Story & Video: Schatz Reaches 20-Win Plateau For Fifth Straight Year With WoO Sprint Win At World Finals
Story By: ANTHONY CORINI / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – CONCORD, NC – No matter who is in the pits, it’s tough to bet against Donny Schatz.
That proved true on Night Two of the Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as Schatz bested a stout field of 53 cars from across the world to win his 20th World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Feature of 2017. Ian Madsen and 10th-starting Dave Blaney completed the podium.
The 2017 IRA Champion, Bill Balog, grabbed the early lead from fellow front row starter, Ian Madsen. Balog, a one-time World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Winner in his career, led the first nine laps of the Feature before extremely heavy lapped traffic slowed his torrid pace. Balog was stalked by the Madsen Brothers in the early going, but it was Donny Schatz that made a three-wide pass for the lead down the backstretch to lead lap 10.
As Balog went high to navigate the lapped cars, Schatz made a jaw-dropping move. The, now nine-time, Series Champion glued his car to the bottom to work by Balog, Kerry Madsen and the lapped car of Parker Price-Miller off of turn two for the lead.
The ensuing restart saw Ian Madsen maneuver his way back into the runner-up position. The Australian actually closed significantly on Schatz for the lead, coming as close as a car-length back of the Tony Stewart Racing No. 15.
With six laps remaining, Daryn Pittman’s top five run came to an end due to a flat tire. This set up a double-file restart with Ian to the outside of Schatz. Schatz got a brilliant restart and paced the field comfortably the final six circuits to score the victory.
The first thing Schatz mentioned in Victory Lane was the outstanding World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Feature that was held beforehand. “That [Feature] was pretty cool to watch. It got me motivated to get it done as well,” Schatz, who is doing double-duty this weekend, said.
“My team has worked awful hard lately. We’ve been stuck on 19 wins for a long time, so it was great to finally reach 20. It sucks the season is over, because we are rolling right now,” Schatz added. Tonight’s win marked the fifth consecutive season that Schatz has won at least 20 Features.
Ian Madsen, the 2017 Knoxville Raceway Track Champion, finished second with 1995 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Champion, Dave Blaney coming from 10th to complete the podium.
“It’s pretty cool to be able to run up front with these guys. I thought we had a shot for the lead a couple of times. It was a lot of fun out there,” Madsen said. Schatz echoed Madsen’s statement about the track conditions, “I thought the track would rubber up, but it really cleaned off and made it a lot of fun as a driver.”
Blaney cited restarts being a focal point to his success on the evening. “The car really took off on the starts and restarts. Going forward in the Heat Races is very important with this format,” the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Member said.
Kerry Madsen and Joey Saldana completed the top five. Balog, 20th-starting Logan Schuchart, Jason Johnson, 25th-starting Brad Sweet and Tim Shaffer completed the top ten. Sweet’s effort was good enough to earn KSE Hard Charger Honors.
The 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series concludes tomorrow with the finale of the Textron Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway. If you can’t make it to the track, be sure to tune in to DIRTVision.com for LIVE VIDEO of all the action!
