Post by woosprints12 on Aug 9, 2018 17:14:24 GMT -8
Macedo & JJR Ready To Chase Knoxville Nationals Win
Carson Macedo noted last week, before ever setting foot in the No. 41 for Jason Johnson Racing, that he hoped to be comfortable in time to make a run at locking into Saturday’s 5-Hour Energy Knoxville Nationals A-main.
After winning his 360 Knoxville Nationals preliminary night, finishing second to Terry McCarl in the 360 finale and landing on the podium again in Sunday’s Capitani Classic, that comfort level has allowed his goals to shift somewhat entering Thursday’s Toyota Qualifying Night at Knoxville Raceway.
He believes that if his team maintains the speed it has shown so far, they can contend for the big win.
“We want to go after it,” Macedo told SPEED SPORT. “It’s been an unbelievable week so far.”
Macedo expected there would be a substantial learning curve with adjusting to a new team and a new car, but he, crew chief Phillip Dietz and owner Bobbi Johnson meshed almost immediately, finding speed that the California young gun didn’t necessarily expect to have so quickly.
“To say that I’m really thankful to have speed would be the truth,” noted Macedo. “It’s really hard to find speed in this sport and when you have it, it’s a fun thing. Hopefully we can continue that for the rest of this week and finish things off strong.”
Part of that speed came from gelling with Dietz and figuring out what each other needed out of the car.
“This team has made it really easy to get comfortable,” said Macedo of the JJR squad. “Phillip Dietz and Tyler Patrick work really hard and have put a really good race car underneath me every night.
“Our balance has been super good and the race car has been so stuck (into the race track). It’s been a dream to drive, not to mention they’re all really great people and it’s been a great transition for me to be able to jump into this (No.) 41 car and have a lot of fun.”
As the calendar moves closer to Saturday night, the memories of the late team namesake’s 2016 victory in the Knoxville Nationals have gotten more and more prominent.
It’s something that’s not lost on Macedo as he chases his first Nationals A-main appearance.
“Obviously, driving in memory of Jason and (knowing) everything he was able to accomplish in our sport has been really special,” said Macedo. “It’s been a lot of fun so far.
“It’s an honor, for sure,” Macedo added. “When Phillip called me and said I’d be driving the No. 41 car … it was a dream come true for me, honestly. As a little kid, you dream of chances like that and JJR is a first-class team with first-class people. To be a part of all that is something I don’t take lightly. Jason built this team; he was a crew guy for Steve Kinser and started this from nothing. Now it’s one of the most threatening teams on the Outlaw tour today and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity.”
Not only has Macedo performed in Johnson’s familiar No. 41, he also picked up a victory in another iconic car this week, driving Tony Stewart’s No. 14 to victory lane in ASCS competition at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa on Tuesday night.
With two wins and four podium finishes under his belt entering Thursday night’s preliminary program, Macedo is proving he has what it takes to be a mainstay at sprint car racing’s highest level.
He realizes that full well and noted that it’s the people surrounding him that have led to his success.
“In sprint car racing, one of the hardest things to do is to be really consistent in all different types of race cars … and this year, whether it’s been in Tony Stewart’s car or the JJR No. 41 or the Joe Gaerte No. 3g car, I feel like I’ve been able to do that,” Macedo said. “I’ve just been in some really good race cars with some really good crew chiefs, and you can’t ask for much more than that.
“The people around me are definitely making me look good right now, and hopefully I can stay in some good situations going forward.”
Post by woosprints12 on Aug 10, 2018 18:03:28 GMT -8
Sweet Dominates Again At Knoxville
It’s not very often that the sixth starter leads all 25 laps of a sprint car feature but Brad Sweet did it on Casey’s Stores Toyota Night Thursday during the 5-hour Energy Knoxville Nationals.
Sweet made a daring move entering turn one on the first lap and came off turn two second. He dragged past polesitter Mark Dobmeier exiting turn four and led at the start-finish line.
From there Sweet’s Kasey Kahne Racing No. 49 was far ahead of the rest of the field, and even despite several restarts, cruised to a seemingly easy victory.
“One thing our new engine does is that it makes a really good first lap,” Sweet explained. “When you have a lot in the tank like that on the start you are able to take off very well. After all these years of coming here and getting our butt beat by some of these guys we’re beginning to feel like we have hit”
It was the second victory of the week for Sweet, who won the Capitani Classic in similar fashion on Sunday night. It was also his fourth career victory at the legendary half-mile dirt track.
Sweet was high point man on the night — and for the week — putting him on the pole for Saturday night’s $150,000-to-win main event.
“This year I had a lot more confidence coming here,” Sweet said. “I definitely wanted to be ahead of the other guys. It’s basically two 25-lap races and you race the first one to get in position for the second one. Now, we’re in position, we just have to capitalize on Saturday night.”
Rico Abreu started second and finished second, continued his mid-season string of strong results. He is also locked into Saturday night’s feature.
“It felt good. We just keep getting our car better,” Abreu said. “It is cool to be the environment of the Knoxville Nationals. There’s nothing like it in the world. It’s a lot like the Chili Bowl, two races that I’ve had a lot of success at. Locked into the feature three years in a row, that just shows you how good this race team is.”
After qualifying 29thin the 51-car field, David Gravel romped from 15thin the feature to finish third. But he’ll have to start Saturday night in the B main.
