Archive for Sprints
BACON BANKS LARRY RICE CLASSIC AT BLOOMINGTON
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The United States Auto Club.
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Contact: Richie Murray - USAC Media / richie@usacracing.com
Brady Bacon celebrates Friday's 'Larry Rice Classic' victory at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway. (David Nearpass Photo)
BACON BANKS LARRY RICE CLASSIC AT BLOOMINGTON
By: Richie Murray - USAC Media
Bloomington, Indiana (April 12, 2019).........Following a sluggish start to the season in Ocala, Fla. in the first three races of the year, Brady Bacon made doubly sure he saw the checkered flag in Friday night's "Larry Rice Classic" USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car feature at Bloomington Speedway.
After results of 7th, 15th and 11th back in February amidst his return to the famed Hoffman Auto Racing/Dynamics, Inc. No. 69, the Broken Arrow, Oklahoma native was anxious to get off the schneid, so to speak, corralling the 24th win of his career with the series, surpassing A.J. Foyt and Roger McCluskey to move into sole position of 21st on the all-time list.
Bacon led all 30 laps from the pole and, in the process, broke an 18-year-old 30-lap track record on the quarter-mile of red clay, previously held by A.J. Anderson, showing that the two-time series champ remains at the top of his game.
"We put our heads together after Florida and tried not to get in panic mode yet because Ocala is just a different place," Bacon explained. "We just made sure we had our i's dotted and our t's crossed when we came here."
There was no stopping Bacon on this evening, even if the reflection of the lights were trying to trick his mind.
"I actually thought I saw the white flag with the way the lights were reflecting off the move over flag," Bacon said. "The flag man was waving it pretty vigorously and I thought it was the white. Luckily, I kept going another lap and I saw it again, so I knew I wasn't right. I just kept going until I knew I saw the double checkers."
From the get-go, Bacon was the class of the field, instantly building his advantage to a half-straightaway over outside front row starter Kevin Thomas, Jr. by lap four. Bacon continued to increase the interval until meeting the tail end of a highway jam on lap nine with a seven-car gaggle jostling for position at the back, pairing down Bacon's lead to a half-second on a closing Thomas.
The winningest driver for the Hoffman family in USAC National Sprint Car competition, Bacon ringed the top in turns three and four and the bottom of one and two as he navigated the narrow crevices between the lappers. With 11 laps to go, Bacon sought daylight between the cars of Stephen Schnapf and Isaac Chapple in turn three. Bacon grabbed the rays, splitting the two to find the welcome view of an unoccupied road out of his visor with two-thirds of the race in the books.
"I was fortunate enough to sneak through a couple times," Bacon recalled. "Your mental clock gets ticking and I kind of had to force the issue a couple times to get by a couple guys. It's part of racing here. It gets a little narrow, but usually there's two grooves here. The bottom was not as prevalent as it typically is here. Usually, you can sneak by lapped cars on the bottom. I was having a tough time doing that, so I had to slide up out of the way."
Bacon's 24th career USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car victory Friday night at Bloomington moved him by A.J. Foyt and Roger McCluskey for sole position of 21st on the all-time series win list. (David Nearpass Photo)
From that point forward, Bacon was by his lonesome as he lapped up to 13th place on his way to his first career feature victory of any kind at Bloomington aboard his Dynamics, Inc./Mean Green - Fatheadz Eyewear - Tel-Star/Triple X/Hershey Chevy.
Second went to a distant Thomas 2.158 seconds behind Bacon at the finish. Rounding out the top-five were Jason McDougal, KSE Racing Products/B & W Auto Mart Hard Charger Tyler Courtney (from 9th) and Fatheadz Eyewear Fast Qualifier and new one-lap track record holder C.J. Leary.
It's a sense of sweet redemption for Bacon at Bloomington, picking up his first win at the southern Indiana staple after being on the brink of victory earlier in his career.
"I've run second here a couple times," Bacon remembered. "In 2007 or 2008, I led almost the whole race in the spring like this and slid off the track. I've been coming here for so long, you kind of take it for granted. But it's cool to win at a historic place like this. The green grass in the spring here is always the sign that it's time to go racing. This is a tough racetrack to win at and I'm happy we could do it and to be back with the Hoffman team. I'm glad to shake off our rough start and get back to our usual results."
Contingency award winners Friday night at Bloomington Speedway were C.J. Leary (Fatheadz Eyewear Fast Qualifier), Robert Ballou (Simpson Race Products First Heat Winner & Roger & Barb Tapy 13th Fastest Qualifier), Brady Bacon (Competition Suspension, Inc. Second Heat Winner), Tyler Courtney (AutoMeter Third Heat Winner & KSE Racing Products/B & W Auto Mart Hard Charger), Chase Stockon (Indy Race Parts Semi Winner) and Dakota Jackson (Wilwood Brakes 13th Place Finisher).
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USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: April 12, 2019 - Bloomington Speedway - Bloomington, Indiana - "Larry Rice Classic"
FATHEADZ EYEWEAR QUALIFYING: 1. C.J. Leary, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-10.685 (New Track Record); 2. Chad Boespflug, 98e, EZR-10.713; 3. Jason McDougal, 71p, Daigh/Phillips-10.860; 4. Chase Stockon, 32, 32 TBI-10.880; 5. Josh Hodges, 74x, Hodges-10.908; 6. Justin Grant, 4, TOPP-10.920; 7. Kevin Thomas, Jr., 19, Hayward/Thomas-10.943; 8. Brady Bacon, 69, Dynamics-10.961; 9. Tyler Courtney, 7BC, CMNR-10.977; 10. Stephen Schnapf, 61m, Edwards-11.050; 11. Jordan Kinser, 70, Hurst-11.087; 12. Chris Windom, 5G, Goacher-11.119; 13. Robert Ballou, 12, Ballou-11.150; 14. Lee Underwood, 24L, Underwood-11.175; 15. Dakota Jackson, 3, Jackson-11.212; 16. Carson Short, 21, RCM-11.214; 17. Isaac Chapple, 52, LNR/Chapple-11.291; 18. Brian VanMeveren, 24, VanMeveren-11.305; 19. T.J. Artz, 57, Artz-11.392; 20. Dustin Christie, 75, Christie-11.410; 21. Joe Stornetta, 04, Burton-11.427; 22. Michael Koontz, 17K, Koontz-11.508; 23. Zach Daum, 5D, Daum-11.614; 24. Dave Darland, 2E, Epperson-11.648; 25. Kyle Hathaway, 7H, Hathaway-11.854; 26. Eric Perrott, 45, Perrott-12.891.
SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer) 1. Ballou, 2. Short, 3. K. Thomas, 4. Schnapf, 5. Leary, 6. Stockon, 7. Koontz, 8. Artz, 9. Hathaway. 1:57.27
COMPETITION SUSPENSION (CSI) SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer) 1. Bacon, 2. Kinser, 3. Chapple, 4. Boespflug, 5. Christie, 6. Daum, 7. Underwood, 8. Hodges, 9. Perrott. NT
AUTOMETER THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer) 1. Courtney, 2. McDougal, 3. Grant, 4. Stornetta, 5. Jackson, 6. Darland, 7. Windom. NT
INDY RACE PARTS SEMI: (12 laps, top-7 transfer) 1. Stockon, 2. Windom, 3. Underwood, 4. Darland, 5. Artz, 6. Daum, 7. Hodges, 8. Koontz, 9. Hathaway, 10. Perrott. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Brady Bacon (1), 2. Kevin Thomas, Jr. (2), 3. Jason McDougal (4), 4. Tyler Courtney (9), 5. C.J. Leary (6), 6. Justin Grant (3), 7. Chad Boespflug (5), 8. Chase Stockon (7), 9. Chris Windom (12), 10. Robert Ballou (13), 11. Jordan Kinser (11), 12. Josh Hodges (8), 13. Dakota Jackson (15), 14. Carson Short (16), 15. Dave Darland (20), 16. Isaac Chapple (17), 17. Stephen Schnapf (10), 18. Joe Stornetta (19), 19. Lee Underwood (14), 20. T.J. Artz (21), 21. Dustin Christie (18), 22. Zach Daum (22). 6:47.18 (New Track Record)
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**VanMeveren flipped during qualifying.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Bacon.
KSE RACING PRODUCTS/B & W AUTO MART HARD CHARGER: Tyler Courtney (9th to 4th)
WILWOOD BRAKES 13TH PLACE FINISHER: Dakota Jackson
NEW USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Thomas-287, 2-Leary-284, 3-Stockon-250, 4-Grant-245, 5-Courtney-243, 6-Windom-230, 7-Bacon-229, 8-Ballou-222, 9-Boespflug-215, 10-McDougal-208.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACES: April 13, 2019 - Tri-State Speedway - Haubstadt, Indiana - "Spring Showdown" (Co-Sanctioned by MSCS)
Schuchart charges to World of Outlaws Texas Outlaw Nationals victory
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World of Outlaws
Contact: Nick Graziano
World of Outlaws PR
ngraziano@dirtcar.com
Please click here for the original World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series article
Winner Logan Schuchart (DB3 Imaging Photo)
Schuchart charges to Texas Outlaw Nationals victory
MESQUITE, TX – April 12, 2019 – Logan Schuchart totaled two wins in the 2018 World of Outlaws NOS® Energy Drink Sprint Car Series season. He now has two wins in just 12 races this year.
He wrote his name into the record books Friday night, claiming his first win at the historic Devil’s Bowl Speedway – the site of the inaugural World of Outlaws race in 1978 – and his 10th Series win overall.
“I’ve watched old videos of my grandfather (Bobby Allen) running good here and winning races,” Schuchart said. “Now, I get to put my name in the history books and this team gets to put its name in the history books.”
Not only did he claim the win for the Pennsylvania-based Shark Racing team – owned by his grandfather – his teammate Jacob Allen led 10 laps of the 25-lap Feature and finished third – his first top-five this season.
“I love it,” said Bobby Allen, who won at Devil’s Bowl in 1986. “That’s what we’re here for. We got a first and a third, so we’re real happy… Happier.”
Schuchart had to “cowboy up” for his first win of the season at the Stockton Dirt Track, wrestling with rough track conditions. He had to do the same again at Devil’s Bowl, but not because of the track. The competition.
After finding their way into the top-10 for the first time this season at Arizona Speedway, Kraig Kinser started on the pole for the Feature – after winning the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash – and Jacob Allen started second. The two were the class of the field at the start of the race.
When the green flag flew, Kinser pulled away to the early lead. Allen nearly ended his race before it started. He had a slow start, allowing Daryn Pittman to get by him for second and was side by side with Schuchart for third going down the front stretch. But Allen was hooked on the high side of the track.
He bested his teammate through turns one and two, and nearly came side by side with Pittman down the backstretch before Pittman blocked his run. The next lap, Allen didn’t give Pittman the chance to pull the same move twice. He made his way by Pittman and set his sight on Kinser.
Allen took the lead by Lap four and began to put about a car length distance between he and the second-place car every lap. However, his pace put him in traffic by Lap seven.
Behind him, Schuchart and Pittman traded slide jobs turn after turn, lap after lap, fighting to claim third. Schuchart was the victory and led the train of he and Pittman to the front.
While the high side led Allen to the lead, it became his downfall. Schuchart and Pittman both found grip on the bottom of the track and made their way by Kinser and Allen.
“It made it tough trying to take the lead away from Jake,” Schuchart said about passing his teammate, who was going for his first win. “I’m going to race him just as hard as anybody else. He’s going to get his first win. He’s getting better and better every year. That breakthrough win is going to happen for this team.”
Pittman didn’t care about either of them winning. The Owasso, Okla. native wanted another win at the track just a few hours from his home. With about 10 laps to go, Schuchart slid up the track off of turn two, allowing Pittman to get a run underneath him and take the lead. But a lap later, Pittman made the same mistake, allowing Schuchart to get back by and charge to his first Texas Outlaw Nationals win.
“Gave that one away,” Pittman said. “The bottom just took off. It got so much faster in a hurry. Pretty frustrated, but we had a good car.”
It was Pittman’s first top-five finish since finishing second to David Gravel at Keller Auto Speedway last month.
He continues to sit third in points, but now just six points behind leader Brad Sweet. Donny Schatz is second, two points behind Sweet. Rookie Carson Macedo, continues to impress, remaining fourth in points – 84 points behind Sweet – and Schuchart sits fifth – 90 points behind the lead.
After missing three Features early this season, Allen is starting to find consistency, winning two Drydene Heat races in-a-row, making his way into the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash and earning two top-10 finishes in-a-row.
“Obviously I want to win more than anything,” Allen said. “It is what it is, but I had fun. It’s really good to see Logan win and both Shark Racing cars on the podium. We work hard at this and this is what it’s about.”
Schuchart was the king shark Friday night, and even though he’s already matched his 2018 win total, he said that won’t change his approach to the rest of the season.
“We just want to win races,” a grinning Schuchart said. “We just want to get out there and win races every time we go.”
The Greatest Show on Dirt will make its next stop Saturday, April 13, at the historic Devil's Bowl Speedway for the second night of the Texas Outlaw Nationals.
As always, you can catch all World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series action on DIRTVision.com.
For tickets and more information, go to www.WorldofOutlaws.com.
NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3][$8,000]; 2. 83-Daryn Pittman [4][$4,000]; 3. 1A-Jacob Allen [2][$2,500]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1][$2,200]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [6][$2,100]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [9][$2,000]; 7. 2-Carson Macedo [5][$1,800]; 8. 1B-Travis Rilat [8][$1,600]; 9. 41-David Gravel [12][$1,500]; 10. 5-Shane Stewart [11][$1,300]; 11. 2M-Kerry Madsen [15][$1,200]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [7][$1,100]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [14][$1,000]; 14. 1-Sammy Swindell [19][$700]; 15. 45-Chad Kemenah [18][$600]; 16. 7S-Jason Sides [20][$600]; 17. 28-Scott Bogucki [13][$600]; 18. 55-Danny Wood [22][$600]; 19. 33M-Mason Daniel [21][$600]; 20. 99X-Dalton Stevens [24][$600]; 21. 12H-Tony Bruce [23][$600]; 22. 2C-Wayne Johnson [16][$600]; 23. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [10][$600]; 24. 15H-Sam Hafertepe [17][$600];
Lap Leaders: Kraig Kinser 1-3, Jacob Allen 4-13, Logan Schuchart 14-15, 17-25; Daryn Pittman 16; KSE Hard Charger Award: 1-Sammy Swindell[+5]
Qualifying - 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.699; 2. 83-Daryn Pittman, 13.76; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.792; 4. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.879; 5. 1B-Travis Rilat, 13.909; 6. 2-Carson Macedo, 13.934; 7. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.942; 8. 19-Brent Marks, 13.957; 9. 41-David Gravel, 13.976; 10. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.992; 11. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.105; 12. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.135; 13. 1-Sammy Swindell, 14.138; 14. 5-Shane Stewart, 14.142; 15. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 14.149; 16. 28-Scott Bogucki, 14.166; 17. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.201; 18. 45-Chad Kemenah, 14.365; 19. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 14.442; 20. 33M-Mason Daniel, 14.442; 21. 21P-Robbie Price, 14.466; 22. 55-Danny Wood, 14.563; 23. 15H-Sam Hafertepe, 14.595; 24. 12H-Tony Bruce, 14.689; 25. 2X-Tucker Doughty, 15.119; 26. 99X-Dalton Stevens, 15.313; 27. 10P-Jim Perricone, 16.028
DRYDENE Heat #1 (8 Laps) - 1. 1A-Jacob Allen [2]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1]; 3. 18-Ian Madsen [4]; 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [3]; 5. 28-Scott Bogucki [6]; 6. 2C-Wayne Johnson [7]; 7. 1-Sammy Swindell [5]; 8. 2X-Tucker Doughty [9]; 9. 55-Danny Wood [8]
DRYDENE Heat #2 (8 Laps) - 1. 83-Daryn Pittman [1]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 3. 1B-Travis Rilat [2]; 4. 5-Shane Stewart [5]; 5. 19-Brent Marks [3]; 6. 15H-Sam Hafertepe [8]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides [6]; 8. 33M-Mason Daniel [7]; 9. 99X-Dalton Stevens [9]
DRYDENE Heat #3 (8 Laps) - 1. 2-Carson Macedo [2]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [4]; 4. 41-David Gravel [3]; 5. 2M-Kerry Madsen [5]; 6. 45-Chad Kemenah [6]; 7. 21P-Robbie Price [7]; 8. 12H-Tony Bruce [8]; 9. 10P-Jim Perricone [9]
DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash (6 Laps) - 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1]; 2. 1A-Jacob Allen [3]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2]; 4. 83-Daryn Pittman [5]; 5. 2-Carson Macedo [6]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz [4]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - 1. 1-Sammy Swindell [1][-]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [2][-]; 3. 33M-Mason Daniel [3][-]; 4. 55-Danny Wood [5][-]; 5. 12H-Tony Bruce [6][-]; 6. 99X-Dalton Stevens [8][-]; 7. 2X-Tucker Doughty [7][$300]; 8. 10P-Jim Perricone [9][$250]; 9. 21P-Robbie Price [4][$225]
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1
Winner Cory Eliason (Rick Rarer Photo)
Contact: Tyler Altmeyer
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1
(724) 954-4915, pr@tonystewart.com
Cory Eliason opens 2019 All Star championship points season with $10,000 victory at Virginia Motor Speedway
JAMAICA, Va. (April 12, 2019) - Earning a first-ever Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 victory is certainly special, but to accomplish that feat in front of a packed-house during the first night of championship points makes the trip to victory lane all the sweeter. Not to mention, the triumph was worth $10,000.
The first of four nights of competition through the Mid-Atlantic, Tony Stewart’s All Star Circuit of Champions kicked off their 2019 championship points season, officially, with a Thursday night visit to Virginia Motor Speedway (VMS) in Jamaica, Virginia. Cory Eliason, driver of the ever-familiar Rudeen Racing/Hagar Realty Service/Rayce Rudeen Foundation/No. 26 sprint car, proved to be the class of the field during the Thursday Night Thunder program at VMS, leading laps seven through 30 to clinch the $10,000 payday.
Despite leading the majority of the 30-lap program, Eliason was under immense pressure, ultimately forced to hold back one of the best in the country, Gettysburg’s Danny Dietrich, to clinch his first-ever trip to All Star victory lane.
“My guys gave me a great race car. We kinda struggled during qualifying, but we came out swinging for the heat race, dash and feature, and came out with a win,” Cory Eliason explained in Virginia Motor Speedway victory lane. “We did this for our car owner’s son, Rayce, who passed away. His birthday is tomorrow. This is a great honor to him.”
The ‘Buckeye Bullet’ Dave Blaney and Danny Dietrich shared the front row for the start of the main event, but it was Gary Kauffman Racing’s Danny Dietrich who earned the initial jump, taking command and leading the first six circuits unchallenged.
Although Eliason slipped into second from third after the drop of the green, it was not until lap seven that the Visalia, California-native was able to apply pressure on Dietrich, actually taking command over the three-time Central Pennsylvania winner of 2019 with a bold move around the top in turns three and four. Lapped traffic was the key, allowing Eliason to capitalize and blast around Dietrich on the cushion. Dietrich’s preferred line around the bottom was blocked with slower cars.
Despite being forced to endure a red flag stop and a pair of cautions between laps eight and 13, Eliason’s campaign at the front of the field was relatively uncontested, that until slower traffic returned to the picture just beyond the midpoint of the 30-lap program.
By lap 24, things started to heat up immensely. Eliason’s pace was starting to slow as traffic intensified allowing Dietrich and Premier Motorsports’ Brock Zearfoss to enter the frame. By that point, Dietrich and Zearfoss already exchanged positions twice, as Zearfoss powered into second on lap 21, only to lose the spot back to Dietrich on lap 22.
