By Brian Walker
ELDON, MO – June 7, 2022 – After two months off, the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series presented by Low-E Insulation returns to action this weekend with a doubleheader at Eldon, MO’s Lake Ozark Speedway.
Held in conjunction with the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League, the “410 Nationals” on Friday and Saturday, June 10-11 will offer the standard $5,000-to-win and $6,000-to-win Xtreme Outlaw purses for teams with all Feature cars receiving $600-to-start. Remember, the top-10 in Xtreme Outlaw points will also receive tow money and courtesy pit passes from the Series.
This weekend’s doubleheader at Lake Ozark marks the first of five races in June, the busiest month thus far for the young Xtreme Outlaw Series. The Sprint Cars will return to Missouri on Friday & Saturday, June 24-25 for the St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff alongside the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models and DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Pevely’s Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55. The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets presented by Toyota will also venture to Jacksonville, IL on Sunday, June 26 for the Series’ third event and first since debuting at Millbridge (NC) in May.
LAKE OZARK TICKETS (Fri-Sat)
Here’s what to watch for this weekend on DIRTVision.com:
LEARY’S LEADING: Through the first three races in Series history, CJ Leary has established himself as the early favorite for the inaugural championship worth $20,000. He dominated the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series debut at Volusia (FL) in February and backed that up with another exciting score in April during his first appearance at Lake Ozark (MO). This weekend, the Bill Michael Motorsports #77M returns to the Eldon, MO 1/3-mile with sights set on a third and potentially fourth triumph.
In the grand scheme of things, Leary (Greenfield, IN) is one of the hottest Non-Wing Sprint Car drivers in the entire country, let alone in the Xtreme Outlaw Series. The 26-year-old leads the nation with six victories including the No Way Out 40 at Paragon (IN), BOSS at Montpelier (IN), USAC at Terre Haute (IN), and BC’s Indiana Double at Kokomo (IN), and his two out-of-state Xtreme Outlaw triumphs.
THE MAD MAN: If the trends and numbers have anything to say about it, Robert Ballou is due for a win. In the first three Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car events, Ballou finished fourth, then third, and then second. He’ll try to get that overdue victory this Friday night when he returns to Lake Ozark Speedway, where he charged from 17th-to-2nd in April and led throughout the closing stages.
The Rocklin, CA native is already a two-time victory in 2022 with both wins coming under the USAC National Sprint Car Series banner at I-70 (MO) and Terre Haute (IN). He’ll certainly be one to watch this weekend as he hopes to join Leary and Thomas Meseraull as a winner with the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series presented by Low-E Insulation and cut down into Leary’s +36 point lead.
HANGING AROUND: Behind Leary (676) and Ballou (640) is a trio of patient, but stealthy gassers keeping their name in the early-season title fight with the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series and looking to make up some ground this weekend.
Shane Cockrum (-77) of Benton, IL earned his first podium finish in the Series’ most recent trip to Lake Ozark aboard the Amati Racing #66. Carson Short (-114) of Marion, IL led the first-ever lap in Xtreme Outlaw history and backed that up with two top-10 results before a flip at LOS ended his bid to make it three-for-three. Jake Swanson (-130) of Anaheim, CA has been s steady frontrunner in the #21AZ and much like Short’s Lake Ozark flip, would be much closer to the top of the standings if not for his DNF at Volusia while running third.
LONG HAUL: Sitting seventh in the current Xtreme Outlaw standings, Alex Bright of Collegeville, PA is showing the utmost commitment to the new series with his long haul this weekend. He and the Hummer Motorsports #20 will cover more than 1,000 miles one way on their 15-hour trip from Collegeville, PA to Eldon, MO.
Had it not been for a crash while running inside the top-five at Lake Ozark in April, Bright would likely be sitting third in the points right behind Leary and Ballou after his back-to-back strong runs at Volusia. The 31-year-old ace enters this weekend with three wins already under his belt in 2022, those all coming with the USAC East Coast Series at Bloomsburg (PA), Delaware (DE), and Williams Grove (PA).
SHOW-ME STRONG: Lake Ozark’s doubleheader marks the first of four consecutive Xtreme Outlaw events in Missouri this month as the St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff follows at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on June 24-25.
A whole contingent of Missouri natives will be in attendance this weekend hoping to defend home turf at Lake Ozark as they’ve done countless times before with the POWRi WAR Sprint League. Among the previous local non-wing winners in Eldon are the likes of Kory Schudy (Springfield, MO), Wesley Smith (Nixa, MO), Jack Wagner (Lone Jack, MO), and Riley Kreisel (Warsaw, MO).
