]; 7. 17-Jac Haudenschild [5][$2,300]; 8. 35-Jamie Veal [15][$2,200]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [14][$2,150]; 10. 2-Shane Stewart [1][$2,100]; 11. 7S-Jason Sides [7][$1,600]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [18][$1,350]; 13. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [8][$1,300]; 14. 44W-Austen Wheatley [22][$1,200]; 15. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$1,100]; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser [12][$1,000]; 17. 83-Kyle Hirst [11][$900]; 18. 3C-DJ Netto [17][$850]; 19. 22-Shane Golobic [21][$800]; 20. O-Bud Kaeding [19][$800]; 21. 20-Cory Eliason [23][$800]; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen [13][$800]; 23. 29-Willie Croft [24][$800]; 24. 4-Paul McMahan [20][$800]; 25. 1S-Logan Schuchart [25][$] Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-23, Donny Schatz 24-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 44W-Austen Wheatley[+8]
SWEET SWEEPS NIGHT 1 AT CALISTOGA
CALISTOGA, CA – September 15, 2017 – California native Brad Sweet swept the program on Night 1 of the Wine Country Outlaw Showdown at Calistoga Speedway. Sweet passed Rico Abreu on lap three and withstood a charge from Abreu in lapped traffic to pick up his fifth win of the Season. Abreu was light at the scales after running out of fuel. 13th starting Logan Schuchart finished second with Shane Stewart completing the podium.
Sweet actually took the lead from Abreu on lap two but a caution flag gave the lead back to the Abreu Vineyards No.24. Sweet dove to the inside of Abreu to officially lead lap three and while he statistically led the rest of the way, it was not easy. Heavy lapped traffic allowed Abreu to pull side by side with Sweet on lap 11. Sweet would clear a lapped car and re-extend his lead. While Abreu stayed within striking distance for much of the race, Sweet was able to capture his fifth win of the season.
“I just tried to get through lapped traffic as good as I could. I knew Rico would be charging,” Sweet said upon exiting his Ollie’s Bargain Outlet No.49. “We have a lot of podiums, it’s nice to be on the top step tonight where this team belongs,” he added.
Numerous cautions, including one for fifth place running Kyle Hirst, led to a handful of teams running out of fuel coming to the finish. World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series officials allocated for 60 combined green/yellow flag laps before a fuel stop and that is exactly how many laps the teams ran as they took the checkered. One more caution would have forced a fuel stop. Abreu, who crossed the line second, was one of the teams that was out of fuel and subsequently his No. 24 was light at the scales. David Gravel, who was running in the top five all race, was another competitor to slow on the final lap.
Logan Schuchart charged forward from his 13th starting position to finish second officially, “This Shark Racing team did a great job giving me a fast car. It was a lot of fun,” Schuchart, who also came forward four positions in his heat race, said.
Gold Cup Champion Shane Stewart finished on the podium once again and was quick to thank his Larson/Marks team for their continued hard work.
Donny Schatz battled issues all night. He did not run hot laps, time trials and limped through his heat race before switching to a backup car for the Last Chance Showdown, where he came from ninth to fourth. Schatz muscled his way through the field in the early stages, cracking the top ten (from 22nd) in under five laps. The eight-time Series champion crossed the line fourth. Daryn Pittman completed the all World of Outlaws top five.
Kraig Kinser, 20th starting Bud Kaeding, 23rd starting Brent Marks, Jamie Veal and Jason Johnson completed the top ten.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to the Calistoga Speedway Saturday night for the completion of the Wine Country Outlaw Showdown. Once again, DIRTVision.com will have live video coverage of the event.
Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1][$8,000]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [13][$4,000]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3][$2,500]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [22][$2,200]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [10][$2,100]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8][$2,000]; 7. O-Bud Kaeding [20][$1,800]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [23][$1,600]; 9. 35-Jamie Veal [11][$1,500]; 10. 41-Jason Johnson [5][$1,300]; 11. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$1,200]; 12. 83-Kyle Hirst [9][$1,100]; 13. 4-Paul McMahan [12][$1,000]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [6][$700]; 15. 20-Cory Eliason [15][$600]; 16. 3C-DJ Netto [18][$600]; 17. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [14][$600]; 18. 5-David Gravel [4][$600]; 19. 44W-Austen Wheatley [19][$600]; 20. 29-Willie Croft [17][$600]; 21. 68-Chase Johnson [24][$600]; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$600]; 23. 17-Jac Haudenschild [7][$600]; 24. 24-Rico Abreu [2][$600]; Lap Leaders: Rico Abreu 1-2, Brad Sweet 3-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz[+18]
SHANE STEWART CLAIMS DESIRED GOLD CUP RACE OF CHAMPIONS VICTORY
CHICO, CA – September 9, 2017 – Shane Stewart passed local driver Justin Sanders to win his eighth World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature of the season, but his first Gold Cup Race of Champions. Sanders finished a career-best second with Friday’s winner Kyle Hirst completing the podium.
Before the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Feature pushed off, Stewart already knew that team owner Kyle Larson picked up the NASCAR victory. Stewart, who is no stranger to Victory Lane at Silver Dollar Speedway, can finally cross off the Gold Cup Race of Champions off of his bucket list.
“When you retire, you are only remembered for the big races you win and this was one that I’ve always wanted to win. We’ve been close the last few years and to finally get it means so much to me,” Stewart said.
Sanders, in search of his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory, was strong all weekend. Sanders led the first 11 laps before Stewart got grip on the bottom of turn four to take the lead. Stewart never looked back.
As lapped traffic became heavier Sanders closed back in on Stewart looking to make a move but a caution on lap 28 gave Stewart a clear track sealing the victory for the Larson/Marks Racing No.2
“Before this weekend, if you would have told me that I was going to run second and fifth with the Outlaws, I would have been ecstatic,” Sanders said. “I made one mistake in traffic, it’s heartbreaking. We are happy no doubt, but we’re bummed at the same time.
Kyle Hirst was all smiles after finishing on the podium and thanked the California faithful multiple times for packing the stands all weekend at the Gold Cup Race of Champions.
Australian Jamie Veal finished fourth with 11th starting Willie Croft completing the top five. Brad Sweet was strong coming from 13th to sixth with Carson Macedo coming home seventh. 14th starting Mitchell Faccinto, Jac Haudenschild and 18th starting Logan Schuchart completed the top ten. Donny Schatz, who was forced to use a provisional for the second consecutive night, scored KSE Hard Charger honors coming from 25th to 11th.
Abbreviated Results from Silver Dollar Speedway September 9, 2017
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 2-Shane Stewart [3][$12,000]; 2. 121-Justin Sanders [1][$5,700]; 3. 83-Kyle Hirst [4][$3,500]; 4. 35-Jamie Veal [6][$3,000]; 5. 29-Willie Croft [11][$2,600]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [13][$2,400]; 7. 21X-Carson Macedo [8][$2,300]; 8. 37-Mitchell Faccinto [12][$2,200]; 9. 17-Jac Haudenschild [2][$2,150]; 10. 1S-Logan Schuchart [18][$2,100]; 11. 15-Donny Schatz [25][$800]; 12. 41-Jason Johnson [10][$1,350]; 13. O-Bud Kaeding [14][$1,300]; 14. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [9][$1,200]; 15. 9-Daryn Pittman [17][$1,100]; 16. 3C-DJ Netto [21][$1,000]; 17. 7-Kalib Henry [16][$900]; 18. 5-David Gravel [22][$850]; 19. 21W-Jake Wheeler [23][$800]; 20. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [26][$]; 21. 24-Rico Abreu [7][$800]; 22. 20-Cory Eliason [5][$800]; 23. 83JR-Jonathan Allard [15][$800]; 24. 75-Sean Becker [20][$800]; 25. 19-Brent Marks [19][$800]; 26. 1A-Jacob Allen [24][$800]; Lap Leaders: Justin Sanders 1-11, Shane Stewart 12-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz[+14]
Qualifying Flight-A: 1. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 11.694; 2. 20-Cory Eliason, 11.723; 3. 83-Kyle Hirst, 11.745; 4. 29-Willie Croft, 11.783; 5. 35-Jamie Veal, 11.788; 6. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.799; 7. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.855; 8. 21W-Jake Wheeler, 11.914; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.951; 10. 22-Shane Golobic, 11.958; 11. 5-David Gravel, 11.964; 12. 83JR-Jonathan Allard, 11.987; 13. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.992; 14. 19-Brent Marks, 12.057; 15. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.174; 16. 19X-Chase Majdic, 12.19; 17. 26-Tayler Malsam, 12.228; 18. 7B-Brent Bjork, 12.617; 19. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.684; 20. 98-Sean Watts, 12.736
Qualifying Flight-B: 1. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 11.521; 2. 24-Rico Abreu, 11.581; 3. 21X-Carson Macedo, 11.714; 4. 121-Justin Sanders, 11.775; 5. 3C-DJ Netto, 11.794; 6. 7-Kalib Henry, 11.805; 7. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.816; 8. 37-Mitchell Faccinto, 11.846; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.854; 10. 75-Sean Becker, 11.86; 11. O-Bud Kaeding, 11.926; 12. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.012; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.049; 14. 22M-Mason Moore, 12.055; 15. 92-Andy Forsberg, 12.074; 16. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.077; 17. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.136; 18. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.173; 19. 18-Jennafer Frazier, 12.935; 20. 44W-Austen Wheatley, NT
KYLE HIRST THRILLS HOMETOWN CROWD IN FIRST CAREER WORLD OF OUTLAWS WIN AT SILVER DOLLAR
CHICO, CA – Kyle Hirst is no stranger to Victory Lane, especially in California. Hirst outdueled Shane Stewart in a thrilling finish Friday at the Silver Dollar Speedway on the opening night of the Gold Cup Race of Champions. It was Hirst's first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature Win. Dominic Scelzi came home third, a career-best for him as well.
Hirst was victorious in Heat 4 after leader Kalib Henry lost power steering and that was crucial as the Craftsman Club Dash Inversion was four, lining Hirst up on the front row of that event. Hirst would walk away with the aforementioned Dash with Shane Stewart coming from fifth to second.
Hirst took command from the drop of the green and led the first six laps before Stewart closed in as traffic thickened. Stewart and Hirst made contact the following lap with the Larson/Marks Racing No.2 leading lap seven. As Stewart navigated traffic, Hirst and Scelzi remained within striking distance.
Coming off of turn four on the 11th circuit, Stewart bobbled on the cushion and allowed Hirst to re-take the lead on lap 12. A caution for Sheldon Haudenschild the following lap allowed everyone to catch their breath.
The lone Red Flag for the evening came on lap 16 when Bud Kaeding got sideways and collected Daryn Pittman and Paul McMahan. All drivers were uninjured in the accident. On the ensuing restart, Jac Haudenschild got contact from another competitor ending his night. Jac was running 5th at the time.
The final 14 laps went non-stop with Hirst and Stewart exchanging slide jobs for the lead multiple times. On two occasions, Stewart cleared Hirst off of turn four for the lead but Hirst turned it under and re-gained command into turn one.
Hirst’s win was a popular one among the California faithful and led to an emotion-filled Victory Lane with his Roth Motorsports No. 83 team. “I’ve been racing for 15 years and I’ve finally snagged one of these World of Outlaw wins. That’s for Chico, California,” an exuberant Hirst said in Victory Lane.
Stewart and Scelzi completed the podium. “Coming home second is nothing to shake your head at. We continue to have fast a car and that’s a testament to my guys. I feel like we have a shot to win every time we roll out,” Stewart said.
Cory Eliason and Justin Sanders completed the top five. California drivers took six of the top seven positions as Jonathan Allard, in the second Roth Motorsports entry, and 14th starting Shane Golobic crossed the line next.
David Gravel picked up KSE Hard Charger Honors with an impressive 24th to eighth run. Donny Schatz used a provisional to start 25th and made it up to ninth. Sheldon Haudenschild recovered from a spin mid-race to complete the top ten.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to the Silver Dollar Speedway Saturday night for the conclusion of the 64th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions. DIRTVision.com will have Live Video of the event and if it is anything like it was tonight, you don’t want to miss a second of the action.
Abbreviated Results from Silver Dollar Speedway – September 9, 2017
Feature (30 Laps) - 1. 83-Kyle Hirst [1][$8,000]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [2][$4,000]; 3. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [3][$2,500]; 4. 20-Cory Eliason [5][$2,200]; 5. 121-Justin Sanders [4][$2,100]; 6. 83JR-Jonathan Allard [11][$2,000]; 7. 22-Shane Golobic [14][$1,800]; 8. 5-David Gravel [24][$1,600]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz [25][$900]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$1,300]; 11. 35-Jamie Veal [18][$1,200]; 12. 22M-Mason Moore [13][$1,100]; 13. 49-Brad Sweet [21][$1,000]; 14. 1S-Logan Schuchart [26][$100]; 15. 3C-DJ Netto [15][$600]; 16. O-Bud Kaeding [9][$600]; 17. 37-Mitchell Faccinto [20][$600]; 18. 9-Daryn Pittman [7][$600]; 19. 7S-Jason Sides [17][$600]; 20. 11K-Kraig Kinser [19][$600]; 21. 17-Jac Haudenschild [6][$600]; 22. 4-Paul McMahan [8][$600]; 23. 24-Rico Abreu [12][$600]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [10][$600]; 25. 29-Willie Croft [22][$600]; 26. 92-Andy Forsberg [23][$600] Lap Leaders: Kyle Hirst 1-6, 12-30; Shane Stewart 7-1; KSE Hard Charger Award: 5-David Gravel[+16]
JASON JOHNSON SCORES WILLAMETTE VICTORY IN LAPPED TRAFFIC
LEBANON, OR – September 6, 2017 – Jason Johnson took the lead from Daryn Pittman on lap 15 in heavy traffic and never looked back. Just two laps earlier Pittman snuck under race-long leader Shane Stewart, who succumbed to a flat tire later in the race. Pittman settled for second with his Kasey Kahne Racing teammate, Brad Sweet coming home third to complete the podium at Willamette Speedway.
Heading into tonight’s action, Shane Stewart and Daryn Pittman had collectively won the last five World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Features and it looked early on as if though one of them would claim the victory again. Stewart won the Craftsman Club Dash and led the first 12 laps in search for his second consecutive victory. Stewart navigated the top of the 3/10th mile oval masterfully and looked strong. Pittman began making the bottom work in second and closed in as lapped traffic thickened.
Pittman got underneath Stewart in turn three and led for two laps before getting hung up behind lapped traffic allowing both Stewart and Jason Johnson to close in. The three drivers waged war for the top spot with Johnson taking the position coming to the line on the 15th circuit.
Johnson took the lead and extended it quickly. He survived a trio of cautions in the final six laps, including one for early race leader Stewart, in route to his fourth win of the 2017 Season.
“That was a lot of fun. I thought the track was great. I know it was a little wet early on but come Feature time it had two lanes,” an elated Johnson said in Victory Lane while holding his son, Jaxx. Johnson was, as always, thankful for his entire crew’s effort and sponsors that allow him to get up and down the road with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.
Pittman settled for second with Brad Sweet coming on late to finish on the podium once again. Kraig Kinser, who set fast time in Qualifying, and Donny Schatz completed the top five.
Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contenders Sheldon Haudenschild and Brent Marks had strong runs finishing sixth and seventh, respectively. Logan Schuchart finished eighth with 19th-starting David Gravel and 20th-starting Jamie Veal completing the top ten. Gravel picked up KSE Hard Charger honors.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series continues their West Coast swing at the 64th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions on Friday and Saturday at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California. The Outlaws conclude their West Coast swing the following weekend at the scenic Calistoga Speedway. For information on this weekend’s Gold Cup Race of Champions, click here.
Abbreviated Results from Willamette Speedway September 6, 2017:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson [2][$6,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [3][$3,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [6][$2,000]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [4][$1,800]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [9][$1,500]; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7][$1,400]; 7. 19-Brent Marks [13][$1,350]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart [11][$1,300]; 9. 5-David Gravel [19][$1,250]; 10. 35-Jamie Veal [20][$1,200]; 11. 2-Shane Stewart [1][$900]; 12. 4-Paul McMahan [8][$800]; 13. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [15][$700]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [5][$650]; 15. 44W-Austen Wheatley [12][$600]; 16. 18S-Jason Solwold [14][$550]; 17. 55-Trey Starks [24][$500]; 18. W20-Greg Wilson [21][$500]; 19. 17-Jac Haudenschild [10][$500]; 20. 7N-Roger Crockett [18][$500]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [17][$500]; 22. 21W-Jake Wheeler [22][$500]; 23. 5X-Brian Boswell [23][$500]; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp [16][$500]; Lap Leaders: Shane Stewart 1-12, Daryn Pittman 13-14, Jason Johnson 15-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 5-David Gravel[+10]
STEWART SURVIVES LATE CHARGE FROM SWEET FOR 7TH WIN OF SEASON AT GRAYS HARBOR
ELMA, WA – September 4, 2017 - Shane Stewart led all 30 laps at Grays Harbor Raceway, but it wasn’t easy. With five lapped cars battling for position directly in front of the leaders in the closing laps, Brad Sweet stalked the Larson/Marks Racing No. 2 before pitching his No. 49 to the bottom off of turn four coming to checkered. Sweet led momentarily, but Stewart’s momentum on the cushion was enough to cross the line .205 seconds in front of Sweet. David Gravel charged late to land on the podium for the second consecutive race.
Stewart started third and won a hectic Craftsman Club Dash that saw the front row starters end up finishing at the rear and Sweet come from fifth to second.
The lone caution flag of the Feature came on lap 15 when Jacob Allen suffered front end damage, spinning his No. 1A to safety on the bottom of the track. The caution erased Stewart’s sizeable lead, but also gave him a clear track with no lapped cars in sight.
By lap 20 Stewart had once again stretched his lead to over two seconds. However, it was inevitable that he would reach the back of the field before the conclusion of the Feature. He did, in a big way.
“I was trapped. I could not get a good enough run to split the two lapped cars in front of me,” Stewart said in Victory Lane about the stressful final laps.
“My car has been really good lately and that is a testament to Lee, Heath and Dennis. It’s a tough gig out here. Lots of miles on the road and countless hours spent maintaining these cars to compete at this level. I wouldn’t be here without these guys,” a thankful Stewart said.
Stewart’s boldest move was on the final circuit where he was forced to come off his preferred line, the cushion, entering turn one. The aforementioned allowed Sweet to get a run down the backstretch to make his challenge for the lead, to no avail.
“I wish I could redo that last corner. I might have done something different,” Sweet said following yet another runner-up finish. “Overall, it was a good night. We like to be on the front stretch at the end of the night, but we have a lot of second places this year. This West Coast swing is usually pretty for good us, I’m back at my hometown tracks so hopefully we can get this Ollie’s Bargain Outlet where it belongs,” the Grass Valley, California native said.
While all eyes focused on Sweet chasing down Stewart, David Gravel might have had the fastest car on the track in the closing laps. “We were really good there at the end. We just need to do a better job in the heat races and put ourselves up front in the Feature. We’ve been really strong the last two nights,” Gravel said after coming from his eighth starting position tonight.
Jason Johnson and Daryn Pittman, who established a new Grays Harbor Track Record in Qualifying, completed the top five. Dominic Scelzi picked up KSE Hard Charger Honors coming forward to 11th.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series travels to Oregon to race at the Willamette Speedway on Wednesday, September 6. For more information on Wednesday’s event, click here. After that the Series will continue to trek South for the Gold Cup Race of Champions at the Silver Dollar Speedway over the weekend.
Abbreviated Results from Grays Harbor Raceway - September 4, 2017
Feature (30 laps) 1. 2-Shane Stewart [1][$6,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$3,500]; 3. 5-David Gravel [8][$2,000]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$1,800]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$1,500]; 6. 17-Jac Haudenschild [6][$1,400]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz [10][$1,350]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [13][$1,300]; 9. 18S-Jason Solwold [9][$1,250]; 10. 4-Paul McMahan [11][$1,200]; 11. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [18][$900]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17][$800]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [19][$700]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [5][$650]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [14][$600]; 16. 35-Jamie Veal [12][$550]; 17. 55-Trey Starks [23][$500]; 18. 7N-Roger Crockett [22][$500]; 19. 33V-Henry VanDam [20][$500]; 20. 1S-Logan Schuchart [21][$500]; 21. 44W-Austen Wheatley [16][$500]; 22. 21P-Robbie Price [24][$500]; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen [7][$500]; 24. 26-Tayler Malsam [15][$500]; Lap Leaders: Shane Stewart 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 41S-Dominic Scelzi[+7]
PITTMAN SURGES LATE IN THRILLING WIN AT SKAGIT
Alger, WA – September 2, 2017 – Former World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Champion Daryn Pittman is hitting stride and that is not a good sign for the rest of the competition. A night after being collected in an accident going for the lead, Pittman convincingly charged forward late to pocket $12,000 in the Outlaw Energy Showdown at Skagit Speedway. David Gravel picked up KSE Hard Charger honors finishing second with Brad Sweet completing the podium.
In open air, Jason Johnson set a torrid pace. Timely caution flags helped Johnson led the first 34 laps before giving way to Pittman on the 35th circuit. The longer the race stayed under Green Flag conditions, the better Pittman was. Pittman’s surge to the front happened in a matter of laps. With the top five cars under a blanket, Pittman surged from fourth to the lead in a span of six laps around the tight 3/10th racing surface.
“Man, I can’t say enough about this Great Clips team. I messed up early and kept losing spots on those restarts,” Pittman said upon exiting his Kasey Kahne Racing No.9 machine.
One of the biggest storylines of the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series was Pittman having no wins heading into the month of August. Now, Pittman has three wins – the most of any driver since August – to his credit. “I’m not sure I’ve ever had more fun driving this race car. It’s fast every time it hits the track,” a relieved Pittman said in a rare appearance racing in front of his friends and family.
Pittman excelled in turns three and four after getting a big run down the short backstretch. I saw Jason [Johnson] was struggling in traffic. When I got in opening in [turn] three and four, I took it and luckily it was good enough to hold on,” the Owasso, OK native said about his race-winning pass.
As Pittman made his charge to the lead, Gravel was equally as fast coming from fifth to second in a span of three laps. By the time Gravel reached second on lap 38, Pittman had already extended a sizeable lead. “We were able to really charge at the end. First through sixth was a hell of a battle and a lot of fun as a race car driver. Just happy to end the race on a good note,” Gravel said.
Brad Sweet and Johnson settled for third and fourth respectively with Donny Schatz completing the top five. Shane Stewart, Sheldon Haudenschild, Jason Sides, Paul McMahan and Logan Schuchart completed the all World of Outlaws regular top ten. There was an open red for a fuel leakage on lap 15 after Skagit 360 Sprint Car points leader Robbie Price had nowhere to go after Clyde Knipp and Jacob Allen got together battling. All three were uninjured in the accident.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series stays in Washington with an appearance at the Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma on Labor Day - Monday, September 4th. For information on the Grays Harbor event, click here.
Abbreviated Results from Skagit Speedway September 2, 2017:
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [5][$12,000]; 2. 5-David Gravel [8][$5,700]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$3,500]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$3,000]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$2,600]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [4][$2,400]; 7. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [11][$2,300]; 8. 7S-Jason Sides [6][$2,200]; 9. 4-Paul McMahan [12][$2,150]; 10. 1S-Logan Schuchart [14][$2,100]; 11. 35-Jamie Veal [7][$1,600]; 12. 18S-Jason Solwold [10][$1,350]; 13. 17-Jac Haudenschild [15][$1,300]; 14. W20-Greg Wilson [16][$1,200]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [9][$1,100]; 16. 19-Brent Marks [17][$1,000]; 17. 44W-Austen Wheatley [13][$900]; 18. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [22][$850]; 19. 59-Eric Fisher [19][$800]; 20. 26-Tayler Malsam [18][$800]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [20][$800]; 22. 13-Clyde Knipp [23][$800]; 23. 21P-Robbie Price [21][$800]; 24. 11EH-Marc Duperron [24][$800]; Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-34, Daryn Pittman 35-40, KSE Hard Charger Award: 5-David Gravel[+6]
STEWART CAPITALIZES ON MISFORTUNE; CLAIMS 6TH WIN OF 2017
ALGER, WA - September 1, 2017 - Brad Sweet led the first eight laps before getting together with a slower car and collecting second place running Daryn Pittman. Shane Stewart assumed the lead and never looked back, scoring his sixth win of the 2017 season. Jason Johnson and Jac Haudenschild completed the podium on Night 1 of the Outlaw Energy Showdown at Skagit Speedway with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Cars.
With an inversion of six, Sweet and Kraig Kinser shared the front row of the Craftsman Club Dash. In an action-packed event Sweet powered around Kinser earning the pole position for the 30-lap Feature.
In the Feature, Sweet was strong early as was his Kasey Kahne Racing teammate, Pittman. Pittman made his bid for the lead on the backstretch of the eighth circuit but Sweet muscled back ahead to lead the lap.
The following lap, off of turn four, a chain reaction sent the slower car of Austen Wheatley into the front end of Brad Sweet's Ollie's Bargain Outlet No. 49 ultimately sending the car down the track into his teammate Pittman. Pittman and Clyde Knipp, who was also a lapped down, had nowhere to go on the tight 3/10th mile racing surface.
Both Pittman and Sweet were able to make repairs and return to the rear of the field. Shane Stewart, who was just inches away from being collected as well, assumed the lead with Kinser, Jason Johnson and Jac Haudenschild in tow. 'The Wild Child' used a great restart on the top to shoot into the runner-up position and begin chasing down Stewart for the lead.
A pair of double-file restarts, for cautions on lap 10 and 18 respectively, gave Haudenschild a chance for the lead but the Wooster, Ohio veteran couldn't get close enough to mount a serious challenge. With seven to go, Haudenschild took a chance ultimately opening the door for Johnson to squeeze by for second.
A yellow with five to go gave the field one last chance to steal the win from Stewart. To no avail as the Bixby, OK native piloted the Larson/Marks Racing No.2 to Victory Lane for the sixth time in 2017. Johnson, who has never finished worse than fourth at Skagit, settled for second with Haudenschild scoring a strong podium finish in the Stenhouse Jr./Wood Racing No. 17. Donny Schatz and Jac's son, Sheldon, completed the top five. Greg Wilson picked up KSE Hard Charger honors coming from 14th to sixth. Pittman and Sweet made it back forward to tenth and 12th, respectively.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to the Skagit Speedway Saturday evening for the conclusion of the Outlaw Energy Showdown. For more information and a link to purchase tickets, click here. The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to the Skagit Speedway Saturday evening for the conclusion of the Outlaw Energy Showdown. For more information and a link to purchase tickets, click here.
Abbreviated Results From Skagit Speedway September 1, 2017:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2-Shane Stewart [4]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [5]; 3. 17-Jac Haudenschild [6]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [7]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [10]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [14]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2]; 8. 5-David Gravel [8]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [11]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [3]; 11. 4-Paul McMahan [17]; 12. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [21]; 14. 1A-Jacob Allen [19]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [9]; 16. 35-Jamie Veal [12]; 17. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [15]; 18. 59-Eric Fisher [20]; 19. 44W-Austen Wheatley [22]; 20. 18S-Jason Solwold [16]; 21. 21P-Robbie Price [18]; 22. 26-Tayler Malsam [13]; 23. 13-Clyde Knipp [24]; 24. 11EH-Marc Duperron [23]; Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-8, Shane Stewart 9-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: W20-Greg Wilson[+8]
Qualifying: 1. 2-Shane Stewart, 10.894; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.062; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.108; 4. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 11.118; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.123; 6. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.162; 7. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.202; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.263; 9. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.266; 10. 26-Tayler Malsam, 11.312; 11. 5-David Gravel, 11.321; 12. 35-Jamie Veal, 11.328; 13. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.334; 14. 4-Paul McMahan, 11.365; 15. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 11.422; 16. 18S-Jason Solwold, 11.442; 17. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.451; 18. 44W-Austen Wheatley, 11.467; 19. 59-Eric Fisher, 11.473; 20. 19-Brent Marks, 11.548; 21. 13-Clyde Knipp, 11.55; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.614; 23. 11EH-Marc Duperron, 11.677; 24. 21P-Robbie Price, 11.789; 25. 5X-Brian Boswell, 12.614
Gravel Scores 13th Win of Season at Nodak
MINOT, ND – August 20, 2017 – After a pair of pedestrian finishes Friday and Saturday, David Gravel and the CJB Motorsports No.5 team switched cars and scored their 13th victory of the season Sunday night at Nodak Speedway. Gravel’s win stopped Donny Schatz, who finished second, five-race win streak at the Minot oval. Brad Sweet challenged Gravel for the lead early, but ended up settling for third.
Gravel led all 35 laps, although it was not easy. The Nodak Speedway track crew watered the track prior to the Feature, leaving the surface faster and heavier than many teams anticipated.
The inside row got a good intial start, allowing third place starting Brad Sweet to be second by the backstretch. Schatz got in line in third as the track continued to widen out as the Feature progressed. Sweet pulled even with Gravel for the lead multiple times coming off of turn four, but could never pull ahead.
The first caution of the event came for Jason Sides, who was backwards in turn four, on lap 24. Sheldon Haudenschild made contact with the wall and spun on the ensuing restart. Sheldon was running sixth at the time.
Gravel extended his lead once again, made the right decisions in lapped traffic and picked up the victory without seeing another serious challenge. When asked about stopping Schatz five race win streak at Nodak, Gravel said with a smile, “He wins too much. I want some wins too.”
“We brought this car down and I’m glad we got it done tonight because we were not very good the last two nights. This is three straight wins for this car,” the Watertown, CT native said upon exiting his No.5 machine.
Like many, Schatz anticipated the track would slow down earlier in the race. “We got going at the end. I think I used way too much of my tires to get there, though. We did the best we could and sometimes you are going to have that,” a content Schatz said.
Schatz scored at least a top-five finish in every start this season in his home state of North Dakota. He spoke highly about the North Dakota faithful, who packed the grandstands for the third consecutive night, “North Dakota has a huge presence with the World of Outlaws and I don’t think anyone realizes how big it is. Thank you to the fans, without you guys we would not have nearly as much fun as we do.”
Brad Sweet picked up his 44th top-five of the finish of the season, completing the podium. “We were right there a lot of the race. David never made any mistakes and then I made one and Donny got by me,” Sweet said. “All in all it was a good night.”
Shane Stewart and Daryn Pittman completed the top five. Saturday’s Feature winner at Red River Valley, Jason Johnson, picked up the KSE Hard Charger award in sixth.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series takes a few days off before returning to the Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, SD Friday August 25th. For more information about the Black Hills event click here.
Abbreviated Results from Nodak Speedway:
Feature (35 Laps) 1. 5-David Gravel [1][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$5,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$3,200]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [4][$2,800]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [7][$2,500]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [12][$2,300]; 7. 17-Jac Haudenschild [5][$2,200]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart [10][$2,100]; 9. 18-Ian Madsen [9][$2,050]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [15][$2,000]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$1,500]; 12. 3-Tim Kaeding [18][$1,200]; 13. 35-Jamie Veal [6][$1,100]; 14. 4-Paul McMahan [14][$1,050]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [17][$1,000]; 16. 7S-Jason Sides [11][$900]; 17. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [16][$800]; 18. 13-Clyde Knipp [20][$800]; 19. 7T-Trent Stengl [24][$800]; 20. 21-Ryder Olson [23][$800]; 21. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8][$800]; 22. 6N-Greg Nikitenko [19][$800]; 23. 20-Kevin Lawson [22][$800]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$800]; Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: 41-Jason Johnson[+6]
Qualifying: 1. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.477; 2. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.544; 3. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.565; 4. 5-David Gravel, 13.576; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.604; 6. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.611; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.642; 8. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 13.654; 9. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.656; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.672; 11. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.713; 12. 35-Jamie Veal, 13.738; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.741; 14. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.796; 15. 19-Brent Marks, 13.852; 16. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.866; 17. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.931; 18. 6N-Greg Nikitenko, 14.026; 19. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 14.059; 20. 21-Ryder Olson, 14.141; 21. 3-Tim Kaeding, 14.166; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.251; 23. 91K-Kyle Fedyk, 14.289; 24. 7T-Trent Stengl, 14.444; 25. 10-Tyson Turnbull, 14.91; 26. 90-Randy Blotsky, 15.384; 27. 20-Kevin Lawson, 15.852; 28. 20L-Dusty Lawson, 15.945; 29. 14-Bill Holler, 16.1; 30. 17M-Todd Mickelson, NT
Jason Johnson Goes Flag to Flag
WEST FARGO, ND - August 19, 2017 - Jason Johnson started on the outside of the front row, took command down the backstretch on the opening circuit and never looked back to score his third win of the season Saturday at Red River Valley Speedway. Johnson survived heavy traffic and multiple restarts to pick up the popular victory. Australian Kerry Madsen and Shane Stewart completed the podium.
Johnson got the jump on pole-sitter Kraig Kinser and established a healthy advantage before a caution for a slowing Jamie Veal on lap four. On the ensuing restart, Dominic Scelzi and Brent Marks took a wild ride on the front stretch. Both drivers were uninjured in the accident.
Shane Stewart got underneath Kraig Kinser for second and began chasing down Johnson as lapped traffic intensified. Kerry Madsen began his charge on the bottom of the racing surface as he surged by both Kinser and Thomas Kennedy to move into third.
Johnson battled with the slower car of David Gravel, allowing Stewart and Madsen to close in. Once Johnson cleared Gravel, he re-extended his lead and drove away from the field for the victory.
“My guys never give up. During the ‘Month of Money’, the tracks got a little slick and we struggled a bit. But this is my type of race track. Cowboy up,” an elated Johnson said upon climbing out of his Priority Aviation, Mesilla Valley Transportation backed No. 41.
“With the World of Outlaws, these guys are so tough night in and night out, to win one of these races speaks magnitudes about this team,” Johnson reiterated.
Kerry Madsen praised his team once again after landing on the podium for the second consecutive night. “It was a fun race, bouncing around and driving hard,” the hard-nosed Australian said.
Shane Stewart, who is now the new track record holder at the Red River Valley Speedway, came home third after grappling with pesky lapped traffic. “Quick time, which I’m usually not, a new track record, which is cool, and a podium finish. We’ll just carry this on to tomorrow and hopefully keep the momentum going,” the Bixby, OK native said following his strong, consistent evening.
Kinser and Donny Schatz completed the top five. Tim Kaeding was the KSE Hard Charger. Clyde Knipp scored his first career top-ten with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series with a 9th place finish.
Sunday night the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series concludes a three-race swing through North Dakota in Minot at the Nodak Speedway. For more information on Sunday’s event click here.
ABBREVIATED RESULTS FROM: Red River Valley Speedway
Feature (30 Laps) 1. 41-Jason Johnson [2][$10,000]; 2. 2M-Kerry Madsen [6][$5,500]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3][$3,200]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1][$2,800]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [7][$2,500]; 6. 17-Jac Haudenschild [8][$2,300]; 7. 21K-Thomas Kennedy [4][$2,200]; 8. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$2,100]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [12][$2,050]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [10][$2,000]; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman [14][$1,500]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [9][$1,200]; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart [16][$1,100]; 14. 3-Tim Kaeding [22][$1,050]; 15. 18-Ian Madsen [13][$1,000]; 16. 5-David Gravel [21][$900]; 17. 24-Terry McCarl [15][$800]; 18. 4-Paul McMahan [19][$800]; 19. 35-Jamie Veal [18][$800]; 20. 7T-Trent Stengl [24][$800]; 21. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [17][$800]; 22. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [11][$800]; 23. 19-Brent Marks [20][$800]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [23][$800]
Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-30
KSE Hard Charger Award: 3-Tim Kaeding[+8]
Qualifying
1. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.925; 2. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 12.043; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 12.079; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.114; 5. 21K-Thomas Kennedy, 12.116; 6. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.148; 7. 18-Ian Madsen, 12.195; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.208; 9. 7S-Jason Sides, 12.221; 10. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.233; 11. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 12.25; 12. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.26; 13. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.277; 14. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 12.338; 15. 24-Terry McCarl, 12.339; 16. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.342; 17. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 12.405; 18. 35-Jamie Veal, 12.431; 19. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.432; 20. 5-David Gravel, 12.439; 21. 3-Tim Kaeding, 12.493; 22. 19-Brent Marks, 12.52; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen, 12.632; 24. 8-Casey Mack, 12.688; 25. 7T-Trent Stengl, 12.694; 26. 6N-Greg Nikitenko, 12.73; 27. 82-Dusty Zomer, 12.857; 28. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.866; 29. 13X-Ty Hanten, 13.4; 30. 91M-Jackson Moffett, 13.414; 31. 17M-Todd Mickelson, 15.218
Double Duty Donny
GRAND FORKS, ND – August 18, 2017 - Six days after winning sprint car’s biggest prize – the 5-Hour ENERGY Knoxville Nationals - for the 10th time, Donny Schatz landed in Victory Lane in his home state, twice. Schatz outdueled Brad Sweet to win his 17th feature of the 2017 season at River Cities. To make things sweeter, Schatz also picked up the NLRA Late Model feature earlier in the night.
When asked if he learned anything from winning the 25-lap Late Model feature, Schatz said with a smile, “I learned that I am not in as good of shape as I think I am.”
Sheldon Haudenschild led the first eight laps, in search of his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory, before getting loose off of turn two and losing the lead to Brad Sweet. Schatz worked underneath Haudenschild shortly after and was second when the red flag flew for Canadian driver Thomas Kennedy, who was uninjured in the accident, on lap 12.
Sweet led the next three laps before Schatz pulled ahead with grip on the bottom on the 16th circuit. A lap 17 yellow for sixth place running Dominic Scelzi was the final stoppage of the event. Following the caution, Schatz and Sweet continued their duel and were side by side for multiple laps with Sweet being scored as the leader on the 18th lap. Schatz regained the lead on lap 19 and never looked back masterfully maneuvering through lapped traffic.
“It’s a huge weekend for this race team. Speaking of this race team…it is incredible what they do and an honor to drive their race car,” Schatz said.
Sweet settled for second. “The Ollie’s Bargain Outlet car was fast all night. I probably should have ran the bottom, but it’s hard to judge traffic when you are the leader. Donny’s always the guy to beat here, we’ll take our second and move on,” the Grass Valley, CA native said.
Australian Kerry Madsen finished on the podium, thanked his GoMuddy.com team and Guy Forbook for a great race car and praised River Cities Speedway with the statement, “Grand Forks never disappoints.”
Daryn Pittman and Jason Johnson completed the top five. Mark Dobmeier was the KSE Hard Charger coming from 21st to finish sixth.
Daryn Pittman Scores First Victory of 2017 at I-55
PEVELY, MO - August 5, 2017 - It’s been a long time coming for Daryn Pittman, who secured his first win of the season Friday night at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55. The 2014 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Champion has had a trying season by his standards. Friday night, he was able to fend off the eight-time and defending Series Champion Donny Schatz, including on a late-race restart with six laps to go.
“Man, I needed that. I think this team needed that,” a relieved Daryn Pittman said upon exiting his Great Clips No. 9 for his first win of the 2017 season Friday night at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55.
The Craftsman Club Dash draw was four putting Sheldon Haudenschild and Paul McMahan on the front row. Haudenschild and McMahan led laps in the dash before giving way to Pittman on the third circuit.
“I’m blessed to be able to drive for Kasey [Kahne],” Pittman said in Victory Lane. “I was on the phone with him all night. He worked on this thing during the week and put in a setup that I would have bet everything in the world would not have worked,” Pittman said with a smile. “Thanks to DIRTVision.com for the great coverage so he could watch up in New York.”
Although, Pittman led all 35 laps it was far from an easy victory. Donny Schatz stalked the Owasso, Oklahoma-native for the majority of the race.
“You get nervous when you’re leading, even when it is hard to pass, when that No. 15 car is behind you. He has stolen more than one rubber race away from me pretty late,” Pittman said of the eight-time series champion, Schatz.
Schatz took a peak to the outside of the Kasey Kahne Racing No. 9 momentarily in turn three, “You got to try something if given the opportunity,” the current Series point leader said.” All around it’s a decent finish. We haven’t been in the top three here in a little bit, so I’m glad to get to a good finish.”
Sheldon Haudenschild came home third, in what was his Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 debut. “I’m happy. I feel like we haven’t been on the podium since California,” Haudenschild said jokingly. Although it was Sheldon’s first visit to Pevely, his crew chief Bonzai and father, Jac, have many laps around the bullring. “Having Bonzai on our team for these tracks I’ve never been to has been huge,” Sheldon, the leading contender for Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, reiterated.
Kraig Kinser and Brad Sweet completed the top five. The first twelve drivers across the finish line were World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series regulars, with last year’s Ironman 55 winner, Rico Abreu, finishing 13th. Brandon Hanks was the KSE Hard Charger coming from 23rd to 16th aboard his No. 84 machine.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to the Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 Saturday night August 5th for the running of the Ironman 55, which pays $20,000 to win. Grandstands open at 2pm.
FEATURE (35 Laps): 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [1][$8,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$4,000]; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [3][$2,500]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2][$2,200]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$2,100]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$2,000]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [10][$1,800]; 8. 17-Jac Haudenschild [8][$1,600]; 9. 4-Paul McMahan [7][$1,500]; 10. 7S-Jason Sides [12][$1,300]; 11. 19-Brent Marks [17][$1,200]; 12. 5-David Gravel [9][$1,100]; 13. 24-Rico Abreu [13][$1,000]; 14. O5-Brad Loyet [16][$700]; 15. 3-James McFadden [20][$600]; 16. 84-Brandon Hanks [23][$600]; 17. 1S-Logan Schuchart [24][$600]; 18. 91-Cale Thomas [11][$600]; 19. 48-Danny Dietrich [18][$600]; 20. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$600]; 21. 2-Shane Stewart [15][$600]; 22. 3G-Carson Macedo [14][$600]; 23. 17B-Bill Balog [19][$600]; 24. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [22][$600];Lap Leaders: Daryn Pittman 1-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: 84-Brandon Hanks[+7]
Three-Peat: David Gravel Wins again at Wilmot Raceway in a thriller
WILMOT, Wisc. — July 29, 2017 — If it was up to David Gravel he would race at Wilmot Raceway every week if he could. At least that’s what he jokingly said after winning for the third time in the same number of starts with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Wilmot on Saturday night in the Badger 40. Gravel remains undefeated in three starts with the Outlaws at the third-mile in Southern Wisconsin.
Gravel used some late race heroics for the second straight night to take the lead with just two laps remaining en route to a thrilling win over Shane Stewart. That pair traded the lead four times officially, but unofficially swapped the lead numerous times in the late-going, with Gravel running the top of the track and Stewart a little lower.
“It’s been awesome racing here,” said Gravel. “Wisconsin is great. It doesn’t matter if we are at Beaver Dam (Raceway) or Cedar Lake (Speedway), the stands are always packed. They are just as good as Pennsylvania fans. It was racing with Shane. We both raced real hard.”
Gravel led on three separate occasions on Saturday night for a total of five laps, but for the second straight night, he led the most important one, the white flag lap. Gravel took the lead for the first time on lap-29 when Brad Sweet made contact with an infield tire, which dropped him from the point to third. Shane Stewart also moved up a spot at that point in time.
Stewart took the top spot on the very next lap and would remain out front for six circuits. Gravel got back by on lap-36 and was out front for two laps, before Stewart took the lead again on lap 38. Gravel moved back to the lead on lap-39 and paced the final two laps to secure his 12th win of the season.
“I think I may have been to patient and Shane (Stewart) got by us,” shared Gravel. “Luckily Brad (Sweet) got into the infield tire and that gave us track position. I know we had a really good car. The track was awesome. The bottom was good and so was the top. It was even. The curb got out there really gnarly at the end and bit me a couple of times, but I knew that was the fastest place. I just had to play Russian roulette with the curb those last few laps and it worked out.”
Stewart started fourth and was up to third on the second lap and kept pace with Sweet and Gravel in the early going. With six laps to go the caution flag flew, which set up one final double-file restart with Stewart choosing the low side and Gravel up top. Following that unfurling of the green flag, the duo waged war, trading the lead at both ends of the track a number of times.
“It was exciting,” said Stewart. “I honestly felt like I drove a little too cautious there at the end. I was trying to block him and hit my lines. That team has been really, really good here lately and we were close. We were a lot closer than we have been lately. My guys continue to work crazy hours to make sure the car is ready each and every night. We just came up a little short tonight, but it was a fun race.
Stewart ran among the top-three for just about the duration of the 40-lap race. Late in the race, Stewart seemed to have an advantage on the lows sides of turns one and two, with Gravel getting the upper hand on the top side of turns three and four.
“I think that race could have gone anyway,” noted Stewart. “Obviously the little issue Brad had with the infield tire made it a lot more interesting. We’ll keep on digging and hopefully we can click off a few more wins before the Knoxville Nationals.”
Sweet took the lead on the opening lap in turns one and two from Paul McMahan, who started on the pole. He was just about to get to lapped traffic, when the first caution flag of the night flew on the eighth lap. Sweet chose the low line for the ensuing double file restart, with Gravel moving up to second and taking a peek for the lead on the high side of turn four. Sweet was able to maintain his lead in lapped traffic near the halfway point of the race. Gravel got a good run on Sweet on lap-28, with Sweet getting out of shape on the next lap, after contact with the infield tire in turn two.
“I’m tired of making mistakes,” said Sweet. “The NAPA guys are giving me a great race car each and every night. We are in contention to win every night. This one tonight is on me. It was driver error. I was trying to get through lapped cars. We were setting a good pace. The car felt great and I didn’t really have anything to complain about. Once you make a mistake with these guys they do a great job and Shane was right there. They capitalized on my mistake. I’m just happy it didn’t knock the front axle out and end out night.”
Sweet would end up finishing third, which was his 41st top-five finish of the season, which keeps him tied with eight-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz for the series lead in that department. Following a caution with just six laps remaining, Sweet was nearly three-wide for the lead with Gravel and Stewart going into turn one as he looked to rebound from the mishap earlier in the race.
“We’ll take a third and everyone needs to get home and get a break for a minute and regroup,” noted Sweet. “We have some of the biggest races coming up. We’ll keep our heads up and try o look forward and be positive and try to win some more of these races.”
Sheldon Haudenschild finished fourth, after lining up on the outside of the fifth row. Schatz worked his way to a fifth-place showing, after starting 13th. Logan Schuchart continued his recent string of strong finished with a sixth-place run. Jason Johnson crossed the line seventh, with McMahan in eighth, Daryn Pittman ninth and Brent Marks 10th.
