By Alex Nieten
PADUCAH, KY (April 16, 2024) – The only 2024 trips to Kentucky and Indiana are up next for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars.
First up is a Friday, April 19, visit to Kentucky’s Paducah International Raceway to bring The Greatest Show on Dirt back to the “Bluegrass State” for the first time in 12 years.
Then, a trip north across the Ohio River takes the tour to the “Hoosier State.” Indiana may be known for basketball, but in the Sprint Car world it’s known for bullrings, and down in southern Indiana Haubstadt is home to one of the best – Tri-State Speedway. The quarter mile welcomes the World of Outlaws for the 45th time on Saturday, April 20.
A highly anticipated return to a state starved of the nation’s best Sprint Car drivers and one of the most anticipated races of the year is set to create a thrilling double header this weekend.
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Let’s look at the weekend’s top storylines:
BACK IN THE BLUEGRASS: A dozen long years have passed since The Greatest Show on Dirt has competed in the state of Kentucky, but Paducah’s Friday event is set to welcome the tour back to the “Bluegrass State.”
Back in 2012 when the World of Outlaws last visited, Paducah was also the destination, and Joey Saldana drove the Kasey Kahne Racing #9 to his 87th career win. Of the 2024 roster, only Donny Schatz, Kraig Kinser, and Bill Rose were full-time for the most recent Kentucky trip.
The World of Outlaws have completed 10 races in the state of Kentucky at two tracks – seven at Paducah and three at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway (Calvert City, KY). The first was hosted by Paducah in 1998 and won by Jeff Swindell. All 10 races have produced a different name in Victory Lane, and the trend will continue Friday as none of the previous Kentucky winners will be in the field.
TRI-STATE TRIUMPHS: Only two of the current crop of World of Outlaws stars have been to Tri-State Speedway Victory Lane, and they’re two of the best on a quarter-mile – Carson Macedo and David Gravel.
The Haubstadt bullring has been one of Macedo’s best tracks throughout the years. The Lemoore, CA driver topped three consecutive trips to Tri-State from 2020-2022. He hasn’t finished worse than fourth at the quarter mile in his last five attempts, and he’s led laps in the last four. The three wins put Tri-State in a tie with Eldora Speedway and Jackson Motorplex for the winningest track on his Series résumé. He’s also tied with Mark Kinser for the fourth most victories. Only Steve Kinser (eight wins), Sammy Swindell (five wins), and Craig Dollansky (four wins) own more.
Macedo enters this weekend on a roll of nine consecutive top 10s, including a pair of podiums this past weekend at I-55.
Gravel has twice conquered Tri-State (2016 & 2018), and both came when he was behind the wheel of the CJB Motorsports #5. The current point leader has been in the top five in six of his 14 Haubstadt starts.
The Watertown, CT native carries the momentum of seven consecutive top fives including a run of five straight top twos at one point during the stretch. His win last Friday at I-55 pushed Big Game Motorsports to 97 World of Outlaws wins as they continue to near the rare triple-digit territory.
HAUBSTADT HEARTBREAK: There’s no doubt that Sheldon Haudenschild knows his way around Tri-State Speedway, but a win has eluded him in seemingly every way possible.
Back in 2017, Haudenschild led 13 laps before contact with a lapped car left him with a sixth-place finish. The following year he led seven laps before contact with Justin Peck on a restart with 10 laps to go gave him a DNF. The next two visits he finished second including a drive from 18th in 2019. The Wooster, OH native led 10 laps in 2021 before a flat tire with less than 10 laps remaining dropped the heartbreak. And most recently Haudenschild led 16 laps last year before Brady Bacon snuck by with only a few circuits remaining.
Overall, he’s led 46 Feature laps and finished runner-up on three occasions, but he’s yet to grasp a checkered flag. He’ll look to change that this weekend with the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing crew as he makes his 11th Haubstadt visit.
A RARE DONNY DOUBLE: Not often do the World of Outlaws visit two tracks where Donny Schatz is yet to win, but that’s exactly the scenario this weekend.
The 10-time Series champion has been in the pit area for all seven visits to Paducah. After missing the top 10 in the first two, Schatz found consistency with five straight finishes of seventh or better highlighted by a runner-up in 2009.
Tri-State Speedway has been the closest thing to kryptonite for the living legend. It’s the track where he’s made the most starts (26) without a win. He’s knocked on the door a handful of times with six top fives, peaking at third in 2008.
The Fargo, ND driver has been strong all of 2024 with a 5.46 average finish through the first 13 races. He’ll head to Paducah and Tri-State fresh off an I-55 win looking to challenge for his first victory at both facilities.
BUDDY BREAKTHROUGH?: The 2024 season started with some ups and downs for Michael “Buddy” Kofoid and Roth Motorsports, but over the last few weeks they’ve locked into a strong groove.
The rookie hasn’t missed the top 10 since a cut tire ended a potential winning run at Volusia in early March. As the weeks continue Kofoid and his team look to be gaining more and more steam toward their first win of the season. Three of the last four races have resulted in podium runs for the Penngrove, CA driver.
Friday will mark Kofoid’s Paducah debut, but he’s got plenty of Tri-State experience. He finished 13th with the World of Outlaws last year at Haubstadt. He’s also competed there six times with the USAC National Midgets, bagging a trio of runner-up finishes.
PRIMED FOR A FIRST-TIME: There’s something about Tri-State Speedway that makes it a prime location for first-time Series winners. Whether it’s the surface, size, shape, or all three combined, the Indiana oval tends to put new faces in Victory Lane.
Six times the quarter mile has provided a driver’s first World of Outlaws win. The trend began with the track’s first race when Lee James won on May 13, 1979. Three months later it was Larry “Buckwheat” Gates taming Tri-State for his one and only Series victory. Fast forward to 1992 when Texan Gary Wright snagged his first checkered flag with The Greatest Show on Dirt at Haubstadt.
The latest three new winners have all arrived in the last decade. Indiana’s own Parker Price-Miller went to Victory Lane in August of 2017. Then, in 2020, Marion, IL’s Carson Short traveled one state east for Tri-State glory. Most recently, Brady Bacon topped the 2023 visit to become the 150th different winner in Series history.
Saturday offers the next opportunity for another potential new winner to arise from Tri-State Speedway.
THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
WHEN AND WHERE
Friday, April 19 at Paducah International Raceway in Paducah, KY
Saturday, April 20 at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, IN
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CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (13/82 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports #2 (1860 PTS)
2. Donny Schatz – Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing #15 (-48 PTS)
3. Giovanni Scelzi – KCP Racing #18 (-72 PTS)
4. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing #1S (-88 PTS)
5. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing #41 (-100 PTS)
6. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports #83 (-146 PTS)
7. Sheldon Haudenschild – Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing #17 (-188 PTS)
8. Bill Balog – B Squared Motorsports #17B (-244 PTS)
9. Brock Zearfoss – Brock Zearfoss Racing #3Z (-288 PTS)
10. Landon Crawley – Sides Motorsports #7S (-370 PTS)