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World of Outlaws


Contact: Brendan Capria
World of Outlaws PR
704-425-5368 | bcapria@dirtcar.com

Schatz Secures the Sweep at Vegas Abreu and Schatz battle in the closing laps

LAS VEGAS - March 10, 2017 - In front of a nearly packed grandstand, local fans and beyond witnessed an exciting performance from one of the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series' most elite drivers, Donny Schatz. Not only were members of the Nellis Air Force Base in attendance to witness their racing heroes fly around The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but the drivers were also racing on the fast-action track as a salute to America's servicemen and women in the final night of the FVP Outlaw Showdown.

Schatz not only won his 11th series race at the half-mile, but also swept the event. Schatz doubled his $15,000 purse from the opener, collecting a total of $30,000 in winnings at Vegas. The North Dakota native was awarded the "Badlands Bonus" for both shows, as well as a gold-toned tool set commemorating Craftsman Tool's 90th anniversary. He also took a pair of slot-machine trophies home to Fargo, N.D., one for each of his victories. Since the season opener in mid-February, Schatz has won five of the first six shows in 2017 - a personal best to start a World of Outlaws season.

"All I can say is, I finally got to 'Park It,'" said Schatz in front of a roaring crowd. "We had something happen there in the mid-part of the race - I just couldn't get into rhythm. I tried to get through lapped traffic and Rico [Abreu] obviously got by us there on the restart. I got in good position to get out front and had clear track after that. It's been tricky here, but if it was easy then it wouldn't be fun for any of us. I was a little nervous when he got by. Every time I get into this car, it's unbelievable.

When you get to when you win 25 or 30 races in a season, it's expected of you. These guys work so hard to do that, and for the driver it's the same way. It doesn't matter who you are or where you're at...you have to work on your flaws. We've never started strong. We're working on that flaw, and it's worked so far."

Schatz, who spent the majority of his time skimming the top cushion, started on the outside of the first row for the 30-lap feature. Earlier in the program, Schatz won his heat race after a thrilling pass entering turn three in the closing laps. Though he made the pass from the bottom in his heat, Schatz laid his tracks on the outside for the feature. This proved to give Schatz's No. 15 Tony Stewart-Curb/Agajanian Racingcar enough of a surge to thunder down the front straightaway faster than those around him. Schatz took the lead from fellow series regular Logan Schuchart almost instantaneously to when the green flag dropped; however, Schuchart did not accept an early defeat. A yellow flag followed with one lap completed, which regrouped the field - giving Schuchart a chance to reclaim the lead in his No. 1s Marty Thompson Investments/Newman's Towing & Recovery car.

In Schuchart's eight appearances at the track, his best finish was Thursday night when he recorded a top-five finish. By virtue of the Craftsman Club® Dash, Schuchart went on to lead the field into the green flag for the first time since September 24, 2016 at Lernerville Speedway. Though Schatz had the upper-hand - momentarily - Schuchart quickly recovered on the restart by using the extra momentum exiting turn two to recapture the lead. Thereon, he created a 1.115-second buffer. While Schuchart progressed, Schatz regressed into a battle with Abreu. Abreu climbed 19 positions Thursday night to finish third in the feature; he started third Friday night.

Lap 12 was one of the most pivotal moments of the feature, as Schuchart, Abreu and Schatz spread nearly three-wide across the front stretch. The three virtually locked wheels - a few feet from one another. Schatz reaction time was the quickest of the three, as he weaved through Schuchart and Abreu for the lead entering turn one. Two laps later, Abreu overtook Schuchart in turn two; by this time, Schatz increased his lead to more than a two-second margin.

While Schuchart faded in third position, Abreu continued to gain ground on Schatz. By lap 21, Abreu attempted a risky maneuver by jumping the cushion in turn two. Abreu's move was successful, as he was able to carry enough speed to pass Schatz in turn four. The shear speed of his No. 24R Abreu Vineyards/Priority Aviation car though caused him to tap the wall in turn four, breaking his momentum. Schatz took advantage of Abreu's mistake and reclaimed the spot - until a yellow flag regrouped the field. Abreu was still .053-seconds ahead of Schatz when the two crossed the line, so Abreu retained the top spot because of the caution.

"I was just thinking about what to do to stay ahead," said Abreu, who leaves Vegas with two podium finishes. "Just some poor decisions there at the end of the race on my part. I just live and learn. You learn so much racing with the Outlaws. The pace is so fast, so you try your hardest every lap. When you're trying really hard, it's easy to make mistakes. I felt like once we got to traffic and I got passed Donny, I just made bad decisions behind lapped cars. I just get so nervous trying to clear guys - to try not to clear them too far to blow through the cushion and hit the wall. We're knocking on the door and everyone is chasing this No. 15 Arctic Cat car."

His lead was quickly thwarted. Abreu chose the bottom on the restart. Schatz, who was continually strong from the top, beat Abreu on the restart. He never looked back. Schatz opened-up a 1.272-second lead over Abreu, and finished the feature ahead of the pack by nearly the same margin. Schuchart rounded-out the podium - a personal best at the track.

"Any time you're improving, that's key," Schuchart said. "We've been here a couple times and really haven't had good finishes. Our season started really slow, but we got our engine working really good, and our guys are doing great. We had a good car this week, and we improved every night. But any time you start on the pole and go backward, it's not what you want to happen. The World of Outlaws is a very tough group of drivers and teams, and to be sitting out here...you know you did a good job."

By sweeping the Vegas stretch, Schatz is the only driver eligible for another $10,000 from Badlands Motor Speedway's bonus system. He will attempt that feat at the Outlaw FanFest on July 1-2 at Badlands Motor Speedway. Schatz joking said, "Yeah, no pressure. But we feed off of that."
"Ironically enough, we did win the last race there," said Schatz, who won the finale in 2016. "It's been a great place there. I've always cut my teeth there back in the day - I've wrecked a lot of equipment there. So, it's fun to go there and get those victories. If we can get back there and do it again, it'll be extra-special."

The World of Outlaws acknowledged more than a half-dozen members of the United States Air Force at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Airmen and women took part in pre-race ceremonies before heat races were underway. During the ceremony, thousands of fans stood to their feet, giving them a standing ovation for their service. A deafening "U-S-A" chant echoed throughout the facility. On Thursday morning, drivers took a tour of the base - filled with advanced aviation technology - in hopes of reaching high-octane speeds like the fighter jets circling the Las Vegas Motor Speedway complex.

The tour begins its California swing - seven events through five tracks - with Thunderbowl Raceway from March 17-18. To learn how to purchase tickets, visit www.tularethunderbowl.com.
The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Notebook

RACE NOTES: In an instant-classic, Donny Schatz battled the podium to win the FVP Outlaw Showdown finale at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Rico Abreu, who led the race late, made contact with the turn four wall in the closing laps. His mistake gave way for Schatz to secure the lead. Logan Schuchart, who led the field into the green flag, rounded-out the podium for his best finish at the track.

CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Jason Johnson; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Brent Marks; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; VP Racing ($50 cash):Daryn Pittman; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Brent Marks;Cometic Gaskets ($50 cash):Greg Wilson; Super Flow ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): David Gravel, Kraig Kinser, Greg Wilson;Craftsman/Sears: Rico Abreu; KSE Hard Charger: Carson Macedo; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Terry McCarl; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Joey Saldana

SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 5 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10);Jason Johnson - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nev.; March 10, 2017

Feature - (30 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2] [$10,000]; 2. 24R-Rico Abreu [3] [$5,000]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1] [$3,000]; 4. 21-Brian Brown [6] [$2,700]; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [14] [$2,500]; 6. 5-David Gravel [4] [$2,200]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet [10] [$2,000]; 8. 18-Ian Madsen [9] [$1,800]; 9. 2M-Kerry Madsen [5] [$1,600]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [18] [$1,450]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7] [$1,300]; 12. 19-Brent Marks [21] [$1,200]; 13. 21X-Carson Macedo [24] [$1,100]; 14. W20-Greg Wilson [8] [$1,000]; 15. 4-Paul McMahan [15] [$950]; 16. 24-Terry McCarl [19] [$900]; 17. 7S-Jason Sides [12] [$850]; 18. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [23] [$750]; 19. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [20] [$725]; 20. 1A-Jacob Allen [22] [$700]; 21. 17-Joey Saldana [13] [$700]; 22. 13-Clyde Knipp [25] [$]; 23. 41-Jason Johnson [16] [$700]; 24. 49X-Tim Shaffer [11] [$700]; 25. 29-Willie Croft [17] [$700]; Lap Leaders: Logan Schuchart 1-12; Donny Schatz 13-20, 24-30; Rico Abreu 21-23; KSE Hard Charger Award: 21X-Carson Macedo [+11]

Qualifying - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 14.228; 2. 21-Brian Brown, 14.241; 3. 18-Ian Madsen, 14.244; 4. 4-Paul McMahan, 14.386; 5. 17-Joey Saldana, 14.458; 6. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.505; 7. 24R-Rico Abreu, 14.576; 8. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 14.685; 9. 29-Willie Croft, 14.700; 10. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr, 14.768; 11. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.781; 12. 17B-Josh Baughman, 14.796; 13. 21X-Carson Macedo, 14.859; 14. 41X-Dominic Scelzi, 14.906; 15. 18S-Jason Solwold, 14.917; 16. 24-Terry McCarl, 14.952; 17. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 14.970; 18. 51-James McFadden, 15.005; 19. 22-Cori Andrews, 15.361; 20. 99T-Skylar Gee, 15.399; 21. 21P-Robbie Price, 15.432; 22. 5-David Gravel, 14.554; 23. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.670; 24. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.710; 25. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.730; 26. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.741; 27. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.742; 28. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.755; 29. 41-Jason Johnson, 14.792; 30. 9-Daryn Pittman, 14.813; 31. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.830; 32. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.980; 33. 19-Brent Marks, 15.038; 34. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 15.046; 35. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 15.074; 36. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 15.124; 37. O-Bud Kaeding, 15.137; 38. 3C-DJ Netto, 15.244; 39. 73-Brady Bacon, 15.603; 40. Y69-Randy Waitman, 15.858; 41. 90-Lance Norick, 15.881