Blake Nimee picked up tonight’s KSE Hardcharger award after qualifying for the Badger 40 Feature from the Last Chance Showdown. Nimbee started 24th and finished 14th.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action on Friday, August 4 with the Night Before the Ironmanat Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo., followed by the $20,000-to-win Ironman 55 on Saturday, August 5.
FEATURE (40 Laps): 1. 5-David Gravel [3][$10,000]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [4][$5,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$3,200]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [12][$2,800]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [13][$2,500]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [11][$2,300]; 7. 41-Jason Johnson [5][$2,200]; 8. 4-Paul McMahan [1][$2,100]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [9][$2,050]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [7][$2,000]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17][$1,500]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [10][$1,200]; 13. W20-Greg Wilson [15][$1,100]; 14. 79-Blake Nimee [24][$1,050]; 15. 17B-Bill Balog [6][$1,000]; 16. 1A-Jacob Allen [23][$900]; 17. 64-Scott Thiel [8][$800]; 18. 65-Jordon Goldesberry [22][$800]; 19. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski [18][$800]; 20. 17-Jac Haudenschild [16][$800]; 21. 3G-Carson Macedo [14][$800]; 22. 29-Joey Moughan [20][$800]; 23. 5J-Jeremy Schultz [19][$800]; 24. 23-Russel Borland [21][$800]; Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-28; David Gravel 29, 36-37, 39-40; Shane Stewart 30-35, 38; KSE Hard Charger Award: 79-Blake Nimee[+10]
Patience Pays Off: David Gravel wins at Hartford Speedway
By: Tony Veneziano
HARTFORD, Mich. — July 28, 2017 — Patience was certainly a must on Friday night in the Battle of Michigan for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series. David Gravel showed the patience of a true veteran, enduring five cautions and one red flag period en route to winning at the re-configured Hartford Speedway.
Gravel, who started third, was able to get by Brad Sweet in lapped traffic with just three laps remaining, after erasing a sizeable lead that Sweet had as the laps wound down in the 30-lapper. For Gravel, it was his 11th win of the season for the CJB Motorsports team. He credited the changes his team made during a lap-17 open red flag to helping him reach victory lane.
“I think it was better running second,” said Gravel. “It was a lot of fun. We raced real hard, even with how slick it was. It was very technical out there. We had the red flag and I think we made the car better during it. We were really tight, but you needed to be on a slick track like this. Thanks to my guys for busting their butts and I’m happy we could get another one.”
Brad Sweet jumped out to the lead on the start, after lining up on the outside of the front row. He paced the field for the first eight laps, with Gravel taking the lead on the top side of turn two. Sweet returned to the point on a lap-11 restart using the high groove. Gravel ran side-by-side with Sweet through three and four with four laps to go and took the top spot on the very next lap.
“When I was second, I had a really good restart and got the lead,” explained Gravel. “Then when I was leading, I lost the lead on a restart, so they went both ways tonight. It was tough to get going on the starts. You kind of had to ease on the throttle on the straightaway to get into turn one.”
Sweet, who led 25 total laps in the 30-lapper, finished second to earn his 40th top-five finish of the season, which is tied for the series lead in that category with eight-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz.
“I got a little free at the end and just didn’t cover the lines well enough in traffic,” said Sweet. “I got to the first lapped car and we just weren’t good enough to pass him. If I could have moved around, I think I could have held David (Gravel) off. It just got super technical and line-sensitive. I just made too many mistakes and gave the race away late. We’ll keep fighting and hopefully we can get this NAPA Auto Parts car to victory lane where it belongs. The car is good enough to win, we just need to make it happen.”
Logan Schuchart followed up a win earlier this week at Ohsweken Speedway in Canada with a third-place finish. The Pennsylvania native battled for a large portion of the race with Gravel, while the eventual winner was running second. Since debuting a new car, the driver of the No. 1S for Shark Racing hasn’t finished off the podium.
“We wanted a better car about a month ago,” said Schuchart. “The one we were running was worn out. This one is brand new and has a first and a third. I can’t say enough about the guys who put this car on the race track. It was a fast race car when we got it and its rolling good. This is a good time of the year to be rolling good and be fast. We just have to keep it up and make the right changes at the right times.”
Brent Marks, one of the contenders for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award, finished a season-best fourth at Hartford Speedway. For the Pennsylvania native, it was his first top-five finish of the season.
Kraig Kinser crossed the line fifth, with Donny Schatz sixth. Daryn Pittman recovered from a trip to the work area on the 11th lap to weave his way back through the field to finish seventh. Sheldon Haudenschild was eighth with fellow Ohioan Greg Wilson ninth. Wilson was the KSE Hard Charger, after taking a provisional to start 25th. Shane Stewart rounded out the top-10.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action on Saturday, July 29 at Wilmot Raceway in Wisconsin for the running of the Badger 40.
FEATURE (30 Laps): 1. 5-David Gravel [3][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$5,500]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8][$3,200]; 4. 19-Brent Marks [15][$2,800]; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7][$2,500]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz [12][$2,300]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [10][$2,200]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [9][$2,100]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [25][$1,250]; 10. 2-Shane Stewart [1][$2,000]; 11. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$1,500]; 12. 3G-Carson Macedo [19][$1,200]; 13. 71-Joey Saldana [16][$1,100]; 14. 17M-Max McGhee [21][$1,050]; 15. 5J-Jeremy Schultz [11][$1,000]; 16. 7S-Jason Sides [4][$900]; 17. 17-Jac Haudenschild [13][$800]; 18. 16-Ryan Ruhl [14][$800]; 19. 4-Paul McMahan [5][$800]; 20. 27Z-Sean Zemunik [23][$800]; 21. 7J-Joe Swanson [22][$800]; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen [18][$800]; 23. 5B-Chad Blonde [17][$800]; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp [20][$800]; 25. 10S-Jason Steinebach [24][$800], Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-8, 11-27; David Gravel 9-10, 28-30, KSE Hard Charger Award: W20-Greg Wilson[+16]
Logan Schuchart Takes a Bite Out of Donny Schatz for Win at Ohsweken
Schuchart Earns First Career Victory in Canada
OHSWEKEN, ON, CAN – July 25, 2017 – Logan Schuchart hunted down Donny Schatz in heavy lapped traffic and then dominated the second half of the Six Nations Showdown at Ohsweken Speedway for his fourth World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series win of 2017 on Tuesday night.
The victory was a much-needed confidence boost for Schuchart and his Shark Racing team who had struggled of late. The slick Ohsweken surface was exactly to the liking of the Hanover, Pa. native in the Outlaws only visit to Canada this season.
“I love these type of racetracks, not just because we ran well on it tonight. I love slick racetracks,” Schuchart said in Victory Lane. “I love when you have to drive the car straight and smooth. I feel like it makes it fun. Obviously if you’re not running good it’s not fun, but if you can glide around the racetrack, be smooth and have forward drive, it’s fun.”
Schuchart had all of those ingredients at Ohsweken. While Schatz grabbed an early lead from the pole and drove away from the majority of the field, Schuchart was the only driver able to keep pace. The top duo wandered into heavy lapped traffic by lap nine and as Schatz was forced to give up his preferred line on the bottom to move past a slower car, Schuchart capitalized when he found room on the bottom of turn two and down the backstretch to take the lead.
“I was having trouble catching Donny when we were in an open run,” Schuchart admitted. “It wasn’t until we got to lapped traffic, I felt like, that some lapped cars made him go where he didn’t want to. I could just move around a little bit more than he could and go through the middle. When some lapped cars took his line away, I just felt like I was able to get the forward drive off the corners to get by him.”
One lap after Schuchart took the lead, the caution flag waved for Sheldon Haudenschild, who suffered a flat right-rear tire. He made the repairs in the work area and returned to the rear of the field. Schuchart held the point on the lap nine restart while Greg Wilson and Kyle Larson battled tooth and nail for the third spot.
Schuchart led the top-five into traffic again on lap 16 of the 30-lap main event, but was able to run the bottom the lane the whole time to continue pulling away from Schatz. His advantage with 10 laps to go was 2.6 seconds but grew each lap until he achieved the eventual 5.984-second margin of victory.
Schatz was openly disappointed he was not able to capitalize on his pole starting position to claim his 16th win of the season. His runner-up finish was his 40th top-five finish of the season.
“We got beat,” Schatz stated bluntly. “Logan was really good. He could go all over. Obviously, we got to traffic and you have to move around. We did that a little bit and he found the better groove. Those guys rolled pretty good and I couldn’t stay down there very well. I had to roll the middle and do what I could. These guys did a great job, Logan was just that good tonight.”
Schuchart was ecstatic to score his fourth Outlaw win of the season and to beat the current Series point leader to achieve the feat.
“Anytime you can beat Donny Schatz on any type of racetrack, but especially a slick racetrack, it’s saying something,” Schuchart said. “We’ve had a car for a while that’s given us some trouble and this is the first night on this new XXX (chassis) and it was hooked up on this slick surface. I felt like it was just gliding around the racetrack and I was just guiding it.”
Wilson rounded out the podium finishers after holding off Kyle Larson in the second half of the race. It was Wilson’s fifth top-five finish of the season on a surface he raved about in his post-race interview.
“We’ve been struggling pretty bad lately, so I can’t thank the folks at Hercules Tires, Ohio Logistics, DNC Hydraulics, Gear Alloy and Weikel Sportswear for staying with us,” Wilson said. “This is always an amazing show. (Track Owner) Glenn (Styres) and the whole crew gave us an excellent racetrack. It’s fun. I wish some other tracks in the country would take a look at this. I realize we’re not going 100mph, but there’s racing all over the racetrack and that’s what it’s about.”
Larson settled for a fourth-place finish and 19-year-old Dylan Westbrook, who was making his first career Outlaw start in his first night with a 410ci motor, rounded out the top-five after starting 16th. Jacob Allen was the KSE Hard Charger award winner after he advanced 13 positions from 24th to 11th.
Brad Sweet was the night’s fast qualifier with a lap of 12.280 seconds. Sweet, Schuchart, Larson and Wilson all won heat races in some of the most thrilling qualifying action all season. Schatz won the Craftsman Club Dash from the pole, but had to take the lead back from Brent Marks midway through the race to gain the pole. Kraig Kinser came out on top of a three-car battle for the lead with Jared Zimbardi and Steve Lyons to win the Last Chance Showdown.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series now has two days off before returning to competition for the Battle of Michigan at Hartford Speedway in Hartford, MI on Friday, July 28. The Outlaws will see the track’s new 3/8-mile configuration for the first time. For additional event information, including advanced reserved ticket purchases, visit www.slspromotions.com.
Feature (30 Laps) - 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [1][$5,500]; 3. W20-Greg Wilson [5][$3,200]; 4. 57-Kyle Larson [7][$2,800]; 5. 47X-Dylan Westbrook [16][$2,500]; 6. 5-David Gravel [12][$2,300]; 7. 18-Ryan Susice [17][$2,200]; 8. 49-Brad Sweet [8][$2,100]; 9. 11K-Kraig Kinser [21][$2,050]; 10. 67X-Parker Price-Miller [9][$2,000]; 11. 1A-Jacob Allen [24][$1,500]; 12. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$1,200]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [2][$1,100]; 14. 9X-Steve Lyons [23][$1,050]; 15. 2-Shane Stewart [10][$1,000]; 16. O-Max Johnston [6][$900]; 17. 87-Jason Barney [14][$800]; 18. 10-Mitch Brown [15][$800]; 19. 4-Paul McMahan [19][$800]; 20. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [20][$800]; 21. 7S-Jason Sides [18][$800]; 22. OO-Dane Lorenc [11][$800]; 23. 35-Jared Zimbardi [22][$800]; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp [13][$800]. Lap Leaders:Donny Schatz 1-8. Logan Schuchart 9-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1A-Jacob Allen[+13]
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Clyde Knipp; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Ryan Susice; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Kraig Kinser; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Jacob Allen; Extended Stay America ($50 cash): Jacob Allen; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Super Flow ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Brent Marks, Logan Schuchart, Daryn Pittman, Greg Wilson, Brad Sweet; Craftsman/Sears: Max Johnston; KSE Hard Charger: Jacob Allen; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Logan Shuchart; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jason Sides.
Zearfoss Scores First Career Series Win and First Posse Win of the Season
MECHANICSBURG, PA — July 21, 2017 — Jonestown, PA-native Brock Zearfoss scored his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series win during the Champion Racing Oil Summer Nationals opener, ringing in the first Posse win of the season in the ongoing Outlaws versus Pennsylvania Posse battle. David Gravel came in second after a strong battle for the lead with Lance Dewease, who ultimately went into the wall and flipped with nine laps to go. Defending Champion Donny Schatz completed the podium.
"How many times do you get to win an Outlaw race?" asked Zearfoss from Victory Lane. "This first time, I don’t even know what to say. I’m sick to my stomach; I’m that excited. You know, this is just a dream come true.”
Zearfoss’s first Outlaws race behind the wheel of Aaron Long’s No. 58 car last May didn’t go quite so well. He didn’t make the Feature.
“We debuted this deal at the first Outlaw race, and we weren’t good at all. To go from not making the show to standing on the front stretch of an Outlaw show, that’s just saying something about these guys.”
The Feature started with Lance Dewease on the pole after a full-field Craftsman Club Dash inversion (eight) worked in his favor. Last year's champion, Daryn Pittman, started beside him and managed to steal the lead in lap one, but Dewease would take it back and go on to lead the next 15 laps.
Meanwhile, behind him Zearfoss battled his way past Schatz and Pittman to second with Gravel on his tail.
While spectators' attentions were focused keenly on the five-car battle in front, Danny Dietrich and Sheldon Haudenschild got into each other entering lap 17 outside turn one, forcing a restart that would allow Gravel to charge past Zearfoss on the frontstretch before throwing a slider at Dewease. Trying to hold off Gravel, the leader jumped the cushion, fumbled, and flipped several times inside turn two.
To the tune of an outraged crowd, a double-file restart was called according to Series rules when the caution is not a result of contact between cars. Despite video replays showing no contact between the GoMuddy.com No. 5 and the Schanauer Plumbing No. 69K, Posse supporters expressed their discontent and disbelief.
“I know I never touched him," argued Gravel. "Lance probably had a pretty tight race car and flipped over in the curb. I honestly didn’t want to slide him. I checked up. I thought, he doesn’t get back around me, but he obviously got stumbled up in the curb. That’s what happened, and then I had to work really hard to get back to second. I feel like we had the best car but finished second."
Zearfoss and Gravel were to lead the field, but officials called a jump start on Gravel after Zearfoss stumbled and slowed, sending Gravel back a row and putting Schatz beside Zearfoss for another restart.
“This motor was stumbling all night," said Zearfoss. "I got it to go a couple of times, but obviously that one time David [Gravel} actually didn’t jump me, but it just didn’t go. I kind of got lucky there. Got it to go for Schatz and didn’t want to see another caution because I wasn’t sure if I could do it again. Luckily I got a good jump on him on that last restart and held him off. Tell you what, I was either going out of the park or I was winning this bitch.“
And win he did, with Gravel battling his way back to second after a few exchanged with Schatz.
"Brock Zearfoss is a good friend of mine, and I’m happy he won his first Outlaw show," said Gravel. "We’ll take second tonight. Me and Donny [Schatz] raced really really hard there. Just good hard racing."
RESULTS FROM WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY
Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 58-Brock Zearfoss [4][$8,000]; 2. 5-David Gravel [5][$4,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$2,500]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [7][$2,200]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [2][$2,100]; 6. 21-Brian Montieth [20][$2,000]; 7. 25-Aaron Ott [9][$1,800]; 8. 11-T.J. Stutts [10][$1,600]; 9. 51-Freddie Rahmer [23][$1,500]; 10. 27-Greg Hodnett [16][$1,300]; 11. 24-Lucas Wolfe [11][$1,200]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [14][$1,100]; 13. 44-Trey Starks [6][$1,000]; 14. 17-Jac Haudenschild [24][$700]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17][$600]; 16. 1S-Logan Schuchart [22][$600]; 17. 39M-Anthony Macri [18][$600]; 18. 4-Paul McMahan [15][$600]; 19. 41-Jason Johnson [27][$]; 20. 3H-James McFadden [21][$600]; 21. 69K-Lance Dewease [1][$600]; 22. 48-Danny Dietrich [12][$600]; 23. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [13][$600]; 24. 1-Dale Blaney [8][$600]; 25. 1A-Jacob Allen [19][$600]; 26. 2-Shane Stewart [25][$]; 27. 44W-Rodney Westhafer [26][$]; Lap Leaders: Daryn Pittman 1, Lance Dewease 2-16, Brock Zearfoss 17-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 21-Brian Montieth[+14]
Schatz Scores Fifth Silver Cup Win;
Haundenschild Flips after Leading First 35 Laps
SARVER, PA - July 18, 2017 - Eight-time Series Champion and current points leader Donny Schatz scored his fifth Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup win at Lernerville Speedway after a heated battle with Sheldon Haudenschild left the Rookie of the Year contender flipping off the wall on the front stretch outside turn four.
"It’s been a good week," said Schatz, fresh off his Kings Royal win at Eldora Speedway just last Saturday. "This race team is incredible, what they do. When they get the race car good, you get in that zone, and they fine tune things and just keep making strides and making it better. It’s good to have that feeling for sure."
Haudenschild dominated the first 35 laps of the 40-lap Feature, jumping to the lead right from the start and leaving pole-sitter Daryn Pittman between he and Schatz as he continued to lengthen the distance between them.
Meanwhile, Schatz had a rocky start as his front tires lurched up on the front stretch outside turn four in lap three, and he went over the cushion outside turn one in lap nine, causing him to fall back to sixth. But the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing driver regained some ground before an engine failure on the Shark Racing No. 1s of Logan Schuchart forced a restart in lap 15; and by lap 22, Schatz had his No. 15 Arctic Cat machine back in third again.
Two laps later, Schatz passed Pittman, but Haudenschild was driving hard and still had a good three-second lead on him.
It took the veteran driver another eight laps to gain enough ground to start pushing on the rookie, but on lap 33 the exchanges began. Schatz passed Haudenschild. Haudenschild took it back. Schatz did it again, and again Haudenschild took it back.
A beautiful battle transpired until another caution — this time Brent Marks spinning outside turn four — forced another restart.
With $25,000 on the line, the Feature continued with a single-file restart, Haudenschild at the helm. He did what he had to do and shot out to a strong lead again, but hit the cushion so hard in turn four, he simply ran out of cushion. The No. 93 hit the wall and flipped several times down the front stretch.
"[The cushion] was getting pretty thin," said Schatz from Victory Lane. "In case anyone didn’t notice there were crashes. That’s why we had that [caution] before [Sheldon] did it. There was two cars sitting there, and the cushion was kind of rolled up over the edge of the track. It just kept getting slower and slower. When it starts slowing down... I guess old age is making me slow down a bit too."
All was quiet when the Open Red was called. But when the Wild Child's child finally got out of his car unharmed, the crowd erupted in applause. And Schatz went on to take the checkers unchallenged, with Pittman and David Gravel rounding out the podium.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series takes on the Pennsylvania Posse at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday and Saturday, July 21-22 for the Champion Racing Oil Summer Nationals before heading to Ransomville Speedway for The Big "R" Outlaw Shootout on Sunday, July 23.
Feature (40 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$25,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [1][$7,000]; 3. 5-David Gravel [5][$5,000]; 4. 49X-Tim Shaffer [4][$4,000]; 5. 10H-Chad Kemenah [8][$3,000]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [11][$2,900]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7][$2,800]; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [18][$2,700]; 9. 13D-Danny Dietrich [16][$2,600]; 10. 17X-Carson Macedo [6][$2,500]; 11. 2-Shane Stewart [15][$2,400]; 12. 4-Paul McMahan [20][$2,300]; 13. 1-Dale Blaney [9][$2,200]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [10][$2,100]; 15. 22-Brandon Spithaler [17][$2,000]; 16. 17-Jac Haudenschild [14][$1,500]; 17. 98-Carl Bowser [19][$1,300]; 18. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2][$1,200]; 19. 2M-Kerry Madsen [12][$1,200]; 20. 19-Brent Marks [24][$1,200]; 21. 3H-James McFadden [21][$1,200]; 22. 2AJ-A.J. Flick [25][$]; 23. 1S-Logan Schuchart [13][$1,200]; 24. 24-Lucas Wolfe [23][$1,200]; 25. 7K-Dan Shetler [26][$]; 26. 1A-Jacob Allen [22][$1,200]; Lap Leaders: Sheldon Haudenschild 1-35, Donny Schatz 36-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 41-Jason Johnson[+10]
Donny Schatz Dominates 34th Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway
Makes History as First Back-to-Back Winner of the Prestigious Event
ROSSBURG, OH – July 15, 2017 – Donny Schatz turned in a perfect score card and walked away with a $50,000 check after dominating the 34th annual Kings Royal for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series at Eldora Speedway on Saturday night. Schatz set fast time in qualifying and then won his heat from the fifth starting position following the traditional Kings Royal heat race inversion.
Schatz’s win in Heat 1 put him sixth on the starting grid. He wasted no time at all jumping forward. He took the lead from polesitter and Kings Royal rookie Cole Duncan on lap 14 and never looked back. Schatz lead was as big as six seconds and he crossed the finish line 3.966 seconds ahead of teammate Christopher Bell.
“I just tried to play it cautious, but I seemed to be a little better than the guys in front of me while I tried to search out and find the right line,” Schatz explained of his early race strategy. “I got (to the front) fairly quick. “Brad (Sweet), I didn’t know if he would keep getting better, he looked okay. He didn’t really slow down, we just seemed to get a little bit better towards the end of the race as the fuel came off. That comes to the three guys that work on this car. They take it with the utmost pride and passion and it’s those sort of things that get us in these positions.”
Schatz took the lead from Duncan and third-starting Brad Sweet followed him to take the second position. From there, Schatz found his way into traffic and seemingly got faster as worked around the slower cars.
“I was better in dirty air and that’s something this race team works hard on,” Schatz said. “It seems like I can get my car to stick when I’m behind somebody else. Why that is, I don’t know. I seem to be better in dirty air than I am in open air.”
The proficiency of Schatz No.15 in traffic left podium finishers Christopher Bell and Sweet a bit befuddled.
“It just goes back to car handling,” Sweet said. “That really shows your car, how good you are in dirty air. That’s where the No.15 tends to shine. Once he got there, we started getting some bad air and the car wasn’t feeling as good behind some of those lapped guys and that’s when Donny just drove by and that’s when I knew we were in trouble.”
Despite his dominance, Schatz said he never let up or felt he good relax.
“I’ve raced the same way for the last 20 years: the race isn’t over until it’s over,” Schatz said. “You can clearly be the best car some nights and force yourself into a mistake. I probably pushed the issue with a lapped car and I got myself in a spot where I could have been the fence. It’s never over until you roll under that checkered flag.”
Bell put on a show on his own as he raced from the 20th starting spot after he qualified into the race as one of the two-fastest qualifiers who did transfer to the Feature from the heat races. The starting position wasn’t too much of a hindrance to Bell, other than to track down Schatz at the end of the caution-free race.
“That was a ton of fun running up there right around the fence,” Bell said following the race. “For me, I was just trying to run smart and take my time. I knew I had a really good car. Looking back at it, if I had known it was going to go green to checkered, I probably could have made a couple more moves to get through the field faster to give me more time to run down Donny. To come from 20th to second on a green to checkered race is something that I’m pretty proud of.”
The Norman, OK driver suffered damage to his car’s no wing when he hit Jac Haudenschild ,who was a lapped car, in the rear bumper in turn two in turn two while in the rear bumper with less than two laps to go,. The damage, however, didn’t seem to inhibit Bell at all.
“I don’t think it really mattered,” Bell said of the damage. “I was worried about it when it first happened. It hurt me whenever I was in dirty air because the nose kept coming up, but as far as running by myself, I don’t think it really affected me.”
The Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing teammates raced to their second straight 1-2 finish. Sweet was a strong third-place finishers and was on the podium for the third straight night at Eldrora. Still, Sweet feels like his team can find another gear.
“We have a lot of consistency in our car, just some of these races we haven’t hit it exactly right for the main event,” Sweet said. “Donny was just a good bit better. He just drove by us and checked out. I searched around on the racetrack and just never found a spot where it was super good. I think we kind of know where we missed it. There’s a lot of human element in decision-making before these races and you have to make the right decisions if you want to win them. We’ll learn from this and try to keep getting better.”
After claiming the VP Racing Fuels checkered flag, Schatz was crowned King Donny the 34th in traditional Kings Royal Victory Lane. This year, the King of the Outlaws and original Kings Royal winner Steve Kinser, presented Schatz with his winning crown.
“I think more than anything, this probably isn’t going to happen a whole lot that I’m going to get to stand next to the real King,” Schatz said of Kinser. “That means a lot to me. He’s always been a hero, he’s been the ambassador of our sport, he’s the best thing our sport’s ever seen. I’m damn proud to stand next to that guy tonight.”
Schatz refused to acknowledge his new accomplishment as the first back-to-back winner of the Kings Royal. Instead, Schatz is happy he becomes a statistical footnote.
“Anytime you can do anything that Steve Kinser hasn’t done is incredible,” Schatz said of his victory.
Earlier in the night, Schatz set quick time with a lap of 13.197 seconds, identical to Kerry Madsen’s quick time in Hot Laps. Schatz then used a late restart in Heat 1 to take the lead and claim the sixth-starting spot in the Feature. Tim Shaffer, Sheldon Haudsenchild, Jac Haudenchild, Brad Sweet and Cole Duncan all won earlier qualifying heats. Clyde Knipp earned the C-Main win while David Gravel made a last lap pass to edge Shane Stewart for a win in the Last Chance Showdown.
Despite Bell passing 18 cars to finish second, Ryan Smith took home the KSE Hard Charger award as he advanced from 24th to 5th behind Duncan, who finished fourth in his first-ever Kings Royal start.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series now continues its travel back east with a stop of Lernverville Speedway in Sarver, PA on July 18 for the $20,000-to-win Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup. For additional event information, click here.
Eldora Speedway Kings Royal Notebook
Feature (40 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [6][$50,000]; 2. 14-Christopher Bell [20][$20,000]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$15,000]; 4. 12N-Cole Duncan [1][$12,500]; 5. O7-Ryan Smith [24][$10,000]; 6. 81-Lee Jacobs [7][$7,500]; 7. 10H-Chad Kemenah [8][$6,500]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [14][$6,000]; 9. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17][$5,500]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4][$5,000]; 11. 24-Rico Abreu [13][$4,750]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart [10][$4,500]; 13. 2M-Kerry Madsen [9][$4,000]; 14. 18-Ian Madsen [23][$3,750]; 15. 2-Shane Stewart [22][$3,500]; 16. 71-Joey Saldana [15][$3,450]; 17. 5-David Gravel [21][$3,400]; 18. 21-Brian Brown [11][$3,350]; 19. 39-Sammy Swindell [18][$3,300]; 20. 7S-Jason Sides [19][$3,250]; 21. 3H-James McFadden [12][$3,200]; 22. 17-Jac Haudenschild [3][$3,150]; 23. 19-Brent Marks [16][$3,100]; 24. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5][$3,000]. Lap Leaders: Cole Duncan 1-13, Donny Schatz 14-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 07-Ryan Smith[+19]
Bell Gets Knighted
Christopher Bell Outduels Teammate Donny Schatz to Win The Knight Before the Kings Royal at Eldora
ROSSBURG, OH – July 14, 2017 – Christopher Bell took the lead from Brad Sweet in turn three and then held off a surging Donny Schatz on a restart with nine laps to go to win the Knight Before the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway on Friday night. Bell, who lined up for the 30-lap main event in third, had to be perfect on the race’s only restart with less than 10 laps to go as the eight-time Outlaw Champion threw everything he had at the 22-year-old Norman, OK native who was driving the No.14 Tony Stewart Racing-Curb/Agajanian entry.
“It’s a dream come true,” Bell said following the victory. “To be able to drive for Tony (Stewart) is a dream come true, to win at Eldora on Kings Royal weekend with the Outlaws, I’m just speechless. I’ve had a lot of good runs here at the Kings Royal. I think I’ve been in the top three the last couple of years whenever I’ve crashed. So, to be able to finally win one was really special. Tonight was only 30 laps and we have 40 of them tomorrow.”
At the drop of the green flag, it was outside pole starter Brad Sweet who jumped out to an early advantage. Behind Sweet, Bell engaged in a thrilling battle with polesitter Brian Brown for the third position in the opening laps.
Sweet’s lead quickly expanded to 1.9 seconds over Bell, but evaporated just as fast when he struggled to navigate through a sea of slower traffic. Bell saw his opportunity on lap 10 and seized it as he drove by Sweet entering turn three and claimed the point.
From there, Bell found himself racing against the cushion, which was nearly against the outside retaining wall, all the way around the racetrack. At the halfway points, his gap was 1.3 seconds over Sweet and Ian Madsen with Schatz running in third.
A few short laps later, Schatz began to make his move forward as he got by Madsen and then Sweet to take second on lap 20.
The only caution of the race came on lap 21 for a stopped Sheldon Haudenschild in turn two and reset the battle upfront with a double-file restart. Bell chose the bottom lane for the restart despite running the high outside groove up to that point.
“The only reason I did it was because I got beat when I started on the top in the heat race,” Bell said. “I watched the heat races and every time the bottom was able to get the jump. I felt like either or would work, but I felt I was more vulnerable if I took the top.”
Despite losing his advantage, Bell felt the caution actually played to his advantage.
“I think the caution helped me out big time because I was struggling in lapped traffic,” Bell explained. “I knew I needed to get my wing back and I had just reached for the lever when the yellow came out.
Bell’s choice worked as it put him in the catbird seat to drive to the top lane in turns one and two, but prevented Schatz from attempting a slide job in turns one and two. Schatz poked inside Bell on the bottom in turns three and four and then pulled even for a half lap. Bell maintained his momentum enough in turn two to carry the lead down the backstretch on lap 22 and he dropped to the bottom to take away Schatz’s lane.
“At the time, I didn’t know the bottom was where I needed to be,” Bell said. “I got my wing back and went to the top and was pretty good in one and two. Then, Donny got back beside me off of four and I felt like I hit a pretty good corner, so it was at that point that I knew I needed to change my line in three and four. Luckily I was able to get the momentum again in one and two to drop down in front of him.”
Schatz felt he may have shown Bell the preferred line a little bit early, but also suggested he didn’t have much choice in his bid for the win.
“You just have to go where he’s not and that’s where I was better anyways,” Schatz said. “He stayed up there and we ran side-by-side for a lap there. It forced him to move his lane and maybe I was a little too nice. Maybe I should have bulldozed him in there, but that’s not me.”
Over the final five laps, Bell found some lapped traffic and navigated the chaos with finer precision was able to drive to the checkered flag 0.591 seconds ahead of Schatz’s No.15. The win was a sure confidence boost for Bell entering tomorrow’s $50,000-to-win 34th annual Kings Royal.
“This place is my favorite racetrack in the world,” Bell said. “I’ve had a lot of success here and a lot of hard luck, some of it self-inflicted. I’ve been able to win here in a Midget, a Silver Crown car, a 360 Winged Sprint, and now with the Outlaws, and a Truck too. It’s been really good to me the last couple of years. I’m excited to try and get a big win tomorrow.”
Bell will be looking to use his momentum from Friday’s win to avenge a DNF in last year’s Kings Royal when he flipped against the turn four wall while running second. Despite the strong run in The Knight Before, Bell was cautiously optimistic for Saturday’s main event.
“I felt really, really confident coming in here and then yesterday we just struggled,” said Bell, who failed to qualify for Thursday’s Jokers Wild Feature. “ For some reason, we just didn’t have the speed. They worked really hard and (crew chief) Jimmy Car made some adjustments. I don’t feel like we have enough speed yet to qualify where we need to tomorrow, but obviously we can race okay. Our car is really good when it’s slick. That’s the most important part.”
Schatz’s second-place finish completed a 1-2 finish for the Tony Stewart Racing-Curb/Agajanian team.
“Every car owner’s dream is to have one-two finishes. Tony got one tonight and he also owns the track, so it’s a good feeling. Obviously I think it should be the other way around, I think it should be 15 then the 14, but that’s the way it goes,” Schatz joked.
Sweet maintained the third spot late in the race despite the best efforts of fourth-place finisher Ian Madsen. Brown settled for fifth.
For the second straight night, Brent Marks was the KSE Hard Charger. Marks used a World of Outlaws provisional starting spot to enter the Feature and started 25th. He gained 12 total positions and finished 13th.
Schatz was also the night’s fast qualifier with a lap of 13.057 seconds around the high-banked half-mike track. Jason Johnson, Kraig Kinser, Ian Madsen, Schatz, Shane Stewart and Tim Shaffer all won qualifying heats. Brown and Sweet won the pair of Craftsman Club Dashes. Joey Saldana won the Last Chance Showdown while Mark claimed the C-Main victory and Chris Andews drove to a D-Main checkered flag.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action on Saturday night at Eldora Speedway with the $50,000-to-win winner’s share on the line. The event will be broadcast with live pay-per-view video on DIRTvision.com. For more information on the 34th annual Kings Royal, please visit here.
Eldora Speedway Knight Before the Kings Royal Notebook
Feature (30 Laps) - 1. 14-Christopher Bell [3][$12,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [6][$5,700]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$3,500]; 4. 18-Ian Madsen [5][$3,000]; 5. 21-Brian Brown [1][$2,600]; 6. 2M-Kerry Madsen [8][$2,400]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [9][$2,300]; 8. 5-David Gravel [16][$2,200]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [15][$2,150]; 10. 24-Rico Abreu [20][$2,100]; 11. 49X-Tim Shaffer [4][$1,600]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart [12][$1,350]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [25][$500]; 14. 71-Joey Saldana [19][$1,200]; 15. 10H-Chad Kemenah [11][$1,100]; 16. 2-Shane Stewart [10][$1,000]; 17. 41-Jason Johnson [7][$900]; 18. 55XM-Dale Blaney [18][$850]; 19. 81-Lee Jacobs [17][$800]; 20. 17-Jac Haudenschild [14][$800]; 21. 3H-James McFadden [13][$800]; 22. 4-Paul McMahan [26][$]; 23. O7-Ryan Smith [22][$800]; 24. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [24][$800]; 25. 12N-Cole Duncan [21][$800]; 26. 1ST-Gary Taylor [23][$800]; Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-9; Christopher Bell 10-21, 23-30; Donny Schatz 22; KSE Hard Charger Award: 19-Brent Marks[+12]
Mad Man Marches On
Kerry Madsen Dominates Jokers Wild at Eldora Despite Hand Injury
ROSSBURG, OH – July 14, 2017 – After a three hour rain delay in the early evening, Kerry Madsen dominated the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Jokers Wild event at Eldora Speedway on Thursday night that stretched into the early hours of Friday morning. Madsen was third-quick in Flight A qualifying and second in his heat before claiming victory in the Craftsman Club Dash. The Dash win gave Madsen the pole for the 30-lap, $10,000-to-win Jokers Wild and he led every circuit to score the win in convincing fashion.
Madsen’s win to begin the 34th annual Kings Royal weekend is even more impressive after he revealed in Victory Lane he battled an injury throughout most of the race after a rock cut his hand in the opening five laps. The Australian pilot persevered through the pain to claim his fourth Outlaw win of the season and the third in the Series’ last four races.
“A couple of times the car took off on me and I didn’t quite have the wheel,” Madsen joked about his injury after he was treated following the race. “I could just see all the blood in the glove. It was hurting, but I just kept going.”
Off the initial start, Madsen grabbed the early lead while fellow front row starter Brad Sweet drag raced Madsen into turn three for the lead. The battle was short-lived, however, as Brady Bacon flipped in turn two before the opening lap was complete to bring out the red flag. Bacon was uninjured.
A complete restart followed and saw Madsen jump out front again while 14th starting Jac Haudenschild slowed almost immediately, but pulled pitside, which allowed the race to continue.
“I got side-by-side down the backstretch,” Sweet said of the start. “Kerry left just enough there and I had a run. He was able to go across the track in turn three and take some air off my car and, honestly, that was kind of the race. He was really fast out in clean air. There was definitely no catching him there.”
Madsen set a blistering pace on the lightning quick track and worked into traffic on lap eight. While the bottom was the preferred lane, Madsen drove to the top on the cushion that was slightly more than halfway up the track to work past the slower cars.
The dirtier top lane for Madsen did slow his pace slightly and allowed Sweet to pull within one second of the No.2m. It was a short glimmer of hope for Sweet though as the caution waved on lap 12 when Logan Schuchart suffered a broken front axle and came to a stop in turn four.
The yellow flag gave Madsen the clean air he needed on the restart to pull away from Sweet again and he did just that. By lap 18, Madsen had opened a 1.7-second gap over Sweet while Brian Brown battled with David Gravel for the third position.
“I knew the starts were going to be super important because if someone got a lead and got through traffic, you weren’t going to get them, so it was super critical,” Madsen explained. “When we got to the traffic, I was just trying to be super aggressive with it and go hard at it because you know what those guys are like, they’ll pass you in two seconds if you screw up.”
Madsen again caught traffic on lap 20, but this time was able to navigate the slower cars more efficiently with his aggressive game plan. He continued at his lightning-quick pace over the final laps and drove off to the victory by 2.6 seconds over Sweet. Brown raced to a third-place finishing after holding off Gravel in an exciting third-place battle. Tim Shaffer got by Gravel late to claim fourth while the No.5 settled for fifth.
The victory continues a red-hot streak for Madsen who has now won in each of his last three Outlaw starts after he swept last weekend’s events at Wisconsin’s Cedar Lake Speedway. Madsen is far from surprised by his team’s most recent success.
“I’ve been saying it all year and I feel like we’ve been super under the radar,” Madsen said. “We’ve had like 10 second (place finishes) and a few wins now. It’s fast. I know the performance has been there all year, we just haven’t caught the breaks to get the wins, which I feel like was a good thing because we just kept making the car better.”
Sweet settled for a second-place finish, which felt like a victory for the Grass Valley, CA native after beginning the night with a seventh-place qualifying effort.
“We weren’t that great tonight, to be honest,” Sweet said. “We didn’t qualify great, but we had a really good start in our heat and got up in there to give ourselves a chance. Then they drew the six (inversion pill) and that was a lottery pick. Sometimes you’ll have nights like that where things go a little more your way then other night.
“We realize we have to get the NAPA Auto Parts car a little faster if we want to really have a shot at it Saturday night,” Sweet continued. “We’ll take a second tonight. Kerry’s been awful fast and did a great job there. We’re hungry to win and we’re knocking on the door. We just need to get the car a little better and the driver needs to do a little better job.”
Gravel was the night’s overall fast qualifier with a lap of 12.847 seconds around the half-mile track, just 0.140 seconds off Craig Dollansky’s 2002 track record of 12.707. Shaffer, Ian Madsen, Gravel and Brown won qualifying heats. Cole Duncan won the Last Chance Showdown while Trevor Baker won the C-Main.Brent Marks was the night's KSE Hard Charger after racing from the 24th starting position up to 12th, an impressive achievement on a very fast racetrack.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action at Eldora on Friday night with the Knight Before the Kings Royal. The event will be broadcast live on DIRTvision.com. For additional event information or to buy tickets, please click here.
Eldora Speedway Jokers Wild Notebook
Feature (40 Laps) - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen [1][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$5,500]; 3. 21-Brian Brown [3][$3,200]; 4. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5][$2,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [4][$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [11][$2,300]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [6][$2,200]; 8. 18-Ian Madsen [7][$2,100]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz [9][$2,050]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [8][$2,000]; 11. 41-Jason Johnson [12][$1,500]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [24][$1,200]; 13. 24-Rico Abreu [23][$1,100]; 14. 10H-Chad Kemenah [10][$1,050]; 15. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [17][$1,000]; 16. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [16][$900]; 17. 4-Paul McMahan [13][$800]; 18. W20-Greg Wilson [15][$800]; 19. 12N-Cole Duncan [21][$800]; 20. 1S-Logan Schuchart [20][$800]; 21. 49D-Shawn Dancer [19][$800]; 22. 81-Lee Jacobs [22][$800]; 23. 17-Jac Haudenschild [14][$800]; 24. 99-Brady Bacon [18][$800]; Lap Leaders: Kerry Madsen 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 19-Brent Marks[+12]
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Brady Bacon; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; JE Pistons ($50 cash): David Gravel; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Extended Stay America ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Brent Marks; Super Flow ($50 cash): Chad Kemenah; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Brad Sweet, David Gravel, Kraig Kinser, Daryn Pittman; Craftsman/Sears: Kerry Madsen; KSE Hard Charger: Brent Marks (+12); Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Brad Sweet; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jac Haudenschild.
SEASON WINNERS
· Donny Schatz - 13 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18, Missouri State Fair Speedway on May 5, 81 Speedway on May 6, Eldora Speedway May 13, Knoxville Raceway on June 10, Granite City on June 20, Dirt Oval at Route 66 on June 27, Dakota State Fair Speedway on July 1)
· David Gravel - 10 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1, Gator Motorplex on April 13, Plymouth Speedway on April 28, Lincoln Speedway on May 17, Williams Grove on May 19, New Egypt Speedway on May 24, River Cities Speedway on June 16, Attica Raceway Park on July 11)
· Brad Sweet - 4 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25, Devil’s Bowl on April 15, Jackson Motorplex on June 3, Knoxville Raceway on June 9)
· Shane Stewart – 4 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 20, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 29, West Liberty Raceway on June 23, Beaver Dam Raceway on June 24)
· Kerry Madsen – 4 (Jackson Motorplex on June 2, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 7, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 8, Eldora Speedway on July 13)
· Logan Schuchart - 3 (Keller Auto Speedway on March 31, Eldora Speedway on May 12, Charlotte on May 26)
· Jason Johnson - 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17, Devil’s Bowl on April 14)
· Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway on April 7)
· Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway on April 8)
· Parker Price-Miller – 1 (Tri-State Speedway on May 14)
· Ian Madsen – 1 (Jackson Motorplex on June 1)
· Kyle Larson – 1 (Eagle Raceway on June 13)
· Kraig Kinser - 1 (Deer Creek Speedway on July 6)
Madsen Sweeps the FVP Platinum Battery Showdown; Sweet, Schatz Round out Podium
NEW RICHMOND, WI — July 8, 2017 — In what looked a bit like a repeat of the night before, Kerry “The Madman” Madsen took the checkers on night two at Cedar Lake Speedway with Brad Sweet and Donny Schatz behind him.
“I just enjoy racing with the World of Outlaws so much,” said Madsen from Victory Lane. "I mean, you just have to be on point all the way.”
Certainly the Kasey Kahne Racing driver and the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing driver never let up. They came prepared to do battle with the Big Game Motorsports 2M after the previous night’s finish.
"Last night I took a swing but then gave him the room,” said Sweet. "And tonight I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to try a little bit harder.’"
In fact, everything was a little harder for Madsen the second time around. Jason Johnson started on the pole and maintained his lead for the first 11 laps of the race while Schatz took Madsen on from third, passing him seven laps in only to lose his advantage in the following lap just as Sweet started pressing on him.
With Sweet and Schatz battling it out for third, Madsen focused his attention on the Priority Aviation No. 41, passing him with 29 laps to go. Five laps later, after Johnson slowed off the bottom of turn two, Sweet charged past Schatz and continued onward past Johnson to resume the battle with Madsen from the night before.
Schatz followed suit, and by lap 20, halfway into the race, the top four positions were set, with David Gravel holding the rear. Though Madsen had a strong lead, a caution on Jac Haudenschild (who lost a wheel) gave the drivers a final opportunity to steal the lead.
"Brad [Sweet] had a hell of a run, and he put a big move on in one and two,” said Madsen. “Fortunately, in that corner I had enough time to turn back down and try to tuck right in down the backstretch and repay the favor in three and four. Then I was just trying to mix it up and run a different line here or there to keep him guessing. I feel like I didn’t have much ties there at the end. There was a lot of wheel spin going on, but with two to go you’re just foot to the floor, and you’re like, 'I’m not losing this now.’ So that was a great run.
“I got up in front of him,” said Sweet, "but he turned down. And then he did what he had to do those last few laps. You know, he kind of played defense. We were trying to search to get the run on him, but his car was good all weekend.
Sweet, who is second in points standings behind Donny Schatz (-80) has more top-10 finishes than him so far this season, and almost as many top-fives, but he’s nine wins behind him and hasn’t taken the checkers since exactly one month ago, at Knoxville Raceway. .
“My guys keep giving me great race cars,” said the No. 49 Napa Auto Parts driver. "We just have to figure out how to win some of these. They come down to the last five laps like that, and we’re just a hair off. If we can just find it, we’ll get some more of these wins. I know I keep saying that every night, but it’s the truth. As long as we’re up here on the podium we’re happy though."
Schatz had less to say from Victory Lane, but expressed a similar sentiment. “When you can’t win you gotta do the best you can . . . That’s why they call it racing, so we’ll learn from our mistakes and move on.”
Behind Gravel at the finish was Jason Sides rounding out the top five. While Sides started in 16, his fifth place finish is even more impressive given the fact that he was pushed to the back (24) on a reset after a collision before completing the first lap of the race. Sadly, his 19-position charge only counted as 11, and the KSE Hard Charger Award went to Bill Balog for another impressive charge — from 24 to 10.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series takes on Attica Raceway Park on Tuesday, July 11 for the Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic before heading to Eldora Speedway for the Kings Royal, July 13-15.
Feature (40 Laps) - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen [2][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$5,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$3,000]; 4. 5-David Gravel [10][$2,700]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [16][$2,500]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$2,200]; 7. 3-Tim Kaeding [9][$2,000]; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$1,800]; 9. 2-Shane Stewart [7][$1,600]; 10. 17B-Bill Balog [24][$1,450]; 11. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [6][$1,300]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart [21][$1,200]; 13. 21-Brian Brown [18][$1,100]; 14. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [11][$1,000]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [22][$950]; 16. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8][$900]; 17. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [17][$850]; 18. 4-Paul McMahan [14][$750]; 19. 9-Daryn Pittman [3][$725]; 20. 84-Scott Bogucki [20][$700]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [12][$700]; 22. 26-Tayler Malsam [19][$700]; 23. 17-Jac Haudenschild [15][$700]; 24. 19-Brent Marks [23][$700]; Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-11, Kerry Madsen 12-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 17B-Bill Balog[+14]
Qualifying - 1. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.116; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.207; 3. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 12.269; 4. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.326; 5. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 12.35; 6. 19-Brent Marks, 12.355; 7. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 12.403; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen, 12.508; 9. 3-Tim Kaeding, 12.517; 10. 5-David Gravel, 12.56; 11. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.586; 12. 84-Scott Bogucki, 12.597; 13. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, 12.61; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.65; 15. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 12.688; 16. 41-Jason Johnson, 12.688; 17. 23W-Scott Winters, 12.732; 18. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.755; 19. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.755; 20. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.764; 21. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.77; 22. 21-Brian Brown, 12.797; 23. 82-Craig Dollansky, 12.84; 24. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 12.842; 25. 19P-Paige Polyak, 12.872; 26. 17B-Bill Balog, 12.874; 27. 26-Tayler Malsam, 13.183; 28. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.298; 29. 23-Russel Borland, 13.305; 30. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.368; 31. 9Z-Jared Goerges, 13.393; 32. 85-Jason Tostenson, 13.4; 33. 19L-Todd King, 13.80
It Takes a Madman to Bring Down a Wild Child
NEW RICHMOND, WI — July 7, 2017 — Night One of the Platinum Battery Showdown at Cedar Lake Speedway went to former Outlaw and current Australian Sprintcar champion, Kerry "The Madman” Madsen, who swept all but the Craftsman Club Dash and led 38 laps of the 40-lap Feature behind the wheel of the Big Game Motorsports 2M. Brad Sweet and Donny Schatz followed him through the checkers after a heated battle with several exchanges.
