By Alex Nieten
STOCKTON, CA (September 4, 2024) – The time has come for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car tour to venture west.
After wrapping up a major money Labor Day weekend at Huset’s Speedway, teams are trucking across the continental divide amid a 1,700-plus mile drive into California for a three-week stay in the “Golden State.”
First up is a return to Stockton Dirt Track on Friday, Sept. 6, after a five-year absence from the central valley oval. Stockton is ready to welcome the country’s best Sprint Car drivers since being reconfigured over the off-season.
Then, it’s south to Hanford, CA where Kings Speedway is ready to host The Greatest Show on Dirt for the 38th time. The Tom Tarlton Classic offers up a $21,000 payday to the winner as a nod to the iconic car owner’s number on his famous matte black Sprint Car.
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Let’s look at the weekend’s top storylines:
CALIFORNIA OUTLAWS: Three weeks in California means three weeks at home for a trio of current full-time World of Outlaws competitors.
Currently conquering his sixth year on tour, Lemoore, CA’s Carson Macedo is the longest tenured of the three. He’s never won at Stockton but owns a few podiums there with the Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC) and a World of Outlaws top five (2018). Saturday’s trip to Kings is always special for Macedo as the race honors his family member and a foundational figure in his career, Tom Tarlton. The Jason Johnson Racing pilot topped the first two runnings of the event for a pair of his four overall victories at the Hanford, CA oval.
Series sophomore Giovanni Scelzi also hails from the central valley, calling Fresno, CA home. The last time he visited Stockton, Scelzi swept a pair of Sprint Car Challenge Tour (SCCT) races in one weekend. The driver of the KCP Racing No. 18 will seek his first win at Kings as his best outing there is a 2020 runner-up in Kings of Thunder Sprint Car action.
Michael “Buddy” Kofoid completes the west coast trio. The town of Penngrove, nestled between Napa Valley and the Pacific Coast, is where Kofoid comes from. He’s fresh off banking $100,000 at Huset’s with Roth Motorsports. The pairing claimed a NARC race at Stockton last November. His best finish at Kings is fifth with SCCT in 2018.
CENTRAL VALLEY SHARK: The two tracks on the agenda this weekend have treated Logan Schuchart kindly over the years.
Courtesy of a win in September of 2019, Schuchart rolls into the weekend as the most recent victor at Stockton. That same season he claimed the spring visit as well with the Shark Racing team. A win on Friday would both equal him with Donny Schatz as the winningest Series driver at Stockton and make him the first to top three in a row.
The Hanover, PA native also owns a pair of Kings checkered flags. He put together a remarkable drive from 19th to victory in 2017. And then, in 2022, Schuchart topped the Tom Tarlton Classic with a charge from 10th. He’s only led a combined five laps at Kings but come away with two triumphs. A third on Saturday would put him alongside Stevie Smith and Danny Lasoski as the third winningest driver at the 3/8 mile.
NIGHTMARE MAKING NOISE: Things are clicking right now for Bill Balog as he navigates the second half of his rookie World of Outlaws campaign with his family-owned team.
He’s strung together five consecutive top 10 finishes, his longest streak so far of 2024. Three of those results were within the top five including a podium on the big stage of the High Bank Nationals finale this past Saturday.
While many tracks have been new to Balog this year, the “North Pole Nightmare” does have some laps at the two California tracks ahead. He’s been in the top five at Stockton on three occasions all aboard a Clayton Snow entry. Snow also put him in a car for three races at Kings in the past.
SHAKING THE SLUMP: Five consecutive top 10s isn’t a slump for most drivers and teams, but most teams aren’t David Gravel and Big Game Motorsports.
Gravel’s best finish over the past five races is a sixth at River Cities Speedway, marking his longest stretch outside the top five during what’s been a remarkable 2024. He still holds a healthy 110-point lead over Donny Schatz in the standings but shaking the current slump will help provide extra security.
The last time Gravel visited Stockton he scored a personal best third-place run. Friday will be his first Stockton trip with the Big Game crew. He’s a former winner at Kings, charging from seventh to victory with Jason Johnson Racing in 2019.
CALI CLIQUE: California is ready to send its strong contingent of locals to the national scene with hopes of defending home turf this weekend. The west coasters always put up a good fight when The Greatest Show on Dirt comes to town.
Justin Sanders has established himself as one of California’s top talents, and he’s hungry to add a World of Outlaws win to the résumé with Mittry Racing. The Aromas, CA native has already won twice at Stockton this year – once apiece with NARC and SCCT. His Kings accomplishments include a NARC victory last year and an eighth with the World of Outlaws in 2022.
Dominic Scelzi is another potent left coaster eying his first Series triumph. Gio’s brother has plenty of success at both tracks with a 410 under the hood, beating NARC three times at Stockton and five times at Kings. Scelzi podiumed last year in Hanford with the World of Outlaws.
Shane Golobic is already a two-time Series winner – 2013 at Antioch and 2019 at Placerville. The Rocklin, CA driver owns several Stockton scores wheeling both Sprint Cars and Midgets. He’s also topped NARC at Kings.
Before he joins the World of Outlaws tour next year with TwoC Racing, Cole Macedo eyes his first Series win during the California swing with Tarlton Motorsports. The pairing already visited Stockton Victory Lane earlier this year and topped Kings in the latter half of 2023.
THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
WHEN AND WHERE
Friday, Sept. 6 at Stockton Dirt Track in Stockton, CA
Saturday, Sept. 7 at Kings Speedway in Hanford, CA
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CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (51/70 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (6906 PTS)
2. Donny Schatz – Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing No. 15 (-110 PTS)
3. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-114 PTS)
4. Giovanni Scelzi – KCP Racing No. 18 (-222 PTS)
5. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (-282 PTS)
6. Sheldon Haudenschild – Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing No. 17 (-332 PTS)
7. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-340 PTS)
8. Bill Balog – B Squared Motorsports No. 17B (-812 PTS)
9. Brock Zearfoss – Brock Zearfoss Racing No. 3Z (-1062 PTS)
10. Kraig Kinser – Premier Motorsports No. 70 (-1346 PTS)