GRABBIN’ GATORS: Sheldon Haudenschild Tops Wild DIRTcar Nationals Finale; David Gravel Secures Third Big Gator

Haudenschild puts on a show with late charge to victory while Gravel wraps up record-tying third Big Gator championship

BARBERVILLE, FL (February 10, 2024) - Sheldon Haudenschild can’t help but make any race he wins exciting. Whether he’s leading the whole race and slicing through traffic or he’s working his way through the field, Haudenschild never fails to send thrills through the stands. And Saturday night at Volusia Speedway Park with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars was no different.

The 30-year-old started third, slipped to fourth early, and then pieced together a ferocious charge in the second half of the 30-lap Feature to arise victorious. Haudenschild sealed the deal with a Lap 24 slider on Anthony Macri to top the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals finale and bank $20,000.

The fans roared for one of their favorites as Haudenschild rose atop the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing/NOS Energy Drink #17 machine in Victory Lane. His smile was ear to ear as he and the team bounced back in the best way possible from what had been a rough week.

The win marked the 35th of Haudenschild’s career with The Greatest Show on Dirt and third at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile.”

“Hats off to (Kyle) Ripper, Steve (Kinzer Dussel), and Luke (Vaughn),” Haudenschild said. “We had a hell of a week and a lot of work. They never gave up. We never give up and just keep on ripping.”

A little way behind Haudenschild, David Gravel had to make some moves of his own. The Big Game Motorsports driver entered the main event with a 14-point lead over Giovanni Scelzi in the Big Gator standings. But Scelzi started on the pole and led early while Gravel got stuck in eighth. If they finished in those two spots, Scelzi would’ve snatched the title and extra $3,000 prize.

But Gravel rallied as Scelzi faded late in the main event. The Big Game Motorsports driver worked his way up to sixth while Scelzi slipped to fourth when the checkered flag flew. The results gave Gravel his third Big Gator title, which equaled him with Daryn Pittman for the most. Consistency carried the Watertown, CT native. He finished no worse than sixth in four nights and highlighted the week with a win on Thursday.

“We battled hard. That was an intense Feature,” Gravel said. “I nearly got passed in the beginning by Sunshine (Tyler Courtney) and Donny (Schatz) but was able to get in front of them. My car really came to life there at the end of the Feature. I wish it was a 40-lap race.

“It was a really good week. Started the week off with a third and a first. Obviously, couldn’t ask for much better than that. And then last night with a fifth and tonight with a sixth. It was a very strong week and good way to start the year.”

Before Haudenschild and Gravel made their moves forward, the race’s opening half was highlighted by plenty of action from other competitors up front.

Giovanni Scelzi led from the pole through the opening laps and held firm control of the top spot until a caution 10 laps in bunched the field together.

On the restart the outside-pole starter – Anthony Macri – powered by “Hot Sauce” on the outside to take the lead. Only a few laps later Michael “Buddy” Kofoid drove around Scelzi to grab second and began to reel in Macri.

Then the race moved beyond halfway, and it’s as if that was Haudenschild’s cue to go as he went to work on Scelzi for third. On Lap 17 he took the spot to climb into a podium position. A lap later Kofoid surrendered second to the Wooster, OH gasser.

Behind Haudenschild a fast-approaching Brad Sweet made his presence felt. He followed Haudenschild through the top five and claimed third on Lap 19. He even managed to drive by Haudenschild on the 20th circuit, but Haudenschild countered and was able to keep back around him – a move he knows was crucial.

“I was more worried about Brad than anything,” Haudenschild admitted. “I knew if he cleared me, he was probably winning that race. Me and him had a great race.”

After reclaiming second from “The Big Cat,” Haudenschild knew he needed to go and set the leading Macri in his crosshairs. On Lap 24, Haudenschild delivered the winning move with a slide job exiting Turn 4. He cruised through some lap traffic over the final six circuits and took the checkered flag on what was a tricky track to conquer.

“The #39(M) just missed the bottom a couple times, and I was able to get under him,” Haudenschild explained. “I was a little nervous of it (the cushion) in (Turns) 3 and 4. It’s gnarly up there. It’ll eat you up over there and the same over here. For the first five laps. I struggled in (Turns) 1 and 2. The bottom is just so much easier to run, and it was faster tonight.”

Macri made the Pennsylvania Posse fans proud with a valiant effort of leading 13 laps before finishing second. The Dillsburg, PA native thought the closing laps were a prime example of why it can be better to be running second in a Sprint Car race as he struggled to handle traffic.

“Obviously, he’s in the better position there running second,” Macri said. “I knew I needed to be on the bottom, but I didn’t want to risk following lapped cars on the bottom and have somebody blow around the top of me. I’m pretty sure I tripped on the curb the lap Sheldon got by me. He hammered it in there on the bottom and got by us, and that’s pretty much all she wrote.”

Brad Sweet completed the top three, notching his third podium of DIRTcar Nationals week. The five-time World of Outlaws champion thought he might have a shot at the win, but a slight hiccup in traffic allowed Haudenschild to put himself in a better position.

“I love coming here. It’s a lot of fun. It’s a high-speed chess match out there,” Sweet said. “Sheldon did a great job. He moved around, found some lines, and kind of kept me behind him. I finally got by him and thought we were going to have a chance at Anthony there. And I just got held up with a lapped car. I don’t know if I made a bad move there or what, but it opened the door back up for Sheldon, and he got really going there and was able to get through the lapped cars. Hats off to him. He drove a great race. We gave it our all, but sometimes you just don’t get it done.”

Giovanni Scelzi and Buddy Kofoid rounded out the top five.

Carson Macedo earned his second KSE Racing Hard Charger of the week with a drive from 23rd to 14th.

Brent Marks claimed his second straight Simpson Quick Time Award in Sea Foam Qualifying and the fifth of his career.

NOS Energy Drink Heats One, Three, and Four were topped by Sheldon Haudenschild, Rico Abreu, and Buddy Kofoid. Milton Hershey School Heat Two belonged to David Gravel.

Giovanni Scelzi won the Toyota Racing Dash.

Kasey Kahne claimed the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars take two weekends off before returning to Volusia Speedway Park for the Bike Week Jamboree (March 3-4). For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.

RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[3]; 2. 39M-Anthony Macri[2]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet[8]; 4. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[1]; 5. 83-Michael Kofoid[4]; 6. 2-David Gravel[7]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz[9]; 8. 24-Rico Abreu[5]; 9. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[10]; 10. 26-Zeb Wise[15]; 11. 19-Brent Marks[6]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart[11]; 13. 13-Justin Peck[16]; 14. 41-Carson Macedo[23]; 15. 5-Spencer Bayston[18]; 16. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[25]; 17. 9-Kasey Kahne[21]; 18. 14-Corey Day[12]; 19. 24D-Danny Sams III[24]; 20. 8-Cory Eliason[17]; 21. 21-Brian Brown[14]; 22. 7S-Landon Crawley[13]; 23. 1-Brenham Crouch[20]; 24. 17B-Bill Balog[19]; 25. 6-Bill Rose[26]; 26. (DNS) 48-Danny Dietrich

 

 

SUNSHINE STEALS ONE: Tyler Courtney Sneaks by Abreu in Final Corner for Volusia Victory

The Hoosier leads the final few hundred feet of the race to add his first gator to the trophy room

BARBERVILLE, FL (February 9, 2024) - You can’t ever give up in Sprint Car Racing. Action happens so fast all over the track that a driver’s outlook can change in an instant. And that’s exactly what happened on Friday night to send Tyler Courtney to World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Victory Lane.

Courtney chased after race-long leader Rico Abreu for nearly all 25 laps at Volusia Speedway Park. He’d come close to Abreu multiple times, but the chance at a win appeared gone as the checkered flag began to wave. But in the final corner Abreu tripped on the huge cushion, and Courtney capitalized on the bottom to roll right on by.

The wild drag race to the finish brought the massive crowd to its feet as Courtney claimed night three of the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. “Sunshine” himself stole one in the “Sunshine State.”

The win moved Courtney’s total with The Greatest Show on Dirt to three. The entire trio have come on three of the country’s fastest half miles – Eldora Speedway, Port Royal Speedway, and now Volusia. The Indianapolis, IN native became the 21st different driver to top a World of Outlaws race at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile.” Friday was Courtney’s 15th Sprint Car appearance at Volusia.

“I saw the double checkers, and I didn’t know if we’d already gone another lap or that was actually the end of the race,” Courtney said. “And I looked at the board and saw the #7 (BC) was number one. It’s just awesome man.”

Bringing the field to green was 16-year-old Landon Crawley on the pole with Abreu to his outside. Crawley attempted to slide in front of Abreu in Turns 1 and 2, but the St. Helena, CA native ripped by the teenager on the top to take the early lead. Courtney, who started third, also slipped by Crawley on the opening lap to grab second.

A caution and then a red flag for a huge pileup on the front straightaway interrupted the flow of action in the first half of the race.

On a restart with 19 laps to go, another contender began to assert himself while Abreu and Courtney maintained the top spots up front. After starting 10th, Brad Sweet powered by both Giovanni Scelzi and Landon Crawley to rise into fourth with plenty of time remaining. Another yellow with 15 to go opened the door for Sweet to power ahead of David Gravel for the third spot.

Disaster nearly struck Abreu with 10 laps remaining. After clearing two lapped cars, Abreu stumbled on the cushion in Turn 4 and got sideways, leaving Brenham Crouch nowhere to go. Crouch slammed into Abreu’s side and spun to bring out the yellow. Fortunately for Abreu, his car left the scene unharmed allowing him to maintain the lead.

On the restart Abreu darted ahead of Courtney who found himself having to fend off Sweet. “The Big Cat” began to work the bottom and showed Courtney a nose, which wound up benefitting Courtney. He quickly adjusted the Clauson Marshall Racing/NOS Energy Drink #7BC to prevent Sweet from passing him and found speed on the low line in Turns 1 and 2.