While Madsen set Quicktime during Qualifying and won his Heat race, It was Jac “The Wild Child” Haudenschild who won the Craftsman Club Dash on his return to the Stenhouse Jr./Wood Racing No. 17 machine after a three-race medical absence resulting from an injury at Beaver Dam Raceway. It was starting to look like “Jac is Back” would be the headline for the night, but Haudenschild lost steam all the way through the Feature, coming in at 13 after getting lapped by Madsen in the final two laps.
Meanwhile, Greg Wilson was playing the same game in reverse. Having started in 15, Wilson charged his W20 to tenth in the first five laps, battled with Ian Madsen for the next 14 laps, charged to fifth on a restart, and got past David Gravel with seven laps to go to come in fourth right on Schatz’s tail.
Having started the Feature in second behind the Wild Child, and having won his share of races at the high-banked 3/8-mile oval, the eighth-time defending champion surprised the crowd with his third-place finish. But the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing driver suffered a bit of a mishap on his first lap around as he scraped his right rear tire along the wall of the backstretch after getting into K. Madsen, causing a flurry of sparks as Madsen passed him. And Sweet came at him from fifth, passing him just a couple laps later in the first of numerous exchanges between the the the two No. 15 Arctic Cat and the No. 49 Napa Auto Parts machines.
Meanwhile, Madsen was strengthening his lead and looked nearly unbeatable until Jason Johnson went into the wall outside of turn two, taking the No. 41 out of the race and forcing a restart with 19 laps to go.
Despite the threat created by the restart, Madsen charged forward instantly and re-gained his lead. From the looks of it, he was just too fast and too aggressive to beat.
Nine laps and a solid lead later, Madsen had a minor fumble coming out of a turn, and again after passing Sheldon Haudenschild in lap traffic, and with seven laps to go Sweet had finally caught up to him. Five laps to go and the Kasey Kahne Racing driver was all over Madsen, looking like he might actually win. During the next lap, Sweet managed to steal the lead, but Madsen immediately reclaimed it. With only two laps left, when Madsen finally lapped the Wild Child, Sweet was caught behind Haudenschild and Paul McMahan, and that was that. Madsen crossed the checkers.
The FVP Platinum Battery Showdown continues tomorrow night and will be streamed LIVE on DIRTVision.com.
CEDAR LAKE SPEEDWAY ABBREVIATED RESULTS
Feature (40 Laps) - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen [3][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$5,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$3,000]; 4. W20-Greg Wilson [15][$2,700]; 5. 5-David Gravel [4][$2,500]; 6. 18-Ian Madsen [7][$2,200]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides [6][$2,000]; 8. 3-Tim Kaeding [17][$1,800]; 9. 21-Brian Brown [13][$1,600]; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser [11][$1,450]; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman [14][$1,300]; 12. 4-Paul McMahan [12][$1,200]; 13. 17-Jac Haudenschild [1][$1,100]; 14. 2-Shane Stewart [10][$1,000]; 15. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [9][$950]; 16. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [16][$900]; 17. 1S-Logan Schuchart [19][$850]; 18. 19-Brent Marks [23][$750]; 19. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [18][$725]; 20. 19L-Todd King [24][$700]; 21. 41-Jason Johnson [8][$700]; 22. 55-Brooke Tatnell [20][$700]; 23. 19P-Paige Polyak [22][$700]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$700]; Lap Leaders: Jac Haudenschild 1, Kerry Madsen 2-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: W20-Greg Wilson[+11]
Qualifying - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 11.543; 2. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.643; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.686; 4. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.734; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.737; 6. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.765; 7. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 11.765; 8. 18-Ian Madsen, 11.795; 9. 5-David Gravel, 11.802; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.912; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.965; 12. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.967; 13. 19P-Paige Polyak, 11.979; 14. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.992; 15. 19-Brent Marks, 12.001; 16. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.021; 17. 3-Tim Kaeding, 12.031; 18. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 12.044; 19. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.071; 20. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, 12.072; 21. 21-Brian Brown, 12.15; 22. 84-Scott Bogucki, 12.196; 23. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.235; 24. 7W-Tasker Phillips, 12.312; 25. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.344; 26. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 12.353; 27. 82-Craig Dollansky, 12.393; 28. 55-Brooke Tatnell, 12.423; 29. 19L-Todd King, 12.589; 30. 85-Jason Tostenson, 12.592; 31. 56N-David Heskin, 12.781; 32. 9Z-Jared Goerges, 12.951; 33. 91A-Reed Allex, 13.912
Redemption: Kraig Kinser Wins the Clash at the Creek at Deer Creek Speedway
By: Tony Veneziano
SPRING VALLEY, Minn. — July 6, 2017 — Kraig Kinser was five laps away from picking up his first win of the season last week with the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series at The Dirt Oval at Route 66 in Joliet, Ill., only to have the power steering go bad while leading, the third-generation driver made up for that near-miss on Thursday night, as he was victorious in the Clash at the Creek at Deer Creek Speedway in Minnesota.
For Kinser, it was his first World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win of the season and his first since 2014. The veteran driver now has 17 career World of Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature wins.
“You never want to have issues when you are running up front and tonight we didn’t,” said Kinser. “It was a struggle, because we were so good at the beginning. I knew we weren’t going to be quite as good at the end. Seeing Donny (Schatz) the last five or 10 laps, you have to be at your best. I definitely wasn’t leaving much on the table. There were a few spots I was getting really good bite, but other than that, I was sliding through the turns and just trying to keep momentum up.”
The event, which began on Thursday, June 29 and was postponed by rain three laps into the feature, set up a unique race night, which consisted of hot laps and the remaining 37 laps of the 40-lapper. Kinser asserted himself early in the race as a contender, while David Gravel, the pole sitter paced the first one-third of the race.
“We were pretty good here the other day and had to wait a week, but were close to how good we were last week,” Kinser noted. “This is a high-banked momentum track and if you can get the top working it’s usually better than hitting the bottom. Early, it had some moisture and we could stop, get the car turned and get off the corner. At the end, it was kind of just a momentum deal.”
Kinser lined up fifth when the race resumed on Thursday night and was up to third just a handful of laps into the 40-lap race. He moved into second when Brad Sweet had a flat tire on the 10th lap. Just prior to the halfway point of the race, Kinser used a strong run on the high side of the track to take the lead from David Gravel coming off turn four. Down the stretch, Kinser held off a furious charge by Donny Schatz to claim the win. Kinser endured a number of restarts while out front,
“The restarts were very important, though everything you do with the Outlaws is,” said Kinser.
“To say you beat the 15 car and 2 car and all the guys, everything is important and has to go right.”
Schatz, who re-started the race ninth on Thursday night, steadily worked his way forward. He tried both the high and low side of the track as he tracked down Kinser. Schatz nearly drew even with Kinser a handful of times, often diving under him turns three and four, but never was able to quite make a pass stick.
“Our job is to make something happen,” said Schatz. “I tried to make something happen, but Kraig (Kinser) was pretty good. I knew I didn’t want to get next to him unless I could get by him. He had a little bit left in there. Hats off to those guys. They have been knocking on the door for quite some time and got one done tonight. For us, we normally don’t run that well here, so second is pretty respectable. We were wanting to win and were there fighting for it and that’s all you can ask for.”
Shane Stewart, who lined up eighth for the re-started main event, used a late-race charge to cross the line third to continue his recent hot streak. Stewart was engaged in a spirited battle with Ian Madsen and Sheldon Haudenschild for the third spot for several laps.
“That was a fun race,” Stewart said. “My car seems to get better as the race goes on. On a 40-lap race, that’s what you want. It would have been interesting if there would have been a late-race caution. I’m happy with third. I have to thank all the fans for coming back out and supporting this race. I am looking forward to the rest of the summer.”
Sheldon Haudenschild, who ran as high as third, ended up fourth. The leading contender for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award, put on a show, as he bounced the right rear off the wall several times, even passing cars in the process.
Brad Sweet recovered from an early race flat tire to round out the top-five, after having to re-start at the tail of the field.
Paul McMahan was sixth, with Greg Wilson seventh, early leader David Gravel was eighth, with Jason Johnson recovering from a trip to the work area to finish ninth. Jacob Allen rounded out the top-10.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action this weekend with the FVP Platinum Battery Showdown at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wisc., on Friday, July 7 and Saturday, July 8.
DEER CREEK RESULTS:
FEATURE (40 Laps): 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [10][$5,500]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [9][$3,200]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [5][$2,800]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$2,500]; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [7][$2,300]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [14][$2,200]; 8. 5-David Gravel [1][$2,100]; 9. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$2,050]; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen [20][$2,000]; 11. 19-Brent Marks [19][$1,500]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [6][$1,200]; 13. 55-Brooke Tatnell [11][$1,100]; 14. 1S-Logan Schuchart [23][$1,050]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [21][$1,000]; 16. 84-Scott Bogucki [15][$900]; 17. 9-Daryn Pittman [25][$800]; 18. 24-Terry McCarl [16][$800]; 19. 1M-Danny Lasoski [13][$800]; 20. 21-Brian Brown [12][$800]; 21. 17B-Bill Balog [17][$800]; 22. 19P-Paige Polyak [18][$800]; 23. 7W-Tasker Phillips [24][$800]; 24. 3-Tim Kaeding [22][$800]; 25. 2M-Kerry Madsen [4][$800]; Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-3, 5-14; Brad Sweet 4; Kraig Kinser 15-40;KSE Hard Charger Award: 1A-Jacob Allen[+10]
Schatz Outlasts Kaeding and Stewart for Victory at Dakota State Fair
Schatz picks up 13th victory of the Outlaws season
HURON, S.D — July 1, 2017 — Starting from the front row, Shane Stewart grabbed the lead exiting Turn 2 on the opening lap and set sail setting a blistering pace. With the main event being cut short by one lap due to track conditions, Stewart had to withstand one final restart. On that restart with one lap to go, Stewart restarted directly in front of Schatz. The top two of Stewart and Schatz headed down the backstretch coming to the checkers. Schatz was able to get a run on the high side coming out of Turn 2 allowing him to drive by Stewart to pick up his 13th victory of the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series season.
In a night that saw numerous flat tires throughout the 22-car field, the 30-lap race at Dakota State Fair Speedway was shortened to 29 laps due to track conditions.
Shane Stewart, the driver of the No. 2 Larson Marks Racing entry has been on a hot streak over the last couple of week. Having won two-in-a-row at West Liberty and Beaver Dam, just a week ago, Stewart was looking to pick up his fifth win of the season at Dakota State Fair Speedway on Saturday night.
After jumping out to an early lead on the start, Stewart set a blistering pace putting a gap between him and the No. 9 of Daryn Pittman who also started on the front row with Stewart. The first of six stoppages of the night was for the No. 93 who slowed at the top of Turn 1 with a flat tire. Sheldon Haudenschild would recover for a fifth-place finish.
Stewart would jump back out to a big lead on the restart. Schatz who was running third behind Pittman at the time was able to get by the No. 9 Great Clips machine on lap 22 for second. It was on lap 25 that Pittman sustained a flat tire, bringing out a yellow flag.
As the field was coming to get two laps to go at the stripe, Schatz dove aggressively under Stewart for the lead in Turn 3 and made it stick. However, the No. 5 of David Gravel went for a flip in Turn 1 at the same time, giving Stewart the lead back for the restart, Gravel was able to be pushed to the work area but could not return.
“We got by [Stewart] before the red came out,” Said Donny Schatz. “I knew it got to be where [Stewart] was going to stay down on the bottom groove and we just had a little bit left to get around him on the outside coming out of Turn 2.”
Due to track conditions, officials made the decision to the shorten the race by one lap. Stewart regained the lead after the previous lap was not scored complete. Stewart lead Schatz, Kaeding and the rest of the field to the restart where both the green and white flags were displayed.
“Man, that was tough,” said Shane Stewart. “I actually thought my tire was going flat coming to the green [on the last restart]. When [track] takes rubber like this the restarts are so hard on your tires.”
Stewart led into Turn 1 but Schatz used the top grove exiting Turn 2 to get by Stewart for the lead.
“You don’t ever want to lead that many laps and finish third,” said Shane Stewart. “It’s a testament to how good my car is right now. My guys did a great job, just wasn’t meant to be.”
“I’m here to win races, that’s what we’re here to do,” said Schatz regarding his winning pass. “When you’re in second and got an opportunity to win a race, that’s what you’re going to do – you’re going to go for it. You’re not going to do anything silly and we didn’t. We got the win and that’s what matters,” added Schatz.
Schatz would complete the rest of the 3/8th-mile en-route to his 13th victory of the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car season.
“We definitely got our monies worth on the tires tonight,” said Donny Schatz who’s right-rear tire was bald.
“I didn’t think it was going to get that abrasive and rubbered up that early,” said Schatz. “Shane [Stewart] got out there and set a pretty good pace and I was trying to make the bottom work, it felt ok but those guys got away. I moved up and you could feel it – that’s the point you have to decide how hard you want to go. I’m glad I did that because there was no way I was going to be around at the end to have an opportunity to win that race.”
Stewart would eventually lose another position to Tim Kaeding in the No. 3 who took advantage of others misfortunes and drove up through the field from the 12th-starting spot.
“Man, this feels like a win for me,” said Tim Kaeding. “We’ve struggled pretty much all year. To run second with these guys on a rubbered down track like that and not pop a tire, I’m definitely going to enjoy a beer tonight.”
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action on Thursday, July 6 for a make-up Feature at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, MN before heading off to Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, WI on Saturday and Sunday, July 7 and 8. Tickets for these events can be purchased on WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets or by calling 844-DIRT-TIX.
RESULTS FROM DAKOTA STATE FAIR SPEEDWAY:
Feature (29 Laps—shortened due to track conditions): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$10,000]; 2. 3-Tim Kaeding [12][$5,500]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [2][$3,200]; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [7][$2,800]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [19][$2,500]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$2,300]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [11][$2,200]; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [10][$2,100]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [1][$2,050]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [14][$2,000]; 11. 82-Thomas Kennedy [16][$1,500]; 12. 49-Brad Sweet [8][$1,200]; 13. 5-David Gravel [6][$1,100]; 14. 17B-Ryan Bickett [15][$1,050]; 15. 2K-Kevin Ingle [20][$1,000]; 16. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$900]; 17. 47-Brant O'Banion [21][$800]; 18. 4-Paul McMahan [4][$800]; 19. 13-Clyde Knipp [18][$800]; 20. 19P-Paige Polyak [9][$800]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [17][$800]; 22. 101-Chuck McGillivray [22][$800]; Lap Leaders: Shane Stewart 1-28, Donny Schatz 29; KSE Hard Charger Award: 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[+14]
Rain Forces Postponement of World of Outlaws Feature at Deer Creek Speedway to July 6
SPRING VALLEY, Minn. — June 29, 2017 —Rain has forced the postponement of the Feature event for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Deer Creek Speedway on Thursday, June 29. Rain began falling a couple of laps into the main event, forcing drivers to the pit area, with rain continuing to fall.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will return on Thursday, July 6 to complete the remainder of the Feature event. The USRA Stock Car main event will also be run that evening.
All tickets and pit pass armbands from Thursday, June 29 will be honored on Thursday, July 6 and fans are asked to keep their tickets and armbands.
The start time on Thursday, July 6 will be one hour later, with hot laps at 7:30 p.m.
Schatz Scores Win 12 on Return to The Dirt Oval, Where He Won 12 Years Ago
JOLIET, IL — June 27, 2017 — Eight-time champion and current points leader Donny Schatz took the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 15 Arctic Cat machine through the checkers to win the FVP Outlaw Clay Classic at The Dirt Oval at Route 66 Raceway, stealing the lead from Kraig Kinser with only five laps to go. Although Kinser saw his best race of the season to date, Schatz rode him hard, and he ultimately landed in eighth with Kasey Kahne Racing teammates Brad Sweet and Daryn Pittman following Schatz through the checkers.
“Kraig [Kinser] was really good at the start,” said Schatz from Victory Lane. "He took off there on the bottom. I didn’t quite know if the bottom or the top, the middle, what was going to happen. I just had to give a little time for the race car to come in and the tires to get warm. You kind of had to be all over really. It was a guessing game there for a while, and then we had to restart. Being on the outside I kind of felt like I was hung out to dry a little bit, and Brad [Sweet] got by. Obviously they were really good. I think he started a ways back.”
Sweet, who walked away with the KSE Hard Charger Award, started in 13 and worked his way into second. A restart with 13 laps to go saw a three-wide battle for the lead between Kinser, Schatz and Sweet, in which Kinser prevailed, holding the lead for eight more laps, while Sweet and Schatz continued the battle for second with exchanges.
Throughout the race, another tough battle was playing out behind the leaders between Pittman and David Gravel, ending in Pittman’s favor after several exchanges.
Pittman, who set Quick Time at 13.637 second, was the only one in Victory Lane who even ran the Craftsman Club Dash, which was led by Jason Sides and Paul McMahan.
Starting on the pole after winning the Dash, Sides led the first four laps of the Feature as Kinser charged up from midfield in position 11 in some of his finest racing this season.
By Lap 5, Kinser was leading, with Sides and Brian Brown behind him as Schatz and Sweet followed suit, diligently taking on car after car, working their way up, and McMahan was losing ground.
Overall, it an exciting return to the half-mile oval, which last saw true oval-track racing twelve years ago. And while the racing was certainly better this time around, one thing remained the same: the champion. Schatz won at the track on July 8, 2005 during the Series’ last visit. Twelve years later, he scored win number 12 of the season.
Feature (30 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [8][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [13][$5,500]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$3,200]; 4. 5-David Gravel [6][$2,800]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [1][$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [9][$2,300]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [17][$2,200]; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser [11][$2,100]; 9. 41-Jason Johnson [10][$2,050]; 10. 99-Brady Bacon [5][$2,000]; 11. 19-Brent Marks [18][$1,500]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [15][$1,200]; 13. 3-Tim Kaeding [20][$1,100]; 14. 17B-Bill Balog [7][$1,050]; 15. 24-Terry McCarl [16][$1,000]; 16. 59H-Justin Henderson [12][$900]; 17. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$800]; 18. 27Z-Sean Zemunik [23][$800]; 19. 10V-Matt Vandervere [22][$800]; 20. 1S-Logan Schuchart [19][$800]; 21. 21-Brian Brown [3][$800]; 22. 4-Paul McMahan [2][$800]; 23. 17A-Austin McCarl [24][$800]; 24. 1M-Danny Lasoski [14][$800]; Lap Leaders: Jason Sides 1-4, Kraig Kinser 5-25, Donny Schatz 26-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 49-Brad Sweet[+11]
Qualifying - 1. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.637; 2. 5-David Gravel, 13.722; 3. 99-Brady Bacon, 13.726; 4. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.782; 5. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.782; 6. 59H-Justin Henderson, 13.819; 7. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.875; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.887; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.93; 10. 17B-Bill Balog, 13.958; 11. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.007; 12. 21-Brian Brown, 14.012; 13. 24-Terry McCarl, 14.076; 14. 1M-Danny Lasoski, 14.113; 15. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.122; 16. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.141; 17. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.166; 18. 18-Ian Madsen, 14.225; 19. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.278; 20. 10V-Matt Vandervere, 14.441; 21. 71-Max McGhee, 14.448; 22. 64-Scott Thiel, 14.466; 23. 17A-Austin McCarl, 14.467; 24. 19-Brent Marks, 14.524; 25. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.544; 26. 3-Tim Kaeding, 14.588; 27. 27Z-Sean Zemunik, 14.65; 28. 51B-Joe B, 14.713; 29. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.747; 30. 23-Russel Borland, 14.758; 31. 7J-Joe Swanson, NT
Caution: Stewart Is on a Streak
BEAVER DAM, WI — June 24, 2017 — In a night full of cautions and chaos, and even a bit of rain after Time Trials, Larson Marks Racing driver Shane Stewart secured a weekend sweep as he took the checkers for the second night in a row, this time at the Jim "JB" Boyd Memorial presented by Karavan Trailers at Beaver Dam Raceway.
Greg Wilson, who led the race for 24 laps, came in just short of the podium as Kerry Madsen charged from the back to come in second with Jason Johnson behind him.
"That was a crazy long race,” said Stewart from Victory Lane as the racing wrapped up near 1:00AM.
It was a night full of hardship at the high-banked third-mile. A bit of rain after Time Trials delayed the racing and made for a challenging surface. A number of cautions during the second Heat had the crowd on the edge of their seats and set the tone for the 40-lap Feature. “They’re picking them off one by one," said a fan in the backstretch grandstand. “There's too much grip. It’s going to be the last man standing."
Greg Wilson came in second in that Heat, in which only four drivers managed to complete all 10 laps, so he was looking at the last row of the Craftsman Club Dash. A full Dash inversion, with a draw of eight, however, moved him to the front, just outside of Donny Schatz, which is just where he started the Feature. Wilson wasn’t about to let that get away from him. He charged out ahead of Schatz in Lap 1.
Schatz got a second chance, just as Stewart got at West Liberty Raceway the night before, but he came out less than victorious.
A caution in Lap 1 forced a re-start, and set the field back to its original position. Jac Haudenschild bit the wall in Turn 2 with the Stenhouse Jr./Wood Racing No. 17 and was out of the race.
Wilson took the lead again on the restart, and Stewart passed Schatz for second in Lap 6, starting a battle between them. Unfortunately, the battle resulted in contact between the two drivers that sent the Arctic Cat No. 15 flying into the air before taking several flips on the backstretch with 33 laps to go. Although the Series champ came out unharmed, he was done for the night.
“I’ve got to say sorry to Donny,” said Stewart from Victory Lane. “I didn’t mean to get into him. I got backed up there a little bit, and I didn’t see him go last minute. He’s definitely the last person that you’d ever want to wreck.”
Sheldon Haudenschild was the next driver to taste the wall. More and more cautions followed, and while Wilson and Stewart battled it out up front, Kerry Madsen and Jason Johnson made themselves busy, climbing lap after lap and taking advantage of every restart.
Madsen had some challenges earlier in the night. He had a strong lead in his Heat when he spun into the wall between Turns 3 and 4, losing a wheel and limping off into the work area while his car was towed. But he refused to be defeated. He went on to win the Last Chance Showdown and make the Feature, where he started in the 21 spot. Yes, 21. And with only two laps to go, there he was, passing Wilson for second.
For Stewart it was a different kind of second: his second win in just two nights, and his second race with new crew chief Lee Stauffer. Asked what Stauffer has brought to the team, Stewart replied, “Confidence. We just lacked a little bit of that. He has a lot of self confidence, and so has brought a lot to the team. He’s a good leader."
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series meets up with the Late Model Series next at the Dirt Oval at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL for the FVP Outlaw Clay Classic on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 27 and 28. Tickets are still available online.
BEAVER DAM RACEWAY ABBREVIATED RESULTS:
Feature (40 Laps) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [4][$10,000]; 2. 2M-Kerry Madsen [21][$5,500]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [9][$3,200]; 4. W20-Greg Wilson [2][$2,800]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$2,500]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog [16][$2,300]; 7. 3-Tim Kaeding [17][$2,200]; 8. 4-Paul McMahan [12][$2,100]; 9. 5-David Gravel [10][$2,050]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [14][$2,000]; 11. 59H-Justin Henderson [13][$1,500]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [23][$1,200]; 13. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [22][$1,100]; 14. 25-Jacob Blackhurst [8][$1,050]; 15. 10W-Scotty Thiel [18][$1,000]; 16. O2-Mike Reinke [11][$900]; 17. 7S-Jason Sides [7][$800]; 18. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [20][$800]; 19. 15-Donny Schatz [1][$800]; 20. 19-Brent Marks [24][$800]; 21. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [25][$]; 22. 79-Blake Nimee [15][$800]; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen [19][$800]; 24. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$800]; 25. 17-Jac Haudenschild [6][$800]; Lap Leaders: Greg Wilson 1-24, Shane Stewart 25-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 2M-Kerry Madsen[+19]
With a Lot of Skill and a Little Luck, Stewart Locks in West Liberty Win
WEST LIBERTY, IL — June 23, 2017 — Bixby, OK-native Shane Stewart commanded the Larson Marks Racing No. 2 car for 25 laps through the checkers to win the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series debut at the 1/2-mile West Liberty Raceway. Behind him Kasey Kahne Racing driver Brad Sweet fought Jason Johnson for second to round out the podium.
Stewart started the day out strong, qualifying second, but a bit of luck also came into play later that night. At the start of the West Liberty Hawkeye 25 Feature, both Johnson and Sweet got past Stewart, but a caution before the lap was complete forced a reset, giving him a second chance.
“That was my race, honestly,” said Stewart. “I would’ve never passed those guys back if that caution hadn’t come out. I honestly don’t know what the heck happened. I just spun my tires really bad."
This marks the third win of the season and the first this month for Stewart, who came to this event with a new crew chief, Lee Stauffer, at his side and now sits fourth in points standings, just four points past Daryn Pittman.
Behind the leader, Johnson and Sweet fell in line throughout the first half of the race. Ian Madsen made an early run on Pittman for fourth, but some Turn 4 trouble in Lap 12 resulted in a tow off the field and the end of the race for Madsen.
On the restart, Johnson just couldn’t steal the lead from Stewart, and Sweet took advantage of the fumble, charging past him for second. Despite additional restarts, the three crossed the checkers in just that order: Stewart, Sweet, Johnson.
The battle between Stewart and Johnson commenced earlier, in the Craftsman Club Dash, with Stewart successfully stealing the lead for the win — a lead which Johnson had already stolen from Jac “Wild Child” Haudenschild during the Dash Draw.
From the looks — and sound — of it, this was to be the Wild Child’s day. The twittersphere was ablaze all afternoon with news of his commanding the Stenhouse Jr./Wood Racing No. 17 car that night. And despite the many hard feelings aroused by Joey Saldana’s absence, fans rallied behind J. Haudenschild, who answered back with Quick Time in Qualifying, setting the track record with a 15.737.
J. Haudenschild went on to win Heat 1 and was looking pretty great for the Feature until the Dash Inversion came in with a six, for a full-field inversion that set him back to sixth. There would be no win for the No. 17 that night as the Wild Child came in at 16.
Meanwhile, the younger Haudenschild, who started the feature beside his dad, just one position behind, took over dad’s spot to come in sixth, and even held off Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing driver and eight-time Series Champion Donny Schatz for half the race.
As fans rushed to meet their favorite drivers in the Pit area after the race, though, a young boy ran in screaming: “Did you find the Wild Child yet? Did you?"
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series heads to Beaver Dam Raceway next for the Jim "JB" Boyd Memorial presented by Karavan Trailers on Saturday, June 24, 2017. Tickets can still be purchased online.
Traveling in for the show? World of Outlaws fans get 20% off accommodations at a nearby Extended Stay America.
WEST LIBERTY RACEWAY ABBREVIATED RESULTS:
Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [1][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$5,500]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [2][$3,200]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [3][$2,800]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [8][$2,500]; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [9][$2,300]; 7. 21-Brian Brown [11][$2,200]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [15][$2,100]; 9. 4-Paul McMahan [10][$2,050]; 10. 5-David Gravel [14][$2,000]; 11. 1M-Danny Lasoski [12][$1,500]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [13][$1,200]; 13. 11K-Kraig Kinser [16][$1,100]; 14. 24-Terry McCarl [21][$1,050]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [20][$1,000]; 16. 17-Jac Haudenschild [6][$900]; 17. 71A-R.J. Johnson [22][$800]; 18. 5J-Jeremy Schultz [17][$800]; 19. 15M-Bobby Mincer [24][$800]; 20. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [19][$800]; 21. 13-Clyde Knipp [23][$800]; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart [18][$800]; 23. 18-Ian Madsen [5][$800]; 24. 6-Carson McCarl [7][$800]; Lap Leaders: Shane Stewart 1-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 19-Brent Marks[+7]
Schatz Outduels Johnson for 11th Victory of Season at Granite City Speedway
Sweet charges from 10th for podium finish
SAUX RAPIDS, M.N. —June 20, 2017 — In what looked like it was Jason Johnson’s night at Granite City Speedway, Donny Schatz capitalized on a mid-race restart. Schatz drove under Johnson exiting Turn 4 to get by for the lead. Schatz had to hold off a determined Johnson and the KSE Hard Charger Brad Sweet to pick up his 11th victory of the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car season.
Looking for the clean sweep on the evening, Jason Johnson got the early jump on the 30-lap Feature at Granite City Speedway. Opening up a five-car length lead over the eight-time and defending World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion, Donny Schatz. Just shy of the halfway point of the 30-lap race, a yellow flag was displayed for a slowed Ian Madsen who had a flat tire.
On the ensuing restart, Johnson looked like he was going to pick up where he left off, rocketing out to a quick lead over Schatz. As the field made their way down the backstretch, Johnson choose to enter Turn 3 on the top-side, leaving Schatz the bottom.
“[Schatz] just knew what he needed to do to get by me on that restart,” said Jason Johnson. “We had a car just as fast as his.”
“Races aren’t won on the start, a lot of people never figure that out,” said Donny Schatz. “We just wait for an opportunity. We got a run on [Jason] on the start and we went down the back and he decided to go up top into three and I went where he didn’t and we were able to get by.”
At the same time, Sweet wanted a piece of the action having got by Madsen on the restart for third place.
“The car was really good in the beginning,” said Brad Sweet.
With Schatz out front, Johnson and Sweet were nipping at his heels.
The top-three all within a half-second of each other had to contend with lap traffic the remain half of the race. That didn’t seem to slow them down as the three were trading positions looking to pick up their next win on the season.
“I threw everything I knew I had at [Schatz] to try to get by him,” added Johnson. “We like to win for sure. Anytime you can race with Donny and battle with [Donny], it’s a lot of fun. [Schatz] is one of the cleaner racers out here.”
The final five laps of the race it looked like it could have to gone to Schatz, Johnson or Sweet all trading positions back and forth. Schatz was just able to pick his line and get through heavy lap traffic first to power his way home for his 11th victory of the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car season.
“I think everything raises the heartrate,” said Donny Schatz in Victory Lane. “There’s a lot of great racers out here right now and they’ve got their game on. These Arctic Cat guys are in the same boat. They work their tails off to be good. We were a lot better earlier in the night – that’s kind of odd, usually we get better as the night goes on. We got the job done and that’s about it.”
Sweet who started on the outside of the fifth row of the Feature, charged his way forward and looked like he had something for both Schatz and Johnson picked up the KSE Hard Charger award.
“Lap cars just didn’t play out or if we got [Johnson], [Johnson] got us back. This NAPA Auto Parts car has been really fast, we put ourselves a little behind tonight but it was nice to drive up in there. If we keep having cars like this, we’ll be able to win some more of these.”
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series heads to West Liberty Raceway on Friday, June 23 for the West Liberty Hawkeye 25. For tickets, visit WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets.
GRANITE CITY RESULTS:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$6,000]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$3,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [10][$2,000]; 4. 2M-Kerry Madsen [5][$1,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [11][$1,500]; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [9][$1,400]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides [6][$1,350]; 8. 2-Shane Stewart [15][$1,300]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7][$1,250]; 10. 17-Joey Saldana [3][$1,200]; 11. 4-Paul McMahan [17][$900]; 12. 9-Daryn Pittman [14][$800]; 13. W20-Greg Wilson [12][$700]; 14. 19-Brent Marks [20][$650]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8][$600]; 16. 18-Ian Madsen [4][$550]; 17. 3-Tim Kaeding [13][$500]; 18. 91A-Reed Allex [23][$500]; 19. 55-Brooke Tatnell [18][$500]; 20. 13-Clyde Knipp [21][$500]; 21. 19P-Paige Polyak [19][$500]; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen [16][$500]; 23. 9Z-Jared Goerges [22][$500]; Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-13, Donny Schatz 14-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 49-Brad Sweet[+7]
Gravel Wins Rain-Soaked River Cities SpeedwayAfter three-hour delay,
Gravel held off Madsen for ninth win of season
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — June 17, 2017 — It was Jacob Allen who jumped out to an early lead during the initial start of the Gerdau Recycling Northern Tour. As Allen was coming to complete lap five of the 40-lap race, Allen jumped the cushion in Turn 4 went for a wild flip, bringing out the red flag. During the red-flag stoppage, a passing rain storm hit the Grand Forks, N.D.-area forcing a nearly three-hour stoppage. When the show got back under way, it was Gravel that withstood a couple charges from the No. 2M of Kerry Madsen en route to his ninth World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series win of the 2017 season.
“There’s some crazy fans here,” said David Gravel. “They were standing in the bleachers that had no roof over them in the down-pouring rain. Those guys are diehard; I give them props for sure.”
With weather threatening the River Cities Speedway, the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series was forced to go into hurry up mode in an effort to get night one of the Gerdau Recycling Northern Tour at River Cities Speedway in its entirety. After winning the Craftsman Club Dash, Jacob Allen secured the pole position for the Feature. Jumping out to an early lead over second-place David Gravel, Allen was quickly catching lap traffic early in the race.
“I tried to go to the top because I saw that I was coming up on some lap cars,” said Jacob Allen. “I figured I needed to go up there and see how it was before I got up on [lap cars]. Unfortunately, it was slick up in Turn 4 and [the car] flew into the barrier. I probably should have stuck on the bottom; but I was able to lead my first Outlaws race.”
After getting the track back in racing condition, the field was allotted a couple lap hot lap session. Drivers were turning laps in the nine-second bracket; close to a half-second quicker than lap times that were being turned earlier in the day. When it was time to go, David Gravel and Kerry Madsen led the field to the restart with four-laps complete.
“It’s a bummer it rained,” said David Gravel. “Typically the track is three-grooves top-to-bottom. It was pretty narrow, you just had to try not to make any mistakes.”
David Gravel and Kerry Madsen led the field back to the green. As the field was getting up to speed exiting Turn 4, the No. 41 of Jason Johnson slapped the outside wall with his right-rear tire, sending the field scrambling. Multiple cars, including the No. 4 of Paul McMahan and the No. 3 of Tim Kaeding went for a flip. Both drivers were able to get out under their own power, however, their night was done early.
For the second attempt the field would line up single file. Gravel was able to get another solid jump on Kerry Madsen and put a five-car length gap between the two. That gap closed on lap nine when Madsen and Gravel banged wheels coming off Turn 2; both where able to keep going.
“I drifted up and let Kerry [Madsen] get by me, but we were lucky enough to get right back by him.”
Madsen pounced on lap 19 to get by Gravel on the backstretch, however, Gravel was able to work his way back by the No. 2M.
“We had the car to beat,” said Kerry Madsen. “We got the lead there once, just couldn’t hang onto it good enough, it’s a great result for the team.”
With five laps to go, the field was slowed when Clyde Knipp in the No. 13 slowed on the backstretch.
Again with a single-file restart, Gravel was able to rocket out to a commanding lead and didn’t look back en route to his ninth win of the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series season.
The Series returns to action on Saturday, June 17 at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, N.D. Fans can purchase tickets by visit the ticket gate or by visiting slspromotions.ticketforce.com.
Larson Parks It at Eagle Raceway
Stenhouse Jr. Wood Racing picks up first Outlaws win
EAGLE, NE — June 14, 2017— After leading 29 of the 30-lap Feature, Daryn Pittman couldn't withstand the late-race charge from Kyle Larson and Shane Stewart. Larson whipped around the top-side of the high-banked third-mile track to go by Pittman en route to win the return of the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series at Eagle Raceway.
When Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series superstars Kyle Larson and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. team up, you get one potent team. During an off day from NASCAR, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. co-owner of Stenhouse Jr. Wood Racing decided to put Monster Energy Cup Series standout, Kyle Larson in a second entry for the Eagle Nationals at Eagle Raceway.
Good friends away from the track, Larson and Stenhouse Jr. also share a special bond, having been really close friends with the late-Bryan Clauson.
Stenhouse Jr. during the off season teamed up with Matt Wood to form Stenhouse Jr. Wood Racing — the team that Clauson raced with before his tragic death in 2016.
When the 24-car field got the green flag, it was Daryn Pittman that got the jump and rocketed out to the lead — a lead that he had to relinquish because of a yellow flag for a spinning Paul McMahan and Jason Johnson. The field would have a complete restart with the yellow coming out before a lap could be completed.
Once the field got back going again, Pittman once again found himself out front, holding off eight-time and defending World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion, Donny Schatz.
Having worked his way up from the sixth starting-spot to inside the top-five at the time of a red flag on Lap 12. It was the No. 2KS and No. 82 who got upside-down in Turn 3; both drivers were able to walk away unscathed.
Back under green, Larson Marks Racing’s Shane Stewart and Kyle Larson put the pressure on second place Donny Schatz. With under 10-laps remaining, both Stewart and Larson were able to get by and set their sights on the leader, Pittman.
“I got racing Shane [Stewart] pretty hard — I have fun racing him,” said Kyle Larson.
Navigating their way through lap traffic through Turns 3 and 4 with less than three laps to go, Stewart stuck to the bottom of the track while Larson went to the top. As the two entered Turn 1, they banged wheels; Larson was able to gain the second position.
With his sights clearly set on the leader, Larson kept his No. 17K wound up on the top-side of the Eagle Raceway to get by Pittman to lead the white flag lap. Larson would go on to win
“We are there [close to a win], unfortunately we just need to finish it out,” said Daryn Pittman. “Second sucks. We haven’t been in the position all year and here we were. [Kyle] ran a good race and we just got beat.”
Clearly a special win for Larson and the Stenhouse Jr. Wood Racing team as Larson paid homage to an old friend, Bryan Clauson in Victory Lane.
“I can’t believe I parked it here, it’s pretty cool. I think this is this team’s first win, so happy to be a part of that.”
Larson joked in Victory Lane that he had three crew chief’s at Eagle, Ricky Stehouse Jr., Tyler Swank and David Fero, a crew member on his No. 42 NASCAR entry.
This win marks the first Outlaws win for the newly formed Stenhouse Jr. Wood Racing. This is Larson’s firth overall World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win; first since 2013 and his first Outlaws win outside of his home state of California.
Second to None: Kerry Madsen Wins Night 2 of AGCO Jackson Nationals
By: Tony Veneziano
JACKSON, Minn. — June 2, 2017 — Kerry Madsen was part of a historic finish on the opening night of the 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series at Jackson Motorplex, finishing second to his brother Ian, which made them the first-ever Australian-born brothers to finish 1-2 in an Outlaws race. K. Madsen felt as if he didn’t get the job done, though on Thursday night. He made up for the near-miss on Friday night, leading flag-to-flag in the 25-lap main event to earn his first World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win of the season and the 20th of his career.
Madsen withstood a trio of yellow flags and one red flag period en route to the win. For the native of St. Marys, NSW, Australia, who now calls Knoxville, Iowa home, it was his second win of the season at Jackson Motorplex, which is owned by his car owner, Tod Quiring.
“The car was working everywhere until we lost the front wing, then we lost our front downforce,” said Madsen. “I had to run not as hard as I wanted to going into (turn) one and gave up a lot of speed there. I just kept watching the front wing and it was still on so, I kept trying harder. I saw Kraig and thought, ‘Oh no,’ but I saw the lapped traffic and knew if I could get to the outside of the lapped traffic it would block the lane and I would be okay. I was just hanging on at the end and it was a handful in (turn) one and two. It was great to get the job done tonight.”
Madsen, who entered the night as the overall event point leader, put himself in a very solid position to go for a repeat in the AGCO Jackson Nationals, which he won for the first time last season.
“This track is all about being in the right place and being in the right line,” explained Madsen. “You can’t just stick to a line. You have to constantly search and keeping your eye out. It’s going to take 30 good laps to be in contention again tomorrow.”
Madsen started on the pole Friday night and jumped to an early lead, when the red flag flew for his brother, getting upside in turns three and four on the opening lap. On the complete restart, K. Madsen again jumped to a lead, with Jason Johnson in second. Johnson tried a huge slide job, going for the lead on the lap-5 and spun, which brought out the caution. Madsen chose the low side of the track each time on double file restarts, with Kraig Kinser lining on the outside and was able to open a quick gap each time.
Kinser was able to pull alongside Madsen coming off turn four with five laps to go, but the latter was able to pull away on the front straightaway to retain the lead. Kinser, who started sixth, earned his best World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series finish of the season in second.
“I was trying to follow him and stay as close as I could in (turns) one and two,” said Kinser. “He was pretty good in one and two and always kept a little gap. The closer I got to him the worse the handling got, going through those bumps. I had a couple of chances at him, but he kept motoring around. The little bit I could gain in (turns) three and four he just motored down the straightaway and kept it nice and straight. It was tough and I was going to need some help. I saw traffic down low and knew I probably wasn’t going to get him.”
Brad Sweet finished third for the second straight night. After having trouble in the dash, he lined up eighth and found himself in third by the fifth lap of the race. He was able to gain some ground on Kinser in the middle stages of the race, but in the late going fell back a bit.
“We just have to keep working on it,” said Sweet. “Kerry (Madsen) is fast. We had that problem in the dash and that set us back. It’s nice to come from eighth to third. We got to third pretty quick and I thought we may have something for those guys. My car just didn’t feel as good those last few laps. We’ll take some good notes tonight and the big night is tomorrow night. I think we are in a good position and have had a solid two nights and should be in the top-four in points. We’ll come back tomorrow night”
Donny Schatz finished fourth for the second consecutive night, with Jason Sides rounding out the top-five. Daryn Pittman crossed the line sixth, followed by Shane Stewart in seventh. Stewart, who started 20th picked up the KSE Hard Charger Award. David Gravel was eighth, with Joey Saldana ninth and Johnson rebounding from the early spin to charge back through the field to finish 10th.
The 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals wraps up on Saturday, June 3 with a $25,000-to-win main event for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.
Tickets for the remaining two nights of the 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals, featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, along with the Upper Midwest Sprint Car Series (UMSS), Midwest Sprint Touring Series (MSTS), Nebraska 360 Sprint Series and the RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Cars at the Jackson Motorplex can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com and at the track.
Brotherly Battle: Ian Wins Battle of Madsen Brothers on opening night of 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals
JACKSON, MN — June 1, 2017 — The Madsen brothers are nothing short of exciting every time they strap into a sprint car. The intensity level is often ratcheted up even more when they are racing each other for a win. They lived up to this moniker Thursday on the opening night of the 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series. While younger brother Ian led all 25 laps of the main event, older brother Kerry gave him a run for his money, especially on a late-race double file restart.
Ian fended off Kerry on that restart, which saw the elder brother get a monster run on the high side of the track heading down the front straightaway. As the laps wound down, the leaders encountered lapped traffic, with Kerry closing back in on Ian, nearly stealing a win on the last lap. The finale margin of victory was a scant three-tenths-of-a-second.
“When you come to race with the World of Outlaws, the double-file restarts are always tough,” said Ian Madsen. “It’s pretty cutthroat and can go either way. You have to give it your all. I’m really thankful we could get the job done tonight. We’ve had an awesome car lately and have been strong with the World of Outlaws all years. It’s great to finally get one.”
The race started with I. Madsen on the pole, quickly jumping out to a lead before a caution with four laps in the books. On the ensuing double-file restart, I. Madsen chose the low side of the track. David Gravel actually took the lead in turns one and two on that restart, but a red flag, before that lap was completed, kept I. Madsen in the lead for the next restart, which was single-file.
The win was Madsen’s second with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, with the first coming in 2013 at Deer Creek Speedway, also in Minnesota.
“Jackson is kind of like a home track for us,” said Ian Madsen. “We gave a lot of friends, fans and supporters of the KPC team here tonight. I can’t thank my team enough. This is awesome. Minnesota is kind of close to home and I really like the tracks. Thanks to Tod (Quiring) and everyone for putting this event on. Hopefully it gets bigger and bigger each year.”
Kerry Madsen, the defending winner of the AGCO Jackson Nationals, started third and had a torrid battle in the early going with David Gravel, before moving into second behind his brother. Kerry had a strong car on the top side of the half-mile and used this to his advantage to keep pace with brother as the laps wound down.
“That last restart, I was thinking, ‘You gave me the top’ and I got a good run,” said Kerry Madsen. “I thought I was going to get him, but just didn’t quite have it. That last corner, the last lap, I thought I had position and kind of wished I had gone in there a little harder and maybe was a little forceful. I just didn’t get it done, but the Go Muddy/AGCO car was great. This car is a rocket ship right now and it’s fun to drive and I am enjoying every minute of it.”
Brad Sweet finished third aboard his No. 49 NAPA machine for Kasey Kahne Racing. Sweet lined up sixth and worked his way into the top-five in the early going. He used a couple of strong restarts to gain spots on his way to a podium finish.
“It’s fun watching the Madsen brothers up there,” said Sweet. “Kerry definitely gave his brother a run for his money. I guess he had to make his little bro work for it. The key was to get through this first night. Our NAPA car has been fast, so we’ll come the next two nights and hopefully can get a win.”
Current series point leader Donny Schatz finished fourth in the Arctic Cat machine for Tony Stewart Racing, while Danny Lasoski rounded out the top-five. David Gravel, who ran among the lead pack in the early going, ended up sixth, after nearly getting into the wall coming off turn four, battling for the second spot. Jason Sides was seventh, with Tim Kaeding eighth, while Sheldon Haudenschild came from 16th to ninth. Shane Stewart rounded out the top-10.
The 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals continues on Friday, June 2, with another complete race program for all three sprint car classes.
Tickets for the remaining two nights of the 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals, featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, along with the Upper Midwest Sprint Car Series (UMSS), Midwest Sprint Touring Series (MSTS), Nebraska 360 Sprint Series and the RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Cars at the Jackson Motorplex can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com or at the track.