On lap 27, Dietrich attempted to earn the lead back with a slider between turns one and two; the try failed allowing Eliason to once again slip away in traffic. A caution on lap 29 was Eliason’s saving grace, ultimately giving the Rudeen Racing ace a clear track and clean air the final two circuits.
“It’s tough racing in traffic because one side of you wants to just slide in there and force the lapped cars to lift, but the other side of you is telling you to be patient and wait for them to make a mistake,” Eliason continued. “We’re racing for points this year, so that kinda forces you to pick and choose your battles. Everything worked out and the luck fell our way. Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good.”
Despite a fierce battle with Jonestown’s Brock Zearfoss in the closing circuits, Danny Dietrich held on to finish second, followed by Zearfoss, Cale Conley, and a 22nd-starting Aaron Reutzel, the evening’s hard charger.
“I did not need that last yellow flag,” Danny Dietrich said, “Man, we were rolling pretty good on the bottom. I think we had a little bit of a steering gear issue tonight, but once I figured out it wasn’t going to fail, I could concentrate on racing. Hopefully we stay dry at Williams Grove Speedway and we’ll get to try again.”
The Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 will continue their sweep through the Mid-Atlantic states with a stop at the famed Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., on Friday evening, April 12. Battling for a $6,000 top prize, the All Stars will take on the infamous Pennsylvania Posse during their first Central Pennsylvania invasion of the season, also attempting to end a winless streak at The Grove that dates back to July 29, 1970.
Those unable to make the trip to Williams Grove Speedway can still watch all of the action live on Speed Shift TV. Fans seeking additional information regarding Speed Shift TV’s pay-per-view subscription options can do so by visiting Speed Shift TV online at www.speedshifttv.com.
Contingency Awards/Results: Virginia Motor Speedway - April 11, 2019:
Event: Thursday Night Thunder
Entries: 24
C&R Racing All Star Warm-Ups: Tim Shaffer - 14.766
Lincoln Electric Fast Qualifier: Tim Shaffer - 14.390 **New Track Record
Ford Performance Heat #1: Brock Zearfoss
All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Heat #2: Dave Blaney
Hunt Brothers Pizza Heat #3: Tim Shaffer
JE Pistons Dash presented by Fatheadz Eyewear: Dave Blaney
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet A-Main Winner: Cory Eliason
MSD Performance Hard Charger Award: Aaron Reutzel (+17)
Fatheadz Dash Winner Contingency: Dave Blaney
(Lincoln Electric, MSD Performance, Fatheadz Eyewear, Rayce Rudeen Foundation: Need decal to qualify for contingency award)
Qualifying
Group (A)
1. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 14.475; 2. 70-Brock Zearfoss, 14.651; 3. 99-Skylar Gee, 14.656; 4. O7-Gerard McIntyre, 14.685; 5. 5-Dylan Cisney, 14.750; 6. 13-Paul McMahan, 14.776; 7. 24-Lucas Wolfe, 14.941; 8. 11-Dale Blaney, 15.104
Group (B)
1. 26-Cory Eliason, 14.781; 2. 72-Ryan Smith, 14.899; 3. 98H-Dave Blaney, 15.002; 4. W20-Greg Wilson, 15.241; 5. 40-George Hobaugh, 15.359; 6. 35-Tyler Esh, 15.391; 7. 91Q-David Quackenbush, 15.506; 8. 35X-Dalton Dietrich, 99.100
Group (C)
1. 49x-Tim Shaffer, 14.390; 2. 48-Danny Dietrich, 14.629; 3. 91-Anthony Fiore, 14.847; 4. 14-Tony Stewart, 14.903; 5. 7K-Cale Conley, 14.995; 6. 49-Mallie Shuster, 15.469; 7. 40X-Rick Elliot, 16.436; 8. 70X-Spencer Bayston, 99.200
Heat #1 - Group (A) (8 Laps) - Top 8 Transfer
1. 70-Brock Zearfoss [3]; 2. O7-Gerard McIntyre [1]; 3. 13-Paul McMahan [6]; 4. 99-Skylar Gee [2]; 5. 24-Lucas Wolfe [7]; 6. 11-Dale Blaney [8]; 7. 5-Dylan Cisney [5]; 8. 87-Aaron Reutzel [4]
Heat #2 - Group (B) (8 Laps) - Top 8 Transfer
1. 98H-Dave Blaney [2]; 2. 26-Cory Eliason [4]; 3. W20-Greg Wilson [1]; 4. 35-Tyler Esh [6]; 5. 72-Ryan Smith [3]; 6. 40-George Hobaugh [5]; 7. 91Q-David Quackenbush [7]; 8. 35X-Dalton Dietrich [8]
Heat #3 - Group (C) (8 Laps) - Top 8 Transfer
1. 49X-Tim Shaffer [4]; 2. 14-Tony Stewart [1]; 3. 7K-Cale Conley [5]; 4. 48-Danny Dietrich [3]; 5. 70X-Spencer Bayston [8]; 6. 91-Anthony Fiore [2]; 7. 49-Mallie Shuster [6]; 8. 40X-Rick Elliot [7]
Dash #1 (6 Laps)
1. 98H-Dave Blaney [2]; 2. 48-Danny Dietrich [1]; 3. 26-Cory Eliason [3]; 4. 99-Skylar Gee [4]; 5. 70-Brock Zearfoss [6]; 6. 14-Tony Stewart [7]; 7. O7-Gerard McIntyre [8]; 8. 49X-Tim Shaffer [5]
A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 26-Cory Eliason [3]; 2. 48-Danny Dietrich [2]; 3. 70-Brock Zearfoss [5]; 4. 7K-Cale Conley [10]; 5. 87-Aaron Reutzel [22]; 6. 14-Tony Stewart [6]; 7. 13-Paul McMahan [9]; 8. O7-Gerard McIntyre [7]; 9. 24-Lucas Wolfe [14]; 10. 70X-Spencer Bayston [15]; 11. 99-Skylar Gee [4]; 12. 72-Ryan Smith [13]; 13. W20-Greg Wilson [11]; 14. 35-Tyler Esh [12]; 15. 11-Dale Blaney [17]; 16. 49-Mallie Shuster [20]; 17. 49X-Tim Shaffer [8]; 18. 91Q-David Quackenbush [21]; 19. 40-George Hobaugh [18]; 20. 91-Anthony Fiore [16]; 21. 5-Dylan Cisney [19]; 22. 98H-Dave Blaney [1]; 23. 40X-Rick Elliot [23]; 24. 35X-Dalton Dietrich [24]
Lap Leaders: Danny Dietrich (1-6), Cory Eliason (7-30)
2019 All Star Circuit of Champions Driver Standings (After 4/11/2019):
1. Cory Eliason - 150
2. Danny Dietrich - 146
3. Brock Zearfoss - 144
4. Cale Conley - 142
5. Aaron Reutzel - 140
6. Tony Stewart - 138
7. Paul McMahan - 136
8. Gerard McIntyre - 134
9. Lucas Wolfe - 132
10. Spencer Bayston - 130
About the All Star Circuit of Champions:
All Star Enterprises, LLC, wholly owned by Tony Stewart, d/b/a the All Star Circuit of Champions, is a winged sprint car series. The All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series is one of the oldest traveling 410 sprint car organizations and is a staple of grassroots, open-wheel racing. Formed in 1970 by Bud Miller, the series has largely been considered the first 'outlaw' Sprint Car organization of the modern era. Motorsports entrepreneur Tony Stewart agreed to terms with Guy Webb to become the sole owner of the original winged sprint car tour in January of 2015. In 2019, MAVTV Motorsports Network will continue to be the official television home of the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 and will broadcast ten high-profile events.