“I knew I was getting tight behind him (Abreu) in traffic on the top of (Turns) 3 and 4,” Courtney said. “Luckily Brad showed me the bottom, and so I moved down there. I knew I was making ground up in (Turns) 1 and 2, but in (Turns) 3 and 4 I just started going to the bottom to see if I could do something different. Honestly, I didn’t know how many laps were left, but I knew if I could get him to mess up or let him mess up somehow, running the bottom was going to be much safer.”

Safer is exactly what the bottom turned out to be. Courtney closed in on Abreu’s tail tank in traffic as the white flag flew. Abreu opted to protect the bottom in Turns 1 and 2 which worked as he pulled ahead down the back straightaway. But in Turns 3 and 4 he returned to the cushion and went slightly above it leaving the lane for Courtney to steal the victory.

“I didn’t know it was that exciting until I realized what we did there at the end,” Courtney said. “That was fun. It was non-stop the whole time. Even though we were just running around the top, it’s a lot harder than people think. That top was real treacherous. You get your right-rear (tire) just over it a little bit, it sucks you over.”

For the second straight night Abreu was forced to settle for the runner-up spot. He admitted he could’ve driven a little more reserved in the final set of corners but also acknowledged you can’t ever let up in a Sprint Car race.

“It’s just tough racing, just trying to process keeping your momentum up in traffic and hitting your marks,” Abreu said. “It’s the last lap, and you’re still racing hard. We’re Sprint Car Racing here, so we’re racing as hard as we can for 25 laps on a demanding and technical track. I felt pretty sporty on the cushion. I knew I was good off of (Turn) 2, but I never ran the bottom all race in (Turns) 3 and 4. I should’ve just drove a little bit more secure on the white flag lap, but you never know who is behind you and how close they are.”

Rounding out the podium after his charge from 10th was Brad Sweet. The five-time World of Outlaws champion came away a little disappointed with himself after a small mistake cost him a chance to potentially be the one driving by Abreu coming to the finish line.

“I’m a little disappointed in myself,” Sweet admitted. “I felt like I had kind of found the groove on the bottom of (Turns) 1 and 2 and put myself in a good position, but then got in the grease just a little bit and overdrove (Turn) 3 just a little bit and got out. And Tyler got back by me, but then once he knew where the line was he covered it really well and ultimately won the race.”

Giovanni Scelzi and David Gravel completed the top five.

Gravel’s effort allowed him to maintain his lead in the Big Gator standings. Courtney sits second eight points back. Giovanni Scelzi (-14), Rico Abreu (-16), and Donny Schatz (-18) complete the top five with one night to go.

Donny Schatz earned the KSE Racing Hard Charger with a drive from 18th to sixth.

Brent Marks claimed his fourth career Simpson Quick Time in Sea Foam Qualifying.

NOS Energy Drink Heats One, Three, and Four were topped by Brent Marks, Brian Brown, and Rico Abreu. Giovanni Scelzi claimed Milton Hershey School Heat Two.

Landon Crawley won the Toyota Racing Dash.

Corey Day won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars wrap up their portion of the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals with a $20,000-to-win, $1,500-to-start finale on Saturday, Feb. 10. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action live on DIRTVision.

RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[3]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu[2]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet[10]; 4. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[6]; 5. 2-David Gravel[4]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz[18]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart[16]; 8. 19-Brent Marks[5]; 9. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[9]; 10. 39M-Anthony Macri[14]; 11. 21-Brian Brown[8]; 12. 26-Zeb Wise[7]; 13. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[12]; 14. 14-Corey Day[21]; 15. 48-Danny Dietrich[24]; 16. 41-Carson Macedo[11]; 17. 83-Michael Kofoid[17]; 18. 22-Riley Goodno[20]; 19. 7S-Landon Crawley[1]; 20. 17B-Bill Balog[27]; 21. 1-Brenham Crouch[22]; 22. 88-Austin McCarl[13]; 23. 13-Justin Peck[15]; 24. 5-Spencer Bayston[19]; 25. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[25]; 26. 0-Justin Whittall[23]; 27. 6-Bill Rose[26]

 

 

World of Outlaws Sprint Cars

Volusia Speedway Park FL   2/9/24

NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[3]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu[2]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet[10]; 4. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[6]; 5. 2-David Gravel[4]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz[18]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart[16]; 8. 19-Brent Marks[5]; 9. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[9]; 10. 39M-Anthony Macri[14]; 11. 21-Brian Brown[8]; 12. 26-Zeb Wise[7]; 13. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[12]; 14. 14-Corey Day[21]; 15. 48-Danny Dietrich[24]; 16. 41-Carson Macedo[11]; 17. 83-Michael Kofoid[17]; 18. 22-Riley Goodno[20]; 19. 7S-Landon Crawley[1]; 20. 17B-Bill Balog[27]; 21. 1-Brenham Crouch[22]; 22. 88-Austin McCarl[13]; 23. 13-Justin Peck[15]; 24. 5-Spencer Bayston[19]; 25. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[25]; 26. 0-Justin Whittall[23]; 27. 6-Bill Rose[26]

MicroLite Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps): 1. 14-Corey Day[2]; 2. 1-Brenham Crouch[1]; 3. 0-Justin Whittall[3]; 4. 48-Danny Dietrich[5]; 5. 8-Cory Eliason[4]; 6. 70-Kraig Kinser[8]; 7. 5T-Ryan Timms[7]; 8. 11M-Brendan Mullen[6]; 9. 17B-Bill Balog[10]; 10. 24D-Danny Sams III[14]; 11. 10X-Reese Nowotarski[12]; 12. 97UK-Ryan Harrison[9]; 13. 16TH-Kevin Newton[11]; 14. (DNS) 44-Chris Martin

C Feature (10 Laps): 1. 44-Chris Martin[2]; 2. 24D-Danny Sams III[7]; 3. 6-Bill Rose[1]; 4. 15K-Creed Kemenah[6]; 5. 7B-Ben Brown[5]; 6. 16G-Austyn Gossel[3]; 7. 64-Andy Pake[9]; 8. 6G-Bryan Gossel[11]; 9. (DNS) 17-Sheldon Haudenschild; 10. (DNS) 9-Kasey Kahne; 11. (DNS) 2C-Wayne Johnson; 12. (DNS) 1A-Jacob Allen

Toyota Dash (6 Laps): 1. 7S-Landon Crawley[1]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu[2]; 3. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[3]; 4. 2-David Gravel[5]; 5. 19-Brent Marks[4]; 6. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[8]; 7. 26-Zeb Wise[7]; 8. 21-Brian Brown[6]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 19-Brent Marks[1]; 2. 26-Zeb Wise[2]; 3. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[4]; 4. 88-Austin McCarl[6]; 5. 83-Michael Kofoid[5]; 6. 0-Justin Whittall[7]; 7. 5T-Ryan Timms[8]; 8. 1-Brenham Crouch[3]; 9. 6-Bill Rose[9]; 10. 7B-Ben Brown[11]; 11. 64-Andy Pake[10]

Milton Hershey School Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[1]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[2]; 3. 41-Carson Macedo[3]; 4. 13-Justin Peck[4]; 5. 5-Spencer Bayston[5]; 6. 48-Danny Dietrich[7]; 7. 97UK-Ryan Harrison[8]; 8. 16TH-Kevin Newton[9]; 9. 16G-Austyn Gossel[11]; 10. 24D-Danny Sams III[6]; 11. 6G-Bryan Gossel[10]

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 21-Brian Brown[1]; 2. 2-David Gravel[4]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet[2]; 4. 39M-Anthony Macri[3]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz[5]; 6. 8-Cory Eliason[7]; 7. 14-Corey Day[6]; 8. 17B-Bill Balog[11]; 9. 44-Chris Martin[8]; 10. 15K-Creed Kemenah[10]; 11. (DNS) 2C-Wayne Johnson

Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 24-Rico Abreu[1]; 2. 7S-Landon Crawley[2]; 3. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[4]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[3]; 5. 22-Riley Goodno[7]; 6. 11M-Brendan Mullen[8]; 7. 70-Kraig Kinser[9]; 8. 10X-Reese Nowotarski[10]; 9. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[6]; 10. (DNS) 9-Kasey Kahne; 11. (DNS) 1A-Jacob Allen

Sea Foam Qualifying A (2 Laps): 1. 19-Brent Marks, 00:13.199[10]; 2. 18-Giovanni Scelzi, 00:13.279[9]; 3. 26-Zeb Wise, 00:13.305[14]; 4. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 00:13.336[6]; 5. 1-Brenham Crouch, 00:13.339[7]; 6. 41-Carson Macedo, 00:13.370[15]; 7. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 00:13.381[13]; 8. 13-Justin Peck, 00:13.418[1]; 9. 83-Michael Kofoid, 00:13.422[17]; 10. 5-Spencer Bayston, 00:13.455[11]; 11. 88-Austin McCarl, 00:13.588[22]; 12. 24D-Danny Sams III, 00:13.601[20]; 13. 0-Justin Whittall, 00:13.624[19]; 14. 48-Danny Dietrich, 00:13.642[16]; 15. 5T-Ryan Timms, 00:13.667[4]; 16. 97UK-Ryan Harrison, 00:13.848[12]; 17. 6-Bill Rose, 00:13.872[8]; 18. 16TH-Kevin Newton, 00:13.928[18]; 19. 64-Andy Pake, 00:13.964[21]; 20. 6G-Bryan Gossel, 00:14.071[2]; 21. 7B-Ben Brown, 00:14.141[5]; 22. 16G-Austyn Gossel, 00:14.158[3]

Sea Foam Qualifying B (2 Laps): 1. 21-Brian Brown, 00:13.287[21]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu, 00:13.342[11]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet, 00:13.359[8]; 4. 7S-Landon Crawley, 00:13.409[7]; 5. 39M-Anthony Macri, 00:13.409[1]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 00:13.427[9]; 7. 2-David Gravel, 00:13.456[12]; 8. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 00:13.481[4]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz, 00:13.502[18]; 10. 9-Kasey Kahne, 00:13.520[20]; 11. 14-Corey Day, 00:13.555[3]; 12. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 00:13.562[19]; 13. 8-Cory Eliason, 00:13.727[14]; 14. 22-Riley Goodno, 00:13.742[17]; 15. 44-Chris Martin, 00:13.760[10]; 16. 11M-Brendan Mullen, 00:13.843[6]; 17. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 00:13.934[15]; 18. 70-Kraig Kinser, 00:13.936[2]; 19. 15K-Creed Kemenah, 00:14.008[13]; 20. 10X-Reese Nowotarski, 00:14.143[16]; 21. (DNS) 17B-Bill Balog; 22. (DNS) 1A-Jacob Allen

 

 

 

BIG GAME GATOR HUNT: David Gravel Cruises to Volusia DIRTcar Nationals Victory on Night Two

Gravel leads flag to flag for fifth World of Outlaws win at Volusia in last eight attempts

BARBERVILLE, FL (February 8 , 2024) - All through the off-season David Gravel made it clear he had one goal in mind for 2024 – a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car championship.

