The incredible start to the 2015 World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series campaign continued over the weekend for Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing (TSR) driver Donny Schatz. The six-time and reigning WoO champion increased his season win total to double digits by winning both Friday night at the Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and Sunday at Weedsport (N.Y.) Speedway behind the wheel of the TSR No. 15 Bad Boy Buggies/Chevrolet Performance J&J.
Schatz led the final eight laps in Friday night’s 25-lap A-Feature to capture his 19th career win at Williams Grove and dominated Sunday’s 30-lap A-Feature at Weedsport, leading every lap in his first appearance at the track. The victories give him 10 wins through 26 races and allowed him to build his lead in the championship standings to 69 points over Shane Stewart.
“I’m surrounded by an incredible group of people and they are why I am standing here,” Schatz said following his victory Sunday night. “There are three guys (Rick Warner, Steve Swenson and Eric Prutzman) who give all their heart and dedication into making sure I get these victories. For these guys, that’s awesome. I’m the lucky guy who gets to drive it. I couldn’t ask for a better race team or car owner than Tony Stewart, or better partners than Bad Boy Buggies and Chevrolet Performance. It’s just pretty awesome to be in this position right now.”
The weekend began with Schatz qualifying third in the field of 40 cars at Williams Grove. He started fourth and finished fourth in heat three and won the six-lap dash from the second starting position to earn the pole for the 25-lap A-Feature. Greg Hodnett got the jump on Schatz at the start of the main event and set the early pace. Schatz tracked the former Outlaw driver during the first 10 laps and closed the gap on several occasions as the two sliced their way through traffic. By lap 15, Schatz edged within striking distance and made his bid for the lead coming out of turn four on lap 17. He would lead lap 18 and pull away for his 19th career win at the legendary half-mile, dirt oval and first at the facility since the 2013 Summer Nationals.
Schatz and the rest of the Outlaws were scheduled to contest the Morgan Cup Saturday at Williams Grove but heavy afternoon rains forced the event to be canceled.
Schatz was in action for the first time in his 19-year WoO career Sunday at the 3/8-mile, dirt oval in Weedsport, New York. He qualified third in the field of 35 cars and finished second in the third heat. He won the six-lap dash after starting fourth and earned the pole for the second consecutive race. In the 30-lap A-Feature, Schatz took the early lead and kept the competition behind throughout. A pair of early cautions slowed the race during the middle stages, but Schatz maintained control following each restart and made Weedsport Speedway the 72nd different track where he has won a WoO A-Feature and increased his career win total to 182.
Schatz has earned 3,659 championship points behind his 10 A-Feature wins, 17 top-five finishes and 23 top-10s.
The TSR team will continue a busy stretch of action Tuesday at New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway before traveling to Charlotte for Friday night’s Circle K Outlaw Showdown at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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