By Nick Graziano
LAWTON, OK — Sept. 14, 2020 — We’re not in Kansas anymore. The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is set for a historic doubleheader weekend in Oklahoma and Texas.
The Greatest Show on Dirt returns to Lawton Speedway in Lawton, OK for the first time since 1985 on Fri., Sept. 18 and then ventures to the Series’ birthplace for the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, TX on Sat., Sept. 19.
Both races will play a key part in the epic battle for the Series championship, which still has five drivers – and six teams – competing for the title. You’ll also see drivers leaving with healthy paydays. The event at Lawton will pay $10,000-to-win and the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil’s Bowl will pay $20,000-to-win.
If you can’t make it to the tracks, you can watch both events live on DIRTVision.
Here are the top storylines to follow this weekend:
SHELDON HITS NEXT LEVEL: Sheldon Haudenschild, of Wooster, OH, is having one of the best seasons of his career and has solidified himself as one of the top drivers to beat every weekend with his Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing team. He has five wins, so far, this year with three of them coming in the last six races.
He’ll make his first start at Lawton Speedway on Friday, but don’t think that lowers his chances of winning at the track. Several drivers will also be making their first appearance at the speedway and Haudenschild has already won twice this year at tracks he’d never been to before. In five starts at Devil’s Bowl, he has one top-five and three top-10s.
ALLEN IS A WINNER: After 358 races of defeat Jacob Allen finally became a World of Outlaws winner at Dodge City Raceway Park last weekend. Now, with that monkey off of his back, he’ll be poised to get another win this weekend.
He’ll make his first appearance at Lawton Speedway and look for redemption at Devil’s Bowl. He came close to a win at the Texas track last year after leading most of the race before fading to third. His father and car owner, Bobby Allen, won at Devil’s Bowl in 1986. With a new wave of confidence for he and his team, more wins could be on the way in 2020.
PITTMAN AFTER HOME WIN: This weekend will be a special homecoming for Daryn Pittman, of Owasso, OK. Lawton Speedway is the site of his first ever Sprint Car win and he recently announced that 2020 would be his final year as a full-time driver.
He and his Roth Motorsports team are still searching for their first win of the season. He’s yet to run a World of Outlaws race at Lawton but has two wins at Devil’s Bowl – in 2014 and 2018.
READY TO COWBOY UP: Logan Schuchart, of Hanover, PA, left Texas wearing a new cowboy hat last year after claiming his first win at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. With five wins, so far, this season and the last one coming in July, he’ll be hungry to park his Drydene car in Victory Lane again.
He’ll also be looking to make up more points on leader Brad Sweet. Schuchart is currently second in points, 10 points behind Sweet.
SWEET HOLDING STRONG: Reigning champion Brad Sweet, of Grass Valley, CA, maintained his points lead after last weekend with a fifth- and fourth-place finish. He’s currently on a run of eight top-five finishes in a row – one of them being his win at I-80 Speedway.
Sweet has one win at Devil’s Bowl in 2017 and will make his first start with the World of Outlaws at Lawton Speedway.
SCHATZ MAKING GAINS: Ten-time Series champion Donny Schatz, of Fargo, ND, and his Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing team are inching closer to getting back to their traditional winning ways. Schatz found the podium again at Dodge City last weekend and then finished sixth the next night.
He has three wins at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, most recently in 2018. He’s still currently third in points – 80 points behind Sweet.
JJR STRONG IN TEXAS: David Gravel, of Watertown, CT, has yet to win at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, but Jason Johnson Racing is no stranger to success at the historic track. Jason Johnson won there in 2017 and still holds the track record.
Gravel is currently on a run of 24 top-10 finishes in a row and has helped keep JJR in contention for the team championship title. JJR is currently 10 points behind Kasey Kahne Racing, tied with Shark Racing.
THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE
WHEN & WHERE
Friday, Sept. 18 at Lawton Speedway in Lawton, OK. Event Info / Tickets
Saturday, Sept. 19 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, TX. Event Info / Tickets
ABOUT THE TRACK
Lawton Speedway is a semi-banked 1/4-mile track.
Online – LawtonSpeedway.com
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is a high-banked 1/2-mile track.
