Donny Schatz Fifth At Beaver Dam; Knoxville Doubleheader Up Next

Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / TONY STEWART RACING – BROWNSBURG, IN – Although his weekend schedule was cut short by Mother Nature, losing a night of action scheduled for Friday, June 22, at Farley (Iowa) Speedway, Fargo, North Dakota’s Donny Schatz managed to make the best of his recent weekend of World of Outlaws competition, ultimately clinching his 22nd top-five finish of the 2018 season and doing so from the inside of row five.

Schatz, pilot of the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing/Textron Off Road/Ford Performance/Curb Records/Sage Fruit/No. 15 sprint car, finished fifth on Saturday night during a visit to Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Forced to start ninth by way of heat race finish (third), Schatz battled his way forward on a narrow, but fast 1/3-mile oval, eventually advancing four spots to clinch fifth at the final checkers.

“The weather hasn’t exactly been our friend this season,” Donny Schatz said of the Farley Speedway cancellation. “At least we were able to salvage the weekend and earn a top-five at Beaver Dam. All we can do now is turn our focus toward Knoxville. We have a big weekend ahead of us.”

Jason Johnson, a full-time World of Outlaws competitor, was involved in a crash during main event action at Beaver Dam Raceway. After being airlifted to a nearby hospital, Johnson would succumb from injuries related to the incident.

“Truly at a loss for words after a humbling reminder that life can change in an instant. Proud to have called Jason a Chili Bowl teammate as well as a friend.”

Up next on the schedule, Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart Racing will continue their 2018 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series campaign with a pair of stops at the Sprint Car Capital of the World. Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, will host the Outlaws on Friday and Saturday, June 29-30, for the two-day Brownells Big Guns Bash; a perfect test session for the upcoming Knoxville Nationals in August. Schatz is certainly no stranger to competition at the famed Knoxville Raceway, claiming ten Knoxville Nationals championships over the course of his storied career, most recently scoring the $150,000 top prize in 2017.