Heat 1- (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen [1]; 2. 24R-Rico Abreu [4]; 3. 18-Ian Madsen [2]; 4. 17-Joey Saldana [3]; 5. 29-Willie Croft [5]; 6. 21X-Carson Macedo [7]; 7. 18S-Jason Solwold [8]; 8. 49D-Shawn Dancer [9]; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen [6]; 10. 21P-Robbie Price [11]; 11. 22-Cori Andrews [10]

Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. W20-Greg Wilson [3]; 2. 21-Brian Brown [1]; 3. 49X-Tim Shaffer [4]; 4. 4-Paul McMahan [2]; 5. 24-Terry McCarl [8]; 6. 51-James McFadden [9]; 7. 17B-Josh Baughman [6]; 8. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [7]; 9. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [5]; 10. 99T-Skylar Gee [10]

Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 5-David Gravel [1]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [3]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [4]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [5]; 6. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [7]; 7. 3C-DJ Netto [9]; 8. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [6]; 10. Y69-Randy Waitman [10]

Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [2]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [4]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [5]; 6. 87-Aaron Reutzel [7]; 7. 19-Brent Marks [6]; 8. O-Bud Kaeding [8]; 9. 73-Brady Bacon [9]; 10. 90-Lance Norick [10]

Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of feature) - 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 3. 24R-Rico Abreu [5]; 4. 5-David Gravel [2]; 5. 2M-Kerry Madsen [1]; 6. 21-Brian Brown [7]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8]; 8. W20-Greg Wilson [3]
C-Main - (10 Laps - Top 2 finishers transfer to the Last Chance Showdown) - 1. 51-James McFadden [3] [-]; 2. 3C-DJ Netto [2] [-]; 3. 49D-Shawn Dancer [1] [$150]; 4. 73-Brady Bacon [4] [$150]; 5. 99T-Skylar Gee [7] [$150]; 6. 21P-Robbie Price [9] [$125]; 7. 90-Lance Norick [8] [$125]; 8. 22-Cori Andrews [5] [$125]; 9. Y69-Randy Waitman [6] [$125]

Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 19-Brent Marks [4] [-]; 2. 1A-Jacob Allen [3] [-]; 3. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [6] [-]; 4. 21X-Carson Macedo [7] [-]; 5. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [1] [$300]; 6. 51-James McFadden [13] [$250]; 7. O-Bud Kaeding [12] [$225]; 8. 17B-Josh Baughman [5] [$200]; 9. 18S-Jason Solwold [11] [$200]; 10. 3C-DJ Netto [14] [$200]; 11. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [9] [$200]; 12. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [10] [$200]; 13. 87-Aaron Reutzel [8] [$200]; 14. 13-Clyde Knipp [2] [$200]

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Mar
10

Schatz Slips by to Win at Vegas

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World of Outlaws


Contact: Brendan Capria
World of Outlaws PR
704-425-5368 | bcapria@dirtcar.com

Schatz Slips by to Win at Vegas
Rico Abreu battles his way from the back to finish on the podium

LAS VEGAS - March 9, 2017 - As the sun sank below The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Thursday night, a cool breeze drifted through a near-capacity crowd. Specifically on the half-mile course, the intense crosswinds from the track were the product of 42 World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series winged-sprints. The No. 15 Tony Stewart-Curb/Agajanian Racing car of Donny Schatz was the fastest in the field, taking the first night of the FVP Outlaw Showdown.

Schatz earned his 10th career series win at the track, which has hosted the tour for 20 years sporadically. The stop marks the series' fifth consecutive multi-day event at the track, which is an extension of its 36 total appearances since 1996. Schatz's first victory came in 1999.

"If it wasn't for this Stewart-Curb Racing team, we wouldn't be up here so hats off to them," said Schatz with his team looking-on in victory lane. "They worked their tails off all winter long and it's getting better."

Though the eight-time series champion has reaped the riches several times at the track, this victory offered a purse larger than years passed. A $5,000 winner's bonus was awarded to the North Dakota-native, as a part of a four-show sponsorship from Badlands Motor Speedway. Badlands will offer a $5,000 purse to winners of the Vegas stretch and at its multi-day event, the Outlaw FanFest - a total of $20,000. Schatz earned a grand total of $15,000 for his victory, including the stack of cash presented to him in Victory Lane.

"Thank you Badlands Motor Speedway," Schatz said. "Any time you get the extra money, out of courtesy you thank them for their support - like all you fans in the seats. It sure makes it fun to be standing up here."

Not only did the victory have a larger payout, but it also tested a driver who has won four of the first five shows in 2017. Schatz got the best case scenario in a photo-finish at the line, winning by a narrow 0.046-second margin. He started the 26-lap feature in fourth position, and used a series of restarts to gain ground on each of the podium spots ahead of him. When the green flag dropped, he made his move into the podium and had his sights set on second.

Schatz contested for the runner-up spot in the opening laps, challenging Brian Brown from the bottom. Brown shut down his advances exiting Turn 1 for the first three laps until a red flag reset the field. Shane Stewart, who led the 25-car field into the green flag, got tangled-up in lapped traffic entering turn two of the sixth lap. The aftermath of the wreck forced Stewart to forfeit the top spot, bumping the field up by one position. Schatz thereon targeted Brown for the lead.

It only took one lap for Schatz to wedge his racecar underneath Brown's No. 21 FVP/Casey's General Stores car in turn two. Schatz widened the gap to nearly one-second over Brown, while Jason Johnson moved into the final podium spot by Lap 16. A red flag on that lap regrouped the field yet again; at this point, three of the top-five drivers were series regulars (Schatz, Johnson and Sheldon Haudenschild).

Several battles transpired on the restart, as Brown challenged Schatz for the lead from the bottom, and Johnson and Ian Madsen rubbed tires barreling out of the front-stretch. While Johnson was successful, Brown was not as he was penalized for an early start; he was docked one position. The field regrouped for the race's third restart with Schatz and Johnson - the only two to win a feature event in 2017 - side-by-side in the first row.

In the closing laps, Schatz built a cushion - that did not last. Brown reclaimed second position over Johnson within the final 10 laps of the feature. The race's final caution extended the 25-lap feature by one lap by virtue of a green-white-checkered. In the final lap, Brown launched his car to the outside of Schatz. The two barreled down the front-stretch to the checkers, and it was Schatz by a nose.

"I always want to win ones like those," Brown said. "We got a good run [at Schatz], but when you race with a guy like him you need to make a split-decision at 130 miles per hour. I felt like I got through turns one and two pretty well, but on the backstretch I probably should've done something a little different. He got a good run off of four and I was like, 'Gosh darn it, I'm not going to win this race.' To be up there and race with guys like Donny Schatz is an honor. He's the Steve Kinser of today."

Rico Abreu, who was awarded the KSE Hard Charger award, rounded-out the podium in his No. 24R Abreu Vineyards/Priority Aviation car. Starting 21st in the feature, Abreu swiftly navigated through the pack and eventually bested Johnson in the closing laps. Abreu said, "You just simply need to learn how to breathe and make good decisions."

"When the race gets kind of strung-out, you have to pace yourself," Abreu said. "You just need to be patient at times and be aggressive on those restarts. I knew we were going to get a few restarts where we could get a breather. Schatz and Brown are the best guys right now besides Jason [Johnson]. It feels good just to get a good finish."

Stewart, who won his heat race and the Craftsman Club® Dash, rebounded not only from mechanical issues from earlier in the night but also from an unfortunate wreck in the feature. Stewart climbed his way into ninth, recording his second top-ten finish of the season.

Johnson, who ultimately recorded his fourth top-five performance of the season, set the night's quick-time in time trials. He was roughly one-hundredth of a second off Danny Lasoski's track record of 13.719. Five of the 42 drivers in time trials posted a lap time less than 14 seconds, recording an average time of 13.948 - nearly two-hundredths of a second off the record pace Lasoski set in 2004.

The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Notebook
RACE NOTES: Donny Schatz earned his fourth victory in the series' first five events Thursday night, winning the first night of the FVP Outlaw Showdown at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway - by a 0.046-second margin. In a race to the finish, Brian Brown was short by a nose to finish second on the night. Rico Abreu, the KSE Hard Charger award-winner, climbed his way up from 21st position to round-out the podium.

CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Terry McCarl; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Kerry Madsen; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; VP Racing ($50 cash):Shane Stewart; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Joey Saldana;Cometic Gaskets ($50 cash):Daryn Pittman; Super Flow ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Jason Johnson, Joey Saldana, Logan Schuchart, Sheldon Haudenschild;Craftsman/Sears: Brian Brown; KSE Hard Charger: Rico Abreu; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Greg Wilson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Aaron Reutzel

SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 4 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9); Jason Johnson - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17)

World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nev.; March 9, 2017

Feature - (26 Laps due to green-white-checkered finish) -1. 15-Donny Schatz [4] [$10,000]; 2. 21-Brian Brown [2] [$5,000]; 3. 24R-Rico Abreu [21] [$3,000]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson [5] [$2,700]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7] [$2,500]; 6. 18-Ian Madsen [3] [$2,200]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [9] [$2,000]; 8. 2M-Kerry Madsen [14] [$1,800]; 9. 2-Shane Stewart [1] [$1,600]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8] [$1,450]; 11. 49-Brad Sweet [12] [$1,300]; 12. 17-Joey Saldana [6] [$1,200]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [20] [$1,100]; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman [10] [$1,000]; 15. 73-Brady Bacon [23] [$950]; 16. 5-David Gravel [16] [$900]; 17. W20-Greg Wilson [11] [$850]; 18. 21X-Carson Macedo [17] [$750]; 19. 17B-Josh Baughman [19] [$725]; 20. 4-Paul McMahan [25] [$]; 21. 87-Aaron Reutzel [13] [$700]; 22. 7S-Jason Sides [15] [$700]; 23. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [22] [$700]; 24. 24-Terry McCarl [24] [$700]; 25. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [18] [$700];Lap Leaders:Shane Stewart 1-6; Brian Brown 7, 25; Donny Schatz 8-24, 26; KSE Hard Charger Award: 24R-Rico Abreu [+18]

Qualifying -1. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.875; 2. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.975; 3. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.021; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.049; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.145; 6. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.160; 7. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 14.181; 8. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.213; 9. 24R-Rico Abreu, 14.226; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.236; 11. 21X-Carson Macedo, 14.227; 12. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr, +; 13. 18S-Jason Solwold, 14.352; 14. 17B-Josh Baughman, 14.361; 15. O-Bud Kaeding, 14.370; 16. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 14.523; 17. 3C-DJ Netto, 14.555; 18. 99T-Skylar Gee, 14.981; 19. 9Z-Jared Goerges, 15.098; 20. 22-Cori Andrews, 15.172; 21. Y69-Randy Waitman, 15.630; 22. 21-Brian Brown, 13.903; 23. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.990; 24. 17-Joey Saldana, 13.996; 25. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.055; 26. 9-Daryn Pittman, 14.056; 27. 5-David Gravel, 14.067; 28. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 14.082; 29. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.125; 30. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 14.146; 31. 19-Brent Marks, 14.231; 32. 24-Terry McCarl, 14.316; 33. 41X-Dominic Scelzi, 14.332; 34. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 14.343; 35. 73-Brady Bacon, 14.345; 36. 29-Willie Croft, 14.422; 37. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.429; 38. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 14.465; 39. 51-James McFadden, 14.501; 40. 90-Lance Norick, 15.128; 41. 4-Paul McMahan, nt; 42. 21P-Robbie Price, nt

Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) -1. 41-Jason Johnson [1] ; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [2] ; 3. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3] ; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel [4] ; 5. 21X-Carson Macedo [6] ; 6. 24R-Rico Abreu [5] ; 7. 18S-Jason Solwold [7] ; 8. O-Bud Kaeding [8] ; 9. 3C-DJ Netto [9] ; 10. 9Z-Jared Goerges [10] ; 11. Y69-Randy Waitman [11]

Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) -1. 18-Ian Madsen [1] ; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2] ; 3. W20-Greg Wilson [3] ; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [4] ; 5. 17B-Josh Baughman [7] ; 6. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [6] ; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [5] ; 8. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8] ; 9. 99T-Skylar Gee [9] ; 10. 22-Cori Andrews [10]

Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) -1. 21-Brian Brown [1] ; 2. 17-Joey Saldana [2] ; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [3] ; 4. 2M-Kerry Madsen [4] ; 5. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [5] ; 6. 24-Terry McCarl [6] ; 7. 29-Willie Croft [8] ; 8. 21P-Robbie Price [11] ; 9. 90-Lance Norick [10] ; 10. 49D-Shawn Dancer [9] ; 11. 49X-Tim Shaffer [7]

Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the feature) -1. 2-Shane Stewart [1] ; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2] ; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [4] ; 4. 5-David Gravel [3] ; 5. 19-Brent Marks [5] ; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [10] ; 7. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [6] ; 8. 73-Brady Bacon [7] ; 9. 51-James McFadden [9] ; 10. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]

Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of feature) -1. 2-Shane Stewart [4] ; 2. 21-Brian Brown [2] ; 3. 18-Ian Madsen [3] ; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [5] ; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [1] ; 6. 17-Joey Saldana [6] ; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7] ; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8]

C-Main - (10 Laps - Top 2 finishers transfer to the Last Chance Showdown) -1. 51-James McFadden [4] [-]; 2. 3C-DJ Netto [1] [-]; 3. 4-Paul McMahan [8] [$150]; 4. 49D-Shawn Dancer [2] [$150]; 5. 99T-Skylar Gee [3] [$150]; 6. 21P-Robbie Price [10] [$125]; 7. Y69-Randy Waitman [9] [$125]; 8. 22-Cori Andrews [7] [$125]; 9. 90-Lance Norick [6] [$125]; 10. 9Z-Jared Goerges [5] [$125]
Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the feature)- 1. 24R-Rico Abreu [1] [-]; 2. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [4] [-]; 3. 73-Brady Bacon [8] [-]; 4. 24-Terry McCarl [2] [-]; 5. 51-James McFadden [13] [$300]; 6. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [5] [$250]; 7. 49X-Tim Shaffer [6] [$225]; 8. 18S-Jason Solwold [7] [$200]; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen [3] [$200]; 10. 29-Willie Croft [10] [$200]; 11. O-Bud Kaeding [9] [$200]; 12. 3C-DJ Netto [14] [$200]; 13. 13-Clyde Knipp [12] [$200]; 14. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [11] [$200]

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World of Outlaws


Contact: Brendan Capria
World of Outlaws PR
704-425-5368 | bcapria@dirtcar.com

Schatz Sweeps the Show at LoneStar
Sheldon Haudenschild records first podium finish in rookie season

KILGORE, Tex. - March 3, 2017 - There is a crater wrapped around turns one and two of LoneStar Speedway - now a reinvented third-mile dirt course. Shortened from a 3/8-mile oval since the last time the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series visited there in 2010, the "Greatest Show on Dirt" competed on the equally as fast bullring Friday night for the first time at the new length. Wheel-to-wheel with 23 other cars, Donny Schatz avoided the expected dangers of short-track racing and took the checkered flag without a hitch.

Schatz led all 35 laps in his victory, taking home not only the trophy but also a gold-toned Limited Edition Craftsman wrench set for the company's 90th anniversary. Though Schatz established his dominance throughout the program - setting the night's quick-time, and winning his heat and the Craftsman Club Dash - it did not come as easily as it seemed on paper. From an assumingly unlikely challenger - in terms of their resumes - the eight-time series champion was challenged by Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender Sheldon Haudenschild throughout the night.

"[Sheldon] was there from the start and did everything he needed to do," Schatz said. "It's an experience thing. Obviously he is a good, young driver. He's got a bright future ahead of him. But we try not to focus on what someone else is doing. We have to focus on our own stuff to try to stay ahead of these young guys."

Haudenschild, 23, was less than a tenth of a second off Schatz's quick-time, and he also won his way into the dash. The two started on the front row of the feature, where the son of the "Wild Child" Jac Haudenschild would have his chance to make his own name in the series. He wasted no time.

"I had a good starting spot, but it was just difficult to pass," Haudenschild said. "I tried to make it happen early when I slid [Donny] twice, but just didn't have the speed in the corners to do it. I just need to be there in the end. I'm happy with the performance. To get a good run early in the season is a confidence-booster, and we'll try to carry that momentum. I know I have a really great car and crew. Getting in these dashes is a big part of it."

Haudenschild, starting to the right of Schatz's No. 15 Tony Stewart-Curb/Agajanian Racing machine, dipped under him once the green flag dropped. He challenged Schatz on the bottom, but the top proved to be the quickest route to shutting down Haudenschild's advances. Schatz and Haudenschild tangoed briefly, but the defending champion quickly opened-up his lead to a 1.345-second margin.

Thereon, Haudenschild was sandwiched in-between two drivers that have wins in 2017 - Schatz and 2016 Knoxville Nationals Champion Jason Johnson. Haudenschild's No. 93 Southern Pacific Farms/ Rico Abreu Racing car escaped Johnson's challenge for second with 20 laps remaining. Haudenschild distanced himself from Johnson, gaining more than a one-second advantage over his No. 41 Priority Aviation/ Mesilla Valley Transportation racecar.

The race's first caution five laps later regrouped the field; Johnson took advantage. Barreling out of turn four, Johnson overtook Haudenschild. By this time, the top-five was all series regulars - Schatz, Johnson, Haudenschild, Brad Sweet and David Gravel respectively. Through two more cautions in the feature, Johnson managed to close the gap between him and Schatz to as narrow as a .733-second margin. He could not capitalize.

"You're racing the best guy in the business (Schatz)," Johnson said. "He's not going to make any mistakes. Those guys are clicking and doing a great job. But my guys have done a great job making great, consistent Maxim cars, and we communicated over the winter with Paul Kistler about the motors we had success with in 2016. We have great communication, and I'm in the best physical shape in my life as far as racing. Mentally, I'm in a great position because of the Jason Johnson Racing- Marshall Racing merger."

