OUTLAWS’ BUSINESS TIME HAS ARRIVED

OUTLAWS’ BUSINESS TIME HAS ARRIVED!

For the first time since January, the tenacious travellers of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drik Sprintcar series enjoyed a scheduled weekend off last week, but now it’s back to business.

The Greatest Show on Dirt has five races remaining in 2021, and that sprint to the season-ending chequered flag resumes this Friday night at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, KS for the FVP Platinum Battery Showdown.

As the nights run out and the points grow closer, battles continue to heat up with the top-six in the standings all consumed in their own match up. There’s Brad Sweet and David Gravel fighting for the ultimate crown, Carson Macedo and Donny Schatz battling for a championship podium, Logan Schuchart and Sheldon Haudenschild going at it for the fifth position.

Joining the full-time Outlaws in KCMO will be local Brian Brown, aiming to put the FVP #21 and his sponsors back in victory lane at their own race, which he did during the 2017 FVP Platinum Battery Showdown.

Let’s take a deeper dive into the biggest story lines to follow this week:

BRAD VS DAVID: It’s not over until it’s over, and that’s certainly the case for the 2021 World of Outlaws Championship. The gap between Sweet’s Kasey Kahne Racing #49 and Gravel’s Big Game Motorsports #2 currently stands at 92 points with five shows left. It’s a number that can go both ways, offering a comfortbale cushion if managed properly or presenting a worrisome challenge if anything at all goes wrong over the next three weeks. Undoubtedly, Sweet controls his own destiny, but crazier things have happened before.

If Gravel were to sweep all five remaining races, he would still need Sweet to run 10th or worse in every event to steal the title away. With that being said, any DNF – something Sweet has avoided through 72 races – could drastically alter the outlook and give Gravel upwards of 40+ points in his favor.

The $150,000 cheque that comes with reaching the pinnacle of the World of Outlaws is a nice goal to chase.

When it comes to Lakeside, these two championship contenders are opposities. The Big Cat ruled Kansas City at the 2016 FVP Platinum Battery Showdown and owns a solid 5.5 average finish in eight Outlaw outings at the 4/10-mile oval. In those same eight starts, Gravel has yet to crack the top-five and enters with a 10.8 average finish.

CARSON VS DONNY: A mere four points is all that separates Carson Macedo’s Jason Johnson Racing #41 and Donny Schatz’s Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15 in the battle for third in the championship.

Macedo, of Lemoore, California, has been red-hot at times in his first full season with the Missouri based operation led by Phil & Brooke Dietz. The 25-year-old entered with six wins in his first 173 Series starts, then he teamed with JJR and it took him only 70 races to record 10 wins and a monumental $75,000 score at the National Open.

Schatz, of Fargo, North Dakota has endured more struggles, yet has somehow almost been more consistent than the young Macedo. The 10-time champion has only topped three shows this year, including his historic 300th at Dubuque in June, but does have 42 top-five finishes, almost more than championship leader Brad Sweet.

The duo are separated by four points entering Lakeside, a track that Schatz has conquered in 2015 and 2019. For Macedo, his results at the Kansas facility has been rather different, placing 12th in both appearances when he was with Kyle Larson Racing.

LOGAN VS SHELDON: The closest margin throughout the entire standings can be found in the battle for fifth between Logan Schuchart’s Shark Racing #1S and Sheldon Haudenschild’s Stenhouse Junior/Marshall Racing #17. With five nights left, the pair of 28-year-olds are only two points and one position apart.

After a dismal summer stretch, Schuchart and his Drydene Performance Products crew have found another gear with an average finish of 3.9 in 11 races since September – not counting two innocent crashes that resulted in DNFs. The Hanover, Pennsylvania native has fallen from a championship challener in 2020 to racing for fifth this year, but don’t let the numbers fool you, he’s the first to point out that Shark Racing is actually better than they’ve ever been.

For Haudenschild, the Wooster, Ohio native has already established career-highs in wins (8), top-fives (34), top-10s (51), and laps led (293). If it weren’t for all of the ill-timed incidents, Lil’ Haud is most definitely a championship contender aboard the NOS Energy Drink #17.

Both young stars have shown signs of brilliance at Lakeside as both have multiple podium finishes at the speedway. A victory for either would mark their first-ever win at the track and secure the fifth spot in points with four shows remaining.

DIDN’T TAKE LONG: Spencer Bayston and CJB Motorsports will enter Lakeside as the most recent World of Outlaws winner, scoring a statement $15,000 win at Port Royal on October 9 in only their fourth start together. It could be a sign of things to come as the 23-year-old pilot and the Carlisle, PA team have already announced their intentions to join the Series full-time in 2022.

The Lebanon, Indiana native is one of 12 drivers with multiple World of Outlaws wins this year, both being the first two of his career. He’ll chase a third score on Friday night at Lakeside, a track the former USAC National Midget superstar has yet to encounter with a sprint car.

BROWNIE POINTS: Grain Valley, MO’s Brian Brown will lead the charge for the locals and his sponsors in Friday’s FVP Platinum Battery Showdown.

The driver of the FVP Parts, Casey’s General Stores #21 earned one of his five career World of Outlaws wins at Lakeside in 2017, the first year of the FVP Platinum Battery Showdown.

With legend and uncle Danny Lasoski on the wrenches, Brownie has found a bit of extra speed in 2021 with 29 Series starts and 11 top-10 finishes under his belt. The 43-year-old veteran is one of only four drivers to lead laps every year over the last decade, a list that includes full-timers Donny Schatz, Brad Sweet, and David Gravel.

This Week at a Glance – When and Where

Friday, October 22 at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, KS

Around the Turn: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series prepare for a Halloween weekend doubleheader with dates at Lawton (OK) Speedway on Friday, October 29 and Devil’s Bowl (TX) Speedway on Saturday, October 30. After that, #AllDirtRoads lead to The Dirt Track at Charlotte (NC) for the NGK/NTK World Finals on November 4-6.

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (14 Drivers):

16 wins – Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #49
10 wins – David Gravel, Big Game Motorsports #2
10 wins – Carson Macedo, Jason Johnson Racing #41
8 wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing #17
6 wins – Logan Schuchart, Shark Racing #1S
4 wins – Kyle Larson, Silva Motorsports #57
4 wins – Aaron Reutzel, Roth Motorsports #83
3 wins – Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15
3 wins – Kerry Madsen, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #14
2 wins – James McFadden, Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #9
2 wins – Brent Marks, Brent Marks Racing #19
1 win – Spencer Bayston, Sam McGhee Motorsports #11 / CJB Motorsports #5
1 win – Dave Blaney, Dave Blaney #10
1 win – Tyler Courtney, Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC

TOP TEN POINT STANDINGS: Brad Sweet 9910; David Gravel 9818; Carson Macedo 9748; Donny Schatz 9744; Logan Schuchart 9608; Sheldon Haudenschild 9606; James McFadden 9188; Kraig Kinser 8782; Brock Zearfoss 8528; Jacob Allen 8230.