WHAT TO WATCH FOR: World of Outlaws Begin Midwest Swing at US-36 & Lake Ozark
Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series Joins Both Races This Weekend on DIRTVision
OSBORN, MO – April 5, 2022 – The Greatest Show on Dirt is set for the first Midwest weekend of 2022, and it’s a big one.
A Show-Me State doubleheader will highlight Osborn, MO’s 1/4-mile bullring at US-36 Raceway on Friday, April 8, and then the fourth annual $15,000-to-win Jason Johnson Classic at Eldon, MO’s Lake Ozark Speedway on Saturday, April 9.
It’s a dream come true for Sprint Car snobs with the newly-formed non-wing stars of the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series presented by Low-E Insulation joining the winged warriors of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series on DIRTVision.
BUY US-36 TICKETS (Fri)
BUY LAKE OZARK TICKETS (Sat)
Here’s a quick preview of what to watch for this weekend:
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: No need for the age-old debate of winged vs. non-wing, because race fans get both this weekend with the World of Outlaws and Xtreme Outlaw Series. You’ll see perennial title contenders like Sweet, Macedo, Gravel, Haudenschild, Schatz & more with the wings, while watching gassers like Leary, Ballou, Bacon, Swanson, Clouser & more work without them.
As of now, Brady Bacon of Broken Arrow, OK is the first double duty driver confirmed with a pair of Hoffman Auto Racing #69 machines coming to Missouri this weekend. The four-time USAC National Sprint Car champion has a non-wing resume that speaks for itself, but The Macho Man is alsoa highly-respected wing racer with one All Star Circuit of Champions victory and two World of Outlaws runner-up finishes to his credit.
RACE TO THREE: For only the ninth time in Series history, the World of Outlaws has produced eight winners through the opening 12 races. It’s the fifth time such an occurrence has happened in the last decade, an overwhelming shift compared to only four times through the first 35 seasons.
Entering this weekend, a quartet of stars share the top spot in the W column with two wins apiece. Included in that group is Carson Macedo (Lemoore, CA) in the Jason Johnson Racing #41, David Gravel (Watertown, CT) in the Big Game Motorsports #2, Sheldon Haudenschild (Wooster, OH) in the Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing #17, and Giovanni Scelzi (Fresno, CA) in the KCP Racing #18.
Other winners in 2022 include Brad Sweet (Grass Valley, CA) in the Kasey Kahne Racing #49, Donny Schatz (Fargo, ND) in the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15, Kyle Larson (Elk Grove, CA) in the Kevin Kozlowski #57, and Brent Marks (Myerstown, PA) in the Murray-Marks Motorsports #19.
SHOW-ME MORE: Osborn’s US-36 Raceway has only hosted the World of Outlaws on five occasions, but each and every single appearance has been an outstanding one. There was Paul McMahan’s new track record in the nine-second bracket (9.846) in 2006, Joey Saldana’s epic race-long battle with Johnny Herrera in 2009, and of course Sheldon Haudenschild’s last-lap pass on Brad Sweet in 2020. On Friday, The Greatest Show on Dirt finally returns to the 1/4-mile with a can’t miss doubleheader set up alongside the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Cars.
JASON JOHNSON CLASSIC: Saturday’s fourth annual Jason Johnson Classic at Lake Ozark Speedway gives drivers, teams, and fans alike the chance to reminisce and remember The Ragin’ Cajun, a dearly missed racer, father, and friend. A little extra money ($15,000-to-win) is on the line but more than anything, Jason’s fellow competitors just want to enjoy in victory lane with his family and take home the trophy with his name on it.
Through the first three years, three different drivers have topped the Jason Johnson Classic. The inaugural event in 2019 was extra emotional with David Gravel driving the Jason Johnson Racing #41 to victory lane. Since then, Kasey Kahne Racing has ruled the last two races with James McFadden (#9) winning in 2020 and Brad Sweet (#49) dominating in 2021. All three will be in attendance on Saturday night hoping to be the first repeat winner of the special event.
