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.

The FVP Outlaw Clay Classic continues tomorrow with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series, while the Sprint Car Series heads for Spring Valley, MN for the Clash at the Creek at Deer Creek Speedway. Tickets are available online.

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

 

THE DIRT OVAL AT ROUTE 66 RACEWAY ABBREVIATED RESULTS:

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

By |2017-07-05T18:30:44-04:00July 5th, 2017|Front Page News, National, Sprint Cars|Comments Off on Schatz Scores Win 12 on Return to The Dirt Oval, Where He Won 12 Years Ago

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]

Qualifying Flight A – 1. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.228; 2. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 11.329; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.415; 4. 25-Jacob Blackhurst, 11.432; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.442; 6. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.46; 7. 59H-Justin Henderson, 11.472; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.532; 9. 19-Brent Marks, 11.555; 10. O2-Mike Reinke, 11.567; 11. 3-Tim Kaeding, 11.568; 12. 79-Blake Nimee, 11.584; 13. 13-Clyde Knipp, 11.586; 14. 51B-Joe B, 11.61; 15. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.633; 16. 5J-Jeremy Schultz, 11.806; 17. 10V-Matt Vandervere, 11.863; 18. 22-Todd King, 11.946; 19. 12W-Josh Walter, 12.188

Qualifying Flight B – 1. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.071; 2. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.153; 3. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 11.188; 4. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.198; 5. 5-David Gravel, 11.263; 6. 17B-Bill Balog, 11.291; 7. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.303; 8. 4-Paul McMahan, 11.31; 9. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 11.356; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.453; 11. 10W-Scotty Thiel, 11.642; 12. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, 11.7; 13. 99-Kyle Marten, 11.712; 14. 68-Dave Uttech, 11.837; 15. 43-Jereme Schroeder, 11.97; 16. 23-Russell Borland, 11.977; 17. 73-Ben Schmidt, 12.134; 18. 23D-Trey Datweiler, 12.21; 19. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski, 12.256

By |2017-07-05T18:27:30-04:00July 5th, 2017|Front Page News, National, Sprint Cars|Comments Off on Caution: Stewart Is on a Streak

Sheppard Survives the Showdown

Brandon Sheppard wins Outlaws vs. Summer Nationals Showdown

PEVELY, MO— July 1, 2017— Brandon Sheppard claimed his eighth win of the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series season and his second win of the 2017 DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Saturday. This win additionally advanced him to 13-career Summer Nationals wins, ultimately placing him 13th on the all-time wins list.

“We had a really good racecar… and we had a good rhythm goin’ once we got goin’,” said Sheppard. “This racetrack is awesome. I love coming here and it means a lot to get a win here at I-55. It’s been a while since I’ve been here but it’s definitely been a while since I got a win here.”

Sheppard and his Rocket 1 Racing team claimed their first Summer Nationals win of the season just two days earlier at Plymouth Speedway by out dueling a late race charge from Scott Bloomquist.

The race at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 marked the first time that the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series collided with the DIRTcar Summer Nationals for one show. Placing two of the best Dirt Late Model tours on one stage did not leave the fans disappointed, as many times throughout the event fans were up and out of their seats cheering, gasping, and/or booing. Nothing got more of a reaction out of the fans than a crash on lap-43 wiping out all but one car in the top-five.

Brandon Sheppard was leading the field at the time so avoided the wreck. Behind him Shirley, Madden, Erb and Heckenast were fighting for the final two podium spots. With multiple sliders and three-wide action around the track, it was only a matter of time until the inevitable. With seven laps to go, Shirley got under Madden’s left rear tangling the pair. Erb and Heckenast were trailing closely behind so there was no time to avoid the wreck.

“Lap traffic was terrible to get through,” said Erb.  “Every time I would get behind those lap cars, it would just kill all of my momentum and then we would get all bunched up. Squirrel (Shirley) got in there hot when Madden slid him and they wrecked and I did everything I could to keep going but the track was covered up. It sucks. We gave away a lot of money tonight.”

