WHAT TO WATCH FOR: World of Outlaws Northern Swing Continues with Trips to River Cities, Ogilvie

A North Dakota bullring that never fails to entertain is up first. The Greatest Show on Dirt makes its 32nd visit to Grand Forks, ND’s River Cities Speedway on Friday, June 7, for the Don Mack Classic. The high-banked quarter-mile is home to nine-second laps in Qualifying and thrilling racing throughout the entire program. There’s a reason longtime Series announcer Johnny Gibson ranks River Cities atop the list of nearly 400 tracks that he’s visited.

Then, the tour takes off on a nearly 300-mile drive east into Minnesota where Ogilvie Raceway awaits. Last year, the World of Outlaws debuted at the fine facility with a record crowd filling the stands and are coming back for the Wagamon Brothers presents the Big O Showdown.

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Let’s look at the weekend’s top storylines:

DONNY’S DOMAIN: Racing in home territory has always been important for Donny Schatz. Whether it was his rookie World of Outlaws season in 1997 or any of the 10 championship campaigns he’s put together, Schatz always wants to make the North Dakota fans proud. And his River Cities results prove as much.

Schatz has contested all 31 World of Outlaws events at River Cities and won a dozen of them, posted 28 top fives, and never missed the top 10 with a worst finish of eighth. The 10-time champion’s average finish at River Cities is a remarkable 2.7. During 2015 and 2016, Schatz took the Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing machine to four consecutive River Cities victories.

The Fargo, ND driver is in search of his 11th championship, and a visit to River Cities could offer a boost toward those efforts. Schatz owns a pair of victories so far this year and only missed the top 10 on three occasions. All three times he only missed it by a spot with a trio of 11th-place runs.

SHARK SLUMP ENDER?: There’s no denying 2024 hasn’t been the season Logan Schuchart and Shark Racing had hoped it would be. They’ve been plenty consistent with 20 top 10s in 25 races but haven’t yet had race-winning speed or been able to crack the podium. But there’s reason to believe River Cities could help them turn things around.

Schuchart has won two of the last eight visits to River Cities, including the most recent last August. Over the course of those eight races, the Hanover, PA native has finished sixth or better in all but one. Half of the eight have resulted in podiums.

Despite the lack of a win this year, Schuchart still sits sixth in points and only 26 markers outside the top five. A night at River Cities may be just what Schuchart needs to build some momentum with the Summer of Money on the horizon.

GRAND FORKS GLORY: Schatz and Schuchart aren’t the only World of Outlaws competitors with River Cities victories under their belts.

Current point leader David Gravel has made a pair of trips to Victory Lane. Seven years ago, he scored the first of the pair with CJB Motorsports, and then last June he and his current Big Game Motorsports team claimed the checkered flag. The Watertown, CT native already owns eight wins in 2024 and is only four away from reaching 100 for his career.

The man chasing Gravel in the standings – Carson Macedo – topped the June River Cities visit in 2022. That’s his only win at the quarter mile, but in eight tries he’s only missed the top five twice. He and Jason Johnson Racing enter the weekend on a roll of eight consecutive podiums and are 30 markers behind Gravel for the top spot.

The final full-timer with a River Cities World of Outlaws win is Kraig Kinser. The Bloomington, IN native pieced together an impressive drive from 10th to victory in 2012. That win came aboard his family’s No. 11K, and he returns aboard the Premier Motorsports No. 70 this Friday.

OGILVIE TAKE TWO: After an exciting debut last year, the World of Outlaws are eager to get back to Ogilvie. The 3/8 mile doesn’t often host Sprint Cars, leaving little data to suggest potential favorites entering Saturday.

The one previous Ogilvie winner is Carson Macedo. Last year, he led from flag to flag in the JJR No. 41 to tame the 10th Minnesota track visited by The Greatest Show on Dirt.

Chasing Macedo to the line a year ago was Logan Schuchart. His past success at River Cities coupled with a strong effort last year at Ogilvie lays out a prime opportunity at a strong weekend to get him and the Shark Racing team on the right track.

Rounding out the podium last year was Donny Schatz. Eight of his 313 career Series wins have come in the state of Minnesota at three different tracks – Jackson Motorplex (Jackson, MN), Princeton Speedway (Princeton, MN), and Granite City Speedway (Sauk Rapids, MN) – and Ogilvie could become the fourth this weekend.

NOSA KNOWLEDGE: The first trips to North Dakota and Minnesota this year means a fresh crop of locals will be ready to test themselves against the best in the business on home turf. The Northern Outlaw Sprint Association (NOSA) regulars are prepared to face off with The Greatest Show on Dirt.

It’s no surprise that the most recent River Cities winner this year is Mark Dobmeier. A May 31 victory marked the latest in the list of more than 100 Dobmeier has compiled at the 1/4 mile. The Grand Forks, ND native has competed 30 times with the World of Outlaws at his home track, and the closest he’s come to beating the nation’s top talent is a pair of podiums (2016 & 2018).

