SHARK RACING LEADS THE DRIVER AND TEAM POINTS WITH JJR CLOSE BEHIND FOR THE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

WoO

Logan Schuchart and David Gravel left the three-day event at Knoxville Raceway with big gains and a lot to lose.

Schuchart reclaimed the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series points lead – now 18 points ahead of reigning Series champion Brad Sweet – and David Gravel helped propel Jason Johnson Racing to second in points for the team championship – four points behind Schuchart’s Shark Racing team.

With just 21 races left this season – including the North Dakota doubleheader this weekend at River Cities Speedway on Aug. 21 and at Red River Valley Speedway on Aug. 22 – both drivers are focused on winning and securing the best points nights they can every race in their championship quests.

“We want to win races,” said Schuchart, of Hanover, PA. “That’s why we’re out here. Each and every race track we go to that’s our goal. You also want to stay smart about it.”

Logan Schuchart / Trent Gower photo

Schuchart learned firsthand how detrimental a small mistake could be to his chances of winning a championship in June. While running second and trying to chase down Sweet at Beaver Dam Raceway, Schuchart jumped the cushion and got into the wall. He finished 21st and fell from first to third in the championship points.

“That’s the kind of stuff you don’t do,” he said. “I know if we lose the championship by five points my grandpa (Bobby Allen) is going to say ‘I told you so.’”

Gravel isn’t in contention for the driver championship, since he missed two races to run an ARCA and NASCAR Truck Series race, but with Parker Price-Miller filling in for him in those two races, JJR has been able to stay in contention for the team championship. The team currently has four wins this season with Gravel, including their most recent win at Knoxville Raceway.

For Gravel, the remainder of the season is about picking up more wins and helping JJR secure their first championship.

“Obviously, if I can help JJR propel and win a championship is something really cool for me,” said Gravel, of Watertown, CT. “I’m kind of torn as how the season has gone. I’m going to try my best. I try my best every night and see where it ends up. There’s still a lot of racing to go. We’re racing every weekend until the World Finals (at the Dirt Track at Charlotte) pretty much, so a lot could happen.”

Like Schuchart, Gravel knows it takes being fast and smart to secure a championship. And a bit of luck.

“You just got to keep rolling,” Gravel said. “You could be Brad Sweet and have [four] DNFs. You’ve got to enter every night, do the best you can and see what happens.”

David Gravel / Trent Gower photo

The best Schuchart has ever finished in the Series points is fifth last year – with eight wins. So, to be leading the points – and have five wins – with two and a half months to go is already a huge accomplishment in his eyes for he and his Shark Racing team that have gone from trying to make races in 2014 to now being in contention to win every week.

“It’s just a great position to be in during this time of the year,” Schuchart said. “You know you’re doing something right. Especially with our team, where we’ve come from in the last seven years and how hard we’ve worked to put ourselves in this position. My grandfather, Bobby Allen, has built an awesome team and everyone that’s a part of it is doing a great job. To be leading the points here in August says a lot about how far our team has come.”

River Cities and Red River Valley have been good tracks for Schuchart and Gravel. Schuchart picked up his first win at River Cities in June of last year and then finished third at the speedway last August. Gravel, who won at River Cities in 2017, also finished inside the top-five during both races at the quarter-mile track last year.

The Series will make its first trip back to Red River Valley Speedway since 2018 this weekend. The race was won by 10-time Series champion Donny Schatz, but Gravel was in contention to win throughout the event before having an issue and finishing 18th. Schuchart finished fifth in that event.

While they’ll be gunning for the win every race, they’ll also be careful to not lose the points they’ve earned to put them in the position they’re in.

SCHUCHART WINS FIRST CROWN JEWEL OF 2020: JACKSON NATIONALS

Crown jewels dangled in front of Logan Schuchart throughout 2019 but were never close enough for him to grab.

He finished second in the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway and then finished second at the Knoxville Nationals.

On Saturday night at the Jackson Motorplex, Schuchart fended off an assault of slide jobs and dive bombs throughout the 35-lap Feature to finally grab a crown jewel. He claimed the 42nd Annual Jackson Nationals title and the $30,000 prize that came with it.

“It’s awesome,” Schuchart said about winning the AGCO Jackson Nationals. “We’ve been so close to a couple of them (crown jewel events). It’s a huge win. Great for our team, without even thinking about the money. To win a race like this at a great facility with all of these great names here. To be able to win during these trying times in 2020 with everything that’s going on and to get a big win is great for our team.”

The win is his fourth of the season – second in a row at the 4/10-mile track – and 20th career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series win.

The Hanover, PA driver entered the night as the points leader with his Shark Racing team for the event after a fourth-place finish and a win in the preliminary races.

He finished second in the DIRTVision Fast Pass King of the Hill Dash behind winner Daryn Pittman, placing them on the front row of the 35-lap Feature.

Schuchart darted ahead of Pittman at the start of the Feature, bringing two-time and defending Jackson Nationals champion Brad Sweet and Sheldon Haudenschild along with him. The next 30 laps became a summer blockbuster worthy of an Oscar nomination.

