Donny Schatz Scores Podium Finish During Jackson Motorplex’s Great Lakes Shootout

Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / TONY STEWART RACING – BROWNSBURG, IN – With a break in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series schedule, Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing made the trip to Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minnesota, and entered the two-day Great Lakes Shootout on Friday and Saturday, May 15-16.

Although the weekend finale eventually fell to Mother Nature, Donny Schatz made the most of his visit to the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’ and scored a podium performance on Friday evening.

Earning the evening’s pole position after scoring heat race and dash victories, Schatz went on to lead the first ten circuits of the 25-lap main event before losing the top spot to fellow Outlaw, Sheldon Haudenschild. Navigating slower cars, Haudenschild was able to drive around the ten-time World of Outlaws champion as the pair battled through turns three and four to complete lap 11.

Brad Sweet, the defending WoO champion and eventual Great Lakes Shootout preliminary winner, also slipped by Schatz, snagging the runner-up spot with 13 circuits remaining.

With track conditions becoming increasingly abrasive, Schatz’ efforts to regain the lost spots were halted; he finished third.

Donny Schatz and the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing/Advance Professional/Carquest Auto Parts/Technet Professional Automotive Service/Ford Performance/Mobil 1/Sage Fruit/Curb Records/Absolute Automation & Security/Hunt Brothers Pizza/Digital Ally/No. 15 team will now head south to the ‘Show-Me State’ where the World of Outlaws will resume its 2020 campaign with a pair of events at the Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Missouri, on Friday and Saturday, May 22-23. The two-day visit will award a total winner’s share equalling $16,000; $6,000 on Friday and $10,000 on Saturday.

Schatz is a former World of Outlaws winner on the highbanks of I-55, most recently scoring the Prelude to the Ironman victory in 2015. The Fargo, North Dakota-native will enter the weekend fourth in the World of Outlaws championship standings on the strength of one Series victory thus far in 2020.