By Alex Nieten
FINDLAY, OH (September 23, 2025) – The western swing is over, and it’s time for a long haul east for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.
The nation’s top Sprint Car teams are trucking across the country along a 2,356-mile journey to Ohio. The final “Buckeye State” battles of the season are next on the agenda for The Greatest Show on Dirt.
First up is a return to Findlay, OH’s Millstream Speedway on Friday, Sept. 26, after a 31-year hiatus for Sheldon Haudenschild’s Buckeye Brawl presented by NOS Energy Drink. Friday’s winner will bank $17,000 as a nod to Haudenschild’s car number. Then, it’s from the northwest corner of the state to the northeast to Hartford, OH where Sharon Speedway awaits to host the Federated Auto Parts Showdown.
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Let’s look at the weekend’s top storylines:
HAUD’S HOME: Any trip to Ohio is special for Wooster’s own Sheldon Haudenschild, but this weekend is especially meaningful.
The now 31-year-old hadn’t even made it to his first birthday party the last time the World of Outlaws visited Millstream Speedway. Fast forward to 2025, and Haudenschild, with the help of his longtime supporter NOS Energy Drink, is spearheading the Series’ return to the track in his home state.
Haudenschild has competed at Millstream six times and been on the podium in half of them, highlighted by an All Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC) win in 2016. Sharon is another home game for “Haud.” He hasn’t finished worse than ninth in his last eight tries there, including an All Star victory in the prestigious Lou Blaney Memorial. He’s yet to beat the World of Outlaws at Sharon, but has been close with a trio of podiums.
SCHATZ X SIDES: After splitting time driving for Tod Quiring, Dave Lunstra, and Kevin Kozlowski since his departure from Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Donny Schatz has secured a seat for the remainder of the season.
Schatz has teamed with longtime friend Jason Sides to pilot a second Sides Motorsports entry in partnership with Sam Elicker of JVI Group, Inc. The new pairing will complete the remaining 14 races together as Schatz finishes his 29th consecutive year with The Greatest Show on Dirt. Chris Windom will remain aboard Sides’ primary No. 7S as he looks to lock up the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year.
The Fargo, ND native will add Millstream to the long list of tracks he’s visited on Friday as he makes his debut at the 3/8 mile. Schatz is a two-time Sharon winner, once in a 2008 regional American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) race and once with the World of Outlaws in 2023. He finished second in the Series’ most recent trip to the Hartford, OH track last year.
SHARON STUD: One driver stands out as the man to beat Saturday at Sharon, and it should come as no surprise that it’s David Gravel.
He’s been remarkable at the 3/8 mile since joining forces with Big Game Motorsports. It began with fourth-place runs in 2021 and 2022. They improved to a pair of runner-ups in 2023. Then, Gravel took the No. 2 to Sharon Victory Lane last year. His average finish at Sharon in Tod Quiring’s car is 2.6.
The defending Series champion is also among the favorites because of the momentum he’s built as he continues toward a second straight title. The last nine World of Outlaws podiums have featured Gravel, and he’s fresh off banking $83,000 at the Dennis Roth Classic. His point lead sits at 150 markers.
CHRIS WON’T QUIT: Chris Windom refuses to go down without a fight in his battle with Garet Williamson for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year.
Saturday at Thunderbowl Raceway looked as if it might be shaping up to put the nail in the coffin of Windom’s chances. A Heat Race win and Toyota Dash birth lined Williamson up seventh for the Feature, while Windom needed a provisional and started 27th. But the script flipped when Williamson got upside down, dealing him an DNF and a 25th-place finish. Windom capitalized with a huge charge up to ninth and trimmed Williamson’s advantage down to 30 markers with plenty of time left to make up the rest.
Looking at how this weekend may shake out, both rookies will make their Millstream debuts on Friday. Williamson’s Sharon experience is limited to a 2021 ASCoC appearance. Windom has made five visits to the Ohio oval with the All Stars and finished runner-up at the most recent in 2023.
PROVING GROUND: Ohio has become somewhat of a proving ground over the years for drivers on their way to national stardom, leading to several of the current drivers on the World of Outlaws roster having laps at both tracks ahead.
Carson Macedo made a pair of All Star appearances at Millstream in 2016, peaking at 11th. The Lemoore, CA native also visited Sharon five times before his days with The Greatest Show on Dirt began. He owns a pair of ASCoC runner-ups at the Hartford, OH oval.
Leduc, AB, Canada’s Skylar Gee finished third with the FAST series in his one previous visit to Millstream last year. He’s been to Sharon on nine occasions with a best result of ninth with the All Stars in 2020.
On the night Gee ran third at Millstream in 2024, fellow Series rookie in 2025, Conner Morrell, came home ninth. Morrell was a Sharon top-five finisher in 2022 during Western Pennsylvania Speedweek.
Hunter Schuerenberg battled the All Stars at Millstream nine years ago. “Hunter-Percent” has been an All Star contestant at Sharon seven times and only missed the top 10 once. His most recent visit in 2022 led to his best finish of fourth.
BUCKEYE BATTALION: Expect many Ohio locals to be in action with hopes of strong showings against the best drivers in the country.
Bellevue, OH’s Cap Henry has been on a tear in 2025 to the tune of a nation-leading 17 victories with a 410 under the hood. Two of those have come at Millstream with FAST. He also grabbed one at Sharon last month.
One of Bryce Lucius’ five wins in 2025 came at Millstream against the All Stars, and the Findlay, OH native will look to give his hometown fans a performance to be proud of.
Other locals likely to compete at least once this weekend include Creed Kemenah (Alvada, OH), Kasey Jedrzejek (Lagrange, OH), Zeth Sabo (Fremont, OH), and many more.
Sharon usually attracts plenty of talent from western Pennsylvania, including the likes of Brandon Spithaler (Evans City, PA), A.J. Flick (Apollo, PA), and George Hobaugh (Karns City, PA).
THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
WHEN AND WHERE
Friday, September 26 at Millstream Speedway in Findlay, OH
Saturday, September 27 at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, OH
ON THE INTERNET
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CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (60/74 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (7810 PTS)
2. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (-150 PTS)
3. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-264 PTS)
4. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-360 PTS)
5. Sheldon Haudenschild – Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing No. 17 (-562 PTS)
6. Donny Schatz – Works Limited No. W (-690 PTS)
7. Bill Balog – B2 Motorsports No. 17B (-844 PTS)
8. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-988 PTS)
9. Chris Windom – Sides Motorsports No. 7S (-1018 PTS)
10. Cole Macedo – TwoC Racing No. 2C (-1176 PTS)