By Nick Graziano
PLYMOUTH, IN — Sept. 21, 2020 — For the second time this season, the best Sprint Car drivers in the world will face a triple-header weekend with three races at three tracks in three days.
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series returns to Plymouth Speedway for the first time since 2017 on Thurs., Sept. 24. It’ll then venture to Wayne County Speedway for the first time in 35 years for a $15,000-to-win and $1,000-to-start event presented by Slick Woody’s Cornhole Company on Fri., Sept. 25. The weekend will cap off with the prestigious Commonwealth Clash at Lernerville Speedway on Sat., Sept. 26.
Five drivers are still in contention for the driver championship and six teams are in contention for the team championship. The three-race stretch will test the limits of each driver and team and demonstrate their caliber of going after the title.
If you can’t make it to the tracks, you can watch the races live on DIRTVision.
Here are the top storylines for the weekend:
LOGAN’S RUN: Logan Schuchart, of Hanover, PA, isn’t letting reigning champion Brad Sweet run off with another World of Outlaws championship just yet. The Shark Racing driver won his sixth race of the year at Devil’s Bowl Speedway and cut into Sweet’s points lead. Schuchart now trails Sweet by eight points going into the triple-header weekend.
He’s currently on a streak of 23 top-10 finishes in a row. His last visit to Plymouth in 2017 ended early due to an issue taking him out of the race before it started. He’ll make his first appearance at Wayne County and will look to improve upon his ninth-place finish at Lernerville from July.
HAUD GOES HOME: Sheldon Haudenschild, of Wooster, OH, is making the trek home while on a hot streak with his Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing team. In his last 20 starts, Haudenschild has collected five wins and 17 top-10 finishes – 12 of them top-five finishes.
He’ll look to continue that streak this weekend as he’s only 14 points behind 10-time Series champion Donny Schatz for third in points. Haudenschild finished seventh in his World of Outlaws debut at Plymouth in 2017. He’s yet to run a World of Outlaws race at Wayne County – which is 15 minutes from his home – but has seven wins there. And he finished fourth at Lernerville in July.
BIG CAT ON TOP: Lernerville Speedway was a turning in Brad Sweet’s championship quest last year. He earned his 50th career win and left with a large points lead that help secure him his first championship. He’ll look to make the most the triple-header weekend and exit Lernerville with similar fortunes.
The Grass Valley, CA driver won the Series’ first race at Plymouth in 2016 and finished fifth the year after. He’ll make his Wayne County Speedway debut with the World of Outlaws on Friday. Then on Saturday, he’ll look to win the Commonwealth Clash at Lernerville for the third year in a row.
SCHATZ ON THE HUNT: Ten-time Series champion Donny Schatz, of Fargo, ND, is three wins away from a career milestone of 300 World of Outlaws victories. He currently has three wins this year – his last coming at Lernerville in July. Since that win, he and his Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing team have been on a roller coaster of up and down performances. They’ve recently been able to string together a run of 10 top-10 finishes in a row – three of them being top-fives.
The Commonwealth Clash put a big hinderance of Schatz’s championship hunt last year but could be a positive turning point for his 2020 season. A strong performance this weekend, especially a win, could help put he and his team on a path to contending for the championship at the end of the year. Schatz is currently third in points – 92 points behind Sweet.
FACES IN NEW PLACES: You’ll be forgive you if you have to look twice at a couple of cars this weekend. Daryn Pittman, of Owasso, OK, ended his tenure with Roth Motorsports last weekend and will finish the 2020 World of Outlaws season behind the wheel of the Heffner Racing #72 car out of Pennsylvania. Taking his place in Roth’s historic #83 car for the remainder of the year will be Spencer Bayston, of Lebanon, IN.
Pittman is no stranger to the Heffner team. He ran for them in Pennsylvania from 2009 to 2012 and made 20 World of Outlaws starts with them during that time, collecting a win at Williams Grove Speedway in 2011.
Bayston has 21 career World of Outlaws Feature starts with a career best finish of fourth at the Dirt Track at Charlotte in 2018. He made one Series start at Lernerville in 2018 and finished 21st. He’ll make his first Series start at Plymouth and Wayne County but does hold the track record at the Ohio track.
GRAVEL ON WIN CRAVE: David Gravel, of Watertown, CT, and Jason Johnson Racing have been knocking on the door of another victory. He earned three podium finishes in the last three races, including a runner-up finish at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. He’s also on a streak of 26 top-10 finishes in a row. He’s the last driver to win at Plymouth Speedway in 2017.
JJR continues to be a top contender for the team championship, as well. With Gravel’s success and Parker Price-Miller filling in for him when he missed a couple of races, the team is currently tied for second in the team standings with Schuchart’s Shark Racing team – eight points behind Kasey Kahne Racing.
THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE
WHEN & WHERE
Thursday, Sept. 24 at Plymouth Speedway in Plymouth, IN. Event Info / Tickets
Friday, Sept. 25 at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, OH. Event Info / Tickets
Saturday, Sept. 26 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, PA. Event Info / Tickets
ABOUT THE TRACK
Plymouth Speedway is a semi-banked 3/8-mile track.