Results from The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway – November 3, 2017
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$12,000]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [1][$5,500]; 3. 71M-Dave Blaney [10][$3,200]; 4. 2M-Kerry Madsen [4][$2,800]; 5. 71-Joey Saldana [5][$2,500]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog [2][$2,300]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart [20][$2,200]; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [12][$2,100]; 9. 49-Brad Sweet [25][$1,050]; 10. 49X-Tim Shaffer [9][$2,000]; 11. 13M-Paul McMahan [11][$1,500]; 12. 21-Brian Brown [19][$1,200]; 13. 12N-Cole Duncan [23][$1,100]; 14. 2-Shane Stewart [15][$1,050]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [28][$]; 16. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [26][$]; 17. 5-David Gravel [7][$1,000]; 18. 3-Sammy Swindell [16][$1,000]; 19. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [6][$1,000]; 20. 17-Jac Haudenschild [29][$]; 21. 14-Tony Stewart [18][$1,000]; 22. 9-Daryn Pittman [8][$1,000]; 23. 44-Trey Starks [13][$1,000]; 24. 11K-Kraig Kinser [24][$1,000]; 25. 24-Terry McCarl [14][$1,000]; 26. 19-Brent Marks [27][$]; 27. 59-Ryan Smith [22][$1,000]; 28. 4-Parker Price-Miller [30][$]; 29. 15H-Sam Hafertepe [21][$1,000]; 30. W20-Greg Wilson [17][$1,000]; Lap Leaders: Bill Balog 1-9, Donny Schatz 10-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 49-Brad Sweet[+16]
Qualifying Flight-A: 1. 5-David Gravel, 12.53; 2. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.584; 3. 71-Joey Saldana, 12.592; 4. 44-Trey Starks, 12.597; 5. 13M-Paul McMahan, 12.605; 6. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.663; 7. 49X-Tim Shaffer, 12.681; 8. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.681; 9. 18-Ian Madsen, 12.694; 10. 19P-Paige Polyak, 12.707; 11. 21-Brian Brown, 12.714; 12. 59-Ryan Smith, 12.72; 13. 12N-Cole Duncan, 12.767; 14. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 12.768; 15. 39-Spencer Bayston, 12.812; 16. 7S-Jason Sides, 12.841; 17. 19-Brent Marks, 12.874; 18. 27-Greg Hodnett, 12.881; 19. 1A-Jacob Allen, 12.889; 20. 49K-Scott Kreutter, 12.923; 21. 3G-Carson Macedo, 12.927; 22. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 13.053; 23. 5B-Justin Barger, 13.175; 24. 7KX-Dan Shetler, 13.176; 25. OO-Dane Lorenc, 13.619; 26. 27G-Jay Galloway, 13.707
Qualifying Flight-B: 1. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.551; 2. 71M-Dave Blaney, 12.558; 3. 17B-Bill Balog, 12.646; 4. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 12.649; 5. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 12.67; 6. 41-Jason Johnson, 12.671; 7. 15H-Sam Hafertepe, 12.696; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.728; 9. 13D-Danny Dietrich, 12.752; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.774; 11. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.789; 12. 14-Tony Stewart, 12.826; 13. 7K-Cale Conley, 12.856; 14. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.867; 15. 7J-Chad Kemenah, 12.87; 16. 24-Terry McCarl, 12.873; 17. 17X-Josh Baughman, 12.89; 18. 13-Clyde Knipp, 12.946; 19. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 12.977; 20. 3-Sammy Swindell, 12.978; 21. 17C-Caleb Helms, 12.984; 22. 14X-Coleman Gulick, 13.081; 23. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, 13.115; 24. 47-Eric Riggins, 13.366; 25. 12W-Troy Fraker, 13.717; 26. 91-Sadie Siegel, 13.914; 27. 822-John Price, NT
Heat #1 – Flight (A) (8 Laps) – Top 3 Transfer: 1. 5-David Gravel [1]; 2. 49X-Tim Shaffer [3]; 3. 44-Trey Starks [2]; 4. 12N-Cole Duncan [5]; 5. 49D-Shawn Dancer [8]; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [6]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [7]; 8. 19P-Paige Polyak [4]; 9. OO-Dane Lorenc [9]