“It wasn’t what we wanted today, but we made the best of it tonight,” Gravel said. “I had to race my butt off just to make it through the heat race there with Shane. It’s just disappointing how our night started. We think we have a fast enough car that we can make it through the B.”
Tim Kaeding finished fourth in a second Jason Sides Racing car, while Terry McCarl was fifth.
Chad Kemenah finished sixth on Thursday, but accumulated 479 points putting him outside the front row for Saturday.
Kyle Larson and Donny Schatz, who were the top point earners on Wednesday night will start in the second row.
Brian Brown, who has won seven features at Knoxville Raceway this year, withdrew from the program after qualifying 38th. He’ll run again on Friday night, trying to earn his way into the main event.
Post by woosprints12 on Aug 10, 2018 18:05:57 GMT -8
Sweet To Start On Knoxville Nationals Pole
Brad Sweet will start on the front row for the 58th annual 5-hour Energy Knoxville Nationals for the first time.
Sweet, who won Thursday night’s preliminary feature, earned 491 points and was the top point owner during qualifying putting him on the pole for the $150,000-to-win Knoxville Nationals finale for the first time.
“This year I had a lot more confidence coming here. I definitely wanted to be ahead of the other guys. It’s basically two 25-lap races and you race the first one to get in position for the second one,” Sweet said. “Now, we’re in position, we just have to capitalize on Saturday night.”
Chad Kemenah, who was consistent all night on Thursday, had the second most points at 479 and will start outside the front row.
Kyle Larson, who led the Wednesday night points with 475, and 10-time Nationals winner Donny Schatz, with 474 points will make up the second row.
Row three will be Aaron Reutzel and Kerry Madsen, while 2010 Knoxville Nationals winner Tim Shaffer and Carson Macedo, who is driving the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41, will start on row four.
The remainder of the drivers who locked themselves into the A-main on Saturday night are Gio Scelzi, who will be the youngest driver to ever start the Nationals A-main, Tim Kaeding, Ian Madsen, Jacob Allen, Rico Abreu, Wednesday night winner Greg Hodnett, Shane Stewart and Terry McCarl.
Post by woosprints12 on Aug 11, 2018 7:07:35 GMT -8
Logan Schuchart’s Knoxville Redemption
Logan Schuchart made a mistake on Wednesday night and on Friday night he redeemed himself with an impressive victory during the FVP Hard Knox feature during the 58thannual 5-hour Energy Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway.
Schuchart earned one of four guaranteed starting spots in Saturday’s 50-lap, $150,000-to-win feature in impressive fashion. Schuchart and Brian Brown, who has won seven races at the black-dirt half-mile track this season, traded the lead several times before Schuchart pulled away in the final laps.
The victory came with his grandfather and car owner Bobby Allen (the 1990 Knoxville Nationals winner) in a local hospital recovering from a twisted bowel, and two nights after Schuchart was fast qualifier during the opening night of the Nationals, but failed to report to the scales after winning the B main and was disqualified from that night’s action.
Schuchart and the Shark Racing team came back on Friday night and were on target from the start, turning the fastest qualifying time for the second time in three nights and holding off Brown for the victory.
“I know where the scales are now,” Schuchart joked in victory lane. “Our leader of this team has always told me that it’s not about how you get knocked down, it’s how you get back up. He taught me and Jacob since we were kids that if you work hard enough you can get to where you want to go. He’s the man and he’s the champion. He won this thing in 1990. It is weird him not being here tonight. This is probably the first race my grandpa hasn’t been at since I was 10 years.
“Proud of this Shark Racing team to redeem ourselves and make up for my mistake the other night and be in the A feature tomorrow night.”
Brown also overcame adversity. He qualified 38thon Thursday night, but withdrew from the program with mechanical problems. He came back on Friday and finished second to earn the 18thstarting spot on Friday.
“I have never been so happy to run second in my life at Knoxville,” Brown said. “Logan does a hell of a job. If you guys knew what I’ve been through the last 40 hours you would cringe…Just happy to be in the show. After last night, I didn’t think there was any way.”
Paul McMahan finished third to return to the Nationals A main for the first time in several years, while Knoxville Raceway regular Matt Juhl finished fourth to earn the first Knoxville Nationals A-main start of his career.
“It is unbelievable to say that,” said Juhl, who will start 20thon Saturday. “It is truly a dream come true.”
Sheldon Haudenschild finished fifth and will start 11thin Saturday’s B main.
Post by woosprints12 on Aug 11, 2018 7:10:35 GMT -8
Dominic Scelzi Rules SPEED SPORT Challenge
Second-generation California driver Dominic Scelzi drove the race of his life to win Friday night’s 25th annual SPEED SPORT Challenge at Knoxville Raceway.
Most importantly the $10,000 victory earned Scelzi the 25thstarting spot in Saturday night’s 58thannual 5-hour Energy Knoxville Nationals A-main.
“I have been waiting 21 years to say that and never in a million years did I think I would make the show here,” Scelzi said. “Thanks to everyone and this is the greatest moment of my life by far. This is unbelievable.”
Scelzi steadily worked his way to the front and took the lead from Brooke Tatnell on lap nine of the 20-lap feature at the historic half-mile oval.
Scelzi lost the lead to Australian James McFadden in turn two on lap 12, but stormed back to the top of the track in turns three and four and blasted back to the front before the start-finish line.