Online – PlymouthSpeedway.net
Track Record – 11.061 sec. set by Donny Schatz on Aug. 2, 2020
Wayne County Speedway is a semi-banked 3/8-mile track.
Online – WayneCountySpeedway.com
Track Record – 13.808 sec. set by Spencer Bayston on April 21, 2018
Lernerville Speedway is a high-banked 4/10-mile track.
Online – Lernerville.com
Track Record – 12.334 sec. set by Joey Saldana on May 15, 2002
3/8-MILE & 4/10-MILE WINNERS IN 2020
There have been six races on a 3/8-mile track in 2020.
Cedar Lake Speedway: Brad Sweet won on July 3 and 4
Lincoln Speedway: Sheldon Haudenschild on July 23
Red River Valley Speedway: Kyle Larson won on Aug. 22
Dodge City Raceway Park: Jacob Allen won on Sept. 11 and Sheldon Haudenschild won on Sept. 12
There have been five races on a 4/10-mile track in 2020.
Jackson Motorplex: Brad Sweet won on June 25 and Logan Schuchart on June 26 & 27
Lernerville Speedway: Donny Schatz won on July 21
I-80 Speedway: Brad Sweet won on Aug. 30
PLYMOUTH SPEEDWAY PREVIOUS WINNERS
2017 – David Gravel won on April 28
2016 – Brad Sweet won on May 13
WAYNE COUNTY SPEEDWAY PREVIOUS WINNERS
1985 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 6
1984 – Bobby Davis, Jr. on June 9
1981 – Steve Kinser on June 14
1979 – Steve Kinser on July 29
LERNERVILLE SPEEDWAY PREVIOUS WINNERS
2020 – Donny Schatz on July 21
2019 – David Gravel on July 23, Brad Sweet on Sept. 28
2018 – Kyle Larson on July 17, Brad Sweet on Sept. 22
2017 – Donny Schatz on July 18, David Gravel on Sept. 23
2016 – David Gravel on July 19, Donny Schatz on Sept. 24
2015 – Dale Blaney on July 21, Cody Darrah on July 21
2014 – Donny Schatz on July 15, Cody Darrah on July 15, Joey Saldana on Sept. 20
2013 – Donny Schatz on July 16, Daryn Pittman on July 16
2012 – Craig Dollansky on July 17, Tony Stewart on July 17, Dale Blaney on Sept. 22
2011 – Dale Blaney on July 19, Tim Shaffer on July 19, Jason Meyers on Sept. 24
2010 – Lance Dewease on July 20, Joey Saldana on July 20, Donny Schatz on Sept. 25
2009 – Danny Lasoski on July 22, Stevie Smith on July 22
2008 – Jason Meyers on May 13, Steve Kinser on July 15
2007 – Steve Kinser on May 15, Donny Schatz on July 17
2006 – Dean Jacobs on May 19; Donny Schatz on July 18
2005 – Steve Kinser on May 21, Tim Shaffer on July 19
2004 – Steve Kinser on May 25, Sammy Swindell on July 20
2003 – Donny Schatz on May 21
2002 – Stevie Smith on May 15, Ed Lynch, Jr., on July 23
2001 – Mark Kinser on July 24, Danny Wood on Sept. 25
2000 – Sammy Swindell on May 16, Sammy Swindell on July 25, Stevie Smith on Sept. 26
1999 – Steve Kinser on May 25, Mark Kinser on July 27
1998 – Fred Rahmer on May 19, Mark Kinser on July 28
1997 – Sammy Swindell on May 20, Mark Kinser on July 29
1996 – Mark Kinser on May 21, Mark Kinser on July 30
1995 – Steve Kinser on May 23, Stevie Smith on Aug. 1
1994 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 2
1993 – Kenny Jacobs on May 25, Jeff Swindell on Aug. 3, Stevie Smith on Sept. 30
1992 – Sammy Swindell on May 20, Sammy Swindell on July 28, Steve Kinser on Sept. 30
1991 – Jeff Swindell on May 22, Bobby Davis, Jr., on July 31, Sammy Swindell on Oct. 14
1990 – Sammy Swindell on May 23, Steve Kinser on Aug. 1, Bobby Davis, Jr., on Oct. 8
1989 – Dave Blaney on May 24, Tim Green on July 31, Dave Blaney on Oct. 11
1988 – Dave Blaney on May 25, Sammy Swindell on July 27
1987 – Steve Kinser on May 20, Steve Kinser on July 29
1986 – Doug Wolfgang on May 21, Steve Kinser on July 30
1985 – Steve Kinser on May 22, Sammy Swindell on July 31
1984 – Sammy Swindell on June 8, Brad Doty on July 31, Sammy Swindell on Oct. 9
1983 – Sammy Swindell on June 10, Sammy Swindell on June 11, Steve Kinser on Aug. 2, Bobby Davis, Jr., on Aug. 3
1982 – Steve Kinser on May 26, Rick Ferkel on Oct. 12
1981 – Steve Kinser on June 4, Sammy Swindell on Sept. 1
1980 – Doug Wolfgang on May 14, Rick Ferkel on July 16
1979 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 29
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