Three consecutive runner-up finishes in the points have continued to build his hunger. He’s ready to make that step. And it took him only two races in the season to make an early statement that he intends for 2024 to be his year.

Gravel led every lap of Thursday’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals Feature at Volusia Speedway Park. The Watertown, CT native started on the pole and drove a flawless 25 laps on his way to win number one of the year with The Greatest Show on Dirt.

The victory marked the latest in a recent hot streak for Gravel at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile.” After going winless in his first 37 Volusia attempts with the Series, Gravel has now reeled off five triumphs in his last eight tries. The five wins are enough to equal him with Daryn Pittman and Steve Kinser for the third most at Volusia with the World of Outlaws. Gravel now owns 89 career Series victories, and his team – Tod Quiring’s Big Game Motorsports – is up to 95.

It's still extremely early in the season, but Gravel's win moved him into the points lead by 16 markers. That also means he's ahead in the Big Gator title hunt at the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals.

“I felt like they did a pretty good job with the racetrack,” Gravel said. “I’ve just got to thank Cody (Jacobs), Zach (Patterson), Scott (Vogelsong), and Stephen (Hamm-Reilly) for working really hard. They’ve given me a great race car since we unloaded on Tuesday night. I’ve also got to thank Tod and his family.”

Gravel’s biggest challenge of the night came right when the green flag flew. The 31-year-old led the way from the pole position with Giovanni Scelzi to his outside. On the opening lap Scelzi managed to muscle his way by Gravel on the top side. But the yellow flag flew right before the lap could be completed as Cory Eliason wound up stopped in Turn 3.

The caution re-racked the field for a complete restart, and Gravel refused to allow Scelzi by on attempt number two. He darted ahead down the front straightaway and slid ahead of Scelzi’s KCP Racing #18 to break his momentum in Turns 1 and 2.

“I was probably a little bit too nice for him going into (Turn) 1 and (Turn) 3,” Gravel said of the first start. “I just knew if I beat him on the start I was going to slide across and take away his momentum that time. Luckily I got a retry.”

From there Gravel got to work building an early lead while behind him Rico Abreu arose to face off with Scelzi for second. On Lap 2 Abreu cleared Scelzi with a slider to settle into the second spot.

As the early laps clicked away Gravel’s lead stayed steady around a second. Normally lapped traffic can cause problems for the leader, but once Gravel reached the tail of the field he actually began to grow his advantage even more as he expertly sliced through traffic. Slightly beyond the halfway point of the main event the distance between Gravel and Abreu ballooned over two seconds.

Right when Gravel appeared headed towards a comfortable win, the yellow lights flashed when Kasey Kahne slowed with issues. The caution set up a seven-lap dash to the finish with Abreu – one of the sport’s current best – right on his tail.

Gravel didn’t flinch on the restart. He powered the Huset’s Speedway/Billion Automotive #2 ahead of Abreu’s #24 machine right away. Abreu remained within striking distance for the first couple laps following the restart. But Gravel proved to be too strong as he stretched the lead over a second and claimed his first checkered flag of 2024.

“I figured Rico probably had a good car late in the race,” Gravel explained. “Ricky (Warner) sets his cars up for the end of those races. I was just hoping I got a really good launch. I got a really good launch, and then I kind of opened the door for him where he could slide me going into (Turn) 1. But I felt like I got a good enough launch, and I wanted to get down that backstretch really, really strong. I wouldn’t open up another opportunity for him, so I risked it going into (Turn) 1 and I knew it would pay off after that.”

Abreu held on to the runner-up spot which pushed his career podium total with the World of Outlaws to 46. After struggling on Wednesday night, Abreu felt encouraged to rebound with an impressive outing despite coming up short of victory.

“He (Gravel) really got away from us and hit his marks,” Abreu said. “When you catch traffic the aero really affects these cars especially when they’re packed like that at the back of the field. It creates all of this turbulence that we have to manipulate as race car drivers to get a little clean air on our nose. I’m just happy with how we’ve performed throughout the week here from last night to tonight. That’s a big positive for our team.”

Completing the top three after starting fifth was Justin Peck aboard the Buch Motorsports #13. It marked Peck’s fourth career podium with The Greatest Show on Dirt. Like Abreu, Peck was happy to bounce back after a sub-par Wednesday showing.

“The thing was maneuverable,” Peck said. “I could run the top pretty good. I could run the bottom pretty good. When I was trying to throw sliders, I didn’t necessarily have to slide across the slick. I could kind of keep the left-rear (tire) planted and drive up across the track. Hats off to my guys. I didn’t feel like we were really good yesterday at all. The thing seemed to be pretty fast all night. Qualified good, and it raced good in dirty air.”

Giovanni Scelzi and Donny Schatz rounded out the top five.

An 18th to sixth run gave Logan Schuchart the night’s KSE Racing Hard Charger.

Brian Brown snagged Simpson Quick Time in Sea Foam Qualifying – the eighth of his career.

NOS Energy Drink Heats One, Three, and Four were claimed by Rico Abreu, Brent Marks, and Justin Peck. Corey Day topped Milton Hershey School Heat Two.

David Gravel won the Toyota Racing Dash.

The Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown belonged to Bill Balog.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars battle at Volusia Speedway Park’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals for the third consecutive night on Friday, Feb. 9. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action live on DIRTVision.

RESULTS:

World of Outlaws Sprint Cars

Volusia Speedway Park FL   2/8/24

NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[1]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu[3]; 3. 13-Justin Peck[5]; 4. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[2]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz[16]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart[18]; 7. 21-Brian Brown[4]; 8. 19-Brent Marks[6]; 9. 83-Michael Kofoid[9]; 10. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[7]; 11. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[22]; 12. 41-Carson Macedo[10]; 13. 39M-Anthony Macri[11]; 14. 14-Corey Day[8]; 15. 49-Brad Sweet[14]; 16. 48-Danny Dietrich[19]; 17. 26-Zeb Wise[20]; 18. 5T-Ryan Timms[17]; 19. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[12]; 20. 17B-Bill Balog[21]; 21. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[15]; 22. 7S-Landon Crawley[25]; 23. 8-Cory Eliason[23]; 24. 9-Kasey Kahne[24]; 25. 1-Brenham Crouch[13]; 26. 6-Bill Rose[26]

MicroLite Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps): 1. 17B-Bill Balog[1]; 2. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[2]; 3. 8-Cory Eliason[4]; 4. 9-Kasey Kahne[5]; 5. 70-Kraig Kinser[3]; 6. 88-Austin McCarl[7]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen[6]; 8. 22-Riley Goodno[8]; 9. 5-Spencer Bayston[13]; 10. 44-Chris Martin[9]; 11. 0-Justin Whittall[14]; 12. 24D-Danny Sams III[10]; 13. 11M-Brendan Mullen[11]; 14. 16TH-Kevin Newton[12]

C Feature (10 Laps): 1. 5-Spencer Bayston[1]; 2. 0-Justin Whittall[2]; 3. 6G-Bryan Gossel[3]; 4. 7B-Ben Brown[7]; 5. 97UK-Ryan Harrison[10]; 6. 64-Andy Pake[5]; 7. 16G-Austyn Gossel[4]; 8. (DNS) 6-Bill Rose; 9. (DNS) 7S-Landon Crawley; 10. (DNS) 15K-Creed Kemenah

Toyota Dash (6 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[2]; 2. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[1]; 3. 24-Rico Abreu[4]; 4. 21-Brian Brown[6]; 5. 13-Justin Peck[7]; 6. 19-Brent Marks[3]; 7. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[8]; 8. 14-Corey Day[5]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 24-Rico Abreu[1]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[4]; 3. 83-Michael Kofoid[5]; 4. 1-Brenham Crouch[2]; 5. 5T-Ryan Timms[8]; 6. 70-Kraig Kinser[7]; 7. 17B-Bill Balog[3]; 8. 44-Chris Martin[11]; 9. 5-Spencer Bayston[6]; 10. 64-Andy Pake[9]; 11. (DNS) 15K-Creed Kemenah

Milton Hershey School Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 14-Corey Day[1]; 2. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[4]; 3. 39M-Anthony Macri[2]; 4. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[6]; 5. 48-Danny Dietrich[3]; 6. 9-Kasey Kahne[5]; 7. 88-Austin McCarl[7]; 8. 11M-Brendan Mullen[8]; 9. 6G-Bryan Gossel[9]; 10. 7B-Ben Brown[10]

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 19-Brent Marks[2]; 2. 21-Brian Brown[1]; 3. 41-Carson Macedo[4]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet[3]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart[5]; 6. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[6]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen[7]; 8. 24D-Danny Sams III[8]; 9. 0-Justin Whittall[10]; 10. 6-Bill Rose[11]; 11. 97UK-Ryan Harrison[9]

Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 13-Justin Peck[2]; 2. 2-David Gravel[1]; 3. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[4]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz[5]; 5. 26-Zeb Wise[3]; 6. 8-Cory Eliason[7]; 7. 22-Riley Goodno[8]; 8. 16TH-Kevin Newton[10]; 9. 16G-Austyn Gossel[9]; 10. 7S-Landon Crawley[6]