Stewart Beats the Boss at Lawrenceburg Speedway
Larson charges from sixth for runner-up finish
LAWRENCEBURG, IN. — May 29, 2017 — In an action-packed 35-lap Feature at the Lawrenceburg Speedway, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standout and Larson Marks Racing team owner, Kyle Larson used a line that no one dared to run, enabling him to the lead with over 10-laps remaining. A mistake in traffic by Larson allowed his driver, Shane Stewart to get back by his Boss in lap-traffic for his second World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series win of the 2017 season at Lawrenceburg Speedway.
The fans at Lawrenceburg Speedway were treated to one of the best World of Outlaws races of the season. It was a day that had everything from, slide-job passes, several lead changes, drama and much more.
“Man, that was blast,” said Kyle Larson. “I hope you [fans] enjoyed that because that was awesome from my seat. That was one of the most intense Sprint Car races I’ve ran.”
With three-time Lawrenceburg Speedway winner, Donny Schatz starting on the front row of the 35-lap Feature, he knew he had to contend with some heavy-hitter drivers in the field such as Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, David Gravel, Shane Stewart and the rest of the 25-car field.
2016 Lawrenceburg Speedway winner, Shane Stewart started the day off on the wrong foot. During hot laps, the team found an oil leak, but wasn’t able to find the cause. The Larson Marks Racing team decided to change the powerplant on the No. 2 machine for precautionary reasons.
During the opening lap of the Feature event, Schatz rocketed out front but he was quickly challenged by Stewart, who started the race in the fourth position.
Schatz was able to hold the lead for the opening six laps, until the leaders got into slower lap traffic. Stewart, running second, was able to pounce on Schatz and overtake the No. 15 machine for the lead. The two would run side-by-side until the only yellow flag of the event was displayed on lap 13.
Stewart would hold the lead for the restart with Schatz in second. Kyle Larson who had started the event in the ninth spot had worked his way up to the sixth position.
A great restart by Larson propelled him from sixth to fourth but he didn’t settle there as he quickly worked his way up to the runner-up position.
“I found a line just before the caution, running just above the cushion in Turns 1 and 2 and do a little bit of the same in Turns 3 and 4; was able to get to the lead like that,” added Larson.
Larson Marks Racing co-owner didn’t take it easy on his driver, as the No. 57 of Larson and the No. 2 of Stewart came together battling for the lead in turn two.
“I feel like I race [Shane] harder, it’s always fun racing Shane,” said Larson.
“I was just out there for a cool drive, until [Larson] came up,” said Stewart. “I was shocked when [Larson] went by me up [top]; its Kyle Larson, what can you say?”
Larson would get by the No. 2 of Stewart for a couple laps as the two approached lap traffic.
“I got to lead there and made a mistake in traffic and [Shane] got back by,” said Larson. “I cut across [the cushion] a little too soon and got in the holes and starting bouncing, that was what allowed Shane to get back by me. I knew I showed [Shane] my line and what I was doing so it was going to be tough to get back by him. We had a couple more opportunities at [Shane] but we just ran out of time, but that how’s racing goes. I can’t wait to race Sprint Cars some more.”
After getting back by his Boss in lap traffic, Stewart was able to put a lap car between him and the No. 57 of Larson on the white flag lap giving Stewart the separation he needed to go on to repeat as winner at Lawrenceburg Speedway.
“It was fun racing against my car owner, definitely a fun race. I always enjoy coming here. The guys gave me a great car; they work endless hours to keep this car fast. I’m just the lucky man that gets to drive it.”
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action for three-nights at the The 39thAnnual AGCO Jackson Nationals at the Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, MN on Thursday, June 1 – 3. Tickets can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by calling SLS Promotions at 815-344-2023.
Lawrenceburg Speedway Results:
Feature (35 Laps): 1. 2-Shane Stewart [4][$10,000]; 2. 57-Kyle Larson [9][$5,500]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [1][$3,200]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [10][$2,800]; 5. 4-Paul McMahan [2][$2,500]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu [11][$2,300]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [5][$2,200]; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$2,100]; 9. 18-Ian Madsen [3][$2,050]; 10. 5-David Gravel [19][$2,000]; 11. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [12][$1,500]; 12. 49X-Tim Shaffer [13][$1,200]; 13. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7][$1,100]; 14. 10H-Chad Kemenah [15][$1,050]; 15. 17-Joey Saldana [8][$1,000]; 16. A67-Brandon Wimmer [20][$900]; 17. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [14][$800]; 18. 11K-Kraig Kinser [22][$800]; 19. 7S-Jason Sides [23][$800]; 20. 3-Tim Kaeding [21][$800]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [18][$800]; 22. 67-Christopher Bell [17][$800]; 23. 99-Brady Bacon [16][$800]; 24. 12N-Cole Duncan [24][$800]; 25. 19-Brent Marks [25][$800];Lap Leaders: Donny Schatz 1-6; Shane Stewart 7-22, 25-35; Kyle Larson 23-24; KSE Hard Charger Award: 5-David Gravel[+9]
Schuchart Shines Bright in Charlotte
Schuchart wins third Outlaws race of 2017
CONCORD, N.C. — May 26, 2017 — After starting in the third position for the Outlaw Showdown at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the 30-lap Feature event, Logan Schuchart had a scare just before the half-way mark of the race. When Schuchart he attempted a slide job on the leader Brad Sweet, he overshot the attempt, forcing him up to the wall. Still managing to continue on, Schuchart would get another opportunity as the field came to the white flag, Schuchart would slip by Sweet for the lead. The driver of the No. 1s machine would round the final circuit of the 4/10-mile clay-oval en route to his third win of the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series season.
Earlier this week, the Shark Racing team of Logan Schuchart and Jacob Allen put out a cry for help on social media for the second time this season looking for a way to get their two-car operation to the racetrack. After getting help from the racing industry friends, the two-car team showed up at New Egypt Speedway just as the Heats were getting underway. Schuchart would eventually qualify for the Feature event through the Last Chance Showdown and go on to finish 12th from the 24th-starting spot.
“We got a lot of people that stand behind us and that put these racecars on the track,” said Logan Schuchart. “I just have a lot to be thankful for just to be in this position, [to] race in Charlotte and with the World of Outlaws.”
Fast forward three-days and the No. 1s of Logan Schuchart not only made it to Charlotte (thanks to the help from their newly-repaired toterhome) but he and the Shark Racing team ended the night by standing in Victory Lane, grabbing his third win of the 2017 season.
When the field got the green flag for the 30-lap Feature at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, it was the Brad Sweet show looking to cap off the sweep, having won quick time, his Heat race and the Craftsman Club Dash. Rocketing out to a big lead, Sweet worked the top-groove as he caught the tail end of the 24-car field.
Schuchart would had started third in the Feature event threw a slide job in turns three and four on Kraig Kinser for second place as the field came to complete lap five. Schuchart would set his sights on the No. 49 NAPA Auto Parts entry of Sweet as they both picked their way through lap traffic. On lap 11, Schuchart attempted another slide job that failed to stick, causing him to tag the outside turn two wall.
“I thought we had a chance at Brad [Sweet] earlier in the race and I tried to slide him but my throttle stuck and ran me way too far into the corner,” said Logan Schuchart. “We actually got into the wall and I think we bent a wheel.”
Still able to continue, Sweet opened up the gap over Schuchart as the laps ticked away.
The Hanover, PA-driver made one-final attempt at Sweet as the two exited turn four; Schuchart made this attempt stick and would hold off Sweet and Daryn Pittman for his third win of the season.
“Winning in Charlotte, North Carolina in front of all these fans, is what makes our sport,” added Schuchart. “You fans in the stands is what make us come out and continue to do what we do, thank you,” exclaimed Schuchart.
“Overall tonight was good for us,” stated Brad Sweet who won quick time, his heat race and the Craftsman Club Dash. “I just got stuck behind those lap cars, that’s where you win or lose these races. Hats off to that team; Logan drove a great race.
The 2016 Outlaw Showdown winner, Greg Wilson made up 10 position in the Outlaw Showdown Feature event to bring home another top-five at Charlotte and earn the KSE Hard Charger award.
Clyde Knipp had an impressive run at Charlotte, bringing his No. 13 machine home in 16th place, a career run for the California-MO driver.
Logan Schuchart’s teammate, Jacob Allen gave Shark Racing two top-10 finishes on the evening by finishing in the ninth position.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will make the trek north to Lawrenceburg, IN for a Memorial Day special on Monday, May 29 at Lawrenceburg Speedway. For tickets, visit WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets.
The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway Results:
Feature (30 Laps) : 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3][$12,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1][$5,700]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$3,500]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [6][$3,000]; 5. W20-Greg Wilson [15][$2,600]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2][$2,400]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$2,300]; 8. 5-David Gravel [11][$2,200]; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen [8][$2,150]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7][$2,100]; 11. 49X-Tim Shaffer [10][$1,600]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [19][$1,350]; 13. 22-Cole Duncan [13][$1,300]; 14. 41-Jason Johnson [9][$1,200]; 15. 7K-Cale Conley [12][$1,100]; 16. 13-Clyde Knipp [21][$1,000]; 17. 44-Trey Starks [20][$900]; 18. 17-Joey Saldana [14][$850]; 19. 7S-Jason Sides [18][$800]; 20. 4S-Danny Smith [23][$800]; 21. 47-Eric Riggins [22][$800]; 22. 71M-Dave Blaney [16][$800]; 23. 4-Paul McMahan [17][$800]; 24. 1-Zach Ames [24][$800]; Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-28, Logan Schuchart 29-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: W20-Greg Wilson[+10]
David Gravel Victorious at New Egypt Speedway
Pittman’s winning streak comes to an end
NEW EGYPT, N.J. – May 24, 2017 – David Gravel continued his east coast dominance Wednesday night at New Egypt Speedway by picking up his third win in the last four World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series races and his eighth-overall win for the 2017 season. Gravel, no stranger to the D-shaped clay oval, cut his teeth in Sprint Car racing at New Egypt in his URC Sprint Car.
“I’m glad I could win in front of everybody here that came out to watch me,” Gravel said. “I have to thank Barry, Derek and Zack for working hard to give me a good car; I just have to do my part.”
Jason Johnson and Gravel led the 24-car field to the green flag to start the 30-lap Feature. Gravel dove into turn one and came out of turn two as the new leader on the initial start and never looked back.
The first caution of the night was brought out on lap six for a slow Tyler Ross.
Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet put pressure on Johnson for second on the restart as they went three-wide going into turn one. Sweet came out on top as he pulled away in second.
Dave Blaney, Jason Sides and Davey Sammons went upside-down in turns one and two, bringing out the red flag on lap seven. All drivers were okay. The four-time defending race winner Daryn Pittman was also involved, causing wing damage and a broken front axle.
After spending time in the work area, Sides, Pittman and Sammons were able to rejoin the back of the field. Blaney suffered too much damage to return.
After the field got going again, Gravel was able to get back out front and hold a steady lead over Sweet until they caught lapped traffic on lap 14.
Gravel maneuvered his way through the lapped cars smoothly until Sweet and Schatz started the second and third-place cars a glimmer of hope.
With four laps remaining. Schatz dove under Sweet going into turn one and took away the second spot by the time he exited for the back stretch.
Schatz then set his sights on Gravel but only to have a lapped car act has a pick as they exited the final turn.
“I’m sure he was close,” mentioned Gravel about Schatz. “I really couldn’t do anything. It was a pretty narrow track but I just tried not to slip up. I don’t know if he was running high or low. I was trying to be patient in lap traffic.”
Gravel crossed the line and took the victory over Schatz, Sweet, Shane Stewart and Jason Johnson. Gravel is red-hot on the east coast having won three races in the last week.
“It’s been a great year and hopefully we keep doing this,” Gravel noted.
The 2016 defending World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Champion, Schatz, felt his car wasn’t good enough to beat Gravel.
“We got there in traffic but that’s what it was going to take to win the race,” Schatz said. “The lap cars were pretty tough to get around. He was better than we were in the open. You’re not going to win these races anymore if you’re not a very good car and we just haven’t seem to get that right rear feel. We’ll keep working on it.”
Sweet, the third-place finisher, was happy with his performance in his No. 49 machine despite rough track conditions.
“There were some holes out there and lap traffic and that’s what easily wins or loses it,” Sweet added. “We were right there on David and tried to move up a little bit but there wasn’t much up there. David did a good job and just kind of managed the race and kept his car out front in the right position.”
Shark Racing ran into hauler troubles heading to New Egypt, forcing them to arrive late. Logan Schuchart tagged on to the back of the heat race while Jacob Allen’s car arrived later and made it just in time for the Last Chance Showdown. Schuchart transferred to the feature through the Last Chance Showdown from last place and finished in a solid 12th-place, grabbing the KSE Hard Charger Award in the process.
Pittman, who had won the last four races at New Egypt, was set to start ninth in the third heat and immediately went pit side to change an engine after trailing oil on the track. Pittman finished second in the Last Chance Showdown to transfer into the Feature. He was then tangled up in an early wreck, damaging the wing and breaking the front axle. Pittman made it back out and finished 14th.
Donny Schatz kicked off the night with the fastest time in time trials with a time of 13.422. Heat races went to Stewart, Shaffer and Gravel. Johnson won the Craftsman Club Dash and Jason Sides won the Last Chance Showdown.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action on Friday, May 26 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the Outlaw Showdown. Last year saw Greg Wilson find his way to the big stage under the lights over Shane Stewart and Cole Duncan.
New Egypt Speedway Results:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 5-David Gravel [2][$6,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$3,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$2,000]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [6][$1,800]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$1,500]; 6. 37-J.J. Grasso [11][$1,400]; 7. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5][$1,350]; 8. 4-Paul McMahan [7][$1,300]; 9. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [8][$1,250]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [10][$1,200]; 11. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [13][$900]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart [24][$800]; 13. 17-Joey Saldana [9][$700]; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman [20][$650]; 15. 7-Kyle Reinhardt [18][$600]; 16. 13D-Danny Dietrich [12][$550]; 17. 89-Robbie Stillwagon [14][$500]; 18. 7S-Jason Sides [19][$500]; 19. 11K-Kraig Kinser [16][$500]; 20. 747-Davey Sammons [21][$500]; 21. 27Z-Sean Zemunik [23][$500]; 22. 71M-Dave Blaney [15][$500]; 23. 5R-Tyler Ross [17][$500]; 24. W20-Greg Wilson [22][$500]; Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+12]
Stewart Stands Tall At Morgan Cup Win
Earns First Career Williams Grove Win
Shane Stewart started on the pole for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Morgan Cup at Williams Grove Speedway, but didn’t lead the opening lap. Instead, he battled with PA Posse driver TJ Stutts of Liverpool, PA and used a slide job in turns one and two to take the lead on a lap 11 restart. From there, Stewart held off Stutts and then Daryn Pittman on a pair of restarts over the final 10 laps to earn his first career Williams Grove win and his first Outlaw victory of the 2017 season.
“You don’t even know what it means to me to finally get here in Victory Lane,” Stewart said in Victory Lane. “I know the East Coast isn’t always kind to me, but I am very happy and going to cherish this win.”
Stewart earned the pole after winning the Craftsman Club Dash and led the field to the green flag with Stutts on the outside of the front row. It was Stutts who grabbed the lead by the time the two drivers had raced turn three. The top two quickly broke away from a third-place battle between Outlaw rookie Sheldon Haudenschild and Tim Shaffer of Aliquippa, PA. Shaffer took the spot on lap seven when Haudenschild spun at the bottom of turn one, but kept his foot in the gas and continued without incident despite losing five positions.
The battle for the lead gained momentum as Stewart closed on Stutts and on lap 10 moved to the outside lane to setup a pass. A lap later, Stewart appeared to have enough steam in the outside lane to take the lead, but Stutts led by 0.002 seconds at the line, just as the first caution of the race waved when Haudenschild spun to a stop at the top of turn three.
On the restart, Stewart made the race-winning move when he dove to the bottom of the track and slid in front of Stutts to drive off turn two with the lead.
“I didn’t get a break on the initial start of the Feature and I told myself that if TJ took the bottom, I actually thought the top was going to be better,” Stewart said. “It just worked out really well for us. Man, clean air makes everything and makes a big difference.”
Stewart ran the rest of the race in clean air as the top pairing never had the chance to wade into lapped traffic. The second caution of the race waved at lap 15 when Brent Marks and Brian Montieth made contact and tangled together at the top of turn two, ending the night for both drivers.
Stewart kept the field at bay when the green waved and again on a lap 21 restart. Meanwhile, Pittman darted from eighth to fourth on the latter restart before jumping into second on the final restart with seven laps to go. He earned his second runner-up finish of the week, finishing 2.044 seconds behind Stewart’s Larson Marks Racing No.2.
“I had such a good car on restarts that every time we went green, my car had the right attitude,” Pittman said following the race. “Everybody seemed to be a little rolled up down there on the start in turns three and four and I could get by a couple guys every time.”
Stewart cruised over the final five laps on his way to the victory, which he celebrated in Victory Lane with his fiancée Jenn, daughter Nixon and the Larson Marks Racing crew.
“It means a lot to me,” Stewart said. “I know that the rivalry here is out of this world, which I appreciate. I love the enthusiasm and the Pennsylvania fans.”
The track was an interesting mix of tacky and dry slick throughout the night, conditions that were unusual for Williams Grove, Pittman said.
“I’ve seen this place about every which way that’s an option, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it quite like it was tonight,” Pittman explained. “It was definitely different. I’ve never seen a wet strip a car length and a half off the bottom stay that long throughout the night. It was the dominant way around.”
During Pittman’s charge forward, Shaffer worked past Stutts to maintain the third spot and earn a third-place finish, equaling the best results of PA Posse drivers Danny Dietrich and Freddie Rahmer earlier in the week.
“Last night we missed it there at the beginning and it killed us,” Shaffer said, “but tonight we did the right things and put ourselves in position (to contend) and we’re on the front straightaway.”
Lance Dewease of Fayetteville, PA and Outlaw driver Logan Schuchart completed the top-five following a spirited battle for fourth in the closing laps.
Jason Johnson set quick time to start the night with a lap of 16.402 seconds, less than three-tenths of a second off the track record of 16.140 set by Brian Paulus on April 26, 2002. He was the 25th of 37 drivers to take time. Johnson followed with a heat race win. Dewease, Schuchart and Jason Sides were the other heat winners, while Marks won the Last Chance Showdown.
The Outlaws now travel north for the Empire State Challenge at Weedsport (NY) Speedway on Sunday, May 21. Fans who can’t make it to the track can watch live pay-per-view video coverage on DIRTvision.
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Williams Grove Speedway, PA; May 20, 2017
Feature (30 Laps) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [1][$17,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [12][$5,700]; 3. 49X-Tim Shaffer [4][$3,500]; 4. 69K-Lance Dewease [7][$3,000]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$2,600]; 6. 11-T.J. Stutts [2][$2,400]; 7. 20-Ryan Taylor [9][$2,300]; 8. 5-David Gravel [10][$2,200]; 9. 41-Jason Johnson [8][$2,150]; 10. 49-Brad Sweet [20][$2,100]; 11. 1-Dale Blaney [14][$1,600]; 12. 48-Danny Dietrich [15][$1,350]; 13. 24-Lucas Wolfe [19][$1,300]; 14. 15-Donny Schatz [16][$1,200]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [6][$1,100]; 16. 88-Brandon Rahmer [22][$1,000]; 17. 17-Joey Saldana [11][$900]; 18. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [3][$850]; 19. 44-Trey Starks [18][$800]; 20. 39M-Anthony Macri [24][$800]; 21. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$800]; 22. 27-Greg Hodnett [17][$800]; 23. 19-Brent Marks [21][$800]; 24. 21-Brian Montieth [23][$800]. Lap Leaders: T.J. Stutts 1-11, Shane Stewart 12-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 9-Daryn Pittman [+10].
Gravel Leads Flag-To-Flag For Williams Grove Win
Second Straight Victory For CJB MotorsportsDavid Gravel withstood a late surge from Donny Schatz and a pair of restarts with less than five laps remaining to kickoff the weekend with a Spring Classic win at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night.
Gravel started on the pole for the 25-lap main event after winning the Craftsman Club Dash and led flag-to-flag even despite restarts with three and four laps remaining in the main event. It was the second win of the week in Central Pennsylvania for the Watertown, CT native who also won at Lincoln Speedway on Wednesday. It was also Gravel’s seventh victory of the season.
“It’s definitely huge to win in PA at all,” Gravel said. “To win Lincoln and Williams Grove is really good. We have to enjoy this a little bit tonight, but tomorrow’s a new day. We’re really happy with where we’re at right now and we’ll keep moving forward.”
After timing second quick in Flight B Qualifying and second in his heat, Gravel was scheduled to roll off eighth for the dash in his CJB Motorsports No.5, but an eight inversion draw put him on the pole and he never looked back, scoring wins in the Dash and Feature just as he did Wednesday night at Lincoln.
“I’m definitely lucky right now,” Gravel concluded. “I need to play the lottery or something. It’s just one of those things where when it goes your way, it goes your way. Last year, Daryn Pittman got a lot of draws that went his way and right now it’s our time. It goes in phases. It’s a long, long season and we’ll take it when we can.”
Gravel brought the field to the green flag for the main event with Brad Sweet starting on the outside of the front row aboard his Kasey Kahne Racing with Mike Curb No.49. Gravel jumped to an early lead while fifth-starting Schatz overtook Daryn Pittman for fourth on lap two. The caution waved one lap later when Lucas Wolfe and Joey Saldana spun and stopped against the turn three wall.
An 18-lap green flag run followed allowed Gravel to extend his lead to 1.806 seconds over Sweet by lap 10. However, it withered away when Gravel caught lapped traffic at the halfway mark and Sweet began close the gap. Right behind the two leaders, Schatz worked past Greg Hodnett for the second time in the race to acquire the third spot.
With six laps remaining, Gravel struggled to find a line around the slower can of Jason Sides. That allowed Schatz to catch the two leaders and the reigning series champion took second from Sweet with four laps to go.
Two more cautions with four laps to go kept Gravel on his toes, but he rode the cushion flawlessly on the outside of the speedway, disabling any of Schatz’s attempts to take the lead.
“That’s just typical lapped traffic,” Gravel said. “You get caught up and you have to pass some guys before the second-place guy passes you. I got by Sides and I actually thought I was pretty good. I probably didn’t want a yellow. After I got past Sides, I thought I would be able to work the lapped cars pretty good and then the yellow came out. I got a good restart and then the yellow came out again. I didn’t want that second yellow, but it worked out and we held on.”
Schatz felt that if the yellow flag had not waved with four laps to go, he would have had a chance to catch and pass Gravel for the $8,000 payday.
“Everything we run is longer races so you have to be prepared for the end,” Schatz said, explaining his surge over the final 10 laps.” That’s what you shoot for – trying to be good at the end of the race and we were definitely good at the end of the race. We just didn’t need to see that yellow (with four laps to go). When you get traffic, you force (the leader) to move out of their line and that’s what we needed. When the yellow came out, I knew it was going to take a miracle.”
The miracle didn’t happen for Schatz as Gravel executed flawlessly on the pair of single-file restarts by running the fast top lane and by taking away Schatz’s preferred corner entry.
For Freddie Rahmer, the third-place finish was worth celebrating. Rahmer was the top finishing Pennsylvania Posse member ahead of Hodnett, who finished fifth. He felt he may have had something for Schatz if he could have changed one of his last-race restarts.
“I couldn’t do anything in (turns) three and four because Donny was where my car was the best,” Rahmer said. “Just the way it played out, we ran third. I think we’re fast enough to win, we just need a different scenario.”
Joey Saldana was the night’s overall fast qualifier with a lap of 16.639 seconds. He also picked up a heat race win along with Rahmer, Schatz and Pittman. Logan Schuchart earned the KSE Hard Charger award for advancing from 18th to 11th.
The Outlaws remain at Williams Grove for Saturday’s Morgan Cup. Drivers are expecting significantly different track conditions with an expected temperature drop to the mid-60s on Saturday from the high-80s on Friday.
“The track was really heavy for how warm it was,” Gravel said. “We’ll see. Tomorrow’s going to be cooler, but the track might be slick or it might be even heavier than tonight.”
Saturday’s Morgan Cup at Williams Grove will once again be available via live pay-per-view on DIRTvision.
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Williams Grove Speedway, PA; May 19, 2017
Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 5-David Gravel [1][$8,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [5][$4,000]; 3. 51-Freddie Rahmer [7][$2,500]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$2,200]; 5. 27-Greg Hodnett [3][$2,100]; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$2,000]; 7. 21-Brian Montieth [13][$1,800]; 8. 69K-Lance Dewease [12][$1,600]; 9. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [6][$1,500]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [11][$1,300]; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart [18][$1,200]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [15][$1,100]; 13. 2-Shane Stewart [17][$1,000]; 14. 41-Jason Johnson [14][$700]; 15. 4-Paul McMahan [20][$600]; 16. 1-Dale Blaney [16][$600]; 17. 17B-Steve Buckwalter [19][$600]; 18. 11-T.J. Stutts [22][$600]; 19. 48-Danny Dietrich [10][$600]; 20. 44-Trey Starks [21][$600]; 21. 7S-Jason Sides [24][$600]; 22. 24-Lucas Wolfe [9][$600]; 23. 71M-Dave Blaney [23][$600]; 24. 17-Joey Saldana [8][$600]
Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-25
KSE Hard Charger Award: Logan Schuchart +7 (18th to 11th)
David Gravel Dominates at Lincoln for Gettysburg Clash Win
Earns First Career Lincoln Win
ABBOTTSTOWN, PA – May 17, 2017 – David Gravel dominated the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Gettysburg Clash at Lincoln Speedway on Wednesday night, leading all 35 laps of the Feature at the historic 3/8-mile track to take the checkered flag 6.501 seconds ahead of runner-up finisher Daryn Pittman.
The Feature win completed a perfect night for Gravel. The Watertown, CT driver was quickest in Flight A Time Trials before winning his Heat and the Craftsman Club Dash to earn the pole and eventually the Feature triumph that lifted the Outlaws over the Pennsylvania Posse in the first rivalry race of the season. It was both Gravel’s first career win at Lincoln and his sixth of the season with the Outlaws.
“It’s definitely huge,” Gravel said following his win. “World of Outlaws guys do not win many Outlaw shows in PA, so to win here is great, at a track that I haven’t really been good at in the past. To do that is awesome, to get our sixth win is awesome.”
“You never know when your next win will be and it’s been a couple weeks, so it’s good to get another one and keep clicking them off. Hopefully this momentum carries on to Williams Grove.”
Gravel used his pole starting position to jump out to an early lead over second-starting Pittman until the only caution of the race came on lap two when Freddie Rahmer of Salfordville, PA spun and stopped at the bottom of turn two.
Gravel enjoyed an open track for eight laps following the restart, but worked his way into lapped traffic on lap 10. The often side-by-side racing around the track created a number of challenges for the leaders as they worked through the field.
“It was real difficult just because I didn’t know what kind of lead I had,” Gravel said. “I got through the first couple lapped cars really well, but after that I didn’t know if guys were catching me or not. It was really tough to judge. I didn’t know I had a huge lead. It was just one of those things where I had to keep pushing forward and keep getting lapped cars behind me.”
Behind Gravel, it was local favorite Danny Dietrich of nearby Gettysburg, PA who worked his way past Brad Sweet and then Pittman to take second on lap 17. Dietrich was unable to gain any ground on Gravel to challenge for the lead while he battled the traffic.
“I got to second and couldn’t get any help at all from lapped cars,” Dietrich said. “It’s unfortunate because I thought we were fast enough to run with Gravel, but never got the opportunity.”
Dietrich held second until the final lap, when he made a daring move in turns one and two to move past a lapped car. The move cost him as he drifted up the track, allowing Pittman to capitalize and re-take the second spot.
“I was just trying to make something happen,” Dietrich said of his last lap move. “I felt like if I couldn’t get by the lapped cars, I was going to get passed anyways. I should have just probably settled in, but that’s hard to do when you’re running second for a World of Outlaws win.”
“Lapped traffic was hairy,” echoed Pittman. “I don’t know that they were really doing anything wrong, but they were just racing hard side-by-side and using up the whole track. Dietrich kind of got held up behind one of them and gave me a run to get back by him.”
Pittman was satisfied to earn a second-place finish after the last lap pass, especially against a field of 43 cars at a difficult track.
“We had a really solid car and a solid night,” Pittman said. “I’m not disappointed at all, but we were all racing for second. David was in a league of his own.”
Donny Schatz raced from the 15th starting position to finish fourth while KSE Hard Charger Brian Montieth advanced 15 positions to round out the top-five after starting 20th. Kevin Gobrecht rookie-of-the-year contender Sheldon Haudenschild was in the middle of a top-five battle when he did a complete 360 in turn two on lap 22 and the race continued without incident. The miscue cost Haudenschild four positions as he fell to eighth.
While Gravel started the night by setting quick time in Flight A qualifying with a time of 13.434 seconds, Dietrich was fastest in Flight B and overall at 13.328 seconds.
Gravel and Pittman won the first two heat races for the Outlaws before Dietrich and Rahmer answered for the Posse with wins in heats three and four, respectively. Gravel’s dash win was sandwiched between a C-Main victory for Binghamton, NY driver Coleman Gulick and Lucas Wolfe’s win in the Last Chance Showdown.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series remains in Central Pennsylvania entering the weekend for the Morgan Cup at Williams Grove Speedway on May 19 and 20. It’s the first of five races at the Mechanicsburg, PA track this season. Fans who can’t make it to the track can watch LIVE on DIRTvision.
35-LAP FEATURE RESULTS: 1. 1. 5-David Gravel [1][$10,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [2][$5,500]; 3. 48-Danny Dietrich [4][$3,200]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [15][$2,800]; 5. 21-Brian Montieth [20][$2,500]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [11][$2,300]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet [7][$2,200]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [10][$2,100]; 9. 1-Dale Blaney [6][$2,050]; 10. 27-Greg Hodnett [14][$2,000]; 11. W20-Greg Wilson [8][$1,500]; 12. 39-Cory Haas [16][$1,200]; 13. 17-Joey Saldana [5][$1,100]; 14. 87-Alan Krimes [18][$1,050]; 15. 4K-Kasey Kahne [12][$1,000]; 16. 24-Lucas Wolfe [21][$900]; 17. 1S-Logan Schuchart [19][$800]; 18. 51-Freddie Rahmer [3][$800]; 19. 16-Gerard McIntyre [17][$800]; 20. 2-Shane Stewart [22][$800]; 21. 49X-Tim Shaffer [13][$800]; 22. 4-Paul McMahan [25][$]; 23. 8-Billy Dietrich [23][$800]; 24. 7S-Jason Sides [9][$800]; 25. 19-Brent Marks [24][$800]; 26. 59-Jim Siegel [26]. Lap Leader: 1-35 David Gravel KSE Hard Charger Award: 21-Brian Montieth [+15]
Price-Miller Runs the Cushion En Route to First Outlaws Win at Tri-State Speedeway
Gravel and Johnson round out the top-three at Haubstadt
All the stars aligned at Tri-State Speedway for Parker Price-Miller. Inheriting the lead on Lap 18 after Sheldon Haundenschild ran into a slower car in lap traffic, causing him to do a complete 360, Price-Miller had to endure challenges from last year’s Tri-State Speedway winner, David Gravel. Meticulously working his way through lap traffic, Price-Miller picked the best lanes and would go on to win his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series race.
Starting the season out at DIRTcar National at Volusia Speedway Park in February and continuing with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series tour through mid-April, before eventually dropping off full-time, Price-Miller knew it was going to be a steep-learning curve.
“We knew going into the season we were going to get our butt-kicked,” Price-Miller said about starting the season with the World of Outlaws. “But this was going to make us better as a team. This surely has paid off making me better as driver, getting our car better and making us overall better as a unit.”
Price-Miller has shown speed over the last several weeks, having earned fast qualifier at Plymouth Speedway. Entering the special Mother’s Day race at Tri-State Speedway, Price-Miller’s career best Outlaw finish was a third-place, coming at Tri-State Speedway in 2016.
“I can’t explain how I feel right now. Whenever you can get an Outlaw win you take it. Whether it’s on a slick, heavy, small or big [track].”
CJB Motorsports entered Tri-State Speedway as the team everyone was looking to knock off. Each of the last three-years, the team has made trips down to Victory Lane at the high-banked quarter-mile speedway. 2016 winner, already a five-time winner in the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series season was poised to continue the team’s win streak at the Haubstadt, IN-track.
Starting from the pole for the evenings 40-lap feature, David Gravel quickly shot out to an early lead. It wasn’t long before he was being challenged by 2017 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie-of-the-Year contender, Sheldon Haudenschild. Haudenschild on the top-side of the race track worked his way by Gravel and rocketed out to a commanding lead.
“I knew Sheldon was going to have a [quick] pace and it was a 40-lap race so I was going to let him do what he wanted to do and wait for lap traffic and catch back up,” Gravel said.
While Haudenschild was checking out with the race lead, the battle for second heated up with Price-Miller forcing the issue on Gravel. Just shy of the half-way mark Price-Miller was able to get by Gravel for the second position.
It was on Lap 18 when Haudenschild was working his way through lap traffic that he got tangled up with a slower car, sending him into a complete 360-spin dropping the young rookie back in the running order. The yellow flag would eventually come out for a stopped car in Turn 1.
Taking over the lead for the restart and getting the jump, Price-Miller went right back to the top-side of the track. Setting sail from the rest of the field, Price-Miller had the first opportunity to pick his way through traffic.
With under 10-laps to go and in heavy traffic, Gravel starting to close the gap on Price-Miller; setting up the reigning race winner with a chance to go back-to-back at Tri-State Speedway.
“Sheldon [Haudenschild] and Parker [Price-Miller] could really run the cushion pretty aggressively. In open track they’re were faster. In open track I think they had us beat but in traffic I thought I could run the bottom and we were pretty good.”
Price-Miller seemed to able to point his No. 2X machine wherever he wanted, eventually steering him clear of the lap traffic and runner-up finisher, David Gravel en route to his first World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory.
“When you’ve never won an Outlaw race and you’re leading, you just go as hard as you can and that’s what I did. Luckily we pulled it off.”
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series kicks off another busy week with a stop at Lincoln Speedway on Wednesday, May 17 before heading to Williams Grove for a doubleheader on Friday and Saturday, May 20-21. The Series will then make the trek north to Weedsport Speedway to close out the week of racing on Sunday, May 22. For tickets, visit WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets.
Tri-State Speedway Notebook
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 9 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18, Missouri State Fair Speedway on May 5, 81 Speedway on May 6, Eldora Speedway May 13); David Gravel - 5 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1, Gator Motorplex on April 13, Plymouth on April 28); Jason Johnson - 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17, Devil’s Bowl on April 14); Brad Sweet - 2 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25, Devil’s Bowl on April 15), Logan Schuchart - 2 (Keller Auto Speedway, Eldora Speedway May 12), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway), Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway on April 8) Parker Price-Miller – 1 (Tri-State Speedway May 14).
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Logan Schuchart; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Parker Price-Miller; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Sheldon Haundenschild; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Extended Stay ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Super Flow ($50 cash): Kraig Kinser; Craftsman Club ($100 cash each): David Gravel, Sheldon Haundenschild, Brad Sweet, Jason Johnson, Paul McMahan; Craftsman/Sears ($100 cash): Parker Price-Miller; KSE Racing Products ($100 product certificate): Parker Price-Miller; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Parker Price-Miller; JE Pistons (Set of Rings each): Brent Marks, Logan Schuchart.
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [4][$10,000]; 2. 5-David Gravel [1][$5,500]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [5][$3,200]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [12][$2,800]; 5. 99-Brady Bacon [8][$2,500]; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2][$2,300]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$2,200]; 8. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [7][$2,100]; 9. 4-Paul McMahan [6][$2,050]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [13][$2,000]; 11. 15-Donny Schatz [10][$1,500]; 12. 39-Spencer Bayston [9][$1,200]; 13. 17-Joey Saldana [16][$1,100]; 14. 24-Rico Abreu [17][$1,050]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [18][$1,000]; 16. 19-Brent Marks [19][$900]; 17. 7S-Jason Sides [20][$800]; 18. 21-Carson Short [14][$800]; 19. W20-Greg Wilson [21][$800]; 20. 3G-Carson Macedo [11][$800]; 21. 44-A.J. Bruns [23][$800]; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart [22][$800]; 23. 5X-Justin Peck [15][$800]; 24. 51B-Joe B [24][$800]; Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-5, Sheldon Haudenschild 6-18, Parker Price-Miller 19-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 2-Shane Stewart[+8]
Qualifying: 1. 99-Brady Bacon, 12.396; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.435; 3. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.437; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.441; 5. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 12.455; 6. 5-David Gravel, 12.554; 7. 41-Jason Johnson, 12.577; 8. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg, 12.598; 9. 39-Spencer Bayston, 12.608; 10. 21-Carson Short, 12.696; 11. 19-Brent Marks, 12.736; 12. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.747; 13. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.78; 14. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.822; 15. 5X-Justin Peck, 12.915; 16. 48-Danny Dietrich, 12.92; 17. 24-Rico Abreu, 12.922; 18. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.958; 19. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.003; 20. 84-Brandon Hanks, 13.006; 21. 51B-Joe B, 13.042; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.064; 23. 3G-Carson Macedo, 13.079; 24. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.105; 25. 44-A.J. Bruns, 13.122; 26. 4K-Kody Kinser, 13.153; 27. 42-Cory Bruns, 13.155; 28. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.237; 29. 42X-Andy Mcelhannon, 13.276; 30. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.378; 31. 3-Dakota Jackson, 13.504; 32. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.751; 33. 71M-Paul May, 18.607; 34. 85-Mike Terry, NT
Heat #1 (10 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature: 1. 99-Brady Bacon [1]; 2. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [2]; 3. 39-Spencer Bayston [3]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [4]; 5. 24-Rico Abreu [5]; 6. 51B-Joe B [6]; 7. 44-A.J. Bruns [7]; 8. 42X-Andy Mcelhannon [8]; 9. 71M-Paul May [9]
Heat #2 (10 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature: 1. 5-David Gravel [2]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 4. 21-Carson Short [3]; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 8. 4K-Kody Kinser [7]; 9. 85-Mike Terry [9]
Heat #3 (10 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature: 1. 41-Jason Johnson [2]; 2. 4-Paul McMahan [1]; 3. 3G-Carson Macedo [6]; 4. 5X-Justin Peck [4]; 5. 19-Brent Marks [3]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [5]; 7. 42-Cory Bruns [7]; 8. 3-Dakota Jackson [8]
Heat #4 (10 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature: 1. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [1]; 2. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [2]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [6]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [7]; 6. 48-Danny Dietrich [4]; 7. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]; 8. 84-Brandon Hanks [5]
Craftsman Club Dash (8 Laps): 1. 5-David Gravel [2]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [6]; 4. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [5]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [3]; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [7]; 7. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [8]; 8. 99-Brady Bacon [1]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 4 Transfer to Feature: 1. W20-Greg Wilson [2][-]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][-]; 3. 44-A.J. Bruns [6][-]; 4. 51B-Joe B [4][-]; 5. 4K-Kody Kinser [7][$300]; 6. 3-Dakota Jackson [11][$250]; 7. 42X-Andy Mcelhannon [9][$225]; 8. 42-Cory Bruns [8][$200]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [12][$200]; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen [10][$200]; 11. 48-Danny Dietrich [1][$200]; 12. 84-Brandon Hanks [3][$200]; 13. 71M-Paul May [13][$200]; 14. 85-Mike Terry [14][$200]
It's a Game of Numbers at Eldora: #15 Scores #9 on Night 2 of #LetsRaceTwo
Donny Schatz leads all 30 laps for his ninth season win
ROSSBURG, OH — May 13, 2017 — Eight-time World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Champion and current points leader Donny Schatz scored his ninth season win on the second and final night of #LetsRaceTwo at Eldora Speedway, leading all 30 laps into the checkers. Behind him, a fierce battle for second and third ensued, in which Outlaws Brad Sweet and Jason Johnson ultimately lost out to Ohio native Chad Kemenah and West Coast favorite Rico Abreu.
World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year contender Sheldon Haundenschild — quite popular at the track given the loud applause heard from fans — started in second next to Schatz, but fell back almost immediately with Brad Sweet and Jason Johnson battling for his spot. Heading into Lap 12, however, Kemenah, who had been dilligently working his way up from eighth, stole third from Johnson and started pressing on Sweet.
A Lap 20 restart after Shane Stewart slapped the wall in Turn 4, ending the night for the Larson Marks Racing #2 car, gave Kemenah an opening to battle Schatz for the lead, but the reigning champ pulled ahead and maintained his lead throughout the race.
"That's not me; that's this race team," said Schatz. "These guys are incredible. They're all capable of being crew chiefs on this car. They feed off each other. Sometimes I don't give the best information. I try to do my best job, but some days I'm racing Lap 29 and they're trying to figure out how to start the race. It's just lucky to be around great people like that. It's fun to get a win, especially here at Eldora."
Unlike the previous night — in which the Craftsman Club Dash inversion pushed Schatz back into position seven from Row 1 and put Johnson on the pole — the Tony Stewart Racing driver got lucky with an invert of six that put him on the pole after a less than stellar start to the day, while Tim Shaffer got pushed all the way to the back after earning the pole.
Surprisingly, no driver visited Victory Lane twice during the two-day event at the famed half-mile oval, and spectators witnessed two very different nights of racing at the 'Big E'. The bottom was slicker, and the track was faster overall, allowing Shaffer to score a qualifying Quick Time of 12.915, not far off from the 12.707-second track record established by Craig Dollansky 15 years ago. And despite Schatz's win, he remained the only Outlaw in Victory Lane.
"We'll take second against these guys," said Kemenah. "You know, they are the best."
But this wasn't Kemenah's first trip to Victory Lane during #LetsRaceTwo. Last year, he followed Kerry Madsen into the checkers for another second place win. "This is really good," said the Alvada, Ohio native. "Two years in a row now I ran second in this thing, so I need one more."
Eldora Speedway Notebook
RACE NOTES: Eight-time World of Outlaws Champion Donny Schatz scored his ninth win of the season on the second and final night of #LetsRaceTwo at Eldora Speedway on Saturday. Schatz led all 30 laps, with only a short-lived challenge from Chad Kemenah on a Lap 20 restart after Shane Stewart hit the wall in Turn 4. Kemenah followed Schatz into Victory Lane after a fierce battle for second and third, which resulted in the Alvada, OH native and Rico Abreu overtaking Outlaws Brad Sweet and Jason Johnson.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Dale Blaney; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Brent Marks; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild; Extended Stay ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Brent Marks; Super Flow ($50 cash): David Gravel; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild, Brad Sweet, Joey Saldana, Jason Johnson; Craftsman/Sears: Tim Shaffer; KSE Hard Charger: Brent Marks; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jason Sides; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Clyde Knipp.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 9 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18, Missouri State Fair Speedway on May 5, 81 Speedway on May 6, Eldora Speedway on May 13); David Gravel - 5 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1, Gator Motorplex on April 3, Plymouth Speedway on April 28); Jason Johnson - 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 14); Brad Sweet - 2 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 15), Logan Schuchart - 2 (Keller Auto Speedway on March 31, Eldora Speedway on May 12), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway on April 7), Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway on April 8).
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Eldora Speedway, OH; May 13, 2017
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1][$10,000]; 2. 10H-Chad Kemenah [8][$5,000]; 3. 24-Rico Abreu [9][$3,000]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$2,700]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$2,500]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [13][$2,200]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [12][$2,000]; 8. 17-Joey Saldana [4][$1,800]; 9. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5][$1,600]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2][$1,450]; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman [16][$1,300]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [20][$1,200]; 13. 4-Paul McMahan [19][$1,100]; 14. 5-David Gravel [7][$1,000]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [15][$950]; 16. 12N-Cole Duncan [18][$900]; 17. 7S-Jason Sides [21][$850]; 18. 1A-Jacob Allen [23][$750]; 19. 48-Danny Dietrich [14][$725]; 20. 2-Shane Stewart [10][$700]; 21. 44-Trey Starks [17][$700]; 22. 99-Brady Bacon [11][$700]; 23. 13-Clyde Knipp [22][$700]; 24. 11N-Dale Blaney [24][$700]; Lap Leader: Donny Schatz 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 19-Brent Marks[+8]
Qualifying: 1. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 12.915; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.055; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.056; 4. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.059; 5. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.068; 6. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.136; 7. 5-David Gravel, 13.149; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.159; 9. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.178; 10. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.203; 11. 44-Trey Starks, 13.207; 12. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.213; 13. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.219; 14. 99-Brady Bacon, 13.258; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.289; 16. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.298; 17. 48-Danny Dietrich, 13.361; 18. 12N-Cole Duncan, 13.384; 19. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.36; 20. 19-Brent Marks, 13.435; 21. 17X-Caleb Helms, 13.436; 22. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.439; 23. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.457; 24. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg, 13.475; 25. 11N-Dale Blaney, 13.518; 26. 7C-Caleb Armstrong, 13.657; 27. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 13.684; 28. 45-Trevor Baker, 13.762; 29. 1A-Jacob Allen, NT
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer: 1. 49X-Tim Shaffer [1]; 2. 17-Joey Saldana [2]; 3. 5-David Gravel [3]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [5]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [4]; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [6]; 7. 4-Paul McMahan [7]; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]; 9. 45-Trevor Baker [10]; 10. 11N-Dale Blaney [9]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer: 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [3]; 3. 10H-Chad Kemenah [2]; 4. 99-Brady Bacon [5]; 5. 48-Danny Dietrich [6]; 6. 44-Trey Starks [4]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides [8]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [7]; 9. 7C-Caleb Armstrong [9]; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen [10]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer: 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [2]; 3. 24-Rico Abreu [3]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5]; 5. W20-Greg Wilson [4]; 6. 12N-Cole Duncan [6]; 7. 49D-Shawn Dancer [9]; 8. 17X-Caleb Helms [7]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [5]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [3]; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer [6]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [4]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer: 1. 4-Paul McMahan [1][-]; 2. 19-Brent Marks [2][-]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [5][-]; 4. 13-Clyde Knipp [4][-]; 5. 1A-Jacob Allen [10][-]; 6. 11N-Dale Blaney [6][-]; 7. 17X-Caleb Helms [3][$300]; 8. 45-Trevor Baker [9][$250]; 9. 7C-Caleb Armstrong [7][$225]; 10. 49D-Shawn Dancer [8][$200]; 11. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [11][$200]
Logan Schuchart scores his first-ever Eldora Speedway win
ROSSBURG, OH — May 12, 2017 — Logan Schuchart scored his first-ever Eldora Speedway win Friday night during the #LetsRaceTwo opener, battling Eldora veteran Shane Stewart for the lead from laps eight through 12, after which Schuchart retained it for the remaining 18 laps to secure his fourth career World of Outlaws win and second win this season.
