Shane Stewart Looking For More Success When World Of Outlaws Hit Grays Harbor Raceway

Story By: ANTHONY CORINI / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – CONCORD, NC – The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series will continue its 40th anniversary season at the always-exciting Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, WA on Monday, September 3. Last year’s Feature finish in Elma saw Shane Stewart edge Brad Sweet by less than a quarter of a second in thrilling fashion.

Grays Harbor Raceway has been a staple on the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series schedule since the Series’ inaugural visit in 1996 that saw Dave Blaney score the victory.

Prior to last year and the 2016 rainout, nine-time defending Champion and current Series points leader Donny Schatz had a three-race win streak at the high-banked 3/8-mile facility spanning from 2013 to 2015. Schatz also scored an Outlaw victory at Grays Harbor in 2005.

But last year it was Bixby, Oklahoma’s Shane Stewart landing in Victory Lane for a popular and exciting victory.

“We had a really good race last year at Grays Harbor with Brad Sweet. It was a great finish,” Stewart said recalling his victory by .205 seconds in Elma last year. “Elma is a great race track. It’s generally pretty quick around the top, with the cushion right against the fence. I always enjoy racing there,” Stewart added.

It’s no secret that it hasn’t been the year Stewart and the Kyle Larson Racing No.2 team were looking for. After an eight-win season last year, Stewart has just one win thus far in 2018 heading into the West Coast swing.

Stewart will be the first to acknowledge it has been a trying year, but it was during this very same West Coast last year that Stewart caught fire, stringing together wins in South Dakota, a pair in Washington and at Chico in California.

“We really got going around this time last year. We actually should have had a couple of more wins around this time last year, but we had some bad luck in Montana and Oregon,” Stewart said optimistically. “Hopefully, we can have more of the same speed this year, put some wins together and get some confidence,” Stewart, who also has a 2007 Outlaw win at Grays Harbor, added.

Besides Stewart and Schatz, Kraig Kinser is the only other current full-time Outlaw with a win at Grays Harbor Raceway, which came in 2008.

California natives Dominic Scelzi and Rico Abreu are scheduled to join the Outlaws throughout the entire Pacific Northwest swing. Additionally, former World of Outlaws regular Jason Solwold and Austen Wheatley will likely represent the local Washington contingent.