Shane Stewart Inherits Lead Goes On For Sixth ’17 WoO Sprint Win At Skagit

Story By: ANTHONY CORINI / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – ALGER, WA – Brad Sweet led the first eight laps before getting together with a slower car and collecting second place running Daryn Pittman. Shane Stewart assumed the lead and never looked back, scoring his sixth win of the 2017 season. Jason Johnson and Jac Haudenschild completed the podium on Night 1 of the Outlaw Energy Showdown at Skagit Speedway with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Cars.

With an inversion of six, Sweet and Kraig Kinser shared the front row of the Craftsman Club Dash. In an action-packed event Sweet powered around Kinser earning the pole position for the 30-lap Feature.

In the Feature, Sweet was strong early as was his Kasey Kahne Racing teammate, Pittman. Pittman made his bid for the lead on the backstretch of the eighth circuit but Sweet muscled back ahead to lead the lap.

The following lap, off of turn four, a chain reaction sent the slower car of Austen Wheatley into the front end of Brad Sweet’s Ollie’s Bargain Outlet No. 49 ultimately sending the car down the track into his teammate Pittman. Pittman and Clyde Knipp, who was also a lapped down, had nowhere to go on the tight 3/10th mile racing surface.

Both Pittman and Sweet were able to make repairs and return to the rear of the field. Shane Stewart, who was just inches away from being collected as well, assumed the lead with Kinser, Jason Johnson and Jac Haudenschild in tow. ‘The Wild Child’ used a great restart on the top to shoot into the runner-up position and begin chasing down Stewart for the lead.

A pair of double-file restarts, for cautions on lap 10 and 18 respectively, gave Haudenschild a chance for the lead but the Wooster, Ohio veteran couldn’t get close enough to mount a serious challenge. With seven to go, Haudenschild took a chance ultimately opening the door for Johnson to squeeze by for second.

A yellow with five to go gave the field one last chance to steal the win from Stewart. To no avail as the Bixby, OK native piloted the Larson/Marks Racing No.2 to Victory Lane for the sixth time in 2017. Johnson, who has never finished worse than fourth at Skagit, settled for second with Haudenschild scoring a strong podium finish in the Stenhouse Jr./Wood Racing No. 17. Donny Schatz and Jac’s son, Sheldon, completed the top five. Greg Wilson picked up KSE Hard Charger honors coming from 14th to sixth. Pittman and Sweet made it back forward to tenth and 12th, respectively.

The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to the Skagit Speedway Saturday evening for the conclusion of the Outlaw Energy Showdown. For more information and a link to purchase tickets, click here.

RACE RESULTS FROM : Skagit Speedway – September 1, 2017

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2-Shane Stewart [4]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [5]; 3. 17-Jac Haudenschild [6]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [7]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [10]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [14]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2]; 8. 5-David Gravel [8]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [11]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [3]; 11. 4-Paul McMahan [17]; 12. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [21]; 14. 1A-Jacob Allen [19]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [9]; 16. 35-Jamie Veal [12]; 17. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [15]; 18. 59-Eric Fisher [20]; 19. 44W-Austen Wheatley [22]; 20. 18S-Jason Solwold [16]; 21. 21P-Robbie Price [18]; 22. 26-Tayler Malsam [13]; 23. 13-Clyde Knipp [24]; 24. 11EH-Marc Duperron [23]; Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-8, Shane Stewart 9-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: W20-Greg Wilson[+8]

Qualifying: 1. 2-Shane Stewart, 10.894; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.062; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.108; 4. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 11.118; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.123; 6. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.162; 7. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.202; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.263; 9. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.266; 10. 26-Tayler Malsam, 11.312; 11. 5-David Gravel, 11.321; 12. 35-Jamie Veal, 11.328; 13. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.334; 14. 4-Paul McMahan, 11.365; 15. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 11.422; 16. 18S-Jason Solwold, 11.442; 17. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.451; 18. 44W-Austen Wheatley, 11.467; 19. 59-Eric Fisher, 11.473; 20. 19-Brent Marks, 11.548; 21. 13-Clyde Knipp, 11.55; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.614; 23. 11EH-Marc Duperron, 11.677; 24. 21P-Robbie Price, 11.789; 25. 5X-Brian Boswell, 12.614

Heat #1 (10 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer: 1. 17-Jac Haudenschild [2]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [1]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [5]; 5. 26-Tayler Malsam [4]; 6. 18S-Jason Solwold [6]; 7. 59-Eric Fisher [7]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 9. 5X-Brian Boswell [9]

Heat #2 (10 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer: 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [1]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2]; 3. 5-David Gravel [4]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3]; 5. W20-Greg Wilson [6]; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [5]; 7. 19-Brent Marks [7]; 8. 11EH-Marc Duperron [8]

Heat #3 (10 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer: 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [2]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [3]; 4. 35-Jamie Veal [4]; 5. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [5]; 6. 21P-Robbie Price [8]; 7. 44W-Austen Wheatley [6]; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [7]

Craftsman Club Dash (8 Laps): 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [5]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [3]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [4]; 6. 17-Jac Haudenschild [6]

Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer: 1. 1A-Jacob Allen [5]; 2. 59-Eric Fisher [2]; 3. 19-Brent Marks [3]; 4. 44W-Austen Wheatley [1]; 5. 11EH-Marc Duperron [6]; 6. 13-Clyde Knipp [4]; 7. 5X-Brian Boswell [7]

CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Marc Duperron; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): David Gravel; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Extended Stay America ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; Super Flow ($50 cash): Jacob Allen; Craftsman Club ($100 cash): Brad Sweet, Kraig Kinser, Daryn Pittman, Shane Stewart, Jason Johnson; Sears ($100): N/A; KSE Hard Charger: Greg Wilson; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Shane Stewart; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jamie Veal; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Clyde Knipp.