The son of NHRA drag racing champion Gary Scelzi steadily pulled away during the final laps to earn his first Knoxville Nationals start and join his younger brother, Gio, in the starting field for Saturday’s $150,000-to-win main event.
Tim Kaeding finished second, with Austin McCarl third as American drivers swept the podium for the annual international sprint car race.
Australians Kerry Madsen and James McFadden rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Dominic Scelzi, Tim Kaeding, Austin McCarl, Kerry Madsen, James McFadden, Carson Macedo, Skyler Gee, Brooke Tatnell, Cory Eliason, Terry McCarl, Ian Madsen, Jamie Veal, Tom Harris, Scott Bogucki, Thomas Kennedy, Sammy Walsh, Jordyn Brazier, Allan Woods.
Post by woosprints12 on Aug 12, 2018 9:50:27 GMT -8
Brad Sweet Conquers The Knoxville Nationals
Brad Sweet put an exclamation point on his first 5-hour Energy Knoxville Nationals victory, holding off 10-time Nationals winner Donny Schatz on a two-lap dash to the checkered flag before a sold-out crowd Saturday night at Knoxville Raceway.
Sweet started three features at the historic Marion County Fairgrounds half-mile oval during a six-day period and won all three of them aboard his familiar Kasey Kahne Racing No. 49.
Sweet picked up a check for $150,000 for the biggest victory of his career and the first Knoxville Nationals win for team owner Kasey Kahne after having won the Capitani Classic on Sunday night and his preliminary feature on Thursday.
“I have been dreaming about this and working hard for it,” Sweet said. “To hold off these two guys, the best two drivers in this business, it took every ounce of my being. It’s a little dream came true for me. I’ve laughed and I’ve cried and will probably drink a lot of beer.”
Sweet started on the pole and dominated the first half of the 50-lap feature, while Schatz and Kyle Larson fought a thrilling battle for second, trading slide jobs on numerous occasions.
When the red flag came out for the mandatory midway fuel stop in the 58thrunning of sprint car racing’s biggest race, it was clearly a three-man race with Sweet leading Larson and Schatz.
Sweet motored away on the restart with Larson and Schatz giving chase. Schatz ran down Larson and moved into second on lap 41. While Schatz slowly began cutting into Sweet’s lead aboard the Tony Stewart Racing No. 15, he was running out of laps when Kerry Madsen flipped his No. 2m in turn three with two laps remaining, bringing the third red flag of the main event.
That set up a two-lap dash to the checkered flag with Sweet leading Schatz and Larson on a single file restart.
At Doug Clark’s green flag, Sweet dove to the bottom of the track and Schatz went to the top. It was as close as anyone got to Schatz the entire race as the pair ran side by side through turns two and three on lap 50, but Sweet stuck to the bottom and as the leaders drag raced off turn four to the checkered flag, Sweet won by a mere .133 seconds.
“I felt like if I was going to win, I was going to be able to hit the bottom,” Sweet said. “This guy here (Schatz) has won a lot of races by being able to run his car all over the race track and I knew I was going to be able to do that.
Schatz finished second for the sixth time. It was also the 16thconsecutive year he has finished first or second in the Nationals.
“I wasn’t sure if I wanted that green white checkered or not, I knew I would have to hit the bottom to hold him off,” Sweet said. “I couldn’t see him, but I could hear him. I told myself just hit the bottom the best you can. I probably slowed up just enough to make the exit right and it was just enough. It doesn’t matter how much you win by as long as you win.”
Sweet said he knew from watching Schatz over the years that he’d have to be able to run the bottom groove to win the Knoxville Nationals.
“If I wanted to win the race I was going to have to go somewhere he wasn’t,” Schatz said. “I just went to the top and there was enough there. It was a little slippery but it held there. I really thought I had a shot at Brad, but he did a good job. He didn’t make any mistakes and he got there first.”
Larson came home third, putting his Paul Silva-prepared No. 57 on the podium for the second straight year.
“That was a lot of fun,” Larson said. “I felt like we were the three best cars all week. I am so happy for Brad.
All Star Circuit of Champions point leader Aaron Reutzel came home fourth with Tim Kaeding, aboard a second Jason Sides machine, racing from 10thto fifth.
Gio Scelzi was named rookie of the year after becoming the youngest driver to start the Nationals A-Main at age 16. He finished 14thon Saturday night.
Sweet, meanwhile, was on top of the world.
“This is what I worked for all year,” he said. “I am going to enjoy this win. It is really special. There is just a short list of guys who have won it.”
Feature (50 laps): Brad Sweet, Donny Schatz, Kyle Larson, Aaron Reutzel, Tim Kaeding, Carson Macedo, Chad Kemenah, Logan Schuchart, Shane Stewart, David Gravel, Ian Madsen, Tim Shaffer, Jacob Allen, Giovanni Scelzi, Greg Hodnett, Dominic Scelzi, Daryn Pittman, Parker Price-Miller, Brock Zearfoss, Matt Juhl, Paul McMahan, Kerry Madsen, Terry McCarl, Brian Brown, Rico Abreu.
Post by woosprints12 on Aug 12, 2018 9:54:07 GMT -8
Macedo Claims Jesse Hockett Mr. Sprint Car Award
Carson Macedo’s strong Southern Iowa Sprintweek netted him the 2018 Beaver Drill & Tool Jesse Hockett Mr. Sprint Car Award.
