Donny Schatz Rallies 15 Positions For Top-Ten At Bakersfield

Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / TONY STEWART RACING – BROWNSBURG, IN – Nine-time and defending World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion, Donny Schatz, displayed perseverance during his visit to Bakersfield Speedway with the Greatest Show On Dirt on Saturday evening, earning not only a top-ten finish, but doing so from the eleventh row.

Schatz, pilot of the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing/Textron Off Road/Ford Performance/Curb Records/Sage Fruit/No. 15 winged sprint car, finished sixth at the Bakersfield bullring, climbing 15 positions in 35 laps to record his seventh World of Outlaws top-ten finish in eight starts. The Fargo, N.D., native qualified for the $10,000-to-win main event by winning the Last Chance Showdown, forced to enter the 12-lap consolation race after finishing sixth during his respective heat race. Schatz started the evening by recording the fourth fastest time overall during qualifying time trials.

Despite starting near the back of the field, Schatz made progress in a hurry, mastering all lanes of the slick, but racey Bakersfield Speedway surface. Already within striking distance, a late caution with six laps remaining helped set up Schatz’s top-ten surge, climbing from 11th at the caution break to finish sixth, officially. The climb was enough to solidify the KSE Hard Charger Award.

“This just goes to show what this team is capable of doing. My team gave me a great car and we were able to make some progress despite starting that far back,” Donny Schatz explained. “The night didn’t start out the way we would have liked it, but we bounced back and earned a top-ten. You have to take your time and be patient on a surface like that. You never want to panic and put yourself in bad situations. We’ll take this and move on to the next one.”

Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart Racing will have Easter weekend off before returning to World of Outlaws competition on Saturday, April 7, for the Arizona Desert Shootout at Arizona Speedway in Queen City, Arizona. Schatz, who is the current World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series point leader, finished sixth during his Arizona Speedway start in 2017, advancing from row five to do so.