Sea Foam Qualifying A (2 Laps): 1. 24-Rico Abreu, 00:13.342[14]; 2. 14-Corey Day, 00:13.389[11]; 3. 1-Brenham Crouch, 00:13.398[18]; 4. 39M-Anthony Macri, 00:13.433[1]; 5. 17B-Bill Balog, 00:13.442[19]; 6. 48-Danny Dietrich, 00:13.453[8]; 7. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 00:13.473[16]; 8. 18-Giovanni Scelzi, 00:13.475[5]; 9. 83-Michael Kofoid, 00:13.501[3]; 10. 9-Kasey Kahne, 00:13.518[9]; 11. 5-Spencer Bayston, 00:13.526[10]; 12. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 00:13.591[15]; 13. 70-Kraig Kinser, 00:13.715[4]; 14. 88-Austin McCarl, 00:13.734[2]; 15. 5T-Ryan Timms, 00:13.801[6]; 16. 11M-Brendan Mullen, 00:13.889[13]; 17. 64-Andy Pake, 00:13.971[7]; 18. 6G-Bryan Gossel, 00:14.102[17]; 19. 15K-Creed Kemenah, 00:14.123[12]; 20. 7B-Ben Brown, 00:14.140[20]; 21. 44-Chris Martin, 00:14.216[21]

Sea Foam Qualifying B (2 Laps): 1. 21-Brian Brown, 00:13.222[12]; 2. 2-David Gravel, 00:13.378[13]; 3. 19-Brent Marks, 00:13.395[15]; 4. 13-Justin Peck, 00:13.399[1]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet, 00:13.430[18]; 6. 26-Zeb Wise, 00:13.471[21]; 7. 41-Carson Macedo, 00:13.483[3]; 8. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 00:13.497[6]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 00:13.509[9]; 10. 15-Donny Schatz, 00:13.523[17]; 11. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 00:13.617[4]; 12. 7S-Landon Crawley, 00:13.649[7]; 13. 1A-Jacob Allen, 00:13.668[8]; 14. 8-Cory Eliason, 00:13.754[2]; 15. 24D-Danny Sams III, 00:13.797[16]; 16. 22-Riley Goodno, 00:13.825[14]; 17. 97UK-Ryan Harrison, 00:13.888[10]; 18. 16G-Austyn Gossel, 00:14.009[5]; 19. 0-Justin Whittall, 00:14.058[19]; 20. 16TH-Kevin Newton, 00:14.170[11]; 21. 6-Bill Rose, 00:14.444[20]

 

 

1 MONTH ALERT: World of Outlaws Sprint Cars Debut at Kennedale Speedway Park in March

KENNEDALE, TX (Feb. 8, 2024) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will bring the best Sprint Car drivers in the country to Kennedale Speedway Park for the first time, March 8-9.

The doubleheader weekend will be the Series' first Texas stop of 2024, boasting two $12,000 to win Feature races.

Series stars like 10-time champion Donny Schatz, who drivers for Tony Stewart's Sprint Car team, David Gravel, Carson Macedo, Logan Schuhcart, Sheldon Haudenschild and more will duel for the big prize money and key points toward the championship battle.

Fans will be treated to non-stop excitement on, and off, the track with a midway loaded with driver merchandise and fan activites and then heart-pounding, wheel-to-wheel, action around the 1/4-mile track.

Race Schedule: 2PM Gates Open 5PM Grandstand Gates Open 6:30PM Hot Laps/Qualifying Opening Ceremonies and racing to follow

Tickets are on sale now at WorldofOutlaws.com/Tix.

If you can't make it to the track, you can watch every lap live on DIRTVision.

 

 

NOS Energy Drink Extends Partnership With World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, Becomes Longest Running Title Sponsor

CONCORD, NC (Feb. 8, 2024) – NOS Energy has extended its partnership with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series in a multi-year deal that will make it the Series’ longest running title sponsor.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series welcomed NOS Energy as its title sponsor in 2019 and extended the partnership only a couple years later. With the new deal, NOS Energy will surpass Pennzoil’s previous six-year span as the Series’ longest running primary partner.

“NOS loves racing, and NOS loves dirt,” said NOS Energy CMO Dan McHugh. “The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series has been a perfect partner for NOS Energy since day one. We are excited to extend our sponsorship and engage with the awesome World of Outlaws fans.”

NOS Energy began working with the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars in 2018, becoming the Series’ Preferred Energy Drink – also signing on as primary sponsor of Stenhouse Jr/Marshall Racing’s #17 driven by Sheldon Haudenschild in the same year. Since then, NOS Energy has created a strong fan presence on, and off, the track at every World of Outlaws Sprint Car event.

NOS Energy has been fueling hearts and engines with its unique blend of CMPLX 6 and four varieties of flavors. Its sampling station is a World of Outlaws staple, becoming a prime fan engagement initiative. With the extended partnership, fans will continue to get a complimentary NOS Energy Drink – of any flavor – at every World of Outlaws Sprint Car event.

“NOS Energy has been an exceptional partner, and spectacular ambassador for dirt racing,” said Tish Sheets, executive director of client services at World Racing Group. “Their commitment to growing the sport has been evident since their first year with the World of Outlaws. We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with everyone at NOS Energy in this historic agreement.”

NOS Energy will continue to be a key contributor in seeing the Series expand and grow as The Greatest Show on Dirt nears 50 years of racing – this year will be its 47th season.

“This is an exciting time for the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars as we continue to enhance our events for fans and teams, and having NOS Energy be part of that for several years to come will allow us to take broader steps year after year,” said Brian Carter, World Racing Group CEO. “Becoming the World of Outlaws’ longest running title sponsor says a lot about NOS Energy Drink’s investment into the Series and the health of Sprint Car racing.”

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Car Series' 2024 season-opening week continues through Saturday at Volusia Speedway Park's Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. For tickets to all the 2024 World of Outlaws events, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Car Series race live on DIRTVision.

 

 

PREYING ON GATORS: Brad Sweet Claims Another Volusia Victory in World of Outlaws Season Opener

The five-time champion holds off Tyler Courtney for seventh Series win at the half mile

BARBERVILLE, FL (February 7, 2024) - Brad Sweet loves to go gator hunting at Volusia Speedway Park.

The five-time and reigning World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car champion consistently contends for the win whenever visiting the Barberville, FL oval. And Wednesday night proved to be no different when The Greatest Show on Dirt unleashed its 47th season.

Sweet led all 25 laps as the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals kicked off the World of Outlaws campaign to bank a $12,000 payday. “The Big Cat” started on the pole in the Kasey Kahne Racing #49 and held off a strong challenge from Tyler Courtney to make his 91st trip to Victory Lane with the Series.

“It’s just a lot of fun to come here and start out so strong,” Sweet said. “We’ve had a lot of success here at Volusia over the years. It’s going to be a long week, so hopefully we can keep celebrating in Victory Lane.”

The win marked Sweet’s 10th overall at Volusia and seventh with the World of Outlaws. That equals the track with Cedar Lake Speedway as the winningest on his r�sum�. Only Donny Schatz’s total of 14 Volusia victories with the World of Outlaws outranks the Grass Valley, CA native’s mark.

Sweet brought the field to green in the NOS Energy Drink Feature with Tyler Courtney alongside after the two claimed the top two spots in the Toyota Racing Dash. The duo raced wheel-to-wheel through Turns 1 and 2, and Courtney managed to nose ahead down the back straightaway. Sweet quickly responded by powering right back by the Clauson Marshall Racing/NOS Energy Drink #7BC Turns 3 and 4.

In the early portion of the race Sweet set a solid pace, but Courtney wouldn’t let him escape. One lap Sweet would be faster. Then Courtney would clock a quicker lap. The gap stayed below a second throughout the opening 10 laps and as they begin to navigate traffic.

A yellow flag on Lap 12 for a slowing Sheldon Haudenschild appeared to give Sweet a break as it removed him from traffic and provided clean air. But on the restart Courtney flexed his muscle with a challenge for the top spot.

Courtney got his momentum built up around the cushion while Sweet remained committed to the bottom. The margin shrank as the two worked opposite lines of the racetrack. On the 15th lap Courtney pulled alongside Sweet and looked poised to snag the lead. But a yellow flag spoiled those hopes when Michael “Buddy” Kofoid slowed to a stop on Lap 16.

Having seen Courtney’s challenge, Sweet opted for the top when the green flag brought the field back to life. And Courtney wasn’t able to find the run he had before as Sweet moved around the racing surface.

“I could hear him (Courtney) on my outside at the end of the back straightaway,” Sweet explained. “It’s just a lot of experience. Obviously, I’ve raced here a lot. I was making good speed. My car was really good on the bottom, but sometimes momentum just starts to build. I could hear him, and when that yellow came out I looked over at the screen and saw he was right there. So, then I opened my entry in (Turn) 1 and started using the banking to create momentum, and I think it just kind of took the air that he had.”

Courtney began to fade as Sweet stretched the advantage north of a second on Lap 19. But hope was restored as traffic became a factor late. Sweet struggled to navigate a slower car and allowed Courtney to cut the margin to less than half a second with only two laps remaining. But it was too little, too late as Sweet held on to secure the first checkered flag of 2024.

“My car was just phenomenal,” Sweet said. “We made it better all night. Eric (Prutzman, crew chief). It’s Tye’s (Wolfgang, car chief) birthday, so happy birthday to Tye. And we’ve got a new tire guy, Zane. Happy to get in Victory Lane for them. Happy that my wife and daughter are here.”

Courtney held on for second to begin his 2024 Sprint Car season. The runner-up result gave the Indianapolis, IN driver seven career World of Outlaws podiums. The ill-timed caution when challenging Sweet left Courtney a little disappointed, but he wasn’t sure that he would’ve gotten by Sweet even if the race remained green.

“I think one more lap he was going to keep hearing me and probably move up and just take my air away like he did there after the caution,” Courtney said. “When you’re racing a guy like him that’s done this a lot and has a lot of success, it’s tough to pull one over on him. I’m just excited about our whole Clauson Marshall, NOS Energy Drink, Elliott’s Custom Trailers team. We came down here last year and were just barely making the shows.”

Rounding out the first podium of the season was David Gravel aboard the Big Game Motorsports/Huset’s Speedway #2. The Watertown, CT driver admitted they may have gone slightly the wrong direction with the car ahead of the Feature with how track conditions played out. But even with that, Gravel came away encouraged with the top three run.