"It's the place you always want to win at," said the Shark Racing 1s driver about Eldora after his win. "As a little kid I dreamt about being a World of Outlaws driver. Eldora, with all the history behind it, it's really cool. My grandfather won the first Outlaw race here in '78, so being able to win this race with him by my side is really cool. I hope it means something for July. My grandfather won the Knoxville Nationals. He won the Williams Grove National Open. But nobody won the Kings Royal, so that's a race I really want to run well in, and this is where you get your notes and stuff. To win tonight, hopefully that means something for the next couple races in the next couple months."
Schuchart's win emerged from a field of 35 cars, a third of them Ohio natives. But the night went to the Outlaws. Following Schuchart into Victory Lane were fellow Outlaws Stewart and Brad Sweet. Quicktime went to Outlaw Jason Sides, the very first driver to qualify. Three of the four heat races went to Outlaws — the fourth going to Aliquippa, PA-native Tim Shaffer. The Dash went to Outlaw Jason Johnson. And all four that transfered from the Last Chance Showdown were Outlaws as well, with Kraig Kinser in the lead.
Meanwhile, Alvada, OH-native Chad Kemenah, who came in second on both nights of last year's #LetsRaceTwo, failed to make the Feature. And last year's winner, Kerry Madsen, was noticeably absent.
Initally, it was looking like a pretty good day for Jason Johnson, who started the Feature on the pole after winning the Craftsman Club Dash, which he also started on the pole after a full-field inversion stemming from a Dash draw of eight. But Stewart managed to steal Johnson's lead in lap seven, after which Johnson fell back and was overtaken by Sweet and points leader Donny Schatz, who had worked their way up from positions nine and seven respectively.
After qualifying in third and winning Heat 3, Schuchart started the Feature in the third row (fifth position) and jumped to third at the onset of the race. But when Stewart stole the lead from Johnson, the battle between Stewart and Schuchart was on. In lap nine, Schuchart finally took the lead from the JJR-Marshall 41, only to lose it again on a restart after a red flag on Ohio natives Trevor Philo and Jac Haudenschild, who collided outside turn one when Philo bounced off the wall. Three laps later, Schuchart took back his lead and held it through the checkers.
It was a night of celebration for Shark Racing, but not so much for Philo and J Haudenschild, who were both transported to a local hospital for further examination. Haudenschild, an Eldora veteran with six World of Outlaws wins and five USAC wins at the track, was there with his son and rookie Outlaw, Sheldon. According to a tweet from Haudenschild Racing, "Sheldon spoke to Jac, he's ready to leave the hospital and is insistent on racing tomorrow."
Eldora Speedway Notebook
RACE NOTES: Logan Schuchart battled Shane Stewart for his first Eldora Speedway win on night one of #LetsRaceTwo Friday night, marking his fourth career World of Outlaws win. Stewart, who had the most recent World of Outlaws win at Eldora after taking the checkers at the 2016 Four Crown Nationals last September, took the lead from Jason Johnson in lap 7 and battled Schuchart through the next five laps, losing the lead in lap 9, and again in 12 to follow Schuchart to the checkers with Brad Sweet behind him.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Travis Philo; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jacob Allen; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Karig Kinser; Extended Stay ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Super Flow ($50 cash): Brent Marks; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Brent Marks, Jason Johnson, Jason Sides, Shane Stewart, Logan Schuchart, David Gravel; Craftsman/Sears: Travis Philo; KSE Hard Charger: Kraig Kinser; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Logan Schuchart; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Joey Saldana; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Danny Dietrich.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 8 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18, Missouri State Fair Speedway on May 5, 81 Speedway on May 6); David Gravel - 5 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1, Gator Motorplex on April 3, Plymouth Speedway on April 28); Jason Johnson - 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 14); Brad Sweet - 2 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 15), Logan Schuchart - 2 (Keller Auto Speedway on March 31, Eldora Speedway on May 12), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway on April 7), Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway on April 8).
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Eldora Speedway, OH; May 12, 2017
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$10,000]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [4][$5,000]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [9][$3,000]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [7][$2,700]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$2,500]; 6. 5-David Gravel [6][$2,200]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides [2][$2,000]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [12][$1,800]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [11][$1,600]; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser [21][$1,450]; 11. 49X-Tim Shaffer [8][$1,300]; 12. W20-Greg Wilson [20][$1,200]; 13. 44-Trey Starks [10][$1,100]; 14. 19-Brent Marks [24][$1,000]; 15. 24-Rico Abreu [14][$950]; 16. 17-Joey Saldana [13][$900]; 17. 4-Paul McMahan [23][$850]; 18. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [22][$750]; 19. 11N-Dale Blaney [19][$725]; 20. A67-Brandon Wimmer [17][$700]; 21. 48-Danny Dietrich [15][$700]; 22. 5T-Travis Philo [3][$700]; 23. 6M-Jac Haudenschild [16][$700]; 24. 17X-Caleb Helms [18][$700]; Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-6; Shane Stewart 7-8, 10-11; Logan Schuchart 9, 12-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 11K-Kraig Kinser[+11]
Qualifying: 1. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.843; 2. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.065; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.24; 4. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.299; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.319; 6. 44-Trey Starks, 14.376; 7. 48-Danny Dietrich, 14.401; 8. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 14.427; 9. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.443; 10. 24-Rico Abreu, 14.476; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman, 14.536; 12. 41-Jason Johnson, 14.593; 13. A67-Brandon Wimmer, 14.607; 14. 5-David Gravel, 14.624; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.635; 16. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.636; 17. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.655; 18. 12N-Cole Duncan, 14.71; 19. 11N-Dale Blaney, 14.733; 20. 6M-Jac Haudenschild, 14.753; 21. 17-Joey Saldana, 14.844; 22. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 14.854; 23. 5T-Travis Philo, 14.865; 24. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg, 14.867; 25. 45L-Brian Lay, 14.869; 26. 17X-Caleb Helms, 14.912; 27. 7C-Caleb Armstrong, 14.941; 28. 4-Paul McMahan, 14.982; 29. 19-Brent Marks, 14.998; 30. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 15; 31. 7J-Joe Swanson, 15.148; 32. 13-Clyde Knipp, 15.247; 33. 45-Trevor Baker, 15.264; 34. 99-Brady Bacon, 15.376; 35. 83X-Adam Cruea, NT
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer: 1. 2-Shane Stewart [3]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [1]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [5]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [6]; 5. A67-Brandon Wimmer [4]; 6. 19-Brent Marks [8]; 7. 45L-Brian Lay [7]; 8. 45-Trevor Baker [9]; 9. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer: 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1]; 2. 5-David Gravel [4]; 3. 44-Trey Starks [2]; 4. 24-Rico Abreu [3]; 5. 17X-Caleb Helms [7]; 6. 49D-Shawn Dancer [6]; 7. 99-Brady Bacon [9]; 8. 10H-Chad Kemenah [8]; 9. 12N-Cole Duncan [5]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer: 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1]; 2. 5T-Travis Philo [6]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [3]; 4. 48-Danny Dietrich [2]; 5. 11N-Dale Blaney [5]; 6. 7C-Caleb Armstrong [7]; 7. 7J-Joe Swanson [8]; 8. 83X-Adam Cruea [9]; 9. 11K-Kraig Kinser [4]
Heat #4 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer: 1. 49X-Tim Shaffer [2]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [3]; 3. 1A-Jacob Allen [1]; 4. 6M-Jac Haudenschild [5]; 5. W20-Greg Wilson [4]; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [7]; 7. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [6]; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [4]; 3. 5T-Travis Philo [2]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [8]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6]; 6. 5-David Gravel [3]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz [7]; 8. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 4 Transfer: 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2][-]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [1][-]; 3. 4-Paul McMahan [8][-]; 4. 19-Brent Marks [9][-]; 5. 49D-Shawn Dancer [4][$300]; 6. 12N-Cole Duncan [3][$250]; 7. 10H-Chad Kemenah [10][$225]; 8. 99-Brady Bacon [14][$200]; 9. 45L-Brian Lay [6][$200]; 10. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [5][$200]; 11. 7C-Caleb Armstrong [7][$200]; 12. 7J-Joe Swanson [11][$200]; 13. 45-Trevor Baker [13][$200]; 14. 13-Clyde Knipp [12][$200]; 15. 83X-Adam Cruea [15][$200]
Donny Schatz wins Outlaws return to 81 Speedway to score eighth victory of the season
By: Tony Veneziano
PARK City, KS.- May 7, 2017 - Quite a bit has changed over the last 11 years since the last Donny Schatz had raced at 81 Speedway, prior to Saturday night. The track surface was reconfigured before this season, while the tires and wings on the cars have also changed over the last decade. One things that didn’t change was the end result as he won for the second straight time at the three-eights-mile as the Outlaws returned to 81 Speedway for the Kansas Outlaw Klassic presented by Great Clips, Murphy Tractor and the City of Park City, Kansas.
Schatz’s second consecutive win at 81 Speedway had extra meaning, as his crew chief Ricky Warner and his wife, have family members from the area, who are involved with the operations at 81 Speedway.
“This is like a hometown win for Rick and Danele Warner,” said Schatz. “Rick has been with me a long time and we have won a lot of races together. The last time we were here, we won and were fortunate to get here again tonight. It was a great crowd tonight and it’s great to see all of the enthusiasm here. It’s incredible to be standing here in front of them winning.”
Schatz started on the pole and led all 30 laps, but had a very close call, after some contact, when a pair of lapped cars got together right in front of him on the 18th lap. Despite sustaining some damage to his machine, the North Dakota native was able to lead flag-to-flag.
“The (No.) 4 car stopped and I got into him there,” noted Schatz. “I thought I was going over and when I got away from him I could steer, but I knew something was bent in the front. It obviously bent the front axle, but it didn’t really hurt me much. It might have actually helped me.”
On the double file restart, which was the only restart of the 30-lap main event, Schatz chose the low side of the three-eighths-mile, with Jason Johnson lined up beside him. A strong restart propelled Schatz as Johnson, David Gravel and Daryn Pittman all battled for second.
“We just had the car rolling and are trying a lot of funky things right now and there are a lot of weird pieces on this race car, but we are learning,” explained Schatz. “Sometimes you pay the price and April was that time, so May is going a lot better.”
Pittman used a last lap pass of Gravel to earn his second consecutive runner-up finish, as he continues to close in on his first win of the season in the Great Clips, No. 9 for Kasey Kahne Racing. Pittman started second and looked on the low side of the track a couple of times in the early going as he kept pace with Schatz.
“We are bringing better race cars to the track,” said Pittman. “Eric Prutzman is making great changes as the night goes on. Getting in the dash has been huge with the extra track time. Most of the headway we have made with our race cars the last two nights has been in the dash. That’s really been key. When the car is faster, it’s a lot more fun to drive.”
Pittman started second and kept pace with Schatz for the first few laps, before losing a couple of positions. Late in the race he had an entertaining battle with Gravel and Johnson for the runner-up position.
“We had to fight hard for that one,” shared Pittman. “We fell back to fourth and got by Jason (Johnson) after the yellow. (David) Gravel got caught up by a few lapped cars and we were able to get back by him coming to the checkers. It was a good finish and a good weekend for us.”
Gravel continued his strong season by picking up his 13th top-five finish of the season, with a third-place finish. The Connecticut native ran as high as second in the late going and was keeping up with Schatz in open track, before having some trouble getting by slower cars.
“Lapped cars were pretty tough, they were running pretty high and made it pretty difficult,” said Gravel. “It was hard to tell where they were going to go. Daryn (Pittman) got by me, but I think we had a second-place car. I just wish we could have qualified a little better to get in the dash and get another shot at the race track. If we had started on the front two rows, I think we could have gotten the win. We’ll take our podium and move on to the next race.”
Johnson finished fourth, with Brad Sweet in fifth. Shane Stewart worked his way from the 16th starting spot to finish sixth. Logan Schuchart was seventh, with Aaron Reutzel eighth, Jason Sides ninth and rookie Brent Marks 10th.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action at the famed Eldora Speedway in Ohio on Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13.
Lucky Seven: Donny Schatz wins at Missouri State Fair Speedway to score seventh win of season
SEDALIA, Mo.—May 5, 2017—Missouri State Fair Speedway has always been a special place for eight-time and defending World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz. He made his first start with the series back in 1993 as a teenager at the historic track.
Schatz returned to the half-mile on Friday night, as the Outlaws visited the track for the first time since 2012 and was victorious in the Sedalia Show-Me State Showdown to earn his third-career win at Missouri State Fair Speedway and his seventh of the season aboard the Arctic Cat/Ford Performance J&J for Tony Stewart Racing.
“This is extra special, with this being the first place I ran at,” said Schatz. “We had Mark Miller from Artic Cat here and this is kind of his home track. He had a premonition that we were going to have a good night and I’m glad he had that premonition.”
Schatz started third and got around Joey Saldana for second on the seventh lap. He then began to close on leader Daryn Pittman as the lead duo negotiated lapped traffic. Schatz made his move on the low side of the back straightaway to take the top spot on lap-11.
Once out front, Schatz began to pull away. After the taking the white flag, the only caution of the 25-lap main event flew, setting up a green-white-checker finish with Schatz in the lead and Kerry Madsen lining up second. Schatz used a strong restart to pull away en route to the win.
“I was actually looking for the car that was stopped, but it wasn’t stopped,” said Schatz of the caution. “That’s the way it goes sometimes and those breaks sometimes go your way. Our car was awesome. April really didn’t show it, but April is over. That’s what racing is about. You’ll have some good days and you are going to have a lot of bad ones. Today was one of the good ones. We just keep digging and finding ways to make the race car faster. Hats off to them, they are on their game and they got us a win tonight.”
The win for Schatz snapped a month-plus win drought, dating back to March 18 at Thunderbowl Raceway in California. He used traffic to his advantage and managed tire wear as well on his way to the $10,000 triumph. With the first 24 laps going non-stop, Schatz was in his comfort zone on the long green-flag run.
“You don’t really ever bide your time,” explained Schatz. “You have to be smart with your tires. This is a high speed track and it’s pretty easy the fine line between stuck (to the track) and spinning (your tires). When I rolled across the scales, I saw the other cars around me and I saw their tires were really blistered. Mine looked good, so I guess that means I did my job at the right parts of the race. Early on, when you have all that fuel, they are not a lot of fun to drive. You have to be cautious and search out the race track and see what happens.”
Pittman, who led the first 10 laps, after starting on the pole, finished a season-best second, as he continues to close in on his first win of the season. In open track in the early going, Pittman pulled away from Joey Saldana and had couple-second lead in the first six laps.
“It did feel good to run up front,” said Pittman. “These guys are really working hard. It’s been a struggle this year and I have a great group of guys and I am really proud to be a part of this team. There is no doubt we’ll get that win and we keep getting better. We made a lot of headway and had a pretty solid car all night long. If we are going to beat the 15 car and some of these guys consistently, we still have some work to do. We’ll get this Great Clips car to victory lane and it will be fun when we do.”
Kerry Madsen lined up second for the green-white-checker restart and ended up in third, after Pittman used a strong restart to get around him. Madsen lined up fifth at the start of the 25-lap main event
“I was going for the win,” said Madsen of his strategy on the restart. “I tried that low-middle there and feed off Donny’s right rear on the restart. I should have done the opposite and fed off the left rear and gotten better grip. I went to attack and wasn’t close enough to attack and got attacked. It was a fun race and our car was a rocket ship.”
Joey Saldana, who ran second early in the race, ended up fourth. Brian Brown, who hails from Grain Valley, Mo., finished fifth. Jason Johnson, who now calls Missouri home was sixth, followed by Brad Sweet in seventh, Danny Lasoski, another Missouri native in eighth, David Gravel in ninth and Kraig Kinser rounded out the top-10.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action on Saturday, May 6 at 81 Speedway in Park City, Kansas. The Kansas Outlaw Klassic presented by Great Clips, Murphy Tractor & Equipment Co and the City of Park City, Kansas marks the series’ first visit to 81 Speedway since 2006.
Outlaws to Tackle PA, NY, NJ Stretch
The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series has reached the point of the schedule where teams are starting to settle in and get into a groove — setting themselves up for the endurance of the 90-plus races a year. However, it’s tests like five races in seven days in three different states that make the Outlaws “The Greatest Show on Dirt”.
The middle of May takes the Outlaws through their first stretch of mid-week races that includes five races in seven nights at four different tracks in three different states. The series makes its only stop at Lincoln (PA) Speedway on May 17 before the Spring Classic and Morgan Cup at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA on May 19 and 20.
Nonetheless, there’s no stopping as the Series digs deep and continues down the road to Weedsport (NY) Speedway on May 21 to complete three consecutive nights of racing before getting a night with its date with New Egypt Speedway.
“I’ve done it long enough that it’s just normal for me,” said Daryn Pittman, driver of the Kasey Kahne Racing No.9 and the most recent Outlaws winner at Williams Grove. “Other than making sure we’ve got everything packed up with the family to go in the motorhome, it doesn’t change us. I look forward to more races and a lot of times feel like I only get better the more I race.”
It’s also the Series’ first march into Pennsylvania Posse territory, a set of races that always bring an added test. The trip to historic Williams Grove in Central Pennsylvania is always one of the toughest challenges on the tour.
“At a regular Outlaw show, you’re never going to win if you’re off a little bit,” said Pittman. “That holds even truer at a race in Pennsylvania. There’s just no room for error because not only are you trying to beat all of your regulars, but there’s a handful of locals that can win if they’ve got their stuff together that night.”
The Outlaws trip to Williams Grove is also a homecoming for Kevin Gobrecht Rookie-of-the-Year contender Brent Marks, who calls nearby Myerstown, PA home.
“That’s where I grew up and got involved into racing,” said Marks. “I was a little kid sitting in the infield playing in the dirt with Sprint Cars. I’ve been around Williams Grove my entire life. That’s kind of where it all started for me, so when you go back there it’s a pretty surreal moment.”
Sprint Car racing has a long history at Williams Grove, including with the Outlaws. The World of Outlaws have raced at the track every year but one (1985) since their inception in 1978. Since 2009, the Outlaws have raced Williams Grove at least four times per season.
“The history of the racetrack itself and the prestigious events that have been held there forever, as well as the rivalry between the Outlaws and the locals, is pretty much unmatched anywhere in the country,” said Pittman.
Williams Grove fans personify the rivalry between the World of Outlaws and the drivers of the Pennsylvania Posse. The rivalry is most evident at the Grove. Over the last five seasons, the two sides are tied with 11 wins apiece. However, the Posse held the edge last season with three victories to the Outlaws one, courtesy of Pittman.
“Pennsylvania fans are as well educated in Sprint Car racing as anywhere in the country and as diehard as they come,” said Pittman. “They live and breathe it. It’s just something that’s embedded into that part of the country. It’s a lot of fun, I think, to show up and be part of it.”
Following a pair of nights at Williams Grove, the series travels north to Weedsport, NY for the first of three races this season in the Empire State. Weedsport Speedway hosts the Empire State Challenge for the third straight season since the 3/8-mile oval underwent major renovations in 2014. Donny Schatz will look to make it three wins in a row at the Central New York track on May 21. Many drivers now look forward to visiting Weedsport and recognize the track as one of the premier dirt track racing facilities in the country.
“It’s not a cookie-cutter, normal racetrack. It’s tricky,” said Pittman. “It’s an odd shape with an odd surface. I enjoy those; they’re fun. I don’t know that we’ve seen the same conditions twice yet. We’ve only been a few times, but I definitely look forward to going and seeing what it’s going to throw at us this time and seeing how good we can be this time around.”
The Series wraps up their five-races-in-seven-days-in-three-states tour at New Egypt (NJ) Speedway on Tuesday, May 23. The semi-banked half-mile New Egypt, NJ track has hosted a World of Outlaws event nine times since 2000. One driver’s name has been tied to the top of the charts for the past four years: Daryn Pittman. A fifth consecutive win at New Egypt Speedway for Pittman could help get the ball rolling as the Series starts to head into the grueling month of June.
Tickets for the Gettysburg Clash at Lincoln Speedway and the Jersey Outlaw Classic can be purchased at WorldofOutlaws.com/tickets.
Advanced tickets for the Empire State Challenge at Weedsport Speedway are available online at www.weedsportspeedway.com.
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Event at Tri-State Speedway Postponed
CONCORD, NC— April 29, 2017— Due to record rainfall hitting the Haubstadt, IN area and localized flooding, the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series has postponed the event at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, IN to their previous longstanding Outlaw date of Mother Day’s, Sunday, May 14.
Fans that currently have tickets for the World of Outlaws Tri-State Speedway event will be able to use them for the rescheduled event on Sunday, May 14, 2017. Tickets for when the Outlaws return to Tri-State Speedway are available through the track website.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will resume Wednesday, May 3 for a make-up race at Riverside Speedway in West Memphis, AR.
Win Number Five for the No. 5 of David Gravel
Plymouth, IN — April 28, 2017 — After starting seventh on the field at the beginning of the 35-lap feature at Plymouth Speedway, David Gravel worked his way up to third-place just shy of the halfway mark. It was with three laps to go Gravel took advantage of a bobble by the No. 87 of Aaron Reutzel to put him in the runner-up spot; but he wasn’t done just yet. Setting his sights on the leader of No. 7 of Jason Sides, Gravel squeezed his way under Sides as the two entered Turn 3. Gravel completed the move en route his fifth World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series win of the 2017 season.
With rain all around the Plymouth-IN area, the stars of the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series were determined to put on a great show for the Plymouth Speedway fans — and they did just that. Early in the evenings schedule, 26 cars of the 29 that entered the event all were quicker than the track record in hot laps. When it came to qualifying, Parker Price-Miller set fast time and in the process set a new track record with a lap of 11.079-second, eclipising the previous record set in 2016 by Logan Schuchart.
It was Jason Sides and Donny Schatz showing the way to the green flag for the Feature event at Plymouth Speedway. Just as the 24-car field was making their way around the the track for the first lap of the 35-lap Feature event, the No. 41 of Jason Johnson went for a tumble in-between Turns 3 and 4, bringing out the red flag and setting up a complete restart. Johnson would head to the work area and rejoin the field after some work to his No. 41 machine.
After a bad initial start and slipping back to fourth, Schatz had a second opportunity to hold his ground. Jason Sides once again got a solid restart, vaulting the No. 7 machine back to the lead. Schatz will hold onto second place until he was able to get by Sides on Lap 9 for the lead.
The No. 4 of Paul McMahan slowed in Turn 4 bringing out the yellow flag on Lap 15. On the ensuing restart the No. 15 of Donny Schatz selected the top leaving Sides the bottom groove. Entering the picture for the first time of the evening, David Gravel from seventh worked his way up to a podium running position. A master of the restarts all evening, Sides worked his way by Schatz to give him the top spot once again. Schatz didn’t let that No. 7 out of his sights, staying glued to the leader’s bumper — Gravel stayed within striking distance of the two.
The field would once again be slowed on Lap 23 when the No. 49D of Shawn Dancer spun in Turn 4. With 12 laps to go, Sides got another great restart, while the No. 15 of Schatz dropped back to fourth. The No. 87 of Aaron Reutzel leapfrogged Gravel and Schatz in the standings to put him in the runner-up spot.
With three laps to go, Reutzel bobbled slightly coming out of Turn 2, giving Gravel a chance to get by. With Sides out front with two laps to go, Gravel made a charge down the backstretch and planted his No. 5 under Sides for the lead coming to the white flag.
“We just wanted to start further up than we did last year and we did that,” said David Gravel. “We were really, really good until the red came out and the car was insane after that. After we got heat back in the tires the car came back to life, grabbed a little bit more wing and the car was really good with three laps to go. I was good when I needed to be good and just being patient and Reutzel slipped up and I took advantage.”
Gravel would go on to grab his fifth win of the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series season with Sides in second and Reutzel in third. After leading a portion of the 35 lap race, Schatz brought the No. 15 Arctic Cat machine home in fourth.
“From the get-go we had a pretty good car,” said Jason Sides. “We got a good run here tonight and that’s what we were hoping for. I just got to thank all my guys for all the hard work. We’ve had a couple good runs at [Tri-State Speedway], we hope we can bring it home tomorrow.”
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will be back in action tomorrow, Saturday, April 29 at Tri-State Speedway then again next Wednesday for a make-up race at Riverside Speedway on May 3. For tickets, visit WorldofOutlaws.com/tickets.
Feature (35 Laps) : 1. 5-David Gravel [7][$10,000]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [1][$5,500]; 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel [3][$3,200]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$2,800]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [10][$2,500]; 6. 19-Brent Marks [4][$2,300]; 7. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [14][$2,200]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [12][$2,100]; 9. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$2,050]; 10. W20-Greg Wilson [20][$2,000]; 11. 17-Joey Saldana [17][$1,500]; 12. 3G-Carson Macedo [16][$1,200]; 13. 99-Brady Bacon [8][$1,100]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [19][$1,050]; 15. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [6][$1,000]; 16. 4K-Kody Kinser [11][$900]; 17. 17B-Bill Balog [13][$800]; 18. 41-Jason Johnson [18][$800]; 19. 23C-Tyler Courtney [23][$800]; 20. 49D-Shawn Dancer [22][$800]; 21. 4-Paul McMahan [9][$800]; 22. 4S-Danny Smith [21][$800]; 23. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [24][$800]; 24. 1S-Logan Schuchart [15][$800]; Lap Leaders: Jason Sides 1-9, 16-33; Donny Schatz 10-15; David Gravel 34-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: W20-Greg Wilson[+10]
Qualifying: 1. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 11.079; 2. 99-Brady Bacon, 11.132; 3. 4-Paul McMahan, 11.155; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 11.2; 5. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.217; 6. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.302; 7. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.325; 8. 19-Brent Marks, 11.325; 9. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, 11.347; 10. 5-David Gravel, 11.348; 11. 4K-Kody Kinser, 11.373; 12. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.403; 13. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.413; 14. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.468; 15. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.478; 16. 17B-Bill Balog, 11.483; 17. 23C-Tyler Courtney, 11.516; 18. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.538; 19. 3G-Carson Macedo, 11.547; 20. 17-Joey Saldana, 11.552; 21. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.578; 22. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.632; 23. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg, 11.641; 24. 4S-Danny Smith, 11.688; 25. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.806; 26. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 11.859; 27. 13-Clyde Knipp, 11.985; 28. 7J-Joe Swanson, 12.108; 29. 51B-Joe B. Miller 12.119
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel [2]; 2. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [1]; 3. 5-David Gravel [4]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [3]; 5. 17B-Bill Balog [6]; 6. 3G-Carson Macedo [7]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [5]; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8]; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen [9]; 10. 7J-Joe Swanson [10]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature:1. 7S-Jason Sides [2]; 2. 19-Brent Marks [3]; 3. 99-Brady Bacon [1]; 4. 4K-Kody Kinser [4]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [5]; 6. 17-Joey Saldana [7]; 7. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [8]; 8. 23C-Tyler Courtney [6]; 9. 51B-Joe B. Miller [10]; 10. 49D-Shawn Dancer [9]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature:1. 15-Donny Schatz [2]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [4]; 3. 4-Paul McMahan [1]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [7]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [5]; 7. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [3]; 8. 4S-Danny Smith [8]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [9]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps): 1. 7S-Jason Sides [2]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel [1]; 4. 19-Brent Marks [5]; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [6]; 6. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [4]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature:1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [4][-]; 2. W20-Greg Wilson [2][-]; 3. 4S-Danny Smith [6][-]; 4. 49D-Shawn Dancer [8][-]; 5. 23C-Tyler Courtney [3][-]; 6. 20N-Hunter Schuerenberg [5][-]; 7. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [1][$300]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [7][$250]; 9. 51B-Joe B. Miller [11][$225]; 10. 13-Clyde Knipp [9][$200]; 11. 7J-Joe Swanson [10][$200]
OUTLAW SPRINT CARS RAINED OUT AT PEVELY
PEVELY, MO — April 21, 2017 — A forecast of continued rain through the weekend as it pours down on Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 has obligated the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series to cancel the Spring Classic at the Pevely, MO track tomorrow. The 2017 Spring Classic will not be rescheduled.
Fans that have tickets for the 2017 Spring Classic can use their tickets as credit when the World of Outlaws return to Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 later this summer on Friday, August 4 and Saturday, August 5 for the Ironman 55. Fans also have the option to roll their credit over to the 2018 Spring Classic at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 (date to be announced). No refunds for the 2017 Spring Classic will be given.
The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series will resume action at Plymouth Speedway (Plymouth, IN) on Friday, April 28, then on Saturday, April 29 at Tri-State Speedway (Haubstadt, IN). For tickets, visit WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets or call (844) DIRT-TIX.
Rained Out at Riverside
CONCORD, NC. – April 21, 2017 – Due to morning thunderstorms today, the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series is postponing the Bull Ring Outlaw Blitz at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, AR. The Bull Ring Outlaw Blitz has been rescheduled for Wednesday, May 3.
All advanced reserved seating tickets for the event will be honored for the rescheduled date on May 3. Fans who purchased tickets for pickup at will call can obtain those tickets on race day. Advanced reserved seating tickets are still available by visiting WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets or by calling 844-DIRT-TIX.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will resume racing Saturday, April 22 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, MO. For LIVE coverage of the Spring Classic from Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, visit dirtvision.com.
Sweet Works the Bottom of the Bowl for the Win
Fans & Superstars Honor the Legendary Lanny Edwards
MESQUITE, TX — April 15, 2017 — For the second night in a row, Brad Sweet worked his Kasey Kahne Racing 49 machine along the bottom of the high-banked half-mile oval at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, this time sticking it out for the win. With only five laps to go, Sweet stole the win from David Gravel, who led all previous laps but was having some trouble getting his CJB Motorsports No. 5 out of lap traffic.
"Awesome race there with David [Gravel],” said Sweet. "Lap traffic was just crucial. My car seemed like it was a little bit better. We were just right on him. Once I got a little clean air I was able to start picking off those lap cars and it felt good.”
Gravel had been working on the bottom all race, but he got caught behind Shane Stewart and met his demise when he tried to go high to pass him.
“I cleared a lot of lap cars really good, and then I got to Shane and I just could’t do anything with him,” said Gravel. "He was running the bottom in 3 and 4. I tried to pass him on the outside, and obviously the bottom of three and four was the best lane to be in. That’s where Brad was. That’s just the advantage sometimes of sitting back there watching, seeing what happens.”
Third through the checkers was Danny “The Dude" Lasoski, who took his position from Christopher Bell early in the race and held it through the checkers. Lasoski, the 2001 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Champion, has previous wins at Devil’s Bowl in 1999 and 2000. He was also right there at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in 1978 for the first-ever World of Outlaws Sprint Car race.
This year’s Texas Outlaw Nationals was a tribute to the late Lanny Edwards. A number of superstars — including Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Johnny Rutherford, and Christopher Bell — joined the Outlaws to honor the legendary promoter and World of Outlaws co-founder (along with Ted Johnson).
"Lanny went out on a limb and really got something going that has been pretty spectacular and pretty amazing,” said Tony Stewart during the opening ceremony, "and definitely pretty entertaining for all of America to watch.”
The opening ceremony continued with World of Outlaws CEO Brian Carter presenting the Ted Johnson Memorial Award to the Edwards family for their contribution to the sport.
"We really want to recognize all of the people that helped us get to where we are today," said Carter. "We are the World of Outlaws: the fans here, the community, the racers, the teams, everybody here. We are what the World of Outlaws was meant to be 40 years ago. What happened here 40 years ago next year impacts sprint car racing around the world; all were impacted by Ted Johnson and Lanny Edwards."
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will return to action Friday, April 21 for the Bull Ring Outlaw Blitz at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, AK.
RACE NOTES: Brad Sweet worked the bottom to steal the win in lap 26 of a 30-lap Feature of the Lanny Edwards Memorial Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil's Bowl Speedway after David Gravel led all previous 25 laps. Danny Lakoski fights Christopher Bell for third early on and maintains his position through the checkers.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Clyde Knipp; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Danny Lasoski; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Super Flow ($50 cash): Kraig Kinser; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): David Gravel, Sheldon Haudenschild, Greg Wilson, Brad Sweet; Craftsman/Sears: Christopher Bell; KSE Hard Charger: Logan Schuchart; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Brad Sweet; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Brady Bacon; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Parker Price-Miller.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 6 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18 ); David Gravel - 4 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1, Gator Motorplex on April 3); Jason Johnson - 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 14); Brad Sweet - 2 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 15), Logan Schuchart - 1 (Keller Auto Speedway on March 31), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway on April 7), Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway on April 8).
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Devil's Bowl Speedway, TX; April 15, 2017
Feature (30 Laps) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$20,000]; 2. 5-David Gravel [1][$6,000]; 3. 33-Danny Lasoski [5][$3,750]; 4. 67-Christopher Bell [3][$3,250]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2][$2,750]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [10][$2,500]; 7. 19-Brent Marks [8][$2,400]; 8. 7S-Jason Sides [7][$2,300]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [6][$2,200]; 10. 15-Donny Schatz [14][$2,100]; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart [19][$1,700]; 12. 9-Daryn Pittman [11][$1,400]; 13. 4-Paul McMahan [12][$1,300]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$1,200]; 15. 82-Cap Henry [18][$1,100]; 16. 4K-Kasey Kahne [15][$1,000]; 17. 1A-Jacob Allen [9][$1,000]; 18. 2-Shane Stewart [21][$1,000]; 19. 17-Joey Saldana [16][$1,000]; 20. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [22][$1,000]; 21. 1X-Gary Taylor [23][$1,000]; 22. 14-Tony Stewart [20][$1,000]; 23. 99-Brady Bacon [17][$1,000]; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp [24][$1,000]; Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-25, Brad Sweet 26-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+8]
Qualifying - 1. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.706; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.711; 3. 67-Christopher Bell, 13.714; 4. 33-Danny Lasoski, 13.754; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.76; 6. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.784; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.789; 8. 19-Brent Marks, 13.79; 9. 5-David Gravel, 13.807; 10. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.82; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.846; 12. 4K-Kasey Kahne, 13.866; 13. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.919; 14. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.93; 15. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.937; 16. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.937; 17. 99-Brady Bacon, 14.004; 18. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.008; 19. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.968; 20. 14-Tony Stewart, 14.043; 21. 82-Cap Henry, 14.073; 22. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.081; 23. 1X-Gary Taylor, 14.153; 24. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 14.225; 25. 81W-Danny Wood, 14.354; 26. 12W-Dale Wester, NT
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 33-Danny Lasoski [2]; 2. W20-Greg Wilson [4]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [1]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [6]; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3]; 6. 17-Joey Saldana [5]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [8]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7]; 9. 81W-Danny Wood [9]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 3. 19-Brent Marks [3]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [4]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [5]; 6. 99-Brady Bacon [6]; 7. 1X-Gary Taylor [8]; 8. 14-Tony Stewart [7]; 9. 12W-Dale Wester [9]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 67-Christopher Bell [1]; 2. 5-David Gravel [3]; 3. 1A-Jacob Allen [2]; 4. 4-Paul McMahan [5]; 5. 4K-Kasey Kahne [4]; 6. 82-Cap Henry [7]; 7. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8]; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [6]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps) - 1. 5-David Gravel [1]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 3. 67-Christopher Bell [4]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [5]; 5. 33-Danny Lasoski [6]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [3]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2][-]; 2. 14-Tony Stewart [3][-]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [4][-]; 4. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [6][-]; 5. 1X-Gary Taylor [5][-]; 6. 13-Clyde Knipp [1][-]; 7. 81W-Danny Wood [7][$300]; 8. 12W-Dale Wester [8][$250]
The Ragin' Cajun Scores His First Devil's Bowl Win
Second Win of the Season, Seventh Career Series Win
MESQUITE, TX — April 15, 2017 — Jason "the Ragin' Cajun" Johnson dominated night one of the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil's Bowl Speedway, leading all 25 laps of the evening's Feature after winning the Craftsman Club Dash from the pole and running fastest in qualifying.
"It’s one of these nights you always imagine and you dream of," said Johnson from Victory Lane. "We set quicktime, won a heat, won a dash, won a feature. That’s a first for me, so hats off to this crew: Jeff, Jacob, Phillip. They’re working their tails off, and it’s a lot of fun to drive right now,” he continued with a chuckle. “It feels great to be back in Victory Lane."
Johnson's second win of the season leaves him fourth in points standings and finally puts a little distance between him and Daryn Pittman. It's also his seventh career series victory, the first one having been at Texas Motor Speedway fourteen years ago.
While Johnson led flag-to-flag, Brad Sweet was patiently working his Napa Auto Parts/ Kasey Kahne Racing No. 49 up from five to make a late-race push for the lead. Running the bottom, he made a pass for second over Jason Sides between turns three and four, but then chose to follow Johnson on the top and came in after him.
"It was a fine line. I moved up to the top a little bit," explained Sweet. "I think if I would have committed to the bottom and hit it a few more times we would have been a lot closer there at the end. Or maybe I would have been able to get in there. But hats off to [Jason Johnson]. He did a great job."
Sides, who had been running second throughout the race, lost steam in the final laps and dropped back to eight, leaving the final podium spot to Logan Schuchart, who had been running in fourth.
Meanwhile, it wasn't a stellar day for the expected superstars on the field. NASCAR stars Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne came in 22 and 11 respectively, both falling back two spots from their starting positions. And eight-time Series Champion Donny Schatz washed way up the track in the first half of lap one and never fully recovered.
The previous night's winner, David Gravel, managed to work his way up from the back, but it just wasn't enough, leaving him in 14. But last year's night one winner, Joey Saldana barely missed the podium with a fourth place finish.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will return to action tomorrow for the final night of the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, TX.
RACE NOTES: Jason "the Ragin' Cajun" Johnson dominated night one of the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil's Bowl Speedway, leading all 25 laps of the evening's Feature after winning the Craftsman Club Dash from the pole and running fastest in qualifying. Following him into Victory Lane was Brad Sweet in the KKR 49 after a failed last-lap effort to steal first. Logan Schuchart in third.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Travis Rilat; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Brent Marks; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Karig Kinser; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Brent Marks; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Brady Bacon; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Brady Bacon; Super Flow ($50 cash): David Gravel; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Jason Johnson, Jason Sides, Logan Schuchart, Brad Sweet, Joey Saldana; Craftsman/Sears: Christopher Bell; KSE Hard Charger: Kraig Kinser; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Jason Johnson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Sheldon Haudenschild; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jacob Allen.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 6 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18 ); David Gravel - 4 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1, Gator Motorplex on April 3); Jason Johnson - 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 14); Brad Sweet - 1 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25), Logan Schuchart - 1 (Keller Auto Speedway on March 31), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway on April 7), Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway on April 8).
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Devil's Bowl Speedway, TX; April 14, 2017
Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1][$8,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$4,000]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [4][$2,500]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [6][$2,200]; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [12][$2,100]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [8][$2,000]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [14][$1,800]; 8. 7S-Jason Sides [2][$1,600]; 9. 19-Brent Marks [11][$1,500]; 10. 33-Danny Lasoski [13][$1,300]; 11. 4K-Kasey Kahne [9][$1,200]; 12. 99-Brady Bacon [17][$1,100]; 13. 2C-Wayne Johnson [7][$1,000]; 14. 5-David Gravel [21][$700]; 15. 4-Paul McMahan [15][$600]; 16. 15-Donny Schatz [10][$600]; 17. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [22][$600]; 18. 67-Christopher Bell [3][$600]; 19. 82-Cap Henry [23][$600]; 20. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [16][$600]; 21. 81W-Danny Wood [18][$600]; 22. 14-Tony Stewart [20][$600]; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen [19][$600]; 24. 29-Travis Rilat [24][$600]; Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 11K-Kraig Kinser[+7]
Qualifying - 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.707; 2. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.78; 3. 67-Christopher Bell, 14.076; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.135; 5. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.166; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.229; 7. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 14.253; 8. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.263; 9. 17-Joey Saldana, 14.27; 10. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.308; 11. 19-Brent Marks, 14.367; 12. 4K-Kasey Kahne, 14.44; 13. 33-Danny Lasoski, 14.465; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman, 14.479; 15. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.49; 16. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.501; 17. 14-Tony Stewart, 14.519; 18. 81W-Danny Wood, 14.52; 19. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 14.552; 20. 99-Brady Bacon, 14.564; 21. 4-Paul McMahan, 14.584; 22. 5-David Gravel, 14.588; 23. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.612; 24. 82-Cap Henry, 14.686; 25. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.754; 26. 99T-Skylar Gee, 14.92; 27. 29-Travis Rilat, 15.237; 28. 1X-Gary Taylor, 23.157; 29. 84-Scott Bogucki, 23.278
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2]; 3. 2C-Wayne Johnson [3]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 5. 33-Danny Lasoski [5]; 6. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [7]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [6]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [9]; 9. 5-David Gravel [8]; 10. 1X-Gary Taylor [10]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 7S-Jason Sides [1]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [2]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3]; 4. 19-Brent Marks [4]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [5]; 6. 99-Brady Bacon [7]; 7. 14-Tony Stewart [6]; 8. W20-Greg Wilson [8]; 9. 99T-Skylar Gee [9]; 10. 84-Scott Bogucki [10]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 67-Christopher Bell [1]; 2. 17-Joey Saldana [3]; 3. 4K-Kasey Kahne [4]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2]; 5. 4-Paul McMahan [7]; 6. 81W-Danny Wood [6]; 7. 29-Travis Rilat [9]; 8. 82-Cap Henry [8]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [5]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [2]; 3. 67-Christopher Bell [3]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [4]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [5]; 6. 17-Joey Saldana [6]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 1A-Jacob Allen [2][-]; 2. 14-Tony Stewart [3][-]; 3. 5-David Gravel [4][-]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7][-]; 5. 82-Cap Henry [6][-]; 6. 29-Travis Rilat [9][-]; 7. 99T-Skylar Gee [8][$300]; 8. W20-Greg Wilson [5][$250]; 9. 1X-Gary Taylor [10][$225]; 10. 13-Clyde Knipp [1][$200]; 11. 84-Scott Bogucki [11][$200]
David Gravel Scores His Fourth Season Win at Gator Motorplex
Packed House Cheers on Haudenschild after Three Collisions
WILLIS, TX — April 14, 2017 — "It is official. David Gravel has cleared the scales in the CJB Motorsports No. 5, headed to Victory Lane!” cried Johnny Gibson over the P.A. at Gator Motorplex Thursday night. This was win number four of the season in the No. 5 machine, and a twentieth career win for Gravel.
He worked hard for this one, starting in ten and working the high side. While Jason Sides started on the pole, with NASCAR driver Kasey Kayne in second, it was Paul McMahan in the lead when Gravel finally took it in lap 30 — and he took it from below.
“I started tenth and was in second before I knew it,” said the inaugural Gator Bash champ. "I knew it was a 40-lap race. I tried to be really patient with Paul [McMahan]. The curve got really really really tricky as the race went on, and I almost bit the wall a couple of times.”
But it wasn’t Gravel who bit the wall at all. That fell on Rookie-of-the-Year-contender Sheldon Haudenschild, who with four laps to go got into his third tangle of the night. Haudenschild was the unofficial fan favorite at Gator Motorplex, drawing loud cheers for his persistence each time he returned to the field after two flips. But the last one set him bouncing off the wall outside of turn four, right into Brad Sweet.
Sweet had been busy battling Donny Schatz for the fourth spot, which is precisely where Schatz remained after the checkered flag flew.
The inaugural Gator Bash saw a packed house in Willis, Texas, where fans cheered on Kahne as he made his return to dirt in the iRacing.com 4K. But after a lucky Dash inversion draw that put him on the pole, Kahne spun out during the Feature, turning sideways in turn four and causing Daryn Pittman and Dustin Gates to flip over each other.
Meanwhile, Sides maintained his lead until lap 14, when McMahan come up from third to take it from him. It wasn’t until 26 laps later that Gravel managed to final clear both of them, leading them into the checkers in just that order.
"Finishing second right now feels like a win - the way all last year went. But second still sucks,” said McMahan from Victory Lane.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will return to action tomorrow, Friday night, at Devil's Bowl Speedway for the Texas Outlaw Nationals in Mesquite, TX.
RACE NOTES: David Gravel scored his fourth season win at the inaugural Gator Outlaw Bash at Gator Motoroplex, leading the final 11 laps of the 40-lap Feature. Paul McMahan and Jason Sides, the only two other lap leaders in the race, followed Gravel to Victory Lane, leaving points leader and defending champion Donny Schatz just short after a turn four incident took Brad Sweet and Sheldon Haudenschild out of the running.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Aaron Reutzel; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): David Gravel; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Brady Bacon; Comp Cams ($50 cash): SHane Stewart; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Kraig Kinser; Super Flow ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Jason Sides, Paul McMahan, Sheldon Haudenschild; Craftsman/Sears: Kasey Kahnef; KSE Hard Charger: Logan Schuchart; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): David Gravel; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Greg Wilson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Aaron Reutzel.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 6 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18 ); David Gravel - 4 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1, Gator Motorplex on April 3); Jason Johnson - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17); Brad Sweet - 1 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25), Logan Schuchart - 1 (Keller Auto Speedway), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway), Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway).