Track Record – 13.306 set by Jason Johnson on 4/27/18
Online – DevilsBowl.com
1/4-MILE & 1/2-MILE WINNERS IN 2020
There have been three races on 1/4-mile tracks in 2020.
Tri-State Speedway: Carson Short won on June 19 and Carson Macedo won on June 20
River Cities Speedway: Kyle Larson won on Aug. 21
There have been 10 races on 1/2-mile tracks in 2020.
Volusia Speedway Park: Donny Schatz won on Feb. 7, Brad Sweet won on Feb. 8 and Logan Schuchart won on Feb. 9
Knoxville Raceway: David Gravel won on May 8 and Aug. 14, Kyle Larson won on June 12, June 13, Aug. 13 and Aug. 15
Terre Haute Action Track: Logan Schuchart won on July 12
Williams Grove Speedway: Shane Stewart won on July 24 and David Gravel won on July 25
LAWTON SPEEDWAY PREVIOUS WINNERS
1985 – Sammy Swindell on June 22
1984 – Jeff Swindell on June 23
1983 – Steve Kinser on June 25
1982 – Steve Kinser on June 26
1981 – Sammy Swindell on June 27
1980 – Steve Kinser on June 28
1978 – Rick Ferkel on Sept. 19, Sammy Swindell on Sept. 21
DEVIL’S BOWL SPEEDWAY PREVIOUS WINNERS
2019 – Logan Schuchart on April 12
2018 – Daryn Pittman on April 27, Donny Schatz on April 28
2017 – Jason Johnson on April 14, Brad Sweet on April 15
2016 – Joey Saldana on April 22, Shane Stewart on April 23
2015 – Donny Schatz on April 25
2014 – Donny Schatz on April 18, Daryn Pittman on April 19
2003 – Tyler Walker on March 15
2002 – Joey Saldana on March 16
2001 – Craig Dollansky on March 10, Joey Saldana on October 27
2000 – Danny Lasoski on March 11, Sammy Swindell on October 28
1999 – Danny Lasoski on April 24, Sammy Swindell on April 24 (1998 Winter Nat’ls finale), Gary Wright on October 15
1998 – Steve Kinser on March 21
1997 – Mark Kinser on March 22, Mark Kinser on October 18
1996 – Steve Kinser on March 23, Mark Kinser on October 19
1995 – Gary Wright on March 18, Stevie Smith on July 29, Gary Wright on October 21
1994 – Andy Hillenburg on March 19, Steve Kinser on July 30, Sammy Swindell on October 23
1993 – Steve Kinser on March 20, Gary Wright on July 31, Dave Blaney on October 23
1992 – Stevie Smith on March 21, Sammy Swindell on June 13, Steve Kinser on October 24
1988 – Dave Blaney on March 19, Steve Kinser on June 18
1987 – Sammy Swindell on March 15, Bobby Davis, Jr., on June 20
1986 – Bobby Allen on March 9, Sammy Swindell on June 21
1985 – Steve Kinser on March 3, Sammy Swindell on June 21
1984 – Steve Kinser on March 4, Bobby Davis, Jr., on May 4, Jeff Swindell on June 22
1983 – Doug Wolfgang on April 22, Ron Shuman on June 24
1982 – Bobby Davis, Jr., on March 20, Steve Kinser on June 25
1981 – Danny Smith on March 14, Doug Wolfgang on March 21, Ron Shuman on June 26
1980 – Doug Wolfgang on March 15, Sammy Swindell on March 22, Sammy Swindell on June 27, Sammy Swindell on September 13
1979 – Steve Kinser on March 31, Sammy Swindell on September 8
1978 – Jimmy Boyd on March 18, Sammy Swindell on September 16
ON THE INTERNET
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Twitter – Twitter.com/WorldofOutlaws – @WorldofOutlaws
Instagram – Instagram.com/WoOSprint – @woosprint
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws
YouTube – YouTube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – Dirtvision.com – Get your Fast Pass to watch all races LIVE for only $39/month
Twitter – Twitter.com/DIRTVision – @DIRTVision
Facebook – Facebook.com/WatchDIRTVision