His 330 points, which included a pair of victories and a sixth-place finish in Saturday’s Knoxville Nationals A-Main, bested second place Gio Scelzi (237), Terry McCarl (256), Tim Kaeding (250) and Cory Eliason (233).
Beaver Drill & Tool Company of Kansas City is the new title sponsor of the Beaver Drill & Tool Jesse Hockett Mr. Sprint Car Award. The Vielhauer family increased the prize money to $2,000 for first, $1,250 for second and $750 for third.
Post by woosprints12 on Aug 13, 2018 13:59:44 GMT -8
Abreu Reflects Following ‘Season-Altering’ Stretch
For much of the season, Rico Abreu found himself having to endure questions from many onlookers about why he and his No. 24 team’s performance had been off its usual level.
Since the calendar turned to the month of August, however, Abreu has finally been able to put many of those questions to rest.
Abreu kicked off the month with a thrilling performance with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, holding off potent title contender David Gravel to win the Ironman 55 at cash the $20,000 winner’s check that came with it.
He took the lead on lap 22 and then held Gravel and Tim Shaffer at bay for the dumbbell trophy, a moment that he said helped all the stress of his rocky road this season begin to melt away.
“It’s been no secret that we’ve struggled this year, but a big win like this makes all of the hard work and sacrifice worth it,” Abreu said. “I can’t thank my team, as well as all of my partners enough for their hard work and dedication this season. We’ve had some tough times, and some frustrating times, but they never gave up. They stood behind me and never surrendered. That’s the true definition of teamwork.”
If that weren’t enough, Abreu kept the momentum right on rolling during the 58th annual 5-hour Energy Knoxville Nationals this past week at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway.
He finished second on his preliminary night, trailing only eventual Nationals champion Brad Sweet and earning enough points to lock into Saturday night’s championship feature.
Abreu started 13th but had worked his way into the ninth position when he got into the outside wall in turn four and flipped, ending his night and leaving him with a 24th-place finish despite a show of speed.
“You’re just running so hard here at Knoxville and having to keep such a fast pace, that it’s easy to make mistakes,” said Abreu of the incident. “I just got too high and it got away from us. My car felt really good, though. I was pretty happy with what we had to work with.”
Even though his Knoxville Nationals didn’t end with the flourish he wanted them to, Abreu still took plenty of positives away from the showing he and his team put on the table during the week.
In fact, he said the last 10 days have gone a long way to completely turning his year around.
“The last two weeks have been season-altering for us,” noted Abreu. “To go from an Ironman victory to qualifying for the Knoxville Nationals A-main is pretty awesome. We certainly struggled during the early parts of the season, but this has certainly altered our attitudes for the better. I can’t say enough about this race team and what they are capable of doing. They never give up. They are mentally strong and keep pushing even when things get bad. I owe all of my recent successes to them.”
“(Crashing out) wasn’t how we wanted to end our Nationals run, but that stuff happens. At least we were right there battling for a top-ten spot,” Abreu continued. “I was racing as hard as I could. On a stage that like, you can’t wait around. We’re proud of our accomplishments and excited to keep moving down the road. Hopefully we can build on this and finish the season really strong.”
Post by woosprints12 on Aug 18, 2018 6:52:43 GMT -8
Schatz Doubles Down At River Cities
Donny Schatz took the lead on lap 28 when Brad Sweet spun while leading, and held off 17th-starting Mark Dobmeier to win his 16th World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series feature of the season Friday at River Cities Speedway.
It was his seventh win in his last eight and seventh in his last eight starts at the track. Schatz also won the companion late model feature.
Sheldon Haudenschild won the Sears Craftsman Dash, earning the pole for the 40-lap Feature alongside recent Knoxville Nationals winner Brad Sweet. Haudenschild led the opening lap before a red flag for Logan Schuchart, Wade Nygaard and Brent Marks halted the action with one lap complete.
Haudenschild continued to pace the field as he reached lapped traffic quickly around the quarter-mile bullring. Sweet stalked the Ohio native and took the lead on lap 12 on the bottom, in heavy lapped traffic.
Jordan Adams, who flipped earlier in the night, brought out the caution with 15 laps complete.
A caution on the double-file restart, set up a single-file restart. Four laps later, Ian Madsen was involved in his second incident of the feature, bringing an open red flag.
When action resumed, Haudenschild got shuffled back to fourth behind Kerry Madsen and Schatz, who moved into second. Schatz set his eyes on Sweet and closed in as the duo raced through traffic.
As Schatz went high to challenge for the lead, Sweet entered low into turn one and lost the handle of his No.49, spinning to a stop. Schatz assumed the lead alongside Kerry Madsen.
Schatz stormed away on the restart as the rest of the field, especially 17th-starting Mark Dobmeier, used every inch of real estate around the River Cities Speedway to advance.
The final restart flew with four to go and by this time Dobmeier, the all-time winning feature leader at River Cities Speedway, had worked his way to second, trailing Schatz.
The capacity crowd was bubbling with anticipation of the finish as the two North Dakota natives led the field back to the green.
Schatz pulled away in convincing fashion for his 16th Outlaw win of the year. Dobmeier finished second, picking up KSE Hard Charger honors for advancing 15 positions.
