By Alex Nieten
KENNEDALE, TX (March 6, 2024) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars are trucking to Texas.
Five nights of Florida racing opened the 2024 campaign, and now the tour is bound for the “Lone Star State” where a new track awaits. The Greatest Show on Dirt is set to invade Kennedale Speedway Park for the first time in Series history this weekend (March 8-9).
The 1/4-mile track, located just south of Fort Worth, joins the state’s rich history of Sprint Car Racing as the 12th Texas track to welcome the World of Outlaws. The state has hosted 206 World of Outlaws races (fifth most all-time) including the first in 1978.
The two nights will ignite the Lonestar Sooner Stampede for the World of Outlaws – a three week stretch of racing in Texas and Oklahoma that also includes stops at Cotton Bowl Speedway (March 15-16), Big O Speedway (March 22), and Lawton Speedway (March 23).
A new track means empty notebook pages, no data to pull from, and no on-paper favorites to win. It’s the opportunity to watch the nation’s best Sprint Car drivers battle to forever cement their name as the first World of Outlaws winner at Kennedale. Throw in the fact that the oval is a racy bullring, and it’s bound to be a thrilling debut.
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Let’s look at the weekend’s top storylines:
CLEAN SLATE: One of the most interesting aspects of venturing to a new facility is the lack of statistics. There’s no driver to highlight as a clear-cut favorite due to an impressive résumé. Many of the group of full-time World of Outlaws drivers for 2024 will be laying eyes on Kennedale for the first time.
Even looking at the latest drivers to win at a new track doesn’t lend any insight as to who a favorite might be. There hasn’t been a repeat winner at the last five tracks where the World of Outlaws have debuted.
The most recent driver to claim the debut at a new track is Carson Macedo. The Lemoore, CA native won the inaugural visit to Minnesota’s Ogilvie Raceway last June. The four prior to Macedo are Brad Sweet (Vado Speedway Park), Donny Schatz (Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway), David Gravel (Dirt on the Rev), and Sheldon Haudenschild (Magnolia Motor Speedway).
TEXAS TITANS: None of the current World of Outlaws drivers may have had the chance to conquer Kennedale yet, but a handful of them have experienced success when visiting Texas.
Donny Schatz has topped seven races in the state. The 10-time Series champion has made a trio of Victory Lane visits at Devil’s Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX), twice came out on top at Royal Purple Raceway (Baytown, TX), and won once apiece at Battleground Speedway (Highlands, TX) and Lone Star Speedway (Kilgore, TX). Schatz’s seven Texas wins are tied for the sixth most.
Series veterans David Gravel and Logan Schuchart both own three Texas victories. Gravel’s first two came at Gator Motorplex (Willis, TX) and Cotton Bowl Speedway (Paige, TX). Then, most recently, the Big Game Motorsports pilot claimed the final race in Devil’s Bowl Speedway history last October. And speaking of Devil’s Bowl, that’s where all three of Schuchart’s victories occurred. The Hanover, PA native took the Shark Racing #1S on three consecutive trips to Victory Lane (2019-2021) at the birthplace of the Series.
Two-time Texas winners include Sheldon Haudenschild and Carson Macedo. Haudenschild’s both came at Cotton Bowl Speedway in 2021 and 2022. Macedo has won in Texas once in each of the last two seasons, topping a Cotton Bowl Feature in 2022 and the penultimate Devil’s Bowl race last year.
FIVE RACES, FIVE WINNERS: Parity has been the name of the game so far in 2024 for the World of Outlaws. The first five races have failed to produce a repeat winner with Brad Sweet, David Gravel, Tyler Courtney, Sheldon Haudenschild, and Donny Schatz claiming checkered flags.
It’s only the 10th time in 47 seasons of racing that the first five Features didn’t see anyone pick up multiple wins. If another different name parks in Victory Lane on Friday at Kennedale, it will mark just the sixth time the season has started with six different winners.
Looking a little further ahead, the record for different winners to start the season is eight in 2015. New winners would be needed both nights and Kennedale and both nights at Cotton bowl next weekend to establish a new mark.
LONE STAR LOCALS: Texas may not be a Sprint Car hotbed in the realm of Pennsylvania or California, but the “Lone Star State” has produced its fair share of talent. A handful of notable names come from Texas and will be looking to top the World of Outlaws at Kennedale.
Sam Hafertepe Jr. headlines the local contingent entering the weekend. The Sunnyvale, TX native is fresh off topping this past weekend’s American Sprint Car Series Elite Outlaw race at Kennedale. That win came against a tough field, and this weekend he aims for his first World of Outlaws triumph since 2011.
Another top Texan heading to Kennedale is Chase Randall with TKS Motorsports. He may make most of his laps in the Knoxville region these days, but he comes from Waco and has Kennedale success in his past. Back in 2021 Randall won a 410 race at Kennedale when he was only 16 years old.
Aaron Reutzel plans to make his way to Kennedale aboard the Ridge & Sons Racing #87. The Clute, TX driver has competed at Kennedale with ASCS in the past but is yet to pick up a win at the bullring.
INVADERS: Along with the stars of the World of Outlaws and the healthy crop of locals, drivers from many states plan to partake in the Series debut at Kennedale.
Oklahoma is sending plenty of talent capable of winning in Texas for the “Sooner State.” Oklahoma City’s Ryan Timms is yet to miss a World of Outlaws race in 2024 and will continue that trend. Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK) plans to make his first Series appearance of the season driving the TKH Motorsports #21H. Blake Hahn (Sapulpa, OK) also intends to join the cast of Sooners.
Pennsylvania will have some representation in the form of Brent Marks (Myerstown, PA) and Jacob Allen (Hanover, PA). Both are proven winners at the highest level of the sport and could be threats to take the Series debut at Kennedale.
Outside of the trio of Californians full-time on the tour, the “Golden State” will be represented by Fresno’s Dominic Scelzi. He’s brought the Scelzi Motorsports #41 out for a five-week stretch with the World of Outlaws beginning at Kennedale. This past weekend he finished third at Kennedale’s ASCS Elite Outlaw race.
Many more are expected to be among a healthy group of invaders filling the Kennedale pit area.
THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
WHEN AND WHERE
Friday-Saturday, March 8-9 at Kennedale Speedway Park in Kennedale, TX
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CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (4/86 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports #2 (572 PTS)
2. Donny Schatz – Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing #15 (-12 PTS)
3. Giovanni Scelzi – KCP Racing #18 (-12 PTS)
4. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing #1S (-36 PTS)
5. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing #41 (-82 PTS)
6. Sheldon Haudenschild – Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing #17 (-86 PTS)
7. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports #83 (-106 PTS)
8. Corey Day – Jason Meyers Racing #14 (-110 PTS)
9. Bill Balog – B Squared Motorsports #17B (-128 PTS)
10. Brock Zearfoss – Brock Zearfoss Racing #3Z (-132 PTS)