From Nick Graziano
PORT ROYAL, PA (October 21, 2019) – With four races left to go in the 2019 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series season Donny Schatz has found himself in unusual territory.
The 10-time Series champion โ who for the last five years had the championship locked up by now โ finds himself 32 points behind Brad Sweet for the points lead heading into the Oct. 25 to 26 Nittany Showdown doubleheader at Port Royal Speedway.
You wonโt catch the reigning champion sweating about it, though.
โIโm not worried about championship points,โ Schatz said. โIโve never really worried about whoโs behind or ahead. You race the same.โ
However, that doesnโt mean heโs not aware of the fluctuating points situation. Schatz had cut Sweetโs lead down from 40 points to 14 after the National Open weekend at Williams Grove Speedway but then fell to 30 points behind after being the victim of two accidents at Tri-State Speedway.
โWeekends like last weekend, yeah, Iโd like to go find the guy that drove into the back of me and took me out and put me in this position and beat the shit out of him,โ Schatz said. โBut thatโs just the nature of the beast.
โWe got to go win races. When you canโt win races, youโve got to run second and third. But ultimately, weโre not into seconds and thirds. Weโre here to win.โ
This weekendโs event at Port Royal Speedway is a good place for Schatz and his Tony Stewart/ Curb-Agajanian Racing team to potentially pick up two more wins before the season ending Can-Am World Finals event. Schatz has won the last two World of Outlaws races at the half-mile Pennsylvania track. He out dueled Sweet for the win at the speedway last year.
The Fargo, N.D. driver has not finished worse than third at Port Royal Speedway since the Series returned to the speedway in 2014. Heโs gained eight points on Sweet the last two years at Port Royal and 12 points on him in 2016. If history repeats itself, Schatz could potentially cut Sweetโs points lead in half after the weekend.
Schatz is the winningest driver on half-mile speedways this year with six of his 10 wins coming at half-mile tracks. His latest win at the half-mile Lakeside Speedway was the first win for the new Ford FPS 410 engine โ the first time in 21 years a Ford powered World of Outlaws Sprint Car won. Schatz will have the FPS 410 again at Port Royal.
In the first quarter of the year Schatz said he would give his season a C grade. Five months later he said he wouldnโt change the grade. At least for himself.
โMy season is a C. The race team, these guys, Iโd give them an A,โ Schatz said. โTheyโve done a phenomenal job all year. Iโve had some moments where I put myself in a bad spot and I didnโt carry the car when I needed to carry the car.
โThe car isnโt going to be perfect ever. And a driver has to do a better job and thatโs something Iโve been good at over the years. This year, not so much. I can take that on my shoulders. Iโm a human being. Iโve made mistakes and Iโve got a lot of things going on that have probably affected me in that light. Iโm working on that. So, all you can do is work to be better going forward and thatโs what Iโm doing.โ
In the final four races of the year Schatz said, โitโs kind of go for broke.โ
โA long time ago I had a phrase, Iโd say win it or wear it,โ Schatz said. โWeโre going to win it or wear it. Itโs going to be that way here on out.โ