The event was running on Summer Nationals rules so the cars involved in the wreck had to go to the tail of the feature, even if they did not cause the wreck. Rather than returning to the field Madden and Shirley headed off the track and to the pit area. On Shirley’s way out, Madden’s crew guy threw a stick at Shirley’s car in displeasure with the way things unfolded.

Eric Wells and Rick Eckert were able to cash in on the other driver’s misfortune by moving up the ranks to finish second and third.

“This place was really racey,” said Wells. “I was watching everyone in front of me and watching sparks flying. I was just trying to keep my stuff together. It’s a misfortune for Madden and Shirley and them guys involved in that crash but we’re happy with a second-place finish.”

“That wreck happened about 15 times, it just finally did happen,” said Eckert. “I lost a couple of spots trying to miss it the times that it didn’t happen but it was a gift to us because we were backing through the field there. I kept getting off of that top because I thought they were crashing and finally they did and I was lucky enough to be far enough away from it.”

The World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series will next head to Deer Creek Speedway for the Gopher 50 on July 8 for more information click here.

Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 Results:

Feature: 1. 1- Brandon Sheppard[3]; 2. 18w- Eric Wells[9]; 3. 7E- Rick Eckert[1]; 4. 25c- Shane Clanton[15]; 5. 1*- Chub Frank[11]; 6. 18- Shannon Babb[18]; 7. 32- Bobby Pierce[6]; 8. 9m- Devin Moran[16]; 9. 14m- Morgan Bagley[20]; 10. 21- Billy Moyer[12]; 11. 7R- Kent Robinson[13]; 12. 36- Logan Martin[5]; 13. 16- Rusty Griffaw[21]; 14. 6k- Michael Kloos[14];] 15. 21JR- Billy Moyer Jr[17]; 16. 11- Gordy Gundaker[22]; 17. B1- Brent Larson[19]; 18. 4G- Bob Gardner[25]; 19. 11H- Jeff Herzog[24]; 20. 2- Joey Coulter[23]; 21. 3s- Brian Shirley[4]; 22. 44m- Chris Madden[10]; 23. 91- Tyler Erb[7]; 24. 99JR- Frank Heckenast Jr[8]; 25. 40B- Kyle Bronson[2] 

By |2017-07-05T18:25:42-04:00July 5th, 2017|Front Page News, Late Models, National|Comments Off on Sheppard Survives the Showdown

Fireworks For Overton

Brandon Overton and Brandon Sheppard Claim the Checkers During Doubleheader at Lernerville Speedway

SARVER, Pa.— June 24, 2017— The 11th annual Firecracker 100 was combined for one huge event on Saturday with back-to-back World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series action at the famed 4/10-mile oval— Lernerville Speedway. The afternoon matinee included a full show with a 30-lap feature which then lead to the main events later that evening— the Uncle Sam 30 and the Firecracker 100.

Firecracker 100 is Overton’s Flair

Brandon Overton claimed the biggest win of his career as he parked it in Victory Lane after leading every lap of the Firecracker 100 at Lernerville Speedway.

“Man I tell you what, I come here and get my first Outlaw win and then I get the biggest win of my career,” said Overton. “I just can’t thank my boys enough. I crashed the crap out of this thing earlier today and my boys fixed it up, and tuned it up, and we put ourselves in position to win. This is a dream come true.”

Overton claimed his first-ever Outlaw win during his sophomore season with the Series at the preliminary event for the 10th annual Firecracker 100. His win in 2016 was dedicated to his father’s commitment to helping him to reach that point in his career. Just one year later, Overton was able to put the cherry on top of his experience at Lernerville Speedway with a $30,000 payday.

Mike Marlar and Tim McCreadie were looking to capitalize on any mistakes made by the young gun, but Overton’s run was faultless. With just nine laps remaining in the show, only .429 seconds stood between Marlar and Overton but the Randy Weaver 116 Dream Ride was able to hold him off.