“I just think that was the fastest and stickiest track we had nearly all night long,” Gravel said. “We didn’t think it was going to stay that wet, so we just got too tight when we got close to those guys. In open track our car was really, really good. But once we got close to Tyler or lapped traffic and restarts I just couldn’t get going that good. Still a really strong night.”

Brian Brown and Logan Schuchart completed the top five.

A 25th to 14th drive gave Carson Macedo the first KSE Racing Hard Charger of the year.

Making his World of Outlaws debut, Landon Crawley set Simpson Quick Time in Sea Foam Qualifying aboard the Sides Motorsports #7S.

NOS Energy Drink Heats One, Three and Four went to Giovanni Scelzi, Rico Abreu, and David Gravel. Tyler Courtney topped Milton Hershey School Heat Two.

Austin McCarl won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars return to Volusia Speedway Park on Thursday, Feb. 8 for night two of the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.

RESULTS:

World of Outlaws Sprint Cars

Volusia Speedway Park FL   2/7/24

NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 49-Brad Sweet[1]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[2]; 3. 2-David Gravel[3]; 4. 21-Brian Brown[8]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart[14]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz[10]; 7. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[6]; 8. 17B-Bill Balog[4]; 9. 9-Kasey Kahne[16]; 10. 39M-Anthony Macri[9]; 11. 19-Brent Marks[12]; 12. 24-Rico Abreu[7]; 13. 13-Justin Peck[13]; 14. 41-Carson Macedo[25]; 15. 48-Danny Dietrich[22]; 16. 55-Chris Windom[15]; 17. 1A-Jacob Allen[11]; 18. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[24]; 19. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[17]; 20. 14-Corey Day[20]; 21. 7S-Landon Crawley[5]; 22. 26-Zeb Wise[23]; 23. 6-Bill Rose[26]; 24. 83-Michael Kofoid[19]; 25. 88-Austin McCarl[21]; 26. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[18]

MicroLite Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps): 1. 88-Austin McCarl[1]; 2. 48-Danny Dietrich[2]; 3. 26-Zeb Wise[4]; 4. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[3]; 5. 8-Cory Eliason[6]; 6. 41-Carson Macedo[7]; 7. 5T-Ryan Timms[11]; 8. 5-Spencer Bayston[5]; 9. 24D-Danny Sams III[12]; 10. 44-Chris Martin[13]; 11. 22-Riley Goodno[8]; 12. 70-Kraig Kinser[9]; 13. 1-Brenham Crouch[14]; 14. 97UK-Ryan Harrison[10]

C Feature (10 Laps): 1. 44-Chris Martin[1]; 2. 1-Brenham Crouch[2]; 3. 0-Justin Whittall[3]; 4. 11M-Brendan Mullen[7]; 5. 16T-Jake Swanson[8]; 6. 6G-Bryan Gossel[9]; 7. 7B-Ben Brown[12]; 8. 15K-Creed Kemenah[5]; 9. 64-Andy Pake[6]; 10. 16G-Austyn Gossel[10]; 11. 16TH-Kevin Newton[11]; 12. (DNS) 6-Bill Rose; 13. (DNS) 2C-Wayne Johnson

Toyota Dash (6 Laps): 1. 49-Brad Sweet[1]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[3]; 3. 2-David Gravel[5]; 4. 17B-Bill Balog[2]; 5. 7S-Landon Crawley[4]; 6. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[6]; 7. 24-Rico Abreu[7]; 8. 21-Brian Brown[8]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[3]; 2. 7S-Landon Crawley[1]; 3. 39M-Anthony Macri[2]; 4. 13-Justin Peck[6]; 5. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[4]; 6. 88-Austin McCarl[5]; 7. 5-Spencer Bayston[7]; 8. 70-Kraig Kinser[8]; 9. 44-Chris Martin[9]; 10. 15K-Creed Kemenah[10]; 11. 6G-Bryan Gossel[11]; 12. (DNS) 2C-Wayne Johnson

Milton Hershey School Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[1]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet[2]; 3. 1A-Jacob Allen[4]; 4. 55-Chris Windom[3]; 5. 83-Michael Kofoid[5]; 6. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[6]; 7. 41-Carson Macedo[7]; 8. 5T-Ryan Timms[9]; 9. 0-Justin Whittall[11]; 10. 11M-Brendan Mullen[8]; 11. 16TH-Kevin Newton[10]

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 24-Rico Abreu[1]; 2. 17B-Bill Balog[2]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz[4]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[3]; 5. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[5]; 6. 48-Danny Dietrich[6]; 7. 8-Cory Eliason[7]; 8. 97UK-Ryan Harrison[9]; 9. 1-Brenham Crouch[8]; 10. 64-Andy Pake[10]; 11. 16G-Austyn Gossel[11]

Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[2]; 2. 21-Brian Brown[1]; 3. 19-Brent Marks[3]; 4. 9-Kasey Kahne[4]; 5. 14-Corey Day[5]; 6. 26-Zeb Wise[7]; 7. 22-Riley Goodno[6]; 8. 24D-Danny Sams III[8]; 9. 6-Bill Rose[9]; 10. 16T-Jake Swanson[10]; 11. 7B-Ben Brown[11]

Sea Foam Qualifying A (2 Laps): 1. 7S-Landon Crawley, 00:13.346[3]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 00:13.448[7]; 3. 39M-Anthony Macri, 00:13.507[14]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet, 00:13.513[6]; 5. 18-Giovanni Scelzi, 00:13.521[12]; 6. 55-Chris Windom, 00:13.542[5]; 7. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 00:13.549[15]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen, 00:13.551[8]; 9. 88-Austin McCarl, 00:13.621[11]; 10. 83-Michael Kofoid, 00:13.640[21]; 11. 13-Justin Peck, 00:13.659[22]; 12. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 00:13.677[16]; 13. 5-Spencer Bayston, 00:13.688[17]; 14. 41-Carson Macedo, 00:13.752[20]; 15. 70-Kraig Kinser, 00:13.756[2]; 16. 11M-Brendan Mullen, 00:13.815[9]; 17. 44-Chris Martin, 00:13.866[13]; 18. 5T-Ryan Timms, 00:13.983[4]; 19. 15K-Creed Kemenah, 00:14.227[19]; 20. 16TH-Kevin Newton, 00:14.308[1]; 21. 6G-Bryan Gossel, 00:14.607[18]; 22. (DNS) 2C-Wayne Johnson, 00:14.607; 23. (DQ) 0-Justin Whittall, 00:13.377[10]

Sea Foam Qualifying B (2 Laps): 1. 24-Rico Abreu, 00:13.378[6]; 2. 21-Brian Brown, 00:13.399[17]; 3. 17B-Bill Balog, 00:13.423[4]; 4. 2-David Gravel, 00:13.480[10]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 00:13.514[3]; 6. 19-Brent Marks, 00:13.514[7]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz, 00:13.548[8]; 8. 9-Kasey Kahne, 00:13.600[15]; 9. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 00:13.616[1]; 10. 14-Corey Day, 00:13.657[19]; 11. 48-Danny Dietrich, 00:13.704[20]; 12. 22-Riley Goodno, 00:13.744[2]; 13. 8-Cory Eliason, 00:13.757[16]; 14. 26-Zeb Wise, 00:13.776[11]; 15. 1-Brenham Crouch, 00:13.778[22]; 16. 24D-Danny Sams III, 00:13.939[5]; 17. 97UK-Ryan Harrison, 00:13.980[9]; 18. 6-Bill Rose, 00:14.100[14]; 19. 64-Andy Pake, 00:14.107[13]; 20. 16T-Jake Swanson, 00:14.153[21]; 21. 16G-Austyn Gossel, 00:14.328[12]; 22. 7B-Ben Brown, 00:14.434[18]

 

 

Sea Foam Enhances World of Outlaws Partnership
CONCORD, NC (Feb. 7, 2024) – Sea Foam is taking its partnership with the World of Outlaws to the next level in 2024 by sponsoring Qualifying and Engine Heat each race night.
Fans will see Sea Foam mentioned as the entitlement sponsor for both moments of the race night during World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series events.
“We are thrilled to expand Sea Foam’s presence with the World of Outlaws, further showcasing what we have to offer to the ever-growing motorsports fanbase,” said Brian Miller, director of marketing for Sea Foam. “Our partnership with the World of Outlaws has allowed us to reach race fans across the country and we look forward to expanding that reach this year.”
Sea Foam first joined the World of Outlaws in 2020 and has been a prominent name every year through its digital presence and fan initiatives.
Sea Foam has been part of the automotive industry for more than 75 years and is one of the best-selling automotive additives in North America. Sea Foam products have attracted a passionate following as the proven choice for mechanics, vehicles enthusiasts and many more who love or depend on engines.
The World of Outlaws Sprint Cars (Feb. 7-10) and World of Outlaws Late Models (Feb. 15-17) continue their 2024 season at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. For tickets, visit dirtcarnationals.com.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every lap live on DIRTVision. And make sure to follow the World of Outlaws social channels to see every Sea Foam Engine Heat and Qualifying post.

 

LAYING DOWN A LAP: World of Outlaws Hit the Track for DIRTcar Nationals Practice

Brent Marks leads the way in Tuesday practice sessions at Volusia

BARBERVILLE, FL (February 6, 2024) - Racing doesn’t start until Wednesday, but the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars hit the track Tuesday night for Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals practice.

Nearly 40 cars unloaded in the Volusia Speedway Park pit area to get their rides dialed in for the start of 2024. Three practice sessions set the stage for who to potentially expect to compete for the Big Gator championship.

SESSION ONE

Brent Marks opened the practice night by topping the charts in the first session. The Myerstown, PA native ripped a 13.752 around “The World’s Fastest Half Mile.” Californians claimed three of the remaining top five spots with Rico Abreu (13.921) going second quickest, Buddy Kofoid (13.961) third, and Cory Eliason (14.007) fifth. David Gravel (14.004) was fourth.

