The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is set for its final appearance in California this year.
In light of Placerville Speedway’s 49er Gold Rush Classic being postponed to 2022 due to ongoing fires, a new marquee event has stepped up to conclude the west coast swing for The Greatest Show on Dirt.
Hanford’s Keller Auto Speedway will take the date on Saturday, September 18 with the second annual Tom Tarlton Classic offering a $21,000-to-win purse.
HANFORD TICKETS (Sat)
Some of the top storylines to follow:
HOME GAME IN HANFORD: For Carson Macedo, the Tom Tarlton Classic isn’t just another high-paying race, it’s an event that hits close to home with more meaning than most. The 25-year-old Lemoore, CA native is the great-nephew of Tom Tarlton and cousin to Tommy Tarlton, two men that have been instrumental in the meteoric rise of Carson’s career.
Along with the family aspect, Macedo is the defending winner of the inaugural Tom Tarlton Classic held in 2020. That weekend, he drove the Tarlton owned #21 and banked $21,000 by World of Outlaws points leader Brad Sweet, Knoxville Nationals champion Kyle Larson, west coast superstar Dominic Scelzi, and former World of Outlaws champion Daryn Pittman.
Growing up in Lemoore, Macedo lives less than 15 minutes away from the Hanford, CA facility. He’s competed in three World of Outlaws shows at Keller Auto Speedway with a career-best finish of 8th in 2019. He’ll visit the 3/8th-mile on Saturday with Jason Johnson Racing for the first time, as he continues a stellar debut season with the Rocky Mount, MO team. They enter the weekend third in the championship chase with eight victories this year.
EAST COAST, BEST COAST: A pair of east coasters ruled the roost in California last weekend as the Gold Cup Race of Champions returned to Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway. Watertown’s David Gravel became the first Connecticut native to win a World of Outlaws show at the track, and Hanover’s Logan Schuchart earned the first Gold Cup title for a Pennsylvanian since Stevie Smith did it in 1993.
Both east coasters are the two most recent winners in Hanford too, with Schuchart scoring in 2017 and Gravel striking in 2019. The Shark Racing #1S will be looking to make it back-to-back wins for the first time this year, while the Big Game Motorsports #2 is trying to join Sweet in the double-digit win group.
CONSISTENCY WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS: Brad Sweet’s march to a third consecutive World of Outlaws championship has been fueled by the unrivaled consistency of the veteran 35-year-old. Through 65 Features, Sweet is the only driver without a DNF and thus the only driver to complete all 2,195 laps.
Sweet’s Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49 team leads the way in six major statistical categories including Feature Wins (16), Laps Led (310), Podiums (32), Top-Fives (44), Top-10s (56), and Average Finish (4.82).
The Grass Valley, CA native goes to Hanford this weekend trying to make it 10 World of Outlaws wins in his home state. He’s won at Calistoga, Silver Dollar, Ocean, Bakersfield, Stockton, and Placerville, but still chases a Keller Auto Speedway victory. His career-best at the 3/8th-mile entering the Tom Tarlton Classic is a second-place finish to Shane Stewart in 2015.
CALI STANDOUTS: Per usual, the California locals showed up and showed out when The Greatest Show on Dirt ended a two-year absence last weekend in Chico. Among the most notable performances were Colby Copeland and Tanner Carrick, who each contended for wins in the 67th Gold Cup Race of Champions.
On Friday, Roseville, CA’s Colby Copeland earned the pole position in the Laramie #16A and paced the field for 13 laps. He traded sliders and went wheel-to-wheel with Sweet & Haudenschild before eventually finishing a career-best second to Gravel. On Saturday, Lincoln, CA’s Tanner Carrick impressed the nation with his near-upset before it came to a heartbreaking end. The 19-year-old was going toe-to-toe with Schuchart & Sweet before a loose tail tank sent him to the work area after leading 16 laps.
Other gassers that stood out last weekend include young guns like Blake Carrick and Ryan Robinson, along with seasoned veterans such as Dominic Scelzi and Kyle Hirst.
POINT BATTLES: With 12 races remaining in 2021, the closest battle within the top-10 is the war for fourth between Donny Schatz and Sheldon Haudenschild, separated by 44 points. Haudenschild’s eight wins and 293 laps led far outweigh Schatz’s three scores and 201 laps, but the 10-time champion has been far more consistent with 37 top-fives to Sheldons’s 32.
The Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15 and Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing #17 are battling for $55,000 and $50,000, respectively, in point fund money.
Gravel’s 140-point deficit to Sweet for the championship is the most-watched battle, but there are still others worth following. Macedo is only 48 points back of Gravel for the second spot, which features a $40,000 difference from $100,000 to $60,000 for third. Schuchart is only 56 points behind Haudenschild for a top-five bid, which is not out of the question with 12 races remaining.
DOLLA, DOLLA BILLS: Saturday’s $21,000-to-win show in Hanford marks the 11th race this season paying more than $20K. Incredibly enough, those 11 races have seen 10 different winners take the loot with Kyle Larson being the only repeat victor.