Heat #2 – Flight (A) (8 Laps) – Top 3 Transfer: 1. 13M-Paul McMahan [2]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [1]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3]; 4. 21-Brian Brown [4]; 5. 17-Jac Haudenschild [5]; 6. 19-Brent Marks [6]; 7. 5B-Justin Barger [8]; 8. 27G-Jay Galloway [9]; 9. 49K-Scott Kreutter [7]
Heat #3 – Flight (A) (8 Laps) – Top 3 Transfer: 1. 71-Joey Saldana [1]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [3]; 3. W20-Greg Wilson [2]; 4. 3G-Carson Macedo [7]; 5. 27-Greg Hodnett [6]; 6. 39-Spencer Bayston [5]; 7. 59-Ryan Smith [4]; 8. 7KX-Dan Shetler [8]
Heat #4 – Flight (B) (8 Laps) – Top 3 Transfer: 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [1]; 2. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [2]; 3. 24-Terry McCarl [6]; 4. 15H-Sam Hafertepe [3]; 5. 7K-Cale Conley [5]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [4]; 7. 4-Parker Price-Miller [7]; 8. 14X-Coleman Gulick [8]; 9. 12W-Troy Fraker [9]
Heat #5 – Flight (B) (8 Laps) – Top 3 Transfer: 1. 71M-Dave Blaney [1]; 2. 2M-Kerry Madsen [2]; 3. 3-Sammy Swindell [7]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [4]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [5]; 7. 17X-Josh Baughman [6]; 8. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [8]; 9. 91-Sadie Siegel [9]
Heat #6 – Flight (B) (8 Laps) – Top 3 Transfer: 1. 41-Jason Johnson [2]; 2. 17B-Bill Balog [1]; 3. 14-Tony Stewart [4]; 4. 13D-Danny Dietrich [3]; 5. 7J-Chad Kemenah [5]; 6. 13-Clyde Knipp [6]; 7. 47-Eric Riggins [8]; 8. 822-John Price [9]; 9. 17C-Caleb Helms [7]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps): 1. 18-Ian Madsen [1]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [2]; 3. 71-Joey Saldana [4]; 4. 5-David Gravel [6]; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer [3]; 6. 13M-Paul McMahan [5]
Craftsman Club Dash (6 Laps): 1. 17B-Bill Balog [1]; 2. 2M-Kerry Madsen [2]; 3. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [3]; 4. 9-Daryn Pittman [6]; 5. 71M-Dave Blaney [5]; 6. 41-Jason Johnson [4]
C-Main (10 Laps) – Top 2 Transfer: 1. 27-Greg Hodnett [1][-]; 2. 49D-Shawn Dancer [9][-]; 3. 4-Parker Price-Miller [6][$150]; 4. 3G-Carson Macedo [7][$150]; 5. 17X-Josh Baughman [2][$150]; 6. 13-Clyde Knipp [4][$125]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [3][$125]; 8. 47-Eric Riggins [14][$125]; 9. OO-Dane Lorenc [15][$125]; 10. 7KX-Dan Shetler [13][$125]; 11. 27G-Jay Galloway [17][$125]; 12. 822-John Price [19][$125]; 13. 14X-Coleman Gulick [10][$125]; 14. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [12][$125]; 15. 17C-Caleb Helms [8][$125]; 16. 49K-Scott Kreutter [5][$125]; 17. 5B-Justin Barger [11][$125]; 18. 12W-Troy Fraker [16][$125]; 19. 91-Sadie Siegel [18][$125]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer: 1. 21-Brian Brown [3][-]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [4][-]; 3. 15H-Sam Hafertepe [2][-]; 4. 59-Ryan Smith [5][-]; 5. 12N-Cole Duncan [7][-]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [8][-]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides [13][$300]; 8. 49-Brad Sweet [14][$250]; 9. 17-Jac Haudenschild [9][$225]; 10. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [10][$200]; 11. 13D-Danny Dietrich [6][$200]; 12. 7J-Chad Kemenah [16][$200]; 13. 39-Spencer Bayston [11][$200]; 14. 19-Brent Marks [15][$200]; 15. 49D-Shawn Dancer [18][$200]; 16. 7K-Cale Conley [12][$200]; 17. 19P-Paige Polyak [1][$200]; 18. 27-Greg Hodnett [17][$200]
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignition ($25 cash): Kraig Kinser; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Extended Stay America ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Brian Brown; Super Flow ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; Craftsman Club ($100 cash): David Gravel, Jason Johnson, Daryn Pittman; Sears ($100): Ian Madsen; KSE Hard Charger: Brad Sweet; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate: Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Sheldon Haudneschild and Daryn Pittman