TOO SWEET: Last year, Brad Sweet was already a five-time winner by the 12th race; this year, it took until the 11th race to even reahc the win column. However, the statistical categories he does lead is proof that The Big Cat is laying the foundation to chase his fourth consecutive World of Outlaws championship this season.
The victory lane trips have been less frequent, but the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49 is as good as anybody on tour at making the Dash, starting up front, and earning valuable points. Entering this weekend, Sweet leads the league in Podiums (6), Top Fives (9), Top 10s (11), and Average Finish (4.83).
A return to the Show-Me State is a welcomed one for Sweet, who has claimed eight of his 75 career victories in Missouri. He’s proven to be a perrenial contender at both tracks on the schedule this weekend, leading a majority of the 2020 US-36 show and winning twice in the past at Lake Ozark.
ON THE MARK: After winning $20,000 in Saturday’s DuraMAX/Drydene Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil’s Bow, Brent Marks will stay on the road for the next two weeks with four more April shows planned with the World of Outlaws. The Myerstown, PA native continues to shine aboard the newly-formed Murray-Marks Motorsports #19, winning twice in six Series events since the team was formed late last year.
Dating back to the beginning of last season, Marks has the second-most victories of any non-full-time driver with his four wins only trailing Kyle Larson’s five. He’ll have four chances at US-36 Raceway, Lake Ozark Speedway, and Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 before returning to his home state later this month.
PODIUM PICKING: After suffering through some rough patches in California, 10-time Series champion Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing are beginning returning to form with back-to-back podium finishes. The Ford Performance, Advance Auto Parts #15 was third at Vado, then second at Devil’s Bowl, with his second win potentially looming next.
The Fargo, ND native owns three top-five finishes at US-36 and two previous wins at Lake Ozark, where the Series returns this weekend.
EARLY-NIGHT SUCCESS: When it comes to the preliminary portions of the evening, Jacob Allen (Hanover, PA) has positioned the Shark Racing #1A as a contender for best car in that category. He leads the league in Qualifying Average (6.42), owns one Slick Woody’s QuickTime Award, has four NOS Energy Drink Heat Race wins, and is tied for the most DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash appearances (8).
He’s taken the next step in correcting his backwards averages (9.33 Start, 13.08 Finish) lately with three top-10 finishes over the last four races. Allen recorded his second top-five of the year in Saturday’s DuraMAX/Drydene Texas Outlaw Nationals.
THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE
Friday, April 8 at US-36 Raceway in Osborn, MO
Saturday, April 9 at Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, MO
On the Internet
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Twitter – @WorldofOutlaws
Instagram – @WoOSprint
Facebook – Facebook.com/
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month
CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (12/83 Nights):
1. 49-Brad Sweet (1,686 PTS); 2. 41-Carson Macedo (-32 PTS); 3. 2-David Gravel (-44 PTS); 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild (-60 PTS); 5. 15-Donny Schatz (-96 PTS); 6. 83-James McFadden (-100 PTS); 7. 18-Giovanni Scelzi (-112 PTS); 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart (-140 PTS); 9. 5-Spencer Bayston (-162 PTS); 10. 1A-Jacob Allen (-200 PTS).
NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (8 Drivers):
2 wins – Carson Macedo, Jason Johnson Racing #41
2 wins – David Gravel, Big Game Motorsports #2
2 wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing #17
2 wins – Giovanni Scelzi, KCP Racing #18
1 win – Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne Racing #49
1 win – Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15
1 win – Brent Marks, Murray-Marks Motorsports #19
1 win – Kyle Larson, Kevin Kozlowski #57
FEATURE LAPS LED (15 Drivers):
71 laps – David Gravel
58 laps – Brad Sweet
55 laps – Giovanni Scelzi
30 laps – Carson Macedo
27 laps – Brent Marks
26 laps – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
25 laps – Donny Schatz
23 laps – Spencer Bayston
17 laps – Kyle Larson
13 laps – Cory Eliason
10 laps – Sheldon Haudenschild
9 laps – Dominic Scelzi
8 laps – James McFadden
3 laps – Brian Brown
1 lap – Corey Day
SLICK WOODY’S QUICKTIME AWARDS (9 Drivers):
3 QuickTimes – Carson Macedo
2 QuickTimes – David Gravel
1 QuickTime – Aaron Reutzel, Cory Eliason, Jacob Allen, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Brad Sweet, Giovanni Scelzi*, James McFadden
* Denotes New Track Record
HEAT RACE WINNERS (19 Drivers):
5 Heat Wins – David Gravel, James McFadden
4 Heat Wins – Brad Sweet, Jacob Allen, Giovanni Scelzi
3 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo
2 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Kraig Kinser, Aaron Reutzel, Tyler Courtney, Cory Eliason
1 Heat Win – Donny Schatz, Spencer Bayston, Brock Zearfoss, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Dominic Scelzi, Kerry Madsen, Rico Abreu, Corey Day
DIRTVISION FAST PASS DASH APPEARANCES (27 Drivers):
8 Dashes – Brad Sweet, David Gravel, Jacob Allen
6 Dashes – Carson Macedo
5 Dashes – James McFadden, Spencer Bayston, Cory Eliason
4 Dashes – Donny Schatz, Kraig Kinser, Giovanni Scelzi
3 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild, Tyler Courtney, Aaron Reutzel
2 Dashes – Kyle Larson, Kerry Madsen, Rico Abreu, Dominic Scelzi, Corey Day, Brent Marks
1 Dash – Logan Schuchart, Brock Zearfoss, Anthony Macri, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Colby Copeland, Tanner Carrick, DJ Netto, Brian Brown
MICROLITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (7 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild
2 LCS Wins – Logan Schuchart, Ayrton Gennetten
1 LCS Win – James McFadden, Spencer Bayston, Anthony Macri, Mitchell Faccinto
KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (6 Drivers):
4 Hard Chargers – Logan Schuchart
3 Hard Chargers – Sheldon Haudenschild
2 Hard Chargers – James McFadden
1 Hard Chargers – Carson Macedo, Donny Schatz, Tanner Thorson
PODIUM FINISHES (14 Drivers):
6 Podiums – Brad Sweet
5 Podiums – David Gravel
3 Podiums – Carson Macedo, Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz, Giovanni Scelzi, Kyle Larson
2 Podiums – James McFadden, Corey Day, Brent Marks
1 Podium – Cory Eliason, Aaron Reutzel, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Brian Brown
TOP 10 FINISHES (27 Drivers):
11 Top 10s – Brad Sweet
10 Top 10s – Carson Macedo
9 Top 10s – David Gravel, Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz, Giovanni Scelzi
8 Top 10s – James McFadden
7 Top 10s – Logan Schuchart, Cory Eliason
6 Top 10s – Spencer Bayston
5 Top 10s – Jacob Allen
4 Top 10s – Tyler Courtney, Rico Abreu
3 Top 10s – Kyle Larson
2 Top 10s – Brock Zearfoss, Aaron Reutzel, Dominic Scelzi, Kerry Madsen, Corey Day, Brent Marks
1 Top 10 – Anthony Macri, Justin Peck, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Shane Golobic, DJ Netto, Brian Brown, Hunter Schuerenberg
2022 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE & WINNERS:
No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Thur, Feb. 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Donny Schatz (1)
2. Fri, Feb. 11 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
3. Sat, Feb. 12 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (1)
4. Fri, March 4 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Sheldon Haudenschild (2)
5. Sat, March 5 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Carson Macedo (1)
6. Fri, March 11 / Thunderbowl Raceway / Tulare, CA / Giovanni Scelzi (1)
7. Sat, March 12 / Thunderbowl Raceway / Tulare, CA / Kyle Larson (1)
8. Fri, March 18 / Merced Speedway / Merced, CA / Carson Macedo (2)
9. Fri, March 25 / Bakersfield Speedway / Bakersfield, CA / Giovanni Scelzi (2)
10. Sat, March 26 / Perris Auto Speedway / Perris, CA / David Gravel (2)
11. Tues, March 29 / Vado Speedway Park / Vado, NM / Brad Sweet (1)
12. Sat, April 2 / Devil’s Bowl Speedway / Mesquite, TX / Brent Marks (1)
13. Fri, April 8 / US-36 Raceway / Osborn, MO
14. Sat, April 9 / Lake Ozark Speedway / Eldon, MO
15. Fri, April 15 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO
16. Sat, April 16 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO
17. Fri, April 22 / Tri-City Speedway / Granite City, IL
18. Sat, April 23 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN
19. Fri, April 29 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN
20. Sat, April 30 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN
21. Fri, May 6 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
22. Sat, May 7 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
23. Wed, May 11 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA
24. Fri, May 13 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
25. Sat, May 14 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
26. Tues, May 17 / Bridgeport Speedway / Swedesboro, NJ
27. Fri, May 20 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH
28. Sat, May 21 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
29. Sat, May 28 / Atomic Speedway / Waverly, OH
30. Mon, May 30 / Lawrenceburg Speedway / Lawrenceburg, IN
31. Fri, June 3 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND
32. Sun, June 5 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
33. Fri, June 10 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
34. Sat, June 11 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
35. Fri, June 17 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, IA
36. Sat, June 18 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, IA
37. Thur, June 23 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
38. Fri, June 24 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
39. Sat, June 25 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
40. Fri, July 1 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
41. Sat, July 2 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
42. Fri, July 8 / 34 Raceway / West Burlington, IA
43. Sat, July 9 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI
44. Tues, July 12 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH
45. Wed, July 13 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
46. Thur, July 14 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
47. Fri, July 15 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
48. Sat, July 16 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
49. Wed, July 20 / Port Royal Speedway / Port Royal, PA
50. Fri, July 22 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
51. Sat, July 23 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
52. Sat, July 30 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY
53. Sun, July 31 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY
54. Fri, Aug. 5 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO
55. Sat, Aug. 6 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO
56. Wed, Aug. 10 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
57. Thur, Aug. 11 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
58. Fri, Aug, 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
59. Sat, Aug. 13 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
60. Thur, Aug. 18 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN
61. Fri, Aug. 19 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN
62. Sat, Aug. 20 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN
63. Fri, Aug. 26 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND
64. Sat, Aug. 27 / Red River Valley Speedway / West Fargo, ND
65. Thur, Sept. 1 / Skagit Speedway / Alger, WA
66. Fri, Sept. 2 / Skagit Speedway / Alger, WA
67. Sat, Sept. 3 / Skagit Speedway / Alger, WA
68. Mon, Sept. 5 / Gray’s Harbor Raceway / Elma, WA
69. Fri, Sept. 9 / Silver Dollar Speedway / Chico, CA
70. Sat, Sept. 10 / Silver Dollar Speedway / Chico, CA
71. Fri, Sept. 16 / Keller Auto Speedway / Hanford, CA
72. Sat, Sept. 17 / Placerville Speedway / Placerville, CA
73. Fri, Sept. 23 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
74. Sat, Sept. 24 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
75. Fri, Sept. 30 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
76. Sat, Oct. 1 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
77. Fri, Oct. 7 / Port Royal Speedway / Port Royal, PA
78. Sat, Oct. 8 / Port Royal Speedway / Port Royal, PA
79. Fri, Oct. 14 / I-80 Speedway / Greenwood, NE
80. Sat, Oct. 15 / Lakeside Speedway / Kansas City, KS
81. Thur, Nov. 3 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
82. Fri, Nov. 4 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
83. Sat, Nov. 5 The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink® Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: NOS Energy Drink (Official Energy Product), CASE Construction Equipment (Official Construction Equipment), DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include ACME Trading, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Award), Micro-Lite LLC, MSD and Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award); manufacturer sponsors include Dirt Car Lift, FIREBULL, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, and Sea Foam.
Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, NC, is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts all World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.
Sources: Brian Walker, World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series PR
Photo – Trent Gower