“There really wasn’t a lot of room there to pass him but I was right under him a lot of times,” said Mike Marlar. “They had one little sweet spot on the track and I tip-toed to the left of it and to the right of it but I just couldn’t make anything happen out there.”

Although Marlar couldn’t complete his pass for the lead, he was able to pass McCreadie for second on lap 37.

“I know it’s not easy,” said McCreadie. “I know these two guys up here [Overton and Marlar] made it look easy but it’s not easy. I’m thankful I have a good ride.”

McCreadie sustained a late race charge by Don O’Neal who found his way to contend for the podium with just a few laps to go.

Smith Triumphs in Uncle Sam

G.R. Smith’s first ever visit to Lernerville Speedway ended victorious as he won the Uncle Sam race and $3,000. Smith out ran Boom Briggs in second by 2.961.

“It’s not the one we wanted to win and we hate that we missed the big show but it’s not a bad night,” said Smith. “We came a long way from Charlotte, N.C. to race up here and it’s great to see a dirt track with all of these people here. It’s great to come up and race in front of you guys and I’m honored to do so.”

Sheppard’s time to shine

Sheppard selected a fan from the crowd to draw his starting position for the afternoon event and his redraw luck didn’t run dry as the number one Craftsman wrench was pulled from the toolbox placing him on the pole for the 30-lap feature.

“We had a good heat race and were able to finish second which put us in the redraw. That was key here,” said Sheppard. “I assume it was pretty hard to pass out there. We had a pretty balanced racecar and we were able to keep a good momentum line and get it done.”

Sheppard held on to the lead position for all 30-laps but Mike Marlar tried his best to maneuver around the Rocket1. By lap 13 only .808 seconds stood between Marlar and Sheppard but Marlar could not find the extra push he needed to complete the pass.

Once the pair approached lap traffic, the Rocket Shepp was able slide by cars without a problem allowing him to widen the gap on Marlar to a 1.650 by lap 18 before returning to a 1.1 second difference at the finish.

Chub Frank was all smiles in Victory Lane after he claimed his best finish of the season in his home state of Pennsylvania.

The World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series will return to Lernerville Speedway on Sept. 2 for the Working Man 50. The next stop for the Series will be on June 28 at the Dirt Oval at Route 66 Raceway for the FVP Outlaw Clay Classic. For more information click here. For tickets click here.

Firecracker 100 at Lernerville Speedway Results:

Craftsman Club Feature: 1. 116- Brandon Overton[1]; 2. 157- Mike Marlar[3]; 3. 39- Tim McCreadie[4]; 4. 5- Don O’Neal[6]; 5. 44- Chris Madden[8]; 6. 17M- Dale McDowell[13]; 7. 56- Russ King[9]; 8. 1- Brandon Sheppard[12]; 9. 72- Mike Norris[7]; 10. 1*- Chub Frank[11]; 11. 25- Shane Clanton[17]; 12. 9- Devin Moran[14];13. 18c- Chase Junghans[16]; 14. 22- Gregg Satterlee[22]; 15. 7- Rick Eckert[19]; 16. 18- Eric Wells[23]; 17. 91- Tyler Erb[21]; 18. 99j- Frank Heckenast Jr[20]; 19. 2c- Joey Coulter[27]; 20. 14m- Morgan Bagley[24]; 21. 10- Alex Ferree[25]; 22. H1- Jared Miley[10]; 23. 40B- Kyle Bronson[15]; 24. 25z- Mason Zeigler[18]; 25. 111- Matt Lux[26]; 26. 14- Darrell Lanigan[2]; 27. 0- Scott Bloomquist[5]

By |2017-07-05T18:22:33-04:00July 5th, 2017|Front Page News, Late Models, National|Comments Off on Fireworks For Overton

With a Lot of Skill and a Little Luck, Stewart Locks in West Liberty Win

WEST LIBERTY, IA — 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]