“I’m just a lucky guy. To drive for the for the best guys in the pit area, the best owner in the country and the people that build these cars. They stand behind us through thick and then,” Schatz said. “Mark [Dobmeier] had a good run, I saw the 13 on the board and I thought, oh boy, here we go. He’s pretty good around here.”
The massive crowd at River Cities was pleased to see six-time winner at River Cities in 2018, Dobmeier finish second.
“It’s great to have the crowd cheer like this, this is why we do it,” Dobmeier said. “I wish I didn’t use up all my tires at the beginning of the race, I wanted to start in the Dash and start in the top-ten and get that track position early, but we didn’t have it early, so I had to dig deep, I gave everything I had. Considering we got to second to this guy [pointing at Schatz], I feel pretty good about that run.”
Kerry Madsen finished on the podium.
“I had a big plan on the double-file restart with six to go and it didn’t work and I lost a spot,” Madsen said with a grin before complimenting River Cities Speedway. “They do such a good job with the track here, I love coming to Grand Forks.”
Kasey Kahne Racing teammates Daryn Pittman and Brad Sweet completed the top five.
Post by woosprints12 on Aug 19, 2018 7:39:32 GMT -8
North Dakota Belongs To Donny Schatz
Donny Schatz completed the weekend sweep of his home state of North Dakota, taking the lead on lap 23 to win his 17th World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series feature of the season Saturday at Red River Valley Speedway.
Jacob Allen finished second as he continues to close in on his first career Outlaw win with Kerry Madsen completing the podium.
David Gravel won the Sears Craftsman Dash to the earn the pole for the 30-lap feature alongside Shane Stewart. Gravel got the jump on the initial start and led the opening circuit. Jacob Allen worked his way forward from fourth to take second away from Schatz on lap five and two laps later Allen got by Gravel to take command of the field.
Allen led for four laps before bobbling in lapped traffic, trying to split a pair of lapped cars, on lap 12, allowing Gravel to steal the lead back and Schatz to move into second. The trio captivated the large Red River Valley Speedway crowd as they jockeyed for the lead.
Gravel worked his way through traffic, before the first caution of the event flew for Thomas Kennedy, who ended up backwards in turn one after battling with Sides for sixth with 18 laps complete.
Allen edged back in front of Schatz on the restart, but Schatz slid back to the front at the line. A lap later, Ian Madsen slowed with a flat tire. Brad Sweet also headed pit side with a flat tire.
With tires going down, the decision was made to go with single-file restarts the rest of the night, which allowed David Gravel to steadily lead with 11 to go. Schatz reeled in Gravel with a big run off of turn two and shot underneath him down the backstretch to take the lead on lap 23. As it turns out, Gravel was nursing an ailing tire as he slowed with a flat right rear the next lap, bringing out the final caution of the evening.
Allen stayed right with Schatz on the restart and looked for a way around the nine-time Series Champion, to no avail. Schatz hit his marks, didn’t make any mistakes and went on to win his 17th feature of the season and extend his point lead.
“It’s what you live for,” Schatz said. “You hope when you roll near home to put on a good show, have some good runs and win some races.
“I’m so fortunate for my team, they are the reason I’m standing here. We’ve been together for a long time and we have a lot of fun doing this,” Schatz added.
Allen continues to impress, finishing second and while he was a little disappointed to not seal the deal, he was still pleased with the run.
“Donny is a legend and to compete with him for a win was a lot of fun. I’ve ran second quite a few times this year and I want to win one so bad. One of these days, I’m going to bag on,” Allen said.
For the second consecutive night, Kerry Madsen completed the podium and was in good spirts. “I’ve always loved coming up here [to North Dakota]. My team works really hard and we’re happy with two podiums this weekend,” Madsen said.
Greg Wilson was humming on the bottom of the speedway and raced from 13th to fourth. Logan Schuchart charged from 19thto finish fifth.
Post by woosprints12 on Aug 19, 2018 7:45:12 GMT -8
Mike Marlar Controls Port Royal WoO LM Run
Mike Marlar was victorious over the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series Saturday night at Port Royal Speedway, scoring a $10,000 payday over Brandon Sheppard.
Marlar started fourth in the field and took the lead from Ross Robinson on the fifth tour of the 40-lap main.
Polesitter Ross Robinson led the first four laps of the feature with Marlar getting by second starter Brandon Sheppard on the initial start to hold second.
Marlar pulled a massive slide job in the third and fourth turns to net command, relegating Robinson to second.
Robinson would later withdraw from the event on the 14th lap.
The red flag appeared on the 11th lap for a four-car tangle on the backstretch that saw Bryan Bernheisel flip over. Other cars involved were Austin Hubbard, Shane Clanton and Rick Eckert.
Sheppard held second after Robinson withdrew and took his shots at the lead and his second win in as many years at the track with under 10 laps to go.
The door opened for Sheppard after leader Marlar smacked the fourth turn wall on lap 30 and in the ensuing turns Sheppard ducked low to get the lead.
But Marlar blasted the top back around and then Sheppard took another shot a lap later and again, Marlar was up to the task.
Sheppard would find contest for second during the final few laps as Devin Moran and Jason Covert pressured before falling short.
Marlar’s margin of victory was 1.654 seconds over Sheppard, followed by Moran, Covert and Tyler Erb.
