MAY SPECTACLE: World of Outlaws Visit Atomic & Lawrenceburg on Memorial Day Weekend
Atomic Hosts First Race Since 2009; Lawrenceburg Retains Monday Night Special
WAVERLY, OH – April 28, 2022 – The famed “Month of May” features a loaded 10-race slate for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, and it all wraps up with a blockbuster Memorial Day Weekend.
For the first time in 13 years, The Greatest Show on Dirt will return to Waverly, OH’s Atomic Speedway on Saturday, May 28. Formerly known as K-C Raceway, the high-banked 3/8-mile produced a plethora of exciting moments throughout the 2000’s including Donny Schatz’s excellence and Terry McCarl’s iconic “wave” on ESPN.
Keeping with tradition, Indiana’s Lawrenceburg Speedway will again host the Memorial Day Spectacular on Monday, May 30. Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson has won the last two battles at The ‘Burg with his brother-in-law, Brad Sweet, the three-time and defending World of Outlaws champion scoring before him.
ATOMIC INFO (Sat, May 28)
LAWRENCEBURG INFO (Mon, May 30)
Although Atomic has been absent from the World of Outlaws schedule since 2009, the track has remained a staple in Sprint Car racing with several All Star Circuit of Champions and FAST on Dirt Series events over the years.
When it comes to the Outlaws at Atomic, though, it’s all about Donny Schatz. The Series held seven races throughout the 2000s and the Fargo, ND native topped four of them. In his last five appearances at the track, he ran 1st-1st-2nd-1st-1st for an astounding average finish of 1.2. As of now, the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15 is sitting sixth in the points and eyeing a second win of 2022.
The only other full-timers with World of Outlaws laps at Atomic are Kraig Kinser and Jason Sides, both of whom have finished top-five at the track before.
Several younger stars gained their Atomic expertise through All Stars or FAST action, though. James McFadden, the Australian pilot of the Roth Motorsports #83, topped a pair of All Stars events at the track in 2019. The leading Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender Spencer Bayston won the 2018 Dean Knittel Memorial at Atomic.
Sheldon Haudenschild scored an All Stars victory at the track in 2016 before becoming a full-time Outlaw in the NOS Energy Drink, Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing #17. Rico Abreu, who has a built a schedule with 60+ Series shows in 2022, is another former Atomic ace with a 2017 All Stars win.
When it comes to Lawrenceburg, each of the last three May Sprint Car specials at the track have been won by Elk Grove, CA’s Kyle Larson. He topped 2019 and 2021 World of Outlaws shows at the 3/8-mile and sandwiched in a 2020 score aboard Paul Silva’s #57 at a FAST race. The reigning Knoxville Nationals & Kings Royal champion has made a habit of excelling at midweek shows and could appear to make it four-in-a-row.
Brad Sweet, who leads the current championship standings aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49, earned one of his 75 career World of Outlaws wins at The ‘Burg in 2018. Like Atomic, however, the 10-time Series champion Donny Schatz is who owns the most wins at Lawrenceburg with three scores coming in 2014, 2013, and 2009.
Bloomington, IN’s Kraig Kinser won at Lawrenceburg in 2005 and he’s one of three Hoosier State natives headlining the final Series appearance of 2022 in his home state. Fellow full-timers Spencer Bayston of Lebanon, IN and Bill Rose of Plainfield, IN round out the trio of Indiana stars on tour.
Bayston, along with the likes of Rico Abreu and Brad Sweet, has previous winning experience at the Lawrenceburg, IN oval in the form of USAC National Midget racing. Other stars to watch include four-time winner this season Carson Macedo, 71-time Series victor David Gravel, and Shark Racing’s duo of Logan Schuchart and Jacob Allen.
Fans who can’t make it to the track can catch all of the action on DIRTVision with the annual Platinum FAST PASS subscription for $299/year or the monthly FAST PASS subscription for $39/month.
ATOMIC SPEEDWAY WINNERS (7 Races):
4 wins – Donny Schatz
1 win – Daryn Pittman, Jason Meyers, Terry McCarl
LAWRENCEBURG SPEEDWAY WINNERS (17 Races):
3 wins – Donny Schatz
2 wins – Kyle Larson, Paul McMahan, Shane Stewart
1 win – Brad Sweet, Chad Kemenah, Danny Smith, Jac Haudenschild, Joey Saldana, Kraig Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Steve Kinser
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, My Place Hotels 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