Daryn Pittman Scores Third Win In Four WoO Starts With Devil’s Bowl Triumph

Story By: ANTHONY CORINI / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – MESQUITE, TX – Daryn Pittman is on a roll. The Owasso, OK native earned his third win in his last four World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series starts on the opening night of the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. Logan Schuchart scored his best finish of the season in second with Jason Johnson completing the podium.

The night started off with a bang with Jason Johnson breaking a 19-year old Devil’s Bowl track record in Qualifying with a lap of 13.306. Daryn Pittman won the Craftsman Club Dash, earning the pole for the 25-lap Feature.

Pittman led the opening circuit, but it was fourth-starting Jason Johnson that brought the crowd to their feet charging from fourth to the lead on the second lap only for it to be negated for a caution for Ryan Robinson. Pittman saw Johnson utilize the cushion and elected the top on the double-file restart. Johnson restarted third with Schuchart alongside Pittman on the front row.

Pittman established a healthy lead as Johnson followed suit around the cushion. With the top of the speedway clearly the preferred line, lapped traffic was stacking up in front of Pittman, allowing the rest of the field to close in on the Kasey Kahne Racing No.9. Just as Johnson was ready to make a bid for the lead on Lap 13, the Yellow Flag flew for Texan Channin Tankersley.

The caution cleared Pittman of traffic and gave him an open track, which was essential given the racing surface. The double-file restart allowed Schuchart to roll by Johnson around the top for the second spot. Pittman would approach traffic one more time in the closing laps, allowing Schuchart and Johnson to close the gap to under a second at the finish. It was Pittman’s 75th career World of Outlaws victory.

“I knew the place to be was going to be on the top, I just didn’t know that it was going to be on Lap 2. We obviously got real lucky there with the caution,” Pittman said in Victory Lane. “This car is a lot of fun to drive right now. It speaks volumes to the progress this Ionomy team has made this season, we have gone from the lowest of lows to this.

Pittman wasn’t the only one fired up with the victory as his crew chief Justin Adams was pumped up to win at the historic facility, “I’ve never won at Devil’s Bowl before. This is bad ass.”

“I got one of my first Outlaw wins here back in 2000. I’ve got a lot of friends and family here and it is even better to see them in Victory Lane,” Pittman added.

When asked about the untimely cautions, Jason Johnson, despite finishing third, was in good spirits, “That’s racing. Devil’s Bowl is one of my favorite tracks and it’s an honor to be able to run up front here with the World of Outlaws.”

Logan Schuchart had his best outing of the 2018 season and was pleased his Shark Racing No.1S all night. “We’ve always had speed here, the driver just needs to his job,” Schuchart said with a smile before referencing the big pay day tomorrow night.

Donny Schatz finished fourth with Brad Sweet completing the top five. Pittman’s car owner Kasey Kahne was strong all night coming home in sixth.

The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series return to action at Devil’s Bowl Speedway tomorrow, Saturday, April 28, 2018. The 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Series will pay $20,000 to the winner of the Feature, if you can’t make it to the track DIRTVision.com is your one stop shop for live streaming of the World of Outlaws!

Feature (25 Laps): 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [1][$8,000]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2][$4,000]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [4][$2,500]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$2,200]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [8][$2,100]; 6. 4K-Kasey Kahne [5][$2,000]; 7. 18-Ian Madsen [7][$1,800]; 8. 5-David Gravel [9][$1,600]; 9. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [14][$1,500]; 10. 2-Shane Stewart [6][$1,300]; 11. 19-Brent Marks [10][$1,200]; 12. 83-Cory Eliason [17][$1,100]; 13. 45-Paul McMahan [11][$1,000]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [15][$700]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [16][$600]; 16. 7S-Jason Sides [13][$600]; 17. 1A-Jacob Allen [12][$600]; 18. 13-Clyde Knipp [20][$600]; 19. 67K-Tucker Klaasmeyer [19][$600]; 20. 67-Ryan Robinson [18][$600]; 21. 17G-Channin Tankersley [21][$600]; 22. OO-Dane Lorenc [22][$600]; 23. 12W-Dale Wester [23][$600] Lap Leaders: Daryn Pittman 1-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[+5]

Qualifying: 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.306; 2. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.376; 3. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.705; 4. 4K-Kasey Kahne, 13.707; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.789; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.814; 7. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.835; 8. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.949; 9. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.951; 10. 67K-Tucker Klaasmeyer, 13.997; 11. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.005; 12. 67-Ryan Robinson, 14.012; 13. 18-Ian Madsen, 14.021; 14. 45-Paul McMahan, 14.097; 15. 5-David Gravel, 14.131; 16. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.175; 17. 83-Cory Eliason, 14.179; 18. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.181; 19. 19-Brent Marks, 14.385; 20. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.39; 21. 17G-Channin Tankersley, 14.422; 22. OO-Dane Lorenc, 14.526; 23. 12W-Dale Wester, NT