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Gator Motorplex, TX, April 13, 2017
Feature (40 Laps) - 1. 5-David Gravel [10][$10,000]; 2. 4-Paul McMahan [3][$5,500]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [1][$3,200]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$2,800]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [8][$2,500]; 6. 17-Joey Saldana [15][$2,300]; 7. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [11][$2,200]; 8. 99-Brady Bacon [14][$2,100]; 9. 2-Shane Stewart [19][$2,050]; 10. 1S-Logan Schuchart [22][$2,000]; 11. 19-Brent Marks [12][$1,500]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [18][$1,200]; 13. 67-Christopher Bell [21][$1,100]; 14. 82-Cap Henry [17][$1,050]; 15. 9-Daryn Pittman [9][$1,000]; 16. 84-Scott Bogucki [7][$900]; 17. W20-Greg Wilson [20][$800]; 18. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$800]; 19. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [6][$800]; 20. 4K-Kasey Kahne [2][$800]; 21. 87-Aaron Reutzel [13][$800]; 22. 17G-Dustin Gates [23][$800]; 23. 33-Danny Lasoski [16][$800]; 24. 2C-Wayne Johnson [24][$800]; Lap Leaders: Jason Sides 1-13, Paul McMahan 14-29, David Gravel 30-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+12]
Qualifying - 1. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.479; 2. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.517; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.53; 4. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.573; 5. 4-Paul McMahan, 11.618; 6. 4K-Kasey Kahne, 11.631; 7. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 11.651; 8. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.661; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.663; 10. 84-Scott Bogucki, 11.681; 11. 82-Cap Henry, 11.687; 12. 19-Brent Marks, 11.773; 13. 5-David Gravel, 11.805; 14. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 11.838; 15. 17-Joey Saldana, 11.854; 16. 33-Danny Lasoski, 11.93; 17. 99-Brady Bacon, 11.947; 18. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.991; 19. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.027; 20. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.044; 21. 17G-Dustin Gates, 12.054; 22. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 12.081; 23. 67-Christopher Bell, 12.106; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen, 12.163; 25. 99T-Skylar Gee, 12.385; 26. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.385; 27. 88-Scottie McDonald, 12.672; 28. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.69
Heat #1 (10 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [2]; 3. 84-Scott Bogucki [4]; 4. 5-David Gravel [5]; 5. 87-Aaron Reutzel [3]; 6. 33-Danny Lasoski [6]; 7. 2C-Wayne Johnson [8]; 8. W20-Greg Wilson [7]; 9. 99T-Skylar Gee [9]; 10. 13-Clyde Knipp [10]
Heat #2 (10 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1]; 2. 4-Paul McMahan [2]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [3]; 4. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [5]; 5. 99-Brady Bacon [6]; 6. 82-Cap Henry [4]; 7. 67-Christopher Bell [8]; 8. 2-Shane Stewart [7]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [9]
Heat #3 (10 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [1]; 2. 4K-Kasey Kahne [2]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [3]; 4. 19-Brent Marks [4]; 5. 17-Joey Saldana [5]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [6]; 7. 17G-Dustin Gates [7]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 9. 88-Scottie McDonald [9]
Craftsman Club Dash (8 Laps) - 1. 7S-Jason Sides [3]; 2. 4K-Kasey Kahne [1]; 3. 4-Paul McMahan [2]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [5]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [6]; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [2][-]; 2. W20-Greg Wilson [1][-]; 3. 67-Christopher Bell [5][-]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8][-]; 5. 17G-Dustin Gates [3][-]; 6. 2C-Wayne Johnson [4][-]; 7. 13-Clyde Knipp [10][$300]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [6][$250]; 9. 99T-Skylar Gee [7][$225]; 10. 88-Scottie McDonald [9][$200]
Abreu Closes Out Western Swing in Victory Lane Arizona Speedway
Gravel and Brown finish on the podium at Arizona Desert Shootout
QUEEN CREEK, AZ — April 8, 2017 — In a caution free event that saw passing throughout the 24-car field, it was Rico Abreu that perfectly timed a slide-job in Turn 2 to take over the top spot from Brian Brown at the half-way point of the 30-lap event. David Gravel was able to follow Abreu through to give him the second position. Abreu held off a hard-charging Gravel as they made their way through heavy lap traffic to pick up his first World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series win of the 2017 season at Arizona Speedway.
Coming into the Arizona stretch of the 2017 season, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series full-time drivers scored wins in first 12 events of the season. That stat changed after Brian Brown ran away with the Yuma Valley Showdown at Cocopah Speedway on Friday Night. The outsiders were looking to make it two-for-two in Arizona when the Series visited the Arizona Speedway for the second time in their history.
For the second night in a row, Brown started from the pole position. After jumping out to an early lead, Brown opened up a half-second lead over Abreu after a pass attempt that didn't stick.
On lap 12 of the 30-lap Arizona Desert Shootout, David Gravel who was running third made a move on Jason Sides to move him inside the top three.
At the half-way point, Abreu, from St. Helena, CA closed the gap on Brown while he was dealing with lap traffic and took advantage of the opportunity and threw a perfectly executed slide-job pass on Brown in Turn 2 to vault him into the lead.
"It's so easy to slow down to someone's pass, especially when they're in traffic," said Rico Abreu. "You've got to be committed on your slide jobs - that's what I do nowadays. I got a little impatient when we got to lap traffic but once I cleared some lap cars I felt really confident and made the move. I just tried to save my tires for the end as I knew it was going to get trickier for someone to peel off and pass."
While Abreu was making his move on Brown, Gravel was also able to sneak his No. 5 GoMuddy.com machine by for second.
"[traffic] started to play an issue there but I'm happy with a second-place finish," said David Gravel. "It was a really fun race with a lot of sliders. I just wanted to thank all my guys and everyone at CJB Motorsports. We'll take a second and move onto next week."
Out front as the leader, Abreu was left to navigate his way around heavy lap traffic but Abreu made quick work and was able to grow his lead to a one-second advantage.
As the laps started to tick away, Gravel worked his way back up to the rear bumper of Abreu. With just a few laps remaining, Gravel didn't get the opportunity to get by Abreu to add to his win total, instead it was Rico Abreu playing spoiler to the Outlaw regulars as the outsiders swept the Arizona weekend.
The Outlaws will head back east after a spending a month on the west coast of the United States for a makeup race at Gator Motorplex on Thursday April 13. A trip back to the place where it all started for the Outlaws at Devil's Bowl Speedway for a doubleheader on April 14 and 15.
For tickets visit WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets or by calling 844-DIRT-TIX.
Arizona Speedway Notebook
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 6 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18 ); David Gravel - 3 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1); Jason Johnson - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17); Brad Sweet - 1 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25), Logan Schuchart - 1 (Keller Auto Speedway), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway), Rico Abreu – 1 (Arizona Speedway).
CONTINGENCY WINNERS - MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Billy Chester; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): David Gravel; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Jason Sides; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Sheldon Haudensheld,; Super Flow ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Craftsman Club ($100 cash each):Jason Johnson, Joey Saldana, Jason Sides, David Gravel, N/A; Craftsman/Sears ($100 cash): Brian Brown; KSE Racing Products ($100 product certificate): Kraig Kinser; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): David Gravel; JE Pistons (Set of Rings each): Logan Schuchart, Jacob Allen.
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Arizona Speedway, AZ. April 8, 2017
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 24-Rico Abreu [2][$10,000]; 2. 5-David Gravel [6][$5,500]; 3. 21-Brian Brown [1][$3,200]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [7][$2,800]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [5][$2,500]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz [9][$2,300]; 7. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$2,200]; 8. 2-Shane Stewart [8][$2,100]; 9. 17-Joey Saldana [4][$2,050]; 10. 4-Paul McMahan [10][$2,000]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [19][$1,500]; 12. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [15][$1,200]; 13. 18-Ian Madsen [12][$1,100]; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman [18][$1,050]; 15. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [13][$1,000]; 16. W20-Greg Wilson [16][$900]; 17. 1S-Logan Schuchart [14][$800]; 18. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [17][$800]; 19. 19-Brent Marks [11][$800]; 20. 82-Stevie Sussex [21][$800]; 21. 2A-Austin Pierce [22][$800]; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen [20][$800]; 23. 5C-Billy Chester [23][$800], 24. 90-Lance Norick [24][$800]
Qualifying : 1. 5-David Gravel, 12.747; 2. 17-Joey Saldana, 12.751; 3. 7S-Jason Sides, 12.773; 4. 41-Jason Johnson, 12.79; 5. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.825; 6. 21-Brian Brown, 12.827; 7. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.852; 8. 24-Rico Abreu, 12.94; 9. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.971; 10. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 12.974; 11. 19-Brent Marks, 12.977; 12. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.977; 13. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.994; 14. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.041; 15. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.064; 16. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.099; 17. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 13.188; 18. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.215; 19. 82-Stevie Sussex, 13.219; 20. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.25; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.267; 22. 90-Lance Norick, 13.351; 23. 2A-Austin Pierce, 13.354; 24. 5C-Billy Chester, 13.503; 25. 22-Cori Andrews, 13.781; 26. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.784. Lap Leaders: Brian Brown 1-15, Rico Abreu 16-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 11K-Kraig Kinser[+8]
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 5-David Gravel [1]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [2]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [3]; 4. 4-Paul McMahan [5]; 5. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [4]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [6]; 7. 82-Stevie Sussex [7]; 8. 90-Lance Norick [8]; 9. 22-Cori Andrews [9]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 17-Joey Saldana [1]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu [3]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [2]; 4. 19-Brent Marks [4]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5]; 6. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [6]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7]; 8. 2A-Austin Pierce [8]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [9]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature:1. 7S-Jason Sides [1]; 2. 21-Brian Brown [2]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 4. 18-Ian Madsen [5]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [3]; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [6]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [7]; 8. 5C-Billy Chester [8]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps): 1. 21-Brian Brown [1]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu [2]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [3]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [5]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [4]; 6. 5-David Gravel [6]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2][-]; 2. 1A-Jacob Allen [3][-]; 3. 82-Stevie Sussex [1][-]; 4. 2A-Austin Pierce [5][-]; 5. 5C-Billy Chester [6][-]; 6. 90-Lance Norick [4][-]; 7. 13-Clyde Knipp [8][$300]; 8. 22-Cori Andrews [7][$250]
‘Blackjack’ Brian Brown Returns to Victory Lane at Cocopah Speedway
Browns first World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory in three years
SOMERTON, AZ – April 7, 2017 - Brian Brown ousted the field in the Yuma Valley Showdown at Cocopah Speedway for his first World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series win in over three years. It was a race where track position was key and Brown had just that by starting on the pole of the 30-lap Feature event. Donny Schatz grabbed his tenth top-five of the season with a runner-up finish.
By winning the Craftsman Club® Dash, Brian Brown was awarded the pole position — a starting position that proved to be invaluable. At the drop of the green flag, the Grain Valley, MO-driver quickly jumped out to an early lead over the 24-car field.
“This is awesome, we’ve had a rough couple of nights,” said Brian Brown. “It’s been an awesome start to the year, but the last couple of nights haven’t been good. The [crew] had a talk before the race and decided to hit the reset button. We’ve been in position to win some of these races this year, we just haven’t capitalized. To beat these guys is an honor and we’re excited to get to [Arizona Speedway] tomorrow. I can’t thank Casey's General Stores, FVP and my crew enough for this.”
With Jason Sides settling into the second position from the get go, Sheldon Haudenschild tried to strike early at advancing his position with a slide job on Sides. The aggressive move didn’t stick however, proving costly as Schatz took advantage and vaulted into the fourth position.
The field started to search for more moisture on the track and eventually saw the groove move from the top of the 3/8th-mile oval down to the bottom. With leaders quickly approaching lap traffic, Schatz who was running third was able to get by Sides to move him into the runner-up position.
“We had a decent enough car to win but the way the track played out we had to be another row forward,” said Donny Schatz. “Everyone’s tires were bald and it was one groove in Turns 1 and 2 but Turn 3 and 4 had two grooves, we just used so much tires at the end. Just happy to salvage a second-place finish.”
The only slow down on the day for World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series came on lap 25 of the 30-lap Feature event. The No. 13 of Clyde Knipp and Shane Stewart tangled in Turn 4; Stewart was able to rejoin the field, while Knipp’s night was done early as he got a tow to the infield.
On the ensuing single-file restart Brown got off to a quick restart and jumped out to a five car-length lead over the No. 15 Arctic Cat machine of Donny Schatz. Making one last-ditch effort at Brown, Schatz came up unsuccessful allowing Brown to cruise to his first win of the 2017 season and his third career World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series win.
After experiencing motor issues during qualifying, Daryn Pittman and the No. 9 Great Clips Kasey Kahne Racing team changed power plants before the heat race. Pittman was able to qualify into the Feature event through the Last Chance Showdown to start 22nd on the field. The KSE Hard Charger gained positions during the feature to finish 14th.
The World of Outlaws head east for a stop at the Arizona Speedway for the Arizona Desert Showdown on Saturday, April 8th to wrap up the spring Western swing before making their way back to Texas for a make-up show at Gator Motorplex on Thursday, April 13th and Devil’s Bowl for a two-night event on April 14 and 15. For tickets visit WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets or call 844-DIRT-TIX.
Cocopah Speedway Notebook
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 6 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18 ); David Gravel - 3 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1); Jason Johnson - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17); Brad Sweet - 1 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25), Logan Schuchart - 1 (Keller Auto Speedway), Brian Brown – 1 (Cocopah Speedway).
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Cocopah Speedway, AZ. April 7, 2017
Feature (30 Laps) : 1. 21-Brian Brown [1][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$5,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$3,200]; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [2][$2,800]; 5. 4-Paul McMahan [6][$2,500]; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4][$2,300]; 7. 5-David Gravel [10][$2,200]; 8. 18-Ian Madsen [7][$2,100]; 9. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8][$2,050]; 10. 24-Rico Abreu [12][$2,000]; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart [13][$1,500]; 12. 41-Jason Johnson [11][$1,200]; 13. 17-Joey Saldana [15][$1,100]; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman [22][$1,050]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [14][$1,000]; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17][$900]; 17. 2-Shane Stewart [9][$800]; 18. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [18][$800]; 19. 19-Brent Marks [19][$800]; 20. 5C-Billy Chester [21][$800]; 21. 82-Stevie Sussex [16][$800]; 22. 2A-Austin Pierce [23][$800]; 23. 13-Clyde Knipp [24][$800]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [20][$800] Lap Leaders: Brian Brown 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 9-Daryn Pittman[+8]
Qualifying : 1. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.529; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.67; 3. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.778; 4. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.907; 5. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.909; 6. 21-Brian Brown, 13.926; 7. 5-David Gravel, 13.948; 8. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 14; 9. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.001; 10. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.047; 11. 41-Jason Johnson, 14.129; 12. 17-Joey Saldana, 14.161; 13. 82-Stevie Sussex, 14.167; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.218; 15. 24-Rico Abreu, 14.333; 16. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.421; 17. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.459; 18. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 14.469; 19. 19-Brent Marks, 14.737; 20. 2A-Austin Pierce, 14.768; 21. 5C-Billy Chester, 14.878; 22. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.906; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.924; 24. 22-Cori Andrews, 14.968; 25. 9-Daryn Pittman, NT
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 3. 18-Ian Madsen [2]; 4. 5-David Gravel [3]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6]; 6. 82-Stevie Sussex [5]; 7. 19-Brent Marks [7]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [9]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 4-Paul McMahan [2]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [1]; 3. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [3]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [4]; 5. W20-Greg Wilson [6]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 8. 2A-Austin Pierce [7]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 7S-Jason Sides [1]; 2. 21-Brian Brown [2]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3]; 4. 24-Rico Abreu [5]; 5. 17-Joey Saldana [4]; 6. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [6]; 7. 5C-Billy Chester [7]; 8. 22-Cori Andrews [8]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps): 1. 21-Brian Brown [1]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [4]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [6]; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [5]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) : Top 6 Transfer to Feature: 1. 19-Brent Marks [1][-]; 2. 1A-Jacob Allen [5][-]; 3. 5C-Billy Chester [3][-]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [7][-]; 5. 2A-Austin Pierce [2][-]; 6. 13-Clyde Knipp [4][-]; 7. 22-Cori Andrews [6][$300]
Gravel Leads Green-to-Checkers for Third Win of 2017 Season
Sweet and Haudenschild round out top-three at Perris Auto Speedway
PERRIS, CA – April 1, 2017 – David Gravel was the driver to beat at Perris Auto Speedway for the SoCal Showdown bringing an end the spring California swing. As the track rubbered-up, Gravel was in the ideal position, out front. Running mainly the high-lane around the half-mile oval, Gravel was able to pull away on multiple restarts to take home his third World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory of the season.
“I’m happy I got the jump on the restarts and got the lead to manipulate the race for yourself,” said the driver of the No. 5 CJB Motorsports GoMuddy.com machine. “Just happy to get another win, this is definitely huge, this the most wins I’ve had this early in the season. Not that it takes the pressure off but you just want to keep it rolling.”
A top-five qualifying effort, a heat-race win, and a second in the Craftsman Club Dash, allowed for Gravel to start on the front row of tonight’s 30-lap Feature. The driver that started the SoCal Showdown from the pole was California-native, Brad Sweet. With Gravel checking-out on the initial start, Sweet had his hands full fending off the rookie-of-the-year contender, Sheldon Haudenschild for the second position. A red flag was displayed on Lap 10 when the No. 2x of Parker Price-Miller went for a tumble in Turn 2; Price-Miller walked away unscathed.
The battle between Haudenschild and Sweet continued with sporadic challenges from series points leader, Donny Schatz and Friday night’s runner-up Ian Madsen.
Coming off a last-place finish the night before, the No. 49 Kasey Kahne Racing team was able to rebound for a second-place finish to round out the California trip.
“[Gravel] was just able to get the run on the restarts,” said the driver of the No. 49 NAPA Auto Parts machine. “Hats off to our guys, we had a great car all night. We got into lap traffic and I would get a good run and a caution came out — sometimes [cautions] fall when you want them to sometime they don’t. We’ll keep digging and hopefully we can get the NAPA Auto Parts car back into Victory Lane soon.”
The young-gun, Sheldon Haudenschild who has been consistent the last couple of weeks brought home a podium finish for the second time this season.
“I tried to get position on Brad [Sweet] on those restarts but I didn’t gain enough ground,” said Sheldon Haudenschild. “I’m still happy with tonight — thanks to my guys for all their hardwork.”
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will be back in action next Friday, April 7 when they make their first visit to Cocopah Speedway in Somerton, AZ. The following night, the Outlaws will head east to Arizona Speedway for their second trip.
Tickets for these events can be purchased on dirtcar.ticketforce.com or by calling 844-DIRT-TIX.
Perris Auto Speedway Notebook
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 6 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18 ); David Gravel - 3 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1); Jason Johnson - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17); Brad Sweet - 1 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25), Logan Schuchart - 1 (Keller Auto Speedway).
CONTINGENCY WINNERS - MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Parker Price-Miller; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): David Gravel; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Super Flow ($50 cash): Brent Marks; Craftsman Club ($100 cash each): Brad Sweet, David Gravel, Jason Sides, Sheldon Haudensheld, Shane Stewart; Craftsman/Sears ($100 cash): N/A; KSE Racing Products ($100 product certificate): Greg Wilson; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): David Gravel; JE Pistons (Set of Rings each): Kraig Kinser, Randy Waitman.
Feature (30 Laps) - 1. 5-David Gravel [2][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1][$5,500]; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4][$3,200]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [7][$2,800]; 5. 18-Ian Madsen [8][$2,500]; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [12][$2,300]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [10][$2,200]; 8. 7S-Jason Sides [3][$2,100]; 9. 21X-Carson Macedo [15][$2,050]; 10. W20-Greg Wilson [19][$2,000]; 11. 17-Joey Saldana [11][$1,500]; 12. 21-Brian Brown [16][$1,200]; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart [17][$1,100]; 14. 19-Brent Marks [14][$1,050]; 15. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$1,000]; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$900]; 17. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$800]; 18. 82-Stevie Sussex [20][$800]; 19. 41-Jason Johnson [6][$800]; 20. 26-Tayler Malsam [18][$800]; 21. 90-Randy Waitman [23][$800]; 22. 9Z-Jared Goerges [22][$800]; 23. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [9][$800]; 24. 73-Clyde Knipp (Substitute for Brady Bacon) [24][$800] Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: W20-Greg Wilson[+9]
Qualifying - 1. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.468; 2. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.482; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 14.517; 4. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.603; 5. 5-David Gravel, 14.631; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.635; 7. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.654; 8. 18-Ian Madsen, 14.678; 9. 4-Paul McMahan, 14.69; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman, 14.748; 11. 17-Joey Saldana, 14.758; 12. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 14.799; 13. 21-Brian Brown, 14.852; 14. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.86; 15. 73-Brady Bacon, 14.913; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 15.024; 17. 19-Brent Marks, 15.088; 18. 21X-Carson Macedo, 15.115; 19. 26-Tayler Malsam, 15.144; 20. 82-Stevie Sussex, 15.172; 21. 9Z-Jared Goerges, 15.195; 22. W20-Greg Wilson, 15.229; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen, 15.347; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp, 15.467; 25. 90-Randy Waitman, 16.199; 26. 22-Cori Andrews, 16.257
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [2]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [4]; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [6]; 6. 21-Brian Brown [5]; 7. 26-Tayler Malsam [7]; 8. W20-Greg Wilson [8]; 9. 90-Randy Waitman [9]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 5-David Gravel [2]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [1]; 3. 18-Ian Madsen [3]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [4]; 5. 19-Brent Marks [6]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5]; 7. 82-Stevie Sussex [7]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 9. 22-Cori Andrews [9]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [1]; 3. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [4]; 4. 4-Paul McMahan [3]; 5. 21X-Carson Macedo [6]; 6. 73-Brady Bacon [5]; 7. 9Z-Jared Goerges [7]; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 5-David Gravel [2]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [4]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [3]; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [5]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [6]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer - 1. 26-Tayler Malsam [1][-]; 2. W20-Greg Wilson [4][-]; 3. 82-Stevie Sussex [2][-]; 4. 1A-Jacob Allen [5][-]; 5. 9Z-Jared Goerges [3][-]; 6. 90-Randy Waitman [7][-]; 7. 13-Clyde Knipp [6][$300]; 8. 22-Cori Andrews [8][$250]
Schuchart Charges from Deep at Keller for First Victory of 2017
Schatz comes from 21st to third for eighth top-five finish of the year
HANFORD, CA – April 1, 2017 –Shark Racing’s Logan Schuchart started the 35-lap Kings Outlaw Showdown from the 19th position at Keller Auto Speedway — the KSE Hard Charger award winner picked his way to the front of the 26-car field. Late in the race, Schuchart found the bottom groove of the 3/8th-mile oval to work his way past eventual runner-up, Ian Madsen on the final lap to score his first victory of the 2017 season.
After starting the season having overcome adversity when the teams tow-vehicle broke down on the way to the opening World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series event, the team relied on support from the racing industry to assist with getting them to each Outlaw event.
“This adds onto the excitement and the accomplishments. It doesn’t matter if you start from the pole or wherever, if you can win an Outlaws race, these things are really tough [to win] no matter where you go. I’m just happy for my team to be able to get a win and it just makes it that much more exciting to start from 19th. We just really need to thank [Ryan] Smith family for letting us use their toter-home to come all the way [to California] and everyone that donated to the GoFundMe, you never want to be in that position but we were in a tough spot and we wouldn’t be out here if it wasn’t for those people.”
Ian Madsen and James McFadden, made up an all-Australian front-row for the start of the Kings Outlaw Showdown at Keller Auto Speedway. It was Madsen who would show the way for a total of 31 of the 35 laps in the Feature.
The event was slowed several times, including on lap four when Brad Sweet, who came into the night second in points, brushed the outside Turn 4 wall. Sweet was forced to retire from the event early resulting in a 26th-place finish.
Making his presences known, the Hanover, PA-native Schuchart had worked his way up to the fourth running position by lap 14.
It was on lap 20 when the local hero, Cory Eliason from nearby Fresno, CA made a bid to steal the show by charging from the 16th-starting position to wrangle the lead away from Madsen. As the large crowd at the Keller Auto Speedway erupted in excitement, Eliason lost the handling on his No. 00 machine and spun on the backstretch; forfeiting the lead just as quickly as he got it.
With Madsen back in control of the lead once again, he fended off a new challenger in David Gravel. In total, Madsen had five different drivers start to his right on the double-file restarts. Schuchart snuck by Gravel on the restart and immediately went to work on Madsen.
“It was a pretty strong run for the KPC team,” said Ian Madsen driver of the No. 18. “Kind of got nervous [with all those restarts] didn’t really know what to do, with someone different coming up each time. We’ll go onto Perris and see if we can win.”
The driver of the No. 1s of Schuchart started to search around for some moisture; he eventually found it on the bottom groove.
“I was able to find a little moister off [turn] four and it helped me, at least for me to get up to [Madsen] so I could make a move in [turns] three and four,” added Schuchart.
The Series points leader, Donny Schatz who had to use the Last Chance Showdown to transfer into the Feature event put on a show to grab a third-place finish. This marks Schatz’s eighth top-five of the season.
This victory marks Schuchart’s third career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win.
The Series travels south to Perris Auto Speedway for the SoCal Showdown on Saturday Night to wrap up the Spring portion of the California swing.
Feature (35 Laps) - 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [19][$10,000]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [2][$5,500]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [21][$3,200]; 4. 5-David Gravel [9][$2,800]; 5. 51-James McFadden [1][$2,500]; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [23][$2,300]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [25][$1,400]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [12][$2,100]; 9. 83-Kyle Hirst [11][$2,050]; 10. 2-Shane Stewart [5][$2,000]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [26][$700]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [15][$1,200]; 13. 41-Jason Johnson [3][$1,100]; 14. 21X-Carson Macedo [14][$1,050]; 15. 4-Paul McMahan [10][$1,000]; 16. OO-Cory Eliason [16][$900]; 17. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8][$800]; 18. 17-Joey Saldana [4][$800]; 19. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [20][$800]; 20. 9-Daryn Pittman [24][$800]; 21. 21-Brian Brown [18][$800]; 22. 3C-DJ Netto [22][$800]; 23. 83JR-Tim Kaeding [13][$800]; 24. O-Bud Kaeding [17][$800]; 25. 24-Rico Abreu [6][$800]; 26. 49-Brad Sweet [7][$800]. Lap Leaders: Ian Madsen 1-18, 21-33; Cory Eliason 19-20; Logan Schuchart 34-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+18]
Qualifying - 1. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.999; 2. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.026; 3. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.053; 4. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.093; 5. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 13.157; 6. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.187; 7. 83-Kyle Hirst, 13.23; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.245; 9. 5-David Gravel, 13.251; 10. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.258; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.273; 12. 51-James McFadden, 13.279; 13. 83JR-Tim Kaeding, 13.324; 14. 21-Brian Brown, 13.335; 15. 3C-DJ Netto, 13.364; 16. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 13.368; 17. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.369; 18. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.371; 19. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.405; 20. 98-Sean Watts, 13.41; 21. O-Bud Kaeding, 13.416; 22. 21X-Carson Macedo, 13.474; 23. 26-Tayler Malsam, 13.48; 24. OO-Cory Eliason, 13.488; 25. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.532; 26. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.58; 27. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.635; 28. 73-Brady Bacon, 13.68; 29. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.702; 30. 9Z-Jared Goerges, 13.998; 31. 19-Brent Marks, 14.034; 32. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.51; 33. 90-Randy Waitman, NT
Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature- 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [2]; 3. 5-David Gravel [3]; 4. 83JR-Tim Kaeding [4]; 5. O-Bud Kaeding [6]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz [5]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [7]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 9. 90-Randy Waitman [9]
Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature- 1. 2-Shane Stewart [1]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [2]; 3. 4-Paul McMahan [3]; 4. 21X-Carson Macedo [6]; 5. 21-Brian Brown [4]; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [5]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [7]; 8. 9Z-Jared Goerges [8]
Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature- 1. 17-Joey Saldana [1]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [5]; 3. 83-Kyle Hirst [2]; 4. 19-Brent Marks [8]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7]; 7. 26-Tayler Malsam [6]; 8. 3C-DJ Netto [4]
Heat #4 (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer to Feature- 1. 24-Rico Abreu [1]; 2. 51-James McFadden [3]; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 4. OO-Cory Eliason [6]; 5. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [4]; 6. 73-Brady Bacon [7]; 7. 98-Sean Watts [5]; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps) - 1. 51-James McFadden [1]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [2]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [3]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [6]; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [7]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu [5]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet [8]; 8. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [4]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 4 Transfer to Feature - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2][-]; 2. 3C-DJ Netto [1][-]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [3][-]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [6][-]; 5. 73-Brady Bacon [9][$300]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [7][$250]; 7. 98-Sean Watts [4][$225]; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8][$200]; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen [10][$200]; 10. 26-Tayler Malsam [5][$200]; 11. 13-Clyde Knipp [12][$200]; 12. 9Z-Jared Goerges [11][$200]; 13. 90-Randy Waitman [13][$200]
Friday Night of FVP Western Spring Shootout Cancelled Due to Heavy Rains
Event will resume Saturday, March 25 as regularly scheduled
STOCKTON, CA. - March 23, 2017 - The first night of the FVP Western Spring Shootout at the Stockton Dirt Track has been cancelled due to a forecast calling for rain in the Stockton, CA area most of Friday, March 24.
Despite the rain, the modern facilities at the San Joaquin Fairgrounds - including paved parking lots, under cover concourse and all-weather seating - will be ready for Saturday's event. The expansive horse track area will allow a mile of stone-based pit parking.
The FVP Western Spring Shootout will resume on Saturday, March 25, with the pit gates opening at 12 noon, tickets and will call opening at 1pm, and the grandstands opening at 4:00pm. Hot laps for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series will kick off on-track activities at 5:15pm.
Fans that have purchased Friday night tickets may exchange them for a Saturday March 24 ticket, use them at a future west coast World of Outlaw event, or submit them for a refund by mailing the ticket to: World Racing Group Inc. at 7575 W Winds Blvd NW Suite D, Concord, NC 28027 after the event; refunds will NOT be issued at the track. Fans that had tickets for Friday Night's race being held at will call, will need to call the World Racing Group office at 844-DIRT-TIX for a refund.
Fans that have purchased the two-day ticket package for both Friday and Saturday may exchange the Friday ticket for an additional Saturday March 24 ticket, use the Friday ticket at a future west coast World of Outlaw event, or receive a one-day refund by mailing your ticket back to World Racing Group Inc., at 7575 W Winds Blvd NW Suite D, Concord, NC 28027 after the event.
Donny Schatz charges from third to first in closing laps to win sixth World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series feature in eight races
By Gary Thomas
Tulare, CA – March 18, 2017…Fargo, North Dakota’s Donny Schatz found more late-race magic on Saturday night getting around Kasey Kahne Racing teammates Brad Sweet and Daryn Pittman with just a few laps left en route to his sixth victory of the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series season.
The triumph for Schatz was his first at the Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare since the 2007 season and came aboard the familiar Tony Stewart Racing/ Arctic Cat No. 15 machine. The eight-time World of Outlaws champion was settled in the third spot as the laps wound down, until making a thrilling move around the outside of the speedway to thread his way by the leaders in heavy lapped traffic.
“It feels really good to finally say we won in Tulare again,” Schatz said emphatically on the front stretch. “I didn’t think the track would take rubber so it kind of caught me by surprise. I really tried to save my tires and when we got to traffic late in the race the pace slowed down a lot. I decided I might as well try something and luckily it worked. I get all the credit, but it’s really all about my team. We have an incredible group of people that work on this race car and that makes it so much fun. I can’t thank all our sponsors enough for supporting us and giving us the opportunity to win races.”
The 35-lap feature started out with a three-wide battle for the lead that saw Pittman get the better of it to motor out into the lead over Sweet and pole sitter Shane Stewart.
Early on in the feature the racing was fantastic throughout the field, as the slick surface made for some tremendous action. Caution periods kept the leaders out of traffic however, as Pittman held command out front. Once the midway point of the feature approached rubber began to come down on the surface and made passing opportunities limited. Sweet had kept Pittman in his sights though and hounded the rear bumper of the Great Clips No. 9 for much of the distance.
When the five to go signal was given the top-three bunched up as Schatz looked to make his move. With 32-laps in the record books the current World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series point leader blasted to the high-side to drive around Sweet for the second spot. He then stayed up high and charged around Pittman for the lead coming down to complete lap 33. After that Schatz pulled away to take the checkered flag by 1.951 seconds back to runner up Pittman.
Even though he was disappointed in the outcome Pittman kept an upbeat attitude following the race saying, “This is basically a new team this year with our crew chief change so hopefully it will be a momentum boost for us. I did everything I could tonight, but our engine just wouldn’t run right in the feature. I definitely didn’t want to see the rubber because our car wouldn’t pull forward in it. Tulare is a tough track for me so I’m happy to be on the podium. It’s a long season and the wins will come. I’m definitely happy with the effort that our whole has put forth.”
Sweet crossed the stripe in third to earn another podium finish in the Kasey Kahne Racing/ Napa Auto Parts No. 49 Sprinter. “I was nervous that it would take rubber and Donny pretty much showed why he is the best tonight. He was able to make his line work the best and kind of schooled us, so we’ll keep plugging away to try and get better. We have some good tracks for us coming up so that has me excited. We’ll move on to Stockton and hopefully get a win next week.”
Wooster, Ohio’s Sheldon Haudenschild capped a strong weekend by finishing in the fourth spot, while Rutherford’s Rico Abreu rounded out the top-five. Completing the top-10 were Shane Stewart; Eunice, Louisiana’s Jason Johnson; San Jose’s Tim Kaeding; Lemoore’s Carson Macedo and Watertown, Connecticut’s David Gravel. Hanover, Pennsylvania’s Logan Schuchart earned the KSE Hard Charger Award by coming from 25th to 13th in the feature.
Australian Ian Madsen won the night’s Last Chance Showdown, with Shane Stewart taking home the Craftsman Club Dash. The four 10-lap heat races were picked off by Jason Johnson, Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz and Rico Abreu. Shane Stewart kicked-off the night by setting fast time in the 36-car field with a lap of 13.392 around the one-third mile clay oval.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will return to action this coming Friday and Saturday at the Stockton Dirt Track for the FVP Western Spring Shootout.
Thunderbowl Raceway Notebook
Race Notes: Donny Schatz used lap traffic with two laps remaining to slip by Daryn Pittman for his sixth win of the 2017 season. Sweet secures second podium finish of weekend at Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 5 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18 ); Jason Johnson - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17); David Gravel - 1 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report, Thunderbowl Raceway, CA, March 18, 2017
Feature - (35 Laps) 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3] [$10,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [2] [$5,000]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [4] [$3,000]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8] [$2,700]; 5. 24-Rico Abreu [5] [$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [1] [$2,200]; 7. 41-Jason Johnson [7] [$2,000]; 8. 83JR-Tim Kaeding [16] [$1,800]; 9. 21X-Carson Macedo [19] [$1,600]; 10. 5-David Gravel [10] [$1,450]; 11. 17-Joey Saldana [9] [$1,300]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [21] [$1,200]; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart [25] [$400]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [14] [$1,000]; 15. 19-Brent Marks [17] [$950]; 16. 18S-Jason Solwold [13] [$900]; 17. 4-Paul McMahan [18] [$850]; 18. 7S-Jason Sides [26] [$50]; 19. W20-Greg Wilson [23] [$725]; 20. 51-James McFadden [12] [$700]; 21. 21-Brian Brown [24] [$700]; 22. 3C-DJ Netto [6] [$700]; 23. 88-Terry McCarl [20] [$700]; 24. 20-Cory Eliason [11] [$700]; 25. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [15] [$700]; 26. 83-Kyle Hirst [22] [$700] Lap Leaders: Daryn Pittman 1-32, Donny Schatz 33-35 KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+12]
Qualifying - 1. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.392; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.448; 3. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.451; 4. 3C-DJ Netto, 13.498; 5. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.512; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.568; 7. 20-Cory Eliason, 13.646; 8. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.662; 9. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.672; 10. 5-David Gravel, 13.708; 11. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.799; 12. 51-James McFadden, 13.807; 13. 19-Brent Marks, 13.828; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.830; 15. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.832; 16. 88-Terry McCarl, 13.835; 17. 83-Kyle Hirst, 13.893; 18. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.894; 19. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 13.994; 20. 21-Brian Brown, 14.072; 21. 18S-Jason Solwold, 14.131; 22. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.213; 23. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.241; 24. 83JR-Tim Kaeding, 14.318; 25. 37-Mitchell Faccinto, 14.323; 26. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 14.395; 27. 21X-Carson Macedo, 14.442; 28. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.446; 29. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr, 14.460; 30. 22-Cori Andrews, 14.461; 31. 98-Sean Watts, 14.513; 32. 29-Willie Croft, 14.581; 33. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.611; 34. 68-Chase Johnson, 14.681; 35. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.760; 36. O-Bud Kaeding, 14.850
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) 1. 41-Jason Johnson[2] ; 2. 2-Shane Stewart[1] ; 3. 17-Joey Saldana[3] ; 4. 18S-Jason Solwold[6] ; 5. 19-Brent Marks[4] ; 6. 83-Kyle Hirst[5] ; 7. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr[8] ; 8. 37-Mitchell Faccinto[7] ; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart[9]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) 1. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[2] ; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman[4] ; 3. 5-David Gravel[3] ; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser[1] ; 5. 4-Paul McMahan[5] ; 6. 68-Chase Johnson[9] ; 7. 2X-Parker Price-Miller[7] ; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp[6] ; 9. 22-Cori Andrews[8]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) 1. 15-Donny Schatz[1] ; 2. 49-Brad Sweet[4] ; 3. 20-Cory Eliason[2] ; 4. 41S-Dominic Scelzi[5] ; 5. 21X-Carson Macedo[7] ; 6. W20-Greg Wilson[6] ; 7. 7S-Jason Sides[9] ; 8. 98-Sean Watts[8] ; 9. 18-Ian Madsen[3]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) 1. 24-Rico Abreu[2] ; 2. 3C-DJ Netto[1] ; 3. 51-James McFadden[3] ; 4. 83JR-Tim Kaeding[6] ; 5. 88-Terry McCarl[4] ; 6. 21-Brian Brown[5] ; 7. 29-Willie Croft[8] ; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen[7] ; 9. O-Bud Kaeding[9]
Craftsman Club® Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of Feature)
1. 2-Shane Stewart[2] ; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman[1] ; 3. 15-Donny Schatz[4] ; 4. 49-Brad Sweet[7] ; 5. 24-Rico Abreu[3] ; 6. 3C-DJ Netto[8] ; 7. 41-Jason Johnson[6] ; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[5]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the Feature)
1. 18-Ian Madsen[1] [-]; 2. 83-Kyle Hirst[2] [-]; 3. W20-Greg Wilson[5] [-]; 4. 21-Brian Brown[3] [-]; 5. 29-Willie Croft[12] [$300]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart[13] [$250]; 7. 68-Chase Johnson[14] [$225]; 8. 7S-Jason Sides[15] [$200]; 9. O-Bud Kaeding[16] [$200]; 10. 37-Mitchell Faccinto[6] [$200]; 11. 13-Clyde Knipp[4] [$200]; 12. 2X-Parker Price-Miller[7] [$200]; 13. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr[9] [$200]; 14. 98-Sean Watts[11] [$200]; 15. 22-Cori Andrews[10] [$200]; 16. 1A-Jacob Allen[8] [$200]
David Gravel gets by Shane Stewart late to claim first World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win of season Friday in Tulare
by Gary Thomas
After scoring his first Thunderbowl Raceway World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win last season Watertown, Connecticut’s David Gravel returned on Friday night and made it back-to-back, earning his first series victory of 2017.
Gravel stalked race-long leader Shane Stewart as the laps wound down and made a beautiful power move to the outside with just a few circuits remaining to claim the victory aboard his CJB Motorsports/ Big Game Tree Stands No. 5 machine.
“I’ve watched Rico Abreu and Kyle Larson a lot here at the Trophy Cup so have definitely learned a thing or two about this place,” said Gravel on the front stretch. “Ever since the first time I came to Tulare it’s been an awesome place for me, and it feels great to win back-to-back here. I had nothing to lose there at the end so I just gave it a shot up top and luckily it worked out for us. My team gave me a great car so I can’t thank them enough. It’s been a crazy road these last few years, and I’m really happy with where I am right now. Hopefully we can come back tomorrow and do it again.”
The 35-lap feature started out with pole sitter Stewart getting the jump over outside front row Donny Schatz, who had won five of six races contested thus far going into Friday. Grass Valley, CA’s Brad Sweet quickly moved into second and tried to track down Stewart, prior to the caution waving for Willie Croft on lap nine. On the restart Carson Macedo then got upside down to bring out the red flag. On the next attempt Sweet challenged Stewart for the lead, but the Bixby, Oklahoma pilot was able to fend him off and motor away out front.
Things began to heat up at this point as the surface began to come in and allowed drivers the chance to dice it up for position on the one-third mile clay oval. Gravel and Sweet proceeded to fight hard for the second position going back and forth during one five-lap stretch. After exchanging the runner spot multiple times Sweet assumed the position and began to close in on Stewart with just 10-laps to go.
Things then came to a halt on lap 27 when Rutherford, CA’s Rico Abreu got upside down in the first and second corners while battling around the top-five.
On the restart Gravel was able to get around Sweet to grab second, before the final caution of the night flew for Terry McCarl on lap 30. After that Gravel stepped up his challenges on the leader when going back green and closed in on Stewart. With just a couple laps left he made the move of the race to go around Stewart and drive off to claim his second career Thunderbowl Raceway triumph by 0.977 seconds.
Stewart crossed the stripe in second to earn his fourth straight runner up finish in World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car competition at Thunderbowl Raceway.
“We had a good car tonight, but the driver just didn’t make the right moves late in the race,” said the pilot of the Larson Marks Racing/ Eneos No. 2 mount. “Sometimes the yellows work for you and sometimes they work against you. Tonight they didn’t quite work in our favor, but that’s how racing goes. Hats off to David Gravel, he drove a great race there at the end and found the faster line. I also have to give a big thanks to Kyle Larson, Justin Marks and all my guys. We have 90 races a year, so you just have to come back and concentrate on the next one. Big thanks to all the fans for coming out to Thunderbowl Raceway tonight.”
After racing near the front of the field for the entire feature Sweet brought home a third place finish at the checkered aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing with Mike Curb/ Napa Auto Parts No. 49 Sprinter. “Running third definitely isn’t the goal, but anytime you can finish on the podium with the World of Outlaws is something to be proud of,” Sweet commented.
“We had a good car tonight and I feel like we’re starting to gel. It’s basically a whole new team this year with Kale working on the 49 car and we are making gains. We’ll come back tomorrow and hopefully improve two more positions. This is one of my home tracks so I’d really like to get a win here.”
Wooster, Ohio’s Sheldon Haudenschild put on an entertaining charge in the feature to come from 19th to fourth and claim the KSE Hard Charger Award. The Rookie of the Year contender was very impressive on the tricky Thunderbowl clay and was reminiscent of his father Jac during the night. Australian James McFadden rounded out the top-five in the main event after putting together a solid night. Completing the top-10 were Hanover, Pennsylvania’s Logan Schuchart, Schatz, Paradise, CA’s Kyle Hirst, Nashville, Tennessee’s Paul McMahan and San Jose, CA’s Tim Kaeding.
The night’s 12-lap Last Chance Showdown was captured by Mount Vernon, Washington’s Jason Solwold, with the Craftsman Club Dash going to Shane Stewart. The four 10-lap heat races were picked off by Owasso, Oklahoma’s Daryn Pittman, Brad Sweet, Shane Stewart and Donny Schatz. Rico Abreu started out the night by setting the fastest lap in the 36-car field with a blistering 12.630.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action tomorrow night at Thunderbowl Raceway to finish off the Tulare weekend.
Thunderbowl Raceway Notebook
RACE NOTES: David Gravel chased Shane Stewart to the checkers, taking the lead with only two laps to go. Brad Sweet came in third with Sheldon Haudenschild just missing the podium after starting 19th. A total of 36 cars made the field.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz – 5 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10); Jason Johnson – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17); David Gravel – 1 (Thunderbowl Raceway in March 17)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report, Thunderbowl Raceway, CA, March 17, 2017
Feature - (35 Laps) - 1. 5-David Gravel [4] [$10,000]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [1] [$5,000]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [3] [$3,000]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [19] [$2,700]; 5. 51-James McFadden [6] [$2,500]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8] [$2,200]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz [2] [$2,000]; 8. 83-Kyle Hirst [14] [$1,800]; 9. 4-Paul McMahan [13] [$1,600]; 10. 83JR-Tim Kaeding [10] [$1,450]; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman [5] [$1,300]; 12. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [22] [$1,200]; 13. 18-Ian Madsen [9] [$1,100]; 14. 19-Brent Marks [20] [$1,000]; 15. 37-Mitchell Faccinto [17] [$950]; 16. 68-Chase Johnson [15] [$900]; 17. 88-Terry McCarl [18] [$850]; 18. 41-Jason Johnson [25] [$50]; 19. 17-Joey Saldana [26] [$25]; 20. 3C-DJ Netto [23] [$700]; 21. 24-Rico Abreu [7] [$700]; 22. O-Bud Kaeding [24] [$700]; 23. 29-Willie Croft [16] [$700]; 24. 21-Brian Brown [11] [$700]; 25. 21X-Carson Macedo [12] [$700]; 26. 18S-Jason Solwold [21] [$700]; Lap Leaders: Shane Stewart 1-32, David Gravel 33-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [+15]
Qualifying - 1. 24-Rico Abreu, 12.630; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.663; 3. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.704; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.741; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.800; 6. 83JR-Tim Kaeding, 12.806; 7. 51-James McFadden, 12.871; 8. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.879; 9. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.883; 10. 5-David Gravel, 12.889; 11. 21-Brian Brown, 12.899; 12. 29-Willie Croft, 12.900; 13. 18-Ian Madsen, 12.902; 14. 83-Kyle Hirst, 12.921; 15. 68-Chase Johnson, 12.929; 16. 21X-Carson Macedo, 12.951; 17. 18S-Jason Solwold, 12.963; 18. 88-Terry McCarl, 12.979; 19. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.981; 20. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 12.996; 21. 37-Mitchell Faccinto, 13.027; 22. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.030; 23. 20-Cory Eliason, 13.036; 24. 19-Brent Marks, 13.050; 25. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.073; 26. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 13.086; 27. O-Bud Kaeding, 13.115; 28. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.129; 29. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.154; 30. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr, 13.158; 31. 3C-DJ Netto, 13.182; 32. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.232; 33. 98-Sean Watts, 13.362; 34. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.419; 35. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.539; 36. 22-Cori Andrews, 13.725
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) - 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [2]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu [1]; 3. 18-Ian Madsen [4]; 4. 4-Paul McMahan [3]; 5. 37-Mitchell Faccinto [6]; 6. 18S-Jason Solwold [5]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides [7]; 8. 17-Joey Saldana [8]; 9. 98-Sean Watts [9]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 5-David Gravel [3]; 3. 83JR-Tim Kaeding [2]; 4. 83-Kyle Hirst [4]; 5. 88-Terry McCarl [5]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [6]; 7. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [8]; 8. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [7]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [9]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [1]; 2. 51-James McFadden [2]; 3. 21-Brian Brown [3]; 4. 68-Chase Johnson [4]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [5]; 6. O-Bud Kaeding [7]; 7. 3C-DJ Netto [8]; 8. 20-Cory Eliason [6]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [9]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the Feature) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1]; 3. 21X-Carson Macedo [4]; 4. 29-Willie Croft [3]; 5. 19-Brent Marks [6]; 6. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [5]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 8. 22-Cori Andrews [9]; 9. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7]
Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of Feature) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [2]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [1]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [3]; 4. 5-David Gravel [6]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [4]; 6. 51-James McFadden [7]; 7. 24-Rico Abreu [5]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the Feature) - 1. 18S-Jason Solwold [1] [-]; 2. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [2] [-]; 3. 3C-DJ Netto [11] [-]; 4. O-Bud Kaeding [7] [-]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [5] [$300]; 6. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [10] [$250]; 7. 20-Cory Eliason [4] [$225]; 8. 17-Joey Saldana [9] [$200]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [15] [$200]; 10. 41-Jason Johnson [3] [$200]; 11. 98-Sean Watts [13] [$200]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8] [$200]; 13. 13-Clyde Knipp [14] [$200]; 14. 22-Cori Andrews [16] [$200]; 15. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [6] [$200]; 16. 1A-Jacob Allen [12] [$200]
Schatz Secures the Sweep at Vegas
Abreu and Schatz battle in the closing laps
LAS VEGAS – March 10, 2017 – In front of a nearly packed grandstand, local fans and beyond witnessed an exciting performance from one of the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series’ most elite drivers, Donny Schatz. Not only were members of the Nellis Air Force Base in attendance to witness their racing heroes fly around The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but the drivers were also racing on the fast-action track as a salute to America’s servicemen and women in the final night of the FVP Outlaw Showdown.
