By T.J. Buffenbarger
(February 10, 2022) — Sheldon Haudenschild was victorious in one of the most thrilling features in the history of the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.
Haudenschild, David Gravel, and Brad Sweet put on a three-car race for the lead during the late stages of the 30-lap feature event, trading the lead multiple times while racing three wide at times through slower traffic. Haudenschild was able to drive under Gravel, narrowly capturing the victory by 0.044 seconds.
The victory was Haudenschid’s first of the 2022 season and his Stenhouse/Marshall Racing team.
“That was a wild race,” Haudenschild said after the feature. “I kind of just tried to play cool there that first half and see what David was doing and I got to him in the first set of lap traffic and it kind of got through there a little bit better than me and stacked us back up with that restart. I didn’t really have a plan just tried to move around a little bit and then Brad got me, and we had a really good race man. They were gassing it up. I just trying to get the top one and two ran in. I felt like David and Brad weren’t going up there and it was kind of dirty in the track up. I moved it back down in one and two and I got a little messed up so I just kind of tried to commit to the top there. I did the square up line once on Brad and thankfully I got the practice it once and it was able to get under David.”
Gravel and Haudenschild started on the front row for the 30-lap feature event. Gravel led during the early stages with Haudenschild in close quarters. After encountering slower traffic, Gravel drifted up the track in turn two on lap seven and allowed Haudenschild to close. Behind the lead duo Brad Sweet drove around Tyler Courtney for the third position and quickly closed to create a three-car race for the lead.
Haudenschild and Sweet were held up in slower traffic on lap 10, which allowed Gravel to open some breathing room. This was short lived though as the first and only caution flag of the night appeared with 14 laps completed when Giovanni Scelzi slowed in turn four. Scelzi was unable to continue.
During the caution flag Kyle Larson also went to the work area with a flat tire but was able to make the restart.
After the restart Gravel continued to lead while Sweet pressured Haudenschild for second. Sweet was able to move into second position coming off turn four on lap 19. Two laps later Gravel found himself in traffic again. Gravel slipped coming off turn three and sweet was able to take the lead.
Haudenschild was able to get by Gravel, using a slower car as a pick on lap 23 to take away the second spot. With five laps to go Haudenschild was on Sweet’s back bumper with Gravel in striking distance in third. Haudenschild pulled a slide job on Sweet for the lead through turns one and two for the lead. Sweet and Haudenschild raced three wide through traffic down the backstretch with Sweet holding the lead.
Gravel was able to take advantage of traffic getting inside of Haudenschild to take second spot, racing three wide through traffic to take the lead as the field took the white flag. Haudenschild refused to give up though, giving one final drive through turns three and four and carried enough momentum to cross the finish line first over Gravel, Haudenschild. 16th starting Carson Macedo, and Jacob Allen.
For Haudenschild, the victory was a close call as he mistakenly thought he saw the white and checkered flags too early.
“I thought I saw the white and then the checkered when Brad and they were both still in front of me and gassing it up and kind of a rookie mistake there. Go until the yellow lights come on for sure.”
Afterwards, Gravel indicated he ran the last half of the feature without a right front shock on the car.
“I went really, really slow for two laps and right at that caution with 16 to go my right front shocks was gone,” said Gravel. “I had three shocks on this car and when I could haul ass and get this thing to lay left the car was amazing, but once I slowed down and got my right front right rear in the holes, that’s where I gave the time up. I just got too high, hit the holes, and that’s where he got me.