Qualifying – 1. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 15.737; 2. 2-Shane Stewart, 15.848; 3. 49-Brad Sweet, 15.859; 4. 6-Carson McCarl, 15.861; 5. 18-Ian Madsen, 15.89; 6. 41-Jason Johnson, 15.947; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman, 15.951; 8. 21-Brian Brown, 16.001; 9. 1M-Danny Lasoski, 16.006; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 16.029; 11. 15-Donny Schatz, 16.033; 12. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 16.043; 13. 4-Paul McMahan, 16.089; 14. 5-David Gravel, 16.09; 15. 19-Brent Marks, 16.096; 16. 7S-Jason Sides, 16.182; 17. 5J-Jeremy Schultz, 16.224; 18. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 16.229; 19. 24-Terry McCarl, 16.374; 20. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, 16.396; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen, 16.414; 22. W20-Greg Wilson, 16.634; 23. 71A-R.J. Johnson, 16.669; 24. 51B-Joe B, 16.861; 25. 15M-Bobby Mincer, 17.073; 26. 19W-Bobby Weuve, 17.137; 27. 13-Clyde Knipp, 17.501

By |2017-07-05T18:19:30-04:00July 5th, 2017|Front Page News, National, Sprint Cars|Comments Off on With a Lot of Skill and a Little Luck, Stewart Locks in West Liberty Win

Richards Goes Back to Back in Lucas Oil Action from Ohio

MANSFIELD, OH (July 2, 2017) – The first ever visit to Mansfield Motor Speedway on Sunday Night by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series was a huge success. There was a tremendous crowd combined with a spectacular racing surface saw the fans witness Josh Richards winning for the second night in row.

Richards took the lead at the start of the race and led every lap for the second night in a row, but behind Richards there was two-wide racing for most of the 50 lap feature deep into the field. Gregg Satterlee out-dueled fellow Rookie of the Year contender, Hudson O’Neal to take the second spot as he joined Richards on the podium for the second night in a row. O’Neal – the 16-year-old son of former series champion, Don O’Neal – made his first LOLMDS podium appearance with a third-place finish.

Completing the top five were Darrell Lanigan and Tim McCreadie. Current LOLMDS point leader Scott Bloomquist started 11th and finished in sixth to maintain the series points lead.

“This is one awesome track,” said the 29-year-old in Lucas Oil Victory Lane for this fifth time this season and for the 17th time in his career. “I was fortunate enough to come here and run an ARCA race for Venturini Motorsports like seven years ago. To have another dirt track come onboard, you don’t see that very often. It’s cool to see them put the effort out and with such a facility like this it’s neat to win here.”

“I can’t thank the crowd and the track crew enough. I was a little skeptical from the races earlier this year on how the track conditions would be, but they did a phenomenal job getting the track worked in. The car moved around really well. I could pass cars pretty much at will, I had a few close calls, but other than that, the car was exceptional.”

Richards’ Eric and Kelly Brock owned, Best Performance Motorsports, Rocket is sponsored by Bulk Material Lift, Corey Frazier-State Farm, Valvoline, Keyser, Riggs Motorsports, Integra, Sunoco Fuels, and Alexander Lawn and Landscaping.

The battle for second went on for several laps between Satterlee and Hudson O’Neal. Satterlee was finally able to clear O’Neal with a little more than ten laps to go.

“It an awesome race, just glad to get on the podium two nights in a row,” said Satterlee. “They haven’t raced here a lot. Our hats are off to the promoter and everyone who put this show on tonight. There was a huge crowd here tonight. We always like racing in front of a big crowd it’s always a lot of fun. We had a great car again, but we have some more tweaking to do to catch this green number 1 car.”

“Good job to Hudson, he’s only 16 and he is going to be a threat for years to come. I enjoyed racing with him side-by-side tonight, hopefully we can all get to do this again tomorrow night in Zanesville. This is a beautiful facility and we could race all over the track. I look forward to coming back,” said the driver of the Satterlee Petroleum, Durham Racing Engines, Rocket.