About Ollie’s Bargain Outlet:
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, Inc., founded in 1982, is one of America’s largest retailers of closeouts and excess inventory, offering real brands at real bargain prices. Famous for its signature catch-phrase Good Stuff Cheap, Ollie’s has a huge variety of famous brand-name merchandise in every department – food, books, housewares, toys, electronics, domestics, clothing, furniture, health and beauty, flooring, seasonal items and so much more – at up to 70 percent off the fancy stores’ prices. You never know what you’ll find at one of Ollie’s 303 “semi-lovely” stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. For more information, visit www.ollies.us. Like us on Facebook or find us on Twitter at @OlliesOutlet. Ollie’s is a publicly-traded company on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol OLLI.
About Mobil 1:
The world's leading synthetic motor oil brand, Mobil 1™ features anti-wear technology that provides performance beyond our conventional motor oils. This technology allows Mobil 1 to meet or exceed the toughest standards of car builders and to provide exceptional protection against engine wear, under normal or even some of the most extreme conditions. Mobil 1 flows quickly in extreme temperatures to protect critical engine parts and is designed to maximize engine performance and help extend engine life.
For more information, visit www.mobiloil.com, on Twitter @Mobil1 and, on Facebook, www.facebook.com/mobil1.
Mobil, Mobil 1 and Mobil 1 Racing are registered trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its subsidiaries.
Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series
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Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series
Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series (MASS Photo)
THIS SATURDAY, in just THREE short days, the Delaware Auto Exchange Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series will be opening their 2019 Season, making their first appearence of the year at New Egypt Speedway. Pit gates are scheduled to open at 1PM, with hot laps beginning at 5PM and racing starting promptly at 6PM!
Looking to start his season out with a bang is 2018 MASS Champion, Tim Tanner Jr. who has plenty of seat time and experience in a Sprint Car AND Big Block Modified at the Central New Jersey D-Shaped oval. Tanner has thirteen career wins at NES, with two of those coming in 305 Sprint Cars.
JLD Graphics Rookie of the Year contenders Ricky DiEva, Marie McVay and Charlie Stone will all be debuting their talents behind the wheel of a Sprint Car, while seasoned vets and hot shoes Eddie Wagner, Samantha Lieberman, Rick Stief, Jeff Geiges, Bryant Davis, Logan Diehl, Tom Carberry, Jon Haegele, Jason Dunn and Larry Mc Vay are a few of the talents that will be in attendance in hopes of earning the first win of 2019.
This Saturday will also mark the first night of the New Jersey State Championship title battle sponsored by Snow's Sealcoating LLC.! At the end of the season, each State Champion will earn $500 in addition to their title, with the runner up earning $300, $200 going to 3rd, and the remaining $1000 will be split up amongst the drivers who made it to every race in that state.
Be sure to follow our facebook page - Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series - to get all the latest information on this event throughout the week, and to also catch LIVE race day coverage on #raceday!
NEW EGYPT SPEEDWAY NEWS – APRIL 7,2019
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New Egypt Speedway
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New Egypt Speedway
720 Route 539
New Egypt, NJ 08533
Track Phone: 609-758-1900
Website: www.newegyptspeedway.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/newegyptspeedwayofficial
Twitter: www.twitter.com/nesspeedway
Contact: Mike Wisniewski – Wiz Motorsports Communications, 856-982-5137
COMING EVENTS:
Saturday, April 13, 2019 –Vahlco Wheels Modifieds, Delaware Auto Exchange Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series, Hammer Sportsman, Street Stocks and the Lyons Construction/Metal Fab Rookie Sportsman
1:00 p.m. – Pit gates open
4:00 p.m. – Grandstand gates open
5:00 p.m. – Hot laps start
6:00 p.m. – Racing starts
Saturday, April 20, 2019 – Plumsted Township Night (Plumsted Township Residents - Free General Admission with proof of residency) - Vahlco Wheels Modifieds, Larry's Hot Rods & Harley's Northeast Wingless Sprint Cars, Crate Modifieds, 4-Cylinders and the Lyons Construction/Metal Fab Rookie Sportsman
3:00 p.m. – Pit gates open
4:00 p.m. – Grandstand gates open
5:00 p.m. – Hot laps start
6:00 p.m. – Racing starts
GODOWN LOGS A WIN AT NEW EGYPT SPEEDWAY’S CABIN FEVER
New Egypt, NJ (April 7, 2019) – At New Egypt Speedway’s Cabin Fever 40 presented by Oliver Communications Group, Ryan Godown topped the field in the Vahlco Modified feature. The Crate Modified feature went to Ryan Simmons. Jermain Godshall was the victor in the Larry's Hot Rods & Harley's Northeast Wingless Sprint Car main event. TJ Graves took the checkered flag in the 4-Cylinder race with Ryan Godown Jr. winning the Lyons Construction/Metal Fab Rookie Sportsman contest.
Polesitter Danny Bouc bolted to the front of the pack as the 40-lap Vahlco Modified feature got underway. On the second circuit, Billy Pauch Jr. moved past Brian Papiez to take over the runner-up spot. The top three of Bouc, Pauch Jr. and Papiez remained intact until the first yellow flag waved on lap four. When action resumed, Pauch Jr. swept past Bouc to grab the lead. Following a trio of caution periods, Pauch Jr. was still in front with thirteenth place starting Ryan Godown in second, Bouc in third, and John McClelland in fourth with seven revolutions completed. During this stretch of green flag racing, Pauch Jr. built up a five car length advantage over Godown with fifteen laps registered. Over the next few laps and with the top two in traffic, Godown quickly closed in on Pauch Jr. By lap twenty-five, Pauch Jr. and Godown were in a side-by-side tussle for the top spot. On the next circuit, Godown wrestled first place away from Pauch Jr. Now heading his rivals and with ten laps remaining, Godown was knifing his way past slower competitors as Pauch Jr. was fighting back to regain the lead. On lap thirty-three, Godown and Pauch Jr. were door-to-door again with Godown using the outer groove. Two tours later, Godown managed to retain his lead following a tangle with a slower running competitor in traffic. As the two-to-go sign was given, Godown still had Pauch Jr. in his tracks. On the final turn of the last lap, Godown fended off another determined challenge by Pauch Jr. to narrowly win his forty-seventh Modified feature. With Pauch Jr. taking second, Bouc’s strong run resulted in third place. McClelland was fourth. Eleventh place starter Brandon Grosso rounded out the top five. Pauch Jr., Bouc and Mike Butler were victorious in the Vahlco Modified heat races.
