From Alex Nieten
BRANDON, S.D. (June 23, 2023) — Logan Schuchart has put himself in a position to make Sprint Car history.
Entering this week, the Hanover, PA native didnโt own a top-five finish at Husetโs Speedway. On Thursday night he changed that with a strong fourth. And then on Friday the driver of the Shark Racing #1S turned in a masterful drive to top the final prelim night of the Billion Auto Husetโs High Bank Nationals presented by Menards.
Schuchart slipped around the outside of Spencer Bayston on lap five, fended off a few challenges from Buddy Kofoid, and cruised to his second World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car victory of 2023 and the 37th of his career and pocketed $20,000. That mark gives him sole possession of 19th on the all-time Series win list. Husetโs is now the 21st different track heโs won at in World of Outlaws competition.
But the larger picture is the more important one for Schuchart and his Shark Racing crew. The back-to-back effective prelim outings positioned them atop the points heading into Saturdayโs finale where a $250,000 payday โ the largest in World of Outlaws history โ awaits the winner. Heโs guaranteed a spot in the King of the Hill that will line up the front four rows of the Feature. The Pennsylvania team that joined the World of Outlaws tour in 2014 with an uncertain future ahead now has a chance at the biggest paycheck in the World of Outlawsโ more than 45 years of history.
โHappy we were able to hold on. $20,000 is a lot of money, but weโre focused on $250,000 tomorrow,โ Schuchart said. โI feel like I roll this racetrack really good right now when everything is right. I feel like we have as good of a shot as anybody. For any big race, it feels good to roll into with confidence.โ
Schuchart began the 35-lap main event next to pole-sitter Spencer Bayston. When the green lights flashed, Bayston was able to slide ahead for the early advantage. But Schuchart didnโt let him get far away.
Bayston worked the bottom line aboard his CJB Motorsports #5 while Schuchart explored the high line. Almost immediately, Schuchart began to close in. The 30-year-old ripped around the cushion and moved in on Baystonโs tail tank. On the fifth circuit, Schuchart found the run he needed to power into the lead.
For Schuchart, he actually felt that not getting the lead on the initial start was beneficial to knowing where he needed to be on the track and moving into the top spot.
โThere in the beginning I was kind of happy to not get the lead there at the start,โ Schuchart explained. โI wanted to see how the racetrack was moving around for a little bit. Then once we got to the top, I could kind of gauge how I wanted to do my starts, and once we got going, I could get to the top and start making momentum.โ
Once Schuchart snagged the lead, he pulled ahead while behind him, Buddy Kofoid rolled into the runner-up spot by Bayston.
As the laps clicked away, Kofoid stayed roughly a second behind Schuchart within striking distance. When Schuchart would clear a lapped car, Kofoid would follow suit. Each time there was restart, Kofoid didnโt let Schuchart get too far ahead.
One last stoppage in the race set up a three-lap dash to the finish, and Schuchart saved perhaps his best restart for last. He roared away from Kofoid and drove with a comfortable advantage to the checkered flag for the win and the High Bank Nationals points lead.
โYeah, itโs huge,โ Schuchart said of being atop the standings. โItโs big. We want to be able to be there at the end of the night, put ourselves in position. If youโre starting 10th or 15th or wherever itโs going to be tough, but we have a great shot.โ
For the second straight night, Buddy Kofoid wound up on the podium with Roth Motorsports. The Penngrove, CA native improved his finish from Thursday by a spot to claim the runner-up position for his sixth World of Outlaws top-three of the season. Only one spot on the podium remains for Kofoid to stand on this week. And if he can do it, heโll be $250,000 richer.
โDennis and Teresa Roth gave me a really good opportunity to drive such a prestigious car,โ a grateful Kofoid said. โI feel pretty good about my odds. We were third yesterday, second today, and I hope we can be one better tomorrow.โ
Rounding out the podium was the raceโs pole-sitter โ Spencer Bayston. It marked the Lebanon, IN nativeโs second podium of the year aboard the CJB #5. His efforts through the week have landed him fourth in points, and heโs entirely focused on the major prize that awaits on Saturday.
