Brad Sweet Sweeps WoO Sprint Night #1 At Calistoga

Story By: ANTHONY CORINI / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – CALISTOGA, CA – California native Brad Sweet swept the program on Night 1 of the Wine Country Outlaw Showdown at Calistoga Speedway. Sweet passed Rico Abreu on lap three and withstood a charge from Abreu in lapped traffic to pick up his fifth win of the Season. Abreu was light at the scales after running out of fuel. 13th starting Logan Schuchart finished second with Shane Stewart completing the podium.

Sweet actually took the lead from Abreu on lap two but a caution flag gave the lead back to the Abreu Vineyards No.24. Sweet dove to the inside of Abreu to officially lead lap three and while he statistically led the rest of the way, it was not easy. Heavy lapped traffic allowed Abreu to pull side by side with Sweet on lap 11. Sweet would clear a lapped car and re-extend his lead. While Abreu stayed within striking distance for much of the race, Sweet was able to capture his fifth win of the season.

“I just tried to get through lapped traffic as good as I could. I knew Rico would be charging,” Sweet said upon exiting his Ollie’s Bargain Outlet No.49. “We have a lot of podiums, it’s nice to be on the top step tonight where this team belongs,” he added.

Numerous cautions, including one for fifth place running Kyle Hirst, led to a handful of teams running out of fuel coming to the finish. World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series officials allocated for 60 combined green/yellow flag laps before a fuel stop and that is exactly how many laps the teams ran as they took the checkered. One more caution would have forced a fuel stop. Abreu, who crossed the line second, was one of the teams that was out of fuel and subsequently his No. 24 was light at the scales. David Gravel, who was running in the top five all race, was another competitor to slow on the final lap.

Logan Schuchart charged forward from his 13th starting position to finish second officially, “This Shark Racing team did a great job giving me a fast car. It was a lot of fun,” Schuchart, who also came forward four positions in his heat race, said.

Gold Cup Champion Shane Stewart finished on the podium once again and was quick to thank his Larson/Marks team for their continued hard work.

Donny Schatz battled issues all night. He did not run hot laps, time trials and limped through his heat race before switching to a backup car for the Last Chance Showdown, where he came from ninth to fourth. Schatz muscled his way through the field in the early stages, cracking the top ten (from 22nd) in under five laps. The eight-time Series champion crossed the line fourth. Daryn Pittman completed the all World of Outlaws top five.

Kraig Kinser, 20th starting Bud Kaeding, 23rd starting Brent Marks, Jamie Veal and Jason Johnson completed the top ten.

The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to the Calistoga Speedway Saturday night for the completion of the Wine Country Outlaw Showdown. Once again, DIRTVision.com will have live video coverage of the event.

RACE RESULTS FROM : Calistoga Speedway – September 15, 2017

Feature (25 Laps) – 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1][$8,000]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [13][$4,000]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3][$2,500]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [22][$2,200]; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman [10][$2,100]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8][$2,000]; 7. O-Bud Kaeding [20][$1,800]; 8. 19-Brent Marks [23][$1,600]; 9. 35-Jamie Veal [11][$1,500]; 10. 41-Jason Johnson [5][$1,300]; 11. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$1,200]; 12. 83-Kyle Hirst [9][$1,100]; 13. 4-Paul McMahan [12][$1,000]; 14. 7S-Jason Sides [6][$700]; 15. 20-Cory Eliason [15][$600]; 16. 3C-DJ Netto [18][$600]; 17. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [14][$600]; 18. 5-David Gravel [4][$600]; 19. 44W-Austen Wheatley [19][$600]; 20. 29-Willie Croft [17][$600]; 21. 68-Chase Johnson [24][$600]; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$600]; 23. 17-Jac Haudenschild [7][$600]; 24. 24-Rico Abreu [2][$600]; Lap Leaders: Rico Abreu 1-2, Brad Sweet 3-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz[+18]

Qualifying: 1. 49-Brad Sweet, 16.353; 2. 2-Shane Stewart, 16.368; 3. 44W-Austen Wheatley, 16.388; 4. 5-David Gravel, 16.389; 5. 24-Rico Abreu, 16.434; 6. 7S-Jason Sides, 16.447; 7. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 16.463; 8. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 16.528; 9. 41-Jason Johnson, 16.53; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman, 16.533; 11. 35-Jamie Veal, 16.578; 12. 83-Kyle Hirst, 16.642; 13. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 16.673; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 16.68; 15. 4-Paul McMahan, 16.758; 16. O-Bud Kaeding, 16.812; 17. 1A-Jacob Allen, 16.826; 18. 3C-DJ Netto, 16.828; 19. 19-Brent Marks, 16.84; 20. 29-Willie Croft, 16.983; 21. 20-Cory Eliason, 17.08; 22. 68-Chase Johnson, 17.127; 23. W20-Greg Wilson, 17.158; 24. 13-Clyde Knipp, 17.212; 25. 1S-Logan Schuchart, NT; 26. 15-Donny Schatz, NT; 27. 98-Sean Watts, 17.425

Heat #1 (8 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer: 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 5-David Gravel [2]; 3. 17-Jac Haudenschild [3]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [4]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [9]; 6. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [5]; 7. O-Bud Kaeding [6]; 8. 68-Chase Johnson [8]; 9. 19-Brent Marks [7]

Heat #2 (8 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer: 1. 24-Rico Abreu [2]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [1]; 3. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5]; 4. 35-Jamie Veal [4]; 5. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [3]; 6. 29-Willie Croft [7]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [6]; 8. W20-Greg Wilson [8]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz [9]

Heat #3 (8 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer: 1. 7S-Jason Sides [2]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [3]; 3. 83-Kyle Hirst [4]; 4. 4-Paul McMahan [5]; 5. 20-Cory Eliason [7]; 6. 3C-DJ Netto [6]; 7. 44W-Austen Wheatley [1]; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]; 9. 98-Sean Watts [9]

Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps): 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu [2]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [5]; 4. 5-David Gravel [4]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [6]; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [3]

Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer 1. 44W-Austen Wheatley [1][-]; 2. O-Bud Kaeding [2][-]; 3. 1A-Jacob Allen [3][-]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [8][-]; 5. 19-Brent Marks [4][-]; 6. 68-Chase Johnson [5][-]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [6][$300]; 8. 98-Sean Watts [9][$250]; 9. 13-Clyde Knipp [7][$225]

CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Jac Haudenschild; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Brent Marks; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Jamie Veal; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Extended Stay America ($50 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Super Flow ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Craftsman Club ($100 cash): Brad Sweet, Shane Stewart, David Gravel, Jason Johnson, Jason Sides; Sears ($100): Rico Abreu; KSE Hard Charger: Donny Schatz; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate: Brad Sweet; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jac Haudenschild; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jacob Allen