A BATTLE WITH WAR: Friday and Saturday’s trip to Lake Ozark will mark the second and third events held in conjunction with the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League. The Belleville, IL-based organization has already completed four races in 2022 with four different winners – CJ Leary, Kory Schudy, Riley Kreisel, and Wesley Smith – finding their way to victory lane.
Entering this weekend, Kory Schudy leads the POWRi WAR standings with Jack Wagner, Anthony Nicholson, Steven Russell, and Riley Kreisel (Warsaw, MO) rounding out the current top-five.
THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE
Friday & Saturday, June 10-11 at Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, MO
ON THE INTERNET
Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series presented by Low-E Insulation
Twitter – @Xtreme_Outlaw
Instagram – @XtremeOutlaw
Facebook – Facebook.com/XtremeOutlawSeries.WRG
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month
CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (3/13 Nights):
1. 77-CJ Leary (676 PTS); 2. 12-Robert Ballou (-36 PTS); 3. 66-Shane Cockrum (-77 PTS); 4. 21-Carson Short (-114 PTS); 5. 21AZ-Jake Swanson (-130 PTS); 6. 69-Brady Bacon (-135 PTS); 7. 20-Alex Bright (-139 PTS); 8. 6-Mario Clouser (-148 PTS); 9. 44-Wesley Smith (-153 PTS); 10. 33M-Matt Westfall (-163 PTS).
LOW-E INSULATION FEATURE WINNERS (2 Drivers):
2 wins – CJ Leary (Greenfield, IN) / Michael Motorsports #77
1 win – Thomas Meseraull (San Jose, CA) / Sean Michael #20M
FEATURE LAPS LED (5 Drivers):
40 Laps – CJ Leary
30 Laps – Thomas Meseraull
10 Laps – Brady Bacon
4 Laps – Robert Ballou
1 Lap – Carson Short
WHITZ RACING QUICKTIME AWARDS (3 Drivers):
1 QuickTime – Robert Ballou, Thomas Meseraull, Brady Bacon
HEAT RACE WINNERS (10 Drivers):
2 Heat Wins – CJ Leary, Shane Cockrum
1 Heat Win – Justin Grant, Robert Ballou, Dustin Clark, Shane Cottle, Cole Bodine, Jake Swanson, Alex Bright, Jack Wagner
K1 RACE GEAR LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (5 Drivers):
1 LCS Win – Thomas Meseraull, Wesley Smith, Charles Davis Jr, Brandon Mattox, Robert Ballou
TJ FORGED HARD CHARGER AWARDS (3 Drivers):
1 Hard Charger – Carson Short, Chase Stockon, Robert Ballou
PODIUM FINISHES (7 Drivers):
2 Podiums – CJ Leary, Robert Ballou,
1 Podium – Carson Short, Chase Stockon, Thomas Meseraull, Brady Bacon, Shane Cockrum
TOP 10 FINISHES (20 Drivers):
3 Top 10s – CJ Leary, Robert Ballou
2 Top 10s – Carson Short, Shane Cottle, Charles Davis Jr, Alex Bright, Shane Cockrum, Jake Swanson,
1 Top 10 – Chase Stockon, Dustin Clark, Mitchel Moles, Thomas Meseraull, Brady Bacon, Justin Grant, Matt Westfall, Jason McDougal, Wesley Smith, Jack Wagner, Kory Schudy, Isaac Chapple
2022 XTREME OUTLAW SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE & WINNERS:
No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Mon, Feb. 14 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / CJ Leary (1)
2. Tues, Feb. 15 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Thomas Meseraull (1)
3. Sat, April 9 / Lake Ozark Speedway / Eldon, MO / CJ Leary (2)
4. Fri, June 10 / Lake Ozark Speedway / Eldon, MO
5. Sat, June 11 / Lake Ozark Speedway / Eldon, MO
6. Fri, June 24 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO
7. Sat, June 25 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO
8. Fri, Sept. 9 / Jacksonville Speedway / Jacksonville, IL
9. Sat, Sept. 10 / Spoon River Speedway / Canton, IL
10. Fri, Oct. 7 / Atomic Speedway / Waverly, OH
11. Sat, Oct. 8 / Atomic Speedway / Waverly, OH
12. TBA
13. TBA
The Xtreme Outlaw Series is brought to fans by important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Low-E Insulation (Presenting sponsor of the non-wing Sprint Car Series), Toyota (Presenting sponsor of the Midgets Series), Racing Electronics (Official Radio Supplier) and SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider). Other partners include: DRC Chassis, K1 Race Gear, Pace Dyno Services, TJ Forged and Whitz Racing Products.