Sixth through 10th went to Chris Madden, Mason Zeigler, Gregg Satterlee, Dylan Yoder and Tyler Bare.
Fast time was set by Marlar with a lap of 17.544 seconds, just off of the track record. A total of 36 cars were in action.
The finish:
Mike Marlar, Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Jason Covert, Tyler Erb, Chris Madden, Mason Zeigler, Gregg Satterlee, Dylan Yoder, Tyler Bare, Shane Clanton, Chase Junghans, Rance Garlock, Brent Larson, David Breazeale, Dan Stone, Matt Cosner, Ross Robinson, Rick Eckert, Austin Hubbard, Bryan Bernheisel, Kyle Lear, Coleby Frye, Tim Smith Jr.
Post by woosprints12 on Aug 25, 2018 16:19:20 GMT -8
Sweet Shuffles Allen For Black Hills Score
Brad Sweet used a double-file restart with seven laps remaining to get by race-long leader Jacob Allen and win his fifth World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series feature of the season Friday night at Black Hills Speedway.
Donny Schatz used that same restart to surge from ninth to finish second with Dominic Scelzi completing the podium.
Allen won the dash to earn the pole for the 25-lap feature Sweet. The initial start saw David Gravel blast from fourth to the lead down the backstretch, but Allen muscled his Shark Racing No. 1a underneath Gravel’s CJB No.5 off of turn four to lead the opening lap.
The first of two cautions in the feature came with two laps complete as Sheldon Haudenschild spun to a stop after battling for fifth. Haudenschild’s crew thrashed to get the Stenhouse Jr-Marshall No.17 back out, which would prove crucial later.
The double-file restart saw Shane Stewart move into second as Gravel got shuffled back to fifth.
Allen, in search of his first Outlaw triumph, motored away from the field as the rest of the field waged war behind him. Intense racing action on lap four saw Sweet move into second, Dominic Scelzi into third as Stewart got shuffled back to fourth. Scelzi, also in search of his first Outlaw triumph, pounded the cushion in turn one and two, to get by fellow California native Sweet for second on lap seven and set his eyes on Allen.
Allen navigated lapped traffic like a veteran and appeared to be on his way for the long-awaited first Outlaw win. Sweet worked back by Scelzi on lap 17 for second and the next lap Haudenschild brought out the final caution of the evening with seven laps remaining.
The caution erased Allen’s 2.5-second lead and put one of Sweet alongside for the double-file restart.
Allen elected the bottom, but Sweet was able to remain even for the lead on the restart. Sweet edged in front to lead lap 19, but a determined Allen threw a slide job to grab the lead momentarily off of turn two.
While all eyes were on Sweet and Allen’s torrid battle for the lead, Schatz surged forward from ninth to third.
Back up front, Sweet’s momentum allowed him to regain control down the backstretch and into turn three and four. As a last-ditch effort to get the lead back, Allen threw the car low, but spun the tires off turn four, scrubbing his speed and allowing Schatz and Scelzi to split him down the frontstretch for position.
Scelzi and Schatz jockeyed for position briefly, allowing Sweet to extend his lead and go on to win his fifth Feature of the year.
“I kinda feel bad for Jacob, he’s been working really hard and has a really fast car. He was probably the guy to beat, sometimes those late restarts will get you. I’ve been fortunate to have been out here a couple of more years and the experience can help in those situations,” Sweet said.
Schatz, who was coming off a weekend sweep in his home state, settled for second after his surge on the lap-18 restart.
“Hats off to my guys they always give me a good race car and we were pretty good at the end. I felt like we were running 43rd most of the race,” Schatz said.
It was all smiles for Scelzi, who completed the podium, tying his career-best Outlaw finish.
“I had a dream of a race car to drive,” he said. “We’ve had a heck of a last few months and to be on the podium with the Outlaws is awesome. We were fast at Billings last year, hopefully we can finish one or two spots better tomorrow.”
Logan Schuchart came forward to fourth with his Shark Racing teammate Allen settling for fifth.
Post by woosprints12 on Aug 26, 2018 8:11:24 GMT -8
It’s Pittman In Big Sky Country
Daryn Pittman got by Jacob Allen on a double-file restart halfway through the race and never looked back, scoring his second consecutive win at Big Sky Speedway and capturing his sixth World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory of the season.
Allen settled for second with Donny Schatz completing the podium.
For the second consecutive night, Allen won the Sears Craftsman Dash, earning the pole for the 35-lap feature. Allen drag raced with fellow front row starter Pittman the entire opening lap and edged ahead off of turn four to lead lap one.
The first 15 laps went non-stop, forcing Allen to negotiate lapped traffic and allowing Pittman and Schatz to close in. Brent Marks had a right rear explode, bringing out the first of a handful of cautions.
The ensuing double-file restart saw Allen elect the top of the speedway. Allen fought off two Pittman slidejobs to maintain control and lead lap 16 before the yellow flew for Dominic Scelzi, who lost the handle of his family-owned machine off of turn one.
The caution restacked the field double-file once again, but this time the veteran Pittman prevailed over young Allen, controlling the field off of turn two to lead lap 17.
A pair of cautions for Alan Gilbertson and Jason Sides gave Allen ample opportunity to steal the lead back from Pittman, but the Owasso, OK native was too strong on the double-file restarts and motored away.
