Donny Schatz Scores All Star Opener Victory & Top 5 During Screven’s Winter Freeze

Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / TONY STEWART RACING – BROWNSBURG, IN – Extending his 2021 top-ten streak to five, Fargo, North Dakota’s Donny Schatz turned a pair of All Star Circuit of Champions/Winter Freeze starts at Screven Motor Speedway into a pair of top-ten performances, kicking things off with a main event victory during the two-race opener on Friday, January 29.

The Southern Tour triumph scored the ten-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion an $8,000 top prize.

Schatz, who now owns 19-career All Star Circuit of Champions victories, earned his win from the outside of row two, eventually working by Indianapolis, Indiana’s Tyler Courtney to take control on lap 18. The win was a first for Schatz during All Star competition at Screven Motor Speedway, as well as a first this season.

“It’s great to be back racing, first and foremost,” Donny Schatz said in Screven victory lane, driver of the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing/Carquest Auto Parts/Curb Records/Ford Performance/No. 15 sprint car. “Hats off to this entire Carquest team. These guys have been digging and working as hard as they can to get the car better. All of these preseason races are great for us because it gives us an opportunity to try some things. I just tried to go where the car in front of me wasn’t and it all worked out.”

Despite qualifying for Saturday’s Winter Freeze finale through his respective heat race, Schatz suffered a setback when he forgot to present his car at the scales following his heat race. The eventual disqualification forced Schatz to compete in the evening’s B-Main, where he was victorious, eventually translating his 11th row main event starting position into a hard-charging performance; Schatz ended the 35-lapper one spot off of the podium after starting 21st.

Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing will launch their 2021 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series campaign at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Florida, on Friday, February 5. For those unable to attend the Series’ season opener, action will be broadcast live at www.dirtvision.com.