Another noteworthy name could be found in the ninth position. 18-year-old Brenham Crouch laid down a 14.141 in the CMS Racing #1 to place himself in the top 10. The reigning Interstate Racing Association (IRA) champion has less than 10 appearances with the World of Outlaws.

FULL RESULTS:

Practice Session 1: 1. 19-Brent Marks, 00:13.752; 2. 24-Rico Abreu, 00:13.921; 3. 83-Michael Kofoid, 00:13.961[13]; 4. 2-David Gravel, 00:14.004[12]; 5. 8-Cory Eliason, 00:14.007; 6. 15-Donny Schatz, 00:14.078[5]; 7. 41-Carson Macedo, 00:14.116[14]; 8. 21-Brian Brown, 00:14.122[4]; 9. 1-Brenham Crouch, 00:14.141; 10. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 00:14.144; 11. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 00:14.145; 12. 49-Brad Sweet, 00:14.152; 13. 39M-Anthony Macri, 00:14.170[2]; 14. 18-Giovanni Scelzi, 00:14.187[8]; 15. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 00:14.216[3]; 16. 13-Justin Peck, 00:14.232; 17. 9-Kasey Kahne, 00:14.280; 18. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 00:14.281; 19. 14-Corey Day, 00:14.325; 20. 55-Chris Windom, 00:14.345[6]; 21. 5T-Ryan Timms, 00:14.400; 22. 7S-Landon Crawley, 00:14.432[11]; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen, 00:14.442; 24. 26-Zeb Wise, 00:14.519; 25. 11M-Brendan Mullen, 00:14.596; 26. 0-Justin Whittall, 00:14.735; 27. 44-Chris Martin, 00:14.737; 28. 17B-Bill Balog, 00:14.945[10]; 29. 22-Riley Goodno, 00:14.980; 30. 7B-Ben Brown, 00:15.115[7]; 31. 16T-Jake Swanson, 00:15.125; 32. 15K-Creed Kemenah, 00:15.212; 33. 97UK-Ryan Harrison, 00:15.264; 34. 34-Sterling Cling, 00:15.323; 35. 64-Andy Pake, 00:16.038[1]; 36. 16TH-Kevin Newton, 00:16.047; 37. (DNS) 70-Kraig Kinser, 00:16.047; 38. (DNS) 16G-Austyn Gossel

SESSION TWO

The second session provided the same name atop the charts as Brent Marks laid down a 14.218 to lead the way. Marks has never won at Volusia with a best finish of second in 28 Feature attempts, but the stopwatch suggests he has a favorable chance at his first Volusia victory.

Many of the same drivers maintained speed from the first to second session with seven competitors fixing themselves inside the top 10 in both. The three new names to enter the top 10 were Anthony Macri (14.292, third quick), Landon Crawley (14.500, ninth quick), and Zeb Wise (14.525, tenth quick).

FULL RESULTS

Practice Session 2: 2. 19-Brent Marks, 00:14.218; 3. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 00:14.224[7]; 4. 39M-Anthony Macri, 00:14.292; 5. 24-Rico Abreu, 00:14.319[4]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz, 00:14.364; 7. 2-David Gravel, 00:14.377; 8. 41-Carson Macedo, 00:14.417; 9. 21-Brian Brown, 00:14.482; 10. 7S-Landon Crawley, 00:14.500; 11. 26-Zeb Wise, 00:14.525; 12. 49-Brad Sweet, 00:14.527; 13. 13-Justin Peck, 00:14.538; 14. 18-Giovanni Scelzi, 00:14.542; 15. 1-Brenham Crouch, 00:14.550[8]; 16. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 00:14.596[3]; 17. 14-Corey Day, 00:14.600; 18. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 00:14.601; 19. 17B-Bill Balog, 00:14.604; 20. 55-Chris Windom, 00:14.644; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen, 00:14.667[5]; 22. 9-Kasey Kahne, 00:14.710; 23. 8-Cory Eliason, 00:14.814[9]; 24. 5T-Ryan Timms, 00:14.880; 25. 15K-Creed Kemenah, 00:14.954[13]; 26. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 00:15.027[2]; 27. 11M-Brendan Mullen, 00:15.068; 28. 70-Kraig Kinser, 00:15.131; 29. 44-Chris Martin, 00:15.159; 30. 0-Justin Whittall, 00:15.251; 31. 16T-Jake Swanson, 00:15.497; 32. 34-Sterling Cling, 00:15.831[6]; 33. 7B-Ben Brown, 00:15.962; 34. 16TH-Kevin Newton, 00:16.322; 35. 16G-Austyn Gossel, 00:16.358[11]; 36. 22-Riley Goodno, 00:16.385[10]; 37. 64-Andy Pake, 00:17.059; 38. 97UK-Ryan Harrison, 00:17.059[12]; 39. 6-Bill Rose, 00:17.059[1]

SESSION THREE

Brent Marks departed prior to the final session leaving the top spot up for grabs. Buddy Kofoid capitalized aboard the Roth Motorsports #83 with a lap of 15.114 to top the charts.

Rico Abreu continued to display plenty of speed by running a 15.155 – the second quickest of the session. Abreu’s average spot on the charts over the three sessions was a stout 3.0.

The final session brought a handful of new names toward the top as Justin Peck (15.186, third quick), Kasey Kahne (15.243, fourth quick), and Corey Day (15.318, fifth quick) all made their way into the top five.

FULL RESULTS

Practice Session 3: 1. 83-Michael Kofoid, 00:15.114; 2. 24-Rico Abreu, 00:15.155; 3. 13-Justin Peck, 00:15.186[5]; 4. 9-Kasey Kahne, 00:15.243[11]; 5. 14-Corey Day, 00:15.318[10]; 6. 39M-Anthony Macri, 00:15.336; 7. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 00:15.372; 8. 15-Donny Schatz, 00:15.474; 9. 8-Cory Eliason, 00:15.477; 10. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 00:15.479; 11. 1A-Jacob Allen, 00:15.611; 12. 21-Brian Brown, 00:15.643; 13. 18-Giovanni Scelzi, 00:15.646; 14. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 00:15.709; 15. 11M-Brendan Mullen, 00:15.888[3]; 16. 17B-Bill Balog, 00:15.893; 17. 0-Justin Whittall, 00:16.014[9]; 18. 34-Sterling Cling, 00:16.180; 19. 16T-Jake Swanson, 00:16.694[6]; 20. 16TH-Kevin Newton, 00:17.048[4]; 21. 64-Andy Pake, 00:17.066; 22. 19-Brent Marks, 00:17.066[1]; 23. 44-Chris Martin, 00:17.066[2]; 24. 88-Austin McCarl, 00:17.066[12]; 25. 49-Brad Sweet, 00:17.066[7]; 26. 5T-Ryan Timms, 00:17.066[8]; 27. 26-Zeb Wise, 00:17.066[13]

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars are set for four straight nights (Feb. 7-10) of racing at Volusia’s DIRTcar Nationals. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.

 

 

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Volusia’s DIRTcar Nationals Set to Kickoff 2024 World of Outlaws Season

The Greatest Show on Dirt’s 47th season begins with four nights of racing at Volusia

BARBERVILLE, FL (February 5, 2024) - The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars are ready to go gator hunting to kickoff Year 47.

Sprint Car teams from all over will converge on Barberville, FL’s Volusia Speedway Park this week for the 53rd Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. A practice night (Feb. 6) precedes four consecutive nights of racing (Feb. 7-10) to get the 2024 campaign rolling for The Greatest Show on Dirt.

The Wednesday through Saturday slate of racing boasts nearly a $300,000 total purse. The opening three nights showcase $12,000-to-win, $1,200-to-start Features before the week wraps up with a $20,000-to-win, $1,500-to-start finale. In addition to chasing the Big Gator, drivers are also pursuing a DIRTcar Nationals point fund allocated to the top three drivers when the event concludes.

A stacked roster is expected; plenty of money is up for grabs; all during four straight nights of high speed, half-mile racing. The 2024 Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals promises to provide a week of action you don’t want to miss.

BUY DIRTCAR NATIONALS TICKETS HERE

Let’s look at the week’s top storylines:

GRAVEL’S GATORS: There may be no driver hungrier to make a strong opening statement than David Gravel. Three runner-up finishes in the standings over the last three years have elevated the desire for a championship more and more. And the pursuit of a title begins at Volusia.

Last year, Gravel came out on fire, topping the first two Features of the season in Florida. The Watertown, CT native owns four total Series victories at the half mile, good enough for the fifth most all-time through 56 visits.

Gravel also has his sights on DIRTcar Nationals history this week. The 2017 and 2022 Big Gator champion looks to join Daryn Pittman (2013, 2015, 2019) as the second driver with a trio of the coveted Big Gators.

SUNSHINE STATE SCHATZ: There has been no driver more comfortable with the high speeds of Volusia than Donny Schatz. The 10-time Series champion has been dominant at the half-mile track throughout his illustrious career.

He owns 23 overall Sprint Car triumphs at the facility. A Series-high 14 of those have come with the World of Outlaws, which outranks the second highest total by more than double. The team Schatz drives for – Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing – holds the most Series wins for a team at Volusia with 17.

The Fargo, ND native is a one-time winner of the Big Gator, claiming the 2017 DIRTcar Nationals championship.

SHARK CHASING GATORS: There’s a Shark following the World of Outlaws tour who’s had plenty of success hunting gators in the past and looks to continue the trend.

Logan Schuchart – driver of the Shark Racing #1S – is the defending Big Gator champion. A trio of top fives fueled Schuchart’s 2023 DIRTcar Nationals title run. The 2021 Big Gator is also in Schuchart’s trophy room, so he’ll join Gravel in the hunt to become the second with three.

The Hanover, PA native is also a multi-time Feature winner at Volusia. Schuchart topped three Sprint Car main events during a remarkable stretch from 2020 to 2021 in which he finished outside the top two only once in seven races.

VOLUSIA VICTORY: Two more competitors among the full-time World of Outlaws roster for 2024 have been to Volusia Victory Lane with The Greatest Show on Dirt.