The final caution of the evening came with four to go as Sheldon Haudenschild’s engine gave out. With less than five laps to go in the Feature, Outlaw rules dictate single-file restarts, giving Allen a different chance to wrestle the lead back.
Allen stayed with Pittman on the restart, but couldn’t mount a serious challenge as Pittman went on to win by .904 seconds.
“To get this win the way the last few months have been is really something special. Man, our last win was tough,” said Pittman, whose last race came on the night of Jason Johnson’s fatal accident.
“There’s nothing better than winning these races, you never know when your last one is going to be,” said Pittman, who now has 78 career Outlaw wins. “As you can see there’s nothing on the side of this car and there’s no better way to sign a sponsor than by winning races. That’s my job, to go out there and focus on putting this car in victory lane so I can keep this job and keep doing what I love
Allen’s first World of Outlaws win continues to elude him.
“Leading laps and running up front is a lot of fun,” Allen said. “Obviously, I want to get that first win, but to be able to be on the podium, finish top-five and contend for a win against these guys is something to be proud of and I’m proud of my race team.”
Schatz was pleased to come home third but wished the race got into more lapped traffic.
“It’s fun to be in traffic, but that wasn’t in the cards tonight. Third is pretty respectable, the race track was fun and that’s all you can ask for as a racer. Full house tonight, thank you guys for being here, it was an awesome night for all of us,” Schatz said.
Post by woosprints12 on Sept 1, 2018 8:37:37 GMT -8
Haudenschild Slides Stewart At Skagit
Sheldon Haudenschild celebrated his 25th birthday in style, sliding Shane Stewart for the lead coming to the white flag to claim his fifth World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory of the season on night one of the Outlaw Energy Showdown at Skagit Speedway.
Stewart did everything in his power to get back by Haudenschild but settled for second. Rico Abreu completed the podium in his first WoO start at Skagit.
Abreu won the Sears Craftsman Dash, earning the pole for the 30-lap feature alongside Shane Stewart. Abreu got the jump on the initial start to lead the opening lap before action was halted for Jacob Allen, who spun to avoid a logjam of cars with one lap complete.
Abreu chose the bottom on the ensuing double-file restart and led the field down the backstretch but Shane Stewart, a two-time Outlaw winner at Skagit, got a massive run on the cushion off of turn four to lead lap two.
As Abreu searched around the race track, Sheldon Haudenschild snuck by into second on lap four and began closing in on Stewart.
Stewart and Haudenschild gave the Skagit Speedway fans a glimpse of what was to come on lap seven as Sheldon got underneath Stewart to lead down the backstretch, only to have Stewart blast back around to lead the lap at the line by a hair.
The intense action halted on lap 10 when Keoni Texeira spun to a stop. On the opposite end of the track, Jason Solwold’s eventful evening continued as he stopped with a flat right front tire. Solwold would return, but Texeira would not.
The ensuing double-file restart saw contact in the back of the pack and Austen Wheatley end up in the infield with damage that would end his evening. Following that, the decision was made to conduct single-file restarts the rest of the evening.
Lap 13 saw Solwold’s night go from bad to worse as his No. 18s went end-over-end down the backstretch into turn three after incidental contact with Allen.
The remaining 17 laps went non-stop. Haudenschild hawked the veteran Stewart through heavy lapped traffic, keeping the crowd on the edge of their seat as the drivers navigated a tacky racing surface.
Haudenschild looked to be within striking distance multiple times, but remained patient until the perfect opportunity, which came on lap 28. Stewart bobbled on the treacherous cushion off of turn four, opening a narrow window for Haudenschild to pounce.
Haudenschild threw his NOS Energy Sponsored, Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall racing No. 17 hard into the corner and inched in front of Stewart at the edge of turn four. Stewart and Haudenschild made slight contact after the slide job but both drivers kept going under the white flag. Stewart tried one last ditch effort to get the lead back coming to the checkered, but he finished .311 seconds behind Haudenschild.
“I knew I was running out of time and had to make something happen. I don’t think my slider was dirty, you kind of had to stop his momentum to pull it off. I know he bumped by back bumper, but on a small track like this, I think you’re going to have some wheel-banging and the track tonight was beautiful,” Haudenschild said.
Stewart was in good spirits.
“I thought we were going to have one, I knew Sheldon was going to be tough,” he said. “I thought I was getting through lapped cars pretty good, but I jumped the cushion just a little bit coming to the White and allowed Sheldon to get a good run on me. That’s how these races go, you can’t stub your toe, can’t slow down at all or you’re going to get passed.”
Abreu, who has been following the Outlaws back to his home state of California since Knoxville, came home third.
“This place races great,” he said. “I didn’t get to the top soon enough on that restart and that’s where we lost the race. My car was perfect and I’m excited for tomorrow.”
Joey Saldana was strong all night and finished fourth with Brad Sweet completing the top five.
Post by woosprints12 on Sept 2, 2018 7:14:56 GMT -8
It’s All Pittman In Skagit Showdown
Daryn Pittman led all 40 laps to claim his seventh World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory of the season on the second night of the Outlaw Energy Showdown at Skagit Speedway.
Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet exchanged the runner-up position multiple times in the closing stages with Schatz grabbing the position and Sweet settling for third.
