By Brian Walker
WEST BURLINGTON, IA – June 14, 2021 – After sweeping through Knoxville, there’s no slowing down for The Greatest Show on Dirt.
This weekend, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series prepares for a triple-header through the states of Iowa and Wisconsin.
The Outlaws are back at West Burlington’s 34 Raceway for a Thursday night under the lights, then it’s off to the Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway for the first time ever on Friday night, and finally the weekend concludes with a return to Wisconsin’s Beaver Dam Raceway on Saturday evening.
Thursday at 34 (BUY TICKETS)
Friday at Dubuque (BUY TICKETS)
Saturday at Beaver Dam (BUY TICKETS)
Here are some of the top storylines to follow:
PARITY AT 34: Thursday’s trip to West Burlington, IA’s 34 Raceway marks the sixth appearance by the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. A different winner has found victory lane in every race giving us five winners in five shows at the 1/3-mile oval.
Of active drivers, Donny Schatz and Parker Price-Miller are the only two with World of Outlaws wins at the facility. Schatz won in 2014 and he’ll be back on Thursday chasing his first win of the 2021 season aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15. PPM will enter this week’s race as the defending winner and a chance at his third career victory with his third car owner, now driving his own #19.
FIRST TIME EVER: Since 2019, the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series has been trying to race at Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway each season. Unfortunately, on each previous occasions, the Iowa fans never got to see The Greatest Show on Dirt. Rain washed out the event in 2019 and COVID-19 protocols cancelled the race in 2020. In 2021, we’re bound and determined to finally host the first-ever World of Outlaws event at the Dubuque 3/8-mile, which comes this Friday night.
SWEET’S SAVING GRACE: It’s been more than a month since Brad Sweet last appeared on the podium of a World of Outlaws Feature, precisely nine races actually. His best finish over that nine-race stretch has been fifth, but his low points have 12th & 14th at Eldora and most recently a season-worst 16th at Knoxville. His struggles have allowed both David Gravel and Carson Macedo to close in on the championship battle.
The Grass Valley, CA native heads to Beaver Dam Raceway on Saturday, where he’s dominated in the past. The Big Cat has four total wins at the Wisconsin track, tied for most all-time with his former Kasey Kahne Racing teammate Daryn Pittman. Recently, the NAPA Auto Parts #49 has topped three-straight Features at the 1/3-mile, including a weekend sweep at the joint last June.
A return to form this weekend at Beaver Dam could be crucial to Sweet’s championship hopes and his momentum heading into the “Summer of Money.”
WAYNE WANTS A WIN: Oklahoma City’s Wayne Johnson has driven to victory lane at two of the three tracks on this weekend’s slate. The 2020 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year is still chasing his first-career World of Outlaws win, something he hopes to check off his bucket list this weekend.
The pilot of the Two-C Racing #2C has previously won at 34 Raceway in a 2015 National Sprint League race and he topped a 2019 Sprint Invaders show at Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway. Through 30 races this year, Johnson sits 12th in the championship standings with two top-10 finishes to his credit.
BACK-TO-BACK: For the first time in his career, Carson Macedo has won back-to-back World of Outlaws Features. Coming off a weekend sweep at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway, the Lemoore, CA native is carrying more confidence than ever inside the cockpit of the Jason Johnson Racing #41.
With Philip Dietz on the wrenches and in the ownership role along with wife Brooke, the JJR squad is thriving as much as ever. Crew members Clyde Knipp and Nate Repetz, along with the trust and faith from the Johnson family, has the group chemistry meshing more than ever before.
Macedo’s five-win campaign is already the most of his young World of Outlaws career, and he could add even more this weekend.
POINTS TIGHTENING: In part due to Brad Sweet’s recent struggles, the championship chase is as close as it’s been since March. The top-three are separated by exactly 60 points and the top-six are all within 200 of each other.
Sweet’s KKR #49 continues to hold the edge with 4,188 points, but closely following him is David Gravel’s Big Game Motorsports #2 (-48 PTS), Carson Macedo’s Jason Johnson Racing #41 (-60 PTS), Donny Schatz’s Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15 (-134 PTS), Sheldon Haudenschild’s Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing #17 (-138 PTS), and Logan Schuchart’s Shark Racing #1S (-166 PTS).
SUMMER OF MONEY: This weekend’s triple-header offers up some crucial confidence and momentum to be found heading into the luxurious “Summer of Money.” On Sunday, the season’s officially change and the most lucrative portion of the World of Outlaws campaign begins. A total of nine events over that period will pay out more than $20,000-to-win.
here’s the Huset’s 50 paying $30,000-to-win on June 22, the Jackson Nationals paying $50,000-to-win on June 24, the Kings Royal paying $175,000-to-win TWICE on July 15 and July 17, the Silver Cup paying $25,000-to-win on July 20, the Summer Nationals paying $20,000-to-win on July 24, the Ironman 55 paying $20,000-to-win on August 7, the Knoxville Nationals paying $150,000-to-win on August 14, and the Skagit Nationals paying $25,000-to-win on September 5.
Following the May 21 Feature at Attica (OH) Raceway Park, Aaron Reutzel drove his race car through the pit area at an excessive and unacceptable speed, which is a direct violation of the World of Outlaws rule book. He was assessed a fine and placed on probation for the remainder of the 2021 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series season.
This Week at a Glance – When and Where
Thursday, June 17 at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, IA
Friday, June 18 at Dubuque Fairgrounds in Dubuque, IA
Saturday, June 19 at Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, WI
On the Internet
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Twitter – @WorldofOutlaws
Instagram – @WoOSprint
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsSprintCarSeries
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month
Around the Turn: Following this weekend, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will roll northwest to visit River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND on Friday, June 4, then Granite City Speedway in Sauk Rapids, MN on Saturday, June 5.
NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (10 Drivers):
9 wins – Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #49
5 wins – David Gravel, Big Game Motorsports #2
5 wins – Carson Macedo, Jason Johnson Racing #41
3 wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing #17
2 wins – Aaron Reutzel, Roth Motorsports #83
2 wins – Logan Schuchart, Shark Racing #1S
1 win – James McFadden, Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #9
1 win – Brent Marks, Brent Marks Racing #19M
1 win – Dave Blaney, Dave Blaney #10
1 win – Kyle Larson, Paul Silva #57