Schatz Wins At Willamette; Ends WoO Weekend With Top-Ten During Gold Cup
Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / TONY STEWART RACING – BROWNSBURG, IN – A three-race campaign that kicked-off with a victory and ended with an impressive 11-position rally, Donny Schatz was more than productive during his recent three-race stretch with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, ultimately earning his 19th victory of the 2018 season – nearly triple the win count of the second-leading winner with the Series, Daryn Pittman.
Schatz, driver of the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing/Textron Off Road/Ford Performance/Curb Records/Sage Fruit/No. 15 sprinter, kicked-off his recent stretch of competition with a victory at Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Ore., on Wednesday, September 5. Despite starting from the pole position, the result of a dash victory, the win at Willamette did not come easy, forced to work back around Shark Racing’s Logan Schuchart after the Pennsylvania-native cruised around Schatz on lap four. In championship fashion, Schatz used patience and perseverance to work back around Schuchart during a battle in traffic. Schatz regained control on lap 14, eventually driving away to win by nearly two seconds.
After his victory at Willamette Speedway, Schatz and Tony Stewart Racing moved further south and visited Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif., for the two-day Gold Cup Race of Champions on Friday and Saturday, September 7 & 8. After finishing 12th on Friday, the result of a rally from the outside of row seven, the Fargo, N.D., native did one better on Saturday and rebounded from 19th to finish eighth, forced to start near the tail of the feature grid after finishing fifth during a hard-fought heat race.
“All in all, it wasn’t my best effort, but my team helped me make the best of it,” Donny Schatz explained, who is seeking a tenth World of Outlaws championship in 2018. “I have the best crew and best team in the world. Unfortunately, I’m not sure I was as good as the car was this weekend. We’ll put this behind us and move forward.”
Up next on the schedule, Donny Schatz will invade Placerville (Calif.) Speedway for the $20,000-to-win 49er Gold Rush Classic on Wednesday, September 12, followed by the two-day Wine Country Outlaw Showdown at Calistoga Speedway on Friday and Saturday, September 14 & 15. Schatz is the defending Wine Country Outlaw Showdown finale winner at the always-scenic Calistoga Speedway, holding back Kasey Kahne Racing’s Daryn Pittman and Brad Sweet for a $12,000 payday on September 16, 2017.