The tour concludes its first stint in Texas with the Gator Bash at Gator Motorplex on Saturday, March 4. For ticket information, visit SLS Promotions, LLC.

LoneStar Speedway Notebook

RACE NOTES: Donny Schatz swept the East Texas Lone Star Shootout program Friday, putting the exclamation point on the feature by leading all 35 laps. Sheldon Haudenschild, a Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender, dominated alongside the eight-time champion with a strong showing. The two started in the front of a 12-row feature field, where Haudenschild contested for the lead. Nearing the second-half of the feature, Jason Johnson catapulted his racecar to second place; Haudenschild was unable to reclaim his spot.

CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Clyde Knipp; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; VP Racing ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Cometic Gaskets ($50 cash): Parker Price Miller; Super Flow ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild, Jason Johnson, Brad Sweet, Paul McMahan; Craftsman/Sears: Tim Shaffer; KSE Hard Charger: Chad Kemenah; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Jason Johnson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Brent Marks; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan

SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 3 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3); Jason Johnson - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17)

World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; LoneStar Speedway, Tex.; March 3, 2017

Feature - (35 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1] [$10,000]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [3] [$5,500]; 3. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2] [$3,200]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [4] [$2,800]; 5. 5-David Gravel [7] [$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [14] [$2,300]; 7. 99-Brady Bacon [12] [$2,200]; 8. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5] [$2,100]; 9. 4-Paul McMahan [6] [$2,050]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [10] [$2,000]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [20] [$1,500]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [11] [$1,200]; 13. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [8] [$1,100]; 14. 17-Joey Saldana [15] [$1,050]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [17] [$1,000]; 16. 17B-Josh Baughman [23 ][$900]; 17. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [22] [$800]; 18. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [19] [$800]; 19. 19-Brent Marks [21 ][$800]; 20. 87-Aaron Reutzel [16] [$800]; 21. 7S-Jason Sides [13] [$800]; 22. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [24] [$800]; 23. 2C-Wayne Johnson [9] [$800]; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp [18] [$800]; 25. 1S-Logan Schuchart [25] [$]; Lap Leaders: Donny Schatz 1-35; KSE Hard Charger Award: 11K-Kraig Kinser [+9]

Qualifying - 1. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.170; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.247; 3. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.350; 4. 41-Jason Johnson, 12.387; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 12.393; 6. 4-Paul McMahan, 12.415; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.427; 8. 18-Ian Madsen, 12.464; 9. 17-Joey Saldana, 12.469; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.476; 11. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 12.527; 12. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 12.534; 13. 5-David Gravel, 12.548; 14. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.578; 15. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 12.633; 16. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 12.670; 17. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.719; 18. 99-Brady Bacon, 12.789; 19. 7S-Jason Sides, 12.818; 20. 17B-Josh Baughman, 12.876; 21. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr, 13.061; 22. 19-Brent Marks, 13.070; 23. 71A-R.J. Johnson, 13.137; 24. 17G-Dustin Gates, 13.334; 25. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.471; 26. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.482; 27. 13-Clyde Knipp, 15.322; 28. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, nt

Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1] ; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [2] ; 3. 5-David Gravel [5] ; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [4] ; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [7] ; 6. 87-Aaron Reutzel [6] ; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3] ; 8. 19-Brent Marks [8] ; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [9] ; 10. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [10]

Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [1] ; 2. 49X-Tim Shaffer [2] ; 3. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [4] ; 4. 18-Ian Madsen [3] ; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [6] ; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [5] ; 7. 17B-Josh Baughman [7] ; 8. 71A-R.J. Johnson [8] ; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen [9]

Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 4-Paul McMahan [2] ; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1] ; 3. 2C-Wayne Johnson [4] ; 4. 99-Brady Bacon [6] ; 5. 17-Joey Saldana [3] ; 6. 13-Clyde Knipp [9] ; 7. 17G-Dustin Gates [8] ; 8. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [7] ; 9. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [5]

Craftsman Club Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 6 starting positions of feature) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1] ; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2] ; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [4] ; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [6] ; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5] ; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [3]

Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the feature) - 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [2] [-]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1] [-]; 3. 19-Brent Marks [5] [-]; 4. 82-Kevin Thomas Jr [4] [-]; 5. 17B-Josh Baughman [3] [-]; 6. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [10] [-]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [9] [$300]; 8. 17G-Dustin Gates [7] [$250]; 9. 71A-R.J. Johnson [6] [$225]; 10. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8] [$200]

The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Craftsman (Official Tool), Arctic Cat (Official Side-by-Side Recreational Vehicle), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Morton Buildings (Official Building), Sears (Official Home Store), The Kenny Wallace Dirt Racing Experience (Official Racing Experience) and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, including: Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, Edelbrock, JE Pistons, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Penske Shocks, and Superflow Dynos; along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Impact Racing Products, Intercomp, Racing Electronics, and TNT Rescue.

Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, N.C., is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts all World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.

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Contact: Brendan Capria
World of Outlaws PR
704-425-5368 | bcapria@dirtcar.com

2017 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Schedule Announced

Outlaws to break ground at three tracks

CONCORD, N.C. - December 8, 2016 -The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series solidifies its 2017 season not only on familiar grounds - visiting some of the most storied tracks nationwide - but also by adding three new tracks to an already big stage.

The series is scheduled to visit 25 states and one province for its upcoming season. Notably, the Greatest Show on Dirt will leave its usual tracks at some of dirt racing's most prestigious venues.

The grand introduction of the Outlaws' 40th season will be at the DIRTcar Nationals from February 17-19 at Volusia (Fla.) Speedway Park. In the event's 45th running, the Sprints will be accompanied by the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series, and the Super DIRTcar Series, among others. All divisions will be seeking the coveted "Big Gator" trophy, along with bragging rights to start off the season.

As usual, the season will be headlined by its stops at Eldora (Ohio) Speedway and Williams Grove (Pa.) Speedway. Eldora will host six days of action-packed racing, including the #LetsRaceTwo blockbuster show May 12-13 and Kings Royal to conclude a triple-header on July 15. Williams Grove Speedway will host seven days of racing, including the Champion Racing Oil National Open from September 28-30.

A highly anticipated mid-season event will feature Sprint car's cream of the crop, as the 5-Hour Energy Knoxville Nationals hits the scene August 9-12 at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway. The Outlaws will seek to extend the event's storied 57-year history with yet another barn-burner for the books. Last season series regular Jason Johnson celebrated an emotional victory, beating out superstar Donny Schatz for a night to remember.

Traditionally, the Outlaws have invaded Calistoga (Calif.) Speedway for the Wine Country Outlaw Shootout in April. However, in the series' 26th year making the stop, the event at the stoic half-mile has moved forward to September 15-16 in hopes of more reliable weather. This will be the first time the Outlaws return to Calistoga for an early-September race weekend since 2007.

Continuing a streak of 15 stops in Canada since 2011, the series will make its annual stop at Ohsweken (Ont.) Speedway for the Arrow Express Six Nations Showdown. Schatz, the reigning race champion, has won the show three times since the series' inaugural stop in 2007.

Tracks making their debut in the series include: Gator Motorplex (Tex.), Cocopah (Ariz.) Speedway and West Liberty (Iowa) Speedway.

The series will make a cameo appearance at "Racing's Biggest Party" in the Northeast to headline Fulton Speedway's Saturday Night Special. The sprint car showdown on October 2 will be a part of the 46th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week in Upstate New York.

To conclude a rigorous 90-plus race schedule, the Outlaws will settle the points championship at the Bad Boy Off Road World Finals from November 2-4. Last season, Schatz solidified his eighth championship campaign at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, a series best. Not only was a champion crowned in front of a jam-packed crowd, but the three-day extravaganza also decided the final finish for a narrow points battle between the following three positions in points.

The complete 2017 schedule is listed below and can be found at www.WoOSprint.com. Tickets for select events are on-sale now at dirtcar.ticketforce.com or by calling 844-DIRT-TIX (347-8849).
2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Schedule
*Tentative schedule - subject to change