Ryan Simmons passed Johnny Bangs with four laps left to win the 20-lap Crate Modified feature. Polesitter Eric Palmer paced the field for the first thirteen tours until an incident between himself and second place running Ryan Heim sent Palmer into a spin. Following this caution period, Bangs became the new leader and led the pack until Simmons took command. The victory was the second for Simmons in the Crate Modified division. Twelfth place starting Joe Toth came home in second. Jeremy Martino’s late rush rewarded him with a third place finish. Bangs took fourth with Steve Hicks next in line. The Crate Modifieds qualifying events were taken by Palmer and Kevin Borden.
In the 25-lap Larry's Hot Rods & Harley's Northeast Wingless Sprint Car main event, Jermain Godshall used the outside groove on the final tour to visit victory lane for the third time in his career. For the opening nine laps, Stan Ploski headed his rivals before Godshall took over. Rich Mellor gained the top spot from Godshall on the twelfth tour. Once in front, Mellor began to pull away and had his sizeable margin wiped out by a caution period on lap twenty-three. On the last revolution of the race, Mellor lost control of his car in the final corner and Godshall took advantage of the miscue to claim the win. Mellor was able to hold on for second and Ploski was third. Heidi Hedin and Duane Nixon filled out the top five. Ploski and Brad Schalle won the heat races.
On the final circuit of the 15-lap 4-Cylinder race, TJ Graves squeezed by Jimmy Avery in traffic to score the victory. After starting fourteenth, Mike Fox finished in the runner-up spot. With Avery holding on for third, Joe Garey Jr. was fourth and Justin Dunn completed the race in fifth.
In the 8-lap Lyons Construction/Metal Fab Rookie Sportsman race, Ryan Godown Jr. took the lead from Ryan Krushinski on the third circuit and paced the field the rest of the way to take the win. After starting last in the field of eight, Anthony Tramontana came home in second. Third place went to DJ Hunt with Vinny Troia taking fourth. Krushinski, who led the opening two tours, held on to finish in fifth.
On Saturday, April 13, the Delaware Auto Exchange Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series starts their 2019 season with a visit to New Egypt Speedway. The Vahlco Wheels Modifieds, Hammer Sportsman, Street Stocks and the Lyons Construction/Metal Fab Rookie Sportsman round out the card. Pit gates unlock at 1:00 p.m. with the grandstand ticket windows opening at 4:00 p.m. Hot laps crank up at 5:00 p.m. and racing starts at 6:00 p.m. Admission to the grandstand is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for teens 12-15, $10 for military personal and their spouses with ID, and Kids 11 & under are FREE. Pit admission is $30 with a New Egypt Speedway license and $40 without.
“New Jersey’s Premier Dirt Track Facility”, New Egypt Speedway is located on Route 539 just minutes from Six Flags Great Adventure and the New Jersey Turnpike. A racy 7/16-mile D-shaped dirt oval, New Egypt Speedway serves Garden State race fans with some of the best competition in the country. New Egypt’s state-of-the-art facilities feature daylight-quality lighting and excellent sightlines from any seat in the house. The grandstands are fully wheelchair accessible with wide, clear, and well-groomed walkways. Concession facilities serve up everything from Jersey Burgers to ice cream treats at family-friendly prices.
For more information, visit online: www.newegyptspeedway.net, “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/newegyptspeedwayofficial, or follow us on Twitter @nesspeedway.
NEW EGYPT SPEEDWAY RESULTS – SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2019
Vahlco Wheels Modifieds
Heat 1 - 1. Billy Pauch Jr. 2. Ryan Godown 3. Bryan Kuhl 4. JR Fulper 5. Matt Stangle 6. PJ Oliver
Heat 2 - 1. Danny Bouc 2. Brandon Grosso 3. Blaine Bracelin 4. Rich Rutski 5. Billy Osmun 6. Davey Sammons
Heat 3 - 1. Mike Butler 2. Pat Wall 3. Brian Papiez 4. TJ Lilly 5. Ryan Krachun 6. Kevin Vaclavicek
Consolation – 1. Dakota Kessler 2. Kyle Kania 3. John Pakenham 4. Todd Neiheiser 5. Steve Davis 6. Steve Desmelyk
DNQ: Jack Swain, Cale Ross
VAHLCO WHEELS MODIFIEDS – 40 LAPS FEATURE
1. RYAN GODOWN 2. Billy Pauch Jr. 3. Danny Bouc 4. John McClelland 5. Brandon Grosso 6. Billy Osmun 7. Davey Sammons 8. Ryan Krachun 9. Mike Butler 10. Kyle Kania 11. Rich Rutski 12. Bryan Kuhl 13. Pat Wall 14. JR Fulper 15. TJ Lilly 16. John Pakenham 17. Dakota Kessler 18. Matt Stangle 19. Blaine Bracelin 20. Brian Papiez 21. Todd Neiheiser 22. Steve Davis 23. PJ Oliver 24. Steve Desmelyk 25. Kevin Vaclavicek
Crate Modifieds
Heat 1 - 1. Eric Palmer 2. Dan Fleming 3. Steve Hicks 4. Bobby Holzwarth 5. Tom Princiotta 6. Ryan Heim
Heat 2 - 1. Kevin Borden 2. Johnny Bangs 3. Ryan Simmons 4. Jeremy Martino 5. Joe Toth 6. Joseph Brown
CRATE MODIFIEDS - 20 LAPS FEATURE
1. RYAN SIMMONS 2. Joe Toth 3. Jeremy Martino 4. Johnny Bangs 5. Steve Hicks 6. Dan Fleming 7. George Gareis Jr 8. Kevin Borden 9. Aaron Weaver 10. Anthony Tramontana 11. Ryan Heim 12. Andy Walko 13. Bobby Holzwarth 14. Nick Van Wickle 15. Robbie Dunn 16. Vinny Troia 17. Rob Mancini 18. Eric Palmer 19. Joseph Brown 20. Ryan Godown Jr. 21. DJ Hunt 22. Jim Van Wickle 23. Zachary Merola 24. Tom Princiotta
DNS: Glenn McIntyre
Larry's Hot Rods & Harley's Northeast Wingless Sprint Cars
Heat 1 - 1. Stan Ploski 2. Rich Mellor 3. Jermain Godshall 4. Al Cheney 5. Duane Nixon 6. Heidi Hedin
Heat 2 - 1. Brad Schalle 2. Kevin Nealls 3. Charles Weslowski 4. John Brammell 5. Chace Leahy
LARRY'S HOT RODS & HARLEY'S NORTHEAST WINGLESS SPRINT CARS - 25 LAPS FEATURE
1. JERMAIN GODSHALL 2. Rich Mellor 3. Stan Ploski 4. Heidi Hedin 5. Duane Nixon 6. Al Cheney 7. John Brammell 8. Kevin Nealls 9. Brian Spencer 10. Charles Weslowski 11. Chace Leahy 12. Brad Schalle 13. Larry Drake
4-CYLINDERS – 15 LAPS FEATURE
1. TJ GRAVES 2. Mike Fox 3. Jimmy Avery 4. Joe Garey Jr. 5. Justin Dunn 6. Doug Ashford 7. Jim Backowski 8. Joe Garey Sr. 9. Luke Willever 10. Ian Ashford 11. Paul Hartwig 12. Dominick Antonelli 13. Scott Dunn 14. Nicole Razzano 15. John Ciallella
