Column: World Of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Racers Reflect On Eventful 2020 Racing Season

Column By: NICK GRAZIANO / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – CONCORD, NC – The year that almost wasn’t turned out to be a year you’ll never forget.

Brad Sweet claimed his second consecutive World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series championship. Jacob Allen earned his first career win. Kyle Larson did Kyle Larson things. And some of the best racing in Series history was produced.

Like most events this year, COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the 2020 World of Outlaws banquet. However, as the Series had done throughout the year, it found another solution. Drivers were still awarded their trophies and more $600,000 in points funds was awarded to all of them during a virtual banquet.

“2020 was a year to overcome a lot of adversity for a lot of the teams, the whole World Racing Group organization and luckily we got a season in,” said two-time and defending champion Brad Sweet, of Grass Valley, CA. “It’s great to be standing here and be a two-time champion.

“It was an up and down year for our NAPA Auto Parts team. We had a lot of success early on in the season. A lot of momentum on our side. Had those DNFs in the middle part of the season. We lost a little bit of our confidence and struggled in the middle part of the season. The end of the year we were able to come back on strong, capitalize and get the championship.”

Sweet added his name to an elite list this year. He joins Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Mark Kinser, Donny Schatz and Jason Meyers on the short list of drivers who have multiple World of Outlaws championships in the 42-year history of the sport.

In 54 races, he ended the year with eight wins, 37 top-fives and 46 top-10s.

Along with claiming another championship for himself, Sweet brought Kasey Kahne Racing its third team championship. KKR is now only the fourth team in Series history with three or more titles. The other three are Karl Kinser’s team, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing and Steve Kinser Racing.

The entire KKR team put in a valiant effort all year, and crew member Andrew Bowman was honored with the Jason Johnson Sportsman of the Year Award due to his unwavering commitment to the sport and his willingness to always help other teams.

“This award truly comes as an unexpected surprise,” Bowman said. “I am honored to receive this award in Jason’s name. Jason was a class act on and off the track and I strive to model his passion for racing and commitment to creating a family like atmosphere while on the road.

“I want to thank Bobbi (Johnson) and everyone at JJR for the opportunity to be recognized by my peers. This has been a unique year presented with many challenges but as a race family we were able to come out on top. I look forward to next season and the memories that are to come.”

The driver championship was determined during the penultimate race of the year, but the team championship came down to the last lap of the last race. KKR had to fend off Jason Johnson Racing, who had put together a stellar season with three drivers. David Gravel ran the majority of the events for the team, but in the four races he didn’t run, Parker Price-Miller filled in twice, earning one top-10, and Shane Stewart filled in the other two time, winning in his debut with the team at Lakeside Speedway.

JJR ended the year second in the team championship standings with eight wins, 31 top-fives and 46 top-10s. The team’s crew chief, Philip Dietz, won the 2020 Crew Chief of the Year Award. Not only did he put the team in championship contention, he won with two drivers at JJR and was also crew chief for his own Dietz Motorsports team, which won with Price-Miller at 34 Raceway.

“To me, it’s probably the biggest award that I can win,” said Dietz, who first won the award in 2016. “Personally, I feel like, to win an award like that is special. It makes me feel like I did my job for the year.”

Wayne Johnson ran his first full-time season, at 49 years old, this year and earned the 2020 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award. He made 29 Feature starts, finished 12th in the Series standings and earned at top-10 at the historic Devil’s Bowl Speedway.

“Well, the 2020 season, being a rookie, I don’t know, it’s been a bit of whirlwind for me,” said Johnson, of Oklahoma City, OK. “I had bigger expectations for sure, but to be the Gobrecht Rookie of the Year at my age is pretty cool… All in all, we didn’t have the success we wanted to, but without the car owners Todd and Kelly Carlisle, they gave me a great opportunity to come out here and do this.”

Two other special awards were also handed out by Drydene and Series sponsor NOS Energy Drink. For the second year in a row, NOS Energy Drink Marketing Director Lauren Albano presented a driver with the NOS Energy Drink Human Horsepower Award for the drive and determination they show on and off the track. This year, the award went to 2013 Series champion Daryn Pittman, who hung up his helmet as a full-time driver at the end of the season.

“He has a racer’s heart and is the truest example of what it means to be a teammate,” Albano said about Pittman. “He’s often found helping teams on their cars, even if it means scrapping dirt before the Feature. He is a competitor and leads by example on and off the track.”

And for the first time, Drydene presented the Blood, Sweat and Gears Award to the driver with the biggest improvement in points from last year to this year. The award was presented to Jacob Allen, who won his first career Series race this year at Dodge City Raceway Park and finished a career high eighth in the points. Last year, he finished 12th.

Along with the real-life drivers, the virtual World of Outlaws champion, Alex Bergeron was also crowned the 2020 iRacing World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car World Championship winner and awarded with a more than $15,000 check. Like Sweet, it’s his second consecutive championship.

The virtual banquet – which can be found on the World of Outlaws Facebook, Twitter and Youtube pages – closed the book on the 2020 season, but it’s a story you’re sure to never forget.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series 2021 season will kick off Feb. 5-7 at Volusia Speedway Park during the DIRTcar Nationals.

FINAL PAYOUT
– Brad Sweet/Kasey Kahne Racing – $150,000
– Logan Schuchart/Shark Racing – $65,000
– Jason Johnson Racing – $37,500
– Donny Schatz/Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing – $52,500
– Sheldon Haudenschild/Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing – $47,500
– Carson Macedo/Kyle Larson Racing – $43,000
– Daryn Pittman – $18,750
– Roth Motorsports – $18,750
– Jacob Allen/Shark Racing – $34,000
– Kraig Kinser/Kinser Racing – $31,000
– Jason Sides/Sides Motorsports – $25,000
– Wayne Johnson/TwoC Racing – $14,000
– Mason Daniel/Mason Daniel Racing – $14,000
– Bill Rose/Bill Rose Racing – $12,000

BANQUET AWARDS
Chassis Builder of the Year: Maxim Racing (Kasey Kahne Racing)
Engine Builder of the Year: Cappetta Engines (Kasey Kahne Racing)
Crew Chief of the Year: Philip Dietz (Jason Johnson Racing)
Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year: Wayne Johnson
Jason Johnson Sportsman of the Year: Andrew Bowman (Kasey Kahne Racing)
NOS Energy Drink Human Horsepower Award – Daryn Pittman
Drydene Blood Sweat & Gears Award – Jacob Allen
KSE Racing Hard Charger Award – Brad Sweet
Racing Electronics Rookie Award (New ear molds) – Wayne Johnson
VP Racing Fuels Award – Brad Sweet (champion), Wayne Johnson (RotY) and Jacob Allen (Most Improved)