$25,000 at Bristol – David Gravel (4/25)
$30,000 at Huset’s – Aaron Reutzel (6/22)
$50,000 at Jackson – Logan Schuchart (6/27)
$175,000 at Eldora – Tyler Courtney (7/17)
$175,000 at Eldora – Kyle Larson (7/17)
$25,000 at Lernerville – Brad Sweet (7/20)
$20,000 at Williams Grove – Brent Marks (7/24)
$176,000 at Knoxville – Kyle Larson (8/14)
$25,000 at Skagit – Carson Macedo (9/5)
This Week at a Glance – When and Where
Saturday, September 18 at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, CA
On the Internet
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Twitter – @WorldofOutlaws
Instagram – @WoOSprint
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsSprintCarSeries
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month
Around the Turn: After Hanford, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will begin the cross-country drive with Ohio’s Eldora Speedway and Pennsylvania’s Lernerville Speedway on the calendar next weekend.
NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (14 Drivers):
16 wins – Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #49
9 wins – David Gravel, Big Game Motorsports #2
8 wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing #17
8 wins – Carson Macedo, Jason Johnson Racing #41
5 wins – Logan Schuchart, Shark Racing #1S
4 wins – Aaron Reutzel, Roth Motorsports #83
3 wins – Kyle Larson, Silva Motorsports #57
3 wins – Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15
2 wins – Kerry Madsen, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #14
2 wins – Brent Marks, Brent Marks Racing #19
2 wins – James McFadden, Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #9
1 win – Dave Blaney, Dave Blaney #10
1 win – Spencer Bayston, Sam McGhee Motorsports #11
1 win – Tyler Courtney, Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC
FEATURE LAPS LED (29 Drivers):
310 laps – Brad Sweet
293 laps – Sheldon Haudenschild
260 laps – Carson Macedo
229 laps – David Gravel
222 laps – Logan Schuchart
201 laps – Donny Schatz
188 laps – Aaron Reutzel
72 laps – Kyle Larson
66 laps – James McFadden
63 laps – Kerry Madsen
57 laps – Tyler Courtney
33 laps – Spencer Bayston
29 laps – Giovanni Scelzi
27 laps – Brent Marks, Sam Hafertepe Jr.
16 laps – Tanner Carrick
13 laps – Wayne Johnson, Colby Copeland
11 laps – Sye Lynch
10 laps – Jacob Allen, Brock Zearfoss, Parker Price-Miller
9 laps – Kasey Kahne, Austin McCarl
3 laps – Ian Madsen
1 lap – Kraig Kinser, Brandon Spithaler, Dave Blaney, Brian Brown
SLICK WOODY’S QUICKTIME AWARDS (22 Drivers):
14 QuickTimes – David Gravel
7 QuickTimes – Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart
5 QuickTimes – Brad Sweet
4 QuickTimes – Kerry Madsen
3 QuickTimes – Carson Macedo, Aaron Reutzel
2 QuickTimes – James McFadden, Donny Schatz, Kasey Kahne, Cory Eliason, Giovanni Scelzi, Parker Price-Miller, Sam Hafertepe Jr.
1 QuickTime – Kraig Kinser, Jacob Allen, Danny Dietrich, Anthony Macri, Brian Brown, Brock Zearfoss, Rico Abreu, Sye Lynch
DRYDENE HEAT RACE WINNERS (41 Drivers)
28 Heat Wins – David Gravel
26 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo
19 Heat Wins – Donny Schatz
16 Heat Wins – Brad Sweet, Sheldon Haudenschild, Aaron Reutzel
14 Heat Wins – Logan Schuchart
11 Heat Wins – James McFadden
7 Heat Wins – Brian Brown
5 Heat Wins – Kraig Kinser, Kerry Madsen
4 Heat Wins – Brock Zearfoss, Giovanni Scelzi, Tyler Courtney
3 Heat Wins – Kasey Kahne, Jason Sides, Wayne Johnson, Ian Madsen, Anthony Macri, Sam Hafertepe Jr.
2 Heat Wins – Jacob Allen, Kyle Larson, DJ Netto, Parker Price-Miller
1 Heat Win – Danny Dietrich, Hunter Schuerenberg, Lance Dewease, Brandon Spithaler, Tim Kaeding, Jack Dover, Scotty Thiel, Paul McMahan, Daryn Pittman, Justin Peck, Jac Haudenschild, Sye Lynch, Chad Trout, TJ Stutts, Brent Marks, Ryan Robinson, Blake Carrick
PODIUM FINISHES (28 Drivers):
32 Podiums – Brad Sweet
22 Podiums – Carson Macedo
21 Podiums –David Gravel
20 Podiums – David Gravel, Donny Schatz, Sheldon Haudenschild
15 Podiums – Logan Schuchart
10 Podiums – James McFadden, Aaron Reutzel
6 Podiums – Kerry Madsen, Brent Marks
5 Podiums – Giovanni Scelzi
3 Podiums – Brian Brown, Lance Dewease, Kyle Larson
2 Podiums – Kraig Kinser, Cory Eliason, Anthony Macri, Danny Dietrich, Tyler Courtney
1 Podium – Jacob Allen, Justin Peck, Brian Brown, Anthony Macri, Dave Blaney, Spencer Bayston, Daryn Pittman, Paulie Colagiovanni, Austin McCarl, Colby Copeland, Sam Hafertepe Jr.