LYONS CONSTRUCTION/METAL FAB ROOKIE SPORTSMAN – 8 LAPS FEATURE
1. RYAN GODOWN JR. 2. Anthony Tramontana 3. DJ Hunt 4. Vinny Troia 5. Ryan Krushinski 6. Nick Van Wickle 7. Jim Van Wickle 8. Zachary Merola
David Gravel wins World of Outlaws Arizona Desert Shootout
Posted by: | CommentsWorld of Outlaws
Contact: Nick Graziano
World of Outlaws PR
ngraziano@dirtcar.com
Please click here for the original World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series article
Winner David Gravel (DB3 Imaging Photo)
David Gravel wins Arizona Desert Shootout at Arizona Speedway
QUEEN CREEK, AZ – April 6, 2019 – David Gravel’s first win of the season last month with his new Jason Johnson Racing team was sentimental for several reasons. His second win, Saturday night at Arizona Speedway, was no different.
Not only did he win on his sister Victoria’s birthday, he claimed his 41st career World of Outlaws NOS® Energy Drink Sprint Car Series win in the #41 car – the number chosen by the late Jason Johnson to run.
“I’ve kind of forgot about it, because if you try too hard to win a race, you know, it’s not going to come,” Gravel said about looking for win number 41. “I knew the next one was going to be 41, but it didn’t really all click. I’m glad to win on my sister’s birthday and it’s cool to be my 41st win. All of those things coming together, I guess it was meant to be.”
Win 41 was no easier than win 40, though.
Starting fourth in the 30-Lap Arizona Desert Shootout Feature, Gravel had his work cut out for him. He made his way by third-place Jacob Allen in a lap, but then had to contend with 2017 Rookie of the Year, Sheldon Haudenschild, and Friday night’s Feature winner Brad Sweet – the two fastest cars of the night.
Sweet was a tenth of a second off setting a new track record in Qualifying, and then went on to win his Drydene Heat race. He took the early lead in the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash, but Haudenschild showed his muscle in the closing laps, powering by Sweet on the high side for the win.
Haudenschild then continued where he left off in the Dash, cruising to the lead in the Feature and pulling away from the field. His blistering pace put him in lap traffic a third of the way through the caution-free Feature, allowing Sweet and Gravel to get close enough to taste the lead.
Sweet used lap traffic to his advantage the night prior, besting Ian Madsen in the game of maneuverability through slower cars. That looked to be his fortune once again, until Gravel continued to make ground on him. While Sweet reeled in Haudenschild, Gravel had Sweet locked in his visor.
The two battled side by side for about four laps, swapping lanes every corner. By Lap 13, Gravel mastered the bottom of the tacky track through turns three and four, clearing Sweet down the front stretch and maintaining the position with a run on the high side of turns one and two.
That run not only cleared him of the blue Kasey Kahne Racing car, it put him in striking distance of Haudenschild’s car. While Haudenschild tried to maneuver around a lap car in turns three and four, Gravel pulled the same move on him that he pulled on Sweet, claiming the lead on Lap 14 and never relinquishing it.
“He (Haudenschild) didn’t hit his exit, and that just opened the door for me,” Gravel said. “Luckily, it all worked out. Whatever lane I went, I seemed to be faster.”
Haudenschild concurred with Gravel’s assessment of the race, acknowledging he made a mistake.
“I figured if I could just rip the cushion and make consistent laps, I’d be alright,” said Haudeschild, who ended up third. “Once I got to lappers and the guy was running the top, I really didn’t make a good move. Like David said, I lost my run off the exit.”
After starting the season with four finishes in-a-row outside the top-12, the Wooster, Ohio native has found consistency. He’s finished in the top-10 in his last five races – two of which have been top-five finishes.
“It’s been kind of a rocky start, but we’ve been building momentum here in these last few races,” Haudenschild said.
On a more consistent run is second-place finisher, Sweet. He’s finished in the top-five in six of his last seven races – four of which have been podium finishes, and one a victory. That’s placed him as the current Series points leader – four points ahead of reigning champion Donny Schatz.
“It’s always cool to lead the points, but I don’t even think we’re a tenth of the way through the season,” Grass Valley, Calif. native, Sweet said. “It’s going to be a long summer. As long as we keep getting better and standing on the podium, the points will shake out how they will at the end.”
Gravel, of Watertown, Conn., became only the second driver this year to claim more than one victory – Daryn Pittman was the first winning both races at Volusia Speedway Park.
With win number two out of the way, Gravel looks for more consistency with his Jason Johnson Racing team.
“That first win, we struggled, got a win, the next day ran 12th,” Gravel said. “Now, this weekend (in Arizona) we went third and first. As a team, that’s what you’re looking for, is having podiums and top-fives. That’s what makes a good season.”
The Greatest Show on Dirt will make its next stop Friday, April 12, and Saturday, April 13, at the historic Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas.
As always, you can catch all World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series action on www.DIRTVision.com.
For tickets and more information, go to www.WorldofOutlaws.com.
Brad Sweet wins World of Outlaws race at USA Raceway
Posted by: | CommentsWorld of Outlaws
Contact: Nick Graziano
World of Outlaws PR
ngraziano@dirtcar.com
Please click here for the original World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series article
Winner Brad Sweet (DB3 Imaging Photo)
THE CLOSER
‘Big Cat’ Brad Sweet claims Wildcat Shootout at USA Raceway
Brad Sweet becomes the ninth different winner in 10 races this year
TUCSON, AZ – April 5, 2019 – With five laps to go in the World of Outlaws NOS® Energy Drink Sprint Car Series Wildcat Shootout at USA Raceway Friday night, Brad Sweet’s victory was far from certain.