Friday, February 17, 2017 Volusia Speedway Park Barberville Florida
Saturday, February 18, 2017 Volusia Speedway Park Barberville Florida
Sunday, February 19, 2017 Volusia Speedway Park Barberville Florida
Friday, March 03, 2017 Lone Star Speedway Kilgore Texas
Saturday, March 04, 2017 Gator Motorplex Willis Texas
Thursday, March 09, 2017 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track Las Vegas Nevada
Friday, March 10, 2017 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track Las Vegas Nevada
Friday, March 17, 2017 Stone Chevrolet Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway Tulare California
Saturday, March 18, 2017 Stone Chevrolet Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway Tulare California
Friday, March 24, 2017 Stockton Dirt Track Stockton California
Saturday, March 25, 2017 Stockton Dirt Track Stockton California
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 Placerville Speedway Placerville California
Friday, March 31, 2017 Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds Hanford California
Saturday, April 01, 2017 Perris Auto Speedway Perris California
Friday, April 07, 2017 Cocopah Speedway Yuma Arizona
Saturday, April 08, 2017 Arizona Speedway Queen Creek Arizona
Sunday, April 09, 2017 Arizona Speedway Queen Creek Arizona
Friday, April 14, 2017 Devil's Bowl Speedway Mesquite Texas
Saturday, April 15, 2017 Devil's Bowl Speedway Mesquite Texas
Friday, April 21, 2017 Riverside International Speedway West Memphis Arkansas
Saturday, April 22, 2017 Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 Pevely Missouri
Friday, April 28, 2017 Plymouth Speedway Plymouth Indiana
Saturday, April 29, 2017 Tri-State Speedway Haubstadt Indiana
Friday, May 05, 2017 Missouri State Fair Speedway Sedalia Missouri
Saturday, May 06, 2017 81 Speedway Park City Kansas
Friday, May 12, 2017 Eldora Speedway Rossburg Ohio
Saturday, May 13, 2017 Eldora Speedway Rossburg Ohio
Wednesday, May 17, 2017 Lincoln Speedway Abbotstown Pennsylania
Friday, May 19, 2017 Williams Grove Speedway Williams Grove Pennsylania
Saturday, May 20, 2017 Williams Grove Speedway Williams Grove Pennsylania
Sunday, May 21, 2017 Weedsport Speedway Weedsport New York
Tuesday, May 23, 2017 New Egypt Speedway New Egypt New Jersey
Friday, May 26, 2017 The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway Concord North Carolina
Monday, May 29, 2017 Lawrenceburg Speedway Lawrenceburg Indiana
Thursday, June 01, 2017 Jackson Motorplex Jackson Minnesota
Friday, June 02, 2017 Jackson Motorplex Jackson Minnesota
Saturday, June 03, 2017 Jackson Motorplex Jackson Minnesota
Friday, June 09, 2017 Knoxville Raceway Knoxvillle Iowa
Saturday, June 10, 2017 Knoxville Raceway Knoxville Iowa
Tuesday, June 13, 2017 Eagle Raceway Eagle Nebraska
Friday, June 16, 2017 River Cities Speedway Grand Forks North Dakota
Saturday, June 17, 2017 Red River Valley Speedway West Fargo North Dakota
Tuesday, June 20, 2017 Granite City Speedway Sauk Rapids Minnesota
Friday, June 23, 2017 West Liberty Raceway West Liberty Iowa
Saturday, June 24, 2017 Beaver Dam Raceway Beaver Dam Wisconsin
Tuesday, June 27, 2017 The Dirt Oval @ Route 66 Raceway Joliet Illinois
Thursday, June 29, 2017 Deer Creek Speedway Spring Valley Minnesota
Saturday, July 01, 2017 Badlands Motor Speedway Brandon South Dakota
Sunday, July 02, 2017 Badlands Motor Speedway Brandon South Dakota
Friday, July 07, 2017 Cedar Lake Speedway New Richmond Wisconsin
Saturday, July 08, 2017 Cedar Lake Speedway New Richmond Wisconsin
Tuesday, July 11, 2017 Attica Raceway Park Attica Ohio
Thursday, July 13, 2017 Eldora Speedway Rossburg Ohio
Friday, July 14, 2017 Eldora Speedway Rossburg Ohio
Saturday, July 15, 2017 Eldora Speedway Rossburg Ohio
Tuesday, July 18, 2017 Lernerville Speedway Sarver Pennsylania
Friday, July 21, 2017 Williams Grove Speedway Williams Grove Pennsylania
Saturday, July 22, 2017 Williams Grove Speedway Williams Grove Pennsylania
Sunday, July 23, 2017 Ransomville Speedway Ransomville New York
Tuesday, July 25, 2017 Ohsweken Speedway Ohsweken Ontario, Canada
Friday, July 28, 2017 Hartford Speedway Hartford Michigan
Saturday, July 29, 2017 Wilmot Raceway Wilmot Wisconsin
Friday, August 04, 2017 Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 Pevely Missouri
Saturday, August 05, 2017 Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 Pevely Missouri
Wednesday, August 09, 2017 Knoxville Raceway Knoxville Iowa
Thursday, August 10, 2017 Knoxville Raceway Knoxville Iowa
Friday, August 11, 2017 Knoxville Raceway Knoxville Iowa
Saturday, August 12, 2017 Knoxville Raceway Knoxville Iowa
Friday, August 18, 2017 River Cities Speedway Grand Forks North Dakota
Sunday, August 20, 2017 NoDak Speedway Minot North Dakota
Friday, August 25, 2017 Black Hills Speedway Rapid City South Dakota
Saturday, August 26, 2017 BMP Speedway Shepherd Montana
Wednesday, August 30, 2017 Central Washington State Fair Raceway Yakima Washington
Friday, September 01, 2017 Skagit Speedway Alger Washington
Saturday, September 02, 2017 Skagit Speedway Alger Washington
Monday, September 04, 2017 Grays Harbor Raceway Elma Washington
Wednesday September 06, 2017 Willamette Speedway Lebanon Oregon
Friday, September 08, 2017 Silver Dollar Speedway Chico California
Saturday, September 09, 2017 Silver Dollar Speedway Chico California
Tuesday, September 12, 2017 TBA
Friday, September 15, 2017 Calistoga Speedway Calistoga California
Saturday, September 16, 2017 Calistoga Speedway Calistoga California
Friday, September 22, 2017 Eldora Speedway Rossburg Ohio
Saturday, September 23, 2017 Lernerville Speedway Sarver Pennsylania
Thursday, September 28, 2017 Williams Grove Speedway Williams Grove Pennsylania
Friday, September 29, 2017 Williams Grove Speedway Williams Grove Pennsylania
Saturday, September 30, 2017 Williams Grove Speedway Williams Grove Pennsylania
Friday, October 06, 2017 TBA
Saturday, October 07, 2017 Fulton Speedway Fulton New York
Friday, October 13, 2017 TBA
Saturday, October 14, 2017 Port Royal Speedway Port Royal Pennsylania
Friday, October 20, 2017 Lakeside Speedway Kansas City Kansas
Saturday, October 21, 2017 Salina Highbanks Speedway Salina Oklahoma
Friday, October 27, 2017 Dodge City Raceway Park Dodge City Kansas
Saturday, October 28, 2017 Dodge City Raceway Park Dodge City Kansas
Thursday, November 02, 2017 The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway Concord North Carolina
Friday, November 03, 2017 The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway Concord North Carolina
Saturday, November 04, 2017 The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway Concord North Carolina

The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Bad Boy Off Road (Official Side-by-Side Vehicle), Craftsman (Official Tool), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Morton Buildings (Official Building), Sears (Official Home Store), The Kenny Wallace Dirt Racing Experience (Official Racing Experience) and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, including: Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Edelbrock, JE Pistons, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Penske Shocks, and Superflow Dynos; along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Impact Racing Products, Intercomp, Racing Electronics, S&S Volvo and TNT Rescue.

Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, N.C., is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts all World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.

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Nov
28

Saldana to Park It in 2017

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Contact: Brendan Capria
World of Outlaws PR
704-425-5368 | bcapria@dirtcar.com

Saldana to Park It in 2017
Will drive the No. 17 for Matt Wood and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

CONCORD, N.C. - Nov. 28, 2016 - Joey Saldana is not only carrying on his family legacy into the 2017 racing season, but also living out the legacy left by the late Bryan Clauson. Saldana teamed up with Matt Wood and NASCAR star Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to pilot the Elk Grove Ford/ Roth Investments No. 17 racecar in the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series tour next season - an aspiration of Clauson's since he first hopped into a 410 Sprint Car.

Saldana finished the 2016 season with Dennis Roth and Roth Motorsports amassing five wins, 31 top-five and 62 top-ten performances with 10 quick times in 81 points races. Saldana is nearing the 100-win milestone heading into his 18th consecutive season with the series; he stands at 99 wins, a mark that has taken the 1996 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year 19 seasons to build.

Saldana has finished within the top five in series championship point standings three of his last four seasons full-time. Roth Motorsports, which began its first World of Outlaw season in 1995, expected to carry its team's momentum into the following season. However, a series of unfortunate events prompted Roth to take a step back and not field the No. 83 car in 2017. Saldana, 43, said he still has plenty of gas left in the tank but worried that this may have been "it."

"If you're going to compete and be a racecar driver, if you don't do it 100 percent then why do it?" Saldana said. "I'm past the point of just racing. I want to race the best, or I really don't want to do it. This is what you dream about when you're 15 [years-old], and what you still dream about when you're 43. It was unsettling because I don't want to just step back. If I can't race at this level - the ultimate level - then I'm not going to do it. If you're going to put the effort into it you might as well race the best."

While Roth is taking a more reserved role - still helping to fund the new team - Saldana's racing career took an emotional turn and came full-circle. Saldana will not only represent Wood and Stenhouse on the track, but also keep the spirit of Clauson alive in the racing community. Saldana will have the chance to "Park it" for Clauson, his team and those who have supported him throughout the difficult transition. Clauson intended to join the Outlaws full-time in 2017, and Saldana said he knows he will be there to enjoy the ride.

"You want to 'Park It,'" Saldana said. "[Clauson] made that phrase popular so when you did park it, it meant you did your job that night and won the race. We need to do that as many times as possible for him so we can be competitive. Just making that No. 17 car competitive every night would make Bryan proud because his whole goal was to run with the World of Outlaws."

Not only were Saldana and Clauson connected through the racing family tree, but their friendship is also rooted by their own families. Clauson was there for Saldana's sons, Reece and Ragan. To Saldana, the ride is "Bryan helping me take care of my kids." It was not just his family. Clauson also kept Saldana's wide-eyed love for racing strong. Clauson had a watchful eye on Saldana and vice-versa - for a different reason.

Through Saldana's career, his goal was to always be the proven-dirt driver in the INDY 500 field. It was uncanny that while Saldana envied Clauson's career, he was doing the same. It was Clauson's goal to run full-time with the Outlaws but before he made the plans, he watched Saldana. The two admired each other's paths in motorsports, no matter how different they were. It just so happened that they were both living each other's dreams.

