Champ has won 3 of past 4 World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car A-mains

WEST LEBANON, N.Y. – July 21, 2013 – Donny Schatz drove around Joey Saldana on a restart six laps intoSunday night’s feature at Lebanon Valley Speedway then held off Daryn Pittman on a green-white-checkered finish to earn his 12th World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series victory of the season.

Saldana jumped out to the early lead but when Cody Darrah slowed on the front stretch bringing out a caution, it gave Schatz the chance he needed. Schatz darted to the lead on the ensuing restart pulling points-leader Daryn Pittman with him.

Schatz, who won the Silver Cup on Tuesday at Lernerville and the Summer Nationals title on Saturday at Williams Grove, tried to run away to the checkered flag but a late caution for Saldana’s blown tire set up a green-white-checkered finish.

Schatz again jumped out fast in his STP/Armor All J&J and powered around the half-mile oval to the checkered flag for his fifth victory in July and series-leading 12th overall. (more…)

Champ races past Hodnett to go 2-for-2 this season at Williams Grove

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – July 20, 2013 – Donny Schatz had to work hard to earn his 11th World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series victory of the season and second win this year at Williams Grove Speedway.

Schatz, of Fargo, N.D., led only the final three laps of the 30-lap feature, but for the second consecutive time in World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series action at Williams Grove dating back to May, he was able to find a way past Greg Hodnett and into victory lane in his STP/Armor All J&J.

Lance Dewease started on the pole and jumped out to an early lead, but he could never shake Schatz or fourth-starting Hodnett. The three cars with extremely talented veteran drivers put on a clinic in a battle for the lead with Dewease on the bottom, Schatz a lane up and Hodnett running the top-side of the historic paper-clip half-mile oval. (more…)

Pittman wins second of two World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car A-mains

SARVER, Pa. – July 16, 2013 – Donny Schatz passed Jac Haudenschild with 10 go on Tuesday night at Lernerville Speedway to capture the first of two A-mains in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup Twins, with Daryn Pittman earning the victory in the second A-main after moving in front with 1 to go and surviving a green-white-checkered finish over hard-charging Kyle Larson, who started in the 26^th and final position.

Schatz was the overall Silver Cup champion based on his victory and a seventh-place finish in the second A-main as compared to Pittman’s win and 14th-place run in the first A-main. Schatz and Pittman each collected $10,000 for their victories, with Schatz earning an additional $5,000 bonus as the overall event champ.

Schatz took the money, the glory and some crucial points by winning the first A-main, which counted toward the season-long championship. Chad Kemenah started second in the opening feature and led early. Following a restart on lap 10, Kemenah couldn’t hold off Haudenschild, who led until a lap-20 caution caused by a scary-looking Stevie Smith flip. Smith walked away from the incident and on the ensuing restart Schatz charged ahead of Haudenschild and into the lead in the Tony Stewart Racing STP/Armor All car. (more…)

Californian Dominates for Second World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Win

ROSSBURG, Ohio. – July 13, 2013 – It was only a matter of time until Brad Sweet tasted victory lane at Eldora Speedway in World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series competition. However, no one would have guessed it would have been in one of the most prestigious races anywhere in dirt track racing, the Kings Royal.

Sweet, of Grass Valley, Calif., started outside of Brandon Wimmer for the 30^th running of the historic event and jumped out to an early lead in the 40-lap, $50,000-to-win race in his Kasey Kahne Racing Ollie’s Bargain Outlets ride. A three-car battle that included Wimmer and Donny Schatz prevented Sweet from running away.

On the final restart on lap 25, after a wreck involving Chad Kemenah and Paul McMahan battling for the fifth position, Sweet struggled at first to retake the lead as Schatz put the pressure on in his attempt to become a three-time Kings Royal winner. By the 27^th lap, though, Sweet had fully cleared Schatz and with 13 more clean laps through lapped traffic found himself crowned King.

“It’s unbelievable to win the Kings Royal,” said Sweet, who has narrowly missed out on winning a World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series event at Eldora several times, including Friday night when he finished second. “It’s still sinking in, but we’ve been fast here so I knew we could do it. I can’t thank my guys enough, Kasey Kahne Racing, Kasey Kahne himself for giving me this opportunity, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, my guys Dave, Eric, Rob and Willie. It was déjà vu on coming up to try to get around Sammy Swindell again to lap him. I know Donny’s going to be good and the first time we restarted I chose the top and he had me beat going into one and if he would’ve gone to the top it would’ve made it a much closer race.” (more…)

Aussie’s two World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Wins this Year have been at Ohio Track

ROSSBURG, Ohio. – July 12, 2013 – Kerry Madsen really likes racing at Eldora Speedway. Madsen powered to victory on Friday night in the “Knight Before the Kings Royal” at the historic half-mile track in western Ohio for his second World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series win of the season, both of which came at Eldora.

Madsen, of St Marys, NSW, Australia, finished the night right where he started, on the top of the chart after qualifying with a lap of 13.157 seconds to lead the 44-car field. He parlayed that into a fourth-place starting position in the feature and wound up in victory lane 30 laps later after holding off Brad Sweet in a thriller that included too many slide jobs to count.

In the feature Madsen was relentless, charging to second on the fifth lap past pole-sitter Joey Saldana. Fifteen laps later he took his Keneric Racing KPC to the lead from Sweet after several slide jobs where he could not hold the pass. Sweet mounted a few other charges in traffic, but was never be able to make the pass stick allowing Madsen to collect his second victory on the season, with the first one also on a Fridaynight victory at Eldora on May 3.