Fellow Grand Forks native Brendan Mullen has established himself as a solid competitor in recent years. He’s won at least one River Cities NOSA race in each of the last three seasons, and he’s fresh off a podium finish this past weekend.

Jade Hastings regularly joins the field when the World of Outlaws roll into River Cities. He won the track’s 2024 season opener on May 10. Hastings has made at least one visit to River Cities Victory Lane every year since 2017.

This trio along with a collection of others from the country’s northern region are expected to be in action this weekend.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 

Friday, June 7 at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND
Saturday, June 8 at Ogilvie Raceway in Ogilvie, MN

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CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (25/76 Races):

1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports #2 (3518 PTS)
2. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing #41 (-30 PTS)
3. Donny Schatz – Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing #15 (-58 PTS)
4. Giovanni Scelzi – KCP Racing #18 (-76 PTS)
5. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports #83 (-108 PTS)
6. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing #1S (-134 PTS)
7. Sheldon Haudenschild – Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing #17 (-196 PTS)
8. Bill Balog – B Squared Motorsports #17B (-342 PTS)
9. Brock Zearfoss – Brock Zearfoss Racing #3Z (-576 PTS)
10. Landon Crawley – Sides Motorsports #7S (-674 PTS)

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (11 Drivers):

8 Wins – David Gravel
6 Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild
2 Wins – Donny Schatz, Carson Macedo
1 Win – Brad Sweet, Tyler Courtney, Brent Marks, Giovanni Scelzi, Rico Abreu, Brady Bacon, Michael Kofoid

FEATURE LAPS LED (15 Drivers):

212 Laps – David Gravel
151 Laps – Sheldon Haudenschild
130 Laps – Carson Macedo
56 Laps – Giovanni Scelzi
54 Laps – Rico Abreu
47 Laps – Donny Schatz
34 Laps – Brady Bacon
29 Laps – Kyle Larson
25 Laps – Brad Sweet
23 Laps – Michael Kofoid
13 Laps – Anthony Macri
11 Laps – Bill Balog
3 Laps – Brent Marks
1 Lap – Tyler Courtney, Kalib Henry

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS QUICKTIME AWARDS (11 Drivers):

7 Quick Times – David Gravel
5 Quick Times – Carson Macedo
3 Quick Times – Giovanni Scelzi
2 Quick Times – Brent Marks, Michael Kofoid
1 Quick Time – Landon Crawley, Brian Brown, Aaron Reutzel, Brady Bacon, Donny Schatz, Sheldon Haudenschild

HEAT RACE WINNERS (24 Drivers): 

17 Heat Wins – David Gravel
12 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo
9 Heat Wins – Giovanni Scelzi, Sheldon Haudenschild
8 Heat Wins – Michael Kofoid
5 Heat Wins – Rico Abreu
4 Heat Wins – Brent Marks, Donny Schatz, Brock Zearfoss
3 Heat Wins – Bill Balog
2 Heat Wins – Brian Brown, Tyler Courtney, Landon Crawley
1 Heat Win – Corey Day, Justin Peck, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Logan Schuchart, Bill Rose, Ryan Timms, Danny Sams III, Kyle Larson, Emerson Axsom, Anthony Macri, Tim Shaffer

TOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (43 Drivers):

21 Dashes – David Gravel
20 Dashes – Carson Macedo
17 Dashes – Giovanni Scelzi
16 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild
15 Dashes – Michael Kofoid
12 Dashes – Donny Schatz
10 Dashes – Bill Balog
7 Dashes – Rico Abreu
6 Dashes – Landon Crawley
5 Dashes – Brent Marks, Logan Schuchart, Brock Zearfoss
4 Dashes – Tyler Courtney, Brian Brown
3 Dashes – Emerson Axsom
2 Dashes – Brad Sweet, Aaron Reutzel, Anthony Macri, Brady Bacon, Cole Duncan, Cole Macedo, Kalib Henry
1 Dash – Justin Peck, Zeb Wise, Corey Day, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Bill Rose, Ryan Timms, Garet Williamson, James McFadden, Logan McCandless, Ayrton Gennetten, Danny Sams III, Kyle Larson, Skylar Gee, Kody Hartlaub, Chase Dietz, Tim Shaffer, T.J. Michael, Craig Mintz, Brandon Spithaler, Sye Lynch, Cale Thomas

MICROLITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (20 Drivers):

2 LCS Wins – Logan McCandless, Bill Balog
1 LCS Win – Austin McCarl, Corey Day, Kasey Kahne, Koty Adams, Jace Park, Anthony Macri, Landon Crawley, Garet Williamson, Brock Zearfoss, Kevin Newton, Brenham Crouch, Sheldon Haudenschild, Brandon Rahmer, David Gravel, Nate Dussel, Cole Macedo, Zeth Sabo, Garet Williamson