"It's weird, Bryan was doing everything that I always wanted to do, and here he was wanting to do what I was doing," Saldana said. "He did what all racecar drivers aspired to do and that was run the INDY 500, but still be a dirt track guy. That doesn't happen anymore. You don't see that. But Bryan Clauson did that. He was ready for that next challenge [The Outlaws]. In a weird way, it's all come full circle."

In 2017, Saldana will complete the circle when he barrels down the front stretch in the No. 17 car. Saldana has not taken his road for granted. He simply wants to do right by everyone, and make the season one to remember. Both parties are in it to create a championship contending team, enough to even move the once Missouri-based team to Brownsburg, Ind., the "Brownsburg Bullet's" hometown. Tyler Swank will remain the crew chief.

"Hopefully, we're going to be a first-class team that will compete with the Tony Stewart Racing, Kasey Kahne Racing and Larson-Marks Racing," Saldana said. "Hopefully I can make Bryan proud, make the Wood/Stenhouse team proud and just be competitive. I want to make them proud that they made the right choice with the driver, and that I do the right things by them and everyone that's involved with this team. I hope we can be the thorn in other teams' sides."

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Contact: Brendan Capria
World of Outlaws PR
704-425-5368 | bcapria@dirtcar.com

Schatz Sweetens the Season with Win
Gravel records career-best season on tour

CONCORD, N.C. - Oct. 29, 2016 - Donny Schatz orchestrated the celebration of his 229th career trip to victory lane differently Saturday night at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. The 20-year World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series superstar - as usual - hoisted the flag into an erupting confetti machine after the Bad Boy Off Road World Finals. But the thousands of fans erupted too when he casted the VP Racing Fuels checkered flag into the stands among the falling confetti.

Another extraordinary component to Schatz's night-cap was his reflection on the other 24 wins during the season. Each victory added value to his season - alongside the 60 top-five's and 77 top-10's in a season with some-90 points races. Collectively, his consistent success throughout the rigor of one of the most premier national tours led to a dominant 314-point spread in the series' points race. With the points lead, Schatz officially captured his eighth series championship; Schatz has won a championship in 40 percent of his seasons with the Outlaws.

"I know fans would have loved to see it go down to the wire," said Schatz about his championship campaign. "It's hard to say in this sport when you take 92 events coast-to-coast you have during the season. We left Florida to start this season 100-plus points in the hole. We had to win. We dug out of that hole - a 100-point deficit to a 300-point deposit with four DNFs along the way. To me, it was one of the hardest fought comebacks that we've had, and I'm really proud of my guys for that. After that, it says there's nothing my guys can't do."

Like Schatz alluded to, he and his Tony Stewart Racing team encountered adversity at DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. Though he captured his first win of the season on the second night of the three-day event, Schatz did not make the feature in the opener and concluded the event placing outside of the top 10. For the reigning series champion, who won 31 races in 2015, he felt the pressure early-on.

"On paper, we won a lot of races and had no DNFs," said Schatz recollecting on 2015. "The hardest thing you can ever do is come out of a hole. We came out of that hole, and had consistent top-five and top-three finishes. But, there were also some things we left on the table. We left a championship out of Knoxville [Nationals], but this championship somewhat makes up for that."

This year's championship and a victory at the highly-regarded King's Royal at Eldora (Ohio) Speedway were two redeemable up-sides to the season. To him, those moments are still "hard to put into perspective." In the 10-month span of preparation and competition, Schatz's successes have yet to resonate with him. Though it will take Schatz some time to absorb the total success of the year, his triumph for the finale of World Finals was felt immediately in victory lane.

Schatz, who started fifth for the 30-lap feature, used his momentum from the previous night toward his 2016 season send-off. Schatz was honored with the KSE Hard Charger award the previous night, climbing 10 spots to a third place finish. Starting nine spots better than Friday's feature, Schatz was in a better position to contend for the win.

Platinum driver David Gravel, who won his heat race and the Craftsman® Club Dash earlier in the program, was seeking his 10th win of the season; by doing so, he would have joined Schatz as the only two drivers in the series to record double-digit win totals. Gravel led the field into the green flag. From there he alternated from the top in turns one and two to the bottom in turns three and four to maintain the top spot.

The first of four cautions on the second lap not only diminished Gravel's buffer, but also regrouped the field. On the restart, Schatz charged forward. He picked-up his podium spot then, thereon setting his sights on quick-timer Greg Hodnett and Gravel ahead of him. Schatz eventually used lapped traffic to take over the second spot on the backstretch. More importantly, a trend was developing: Schatz used the breaks in momentum from the cautions to his advantage.

The race's second caution on the 13th lap again regrouped the field; the top-three was beginning to separate by half-second intervals before the yellow flag waved. His strategy of using cautions came into play three laps later when it paired him with Gravel. Gravel defended his top spot on the restart and more importantly in turns one and two. However, the following lap reopened the door in Schatz's favor. Schatz, unable to get under Gravel the first time, made a successful move the second time around before another caution on the 15th lap.

Halfway home, Gravel dipped below Schatz in an attempt to reclaim the lead. But, a strong restart from Schatz made it an ill-attempt. Gravel stayed on pace with Schatz thereafter, maintaining a sub-second distance away from him. The race's final caution with nine laps remaining gave Gravel another opportunity to strike.

Gravel, taking the same approach, tried to leverage his racecar underneath Schatz's in turns three and four. However, Schatz's raw speed kept the battle at bay; he led Gravel by 0.472 seconds with eight laps to go. Within those laps, Platinum driver Joey Saldana sealed the deal for third. Saldana started seventh in the feature.

"As the run went on, the more and more [Schatz] slipped off turn four," said Gravel, explaining his strategy. "The bottom was definitely better there later, but I just could not keep up on the restarts. He just checked-out on the restarts, and I just couldn't close the gap."

While Schatz and Gravel protected their spots for the rest of the feature, Hodnett sought revenge. In the closing laps, Hodnett was able to reclaim the final podium spot. Even so, seven Outlaws finished inside the top 10. Schatz ultimately won the race by a 0.788-second margin.

"Joey races really hard, but I could squeeze in under him a couple of times enough to get out front," Hodnett said. "But I'll tell you what, hats-off to Schatz, Gravel and those guys. All these guys are really tough, and just to be able to half-ass compete with them, I'm just really proud of it. Would have liked the turn out to be better, but we'll be back God-willing to see what we can do in front of these great fans."

Gravel, the 2013 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, recorded his best season with the Outlaws since joining the national tour. He improved on last year's winless season, taking nine more checkered flags and earning 36 more top-five performances.

The Dirt Track at Charlotte Notebook

RACE NOTES: Donny Schatz finished the 2016 season strong, winning the Bad Boy Off Road World Finals finale at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Starting fifth, Schatz used lapped traffic and a series of cautions to eventually overtake polesitter David Gravel. Greg Hodnett maintained his podium after a late push from Platinum driver Joey Saldana.

CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Greg Wilson; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Danny Lasoski; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Tim Shaffer; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Super Flow ($50 cash): Danny Dietrich; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): David Gravel, Shane Stewart, Joey Saldana; Craftsman/Sears: Ian Madsen; KSE Hard Charger: Logan Schuchart; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Brad Sweet; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan

SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 25 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4, Stockton Dirt Track on March 18, Stockton Dirt Track on March 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on April 2, Lincoln Speedway on May 19, Weedsport Speedway on May 22, Lincoln Park Speedway on June 8, Knoxville Raceway on June 11, River Cities Speedway on June 17, Rockford Speedway on June 29, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 3, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9, Attica Raceway Park on July 12, Eldora Speedway on July 16, Ohsweken Speedway on July 26, Junction Motor Speedway on August 16, Angell Park Speedway on August 21, River Cities Speedway on August 26, Nodak Speedway on August 28, Willamette Speedway on September 7, Clay County Fair Speedway on September 16, Lernerville Speedway on September 24, Fulton Speedway on October 8, The Dirt Track at Charlotte on October 28); David Gravel - 9 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 12, Tri-State Speedway on May 14, I-96 Speedway on June 6, Eldora Speedway on July 14, Lernerville Speedway on July 19, Wilmot Raceway on July 30, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 5, Skagit Speedway on Sept 2 and 3); Shane Stewart - 8 (Arizona Speedway on March 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 23, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 30, Granite City Speedway on June 15, Brown County Speedway on June 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 9; Hartford Speedway on September 22; Eldora Speedway on September 24); Brad Sweet - 8 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Cotton Bowl Speedway on Feb. 26, Ocean Speedway on April 1, Bakersfield Speedway on April 15, Plymouth Speedway on May 13, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 2; Lakeside Speedway on October 21); Daryn Pittman - 8 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 27, Perris Auto Speedway on April 16, USA Raceway on April 18, New Egypt Speedway on May 24, Jackson Motorplex on June 24, Eldora Speedway on July 15, Williams Grove Speedway on July 22; Salina Highbanks Speedway on October 22); Joey Saldana - 5 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 3, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 22, Jacksonville Speedway on May 4, I-80 Speedway on June 22, U.S. 36 Raceway on September 17); Jason Johnson - 4 (Placerville Speedway on March 24, Knoxville Nationals on August 13, El Paso County Raceway on September 14, The Dirt Track at Charlotte on October 28); Lance Dewease - 2 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 20, Williams Grove Speedway on July 23); Kerry Madsen - 2 (Eldora Speedway on May 6 and 7); Rico Abreu - 2 (Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 6, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 10); Logan Schuchart - 2 (Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9; Port Royal Speedway on October 15); Bill Balog - 1 (Beaver Dam Raceway on June 25); Chad Kemenah - 1 (Fremont Speedway on June 3); Terry McCarl - 1 (Knoxville Raceway on June 10); Jason Sides - 1 (I-30 Speedway on April 26); Greg Wilson - 1 (The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 27); Danny Dietrich - 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on October 14)