2021 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Schedule & Winners
No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Fri, Feb. 5 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brad Sweet (1)
2. Sun, Feb. 7 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Logan Schuchart (1)
3. Fri, March 5 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Carson Macedo (1)
4. Sat, March 6 / East Bay Raceway Park / Tampa, FL / Aaron Reutzel (1)
5. Fri, March 12 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
6. Sat, March 13 / The Rev / Monroe, LA / David Gravel (1)
7. Fri, March 19 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Sheldon Haudenschild (2)
8. Sat, March 20 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Brad Sweet (2)
9. Sat, March 27 / Lake Ozark Speedway / Eldon, MO / Brad Sweet (3)
10. Fri, April 2 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Brad Sweet (4)
11. Sat, April 3 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Brad Sweet (5)
12. Fri, April 9 / Kokomo Speedway / Kokomo, IN / James McFadden (1)
13. Sat, April 10 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Carson Macedo (2)
14. Fri, April 22 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / David Gravel (2)
15. Sun, April 24 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / David Gravel (3)
16. Thur, April 29 / Jacksonville Speedway / Jacksonville, IL / Brad Sweet (6)
17. Fri, April 30 / I-70 Motorsports Park / Odessa, MO / Brad Sweet (7)
18. Sat, May 1 / I-70 Motorsports Park / Odessa, MO / Brad Sweet (8)
19. Sat, May 8 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Brent Marks (1)
20. Sat, May 8 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Sheldon Haudenschild (3)
21. Wed, May 12 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Brad Sweet (9)
22. Fri, May 14 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Carson Macedo (3)
23. Sat, May 15 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Aaron Reutzel (2)
24. Tues, May 18 / Bridgeport Speedway / Swedesboro, NJ / Logan Schuchart (2)
25. Fri, May 21 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / David Gravel (4)
26. Sat, May 22 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH / Dave Blaney (1)
27. Mon, May 31 / Lawrenceburg Speedway / Lawrenceburg, IN / Kyle Larson (1)
28. Sat, June 5 / Granite City Speedway /Sauk Rapids, MN / David Gravel (5)
29. Fri, June 11 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Carson Macedo (4)
30. Sat, June 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Carson Macedo (5)
31. Thur, June 17 / 34 Raceway / West Burlington, IA / Brad Sweet (10)
32. Fri, June 18 / Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway / Dubuque, IA / Donny Schatz (1)
33. Sat, June 19 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Sheldon Haudenschild (4)
34. Mon, June 21 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / David Gravel (6)
35. Tues, June 22 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Aaron Reutzel (3)
36. Thur, June 24 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Kerry Madsen (1)
37. Fri, June 25 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Kerry Madsen (2)
38. Sat, June 27 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Logan Schuchart (3)
39. Fri, July 2 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / Brad Sweet (11)
40. Sat, July 3 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / Brad Sweet (12)
41. Sat, July 10 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI / Brad Sweet (13)
42. Tues, July 13 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Spencer Bayston (1)
43. Wed, July 14 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Carson Macedo (6)
44. Sat, July 17 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Tyler Courtney (1)
45. Sat, July 17 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Kyle Larson (2)
46. Sun, July 18 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Carson Macedo (7)
47. Tues, July 20 / Lernerville Speedway / Sarver, PA / Brad Sweet (14)
48. Fri, July 23 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Sheldon Haudenschild (5)
49. Sat, July 24 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Brent Marks (2)
50. Fri, July 30 / Ransomville Speedway / Ransomville, NY / Aaron Reutzel (4)
51. Sat, July 31 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY / David Gravel (7)
52. Fri, August 6 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Sheldon Haudenschild (6)
53. Sat, August 7 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Sheldon Haudenschild (7)
54. Wed, August 11 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / David Gravel (NP)
55. Thur, August 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Brian Brown (NP)
56. Fri, August 13 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Rico Abreu (NP)
57. Sat, August 14 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Kyle Larson (3)
58. Sat, August 21 / Red River Valley Speedway / Fargo, ND / Donny Schatz (2)
59. Sun, August 22 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / David Gravel (8)
60. Wed, August 25 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND / Brad Sweet (15)
61. Fri, August 27 / I-80 Speedway / Greenwood, NE / Donny Schatz (3)
62. Sun, August 29 / Black Hills Speedway / Rapid City, SD / Sheldon Haudenschild (8)
63. Fri, September 3 / Skagit Speedway / Alger, WA / James McFadden (2)
64. Sat, September 4 / Skagit Speedway / Alger, WA / Brad Sweet (16)
65. Sun, September 5 / Skagit Speedway / Alger, WA / Carson Macedo (8)
66. Mon, September 6 / Grays Harbor Raceway / Elma, WA / Logan Schuchart (4)
67. Fri, September 10 / Silver Dollar Speedway / Chico, CA / David Gravel (9)
68. Sat, September 11 / Silver Dollar Speedway / Chico, CA / Logan Schuchart (5)