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (18 Drivers):

4 Hard Chargers – Logan Schuchart, Donny Schatz
2 Hard Chargers – Carson Macedo
1 Hard Charger – Aaron Reutzel, Jace Park, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Brock Zearfoss, Chase Randall, Chris Windom, Noah Gass, Austin McCarl, Giovanni Scelzi, Sheldon Haudenschild, Danny Dietrich, Landon Crawley, Sye Lynch, Bill Balog, Scotty Neitzel

PODIUM FINISHES (17 Drivers):

15 Podiums – David Gravel
13 Podiums – Carson Macedo
9 Podiums – Michael Kofoid
8 Podiums – Donny Schatz
7 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild
5 Podiums – Giovanni Scelzi
3 Podiums – Brad Sweet, Rico Abreu
2 Podiums – Tyler Courtney, Brent Marks, Bill Balog
1 Podium – Justin Peck, Anthony Macri, Aaron Reutzel, Brady Bacon, Kyle Larson, Cole Macedo

TOP 10 FINISHES (51 Drivers): 

23 Top 10s – Giovanni Scelzi
22 Top 10s – Donny Schatz, Michael Kofoid
21 Top 10s – David Gravel, Carson Macedo
20 Top 10s – Logan Schuchart
17 Top 10s – Sheldon Haudenschild
14 Top 10s – Bill Balog
7 Top 10s – Brock Zearfoss
6 Top 10s – Rico Abreu, Tyler Courtney
5 Top 10s – Brent Marks, Anthony Macri
4 Top 10s – Brad Sweet, Cole Macedo
3 Top 10s – Brian Brown, Aaron Reutzel, Landon Crawley, Cole Duncan, Skylar Gee
2 Top 10s – Ryan Timms, Chase Randall, Kraig Kinser, Corey Day, James McFadden, Cale Thomas, Brady Bacon
1 Top 10 – Justin Peck, Kasey Kahne, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Zeb Wise, Cory Eliason, Jacob Allen, Chris Windom, Garet Williamson, Joe B. Miller, Ayrton Gennetten, Emerson Axsom, Scotty Milan, Kyle Larson, Troy Wagaman Jr., Danny Dietrich, Chase Dietz, Brandon Spithaler, Kalib Henry, Tim Shaffer, Zane DeVault, Sye Lynch, Travis Philo, Trey Jacobs, Scotty Thiel

2024 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE & WINNERS:

No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)

1. Wed, Feb 7 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brad Sweet (1)
2. Thurs, Feb 8 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (1)
3. Fri, Feb 9 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney (1)
4. Sat, Feb 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
5. Mon, March 4 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Donny Schatz (1)
6. Fri, March 15 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Brent Marks (1)
7. Sat, March 16 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Giovanni Scelzi (1)
8. Sat, March 23 / Kennedale Speedway Park / Kennedale, TX / Carson Macedo (1)
9. Sat, March 30 / 81 Speedway / Wichita, KS / Rico Abreu (1)
10. Fri, April 5 / US 36 Raceway / Osborn, MO / David Gravel (2)
11. Sat, April 6 / Arrowhead Speedway / Colcord, OK / Sheldon Haudenschild (2)
12. Fri, April 12 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / David Gravel (3)
13. Sat, April 13 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Donny Schatz (2)
14. Fri, April 19 / Paducah International Raceway / Paducah, KY / Sheldon Haudenschild (3)
15. Sat, April 20 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Brady Bacon (1)
16. Wed, May 1 / Jacksonville Speedway / Jacksonville, IL / David Gravel (4)
17. Fri, May 3 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Sheldon Haudenschild (4)
18. Sat, May 4 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / David Gravel (5)
19. Wed, May 8 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / David Gravel (6)
20. Fri, May 17 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Michael Kofoid (1)
21. Sat, May 18 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH / David Gravel (7)
22. Fri, May 24 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH / David Gravel (8)
23. Sat, May 25 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH / Sheldon Haudenschild (5)
24. Mon, May 27 / Fremont Speedway / Fremont, OH / Carson Macedo (2)
25. Fri, May 31 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Sheldon Haudenschild (6)

For the full 2024 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car schedule, CLICK HERE.

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), DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Milton Hershey School (Official Education Partner), Racing Electronics (Official Radio Supplier), Simpson Performance Products (Preferred Safety Gear Partner), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), Toyota (Official Vehicle), and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); Contingency sponsors include:  ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, Evolve Transporters, Federated Auto Parts, KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Award), Lifeline USA, Micro-Lite LLC, MSD, Quartz Hill Records, Stone Country Records, Smith Titanium Brake Systems, and WELD Racing. Manufacturer sponsors include, FIREBULL, and Intercomp, 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: Alex Nieten, World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series PR