Schatz not only won his 11th series race at the half-mile, but also swept the event. Schatz doubled his $15,000 purse from the opener, collecting a total of $30,000 in winnings at Vegas. The North Dakota native was awarded the “Badlands Bonus” for both shows, as well as a gold-toned tool set commemorating Craftsman Tool’s 90th anniversary. He also took a pair of slot-machine trophies home to Fargo, N.D., one for each of his victories. Since the season opener in mid-February, Schatz has won five of the first six shows in 2017 – a personal best to start a World of Outlaws season.
“All I can say is, I finally got to ‘Park It,’” said Schatz in front of a roaring crowd. “We had something happen there in the mid-part of the race – I just couldn’t get into rhythm. I tried to get through lapped traffic and Rico [Abreu] obviously got by us there on the restart. I got in good position to get out front and had clear track after that. It’s been tricky here, but if it was easy then it wouldn’t be fun for any of us. I was a little nervous when he got by. Every time I get into this car, it’s unbelievable.
When you get to when you win 25 or 30 races in a season, it’s expected of you. These guys work so hard to do that, and for the driver it’s the same way. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re at…you have to work on your flaws. We’ve never started strong. We’re working on that flaw, and it’s worked so far.”
Schatz, who spent the majority of his time skimming the top cushion, started on the outside of the first row for the 30-lap feature. Earlier in the program, Schatz won his heat race after a thrilling pass entering turn three in the closing laps. Though he made the pass from the bottom in his heat, Schatz laid his tracks on the outside for the feature. This proved to give Schatz’s No. 15 Tony Stewart-Curb/Agajanian Racingcar enough of a surge to thunder down the front straightaway faster than those around him. Schatz took the lead from fellow series regular Logan Schuchart almost instantaneously to when the green flag dropped; however, Schuchart did not accept an early defeat. A yellow flag followed with one lap completed, which regrouped the field – giving Schuchart a chance to reclaim the lead in his No. 1s Marty Thompson Investments/Newman’s Towing & Recovery car.
In Schuchart’s eight appearances at the track, his best finish was Thursday night when he recorded a top-five finish. By virtue of the Craftsman Club® Dash, Schuchart went on to lead the field into the green flag for the first time since September 24, 2016 at Lernerville Speedway. Though Schatz had the upper-hand – momentarily – Schuchart quickly recovered on the restart by using the extra momentum exiting turn two to recapture the lead. Thereon, he created a 1.115-second buffer. While Schuchart progressed, Schatz regressed into a battle with Abreu. Abreu climbed 19 positions Thursday night to finish third in the feature; he started third Friday night.
Lap 12 was one of the most pivotal moments of the feature, as Schuchart, Abreu and Schatz spread nearly three-wide across the front stretch. The three virtually locked wheels – a few feet from one another. Schatz reaction time was the quickest of the three, as he weaved through Schuchart and Abreu for the lead entering turn one. Two laps later, Abreu overtook Schuchart in turn two; by this time, Schatz increased his lead to more than a two-second margin.
While Schuchart faded in third position, Abreu continued to gain ground on Schatz. By lap 21, Abreu attempted a risky maneuver by jumping the cushion in turn two. Abreu’s move was successful, as he was able to carry enough speed to pass Schatz in turn four. The shear speed of his No. 24R Abreu Vineyards/Priority Aviation car though caused him to tap the wall in turn four, breaking his momentum. Schatz took advantage of Abreu’s mistake and reclaimed the spot – until a yellow flag regrouped the field. Abreu was still .053-seconds ahead of Schatz when the two crossed the line, so Abreu retained the top spot because of the caution.
“I was just thinking about what to do to stay ahead,” said Abreu, who leaves Vegas with two podium finishes. “Just some poor decisions there at the end of the race on my part. I just live and learn. You learn so much racing with the Outlaws. The pace is so fast, so you try your hardest every lap. When you’re trying really hard, it’s easy to make mistakes. I felt like once we got to traffic and I got passed Donny, I just made bad decisions behind lapped cars. I just get so nervous trying to clear guys – to try not to clear them too far to blow through the cushion and hit the wall. We’re knocking on the door and everyone is chasing this No. 15 Arctic Cat car.”
His lead was quickly thwarted. Abreu chose the bottom on the restart. Schatz, who was continually strong from the top, beat Abreu on the restart. He never looked back. Schatz opened-up a 1.272-second lead over Abreu, and finished the feature ahead of the pack by nearly the same margin. Schuchart rounded-out the podium – a personal best at the track.
“Any time you’re improving, that’s key,” Schuchart said. “We’ve been here a couple times and really haven’t had good finishes. Our season started really slow, but we got our engine working really good, and our guys are doing great. We had a good car this week, and we improved every night. But any time you start on the pole and go backward, it’s not what you want to happen. The World of Outlaws is a very tough group of drivers and teams, and to be sitting out here…you know you did a good job.”
By sweeping the Vegas stretch, Schatz is the only driver eligible for another $10,000 from Badlands Motor Speedway’s bonus system. He will attempt that feat at the Outlaw FanFest on July 1-2 at Badlands Motor Speedway. Schatz joking said, “Yeah, no pressure. But we feed off of that.”
“Ironically enough, we did win the last race there,” said Schatz, who won the finale in 2016. “It’s been a great place there. I’ve always cut my teeth there back in the day – I’ve wrecked a lot of equipment there. So, it’s fun to go there and get those victories. If we can get back there and do it again, it’ll be extra-special.”
The World of Outlaws acknowledged more than a half-dozen members of the United States Air Force at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Airmen and women took part in pre-race ceremonies before heat races were underway. During the ceremony, thousands of fans stood to their feet, giving them a standing ovation for their service. A deafening “U-S-A” chant echoed throughout the facility. On Thursday morning, drivers took a tour of the base – filled with advanced aviation technology – in hopes of reaching high-octane speeds like the fighter jets circling the Las Vegas Motor Speedway complex.
The tour begins its California swing – seven events through five tracks – with Thunderbowl Raceway from March 17-18. To learn how to purchase tickets, visit www.tularethunderbowl.com.
The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Notebook
RACE NOTES: In an instant-classic, Donny Schatz battled the podium to win the FVP Outlaw Showdown finale at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Rico Abreu, who led the race late, made contact with the turn four wall in the closing laps. His mistake gave way for Schatz to secure the lead. Logan Schuchart, who led the field into the green flag, rounded-out the podium for his best finish at the track.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Jason Johnson; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Brent Marks; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; VP Racing ($50 cash):Daryn Pittman; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Brent Marks;Cometic Gaskets ($50 cash):Greg Wilson; Super Flow ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): David Gravel, Kraig Kinser, Greg Wilson;Craftsman/Sears: Rico Abreu; KSE Hard Charger: Carson Macedo; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Terry McCarl; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Joey Saldana
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz – 5 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10);Jason Johnson – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nev.; March 10, 2017
Feature - (30 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2] [$10,000]; 2. 24R-Rico Abreu [3] [$5,000]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1] [$3,000]; 4. 21-Brian Brown [6] [$2,700]; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [14] [$2,500]; 6. 5-David Gravel [4] [$2,200]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet [10] [$2,000]; 8. 18-Ian Madsen [9] [$1,800]; 9. 2M-Kerry Madsen [5] [$1,600]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [18] [$1,450]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7] [$1,300]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [21] [$1,200]; 13. 21X-Carson Macedo [24] [$1,100]; 14. W20-Greg Wilson [8] [$1,000]; 15. 4-Paul McMahan [15] [$950]; 16. 24-Terry McCarl [19] [$900]; 17. 7S-Jason Sides [12] [$850]; 18. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [23] [$750]; 19. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [20] [$725]; 20. 1A-Jacob Allen [22] [$700]; 21. 17-Joey Saldana [13] [$700]; 22. 13-Clyde Knipp [25] [$]; 23. 41-Jason Johnson [16] [$700]; 24. 49X-Tim Shaffer [11] [$700]; 25. 29-Willie Croft [17] [$700]; Lap Leaders: Logan Schuchart 1-12; Donny Schatz 13-20, 24-30; Rico Abreu 21-23; KSE Hard Charger Award: 21X-Carson Macedo [+11]
Qualifying - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 14.228; 2. 21-Brian Brown, 14.241; 3. 18-Ian Madsen, 14.244; 4. 4-Paul McMahan, 14.386; 5. 17-Joey Saldana, 14.458; 6. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.505; 7. 24R-Rico Abreu, 14.576; 8. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 14.685; 9. 29-Willie Croft, 14.700; 10. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr, 14.768; 11. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.781; 12. 17B-Josh Baughman, 14.796; 13. 21X-Carson Macedo, 14.859; 14. 41X-Dominic Scelzi, 14.906; 15. 18S-Jason Solwold, 14.917; 16. 24-Terry McCarl, 14.952; 17. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 14.970; 18. 51-James McFadden, 15.005; 19. 22-Cori Andrews, 15.361; 20. 99T-Skylar Gee, 15.399; 21. 21P-Robbie Price, 15.432; 22. 5-David Gravel, 14.554; 23. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.670; 24. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.710; 25. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.730; 26. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.741; 27. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.742; 28. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.755; 29. 41-Jason Johnson, 14.792; 30. 9-Daryn Pittman, 14.813; 31. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.830; 32. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.980; 33. 19-Brent Marks, 15.038; 34. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 15.046; 35. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 15.074; 36. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 15.124; 37. O-Bud Kaeding, 15.137; 38. 3C-DJ Netto, 15.244; 39. 73-Brady Bacon, 15.603; 40. Y69-Randy Waitman, 15.858; 41. 90-Lance Norick, 15.881
Heat 1- (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen [1]; 2. 24R-Rico Abreu [4]; 3. 18-Ian Madsen [2]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [3]; 5. 29-Willie Croft [5]; 6. 21X-Carson Macedo [7]; 7. 18S-Jason Solwold [8]; 8. 49D-Shawn Dancer [9]; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen [6]; 10. 21P-Robbie Price [11]; 11. 22-Cori Andrews [10]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. W20-Greg Wilson [3]; 2. 21-Brian Brown [1]; 3. 49X-Tim Shaffer [4]; 4. 4-Paul McMahan [2]; 5. 24-Terry McCarl [8]; 6. 51-James McFadden [9]; 7. 17B-Josh Baughman [6]; 8. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [7]; 9. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [5]; 10. 99T-Skylar Gee [10]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 5-David Gravel [1]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [3]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [4]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [5]; 6. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [7]; 7. 3C-DJ Netto [9]; 8. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [6]; 10. Y69-Randy Waitman [10]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [2]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [4]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [5]; 6. 87-Aaron Reutzel [7]; 7. 19-Brent Marks [6]; 8. O-Bud Kaeding [8]; 9. 73-Brady Bacon [9]; 10. 90-Lance Norick [10]
Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of feature) - 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 3. 24R-Rico Abreu [5]; 4. 5-David Gravel [2]; 5. 2M-Kerry Madsen [1]; 6. 21-Brian Brown [7]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8]; 8. W20-Greg Wilson [3]
C-Main - (10 Laps - Top 2 finishers transfer to the Last Chance Showdown) - 1. 51-James McFadden [3] [-]; 2. 3C-DJ Netto [2] [-]; 3. 49D-Shawn Dancer [1] [$150]; 4. 73-Brady Bacon [4] [$150]; 5. 99T-Skylar Gee [7] [$150]; 6. 21P-Robbie Price [9] [$125]; 7. 90-Lance Norick [8] [$125]; 8. 22-Cori Andrews [5] [$125]; 9. Y69-Randy Waitman [6] [$125]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 19-Brent Marks [4] [-]; 2. 1A-Jacob Allen [3] [-]; 3. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [6] [-]; 4. 21X-Carson Macedo [7] [-]; 5. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [1] [$300]; 6. 51-James McFadden [13] [$250]; 7. O-Bud Kaeding [12] [$225]; 8. 17B-Josh Baughman [5] [$200]; 9. 18S-Jason Solwold [11] [$200]; 10. 3C-DJ Netto [14] [$200]; 11. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [9] [$200]; 12. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [10] [$200]; 13. 87-Aaron Reutzel [8] [$200]; 14. 13-Clyde Knipp [2] [$200]
Schatz Slips by to Win at Vegas
Rico Abreu battles his way from the back to finish on the podium
LAS VEGAS – March 9, 2017 – As the sun sank below The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Thursday night, a cool breeze drifted through a near-capacity crowd. Specifically on the half-mile course, the intense crosswinds from the track were the product of 42 World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series winged-sprints. The No. 15 Tony Stewart-Curb/Agajanian Racing car of Donny Schatz was the fastest in the field, taking the first night of the FVP Outlaw Showdown.
Schatz earned his 10th career series win at the track, which has hosted the tour for 20 years sporadically. The stop marks the series’ fifth consecutive multi-day event at the track, which is an extension of its 36 total appearances since 1996. Schatz’s first victory came in 1999.
“If it wasn’t for this Stewart-Curb Racing team, we wouldn’t be up here so hats off to them,” said Schatz with his team looking-on in victory lane. “They worked their tails off all winter long and it’s getting better.”
Though the eight-time series champion has reaped the riches several times at the track, this victory offered a purse larger than years passed. A $5,000 winner’s bonus was awarded to the North Dakota-native, as a part of a four-show sponsorship from Badlands Motor Speedway. Badlands will offer a $5,000 purse to winners of the Vegas stretch and at its multi-day event, the Outlaw FanFest – a total of $20,000. Schatz earned a grand total of $15,000 for his victory, including the stack of cash presented to him in Victory Lane.
“Thank you Badlands Motor Speedway,” Schatz said. “Any time you get the extra money, out of courtesy you thank them for their support – like all you fans in the seats. It sure makes it fun to be standing up here.”
Not only did the victory have a larger payout, but it also tested a driver who has won four of the first five shows in 2017. Schatz got the best case scenario in a photo-finish at the line, winning by a narrow 0.046-second margin. He started the 26-lap feature in fourth position, and used a series of restarts to gain ground on each of the podium spots ahead of him. When the green flag dropped, he made his move into the podium and had his sights set on second.
Schatz contested for the runner-up spot in the opening laps, challenging Brian Brown from the bottom. Brown shut down his advances exiting Turn 1 for the first three laps until a red flag reset the field. Shane Stewart, who led the 25-car field into the green flag, got tangled-up in lapped traffic entering turn two of the sixth lap. The aftermath of the wreck forced Stewart to forfeit the top spot, bumping the field up by one position. Schatz thereon targeted Brown for the lead.
It only took one lap for Schatz to wedge his racecar underneath Brown’s No. 21 FVP/Casey’s General Stores car in turn two. Schatz widened the gap to nearly one-second over Brown, while Jason Johnson moved into the final podium spot by Lap 16. A red flag on that lap regrouped the field yet again; at this point, three of the top-five drivers were series regulars (Schatz, Johnson and Sheldon Haudenschild).
Several battles transpired on the restart, as Brown challenged Schatz for the lead from the bottom, and Johnson and Ian Madsen rubbed tires barreling out of the front-stretch. While Johnson was successful, Brown was not as he was penalized for an early start; he was docked one position. The field regrouped for the race’s third restart with Schatz and Johnson – the only two to win a feature event in 2017 – side-by-side in the first row.
In the closing laps, Schatz built a cushion – that did not last. Brown reclaimed second position over Johnson within the final 10 laps of the feature. The race’s final caution extended the 25-lap feature by one lap by virtue of a green-white-checkered. In the final lap, Brown launched his car to the outside of Schatz. The two barreled down the front-stretch to the checkers, and it was Schatz by a nose.
“I always want to win ones like those,” Brown said. “We got a good run [at Schatz], but when you race with a guy like him you need to make a split-decision at 130 miles per hour. I felt like I got through turns one and two pretty well, but on the backstretch I probably should’ve done something a little different. He got a good run off of four and I was like, ‘Gosh darn it, I’m not going to win this race.’ To be up there and race with guys like Donny Schatz is an honor. He’s the Steve Kinser of today.”
Rico Abreu, who was awarded the KSE Hard Charger award, rounded-out the podium in his No. 24R Abreu Vineyards/Priority Aviation car. Starting 21st in the feature, Abreu swiftly navigated through the pack and eventually bested Johnson in the closing laps. Abreu said, “You just simply need to learn how to breathe and make good decisions.”
“When the race gets kind of strung-out, you have to pace yourself,” Abreu said. “You just need to be patient at times and be aggressive on those restarts. I knew we were going to get a few restarts where we could get a breather. Schatz and Brown are the best guys right now besides Jason [Johnson]. It feels good just to get a good finish.”
Stewart, who won his heat race and the Craftsman Club® Dash, rebounded not only from mechanical issues from earlier in the night but also from an unfortunate wreck in the feature. Stewart climbed his way into ninth, recording his second top-ten finish of the season.
Johnson, who ultimately recorded his fourth top-five performance of the season, set the night’s quick-time in time trials. He was roughly one-hundredth of a second off Danny Lasoski’s track record of 13.719. Five of the 42 drivers in time trials posted a lap time less than 14 seconds, recording an average time of 13.948 – nearly two-hundredths of a second off the record pace Lasoski set in 2004.
The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Notebook
RACE NOTES: Donny Schatz earned his fourth victory in the series’ first five events Thursday night, winning the first night of the FVP Outlaw Showdown at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – by a 0.046-second margin. In a race to the finish, Brian Brown was short by a nose to finish second on the night. Rico Abreu, the KSE Hard Charger award-winner, climbed his way up from 21st position to round-out the podium.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Terry McCarl; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Kerry Madsen; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; VP Racing ($50 cash):Shane Stewart; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Joey Saldana;Cometic Gaskets ($50 cash):Daryn Pittman; Super Flow ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Jason Johnson, Joey Saldana, Logan Schuchart, Sheldon Haudenschild;Craftsman/Sears: Brian Brown; KSE Hard Charger: Rico Abreu; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Greg Wilson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Aaron Reutzel
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz – 4(Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9);Jason Johnson – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nev.; March 9, 2017
Feature - (26 Laps due to green-white-checkered finish) -1. 15-Donny Schatz [4] [$10,000]; 2. 21-Brian Brown [2] [$5,000]; 3. 24R-Rico Abreu [21] [$3,000]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [5] [$2,700]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7] [$2,500]; 6. 18-Ian Madsen [3] [$2,200]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [9] [$2,000]; 8. 2M-Kerry Madsen [14] [$1,800]; 9. 2-Shane Stewart [1] [$1,600]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8] [$1,450]; 11. 49-Brad Sweet [12] [$1,300]; 12. 17-Joey Saldana [6] [$1,200]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [20] [$1,100]; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman [10] [$1,000]; 15. 73-Brady Bacon [23] [$950]; 16. 5-David Gravel [16] [$900]; 17. W20-Greg Wilson [11] [$850]; 18. 21X-Carson Macedo [17] [$750]; 19. 17B-Josh Baughman [19] [$725]; 20. 4-Paul McMahan [25] [$]; 21. 87-Aaron Reutzel [13] [$700]; 22. 7S-Jason Sides [15] [$700]; 23. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [22] [$700]; 24. 24-Terry McCarl [24] [$700]; 25. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [18] [$700];Lap Leaders:Shane Stewart 1-6; Brian Brown 7, 25; Donny Schatz 8-24, 26; KSE Hard Charger Award: 24R-Rico Abreu [+18]
Qualifying -1. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.875; 2. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.975; 3. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.021; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.049; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.145; 6. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.160; 7. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 14.181; 8. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.213; 9. 24R-Rico Abreu, 14.226; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.236; 11. 21X-Carson Macedo, 14.227; 12. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr, +; 13. 18S-Jason Solwold, 14.352; 14. 17B-Josh Baughman, 14.361; 15. O-Bud Kaeding, 14.370; 16. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 14.523; 17. 3C-DJ Netto, 14.555; 18. 99T-Skylar Gee, 14.981; 19. 9Z-Jared Goerges, 15.098; 20. 22-Cori Andrews, 15.172; 21. Y69-Randy Waitman, 15.630; 22. 21-Brian Brown, 13.903; 23. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.990; 24. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.996; 25. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.055; 26. 9-Daryn Pittman, 14.056; 27. 5-David Gravel, 14.067; 28. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 14.082; 29. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.125; 30. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 14.146; 31. 19-Brent Marks, 14.231; 32. 24-Terry McCarl, 14.316; 33. 41X-Dominic Scelzi, 14.332; 34. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 14.343; 35. 73-Brady Bacon, 14.345; 36. 29-Willie Croft, 14.422; 37. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.429; 38. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 14.465; 39. 51-James McFadden, 14.501; 40. 90-Lance Norick, 15.128; 41. 4-Paul McMahan, nt; 42. 21P-Robbie Price, nt
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) -1. 41-Jason Johnson [1] ; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [2] ; 3. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3] ; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel [4] ; 5. 21X-Carson Macedo [6] ; 6. 24R-Rico Abreu [5] ; 7. 18S-Jason Solwold [7] ; 8. O-Bud Kaeding [8] ; 9. 3C-DJ Netto [9] ; 10. 9Z-Jared Goerges [10] ; 11. Y69-Randy Waitman [11]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) -1. 18-Ian Madsen [1] ; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2] ; 3. W20-Greg Wilson [3] ; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [4] ; 5. 17B-Josh Baughman [7] ; 6. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [6] ; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [5] ; 8. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8] ; 9. 99T-Skylar Gee [9] ; 10. 22-Cori Andrews [10]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) -1. 21-Brian Brown [1] ; 2. 17-Joey Saldana [2] ; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [3] ; 4. 2M-Kerry Madsen [4] ; 5. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [5] ; 6. 24-Terry McCarl [6] ; 7. 29-Willie Croft [8] ; 8. 21P-Robbie Price [11] ; 9. 90-Lance Norick [10] ; 10. 49D-Shawn Dancer [9] ; 11. 49X-Tim Shaffer [7]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) -1. 2-Shane Stewart [1] ; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2] ; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [4] ; 4. 5-David Gravel [3] ; 5. 19-Brent Marks [5] ; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [10] ; 7. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [6] ; 8. 73-Brady Bacon [7] ; 9. 51-James McFadden [9] ; 10. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]
Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of feature) -1. 2-Shane Stewart [4] ; 2. 21-Brian Brown [2] ; 3. 18-Ian Madsen [3] ; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [5] ; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [1] ; 6. 17-Joey Saldana [6] ; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7] ; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8]
C-Main - (10 Laps - Top 2 finishers transfer to the Last Chance Showdown) -1. 51-James McFadden [4] [-]; 2. 3C-DJ Netto [1] [-]; 3. 4-Paul McMahan [8] [$150]; 4. 49D-Shawn Dancer [2] [$150]; 5. 99T-Skylar Gee [3] [$150]; 6. 21P-Robbie Price [10] [$125]; 7. Y69-Randy Waitman [9] [$125]; 8. 22-Cori Andrews [7] [$125]; 9. 90-Lance Norick [6] [$125]; 10. 9Z-Jared Goerges [5] [$125]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the feature)- 1. 24R-Rico Abreu [1] [-]; 2. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [4] [-]; 3. 73-Brady Bacon [8] [-]; 4. 24-Terry McCarl [2] [-]; 5. 51-James McFadden [13] [$300]; 6. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [5] [$250]; 7. 49X-Tim Shaffer [6] [$225]; 8. 18S-Jason Solwold [7] [$200]; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen [3] [$200]; 10. 29-Willie Croft [10] [$200]; 11. O-Bud Kaeding [9] [$200]; 12. 3C-DJ Netto [14] [$200]; 13. 13-Clyde Knipp [12] [$200]; 14. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [11] [$200]
Schatz Sweeps the Show at LoneStar
Sheldon Haudenschild records first podium finish in rookie season
KILGORE, Tex. – March 3, 2017 – There is a crater wrapped around turns one and two of LoneStar Speedway – now a reinvented third-mile dirt course. Shortened from a 3/8-mile oval since the last time the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series visited there in 2010, the “Greatest Show on Dirt” competed on the equally as fast bullring Friday night for the first time at the new length. Wheel-to-wheel with 23 other cars, Donny Schatz avoided the expected dangers of short-track racing and took the checkered flag without a hitch.
Schatz led all 35 laps in his victory, taking home not only the trophy but also a gold-toned Limited Edition Craftsman wrench set for the company’s 90th anniversary. Though Schatz established his dominance throughout the program – setting the night’s quick-time, and winning his heat and the Craftsman Club Dash – it did not come as easily as it seemed on paper. From an assumingly unlikely challenger – in terms of their resumes – the eight-time series champion was challenged by Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender Sheldon Haudenschild throughout the night.
“[Sheldon] was there from the start and did everything he needed to do,” Schatz said. “It’s an experience thing. Obviously he is a good, young driver. He’s got a bright future ahead of him. But we try not to focus on what someone else is doing. We have to focus on our own stuff to try to stay ahead of these young guys.”
Haudenschild, 23, was less than a tenth of a second off Schatz’s quick-time, and he also won his way into the dash. The two started on the front row of the feature, where the son of the "Wild Child” Jac Haudenschild would have his chance to make his own name in the series. He wasted no time.
“I had a good starting spot, but it was just difficult to pass,” Haudenschild said. “I tried to make it happen early when I slid [Donny] twice, but just didn’t have the speed in the corners to do it. I just need to be there in the end. I’m happy with the performance. To get a good run early in the season is a confidence-booster, and we’ll try to carry that momentum. I know I have a really great car and crew. Getting in these dashes is a big part of it.”
Haudenschild, starting to the right of Schatz’s No. 15 Tony Stewart-Curb/Agajanian Racing machine, dipped under him once the green flag dropped. He challenged Schatz on the bottom, but the top proved to be the quickest route to shutting down Haudenschild’s advances. Schatz and Haudenschild tangoed briefly, but the defending champion quickly opened-up his lead to a 1.345-second margin.
Thereon, Haudenschild was sandwiched in-between two drivers that have wins in 2017 – Schatz and 2016 Knoxville Nationals Champion Jason Johnson. Haudenschild’s No. 93 Southern Pacific Farms/ Rico Abreu Racing car escaped Johnson’s challenge for second with 20 laps remaining. Haudenschild distanced himself from Johnson, gaining more than a one-second advantage over his No. 41 Priority Aviation/ Mesilla Valley Transportation racecar.
The race’s first caution five laps later regrouped the field; Johnson took advantage. Barreling out of turn four, Johnson overtook Haudenschild. By this time, the top-five was all series regulars – Schatz, Johnson, Haudenschild, Brad Sweet and David Gravel respectively. Through two more cautions in the feature, Johnson managed to close the gap between him and Schatz to as narrow as a .733-second margin. He could not capitalize.
“You’re racing the best guy in the business (Schatz),” Johnson said. “He’s not going to make any mistakes. Those guys are clicking and doing a great job. But my guys have done a great job making great, consistent Maxim cars, and we communicated over the winter with Paul Kistler about the motors we had success with in 2016. We have great communication, and I’m in the best physical shape in my life as far as racing. Mentally, I’m in a great position because of the Jason Johnson Racing- Marshall Racing merger.”
The tour concludes its first stint in Texas with the Gator Outlaw Bash at Gator Motorplex on Saturday, March 4. For ticket information, visit SLS Promotions, LLC.
LoneStar Speedway Notebook
RACE NOTES: Donny Schatz swept the East Texas Lone Star Shootout program Friday, putting the exclamation point on the feature by leading all 35 laps. Sheldon Haudenschild, a Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender, dominated alongside the eight-time champion with a strong showing. The two started in the front of a 12-row feature field, where Haudenschild contested for the lead. Nearing the second-half of the feature, Jason Johnson catapulted his racecar to second place; Haudenschild was unable to reclaim his spot.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Clyde Knipp; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; VP Racing ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Cometic Gaskets ($50 cash): Parker Price Miller; Super Flow ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild, Jason Johnson, Brad Sweet, Paul McMahan; Craftsman/Sears: Tim Shaffer; KSE Hard Charger: Kriag Kinser; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Jason Johnson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Brent Marks; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz – 3 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3); Jason Johnson – 1(Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; LoneStar Speedway, Tex.; March 3, 2017
Feature - (35 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1] [$10,000]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [3] [$5,500]; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2] [$3,200]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [4] [$2,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [7] [$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [14] [$2,300]; 7. 99-Brady Bacon [12] [$2,200]; 8. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5] [$2,100]; 9. 4-Paul McMahan [6] [$2,050]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [10] [$2,000]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [20] [$1,500]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [11] [$1,200]; 13. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8] [$1,100]; 14. 17-Joey Saldana [15] [$1,050]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [17] [$1,000]; 16. 17B-Josh Baughman [23 ][$900]; 17. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [22] [$800]; 18. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [19] [$800]; 19. 19-Brent Marks [21 ][$800]; 20. 87-Aaron Reutzel [16] [$800]; 21. 7S-Jason Sides [13] [$800]; 22. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [24] [$800]; 23. 2C-Wayne Johnson [9] [$800]; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp [18] [$800]; 25. 1S-Logan Schuchart [25] [$]; Lap Leaders: Donny Schatz 1-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: 11K-Kraig Kinser [+9]
Qualifying - 1. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.170; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.247; 3. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.350; 4. 41-Jason Johnson, 12.387; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 12.393; 6. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.415; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.427; 8. 18-Ian Madsen, 12.464; 9. 17-Joey Saldana, 12.469; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.476; 11. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 12.527; 12. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 12.534; 13. 5-David Gravel, 12.548; 14. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.578; 15. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 12.633; 16. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 12.670; 17. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.719; 18. 99-Brady Bacon, 12.789; 19. 7S-Jason Sides, 12.818; 20. 17B-Josh Baughman, 12.876; 21. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr, 13.061; 22. 19-Brent Marks, 13.070; 23. 71A-R.J. Johnson, 13.137; 24. 17G-Dustin Gates, 13.334; 25. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.471; 26. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.482; 27. 13-Clyde Knipp, 15.322; 28. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, nt
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1] ; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [2] ; 3. 5-David Gravel [5] ; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [4] ; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [7] ; 6. 87-Aaron Reutzel [6] ; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3] ; 8. 19-Brent Marks [8] ; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [9] ; 10. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [10]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [1] ; 2. 49X-Tim Shaffer [2] ; 3. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [4] ; 4. 18-Ian Madsen [3] ; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [6] ; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [5] ; 7. 17B-Josh Baughman [7] ; 8. 71A-R.J. Johnson [8] ; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen [9]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 4-Paul McMahan [2] ; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1] ; 3. 2C-Wayne Johnson [4] ; 4. 99-Brady Bacon [6] ; 5. 17-Joey Saldana [3] ; 6. 13-Clyde Knipp [9] ; 7. 17G-Dustin Gates [8] ; 8. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [7] ; 9. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [5]
Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 6 starting positions of feature) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1] ; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2] ; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [4] ; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [6] ; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5] ; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [3]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [2] [-]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1] [-]; 3. 19-Brent Marks [5] [-]; 4. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [4] [-]; 5. 17B-Josh Baughman [3] [-]; 6. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [10] [-]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [9] [$300]; 8. 17G-Dustin Gates [7] [$250]; 9. 71A-R.J. Johnson [6] [$225]; 10. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8] [$200]
Schatz Charges to Win in DIRTcar Nationals Finale
Gravel awarded the coveted ‘Big Gator’
BARBERVILLE, Fla. – February 19, 2017 – Donny Schatz etched his name into DIRTcar Nationals history Sunday, winning both the afternoon and night show at Volusia Speedway Park. The trip down victory lane gave Schatz 17 career wins at the half-mile, and he captured three of the five sprint shows in the 12-day event.
With the victory, Schatz joins Jeff and Sammy Swindell as the only Outlaws to win multiple series races in one day. Jeff Swindell first accomplished the one-day sweep at Rolling Wheels (N.Y.) Raceway Park on October 8, 1994. Sammy Swindell matched his brother’s feat in 1999 at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway.
Though Schatz won the majority of the week’s sprint car races, those he did not win proved to test his No. 15 Tony Stewart-Curb/Agajanian Racing team. In the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series opener, Schatz qualified 24th in a 36-car pack and placed fourth in his heat race. Sunday night was similar, as Schatz only qualified seven positions better and placed fifth in his heat. What differed for the eight-time champion this time was his ability to move through the 26-car feature field.
”We didn’t change anything,” Schatz said. “I thought the car felt really good. I actually thought I could get to the middle pretty well, but that changed once we got that going. These guys are incredible with what they do. I love it.”
Schatz started 17th in the 30-lap feature, but made quick work of those between him and a podium position. By the 12th lap Schatz skidded through the bottom, passing multiple drivers into fourth. The next lap Schatz made his move for third, getting under quick-timer Brian Brown. Brown won his way through the program, setting the quick time and eventually leading the feature into the green flag.
Within the final 10 laps and one position later, Schatz threatened for first. David Gravel, who took the lead on the fifth lap, maintained the top spot by building speed on the top cushion. Gravel said he felt comfortable “staying on top and running alone,” but Schatz began to close the gap with each lap by cutting the corners out of turns three and four; lapped traffic gave Gravel enough real-estate to not alter his line. However with two laps remaining, the two barreled down the front stretch side by side – only for Schatz to catch him in turn one. Gravel said where he saved time with lapped traffic, he ended up giving time back at the end.
“We wanted to win there,” Gravel said. “Lapped traffic got us. Sometimes we’re better running second. I don’t know what I could have done differently, but I did the best I could. Just leading all those laps you want to win.”
Despite Gravel’s shortcoming, in hindsight he said he had a good week. Having battled through four motor changes – the CJB Motorsports team had to get three more Kistler engines delivered to even be able to run the finale – he still advanced to the Craftsman Club ® Dash in both shows. Because of the consistency, Gravel took home the coveted ‘Big Gator’ trophy, which is awarded to the top performing driver overall.
“We just need to continue to get better and run well,” said Gravel, whose focus is helping refresh and replenish his team’s inventory.
The series will head West for its annual Kick-off Tour. First, the Outlaws will tackle to Texas-tracks from March 3-4 – LoneStar Speedway and Gator Motorplex. For more information, visit woosprint.com/kick-off-tour.
Volusia Speedway Park Notebook
RACE NOTES: Donny Schatz adds his name to series regulars who have won multiple series races in one day. Schatz, the KSE Hard Charger, started from 17th position to pass David Gravel for first in the closing laps. Gravel placed second in the feature, but went on to win the “Big Gator” trophy – awarded to the best overall performance during the three-day event. Daryn Pittman took the final podium spot, recording his second top-five performance of 2017.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Jacob Allen; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Lucas Wolfe; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Brad Sweet ; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Kraig Kinser; Super Flow ($50 cash): Danny Dietrich; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): David Gravel, Daryn Pittman, Jason Sides, Jason Johnson; Craftsman/Sears: Brian Brown; KSE Hard Charger: Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Justin Henderson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jacob Allen
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz – 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on February 19, Volusia Speedway Park on February 19); Jason Johnson – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17);
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Volusia Speedway Park, Fla.; Feb., 19 2017
A-Main - (30 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [17] [$10,000]; 2. 5-David Gravel [4] [$5,500]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [5] [$3,200]; 4. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [2] [$2,800]; 5. 21-Brian Brown [1] [$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [14] [$2,300]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart [10] [$2,200]; 8. 2M-Kerry Madsen [3] [$2,100]; 9. 18-Ian Madsen [16] [$2,050]; 10. 49-Brad Sweet [21] [$2,000]; 11. 10H-Chad Kemenah [19] [$1,500]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [23] [$1,200]; 13. W20-Greg Wilson [18] [$1,100]; 14. 13D-Danny Dietrich [15] [$1,050]; 15. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [11] [$1,000]; 16. 49X-Tim Shaffer [20] [$900]; 17. 59H-Justin Henderson [22] [$800]; 18. 17-Joey Saldana [13] [$800]; 19. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [12] [$800]; 20. 41-Jason Johnson [8] [$800]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [25] [$]; 22. 13-Clyde Knipp [26] [$]; 23. 7S-Jason Sides [6] [$800]; 24. 24R-Rico Abreu [7] [$800]; 25. 1-Dale Blaney [9] [$800]; 26. 4-Paul McMahan [24] [$800]; Lap Leaders: Lucas Wolfe 1-4, David Gravel 5-28, Donny Schatz 29-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz [+16]
Qualifying - 1. 21-Brian Brown, 13.006; 2. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.014; 3. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.051; 4. 24R-Rico Abreu, 13.097; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.097; 6. 5-David Gravel, 13.125; 7. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.132; 8. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 13.134; 9. 1-Dale Blaney, 13.162; 10. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.175; 11. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.209; 12. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.210; 13. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.211; 14. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.223; 15. 13D-Danny Dietrich, 13.244; 16. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 13.248; 17. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.254; 18. 59H-Justin Henderson, 13.265; 19. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.283; 20. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.303; 21. 14-Christopher Bell, 13.303; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.314; 23. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.328; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.350; 25. 19-Brent Marks, 13.360; 26. 27-Greg Hodnett, 13.440; 27. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.468; 28. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 13.484; 29. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 13.519; 30. 24-Terry McCarl, 13.527; 31. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.539; 32. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 13.572; 33. 17X-Caleb Helms, 13.608; 34. 7W-Tasker Phillips, 13.716; 35. O7-Jacob Wilson, 13.903; 36. 59S-Ben Schmidt, nt
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 21-Brian Brown [1] ; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [2] ; 3. 1-Dale Blaney [3] ; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [4] ; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [5] ; 6. 14-Christopher Bell [6] ; 7. 19-Brent Marks [7] ; 8. 17X-Caleb Helms [9] ; 9. 87-Aaron Reutzel [8]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [1] ; 2. 5-David Gravel [2] ; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6] ; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [3] ; 5. W20-Greg Wilson [4]; 6. 27-Greg Hodnett [7] ; 7. 59H-Justin Henderson [5] ; 8. 24-Terry McCarl [8]; 9. 7W-Tasker Phillips [9]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 7S-Jason Sides [1] ; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [2] ; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [3] ; 4. 13D-Danny Dietrich [4] ; 5. 10H-Chad Kemenah [6] ; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [5] ; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7] ; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8] ; 9. O7-Jacob Wilson [9]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen [2] ; 2. 24R-Rico Abreu [1] ; 3. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [4] ; 4. 18-Ian Madsen [3] ; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer [7] ; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [5] ; 7. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8] ; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [6] ; 9. 59S-Ben Schmidt [9]
Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of feature) - 1. 21-Brian Brown [1] ; 2. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [2] ; 3. 2M-Kerry Madsen [4] ; 4. 5-David Gravel [6] ; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [5] ; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [3] ; 7. 24R-Rico Abreu [8] ; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [7]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [2] [-]; 2. 59H-Justin Henderson [1] [-]; 3. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8] [-]; 4. 4-Paul McMahan [3] [-]; 5. 19-Brent Marks [6] [$300]; 6. 14-Christopher Bell [4] [$250]; 7. 27-Greg Hodnett [7] [$225]; 8. 24-Terry McCarl [10] [$200]; 9. 17X-Caleb Helms [13] [$200]; 10. 7W-Tasker Phillips [14] [$200]; 11. 59S-Ben Schmidt [16] [$200]; 12. 13-Clyde Knipp [5] [$200]; 13. 87-Aaron Reutzel [9] [$200]; 14. O7-Jacob Wilson [15] [$200]; 15. 1A-Jacob Allen [11] [$200]; 16. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [12] [$200]
Schatz Wins Second DIRTcar Nationals Gator
Two series regulars reverse their luck to record top-five showing
BARBERSVILLE, Fla. – February 19, 2017 – It is not unusual for two series champions to face-off in the 46th Annual DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. In the first show of a Sunday double-header, eight-time World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Champion Donny Schatz revisited his fierce battle with Arctic Cat All-Star Circuit of Champions titleholder Chad Kemenah. Like the Wednesday night thriller – starting in the first row with Kemenah – Schatz again established himself as the best-of-the-best between the two series.
But it did not come easily for the Fargo, N.D. native, who has now won a DIRTcar Nationals show every year since 2011. On Friday night Schatz finished 14thin the feature, his worst finish since the series opener last season (when he placed 18th). But Schatz said one major adjustment was opting for a harder tire.
“We did make some tire changes today and went with a harder tire,” Schatz said. “I think it hurt us early in the race, but they don’t pay for the first lap they pay for the last. The driver just showed up today with an attitude. I guess you could say he made all the mistakes in one night (Friday).”
Once the green flag was waved, Schatz overtook Kemenah and extended his lead to nearly one second. Kemenah reclaimed his spot before the race’s first caution on the ensuing restart. In the race’s most exhilarating exchange, the two danced around each other – inversely switching lines high and low. Schatz was the first to take the lead, wedging his car under Kemenah’s in the second turn. Kemenah used the back-stretch to regroup, and butted his left-front tire nearly up against the inside wall in turn three for first position.
On Lap 14, strategy played to Schatz’s favor. Schatz made the decision to start on the inside of the race’s second caution – as the two made their passes on the bottom earlier. Schatz was successful on the restart. Kemenah dropped off Schatz’s pace – nearly two tenths faster than the field with each lap. This left the door open for Friday night’s winner Jason Johnson to slip by Kemenah and secure a second-place finish; Kemenah settled for third.
Like Schatz, David Gravel also underwent a roller-coaster of a week. Gravel won Thursday’s All-Star finale, but since has blown four motors. Expending his reserve, CJB Motorsports sent for three new motors to be shipped to Volusia. Gravel said race engines “eat dirt every day,” so self-inflicted malfunctions are bound to happen.
On his fifth Kistler motor, Gravel turned-around Friday’s last place finish by first setting Sunday afternoon’s quick time with a 13.453. He carried that momentum to his heat race, doubling on his successes. There was a small scare in the Craftsman® Club Dash when he got into the turn two wall. Escaping with only minor damage, this was the only hiccup Gravel had throughout the show; he ultimately collected his first World of Outlaws top-five performance of the year.
“When that fifth motor is good enough to quick time, it speaks to how good our engine program is,” said Gravel, who added that he never lost doubt in his Kistler Engine package. “We never give up. We screwed up a little in the dash, but we just kept looking forward. There’s no reason why we can’t win tonight.”
With the victory, Schatz can become the first Outlaw since Jeff Swindell and Sammy Swindell to win multiple series races in one day. Jeff Swindell first accomplished the one-day sweep at Rolling Wheels (N.Y.) Raceway Park on October 8, 1994. Sammy Swindell matched his brother’s feat in 1999 at Bloomington Speedway.
Volusia Speedway Park Notebook
RACE NOTES:Donny Schatz wins a World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series race at DIRTcar Nationals for the fourth consecutive year. After fending off Chad Kemenah – who led the 26-car feature into the green flag – Schatz nearly opened-up a two second lead. Jason Johnson, who won the previous show, caught up to Kemenah and took second place in the closing laps.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Jacob Allen; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Brent Marks; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Danny Dietrich; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Terry McCarl;Super Flow ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Joey Saldana, Paul McMahan, David Gravel;Craftsman/Sears: Chad Kemenah; KSE Hard Charger: Kerry Madsen; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Brad Sweet; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Caleb Helms
SEASON WINNERS: Jason Johnson – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17); Donny Schatz – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on February 19)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Volusia Speedway Park, Fla.; Feb. 19, 2017
Feature - (25 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1] [$10,000]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [3] [$5,500]; 3. 10H-Chad Kemenah [2] [$3,200]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [4] [$2,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [8] [$2,500]; 6. 14-Christopher Bell [6] [$2,300]; 7. 4-Paul McMahan [5] [$2,200]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [9] [$2,100]; 9. 7S-Jason Sides [12] [$2,050]; 10. 13D-Danny Dietrich [7] [$2,000]; 11. 2M-Kerry Madsen [19] [$1,500]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart [14] [$1,200]; 13. 18-Ian Madsen [10] [$1,100]; 14. 24-Terry McCarl [13] [$1,050]; 15. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [18] [$1,000]; 16. 1-Dale Blaney [20] [$900]; 17. 49-Brad Sweet [17] [$800]; 18. 27-Greg Hodnett [16] [$800]; 19. 2-Shane Stewart [24] [$800]; 20. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [23] [$800]; 21. 24R-Rico Abreu [22] [$800]; 22. 17X-Caleb Helms [15] [$800]; 23. 9-Daryn Pittman [11] [$800]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [25] [$800]; 25. 87-Aaron Reutzel [21] [$800]; 26. 13-Clyde Knipp [26] [$800]; Lap Leaders: Chad Kemenah 1-13, Donny Schatz 14-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 2M-Kerry Madsen[+8]
Qualifying - 1. 5-David Gravel, 13.453; 2. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.456; 3. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.543; 4. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.567; 5. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.574; 6. 14-Christopher Bell, 13.578; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.605; 8. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.608; 9. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.614; 10. 13D-Danny Dietrich, 13.619; 11. 17X-Caleb Helms, 13.627; 12. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.628; 13. 19-Brent Marks, 13.631; 14. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.647; 15. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.682; 16. 27-Greg Hodnett, 13.701; 17. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.720; 18. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 13.736; 19. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 13.797; 20. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 13.812; 21. 24-Terry McCarl, 13.823; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.873; 23. 24R-Rico Abreu, 13.876; 24. 1-Dale Blaney, 13.908; 25. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.920; 26. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.929; 27. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.937; 28. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.000; 29. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 14.019; 30. 59H-Justin Henderson, 14.083; 31. 7W-Tasker Phillips, 14.254; 32. 59S-Ben Schmidt, 14.315; 33. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 14.602; 34. O7-Jacob Wilson, 14.707; 35. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.917; 36. 21-Brian Brown, nt
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 5-David Gravel[1] ; 2. 41-Jason Johnson[2] ; 3. 19-Brent Marks[4] ; 4. 24-Terry McCarl[6] ; 5. 49-Brad Sweet[5] ; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[3] ; 7. 49X-Tim Shaffer[8] ; 8. W20-Greg Wilson[7] ; 9. 2X-Parker Price-Miller[9]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 14-Christopher Bell[2] ; 2. 13D-Danny Dietrich[3] ; 3. 18-Ian Madsen[4] ; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[6] ; 5. 5W-Lucas Wolfe[1] ; 6. 59H-Justin Henderson[8] ; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser[7] ; 8. 87-Aaron Reutzel[5] ; 9. O7-Jacob Wilson[9]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz[1] ; 2. 17-Joey Saldana[4] ; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman[2] ; 4. 17X-Caleb Helms[3] ; 5. 2M-Kerry Madsen[5] ; 6. 24R-Rico Abreu[6] ; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen[7] ; 8. 7W-Tasker Phillips[8] ; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp[9]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 10H-Chad Kemenah[1] ; 2. 4-Paul McMahan[2] ; 3. 7S-Jason Sides[3] ; 4. 27-Greg Hodnett[4] ; 5. 1-Dale Blaney[6] ; 6. 2-Shane Stewart[7] ; 7. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier[5] ; 8. 59S-Ben Schmidt[8]
Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of A-feature - 1. 15-Donny Schatz[2] ; 2. 10H-Chad Kemenah[1] ; 3. 41-Jason Johnson[5] ; 4. 17-Joey Saldana[7] ; 5. 4-Paul McMahan[8] ; 6. 14-Christopher Bell[3] ; 7. 13D-Danny Dietrich[6] ; 8. 5-David Gravel[4]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel[2] [-]; 2. 24R-Rico Abreu[4] [-]; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[1] [-]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart[8] [-]; 5. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier[3] [$300]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson[5] [$250]; 7. 59H-Justin Henderson[10] [$225]; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser[6] [$200]; 9. 49X-Tim Shaffer[9] [$200]; 10. 59S-Ben Schmidt[12] [$200]; 11. 7W-Tasker Phillips[11] [$200]; 12. 1A-Jacob Allen[7] [$200]; 13. O7-Jacob Wilson[14] [$200]; 14. 13-Clyde Knipp[15] [$200]; 15. 2X-Parker Price-Miller[13] [$200]; 16. 21-Brian Brown[16] [$200]
Saturday, February 18th Portion of DIRTcar Nationals Postponed Due to Rain
Event will resume Sunday with doubleheader with the World of Outlaws and DIRTcar Racing UMP Modifieds
BARBERVILLE, Fla. – February 18, 2017 – Night five of DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park has been postponed due to persistent rain setting up a doubleheader event starting Sunday afternoon.