Hudson O’Neal was ecstatic for his first career LOLMDS podium finish. “It was a blast out there. Congratulations to Josh on the win. I am just happy to be here and run inside the top three. I can’t wait to call my car owner Todd Burns and tell him, he is going to be so excited. It’s so much fun racing with all of these guys. It’s a whole team effort. I look to coming back here next year it races phenomenal,” said the driver of the Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil, Vermeer Midwest, Mark Martin Automotive, Kimball Midwest by Krissie sponsored Club 29 entry.

Completing the top ten were Scott Bloomquist, Earl Pearson Jr., Jimmy Owens, Steve Francis, and Dennis Erb Jr.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Sunday, July 2nd, 2017
Freedom 50 – presented Summit Racing Equipment
Mansfield Motor Speedway – Mansfield, OH

Miller Welders Fast Time Group A: Hudson O’Neal / 16.721 seconds
Miller Welders Fast Time Group B: Gregg Satterlee / 16.881 seconds

Eibach Springs Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, All Transfer): Hudson O’Neal, Dennis Erb, Jr., Jimmy Owens, Doug Drown, Boom Briggs, Rod Conley, Ryan Markham, Larry Bellman, Jr., Bob Mayer

FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, All Transfer): Josh Richards, Tim McCreadie, Don O’Neal, Scott Bloomquist, Matt Irey, Steven Kester, Mike Bores, Dave Hornikel

Simpson Performance Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, All Transfer): Gregg Satterlee, Earl Pearson, Jr., Darrell Lanigan, Steve Francis, Robert Anderzack, Jason Montgomery, Ben Mott, Kody Evans

Feature Finish (50 Laps):

FINISH START CAR # DRIVER NAME HOMETOWN EARNINGS
1 2 1R Josh Richards Shinnston, WV $10,800
2 3 22 Gregg Satterlee Rochester Mills, PA $6,300
3 1 71 Hudson O’Neal Martinsville, IN $4,300
4 9 14 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY $3,450
5 5 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY $2,950
6 11 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN $2,800
7 6 1 Earl Pearson, Jr. Jacksonville, FL $2,300
8 7 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN $2,100
9 12 15 Steve Francis Bowling Green, KY $1,900
10 4 28E Dennis Erb, Jr. Carpentersville, IL $1,800
11 8 5 Don O’Neal Martinsville, IN $1,875
12 17 77 Steven Kester Holland, OH $1,050
13 18 21m Jason Montgomery Jackson, OH $1,025
14 13 99B Boom Briggs Bear Lake, PA $1,700
15 16 71R Rod Conley Wheelersburg, OH $950
16 10 240 Doug Drown Wooster, OH $925
17 24 4G Kody Evans Camden, OH $900
18 14 36 Matt Irey Ashland, OH $875
19 15 8a Robert Anderzack Swanton, OH $850
20 19 5m Ryan Markham Ashland, OH $825
21 21 1m Ben Mott White Lake, MI $800
22 25 42* Bob Mayer Holland, OH $800
23 22 59 Larry Bellman, Jr. Wooster, OH $800
24 23 71h Dave Hornikel Mansfield, OH $800
25 20 15b Mike Bores Bellevue, OH $800

Race Statistics
Entrants: 25
Lap Leaders: Josh Richards (Laps 1 – 50)
Cautions: Doug Drown (Lap 29); Don O’Neal (Lap 40)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: n/a
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Wrisco Feature Winner: Josh Richards
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Scott Bloomquist (Started: 11th; Finished: 5th; Advanced 6 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Scott Bloomquist
Allstar Performance Power Move of the Race: Don O’Neal
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Josh Richards
Hot Rod Processing Rookie of the Race: Gregg Satterlee
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Durham Racing Engines
Ohlins Shocks Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket Chassis
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Randall Edwards (Josh Richards)
Fastest Lap of the Race: Josh Richards (Lap #2 – 17.6503 seconds)
Safecraft Most Laps Led: Josh Richards (50 Laps)
PFC Brakes Pole Award: Hudson O’Neal
Time of Race: 25 minutes 13 seconds

Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings:

POS CAR # DRIVER NAME HOMETOWN POINTS EARNINGS
1 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN 4085 $129,325
2 1R Josh Richards Shinnston, WV 4030 $110,500
3 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY 4010 $106,650
4 5 Don O’Neal Martinsville, IN 3745 $74,800
5 1 Earl Pearson, Jr. Jacksonville, FL 3675 $84,050
6 14 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY 3625 $59,725
7 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN 3560 $68,675
8 28E Dennis Erb, Jr. Carpentersville, IL 3495 $54,250
9 22 Gregg Satterlee Rochester Mills, PA 3385 $55,325
10 15 Steve Francis Bowling Green, KY 3270 $42,275
11 71 Hudson O’Neal Martinsville, IN 3095 $38,175
12 99B Boom Briggs Bear Lake, PA 2975 $34,225
By |2017-07-05T18:14:20-04:00July 5th, 2017|Front Page News, Late Models, National|Comments Off on Richards Goes Back to Back in Lucas Oil Action from Ohio

Sheppard Slings To Brighton Victory

Illinois Driver Scores First Career Win In Canada

BRIGHTON, ON, CAN – JUNE 17, 2017 – Brandon Sheppard stole the lead from Frank Heckenast Jr. in traffic on lap 10 and then dominated the final 40 laps to earn his first career win on Canadian soil and the 12th of his career with the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series in the Mud Slingin’ 50 at Brighton Speedway on Saturday night. Sheppard’s second straight win moved him to 11th on the Series’ all-time win list.“This is a heck of a racetrack,” Sheppard said. “I’ve had a quite a few first time racetrack’s this year and this is another one that hasn’t disappointed me. I watched some video from the last time these guys were here and it looked really racey and I didn’t really know what to expect, but I thought it was amazing. Hats off to the track guys and everyone at Brighton.”

Heckenast started on the pole for the 50-lap Craftsman Club Feature with Tyler Erb on the outside of the front row. Sheppard quickly jumped past Erb for second while Heckenast opened a slim advantage out front. The gap closed as Heckenast worked into traffic on lap seven and Sheppard began to size up his move.Sheppard capitalized on an opportunity to dart past Heckenast amongst a group of slower traffic in turn one and on lap 10 took over the point. Before Sheppard could gain any advantage, the first caution of the race waved before lap 11 was complete when Andy Mayhew spun in turn one. The ensuing restart did not produce a completed lap as Chub Frank slowed in corner four with a flat tire on his No.1*.

The second attempt at a lap 11 restart saw Rick Eckert and Charlie Sandercock of Trenton, Ontario, Canada race past Heckenast for second and third, respectively. Heckenast retook third on lap 18, two laps before the third yellow of the race when Morgan Bagley came to a stop in turn four with a flat tire.On the restart, Sandercock and Devin Moran raced past Heckenast and challenged Eckert for second. The race was slowed though on lap 23 when Greg Oakes and Robbie Wilson tangled and spun in turn four after a chain reaction of cars braking in front of them.

Sandercock used the next restart to get by Eckert and take second in the outside lane and briefly challenged Sheppard for second before engine issues for Chris Madden ended his night and brought a caution on lap 26.Moran, Erb and Eckert all drove past Sandercock on the restart while Bagley began his methodical move through the field after pitting to change a flat tire on lap 20.“It took a while to find a good line,” Erb said. “Once the No.57 car (of Sandercock) passed us up top, I figured I’d give it a shot. I just didn’t want to be the first one to go out there. Luckily we got on the top on the last restart and were able to run the top and then protect down there.”Sheppard grew his lead to 2.16 seconds over Erb with 20 laps to go and pulled away further over the next five laps while Erb and Morran battled each other for second amongst the lapped traffic.