It took Carson Macedo some time, but he’s gotten comfortable at the half mile. In his first 10 Volusia Sprint Car starts, the Lemoore, CA native cracked the top five only once with a 9.2 average finish. The 14 starts since have yielded four wins, eight top fives, and a 5.2 average result. Two of those wins have come in World of Outlaws competition.

Back in 2018, Sheldon Haudenschild bagged the first of his now 34 career World of Outlaws wins at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile.” The 30-year-old returned to the Volusia winner’s circle in 2022 and aims to do so again this week aboard the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing NOS Energy Drink #17.

Both Macedo and Haudenschild are in search of their first Big Gator championship.

COMING OUT HOT: Year two with the World of Outlaws begins this week for Giovanni Scelzi, and “Hot Sauce” is looking for a hot start to his sophomore season.

His rookie campaign got off to a slow start at DIRTcar Nationals last year, mustering a 15.7 average finish. However, his whole season told another story. Scelzi posted a season-long 9.13 average finish.

The Fresno, CA pilot has previous strong outings in his Volusia attempts, including posting one of his 21 career Series podiums in 2021.

ROOKIE STRIPES: A diverse battle for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year will ignite when the green flag waves on the 2024 season this week.

Michael “Buddy” Kofoid headlines the trio of contestants. He’ll embark on his inaugural campaign behind the wheel of the Roth Motorsports #83. Last year, Kofoid competed at DIRTcar Nationals and posted back-to-back runner-up finishes along with leading 11 Feature laps.

Bill Balog is taking his family-owned B Squared Motorsports team on the road with the World of Outlaws for the first time. “The North Pole Nightmare” made his first visit to DIRTcar Nationals last year and will kick off his 2024 campaign at Volusia.

Freshly turned 16-year-old – Landon Crawley – completes the 2024 rookie class. He’s teamed with Sides Motorsports and ready to take a major step on his racing career. The Benton, AR teenager has impressed behind the wheel of a 360 and joins the nation’s best 410 drivers for 2024.

HEADIN’ SOUTH: The full-time stars of the World of Outlaws will be accompanied by many more of the sport’s top talents in the journey to Florida this week.

Five-time and reigning World of Outlaws champion – Brad Sweet – plans to get his 2024 Sprint Car slate in the States rolling at Volusia. The Kasey Kahne Racing pilot is a six-time World of Outlaws Feature winner at the Barberville, FL oval (second most). The "Big Cat" is also a two-time Big Gator champion (2016 & 2020).

A handful of competitors that took part in Volusia’s Southern Sprint Car Shootout (SSCS) two weeks ago plan to return for DIRTcar Nationals. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (Sunnyvale, TX), Austin McCarl (Altoona, IA), and Ryan Timms (Oklahoma City, OK) were all victorious during the event, and the entire trio aims for more trips to Volusia Victory Lane this week. Justin Peck (Monrovia, IN) and Danny Dietrich (Gettysburg, PA) were also present at the Sprint Car Shootout and will be back in action.

Many more are expected to fill the Volusia pit area this week including Spencer Bayston (Lebanon, IN), Brian Brown (Grain Valley, MO), Anthony Macri (Dillsburg, PA), Corey Day (Clovis, CA), Brent Marks (Myerstown, PA), Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, IN), Zeb Wise (Angola, IN), and more.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE:

WHEN AND WHERE

Wednesday – Saturday, Feb. 7-10 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL

TRACK INFO

Track Record: 12.569s by Paul McMahan on 2-10-11
Online: VolusiaSpeedwayPark.com

SPRINT CAR BIG GATOR CHAMPIONS

2023-Logan Schuchart
2022-David Gravel
2021-Logan Schuchart
2020-Brad Sweet
2019-Daryn Pittman
2018-Donny Schatz
2017-David Gravel
2016-Brad Sweet
2015-Daryn Pittman
2014-Paul McMahan
2013-Daryn Pittman
2012-Sammy Swindell

ON THE INTERNET

World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
X – @WorldofOutlaws
Instagram – @WoOSprint
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsSprintCarSeries
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month

 

 

Fremont Speedway Joins DIRTVision’s Premier Lineup of Weekly Racing

CONCORD, NC (Feb. 2, 2024) – Fremont Speedway is bringing its entire schedule to DIRTVision in 2024, joining fellow iconic Ohio tracks, Attica Raceway Park and Sharon Speedway, on the premier streaming platform.

Weekly racing from the northern Ohio track will be streamed live on DIRTVision, including its marquee Sprint Car events, such as the Rick Ferkel Tribute with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series on May 27 and its Ohio Speedweek race on June 8.

“This is an exciting opportunity to show fans around the world what Fremont Speedway has to offer on a weekly basis, in addition to its national events,” said Rich Farmer, Fremont Speedway promoter. “I’m grateful for everyone at DIRTVision welcoming Fremont to its family of weekly racing, helping fans that can’t make it to the track fell like they’re still there.”

Fremont Speedway, known as “The Track That Action Built,” opened in 1951 and hosted its first touring event on June 6, 1952 – a NASCAR Late Model Sportsman race. The 1/3-mile track has welcomed the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars eight times and featured winners such as Doug Wolfgang, Frankie Kerr, Stevie Smith, Jason Meyers, Donny Schatz and Chad Kemenah.

The Rick Ferkel Tribute on Memorial Day will be the World of Outlaws’ first time back at Fremont since 2016.

Along with the World of Outlaws event, Fremont Speedway will have a robust schedule, featuring Winged and Non-Wing Sprint Cars, Late Models and Midgets. On a weekly basis, the track will have 410 Sprint Cars, 305 Sprint Cars and dirt trucks.

September will feature the richest race in the track's history with the Jim Ford Classic, Sept. 13-14. Saturday's finale will pay $20,000 to win for the 410 Sprint Cars.

“Fremont Speedway is a great addition to our premier lineup of weekly racing and further expands DIRTVision’s catalog of 410 Sprint Car action from across the country,” said Jim Chiappelli, DIRTVision general manager. “We recognize Ohio’s rich racing history and its importance to regional drivers and teams.”

Whether online or through the DIRTVision App, fans can watch every race from Fremont Speedway live with DIRTVision’s annual Platinum FAST Pass.

Fremont Speedway joins DIRTVision’s growing list of premier tracks like Attica Raceway Park, Beaver Dam Raceway, Huset’s Speedway, Jacksonville Speedway, Jackson Motorplex, Knoxville Raceway, Land of Legends Raceway, Millbridge Speedway, Sharon Speedway, Williams Grove Speedway and Volusia Speedway Park. Fans with a FAST PASS subscription can also access every race for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series, Super DIRTcar Series, Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota and DIRTcar Summer Nationals.

 

 

CLASS OF 2024: World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Season Preview

Plenty of interesting stories will begin to unfold when the 2024 season unleashes next week

CONCORD, NC (February 1, 2024) - The 2024 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car campaign is less than a week away from unleashing.

Next week’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals will signal the start of The Greatest Show on Dirt’s 47th season of racing. An 86-race schedule will take the tour to 41 different tracks in 19 states.

A stout roster filled by a Series legend, drivers hungry for a first title, seasoned veterans, drivers on the rise, and more has been assembled for 2024. A diverse group of competitors has created a bevy of storylines that will unfold over the course of the nine-month journey.

The title favorites are clear, but could a 10-time champion return to peak form? Or might last year’s impressive rookie make himself a championship contender in year two? These questions along with many others will be answered over the course of the nine-month 2024 campaign.

GRAVEL’S TIME?: Plenty of eyes will be on David Gravel this year as he assumes the role of the championship favorite in 2024 – by virtue of finishing second in points the last three years.

Gravel has been consistently one of the fastest cars on a nightly basis since teaming with Big Game Motorsports in 2021. The pairing has collected 30 World of Outlaws victories including a Series-high 12 in 2023. Cody Jacobs will continue to turn the wrenches on the Tod Quiring-owned #2 as Gravel aims to secure his first title.

Gravel’s career in its entirety has produced 88 World of Outlaws wins, more than 100 Quick Times, and multiple crown jewel triumphs. A championship would further cement his status as one of the best to ever wheel a Sprint Car.

MACEDO’S MOMENT: The same name has been right behind Gravel in the standings over the last three years. Each time it’s been Carson Macedo possessing the third spot, and he’s also ready to challenge for his first championship.

Macedo and his Jason Johnson Racing crew have established themselves as annual title contenders after partnering the same year as Gravel and Big Game. They boast 29 victories as a team and have tallied the most Quick Times (25) over the past two years.

Philip Dietz remains car owner and crew chief of the #41 as he continues to pursue his late cousin’s dream of a World of Outlaws championship with Macedo in the driver’s seat.

RETURN TO FORM?: Gravel and Macedo may be favorites, but there’s a driver with 10 titles to his name and he’s hungry for an 11th. Donny Schatz is set for his 28th consecutive season with the World of Outlaws and 17th since teaming with Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing.

The Sprint Car legend’s r�sum� speaks for itself – 311 World of Outlaws wins (third most); 11 Knoxville Nationals (second most); six Kings Royals (second most); six National Opens (most); countless other accomplishments.

Consistency hasn’t been in his favor the last few years, but moments of his legendary talent persist every season. The Fargo, ND driver will look to string together an entire campaign for a resurgent rise back to the top.

SOPHOMORE STRIDES: Last year, Giovanni Scelzi delivered one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in World of Outlaws history aboard the KCP Racing #18. And the 22-year-old is hoping to top it with an even better sophomore season.

Scelzi was one of the most consistent drivers in 2023, tallying 48 top 10s on his way to a fourth-place finish in points. The mark tied the highest finish for a rookie in Series history. He’ll be looking to improve in the win and podium columns to present a threat for the championship. The Fresno, CA native’s lone victory of his inaugural season came in June at Beaver Dam Raceway.

All signs point to an improved Year Two. The KCP crew will look slightly different with a new car chief stepping in, but Adam Clark will still call the shots as he enters his second full season as the team’s crew chief.

SHARK RESURGENCE: Four years ago, Logan Schuchart nearly claimed a World of Outlaws title, finishing second by a mere 46 markers in 2020. He’s slipped slightly over the three seasons since, but he’s ready to elevate back into championship consideration in 2024.