โWe had, really, two good first nights,โ Bayston said. โAnd coming here tonight itโs one of those to see if we can pick up on a few little things and improve and we certainly did that. We should be sitting really good for points. Thereโs a lot on the line tomorrow, so I felt like we made a really good gain tonight the Heat Race with our balance and my feel and then again in the Feature.โ
Brad Sweet and David Gravel completed the top five.
A run from 24th to eighth earned Tyler Courtney his third KSE Racing Hard Charger of 2023.
Sheldon Haudenschild began the night by earning his second Simpson Performance Products QuickTime Award of the season and the 27th of his career.
CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat One went to Ryan Timms (first Heat Race win of career). NOS Energy Drink Heats Two through Six were topped by Spencer Bayston (16th of career), Tim Estenson (first of career), Jacob Allen (56th of career), Sam Hafertepe Jr. (50th of career), and Gio Scelzi (29th of career).
Donny Schatz won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.
High Bank Nationals
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Huset’s Speedway
Brandon, South Dakota
Friday, June 23, 2023
Simpson Qualifying
1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.188[4]
2. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.200[29]
3. 2-David Gravel, 11.271[17]
4. 29-Sye Lynch, 11.273[5]
5. 17B-Bill Balog, 11.282[9]
6. 22K-Kaleb Johnson, 11.283[1]
7. 83JR-Michael Kofoid, 11.292[30]
8. 9R-Chase Randall, 11.293[3]
9. 21-Brian Brown, 11.321[15]
10. 7S-Robbie Price, 11.355[10]
11. 9-Kasey Kahne, 11.379[40]
12. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.386[27]
13. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 11.389[2]
14. 5-Spencer Bayston, 11.405[34]
15. 41-Carson Macedo, 11.406[33]
16. 88-Austin McCarl, 11.408[41]
17. 24-Rico Abreu, 11.408[16]
18. 5X-Kerry Madsen, 11.409[20]
19. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.425[11]
20. 24T-Christopher Thram, 11.440[7]
21. 16-Brooke Tatnell, 11.448[46]
22. 83H-Justin Henderson, 11.450[37]
23. 24W-Garet Williamson, 11.460[23]
24. 18-Giovanni Scelzi, 11.470[26]
25. 5T-Ryan Timms, 11.506[35]
26. 25-Lachlan McHugh, 11.519[52]
27. 6C-Carson McCarl, 11.528[47]
28. 22-Riley Goodno, 11.528[38]
29. 101-Cody Maroske, 11.530[28]
30. 19-Ayrton Gennetten, 11.531[21]
31. 52-Blake Hahn, 11.532[6]
32. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 11.557[36]
33. 14T-Tim Estenson, 11.561[22]
34. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.562[25]
35. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 11.582[43]
36. 6-Bill Rose, 11.584[14]
37. 81-Jack Dover, 11.606[19]
38. 3-Tim Kaeding, 11.621[42]
39. 20G-Noah Gass, 11.640[44]
40. 83-James McFadden, 11.660[39]
41. 11S-Parker Price Miller, 11.669[31]
42. 2AG-Trent Pigdon, 11.678[12]
43. 3J-Dusty Zomer, 11.727[13]
44. 12-Tyler Drueke, 11.740[51]
45. 13-Mark Dobmeier, 11.749[32]
46. 11M-Brendan Mullen, 11.750[24]
47. G5-Gage Pulkrabek, 11.791[18]
48. 11-Cory Eliason, 11.953[50]
49. 105-Cody Ihlen, 12.039[45]
50. 2K-Kevin Ingle, 12.125[8]
51. 17D-Ryan Bickett, 12.273[48]
52. 78-Bill Wagner, 12.891[49]
Case No1 Engine Oil Heat Race #1 (10 Laps)
1. 5T-Ryan Timms[2]