Pittman won the Sears Craftsman Dash to earn the pole of the 40-lap feature alongside Schatz. Pittman controlled the initial start and led the opening lap as Schatz and Logan Schuchart jockeyed for the runner-up position before a red flag halted action.
A handful of slowed cars littered the racing surface, resulting in Dominic Scelzi getting upside down. Scelzi was alert and talking to the safety crew but was transported to the local hospital with a hip injury.
Friday night’s winner Sheldon Haudenschild spun to a stop on lap three, ending his top-10 run and bunching the field back together. The next 10 laps allowed the leaders to delve into lapped traffic. With the preferred racing line up on the cushion, Pittman was able to methodically work his way through traffic efficiently with calculated slide jobs.
Buddy Kofoid’s good run came to an end on lap 13, when he stopped in turn one. On the ensuing restart, Brad Sweet went to work on Schuchart, as the duo exchanged slide jobs for third. Schuchart resisted, but Sweet was able to wrestle the position away for good on lap 15 and began to close in on Pittman and Schatz.
As lapped traffic picked up, Pittman was forced to slow his pace around the cushion, allowing Schatz and Sweet to knock on the door. The best racing action of the night came on lap 27 through 30 as Pittman remained committed to the top, Schatz found some traction on the bottom and Sweet was looking for a way around both of them. The trio were within inches for the better part of those laps, exciting the large Skagit Speedway crowd.
Schatz bobbled on the tricky cushion off of turn two on lap 31, allowing Sweet to steal the runner-up position and, more importantly, allow Pittman to extend his advantage. Sweet began to close in on his Kasey Kahne Racing teammate, potentially setting up another nail-biting finish. As Schatz and Sweet waged war in lapped traffic, pulled further away and pocket the $12,000 payday at Skagit Speedway for the second consecutive year.
“My guys did a good job. Glad to get the Adams family a win, Justin lost his Grandfather the other day and he’s been doing a great job for us this year, so this one was for him,” Pittman said. “It’s great to get another win, you cherish every one of this because you never know when your next one is going to come.”
When asked about his game plan starting on the front row, Pittman was honest.
“My plan was if the 15 got under me, I better get my butt in gear,” said Pittman, who collected his 79thWoO triumph.
Schatz got back by Sweet coming to the white flag and held on for second.
“It’s not where anyone wants to be, but you have to take it some days,” Schatz said. “Forty laps is 40 laps, I felt like I needed it to be 100 laps to win tonight.”
Sweet came home third and talked about the three-car battle for the lead.
“It was a good battle, I was trying to give it all I’ve got, I thought we had a really good car. It’s a little disappointing to give that spot back to Donny on the last lap, but still a good run for this team and to end the weekend on the podium is nothing to be ashamed of,” Sweet said.
Schuchart was strong all evening and finished fourth, with Ian Madsen completing the top five.
Post by woosprints12 on Sept 6, 2018 10:29:41 GMT -8
Schatz Gets No. 19 At Willamette
Donny Schatz won for the second time in 48 hours, passing Logan Schuchart on lap 14 to win his 19th World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series feature of the season Wednesday night at Willamette Speedway.
Schuchart, who passed Schatz on lap four and led 10 laps, settled for second with David Gravel completing the podium.
Overcoming a mediocre qualifying effort, Schatz came from fourth to second in his heat to earn a spot in the Sears Craftsman Dash. Schatz drew No. 1 for the dash, which he won to earn the pole for the 40-lap feature.
Schatz got the jump on the initial start and led the opening lap. Logan Schuchart and Shane Stewart fought their way to second and third, with Gravel getting shuffled back to fourth. Brent Marks came to a stop on lap two, bringing out the caution and setting up a double-file restart.
Schatz chose the bottom and stayed committed down there as Schuchart got a run to his outside. Schuchart used a big surge off the cushion of turn four to lead the fourth circuit.
Schuchart reached lapped traffic on lap nine and negotiated it well, but Schatz stayed right with him. Schatz continued to stalk Schuchart through traffic.
Schuchart followed the slower car of Willie Croft on the bottom into turn one on lap 13 and then slipped up on the bottom off of turn four and that was all the nine-time Series Champion needed to steal the top spot back and lead lap 14.
A long Green Flag run allowed Schatz to show his prowess in lapped traffic as he built a sizable advantage over Schuchart.
Ian Madsen brought out the yellow flag with 26 laps complete and four laps to run, giving Schuchart and company one last chance at Schatz. Schuchart followed Schatz into turn one on the bottom and tried to get a run off of turn four to no avail, as Schatz powered away and won by 1.804 seconds.
“I was a little evil early, I was trying to burn off the fuel and the more I did, the better I got. My car was really good, hats off to my guys, they are the ones that should be standing here,” Schatz said of his Tony Stewart Racing No. 15 crew.
Schuchart settled for second and wasted no time complimenting Schatz.
“Props to the 15 team, they do a great job every night and Donny drove a great race. Second-place is still pretty good and this Team Drydene, Shark Racing No.1S is really fast right now. I’m proud of where we are at,” Schuchart said.
Gravel finished third.
“We tried to run the bottom early and I went backwards so I had to move up and make some of that ground back up. It’s good to be on the podium, but when you start up front you want to get some wins. Hopefully we can keep this momentum going,” Gravel said.
Shane Stewart finished fourth with Sheldon Haudenschild fifth.