By Tony Veneziano
SAUK RAPIDS, Minn. — June 4, 2019 —The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will make their fourth visit to Granite City Speedway in Sauk Rapids, Minn., on Saturday, June 8 as Marthaler Chevrolet presents the series at the three-eighths-mile. Donny Schatz has won two of the previous races for the Outlaws at the track, including in the most recent in 2017. Shane Stewart also has a victory at Granite City Speedway. This edition of Up to Speed sets the stage for the World of Outlaws return to Granite City Speedway.
The track
Granite City Speedway is a semi-banked three-eighths-mile. The track record of 10.720-seconds was established by Sammy Swindell in time trials on June 17, 2015.
Special Guest
Kasey Kahne, who retired from NASCAR competition at the end of the 2018 season, will be a special guest at Granite City Speedway on June 8. The longtime driver will be signing autographs from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on race day.
Past winners
Donny Schatz scored his second win in three starts at Granite City Speedway in 2017. Schatz used a mid-race restart to take the lead from the late Jason Johnson and held on for the remainder of the 30-lap race.
Schatz also was victorious in the inaugural World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series event at Granite City Speedway in 2015. He took the top spot from Shane Stewart on lap-28 of that race and stayed out front for the final three circuits to capture the win. Danny Lasoski led the first 26 laps of the race, before Stewart moved to the point on lap-27, for a single lap.
Stewart reached victory lane at Granite City Speedway in 2016. The veteran driver took the lead from Kerry Madsen on the 11th lap and led the rest of the way to capture the win in the 30-lap contest.
The players
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series has 13 drivers following the full series this year, led by Donny Schatz. Brad Sweet is currently second in points, with Daryn Pittman in third. David Gravel is fourth in the current standings, with Logan Schuchart rounding out the top-five.
Shane Stewart, who scored a $25,000 win in Nashville last weekend is sixth in the standings, with rookie Carson Macedo in seventh, Ian Madsen in eighth, Brent Marks in ninth and Kraig Kinser in 10th. Also on the road are Sheldon Haudenschild, Jason Sides and Jacob Allen.
Feast or famine
Donny Schatz has two wins in three starts at Granite City Speedway with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. In the other race, he had a rare mechanical failure, which led to a DNF (Did not finish). In his career, Schatz has won at three tracks in Minnesota with the Outlaws.
Three for three
Brad Sweet, Shane Stewart and Logan Schuchart have each competed in all three of the previous World of Outlaws races at Granite City Speedway and have finished in the top-10 each and every time. Sweet finished a career-best second in 2016 at the track and was third in 2017. Stewart also has three top-10 finishes in the same number starts. Along with his win in 2016, the veteran driver came home in the runner-up spot in the inaugural Outlaws race at the track in 2015. Schuchart finished fifth in the inaugural Outlaws race at Granite City Speedway and followed that up with a seventh-place showing the next year and was ninth in 2017.
Perfect attendance
Daryn Pittman, Jason Sides, David Gravel and Jacob Allen have all been in attendance for the previous three Outlaws races at Granite City Speedway as well. Sides and Gravel each have a pair of top-10 finishes. Gravel recorded a best run of fifth in 2017. Pittman also has a top-five, with that being a fourth-place showing in 2016. Allen recorded a top-10 finish at the venue in 2016.
A couple of starts
Kraig Kinser has made the trip to Granite City Speedway twice in his career. The Indiana native was on-hand for the inaugural Outlaws race at the track in 2015 and returned again in 2017. Kinser finished just outside of the top-10 in those pair of races.
The next generation
Sheldon Haudenschild and Brent Marks, who are each in their third full seasons on the road with the Outlaws in 2019, each raced for the first time at Granite City Speedway in their rookie seasons of 2017. Haudenschild finished sixth in that race, while Marks was just outside of the top-10.
First timer
Carson Macedo will each be making his debut at Granite City Speedway. The young Californian, who finished second in points with the All Star Circuit of Champions last year, is in the midst of his rookie season with the Outlaws.
Tickets for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series presented by Marthaler Chevrolet of Glenwood at Granite City Speedway on Saturday, June 8, can be purchased online at https://slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by calling 815-344-2023 and at the track on race day.
Twitter: @SLS_Promotions
Facebook: SLS Promotions LLC