Erb came away with the second spot, but only after Sheppard had extended his lead to a full straightaway. With 10 laps to go, Bagley raced past Moran for third, but wasn’t in position to get past Erb for second.Sheppard had completely checked out in front of the field with five laps to go, leading by nearly a half lap with a gap of 5.9 seconds over Erb. The Illinois native cruised to the victory for the sixth time this year.“All of the guys were on the sidelines keeping me pumped up, telling me to keep my elbows up,” Sheppard said when asked about his late-race lead. “I just kept digging.”Texans Erb and Bagley rounded out the podium while Moran and Eckert completed the top-five.“We were pretty good, but I don’t think we had much for Brandon,” Erb said. “He’s definitely been the class of the field, but it’s been an honor running with these all guys. Hopefully we can win one of these things after all of these seconds.”Bagley’s car came alive following his lap 20 difficulties and allowed him to race to the front of the field. The third-place result was Bagley’s best finish of the season and his second top-five result of the year.“We’ve been struggling all year and just getting stuff back to where we need to be,” said a relieved Bagley in Victory Lane. “We’ve been making some gains here the last couple of weeks. It’s just coming together. We still have a lot of work to do.”The World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series continues it’s northern swing at Cornwall Motor Speedway on Sunday, June 18.

Additional Race Notes: Sheppard was quickest in time trials with a lap of 13.443 seconds, the 11th fast time award of his World of Outlaws career. Chub Frank claimed the 63rd heat race win of his career, which ranks him ninth on the Series’ all-time list. Shane Clanton was forced to a back-up car after experiencing engine issues in Hot Laps.

Brighton Speedway Notebook

Craftsman Club Feature (50 Laps): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard [3]; 2. 91-Tyler Erb [2]; 3. 14m-Morgan Bagley [9]; 4. 9-Devin Moran [10]; 5. 7-Rick Eckert [5]; 6. 1*-Chub Frank [6]; 7. 57-Charlie Sandercock [8]; 8. 99jr-Frank Heckenast Jr. [1]; 9. 25-Shane Clanton [4]; 10. 2c-Joey Coulter [14]; 11. 18-Eric Wells [11]; 12. 29-Phil Potts [13]; 13. 12-Kyle Sopaz [19]; 14. 46-Brandon Mowat [16]; 15. 5-Steve Baldwin [15]; 16. 92-Adam Turner [12]; 17. 09-Robbie Wilson [17]; 18. 77-Caley Weese [20]; 19. 20-Terry Hunt [21]; 20. 7c-Brent Colby [24]; 21.10-Elmer Stevenson [23]; 22. 44-Chris Madden [7]; 23. 22-Greg Oakes [18]; 24. 22jr-Michael Oakes [22]; 25. 1020x-Andy Mayhew [25].

For complete results from the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series event at Brighton Speedway visit the results page.

Source: World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series – Sheppard Slings To Brighton Victory

By |2017-06-21T16:57:02-04:00June 21st, 2017|Front Page News, Late Models, National|Comments Off on Sheppard Slings To Brighton Victory

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]

CLICK HERE TO SEE FULL RESULTSCLICK HERE TO SEE FULL RESULTS

Source: World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series – Schatz Picks Up Win 11 at Granite City Speedway

By |2017-06-21T14:45:55-04:00June 21st, 2017|Front Page News, National, Sprint Cars|Comments Off on Schatz Outduels Johnson for 11th Victory of Season at Granite City Speedway

Gravel Wins Rain-Soaked River Cities Speedway

After 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.

Source: World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series – Gravel Wins at River Cities Speedway

By |2017-06-21T14:29:22-04:00June 21st, 2017|Front Page News, National, Sprint Cars|Comments Off on Gravel Wins Rain-Soaked River Cities Speedway

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.The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series is back in action on Friday, June 16 when the Series visits River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D. The Series will then continue onto Red River Valley Speedway on Saturday, June 17. For tickets, visit WorldofOutlaws.com/tickets.

Source: World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series – Kyle Larson Wins at Eagle Raceway

By |2017-06-21T14:17:31-04:00June 21st, 2017|Front Page News, Message Board, National, Sprint Cars|Comments Off on Larson Parks It at Eagle Raceway