Donny Schatz Consistent In Pevely; 58th Annual Knoxville Nationals Next
Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / TONY STEWART RACING – BROWNSBURG, IN – Continuing an impressive display of consistency that now includes a staggering 43 top-ten finishes in 45 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series starts, Fargo, North Dakota’s Donny Schatz kicked-off his month of August with a pair of top-ten performances during action at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo. on August 3 & 4, highlighting the coveted Ironman 55 weekend with a seventh place finish during the two-day finale on Saturday, August 4.
The weekend, comprised of two, full World of Outlaws programs, awarded a total winner’s share equaling $40,000; $20,000 on Friday and $20,000 on Saturday. Each main event was 55 laps in distance.
Schatz, driver of the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing/Textron Off Road/Ford Performance/Curb Records/Sage Fruit/No. 15 sprint car, launched his weekend at I-55 with a ninth place finish on Friday, August 3. Nearly ending his two-day visit with identical statistics, Schatz qualified for each of the 55-lap programs by finishing second during his respective heat races. Automatically qualifying for each of the Ironman dashes via heat race finishes, the nine-time and defending World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion finished fifth and third, respectively, during dash competition.
Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart Racing will continue their 2018 campaign with the 58th Annual Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway on Wednesday through Saturday, August 8-11. Certainly the pinnacle of sprint car racing, Schatz will hunt for an 11th Knoxville Nationals title during the upcoming weekend, also in search of the $150,000 top prize that accompanies it.
“This is what every team works toward – earning a Knoxville Nationals championship. We all center our seasons around this event. It is truly the highest point of our sport,” Donny Schatz explained, who owns 15 World of Outlaws victories entering Knoxville Nationals weekend. “I think we are ready. The plan is to put ourselves in position early so we can take a few days off and relax before having to come back and race on Saturday night. I’m proud of this race team. We’ve shown what we are capable of doing. It’s business as usual this weekend.”
Donny Schatz will begin in 2018 Knoxville Nationals campaign on Wednesday evening, August 8, with preliminary competition. If Schatz is capable of earning enough points over the course of the preliminary program, he will automatically qualify for Saturday’s 50-lap, $150,000-to-win A-main.
Of Schatz’s ten Knoxville Nationals championships, the last eight were accomplished with Tony Stewart Racing. The first two Knoxville Nationals triumphs were accomplished under his own team, Schatz Motorsports, before joining the Tony Stewart Racing stable in 2008.