Sweet had command of the race, having stolen the lead from Ian Madsen just before a Lap 19 caution. However, Madsen did not let the blue Kasey Kahne Racing car of Sweet out of his sight.
With lap traffic in Sweet’s windshield, Madsen used it to his advantage turning a car length distance between them into half a car length. Then a quarter. The laps were winding down in a hurry, but the race was far from over.
That is until the lap traffic that was helping Madsen catch Sweet, ended up killing his momentum with a lap to go, putting more than a car length back between he and Sweet, who went on to claim his first win of the 2019 season – his 35th career win overall.
“I was just kind of lucky to get through a few of those guys, just mistakes in lap traffic and we were in the right spot to capitalize,” said Grass Valley, Calif. native Sweet. “The car was superfast and made the opportunities for us to take advantage of those opportunities.”
His night didn’t start off looking like he would claim his second win at the raceway – his first coming in 2014. He broke down at the start of Hot Laps, but his KKR team got him back on track in time for Qualifying, ending up fifth. Sweet then went on to finish second in his Heat race – to winner Madsen. However, he then struggled in the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash, finishing last.
That resulted in Sweet starting sixth for the 30-lap Feature, while Madsen, who fared better in the Dash, started on the outside pole.
When the green flag flew, Madsen, last year’s Rookie of the Year, shot by polesitter Donny Schatz and ran away with the lead.
“Everyone’s always better in clean air,” said Madsen, who ended up second. “It just kind of got pretty tricky there in the middle of the race. We got stuck behind some lap cars and we just weren’t as good as Brad tonight to maneuver around to get past the lap cars.”
Madsen’s blistering pace at the start of the race put him in lap traffic by Lap five. While the Australian hustled his way around the slower cars, Sweet – with a little bit of luck on his side – methodically moved his way to the front, lap by lap.
“I think we were in the right place at the right time a lot of the time and we were able to capitalize,” Sweet said. “Coming from sixth to win is hard in these things, especially on a pretty fast track. We’ll take it any way we can get it.”
Luck wasn’t the only factor that helped him to the front. A little bit of skill, knowing where to put his car helped, too.
“Luckily for me, I kind of found a low line in turn one, and kind of low down the front stretch,” Sweet said. “If I could get off (turn) four equal or a little better than the guy in front of me, I could go low in turn one and it seemed like I could carry more speed. That’s where I made all of my passes.”
While Sweet and Madsen stole the show, Brent Marks raced his way to his best finish so far this year – sixth. Prior to that his best finish this year had been 11th in Las Vegas. After that he missed two races and had finished no better than 12th. But now, momentum is on his side going forward.
“I know my results through California don’t really show, but we’ve been getting our car really good,” said Marks after his first race at USA Raceway. “We’ll just keep plugging away and fine tuning this race car and try to have a little bit better luck on our side. Excited we got a good run tonight.”
Sweet is the ninth different winner this season in 10 races. Both Madsen and third-place finisher David Gravel, claimed a victory during the Series’ March California swing. While Sweet didn’t claim a victory during the swing, he had one of the best performances during it. He finished in the top-10 in all five races – four of them top-five finishes. And had the best average finish of 4.4.
That consistency, in addition to Friday night’s win, has left him tied for the points lead with 10-times Series champion, Schatz. Daryn Pittman, who was tied for the points lead with Schatz coming into the race is now third – just six points behind the two.
“It’s nice to get the first win and hopefully we can carry the momentum going forward,” Sweet said. “It’s a long season. We’re 10 races into a 94-race schedule, so hopefully this is good signs to come for us.”
The Greatest Show on Dirt will make its next stop Saturday, April 6, at Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek, Ariz.
As always, you can catch all World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series action on www.DIRTVision.com.
For tickets and more information, go to www.WorldofOutlaws.com.
NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [6][$10,000]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [2][$5,500]; 3. 41-David Gravel [4][$3,200]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [1][$2,800]; 5. 21-Brian Brown [5][$2,500]; 6. 19-Brent Marks [3][$2,300]; 7. 83-Daryn Pittman [10][$2,200]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart [12][$2,100]; 9. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [7][$2,050]; 10. 5-Shane Stewart [8][$2,000]; 11. 13-Mark Dobmeier [16][$1,500]; 12. 24-Rico Abreu [15][$1,200]; 13. 19AZ-Hunter Schuerenberg [19][$1,100]; 14. 2-Carson Macedo [13][$1,050]; 15. 45-Chad Kemenah [9][$1,000]; 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser [14][$900]; 17. 21P-Robbie Price [17][$800]; 18. 33M-Mason Daniel [18][$800]; 19. 1A-Jacob Allen [20][$800]; 20. 7S-Jason Sides [11][$800]; 21. 7-Gravy Fairfield [21][$800];
Lap Leaders: Ian Madsen 1-18, Brad Sweet 19-30;
KSE Hard Charger Award: 19AZ-Hunter Schuerenberg[+6]
Qualifying - 1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.234; 2. 18-Ian Madsen, 13.272; 3. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.279; 4. 21-Brian Brown, 13.295; 5. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.302; 6. 41-David Gravel, 13.321; 7. 83-Daryn Pittman, 13.339; 8. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.368; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.39; 10. 19-Brent Marks, 13.432; 11. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.433; 12. 45-Chad Kemenah, 13.472; 13. 19AZ-Hunter Schuerenberg, 13.505; 14. 5-Shane Stewart, 13.518; 15. 33M-Mason Daniel, 13.592; 16. 2-Carson Macedo, 13.619; 17. 21P-Robbie Price, 13.648; 18. 24-Rico Abreu, 13.76; 19. 13-Mark Dobmeier, 13.84; 20. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.866; 21. 7-Gravy Fairfield, 18.4
DRYDENE Heat #1 (8 Laps) - Top 8 Transfer - 1. 21-Brian Brown [2]; 2. 19-Brent Marks [4]; 3. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [1]; 4. 83-Daryn Pittman [3]; 5. 2-Carson Macedo [6]; 6. 13-Mark Dobmeier [7]; 7. 19AZ-Hunter Schuerenberg [5]
DRYDENE Heat #2 (8 Laps) - Top 8 Transfer - 1. 18-Ian Madsen [1]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [2]; 3. 5-Shane Stewart [5]; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [3]; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7]; 6. 21P-Robbie Price [6]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [4]
DRYDENE Heat #3 (8 Laps) - Top 8 Transfer - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1]; 2. 41-David Gravel [2]; 3. 45-Chad Kemenah [4]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3]; 5. 24-Rico Abreu [6]; 6. 33M-Mason Daniel [5]; 7. 7-Gravy Fairfield [7]
DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash (6 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [1]; 3. 19-Brent Marks [4]; 4. 41-David Gravel [3]; 5. 21-Brian Brown [5]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [6]