Saturday, Feb. 18th postponed event will resume with grandstand and pit gates opening at 11:30am. Hot laps and qualifying will resume starting at 12:00pm.
Fans that have tickets and/or a wristband for Saturday’s World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series and DIRTcar Racing UMP Modified portion of DIRTcar Nationals can bring their ticket stub and/or wristband to the gate for re-entry to the first portion Sunday’s DIRTcar Nationals doubleheader.
The evening portion of the doubleheader will start with pit gates opening at 4:00pm; the grandstands will re-open at 5:00pm. Hot laps for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series starting at 6:00pm followed by qualifying.
For more information about DIRTcar Nationals by visiting www.DIRTcarNationals.com or follow DIRTcarNats on Twitter and Facebook.com/DIRTcar
Johnson Takes Flight in Outlaws Opener
Wins first career Gator at DIRTcar Nationals
BARBERSVILLE, Fla. – February 17, 2017 – Jason Johnson made a grand entrance into 2017 Friday night, winning the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series opener at the 46th Annual DIRTcar Nationals. Johnson, whose 2016 season was highlighted by a Knoxville Nationals victory, took home his first Gator and a $10,000 purse.
“Yeah, 365 days later we start the season off in the best case scenario,” said Johnson, rehashing on his team’s troubles last season. “It’s a long season, and you need to condition for it. My little [Jaxx] on FaceTime over there… he and my wife mean the world to me, and I wish he could be here for the win. [The win] is huge for our operation, for our team, for the people working on this team and for my self-confidence.”
For Johnson’s four World of Outlaws wins last season, Johnson brought his son up on stage to wave their index finger in the air symbolizing “No.1.” This time Johnson scaled the wing of his No. 41 Priority Aviation Services, LLC/ Mesilla Valley Transportation Maxim car solo, but dropped back down to high-fives and hugs from his crew. Johnson, who was involved in a horrific wreck earlier in the week, opted to withdraw from the All-Star Circuit of Champions finale Thursday night. But one day later, consistently bested 35 other cars on sprint car racing’s biggest stage.
Johnson started on the outside of the first row for the 30-lap feature event. Where he started, is where he stayed. Johnson – continuing to stay on-top of the wheel and high on the track – darted to the front within the first lap. Sweet followed Johnson to the front but from the bottom. The first of three cautions came on the third lap, when David Gravel suffered from more mechanical failures. Notably, Gravel raced nearly 80 races without blowing a motor heading into this year’s DIRTcar Nationals. The caution regrouped the field, giving Sweet the opportunity to recreate last season’s season opener with a win.
“I’ll tell you what, I really thought we were going to have something there for Jason,” Sweet said. “I had to [eventually] move to the top but Johnson set a really torrid pace out there. He did it, so hats-off to him. We have two more nights so hopefully we can end up where he is.”
Sweet swapped spots with Brian Brown throughout the race, but in the final two laps swiftly moved passed him on the front straightaway. Brown forfeited third to a red-hot Christopher Bell, who rounded-out the podium. Bell not only beat Johnson in the dash, but also set the night’s quick time with a 13.121.
“I kind of struggled on starts and restarts there,” said Bell, who led the feature field into the green flag. “Mistakes on my part for starts and restarts, but this thing is really fast. It’s a great machine to drive. Thank you Tony [Stewart] for letting me come out and have some fun.”
From the victory, Johnson leads the points championship for the first time in his career. As Sweet alluded to, Johnson’s aggressive driving style opened up the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” for him. Earlier in the program, Johnson qualified third but claimed his stake for a Gator in the third heat. His car weaved in-and-around series newcomer Brent Marks. Though he was in a transfer spot, Johnson did not let off the gas.
He went on to start fourth in the Craftsman Club Dash and finish second after yet another battle – with Brown. Brown’s uncle and crew member, 2001 Series Champion Danny Lasoski, is the most winningest sprint car driver at Volusia Speedway Park. He is scheduled to compete predominantly with the Outlaws, though it will not be full-time.
Series veteran Jason Sides set the pace early in the program, recording the quickest time in hot laps of 13.602. Sides went on to set quick-time in qualifying – putting him in position to “Double Down” as his nickname suggests – but the time only stood until Bell knocked him off with 15 drivers remaining. Ultimately, four out of the five top-qualifiers were series regulars. Three regulars finished the night in the Top-five.
Volusia Speedway Park Notebook
RACE NOTES:Jason Johnson collects his first win of the season Friday night, beating fellow series regular Brad Sweet by a 3.553-second margin. Sweet and Brian Brown battled nearly the entire 30 laps, until quick-timer Cristopher Bell made a last-minute moved to knock Brown off the podium.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Jacob Allen; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Kerry Madsen; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Super Flow ($50 cash): Kraig Kinser; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Jason Johnson, Jason Sides, Brad Sweet, Daryn Pittman, Brent Marks;Craftsman/Sears: Christopher Bell; KSE Hard Charger: Chad Kemenah; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Jason Johnson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Brent Marks; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jason Sides
SEASON WINNERS: Jason Johnson – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Volusia Speedway Park, Fla.; Feb. 18, 2017
Feature - (30 Laps) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [2] [$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [5] [$5,500]; 3. 14-Christopher Bell [1] [$3,200]; 4. 21-Brian Brown [3] [$2,800]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [7] [$2,500]; 6. 49X-Tim Shaffer [9] [$2,300]; 7. 10H-Chad Kemenah [20] [$2,200]; 8. 24R-Rico Abreu [13] [$2,100]; 9. 2M-Kerry Madsen [14] [$2,050]; 10. 18-Ian Madsen [6] [$2,000]; 11. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [11] [$1,500]; 12. 17-Joey Saldana [15] [$1,200]; 13. 1-Dale Blaney [24] [$1,100]; 14. 15-Donny Schatz [16] [$1,050]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17] [$1,000]; 16. 19-Brent Marks [8] [$900]; 17. 13D-Danny Dietrich [23] [$800]; 18. 4-Paul McMahan [10] [$800]; 19. 87-Aaron Reutzel [19] [$800]; 20. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [18] [$800]; 21. 7S-Jason Sides [4] [$800]; 22. 27-Greg Hodnett [12] [$800]; 23. 2-Shane Stewart [21] [$800]; 24. 1A-Jacob Allen [25]; 25. 5-David Gravel [22] [$800]; Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 10H-Chad Kemenah [+13]
Qualifying - 1. 14-Christopher Bell, 13.121; 2. 5-David Gravel, 13.126; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.161; 4. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.223; 5. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.247; 6. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.262; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.296; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.298; 9. 24R-Rico Abreu, 13.306; 10. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.312; 11. 19-Brent Marks, 13.314; 12. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.318; 13. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 13.340; 14. 21-Brian Brown, 13.345; 15. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 13.352; 16. 27-Greg Hodnett, 13.395; 17. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.413; 18. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 13.431; 19. 13D-Danny Dietrich, 13.446; 20. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.448; 21. 1-Dale Blaney, 13.460; 22. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.464; 23. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.501; 24. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.510; 25. 24-Terry McCarl, 13.521; 26. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.537; 27. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 13.555; 28. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.573; 29. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.590; 30. 17X-Caleb Helms, 13.610; 31. 59H-Justin Henderson, 13.691; 32. 7W-Tasker Phillips, 13.774; 33. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.891; 34. 59S-Ben Schmidt, 13.915; 35. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 13.916; 36. O7-Jacob Wilson, 14.016
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [2] ; 2. 14-Christopher Bell [1] ; 3. 49X-Tim Shaffer [4] ; 4. 24R-Rico Abreu [3] ; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5] ; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [8] ; 7. 1-Dale Blaney [6] ; 8. 24-Terry McCarl [7] ; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [9]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 18-Ian Madsen [2] ; 2. 21-Brian Brown [4] ; 3. 4-Paul McMahan [6] ; 4. 2M-Kerry Madsen [5] ; 5. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [3] ; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7] ; 7. 17X-Caleb Helms [8] ; 8. 59S-Ben Schmidt [9] ; 9. 5-David Gravel [1]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1] ; 2. 19-Brent Marks [3] ; 3. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [4] ; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [6] ; 5. 87-Aaron Reutzel [7] ; 6. 59H-Justin Henderson [8] ; 7. 13D-Danny Dietrich [5] ; 8. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [9] ; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 7S-Jason Sides [1] ; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [2] ; 3. 27-Greg Hodnett [4] ; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [6] ; 5. 10H-Chad Kemenah [3] ; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [5] ; 7. 7W-Tasker Phillips [8] ; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [7] ; 9. O7-Jacob Wilson [9]
Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of A-feature) - 1. 14-Christopher Bell [2] ; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [4] ; 3. 21-Brian Brown [1] ; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [3] ; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [6] ; 6. 18-Ian Madsen [5] ; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [8] ; 8. 19-Brent Marks [7]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [4] [-]; 2. 5-David Gravel [1] [-]; 3. 13D-Danny Dietrich [3] [-]; 4. 1-Dale Blaney [5] [-]; 5. 59H-Justin Henderson [11] [$300]; 6. 17X-Caleb Helms [10] [$250]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [9] [$225]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7] [$200]; 9. 59S-Ben Schmidt [14] [$200]; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen [8] [$200]; 11. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [15] [$200]; 12. 7W-Tasker Phillips [12] [$200]; 13. 24-Terry McCarl [6] [$200]; 14. 13-Clyde Knipp [13] [$200]; 15. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2] [$200]; 16. O7-Jacob Wilson [16] [$200]
The annual Kick-off Tour features 15 nights of racing in a two-month stretch
CONCORD, N.C. – February 7, 2017 – The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series will continue its annual tradition of heading westward for several nights of racing. The 2017 Kick-off Tour features 11 stops across four states – Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas.
Two of the three tracks making debuts on the national tour this season are in the west coast swing (Gator Motorplex and Cocopah Speedway). Gator (Tex.) Motorplex features a quarter-mile bullring; Cocopah (Ariz.) Speedway is a semi-banked, 3/8-mile oval. Arizona Speedway will be making its second appearance on the schedule.
“We always look forward to this stretch in our schedule,” said Series Director Carlton Reimers. “The opportunity to extend our series coast to coast makes it easier for fans nationwide to enjoy ‘The Greatest Show on Dirt.’”
Of the 16 races in last-year’s west coast swing, seven different drivers took the checkered flag – all of them series regulars. Defending Series Champion Donny Schatz won most frequently, earning four trips down Victory Lane. Kasey Kahne Racing’s duo, Daryn Pittman and Brad Sweet, were runner-up to Schatz’s mark by tripling on their successes. Joey Saldana and Shane Stewart both doubled-up, each winning two events.
The Outlaws will return to the East after making a stop at one of the series’ most historic tracks. Devil’s Bowl (Tex.) Speedway has hosted the series for 26 years since 1978. Of those 26 years, the high-banked half-mile has successfully held multi-day events in 22 of them. This season will be the Outlaws’ fourth consecutive appearance, and the series’ regulars have swept the show since 2014.
The Stockton Dirt Track will make its fifth consecutive appearance on the tour. Schatz has won three of the last four shows since 2015 and owns the track record, clocking-in at 12.566 seconds around the semi-banked, 3/8-mile oval two years ago. Three current Outlaws (Schatz, Saldana and Sweet) hold track records at one of the stops.
Following the Outlaws’ tour through the Southwest region, the series is only scheduled to make abbreviated stops to nearby tracks in September.
For more information like how to purchase tickets for the 2017 Kick-off Tour, visit woosprint.com/kick-off-tour.
World of Outlaws Launches Race Day Drug-Testing Program
Partners Exclusively with The National Center for Drug Free Sport to update Substance Abuse Policy and Manage Testing
CONCORD, N.C. — Dec. 8, 2016 — The World of Outlaws announced today an exclusive partnership with The National Center for Drug Free Sport (Drug Free Sport) for a robust drug-testing program to improve the safety of competitors in compliance with a revised World of Outlaws Substance Abuse Policy.
“Every major sport across the country has adopted drug-testing policies. As the leader in dirt track racing we felt it was time to join that group,” said World of Outlaws President Tom Deery. “Partnering with Drug Free Sport as a third-party administrator provides our participants a thorough and fair testing platform.”
Beginning with the 2017 racing season, the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series and Late Model Series will require drivers to participate in random testing for substances of abuse that could impede driving ability. “We’ve had a drug policy in place for quite a while now that allows us to test based on suspicion,” said Deery. “But we’ve never done random testing. It’s time to add another dimension to create a stronger deterrent.”
Drug Free Sport is a world-wide leader in the sport drug-testing industry, currently conducting drug testing management and/or education services for the NFL, MLB, NCAA, NBA, WNBA, NBA D-League, PGA Tour, LPGA, USGA, CrossFit Games, the Big Ten Conference, and more than 300 colleges, universities and amateur athletics organizations around the world.
“As a true independent third-party administrator, Drug Free Sport provides consistency to the process, an added layer of confidence, confidentiality, and skill, leveraging our technical expertise in industry-approved testing procedures and certified specimen collection,” said Chris Guinty, Drug Free Sport COO. “Our collectors and staff establish the tone within the industry of ensuring fair and safe sport for athletes, teams and fans.”
Random drug testing will begin at the onset of the 2017 season. Testing will apply to drivers only and will be conducted at a number of events throughout the season. Notification will not be given prior to any event. Drivers found in violation will be subject to suspension.
“We’re not looking for performance-enhancing drugs, as in other sports,” said World of Outlaws CEO Brian Carter. “Regardless of your view on recreational drug use, we can all agree they have no place on the race track. We’re trying to keep our drivers safe.”
“The World of Outlaws run in close quarters at high speeds, and we will not allow anything that puts participants and fans at risk,” said Carter.
Saldana to Park It in 2017
Will drive the No. 17 for Matt Wood and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
CONCORD, N.C. – Nov. 28, 2016 – Joey Saldana is not only carrying on his family legacy into the 2017 racing season, but also living out the legacy left by the late Bryan Clauson. Saldana teamed up with Matt Wood and NASCAR star Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to pilot the Elk Grove Ford/ Roth Investments No. 17 racecar in the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series tour next season – an aspiration of Clauson’s since he first hopped into a 410 Sprint Car.
Saldana finished the 2016 season with Dennis Roth and Roth Motorsports amassing five wins, 31 top-five and 62 top-ten performances with 10 quick times in 81 points races. Saldana is nearing the 100-win milestone heading into his 18th consecutive season with the series; he stands at 99 wins, a mark that has taken the 1996 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year 19 seasons to build.
Saldana has finished within the top five in series championship point standings three of his last four seasons full-time. Roth Motorsports, which began its first World of Outlaw season in 1995, expected to carry its team’s momentum into the following season. However, a series of unfortunate events prompted Roth to take a step back and not field the No. 83 car in 2017. Saldana, 43, said he still has plenty of gas left in the tank but worried that this may have been “it.”
“If you’re going to compete and be a racecar driver, if you don’t do it 100 percent then why do it?” Saldana said. “I’m past the point of just racing. I want to race the best, or I really don’t want to do it. This is what you dream about when you’re 15 [years-old], and what you still dream about when you’re 43. It was unsettling because I don’t want to just step back. If I can’t race at this level – the ultimate level – then I’m not going to do it. If you’re going to put the effort into it you might as well race the best.”
While Roth is taking a more reserved role – still helping to fund the new team – Saldana’s racing career took an emotional turn and came full-circle. Saldana will not only represent Wood and Stenhouse on the track, but also keep the spirit of Clauson alive in the racing community. Saldana will have the chance to “Park it” for Clauson, his team and those who have supported him throughout the difficult transition. Clauson intended to join the Outlaws full-time in 2017, and Saldana said he knows he will be there to enjoy the ride.
“You want to ‘Park It,’” Saldana said. “[Clauson] made that phrase popular so when you did park it, it meant you did your job that night and won the race. We need to do that as many times as possible for him so we can be competitive. Just making that No. 17 car competitive every night would make Bryan proud because his whole goal was to run with the World of Outlaws.”
Not only were Saldana and Clauson connected through the racing family tree, but their friendship is also rooted by their own families. Clauson was there for Saldana’s sons, Reece and Ragan. To Saldana, the ride is “Bryan helping me take care of my kids.” It was not just his family. Clauson also kept Saldana’s wide-eyed love for racing strong. Clauson had a watchful eye on Saldana and vice-versa – for a different reason.
Through Saldana’s career, his goal was to always be the proven-dirt driver in the INDY 500 field. It was uncanny that while Saldana envied Clauson’s career, he was doing the same. It was Clauson’s goal to run full-time with the Outlaws but before he made the plans, he watched Saldana. The two admired each other’s paths in motorsports, no matter how different they were. It just so happened that they were both living each other’s dreams.
“It’s weird, Bryan was doing everything that I always wanted to do, and here he was wanting to do what I was doing,” Saldana said. “He did what all racecar drivers aspired to do and that was run the INDY 500, but still be a dirt track guy. That doesn’t happen anymore. You don’t see that. But Bryan Clauson did that. He was ready for that next challenge [The Outlaws]. In a weird way, it’s all come full circle.”
In 2017, Saldana will complete the circle when he barrels down the front stretch in the No. 17 car. Saldana has not taken his road for granted. He simply wants to do right by everyone, and make the season one to remember. Both parties are in it to create a championship contending team, enough to even move the once Missouri-based team to Brownsburg, Ind., the “Brownsburg Bullet’s” hometown. Tyler Swank will remain the crew chief.
“Hopefully, we’re going to be a first-class team that will compete with the Tony Stewart Racing, Kasey Kahne Racing and Larson-Marks Racing,” Saldana said. “Hopefully I can make Bryan proud, make the Wood/Stenhouse team proud and just be competitive. I want to make them proud that they made the right choice with the driver, and that I do the right things by them and everyone that’s involved with this team. I hope we can be the thorn in other teams’ sides.”
Schatz Sweetens the Season with Win
Gravel records career-best season on tour
CONCORD, N.C. – Oct. 29, 2016 – Donny Schatz orchestrated the celebration of his 229th career trip to victory lane differently Saturday night at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. The 20-year World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series superstar – as usual – hoisted the flag into an erupting confetti machine after the Bad Boy Off Road World Finals. But the thousands of fans erupted too when he casted the VP Racing Fuels checkered flag into the stands among the falling confetti.
Another extraordinary component to Schatz’s night-cap was his reflection on the other 24 wins during the season. Each victory added value to his season – alongside the 60 top-five’s and 77 top-10’s in a season with some-90 points races. Collectively, his consistent success throughout the rigor of one of the most premier national tours led to a dominant 314-point spread in the series’ points race. With the points lead, Schatz officially captured his eighth series championship; Schatz has won a championship in 40 percent of his seasons with the Outlaws.
“I know fans would have loved to see it go down to the wire,” said Schatz about his championship campaign. “It’s hard to say in this sport when you take 92 events coast-to-coast you have during the season. We left Florida to start this season 100-plus points in the hole. We had to win. We dug out of that hole –a 100-point deficit to a 300-point deposit with four DNFs along the way. To me, it was one of the hardest fought comebacks that we’ve had, and I’m really proud of my guys for that. After that, it says there’s nothing my guys can’t do.”
Like Schatz alluded to, he and his Tony Stewart Racing team encountered adversity at DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. Though he captured his first win of the season on the second night of the three-day event, Schatz did not make the feature in the opener and concluded the event placing outside of the top 10. For the reigning series champion, who won 31 races in 2015, he felt the pressure early-on.
“On paper, we won a lot of races and had no DNFs,” said Schatz recollecting on 2015. “The hardest thing you can ever do is come out of a hole. We came out of that hole, and had consistent top-five and top-three finishes. But, there were also some things we left on the table. We left a championship out of Knoxville [Nationals], but this championship somewhat makes up for that.”
This year’s championship and a victory at the highly-regarded King’s Royal at Eldora (Ohio) Speedway were two redeemable up-sides to the season. To him, those moments are still “hard to put into perspective.” In the 10-month span of preparation and competition, Schatz’s successes have yet to resonate with him. Though it will take Schatz some time to absorb the total success of the year, his triumph for the finale of World Finals was felt immediately in victory lane.
Schatz, who started fifth for the 30-lap feature, used his momentum from the previous night toward his 2016 season send-off. Schatz was honored with the KSE Hard Charger award the previous night, climbing 10 spots to a third place finish. Starting nine spots better than Friday’s feature, Schatz was in a better position to contend for the win.
Platinum driver David Gravel, who won his heat race and the Craftsman® Club Dash earlier in the program, was seeking his 10th win of the season; by doing so, he would have joined Schatz as the only two drivers in the series to record double-digit win totals. Gravel led the field into the green flag. From there he alternated from the top in turns one and two to the bottom in turns three and four to maintain the top spot.
The first of four cautions on the second lap not only diminished Gravel’s buffer, but also regrouped the field. On the restart, Schatz charged forward. He picked-up his podium spot then, thereon setting his sights on quick-timer Greg Hodnett and Gravel ahead of him. Schatz eventually used lapped traffic to take over the second spot on the backstretch. More importantly, a trend was developing: Schatz used the breaks in momentum from the cautions to his advantage.
The race’s second caution on the 13th lap again regrouped the field; the top-three was beginning to separate by half-second intervals before the yellow flag waved. His strategy of using cautions came into play three laps later when it paired him with Gravel. Gravel defended his top spot on the restart and more importantly in turns one and two. However, the following lap reopened the door in Schatz’s favor. Schatz, unable to get under Gravel the first time, made a successful move the second time around before another caution on the 15th lap.
Halfway home, Gravel dipped below Schatz in an attempt to reclaim the lead. But, a strong restart from Schatz made it an ill-attempt. Gravel stayed on pace with Schatz thereafter, maintaining a sub-second distance away from him. The race’s final caution with nine laps remaining gave Gravel another opportunity to strike.
Gravel, taking the same approach, tried to leverage his racecar underneath Schatz’s in turns three and four. However, Schatz’s raw speed kept the battle at bay; he led Gravel by 0.472 seconds with eight laps to go. Within those laps, Platinum driver Joey Saldana sealed the deal for third. Saldana started seventh in the feature.
“As the run went on, the more and more [Schatz] slipped off turn four,” said Gravel, explaining his strategy. “The bottom was definitely better there later, but I just could not keep up on the restarts. He just checked-out on the restarts, and I just couldn’t close the gap.”
While Schatz and Gravel protected their spots for the rest of the feature, Hodnett sought revenge. In the closing laps, Hodnett was able to reclaim the final podium spot. Even so, seven Outlaws finished inside the top 10. Schatz ultimately won the race by a 0.788-second margin.
“Joey races really hard, but I could squeeze in under him a couple of times enough to get out front,” Hodnett said. “But I’ll tell you what, hats-off to Schatz, Gravel and those guys. All these guys are really tough, and just to be able to half-ass compete with them, I’m just really proud of it. Would have liked the turn out to be better, but we’ll be back God-willing to see what we can do in front of these great fans.”
Gravel, the 2013 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, recorded his best season with the Outlaws since joining the national tour. He improved on last year’s winless season, taking nine more checkered flags and earning 36 more top-five performances.
The Dirt Track at Charlotte Notebook
RACE NOTES: Donny Schatz finished the 2016 season strong, winning the Bad Boy Off Road World Finals finale at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Starting fifth, Schatz used lapped traffic and a series of cautions to eventually overtake polesitter David Gravel. Greg Hodnett maintained his podium after a late push from Platinum driver Joey Saldana.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Greg Wilson; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Danny Lasoski; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Tim Shaffer; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Super Flow ($50 cash): Danny Dietrich; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): David Gravel, Shane Stewart, Joey Saldana; Craftsman/Sears: Ian Madsen; KSE Hard Charger: Logan Schuchart; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Brad Sweet; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 25 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4, Stockton Dirt Track on March 18, Stockton Dirt Track on March 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on April 2, Lincoln Speedway on May 19, Weedsport Speedway on May 22, Lincoln Park Speedway on June 8, Knoxville Raceway on June 11, River Cities Speedway on June 17, Rockford Speedway on June 29, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 3, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9, Attica Raceway Park on July 12, Eldora Speedway on July 16, Ohsweken Speedway on July 26, Junction Motor Speedway on August 16, Angell Park Speedway on August 21, River Cities Speedway on August 26, Nodak Speedway on August 28, Willamette Speedway on September 7, Clay County Fair Speedway on September 16, Lernerville Speedway on September 24, Fulton Speedway on October 8, The Dirt Track at Charlotte on October 28); David Gravel - 9 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 12, Tri-State Speedway on May 14, I-96 Speedway on June 6, Eldora Speedway on July 14, Lernerville Speedway on July 19, Wilmot Raceway on July 30, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 5, Skagit Speedway on Sept 2 and 3); Shane Stewart - 8 (Arizona Speedway on March 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 23, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 30, Granite City Speedway on June 15, Brown County Speedway on June 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 9; Hartford Speedway on September 22; Eldora Speedway on September 24); Brad Sweet - 8 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Cotton Bowl Speedway on Feb. 26, Ocean Speedway on April 1, Bakersfield Speedway on April 15, Plymouth Speedway on May 13, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 2; Lakeside Speedway on October 21); Daryn Pittman - 8 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 27, Perris Auto Speedway on April 16, USA Raceway on April 18, New Egypt Speedway on May 24, Jackson Motorplex on June 24, Eldora Speedway on July 15, Williams Grove Speedway on July 22; Salina Highbanks Speedway on October 22); Joey Saldana - 5 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 3, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 22, Jacksonville Speedway on May 4, I-80 Speedway on June 22, U.S. 36 Raceway on September 17); Jason Johnson - 4 (Placerville Speedway on March 24, Knoxville Nationals on August 13, El Paso County Raceway on September 14, The Dirt Track at Charlotte on October 28); Lance Dewease - 2 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 20, Williams Grove Speedway on July 23); Kerry Madsen - 2 (Eldora Speedway on May 6 and 7); Rico Abreu - 2 (Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 6, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 10); Logan Schuchart - 2 (Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9; Port Royal Speedway on October 15); Bill Balog - 1 (Beaver Dam Raceway on June 25); Chad Kemenah - 1 (Fremont Speedway on June 3); Terry McCarl - 1 (Knoxville Raceway on June 10); Jason Sides - 1 (I-30 Speedway on April 26); Greg Wilson - 1 (The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 27); Danny Dietrich - 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on October 14)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; The Dirt Track at Charlotte, N.C.; Oct. 29, 2016
Feature - (30 Laps) -1. 15-Donny Schatz [5] [$12,000]; 2. 5-David Gravel [1] [$5,500]; 3. 27-Greg Hodnett [3] [$3,200]; 4. 83-Joey Saldana [7] [$2,800]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [14] [$2,500]; 6. 21-Brian Brown [9] [$2,300]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [4] [$2,200]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [12] [$2,100]; 9. 10H-Chad Kemenah [13] [$2,050]; 10. 7S-Jason Sides [18] [$2,000]; 11. 49X-Tim Shaffer [6] [$1,500]; 12. 99-Brady Bacon [17] [$1,200]; 13. 41-Jason Johnson [10] [$1,100]; 14. 48-Danny Dietrich [11] [$1,050]; 15. 2L-Danny Lasoski [21] [$1,000]; 16. 49-Brad Sweet [16] [$1,000]; 17. 1B-Dale Blaney [20] [$1,000]; 18. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [23] [$1,000]; 19. 23-Trey Starks [24] [$1,000]; 20. 17B-Bill Balog [15] [$1,000]; 21. 71M-Dave Blaney [22] [$1,000]; 22. 7-Paul McMahan [25] [$]; 23. W20-Greg Wilson [26] [$]; 24. 18-Ian Madsen [2] [$1,000]; 25. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8] [$1,000]; 26. 82-Sammy Swindell [19] [$1,000]Lap Leaders:David Gravel 1-14, Donny Schatz 15-30KSE Hard Charger Award:1S-Logan Schuchart [+9]
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) -1. 27-Greg Hodnett [1]; 2. 49X-Tim Shaffer [2]; 3. 21-Brian Brown [4]; 4. 10H-Chad Kemenah [5]; 5. 99-Brady Bacon [3]; 6. 3G-Carson Macedo [6]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8]; 8. 49H-Doug Esh [11]; 9. 23-Trey Starks [7]; 10. 4-Cole Duncan [10]; 11. 91-Chad Boespflug [12]; 12. 2MX-Hunter Schuerenberg [9]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) -1. 18-Ian Madsen [1]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 3. 48-Danny Dietrich [4]; 4. 17B-Bill Balog [3]; 5. 82-Sammy Swindell [8]; 6. 17W-Kerry Madsen [9]; 7. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [5]; 8. 2M-Brent Marks [7]; 9. A67-Cale Conley [11]; 10. 23M-Lance Moss [12]; 11. 67-Tanner Thorson [10]; 12. 1A-Jac Haudenschild [6]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) -1. 2-Shane Stewart [1]; 2. 83-Joey Saldana [2]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [4]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [9]; 6. 19-Paige Polyak [6]; 7. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [8]; 8. 2L-Danny Lasoski [5]; 9. 77X-Parker Price-Miller [10]; 10. 94-Ryan Smith [7]; 11. W20-Greg Wilson [11]; 12. 27G-Jay Galloway [12]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) -1. 5-David Gravel [2]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [1]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [4]; 5. 1B-Dale Blaney [7]; 6. 51S-Stevie Smith [6]; 7. 7-Paul McMahan [8]; 8. 23C-Tyler Courtney [9]; 9. 71M-Dave Blaney [5]; 10. 25-Tyler Bear [10]; 11. 4S-Danny Smith [11]
Craftsman Club®Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of A-feature) -1. 5-David Gravel [4]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [3]; 3. 27-Greg Hodnett [1]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [2]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [8]; 6. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5]; 7. 83-Joey Saldana [6]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7]
C-Main - (10 Laps - Top 2 finishers transfer to the B-feature) -1. 4-Cole Duncan [1] [-]; 2. 23C-Tyler Courtney [2] [-]; 3. 49H-Doug Esh [5] [$150]; 4. 77X-Parker Price-Miller [4] [$150]; 5. 67-Tanner Thorson [3] [$150]; 6. 25-Tyler Bear [6] [$125]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [8] [$125]; 8. A67-Cale Conley [7] [$125]; 9. 91-Chad Boespflug [9] [$125]; 10. 23M-Lance Moss [11] [$125]; 11. 4S-Danny Smith [10] [$125]; 12. 27G-Jay Galloway [12] [$125]; 13. 1A-Jac Haudenschild [13] [$125]; 14. 13-Clyde Knipp [14] [$125]; 15. OO-Dane Lorenc [15] [$125]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) -1. 2L-Danny Lasoski [2] [-]; 2. 71M-Dave Blaney [4] [-]; 3. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [1] [-]; 4. 23-Trey Starks [5] [-]; 5. 3G-Carson Macedo [3] [$300]; 6. 51S-Stevie Smith [8] [$250]; 7. 2M-Brent Marks [7] [$225]; 8. 94-Ryan Smith [10] [$200]; 9. 7-Paul McMahan [14] [$200]; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser [9] [$200]; 11. 17W-Kerry Madsen [13] [$200]; 12. 2MX-Hunter Schuerenberg [11] [$200]; 13. 19-Paige Polyak [6] [$200]; 14. 4-Cole Duncan [15] [$200]; 15. 23C-Tyler Courtney [16] [$200]; 16. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [12] [$200]
Johnson Earns Fourth Series Win of 2016- Eight Outlaws finish inside the Top 10
CONCORD, N.C. – Oct. 28, 2016 – Jason Johnson set the tone for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Friday night, winning the first night of racing for the Bad Boy Off Road World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Johnson, who idled his winged sprint down victory lane for the fourth time this season, has made his victories count for the series’ most celebrated races in 2016.
“I’ll tell you what, these Priority Aviation/ Mesilla Valley Transportation guys have been doing a hell of a job all year long,” said Johnson, beaming on the front-stretch. “To cap it off at the end of the year with a victory in front of this great crowd…couldn’t say any more bout the facility at such an awesome event…to win is just an honor.”
Earlier in the year, Johnson recorded his second win at the prestigious 5-Hour Energy Knoxville Nationals presented byCasey's General Stores on August 13. At Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway, the Eunice, La. native battled wheel-to-wheel with points leader Donny Schatz for a valuable extension on the event’s 56-year history. Johnson encountered a similar situation at World Finals.
Johnson, who started fourth in the feature, preceded the feature with a heat win and second place finish in the second Craftsman® Club Dash; Dale Blaney finished ahead of him. With Blaney starting second and fellow Platinum driver Brad Sweet on the pole for the 30-lap feature, Johnson faced an uphill battle chock-full of the sport’s most proven drivers.
Sweet, riding the high of winning the first dash of the night, started strong into the green flag. However, Blaney superseded his prowess and managed to take the top spot in the opening laps. Within the first three laps, Blaney increased his lead to 2.044 seconds. Two laps later, Johnson caught his stride and undertook Sweet exiting turn one for the second spot.
Sweet did not go down without a fight; he redeemed his spot on the race’s ninth lap. The two drivers thereon jockeyed for the runner-up spot, both using an under-over maneuver on each other for the next two laps. Johnson got the best of the battle, securing the spot exiting turn four on the 11th lap.
From there, Sweet faded. Logan Schuchart, who started seventh on the night, got around Sweet for the final podium position. While Schuchart was solidifying his spot on the podium, Johnson was cutting into Blaney’s lead. With 10 laps remaining, Johnson came within 0.382 seconds before the race's first and only caution. By this time, the World of Outlaws regulars claimed six out of the top seven spots. Schatz was sitting in sixth.
“I’m very lucky to drive this racecar right now,” Schuchart said. “Our guys do a very great job, and it’s a fast car. I felt better as the race went on. I felt like it was the fastest car at the end of the race. The weather looks similar tomorrow so hopefully the track is similar.”
On the restart, Johnson closed the gap more than he had originally. Blaney and Johnson fought side-by-side, their cars parallel to each other exiting turn four with nine laps remaining. All the while, Schatz began his charge to the front. The seven-time series champion – soon to be eighth once he signs in for the event’s finale – made his way up to third with six laps left in the feature.
“These guys did an incredible job,” Schatz said. “The racetrack: you really didn’t know what was going to happen there. I’m glad those guys worked it. It made for a great race. I thought we were in really great shape coming through there. I tried to change and adapt to what I had. Tonight was definitely a big learning curve, and it’s definitely fun.”
Johnson proved to be too much for Blaney, and in the closing laps fell back. Johnson had sole possession of the lead. Schuchart and Schatz were able to get by Blaney, finishing one-two respectively behind Johnson. With Schatz’s charge, he recorded his 59th top-five performance of the year. Adding to the series’ success, the Outlaws placed in eight of the top-10 spots.
“We’re a privateer team, and we’re definitely financially driven,” said Johnson, earning the $12,000 purse. “So, it’s an honor to pull-off another victory.”
Schatz, who doubled-over into the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series, finished 15th in the 50-lap feature which preceded the Sprint class. Schatz said he is having “a lot of fun” dabbling in both classes, but his focus for the finale will be in sprint car.
“I don’t think I was cut-out to drive those cars,” Schatz said. “Those 50 laps seemed like 500 to me. It was brutal. Tomorrow will be a little better being able to run the sprint car first. So, we’ll see what happens with that.”
The Dirt Track at Charlotte Notebook
RACE NOTES: Jason Johnson, who started fourth in the feature, spent the majority of the 30-lap feature battling toward the front. Once the Platinum driver sealed the deal for the second position, he had his sights toward overtaking Dale Blaney for the lead. With six laps remaining, Johnson succeeded. Streaking Logan Schuchart replaced Blaney for the second spot in the closing laps. Donny Schatz, who started in 13th position, followed Schuchart into the podium. Schatz was honored with the KSE Hard Charger Award, climbing 10 positions in all.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Paul McMahan; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Brian Brown; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Brent Marks; Super Flow ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Brad Sweet, Shane Stewart, Logan Schuchart, David Gravel, Daryn Pittman, Jason Johnson, Joey Saldana; Craftsman/Sears: Greg Hodnett, Dale Blaney; KSE Hard Charger: Donny Schatz; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Jason Johnson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Danny Dietrich; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 24(Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4, Stockton Dirt Track on March 18, Stockton Dirt Track on March 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on April 2, Lincoln Speedway on May 19, Weedsport Speedway on May 22, Lincoln Park Speedway on June 8, Knoxville Raceway on June 11, River Cities Speedway on June 17, Rockford Speedway on June 29, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 3, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9, Attica Raceway Park on July 12, Eldora Speedway on July 16, Ohsweken Speedway on July 26, Junction Motor Speedway on August 16, Angell Park Speedway on August 21, River Cities Speedway on August 26, Nodak Speedway on August 28, Willamette Speedway on September 7, Clay County Fair Speedway on September 16, Lernerville Speedway on September 24, Fulton Speedway on October 8); David Gravel - 9 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 12, Tri-State Speedway on May 14, I-96 Speedway on June 6, Eldora Speedway on July 14, Lernerville Speedway on July 19, Wilmot Raceway on July 30, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 5, Skagit Speedway on Sept 2 and 3); Shane Stewart - 8 (Arizona Speedway on March 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 23, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 30, Granite City Speedway on June 15, Brown County Speedway on June 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 9; Hartford Speedway on September 22; Eldora Speedway on September 24); Brad Sweet - 8 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Cotton Bowl Speedway on Feb. 26, Ocean Speedway on April 1, Bakersfield Speedway on April 15, Plymouth Speedway on May 13, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 2; Lakeside Speedway on October 21); Daryn Pittman - 8 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 27, Perris Auto Speedway on April 16, USA Raceway on April 18, New Egypt Speedway on May 24, Jackson Motorplex on June 24, Eldora Speedway on July 15, Williams Grove Speedway on July 22; Salina Highbanks Speedway on October 22); Joey Saldana - 5 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 3, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 22, Jacksonville Speedway on May 4, I-80 Speedway on June 22, U.S. 36 Raceway on September 17); Jason Johnson - 4 (Placerville Speedway on March 24, Knoxville Nationals on August 13, El Paso County Raceway on September 14, The Dirt Track at Charlotte on October 28); Lance Dewease - 2 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 20, Williams Grove Speedway on July 23); Kerry Madsen - 2 (Eldora Speedway on May 6 and 7); Rico Abreu - 2 (Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 6, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 10); Logan Schuchart - 2 (Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9; Port Royal Speedway on October 15); Bill Balog - 1 (Beaver Dam Raceway on June 25); Chad Kemenah - 1 (Fremont Speedway on June 3); Terry McCarl - 1 (Knoxville Raceway on June 10); Jason Sides - 1 (I-30 Speedway on April 26); Greg Wilson - 1 (The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 27); Danny Dietrich - 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on October 14)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; The Dirt Track at Charlotte, N.C.; Oct. 28, 2016
Feature - (30 Laps) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [4] [$12,000]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7] [$5,500]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [13] [$3,200]; 4. 1B-Dale Blaney [2] [$2,800]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [1] [$2,500]; 6. 5-David Gravel [9] [$2,300]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [5] [$2,200]; 8. 10H-Chad Kemenah [6] [$2,100]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [11] [$2,050]; 10. 83-Joey Saldana [10] [$2,000]; 11. 21-Brian Brown [8] [$1,500]; 12. 2M-Brent Marks [15] [$1,200]; 13. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [17] [$1,100]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [23] [$1,050]; 15. 2L-Danny Lasoski [12] [$1,000]; 16. 71M-Dave Blaney [21] [$1,000]; 17. 18-Ian Madsen [19] [$1,000]; 18. 48-Danny Dietrich [14] [$1,000]; 19. 82-Sammy Swindell [18] [$1,000]; 20. W20-Greg Wilson [25] [$]; 21. 49X-Tim Shaffer [22] [$1,000]; 22. 7-Paul McMahan [24] [$1,000]; 23. 27-Greg Hodnett [3] [$1,000]; 24. 19-Paige Polyak [20] [$1,000]; 25. 51S-Stevie Smith [16] [$1,000] Lap Leaders: Dale Blaney 1-23, Jason Johnson 24-30 KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz[+10]
Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [2] ; 2. 27-Greg Hodnett [1] ; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [4] ; 4. 18-Ian Madsen [3] ; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5] ; 6. 17W-Kerry Madsen [7] ; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [6] ; 8. OO-Dane Lorenc [8] ; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [9]
Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [1] ; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2] ; 3. 2M-Brent Marks [4] ; 4. 67-Tanner Thorson [6] ; 5. 19-Paige Polyak [3] ; 6. 17B-Bill Balog [8] ; 7. 49H-Doug Esh [5] ; 8. 23C-Tyler Courtney [7]
Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 5-David Gravel [2] ; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [1] ; 3. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [4] ; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [3] ; 5. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [5] ; 6. 3G-Carson Macedo [6] ; 7. 25-Tyler Bear [7] ; 8. 4S-Danny Smith [8]
Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 1B-Dale Blaney [1] ; 2. 83-Joey Saldana [2] ; 3. 48-Danny Dietrich [4] ; 4. 49X-Tim Shaffer [3] ; 5. 77X-Parker Price-Miller [7] ; 6. 94-Ryan Smith [6] ; 7. 4-Cole Duncan [5] ; 8. 91-Chad Boespflug [8]
Heat 5 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 10H-Chad Kemenah [1] ; 2. 21-Brian Brown [3] ; 3. 51S-Stevie Smith [2] ; 4. 7-Paul McMahan [4] ; 5. 99-Brady Bacon [5] ; 6. 2MX-Hunter Schuerenburg [6] ; 7. 23M-Lance Moss [7] ; 8. A67-Cale Conley [8]
Heat 6 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1] ; 2. 2L-Danny Lasoski [2] ; 3. 82-Sammy Swindell [7] ; 4. 71M-Dave Blaney [3] ; 5. 23-Trey Starks [6] ; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4] ; 7. 1A-Jac Haudenschild [5] ; 8. 27G-Jay Galloway [8]
Craftsman® Club Dash 1 - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 6 starting positions of A-feature) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1] ; 2. 27-Greg Hodnett [4] ; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [2] ; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5] ; 5. 5-David Gravel [3] ; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [6]
Craftsman® Club Dash 2 - (6 Laps - Top finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 1B-Dale Blaney [1] ; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [3] ; 3. 10H-Chad Kemenah [2] ; 4. 21-Brian Brown [5] ; 5. 83-Joey Saldana [4] ; 6. 2L-Danny Lasoski [6]
C-Main - (10 Laps - Top 2 finishers transfer to the B-feature) - 1. 67-Tanner Thorson [1] [-]; 2. 23-Trey Starks [6] [-]; 3. 3G-Carson Macedo [3] [$150]; 4. 94-Ryan Smith [2] [$150]; 5. 2MX-Hunter Schuerenburg [4] [$150]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog [13] [$125]; 7. 77X-Parker Price-Miller [8] [$125]; 8. 23C-Tyler Courtney [7] [$125]; 9. 25-Tyler Bear [9] [$125]; 10. A67-Cale Conley [14] [$125]; 11. 17W-Kerry Madsen [5] [$125]; 12. 27G-Jay Galloway [16] [$125]; 13. 23M-Lance Moss [10] [$125]; 14. 91-Chad Boespflug [12] [$125]; 15. 13-Clyde Knipp [17] [$125]; 16. OO-Dane Lorenc [11] [$125]; 17. 4S-Danny Smith [15] [$125]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 18-Ian Madsen [1] [-]; 2. 19-Paige Polyak [3] [-]; 3. 71M-Dave Blaney [4] [-]; 4. 49X-Tim Shaffer [2] [-]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [5] [-]; 6. 7-Paul McMahan [6] [-]; 7. 99-Brady Bacon [12] [$300]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8] [$250]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [13] [$225]; 10. 49H-Doug Esh [9] [$200]; 11. 4-Cole Duncan [10] [$200]; 12. 23-Trey Starks [15] [$200]; 13. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [11] [$200]; 14. 1A-Jac Haudenschild [14] [$200]; 15. 67-Tanner Thorson [16] [$200]; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7] [$200]