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
DIRTcar Nationals
Volusia Speedway Park
Barberville, Florida
Friday, February 10, 2022
Qualifying
1. 2-David Gravel, 13.916[10]
2. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.927[9]
3. 8-Aaron Reutzel, 13.964[1]
4. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 14.047[16]
5. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.051[34]
6. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.056[24]
7. 11-Kerry Madsen, 14.060[6]
8. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.077[13]
9. 39M-Anthony Macri, 14.098[5]
10. 21-Brian Brown, 14.115[4]
11. 19-Brent Marks, 14.129[21]
12. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.136[15]
13. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.139[19]
14. 26-Cory Eliason, 14.143[23]
15. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.228[26]
16. 41-Carson Macedo, 14.230[25]
17. 57-Kyle Larson, 14.231[8]
18. 55-Alex Bowman, 14.236[18]
19. 28-Tim Shaffer, 14.240[12]
20. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 14.263[17]
21. 5-Spencer Bayston, 14.270[22]
22. 13-Justin Peck, 14.278[27]
23. 9-Kasey Kahne, 14.291[3]
24. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 14.299[2]
25. 18-Giovanni Scelzi, 14.311[32]
26. 83-James McFadden, 14.371[33]
27. 3-Ayrton Gennetten, 14.472[30]
28. 23B-Brian Bell, 14.543[28]
29. 7B-Ben Brown, 14.611[20]
30. 10-Paulie Colagiovanni, 14.642[14]
31. 20G-Noah Gass, 14.828[11]
32. 6-Bill Rose, 14.828[29]
33. 48-Danny Dietrich, 14.828[31]
34. 3K-Jeremy Kerzman, 14.828[7]
Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[2]
2. 2-David Gravel[1]
3. 1S-Logan Schuchart[4]
4. 5-Spencer Bayston[6]
5. 57-Kyle Larson[5]
6. 39M-Anthony Macri[3]
7. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[7]
8. 48-Danny Dietrich[9]
9. 7B-Ben Brown[8]
Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 49-Brad Sweet[1]
2. 1A-Jacob Allen[2]
3. 26-Cory Eliason[4]
4. 21-Brian Brown[3]
5. 83-James McFadden[7]
6. 13-Justin Peck[6]
7. 10-Paulie Colagiovanni[8]
8. 55-Alex Bowman[5]
Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 8-Aaron Reutzel[1]
2. 11-Kerry Madsen[2]
3. 19-Brent Marks[3]
4. 9-Kasey Kahne[6]
5. 7S-Jason Sides[4]
6. 28-Tim Shaffer[5]
7. 20G-Noah Gass[8]
8. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[7]
Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[1]
2. 11K-Kraig Kinser[2]
3. 15-Donny Schatz[3]
4. 41-Carson Macedo[4]
5. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[5]
6. 6-Bill Rose[8]
7. 2C-Wayne Johnson[6]
8. 23B-Brian Bell[7]
DIRTVision FAST PASS Dash (6 Laps)
1. 2-David Gravel[1]
2. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[2]
3. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[3]
4. 49-Brad Sweet[8]
5. 11-Kerry Madsen[4]
6. 1A-Jacob Allen[6]
7. 11K-Kraig Kinser[5]
8. 8-Aaron Reutzel[7]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps)
1. 39M-Anthony Macri[1]
2. 13-Justin Peck[3]
3. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[6]
4. 55-Alex Bowman[2]
5. 20G-Noah Gass[8]
6. 10-Paulie Colagiovanni[7]
7. 48-Danny Dietrich[10]
8. 6-Bill Rose[5]
9. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[11]
10. 23B-Brian Bell[12]
11. 7B-Ben Brown[13]
12. 2C-Wayne Johnson[9]
13. 28-Tim Shaffer[4]
14. 3K-Jeremy Kerzman
A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[2]
2. 2-David Gravel[1]
3. 49-Brad Sweet[4]
4. 41-Carson Macedo[16]
5. 1A-Jacob Allen[6]
6. 83-James McFadden[18]
7. 15-Donny Schatz[12]
8. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[3]
9. 26-Cory Eliason[10]
10. 8-Aaron Reutzel[8]
11. 19-Brent Marks[11]
12. 57-Kyle Larson[17]
13. 39M-Anthony Macri[21]
14. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[20]
15. 11-Kerry Madsen[5]
16. 9-Kasey Kahne[15]
17. 13-Justin Peck[22]
18. 5-Spencer Bayston[13]
19. 11K-Kraig Kinser[7]
20. 21-Brian Brown[14]
21. 20G-Noah Gass[26]
22. 7S-Jason Sides[19]
23. 6-Bill Rose[25]
24. 55-Alex Bowman[24]
25. 1S-Logan Schuchart[9]
26. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[23]