World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; The Dirt Track at Charlotte, N.C.; Oct. 29, 2016

Feature - (30 Laps) -1. 15-Donny Schatz [5] [$12,000]; 2. 5-David Gravel [1] [$5,500]; 3. 27-Greg Hodnett [3] [$3,200]; 4. 83-Joey Saldana [7] [$2,800]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [14] [$2,500]; 6. 21-Brian Brown [9] [$2,300]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [4] [$2,200]; 8. 9-Daryn Pittman [12] [$2,100]; 9. 10H-Chad Kemenah [13] [$2,050]; 10. 7S-Jason Sides [18] [$2,000]; 11. 49X-Tim Shaffer [6] [$1,500]; 12. 99-Brady Bacon [17] [$1,200]; 13. 41-Jason Johnson [10] [$1,100]; 14. 48-Danny Dietrich [11] [$1,050]; 15. 2L-Danny Lasoski [21] [$1,000]; 16. 49-Brad Sweet [16] [$1,000]; 17. 1B-Dale Blaney [20] [$1,000]; 18. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [23] [$1,000]; 19. 23-Trey Starks [24] [$1,000]; 20. 17B-Bill Balog [15] [$1,000]; 21. 71M-Dave Blaney [22] [$1,000]; 22. 7-Paul McMahan [25] [$]; 23. W20-Greg Wilson [26] [$]; 24. 18-Ian Madsen [2] [$1,000]; 25. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8] [$1,000]; 26. 82-Sammy Swindell [19] [$1,000]
Lap Leaders:David Gravel 1-14, Donny Schatz 15-30KSE
Hard Charger Award:1S-Logan Schuchart [+9]

Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) -1. 27-Greg Hodnett [1]; 2. 49X-Tim Shaffer [2]; 3. 21-Brian Brown [4]; 4. 10H-Chad Kemenah [5]; 5. 99-Brady Bacon [3]; 6. 3G-Carson Macedo [6]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8]; 8. 49H-Doug Esh [11]; 9. 23-Trey Starks [7]; 10. 4-Cole Duncan [10]; 11. 91-Chad Boespflug [12]; 12. 2MX-Hunter Schuerenberg [9]

Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) -1. 18-Ian Madsen [1]; 2. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 3. 48-Danny Dietrich [4]; 4. 17B-Bill Balog [3]; 5. 82-Sammy Swindell [8]; 6. 17W-Kerry Madsen [9]; 7. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [5]; 8. 2M-Brent Marks [7]; 9. A67-Cale Conley [11]; 10. 23M-Lance Moss [12]; 11. 67-Tanner Thorson [10]; 12. 1A-Jac Haudenschild [6]

Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) -1. 2-Shane Stewart [1]; 2. 83-Joey Saldana [2]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [4]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [9]; 6. 19-Paige Polyak [6]; 7. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [8]; 8. 2L-Danny Lasoski [5]; 9. 77X-Parker Price-Miller [10]; 10. 94-Ryan Smith [7]; 11. W20-Greg Wilson [11]; 12. 27G-Jay Galloway [12]

Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) -1. 5-David Gravel [2]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [1]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [4]; 5. 1B-Dale Blaney [7]; 6. 51S-Stevie Smith [6]; 7. 7-Paul McMahan [8]; 8. 23C-Tyler Courtney [9]; 9. 71M-Dave Blaney [5]; 10. 25-Tyler Bear [10]; 11. 4S-Danny Smith [11]

Craftsman Club® Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of A-feature) -1. 5-David Gravel [4]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [3]; 3. 27-Greg Hodnett [1]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [2]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [8]; 6. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5]; 7. 83-Joey Saldana [6]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [7]

C-Main - (10 Laps - Top 2 finishers transfer to the B-feature) -1. 4-Cole Duncan [1] [-]; 2. 23C-Tyler Courtney [2] [-]; 3. 49H-Doug Esh [5] [$150]; 4. 77X-Parker Price-Miller [4] [$150]; 5. 67-Tanner Thorson [3] [$150]; 6. 25-Tyler Bear [6] [$125]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [8] [$125]; 8. A67-Cale Conley [7] [$125]; 9. 91-Chad Boespflug [9] [$125]; 10. 23M-Lance Moss [11] [$125]; 11. 4S-Danny Smith [10] [$125]; 12. 27G-Jay Galloway [12] [$125]; 13. 1A-Jac Haudenschild [13] [$125]; 14. 13-Clyde Knipp [14] [$125]; 15. OO-Dane Lorenc [15] [$125]

Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) -1. 2L-Danny Lasoski [2] [-]; 2. 71M-Dave Blaney [4] [-]; 3. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [1] [-]; 4. 23-Trey Starks [5] [-]; 5. 3G-Carson Macedo [3] [$300]; 6. 51S-Stevie Smith [8] [$250]; 7. 2M-Brent Marks [7] [$225]; 8. 94-Ryan Smith [10] [$200]; 9. 7-Paul McMahan [14] [$200]; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser [9] [$200]; 11. 17W-Kerry Madsen [13] [$200]; 12. 2MX-Hunter Schuerenberg [11] [$200]; 13. 19-Paige Polyak [6] [$200]; 14. 4-Cole Duncan [15] [$200]; 15. 23C-Tyler Courtney [16] [$200]; 16. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [12] [$200]

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World of Outlaws


Contact: Brendan Capria
World of Outlaws PR
704-425-5368 | bcapria@dirtcar.com

Johnson Earns Fourth Series Win of 2016 Eight Outlaws finish inside the Top 10

CONCORD, N.C. - Oct. 28, 2016 - Jason Johnson set the tone for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Friday night, winning the first night of racing for the Bad Boy Off Road World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Johnson, who idled his winged sprint down victory lane for the fourth time this season, has made his victories count for the series' most celebrated races in 2016.

"I'll tell you what, these Priority Aviation/ Mesilla Valley Transportation guys have been doing a hell of a job all year long," said Johnson, beaming on the front-stretch. "To cap it off at the end of the year with a victory in front of this great crowd...couldn't say any more bout the facility at such an awesome event...to win is just an honor."

Earlier in the year, Johnson recorded his second win at the prestigious 5-Hour Energy Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey's General Stores on August 13. At Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway, the Eunice, La. native battled wheel-to-wheel with points leader Donny Schatz for a valuable extension on the event's 56-year history. Johnson encountered a similar situation at World Finals.

Johnson, who started fourth in the feature, preceded the feature with a heat win and second place finish in the second Craftsman® Club Dash; Dale Blaney finished ahead of him. With Blaney starting second and fellow Platinum driver Brad Sweet on the pole for the 30-lap feature, Johnson faced an uphill battle chock-full of the sport's most proven drivers.

Sweet, riding the high of winning the first dash of the night, started strong into the green flag. However, Blaney superseded his prowess and managed to take the top spot in the opening laps. Within the first three laps, Blaney increased his lead to 2.044 seconds. Two laps later, Johnson caught his stride and undertook Sweet exiting turn one for the second spot.

Sweet did not go down without a fight; he redeemed his spot on the race's ninth lap. The two drivers thereon jockeyed for the runner-up spot, both using an under-over maneuver on each other for the next two laps. Johnson got the best of the battle, securing the spot exiting turn four on the 11th lap.

From there, Sweet faded. Logan Schuchart, who started seventh on the night, got around Sweet for the final podium position. While Schuchart was solidifying his spot on the podium, Johnson was cutting into Blaney's lead. With 10 laps remaining, Johnson came within 0.382 seconds before the race's first and only caution. By this time, the World of Outlaws regulars claimed six out of the top seven spots. Schatz was sitting in sixth.

"I'm very lucky to drive this racecar right now," Schuchart said. "Our guys do a very great job, and it's a fast car. I felt better as the race went on. I felt like it was the fastest car at the end of the race. The weather looks similar tomorrow so hopefully the track is similar."

On the restart, Johnson closed the gap more than he had originally. Blaney and Johnson fought side-by-side, their cars parallel to each other exiting turn four with nine laps remaining.

All the while, Schatz began his charge to the front. The seven-time series champion - soon to be eighth once he signs in for the event's finale - made his way up to third with six laps left in the feature.

"These guys did an incredible job," Schatz said. "The racetrack: you really didn't know what was going to happen there. I'm glad those guys worked it. It made for a great race. I thought we were in really great shape coming through there. I tried to change and adapt to what I had. Tonight was definitely a big learning curve, and it's definitely fun."

Johnson proved to be too much for Blaney, and in the closing laps fell back. Johnson had sole possession of the lead. Schuchart and Schatz were able to get by Blaney, finishing one-two respectively behind Johnson. With Schatz's charge, he recorded his 59th top-five performance of the year. Adding to the series' success, the Outlaws placed in eight of the top-10 spots.

"We're a privateer team, and we're definitely financially driven," said Johnson, earning the $12,000 purse. "So, it's an honor to pull-off another victory."

