Schatz Earns Back-To-Back Top-10s At Ironman; Podium In Capitani Classic; Knoxville Nationals Next
Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / TONY STEWART RACING – BROWNSBURG, IN – Three starts resulted in three top-ten scores for Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, kicking off their recent campaign with the two-day Ironman 55 at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri. Getting things activated with preliminary action, Schatz ignited Ironman weekend with a sixth-place finish on Friday, August 6, gaining three spots in the 35-lapper after starting from the outside of row five.
The following evening during the 55-lap, $20,000-to-win Ironman finale, Schatz, aboard the Carquest Auto Parts/Curb Records/Ford Performance/Sage Fruit/Digital Ally/Advance Auto Parts/Rush Truck Centers/Absolute Automation and Security/Hunt Brothers Pizza/J&J Auto Racing No. 15 sprint car, rolled off second and finished ninth, fading with less than ten to go after battling within the top-five for most of the distance. Pennsylvania invader and former Outlaws winner, Danny Dietrich, stole eighth with the white flag waving.
The tenth running of the annual Capitani Classic a Knoxville Raceway capped Schatz’ recent three-race weekend, not only resulting in the Fargo, North Dakota-native’s first podium outcome of the weekend, but also granting the ten-time World of Outlaws champion valuable lap time before Knoxville Nationals competition ignites Wednesday. Schatz finished third in the prestigious Capitani tribute, earning the outside-pole position via the evening’s pole shuffle.
Schatz briefly challenged polesitter Cory Eliason for the race lead on lap eight, but David Gravel, who eventually won the Capitani prize, took second from Schatz as traffic entered the picture on lap 12.
Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing will begin their Knoxville Nationals campaign with preliminary action on Wednesday, August 11. Saturday’s Knoxville Nationals A-Main will award $150,000-to-win and $10,000-to-start. In addition, $1,000 of lap money will be awarded for every lap led in the 50-lap finale bumping the total winning potential to $200,000.
Schatz is a ten-time Knoxville Nationals champion, scoring his most recent $150,000 triumph in 2017.