“It was an insane race,” Madsen said of the final tuneup for Saturday night’s $50,000-to-win Kings Royal. “We got to lapped traffic and Brad really couldn’t do anything with them, so I just decided to tuck up as close as I could and wait until he tried to make a move or something and try to seize the opportunity. It felt as the race progressed our car got better and better and we brought it home. Maybe I pushed too hard at the end of the race, because I didn’t want to leave any room and we got away with it.” (more…)

Champ Earns 9th World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series Win of the Year

LIMA, Ohio. – July 11, 2013 – The proverbial Month of Money is here and five-time champion Donny Schatz is heating up, becoming just the second driver to repeat as winner of the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic on Thursday night at Limaland Motorsports Park.

Schatz pulled off a slide job to go around leader Shane Stewart on lap 24 and held off Paul McMahan and points leader Daryn Pittman to the checkered flag for his ninth victory of the season as the top three in the championship standings finished in reverse order on the podium.

Schatz started the night by qualifying 8th in his Tony Stewart Racing STP/Armor All J&J and then winning his heat race. A third-place finish in the dash put him behind Stewart and James McFadden to start the 40-lap A-main, where he fell backwards while struggling with handling due to a full fuel load before beginning his surge to the lead about 10 laps into the feature.

“We didn’t start very well, the car started way too tight,” said Schatz, of Fargo, N.D. “The longer we went the better we got. Paul was good on restarts and was really good off of the bottom, but once we got speed built up we were better than him.” (more…)

Points Leader Earns Sixth World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Win in ’13

DODGE CITY, Kan. – July 6, 2013 – With 20 laps in the books in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series Boot Hill Showdown finale at Dodge City Raceway Park on Saturday, it seemed like Donny Schatz was a lock for his ninth feature win of the season. On the next lap, as fate would have it, a flat right rear, the same fate that gave him the feature win on Friday, would strike Schatz and hand the lead, and ultimately the win, to Daryn Pittman.

Schatz pulled into the pits under a caution on lap 21 brought out by James McFadden, who shredded a left rear tire. Cody Darrah moved into the second spot and Paul McMahan moved into third.

On the restart Pittman pulled out to a small lead while McMahan jockeyed past Darrah. McMahan fell in behind Pittman and that is where the finished. Darrah held onto third, where he started the race. Jason sides picked up three spots to finish fourth and earn an average finish at the Boot Hill Showdown of third. Tim Kaeding rounded out the top five on Saturday night

Pittman’s win ties him for the second most this season just behind Donny Schatz, and extends his point lead over runner-up McMahan. (more…)

Champ Makes Winning Pass in Final Corner of Boot Hill Showdown Opener

DODGE CITY, Kan. – July 5, 2013 – Jason Sides was aiming for his first victory of the season on Friday night at Dodge City Raceway Park, but Donny Schatz caught him coming off of the final corner and the two raced side-by-side to the checkered flag with Schatz surging ahead just enough to earn his eighth World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series win this season.

Changing conditions throughout the opening night of the Boot Hill Showdown, with stiff winds kicking up during the A-main, added challenges to drivers and crews when choosing tire compounds, and then how to manage them. Chad Kemenah ran out to a quick lead over the first five laps before Sides moved to the top spot and took control.

Sides led until a restart with 27 laps complete gave Schatz one final chance in his STP/Armor All J&J, and he took advantage. With Sides’ right rear tire wearing down, Schatz was able to hold his line on the bottom and when Sides drifted up the track just enough in turn four, he forced the drag race to the finish where Schatz earned the victory as Sides, Kraig Kinser, Kemenah and Daryn Pittman rounded out the top five.

“I gave it everything I had and it worked, it was just enough to get the win,” said five-time series champion Schatz, of Fargo, N.D. “You hope somebody gets tight enough they get out of the grove and that’s what happened with Jason out of four on the last lap. You never know what to expect, but you’ve got to be there in order to get the win. You’ve got to be smart and save your tire through the first half of the race. We just saved and saved and saved and were patient and obviously it paid off for us. Tonight we got the win,tomorrow might be a different story.” (more…)

Largest crowd in track’s 59-year history for World of Outlaws STP Sprint Cars

BRANDON, S.D. – July 3, 2013 – Every fan in the largest crowd Huset’s Speedway has seen in 59 years had to believe with six laps to go leader Tony Stewart was on his way to a World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series victory Wednesday night. Second-place-running Tim Kaeding kept up the pressure, though, and on the next lap Stewart spun trying to avoid lapped traffic and Kaeding powered into the lead and held off Daryn Pittman to win for the seventh time this season.

Kaeding started on the pole and jumped out to a quick lead with Stewart, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, giving chase. A scary crash on lap 4 involving Jason Sides and Steve Kinser brought out a red flag. Both drivers were deemed okay and on the ensuing double-file restart Kaeding chose the top line. Stewart used his inside position to race into the lead, which he held until spinning to a stop to avoid James McFadden with five to go. (more…)

Wins second World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series event of 2013

NEW RICHMOND, Wis. – June 30, 2013 – Sammy Swindell is no stranger to victory lane at Cedar Lake Speedway, and on Sunday night he notched his seventh World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series win at the track. Swindell slid passed Joey Saldana on a restart on lap 28 and never looked back.

Swindell was joined on the podium by Saldana who finished second and 20-time series champion Steve Kinser. Daryn Pittman collected fourth place after a starting 24th in the feature. Paul McMahan, who set quick time for the event in qualifying for the 10th time this season, rounded out the top five in the feature event.

“The whole Big Game Tree Stands team had a good car we didn’t have to do very much to it tonight, so maybe we’re getting on to what we need to do or where we need to be to win some of these races,” said the Germantown, Tenn., driver of the Big Game Tree Stands Eagle. “The set ups and the way you drive the car are so much different than what it’s been, and it’s probably taken me a bit longer to really figure that out.” (more…)