2. 52-Blake Hahn[1]
3. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[6]
4. 83JR-Michael Kofoid[5]
5. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[4]
6. 81-Jack Dover[7]
7. 15-Donny Schatz[3]
8. 3J-Dusty Zomer[8]
9. 105-Cody Ihlen[9]
Heat Race #2 (10 Laps)
1. 5-Spencer Bayston[4]
2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[1]
3. 25-Lachlan McHugh[2]
4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[6]
5. 9R-Chase Randall[5]
6. 24T-Christopher Thram[3]
7. 3-Tim Kaeding[7]
8. 12-Tyler Drueke[8]
9. 2K-Kevin Ingle[9]
Heat Race #3 (10 Laps)
1. 14T-Tim Estenson[1]
2. 41-Carson Macedo[4]
3. 6C-Carson McCarl[2]
4. 21-Brian Brown[5]
5. 2-David Gravel[6]
6. 16-Brooke Tatnell[3]
7. 20G-Noah Gass[7]
8. 13-Mark Dobmeier[8]
9. 17D-Ryan Bickett[9]
Heat Race #4 (10 Laps)
1. 1A-Jacob Allen[1]
2. 83H-Justin Henderson[3]
3. 88-Austin McCarl[4]
4. 83-James McFadden[7]
5. 7S-Robbie Price[5]
6. 22-Riley Goodno[2]
7. 11M-Brendan Mullen[8]
8. 29-Sye Lynch[6]
9. 78-Bill Wagner[9]
Heat Race #5 (10 Laps)
1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[1]
2. 24-Rico Abreu[4]
3. 11S-Parker Price Miller[7]
4. 101-Cody Maroske[2]
5. 9-Kasey Kahne[5]
6. 17B-Bill Balog[6]
7. 24W-Garet Williamson[3]
8. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[8]
Heat Race #6 (10 Laps)
1. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[3]
2. 49-Brad Sweet[5]
3. 5X-Kerry Madsen[4]
4. 22K-Kaleb Johnson[6]
5. 2AG-Trent Pigdon[7]
6. 19-Ayrton Gennetten[2]
7. 6-Bill Rose[1]
DNS: 11-Cory Eliason
C-Main (10 Laps)
1. 3-Tim Kaeding[1]
2. 3J-Dusty Zomer[4]
3. 11M-Brendan Mullen[3]
4. 13-Mark Dobmeier[6]
5. 17D-Ryan Bickett[10]
6. 12-Tyler Drueke[5]
7. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[7]
8. 105-Cody Ihlen[8]
9. 2K-Kevin Ingle[9]
DNS: 20G-Noah Gass
DNS: 78-Bill Wagner
DNS: 11-Cory Eliason
MicroLite Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps)
1. 15-Donny Schatz[2]
2. 29-Sye Lynch[1]
3. 52-Blake Hahn[6]
4. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[8]
5. 11S-Parker Price Miller[13]
6. 83-James McFadden[17]
7. 25-Lachlan McHugh[3]
8. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[9]
9. 6C-Carson McCarl[4]
10. 22-Riley Goodno[15]
11. 14T-Tim Estenson[5]
12. 1A-Jacob Allen[7]
13. 16-Brooke Tatnell[12]
14. 81-Jack Dover[18]
15. 101-Cody Maroske[10]
16. 24W-Garet Williamson[14]
17. 3-Tim Kaeding[21]
18. 24T-Christopher Thram[11]
19. 19-Ayrton Gennetten[16]
20. 3J-Dusty Zomer[22]
21. 6-Bill Rose[20]
22. 2AG-Trent Pigdon[19]
NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps)
1. 1S-Logan Schuchart[1]
2. 83JR-Michael Kofoid[3]
3. 5-Spencer Bayston[2]
4. 49-Brad Sweet[8]
5. 2-David Gravel[7]
6. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[5]
7. 21-Brian Brown[9]
8. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[24]
9. 41-Carson Macedo[4]
10. 9R-Chase Randall[12]
11. 5X-Kerry Madsen[13]
12. 24-Rico Abreu[10]
13. 88-Austin McCarl[11]
14. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[20]
15. 5T-Ryan Timms[16]
16. 15-Donny Schatz[21]
17. 17B-Bill Balog[17]
18. 7S-Robbie Price[18]
19. 83H-Justin Henderson[15]
20. 52-Blake Hahn[23]
21. 9-Kasey Kahne[19]
22. 22K-Kaleb Johnson[6]
23. 29-Sye Lynch[22]
24. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[14]