From Bill Klingbeil
CONCORD, N.C. – Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) driver Donny Schatz clinched his fourth consecutive World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series championship by finishing sixth in Saturday night’s 30-lap World Finals feature at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C. Schatz won the championship driving the TSR No. 15 Armor All/Chevy/ ParkerStore J&J in 65 events during the 2009 season, earning team sponsors Armor All and Chevy their second straight championship in Winged Sprint car’s premiere racing division.
The championship marked the third WoO title for Tony Stewart the car owner. Stewart earned his first WoO championship in 2001 with Danny Lasoski and his second last year with Schatz. It is also Stewart’s 10th championship as a car owner, for he has seven titles in the United States Auto Club (USAC).
“It feels great to win another championship,” said the 32-year-old Schatz, who resides in Fargo, N.C. “All the hard work from everyone at Tony Stewart Racing paid off and we’re still on top. Winning races is what we shoot for, and even though we didn’t win as many battles as we wanted, ultimately, we won the war.
“Every year, we shoot to end up as champions, and fortunately, we’ve been able to do it the last four seasons. It takes a commitment from sponsors like Armor All, Chevrolet and ParkerStore to give us a chance to compete for championships. It’s a total team effort and I can’t thank the Armor All crew (Rick Warner, Shane Bowers and Eric Prutzman) enough for everything they did to get us here.”
Heading into Saturday night’s event, Schatz carried a 25-point advantage over his nearest challenger, Jason Meyers. After posting the fastest qualifying lap behind the wheel of the No. 15 Armor All/Chevy/ParkerStore J&J, Schatz finished third in the first heat race to transfer into the dash event. After posting a fifth-place finish in the dash, he started the 30-lap main event on the inside of row three. Schatz was able to maintain a top-10 standing to earn his four consecutive WoO championship.
The 2009 season has been another highlight reel for Schatz and the Armor All team. The championship title culminated a season that included 12 WoO “A” Feature wins and the 2009 Knoxville (Iowa) Nationals title – Schatz’s fourth consecutive Knoxville crown and TSR’s fifth Nationals triumph. Schatz earned 39 top-five finishes and 54 top-10s after racing in 65 events this season.
Stewart, who is competing in today’s Dickies 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, was thrilled to have Schatz and the Armor All team capture the crown for a second straight year.
“Donny is a true champion, and this championship says a lot about the entire TSR operation,” Stewart said. “We’ve had success before both in the Outlaws and in USAC, but as a competitor, I know it’s always about winning the next race and continuing to improve. Everyone did an outstanding job in bringing TSR this championship. Donny is a true talent, and I’m very happy that he was able to win his fourth Outlaw title as a part of TSR.
“It’s also exciting to win our second straight championship with Armor All. They came on board with TSR last year and have been a true asset to our organization. I’m also extremely proud to win another championship with Chevy as part of my open-wheel program. It’s a privilege to present them with their second WoO championship. Their effort and dedication has directly resulted in us having success on the track. It’s an honor to have them, as well as our other sponsors, as part of this championship, and we look forward to many more.”
TSR affiliated driver, Josh Richards of Shinnston, W. Va., also captured his first career WoO Late Model Series championship on Saturday night by finishing seventh in the World Finals. The 21-year-old Richards, who has served as Stewart’s crew chief in his three Prelude to the Dream dirt late model victories at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, drove his TSR/Seubert Farms/Rocket entry to eight WoO Late Model Series victories, 23 top-five finishes and 34 top-10 finishes to become the series’ youngest title winner.
For information regarding TSR, Schatz, Armor All, Chevy, or ParkerStore, log on to www.tonystewartracing.com, www.donnyschatz.com, www.aa-ownercenter.com, www.Chevy.com or www.parkerstore.com.