Schatz, who doubled-over into the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series, finished 15th in the 50-lap feature which preceded the Sprint class. Schatz said he is having "a lot of fun" dabbling in both classes, but his focus for the finale will be in sprint car.

"I don't think I was cut-out to drive those cars," Schatz said. "Those 50 laps seemed like 500 to me. It was brutal. Tomorrow will be a little better being able to run the sprint car first. So, we'll see what happens with that."

The Dirt Track at Charlotte Notebook

RACE NOTES: Jason Johnson, who started fourth in the feature, spent the majority of the 30-lap feature battling toward the front. Once the Platinum driver sealed the deal for the second position, he had his sights toward overtaking Dale Blaney for the lead. With six laps remaining, Johnson succeeded. Streaking Logan Schuchart replaced Blaney for the second spot in the closing laps. Donny Schatz, who started in 13th position, followed Schuchart into the podium. Schatz was honored with the KSE Hard Charger Award, climbing 10 positions in all.

CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Paul McMahan; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Brian Brown; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Brent Marks; Super Flow ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Brad Sweet, Shane Stewart, Logan Schuchart, David Gravel, Daryn Pittman, Jason Johnson, Joey Saldana; Craftsman/Sears: Greg Hodnett, Dale Blaney; KSE Hard Charger: Donny Schatz; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Jason Johnson; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Danny Dietrich; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan

SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 24(Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4, Stockton Dirt Track on March 18, Stockton Dirt Track on March 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on April 2, Lincoln Speedway on May 19, Weedsport Speedway on May 22, Lincoln Park Speedway on June 8, Knoxville Raceway on June 11, River Cities Speedway on June 17, Rockford Speedway on June 29, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 3, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9, Attica Raceway Park on July 12, Eldora Speedway on July 16, Ohsweken Speedway on July 26, Junction Motor Speedway on August 16, Angell Park Speedway on August 21, River Cities Speedway on August 26, Nodak Speedway on August 28, Willamette Speedway on September 7, Clay County Fair Speedway on September 16, Lernerville Speedway on September 24, Fulton Speedway on October 8); David Gravel - 9 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 12, Tri-State Speedway on May 14, I-96 Speedway on June 6, Eldora Speedway on July 14, Lernerville Speedway on July 19, Wilmot Raceway on July 30, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 5, Skagit Speedway on Sept 2 and 3); Shane Stewart - 8 (Arizona Speedway on March 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 23, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 30, Granite City Speedway on June 15, Brown County Speedway on June 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 9; Hartford Speedway on September 22; Eldora Speedway on September 24); Brad Sweet - 8 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Cotton Bowl Speedway on Feb. 26, Ocean Speedway on April 1, Bakersfield Speedway on April 15, Plymouth Speedway on May 13, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 2; Lakeside Speedway on October 21); Daryn Pittman - 8 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 27, Perris Auto Speedway on April 16, USA Raceway on April 18, New Egypt Speedway on May 24, Jackson Motorplex on June 24, Eldora Speedway on July 15, Williams Grove Speedway on July 22; Salina Highbanks Speedway on October 22); Joey Saldana - 5 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 3, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 22, Jacksonville Speedway on May 4, I-80 Speedway on June 22, U.S. 36 Raceway on September 17); Jason Johnson - 4 (Placerville Speedway on March 24, Knoxville Nationals on August 13, El Paso County Raceway on September 14, The Dirt Track at Charlotte on October 28); Lance Dewease - 2 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 20, Williams Grove Speedway on July 23); Kerry Madsen - 2 (Eldora Speedway on May 6 and 7); Rico Abreu - 2 (Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 6, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 10); Logan Schuchart - 2 (Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9; Port Royal Speedway on October 15); Bill Balog - 1 (Beaver Dam Raceway on June 25); Chad Kemenah - 1 (Fremont Speedway on June 3); Terry McCarl - 1 (Knoxville Raceway on June 10); Jason Sides - 1 (I-30 Speedway on April 26); Greg Wilson - 1 (The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 27); Danny Dietrich - 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on October 14)

World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; The Dirt Track at Charlotte, N.C.; Oct. 28, 2016

Feature - (30 Laps) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [4] [$12,000]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7] [$5,500]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [13] [$3,200]; 4. 1B-Dale Blaney [2] [$2,800]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [1] [$2,500]; 6. 5-David Gravel [9] [$2,300]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [5] [$2,200]; 8. 10H-Chad Kemenah [6] [$2,100]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [11] [$2,050]; 10. 83-Joey Saldana [10] [$2,000]; 11. 21-Brian Brown [8] [$1,500]; 12. 2M-Brent Marks [15] [$1,200]; 13. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [17] [$1,100]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [23] [$1,050]; 15. 2L-Danny Lasoski [12] [$1,000]; 16. 71M-Dave Blaney [21] [$1,000]; 17. 18-Ian Madsen [19] [$1,000]; 18. 48-Danny Dietrich [14] [$1,000]; 19. 82-Sammy Swindell [18] [$1,000]; 20. W20-Greg Wilson [25] [$]; 21. 49X-Tim Shaffer [22] [$1,000]; 22. 7-Paul McMahan [24] [$1,000]; 23. 27-Greg Hodnett [3] [$1,000]; 24. 19-Paige Polyak [20] [$1,000]; 25. 51S-Stevie Smith [16] [$1,000]
Lap Leaders: Dale Blaney 1-23, Jason Johnson 24-30
KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz[+10]

Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [2] ; 2. 27-Greg Hodnett [1] ; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [4] ; 4. 18-Ian Madsen [3] ; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5] ; 6. 17W-Kerry Madsen [7] ; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [6] ; 8. OO-Dane Lorenc [8] ; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [9]

Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 2-Shane Stewart [1] ; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2] ; 3. 2M-Brent Marks [4] ; 4. 67-Tanner Thorson [6] ; 5. 19-Paige Polyak [3] ; 6. 17B-Bill Balog [8] ; 7. 49H-Doug Esh [5] ; 8. 23C-Tyler Courtney [7]

Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 5-David Gravel [2] ; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [1] ; 3. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [4] ; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [3] ; 5. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [5] ; 6. 3G-Carson Macedo [6] ; 7. 25-Tyler Bear [7] ; 8. 4S-Danny Smith [8]

Heat 4 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 1B-Dale Blaney [1] ; 2. 83-Joey Saldana [2] ; 3. 48-Danny Dietrich [4] ; 4. 49X-Tim Shaffer [3] ; 5. 77X-Parker Price-Miller [7] ; 6. 94-Ryan Smith [6] ; 7. 4-Cole Duncan [5] ; 8. 91-Chad Boespflug [8]

Heat 5 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 10H-Chad Kemenah [1] ; 2. 21-Brian Brown [3] ; 3. 51S-Stevie Smith [2] ; 4. 7-Paul McMahan [4] ; 5. 99-Brady Bacon [5] ; 6. 2MX-Hunter Schuerenburg [6] ; 7. 23M-Lance Moss [7] ; 8. A67-Cale Conley [8]

Heat 6 - (8 Laps - Top 3 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1] ; 2. 2L-Danny Lasoski [2] ; 3. 82-Sammy Swindell [7] ; 4. 71M-Dave Blaney [3] ; 5. 23-Trey Starks [6] ; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4] ; 7. 1A-Jac Haudenschild [5] ; 8. 27G-Jay Galloway [8]

Craftsman® Club Dash 1 - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 6 starting positions of A-feature) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1] ; 2. 27-Greg Hodnett [4] ; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [2] ; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5] ; 5. 5-David Gravel [3] ; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [6]

Craftsman® Club Dash 2 - (6 Laps - Top finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 1B-Dale Blaney [1] ; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [3] ; 3. 10H-Chad Kemenah [2] ; 4. 21-Brian Brown [5] ; 5. 83-Joey Saldana [4] ; 6. 2L-Danny Lasoski [6]

C-Main - (10 Laps - Top 2 finishers transfer to the B-feature) - 1. 67-Tanner Thorson [1] [-]; 2. 23-Trey Starks [6] [-]; 3. 3G-Carson Macedo [3] [$150]; 4. 94-Ryan Smith [2] [$150]; 5. 2MX-Hunter Schuerenburg [4] [$150]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog [13] [$125]; 7. 77X-Parker Price-Miller [8] [$125]; 8. 23C-Tyler Courtney [7] [$125]; 9. 25-Tyler Bear [9] [$125]; 10. A67-Cale Conley [14] [$125]; 11. 17W-Kerry Madsen [5] [$125]; 12. 27G-Jay Galloway [16] [$125]; 13. 23M-Lance Moss [10] [$125]; 14. 91-Chad Boespflug [12] [$125]; 15. 13-Clyde Knipp [17] [$125]; 16. OO-Dane Lorenc [11] [$125]; 17. 4S-Danny Smith [15] [$125]

Last Chance Showdown - (12 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 18-Ian Madsen [1] [-]; 2. 19-Paige Polyak [3] [-]; 3. 71M-Dave Blaney [4] [-]; 4. 49X-Tim Shaffer [2] [-]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [5] [-]; 6. 7-Paul McMahan [6] [-]; 7. 99-Brady Bacon [12] [$300]; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [8] [$250]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [13] [$225]; 10. 49H-Doug Esh [9] [$200]; 11. 4-Cole Duncan [10] [$200]; 12. 23-Trey Starks [15] [$200]; 13. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [11] [$200]; 14. 1A-Jac Haudenschild [14] [$200]; 15. 67-Tanner Thorson [16] [$200]; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7] [$200]

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