Schuchart is entering his 11th year on tour with Shark Racing. The grandson of Bobby Allen has tallied 41 World of Outlaws wins (19th most all-time) including six last season. He also topped the Eldora Million in 2023 to take home the largest payday in Sprint Car history.

The Hanover, PA native has assembled a lengthy r�sum�, but he’s hungry to add a World of Outlaws championship. Schuchart heads into 2024 with team members Lonnie Judy and Brendan Collum returning to the Shark Racing #1S.

#GETAFTERIT: Sheldon Haudenschild slipped to seventh in the 2023 standings after three consecutive finishes of sixth or better including a personal-best fourth in 2020. But he’s confident he and his Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing team are set for a strong 2024.

There’s no denying Haudenschild is one of the most talented drivers capable of incredible feats. One of his three wins last season saw him drive from 16th at Skagit braving an area of the track no other driver tested. It’s all about putting a full season together for the Wooster, OH native.

Haudenschild heads into 2024 as the owner of 34 World of Outlaws victories including at least one in each of the last seven seasons.

JETTIN’ IN YEAR FOUR: Brock Zearfoss will tackle his fourth consecutive season with The Greatest Show on Dirt aboard his family-owned #3Z.

Year three didn’t go according to plan for the “Jonestown Jet.” Zearfoss’ numbers saw a slight dip compared to his rookie and sophomore seasons. But he did put together a handful of strong performances, including a top five effort at US 36 Raceway.

Despite the 2023 woes, Zearfoss is confident he can rise to new heights and make 2024 his best year yet with The Greatest Show on Dirt. He’ll have Todd Berkheimer on the wrenches for the second consecutive season.

BILL’S BACK: A fiery passion for Sprint Car Racing will bring Bill Rose back to the World of Outlaws tour again in 2024. The Plainfield, IN driver is set to take his self-owned #6 on the coast-to-coast journey once again.

The 59-year-old combatted multiple injuries that sidelined him in 2023, but he’s healed up and ready for his fifth consecutive season competing with the nation’s top drivers.

Rose hopes to rekindle his 2012 form that saw him have his best year thus far in World of Outlaws action. The former Interstate Racing Association (IRA) champion posted 10 top-10 finishes that year.

ROOKIE BATTLE: The chase for the 2024 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presents an interesting blend of storylines. Three drivers are set to compete for the coveted honor, and all three have very different circumstances surrounding their entrance to the Series.

Buddy Kofoid leads the trio of contestants. The Penngrove, CA gasser makes one of the most anticipated debut seasons in Series history as he pilots the Roth Motorsports #83 on tour. The 22-year-old enters the year with three wins to his credit along with a Gold Cup prelim victory.

Bill Balog will also be making his maiden voyage on the tour. The 10-time Interstate Racing Association (IRA) champion will take his own B Squared Motorsports #17B on the road full-time. Balog owns one World of Outlaws win at Beaver Dam Raceway in 2016.

Landon Crawley was tabbed as the driver of the Sides Motorsports #7S for 2024. The talented 16-year-old has turned heads in the 360 ranks. Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park will be his first race as a full-timer and his World of Outlaws debut.

The 2024 World of Outlaws campaign kicks off at Volusia Speedway Park’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Feb. 7-10). For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action live on DIRTVision.

 

 

Mounce/Stout Motorsports Taps Oklahomans Jayden Clay, Tyler Edwards for 2024 Xtreme Outlaw Midgets Campaign

CONCORD, NC (Jan. 29, 2024) – Mounce/Stout Motorsports has added two more rookie contenders to its stable for the 2024 Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota season – one at the beginning of his career and the other well into his.

The Tulsa-based team has tapped fellow Oklahoma natives Jayden Clay, 16, of Newcastle, OK, and Tyler Edwards, 30, of Salina, OK, to follow the entire 30-race schedule.

Clay has a deep background in Micro Sprint racing and will make his debut in a Midget at the Xtreme Outlaw Series season opener inside the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin, IL, March 15-16.

“My dad told me, and I immediately said, ‘Yes.’ I’m super excited for it,” Clay said. “I can’t thank (team owners) Jay [Mounce] and Gavin [Stout] enough for this opportunity. It is super cool.”

Edwards has worked as a crew member for many years with several different drivers and teams, including Mounce/Stout Motorsports, in various capacities over the last several seasons. He also brings a resume of part-time Sprint Car and Micro Sprint experience to the table.

“Jay and I are good friends; turned out to be good working buddies too,” Edwards said. “It’s worked out pretty good. That’s kind of what led to this deal too. Jay trusts me with everything, all his equipment already. He knows my driving ability.”

Together, they’ll join forces with Arizonan Ashton Torgerson to make up a three-car squad following the Xtreme Outlaw Series in 2024. Each come with an impressive resume, but none of them have competed on the national Midget scene.

For Mounce and Stout, its exactly the kind of talent they’re looking to foster as they push to grow the next generation in motorsports.

“I think that’s more of it more than anything – just having a passion for Midget racing in general and understanding what it feels like to be the little guy, waiting and hoping and wishing for an opportunity that may never come,” Mounce said. “It’s no longer about how much money you have in your equipment. It’s more about giving the guys the opportunity to showcase what they can do in the seat.”

The Mounce/Stout partnership was founded when former Midget racers Jay Mounce and Gavin Stout came together for the 2019 Chili Bowl Nationals. Mounce was offering to help maintain more cars at his shop in advance of the indoor Midget event, and Stout – in his final Chili Bowl as a driver – took up the offer.

The two went into official team co-ownership that year, strongly built on the principles of leadership and development of the sport’s future. Today, Mounce is most often seen providing the team with his technical expertise – making car setup calls and carrying out various crew member functions on his cars at the track – while Stout works his full-time position as an electrical lineman in Tulsa, providing the team with the resources it needs and coming to the track as his schedule allows.

Young or aged, rookie or experienced – Mounce/Stout Motorsports has taken in drivers at all skill levels and given them a place to develop their abilities, and the same runs true with Clay and Edwards in 2024.

“That’s the coolest part, because everybody remembers where they came from,” Stout said. “Everybody remembers who they got their first win with, who helped them cross that bridge from being just a weekend racer to now being a professional – somebody who’s on the map. That’s the most important thing.”

Clay is the newest face to Midget racing on the team and, like Torgerson, is a continuation of the youthful wave sweeping the national Midget circuit over the past several seasons. While he’s only tested in a Midget thus far, he’s ambitious to get started.

“I feel like there’s going to be a little bit of a learning curve from a Micro to a Midget, but I think the quicker I can get into it and the more races I have, then I’ll be comfortable quicker and get up to speed a lot quicker,” Clay said.

Clay began his career racing in the Junior Sprint and Restricted Micro Sprint classes around his native Oklahoma, favoring Micro Sprint hotspots like Port City Raceway in Tulsa and I-44 Riverside Speedway in Oklahoma City. Since then, he’s been gradually venturing out to new places including tracks in Indiana, Missouri, Illinois, Texas and California during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

“Throttle control and just being around race cars and racing around other people, kind of how you want to be raced and being aggressive,” Clay said of the skills he’s learned. “The Midget series is going to be a big jump in being aggressive and putting your nose in spots that maybe you might be able to, maybe you won’t. Just learning that situation. Micro Sprints have taught me throttle control and how to keep the car underneath me.”

He'll be teammates with the experienced Edwards, who has been around the block in open-wheel racing. Edwards first established a working and friendly relationship with Mounce at 18 years old and has been a childhood friend of Stout. He dipped into Micro Sprint and Sprint Car racing as a driver, but later began to split time being in the seat and on the wrenches, picking up mechanic duties for some open-wheel racing standouts including Dave Darland, Cory Kruseman, Kevin Thomas Jr, and most recently Chase McDermand during his 2023 Xtreme Outlaw Series campaign.

However, his expertise as a crew member will be on the backburner in 2024, as Edwards plans to let Mounce and the other crew members handle setup calls and other mechanical involvement during the program.

“That’s something I’ve also lacked in a lot of the teams I have drove for in the past – I do both,” Edwards said. “I think some nights I’ve struggled because I’ve had to focus on too many things. I don’t just get to focus on the driving part of it. But with this opportunity I think I’ll be able to shine and get better at the driving part of it.”

Edwards has also remained a yearly competitor at the Chili Bowl Nationals in January, once posting a fourth-place finish in a 2012 Prelim Feature. This past Chili Bowl, he again qualified for his Prelim Feature and finished in a D-Main on Saturday in his first outing in his new Mounce/Stout ride. Now that his full-time deal with the team is inked, Edwards is all eyes on the 2024 season.

“I would like to compete for a few wins. That’s the ultimate goal, win a race or two,” Edwards said. “If I can be in the top five in points at the end of the year, I would be extremely happy. But my ultimate goal is to run up front most nights, try not to DNF.”

Despite the age and experience gaps between the team’s new national Midget series rookies – Clay, Edwards and Ashton Torgerson – Mounce is confident in each of their abilities to contend for wins and potentially a points championship with the Xtreme Outlaw Series.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Mounce said. “Ashton hasn’t been in a Midget very much at all. The first time I ever got to work with him is this year at the Chili Bowl. Very nice family; Danny (father) is a very nice guy. He’s given me free reign to basically start from the beginning with Ashton.

“A lot of people don’t know who [Edwards] is, and he is going to be a new face on the scene, so to speak. But he’s going to be one of these guys the younger kids can lean on for advice and have a better understanding of what it’s going to take to be a race car driver at this level.”

Don’t miss Clay and Edwards in their Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota debut – March 15-16 at the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin, IL. If you can’t be there in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

 

 

SHOOTOUT SHOW OUT: Impressive Drive Leads Ryan Timms to Germfree Southern Sprint Car Shootout Crown

Timms builds huge lead and survives late restart to collect $10,000 Volusia payday (Trent Gower Photo)

BARBERVILLE, FL (January 27, 2023) – Last year Ryan Timms impressed by winning night one of the Germfree Southern Sprint Car Shootout in his Volusia Speedway Park debut. But the teenage phenom wanted more in 2024.