By Tony Veneziano
WEST FARGO, N.D. — August 19, 2020 — The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series hits the track at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, N.D., on Saturday, August 22 for the Red River Rumble, which is part of the Gerdau Northern Tour. Donny Schatz was victorious in the most recent series race at Red River Valley Speedway in 2018, which marked his fifth-career win with the series at the venue. There has been a different winner in each of the last six races contested by the World of Outlaws at the now-three-eighths-mile.
The track
Red River Valley Speedway is a high-banked, three-eighths-mile, which was formerly a half-mile. The track record of 11.925-seconds was established by Shane Stewart on August 19, 2017
Past winners
Donny Schatz is the winningest active full-time World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series driver at Red River Valley Speedway with five victories. He won for the first time at Red River Valley Speedway in 2002.
Schatz followed that up with a win in 2003 and swept both nights of the Duel in the Dakotas in 2006, the season he won his first World of Outlaws championship. Schatz has also won in his home state with the Outlaws at River Cities Speedway, Nodak Speedway and Dacotah Speedway.
Daryn Pittman, the 2013 series champion, won at Red River Valley Speedway in 2008. The veteran driver is also a past winner in North Dakota at River Cities Speedway and Nodak Speedway.
Plenty of laps
Donny Schatz competed with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series at Red River Valley Speedway for the first time back in 1993 as a teenager. He has raced at the venue with the series in 20 different seasons. In his career with the World of Outlaws at the track, Schatz has 28 top-10 finishes, with 15 of those being top-five performances. The 10-time series champion has eight straight top-10 finishes at Red River Valley Speedway, dating back to a pair of wins in 2006.
Experience counts
Daryn Pittman made his debut at Red River Valley Speedway in 1998. The 2013 World of Outlaws champion has made a total of 30 starts since then at the venue. Pittman won in Fargo in 2008 on the former half-mile. The Oklahoma native has recorded 11 top-10 finishes over the years, with four of those being top-five showings.
Running up front
The Shark Racing duo of Jacob Allen and Logan Schuchart both ran near the front of the field in 2018 at Red River Valley Speedway. Allen, who started fourth, took the lead from David Gravel on the eighth lap and was out front for four circuits, before Schatz got by him. Allen wound up finishing second, which was the first in a string of three-straight runner-up finishes. Schuchart, who started 19th, finished fifth to earn the Hard Charger Award for the night.
Always consistent
Kraig Kinser has had a great amount of success of Red River Valley Speedway in his career. The third-generation driver has nine top-10 finishes in 14 starts, with four of those being top-five runs. Kinser finished a career-best third at the track in 2005, when it was still a half-mile.
Veteran presence
Jason Sides has taken the green flag 21 times at Red River Valley Speedway, picking up seven top-10 finishes, with two of those being top-fives, including a runner-up finish in 2007. Sides is just outside of the top-10 in the current series standings.
In the top-10
Sheldon Haudenschild has made two starts with the World of Outlaws at Red River Valley Speedway in young career and has finished in the top-10 on both occasions. The Ohio native finished 10th in his debut at the track in his rookie season of 2017 and ran 10th again in 2018.
A handful of starts
Brad Sweet and David Gravel have each made two starts at Red River Valley Speedway with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series in their respective careers. Sweet, actually, made his debut at the track with the All Star Circuit of Champions back in 2011, with a runner-up finish. Gravel raced four times at the track with the All Stars, earlier in his career, racking up four top-10 finishes.
First timers
Carson Macedo, the reigning Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award this season, will be seeing Red River Valley Speedway for the first time as will current rookie contenders Mason Daniel and Wayne Johnson. Macedo is currently fourth in points and has two wins this season.
Tickets for the Red River Rumble, which is part of the Gerdau Northern Tour for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, N.D., on Saturday, August 22 can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by phone at 815-344-2023, as well as at the track on race day.
Twitter: @SLS_Promotions
Facebook: SLS Promotions LLC