The lead officially changed hand six times throughout the event – not counting every time Schuchart, Sweet and Haudenschild swapped the lead before crossing the finish line. Haudenschild stole the lead from Schuchart in lap traffic on Lap 10. However, a red flag for Parker Price-Miller’s flip in Turn 1 put Haudenschild and Schuchart side by side on the restart.

Unwilling to lose another crown jewel event, Schuchart timed the restart perfect and powered his way around the outside of Haudenschild to reclaim the lead. But Haudenschild, who is winless this year, was just as hungry for the victory. He charged his way back around Schuchart the next lap.

Their duel of the fates was not yet over. Schuchart threw a slide job on Haudenschild going into Turn 1 and reclaimed the lead on Lap Lap 13. And this time, he was able to pull away, running the high line. Haudenschild fell victim to Sweet, as well.

With Schuchart in the lead, Sweet second and Haudenschild third, the three drivers ran single file around the top of the track for about the next 10 laps.

Once the Feature was under 10 laps to go and Schuchart again caught slower traffic, Sweet and Haudenschild closed in.

Like fighter jets playing war games, seeing how close they can dive around each other without touching, the three drivers swapped lanes every corner to try and get an advantage on the other. Haudenschild and Sweet almost made contact exiting Turn 4, forcing Haudenschild over the cushion with eight laps to go. He faded to the clutches of Pittman, while Sweet went after Schuchart.

“It’s tough when you get guys like that, that are so good,” Schuchart said about having to race Sweet and Haudenschild for the win. “Sheldon is going to pound the top down and take his shots. He can pull a slider from way far away. And I knew Brad was going to be coming at the end. You just have to keep your composure with those guys. You just have to hit your marks and not get overly excited.”“The Big Cat” pounced on Schuchart and edged him for the lead on Lap 29, but Schuchart dove into Turn 1 and slid ahead of Sweet for the final time. With tires wearing down, the reigning Series champion had nothing more for Schuchart. The Drydene #1S drove away with one of the biggest wins in his career.

Sweet finished on the podium all three nights of the 2020 AGCO Jackson Nationals, including a win on the first night. However, he had to settle for another runner-up finish with his Kasey Kahne Racing team.

“I went really hard there in the middle of the race and kind of used my one shot to get by Logan and didn’t make it stick,” said Sweet, of Grass Valley, CA. “He did a good job. I think he was able to set a nice pace out front and able to save his tires, while I tried to stay close.

“There’s some nights you just can’t get it done. NAPA Auto Parts guys gave me a good car. We’re working hard. It’s competitive out here right now. We’ll take a second and try to get better next week.”

Pittman was able to get around Haudenschild to finish third – his second podium finish in a row.

“We just got some work to do and got beat by, arguably, the two best cars on the tour this year,” said Pittman, of Owasso, OK. “We’re making gains.”

Haudenschild finsihed fourth in his NOS Energy Drink Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing car – his ninth top-10 finish in a row this year. David Gravel rounded out the top-five.

Ten-time Series champion and 2018 Jackson Nationals champion Donny Schatz ended the night eighth – his second top-10 finish in a row with his Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing team after four straight races outside the top-10.

Carson Macedo earned the KSE Racing Hard Charger award in his Kyle Larson Racing #2 car with his run from 18th to ninth. He’s now tied with Schuchart for the second most top-10 finishes, so far, this season with 14.

Now, with a crown jewel win under his beat, Schuchart said it only gives he and his team more confidence going forward this year.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series returns to Cedar Lake Speedway July 2-4 for a three-day Independence Day mega event with the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models. Saturday’s event will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps) – 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2][$30,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$8,000]; 3. 83-Daryn Pittman [1][$5,000]; 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [6][$2,700]; 5. 41-David Gravel [4][$2,500]; 6. 2M-Kerry Madsen [9][$2,200]; 7. 18-Ian Madsen [7][$2,000]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz [10][$1,800]; 9. 2-Carson Macedo [18][$1,600]; 10. 83R-Lynton Jeffrey [19][$1,450]; 11. 16-Brooke Tatnell [17][$1,300]; 12. 9-Kasey Kahne [14][$1,200]; 13. 1A-Jacob Allen [8][$1,100]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$1,000]; 15. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [24][$1,000]; 16. 17B-Bill Balog [22][$1,000]; 17. 7-Justin Henderson [16][$1,000]; 18. 7S-Jason Sides [12][$1,000]; 19. 17A-Austin McCarl [21][$1,000]; 20. O9-Matt Juhl [23][$1,000]; 21. 49X-Tim Shaffer [15][$1,000]; 22. 21-Brian Brown [11][$1,000]; 23. 2C-Wayne Johnson [20][$1,000]; 24. 14-Parker Price-Miller [5][$1,000]; Lap Leaders: Logan Schuchart 1-9, 11, 13-28, 30-35; Sheldon Haudenschild 10, 12; Brad Sweet 29; KSE Hard Charger Award: 2-Carson Macedo[+9]

How Shark Racing Went from Scrappy Underdog to Outlaws Points Leader

Story published on Autoweek.com and shared on this sight with permission:

Autoweek.com – June 5, 2020
By Matt Weaver

Before anything else was possible, Logan Schuchart and Jacob Allen needed to pay their dues in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. Upon accomplishing that goal, everything else could follow.

As it turns out, the rest is happening ahead of schedule.

Schuchart enters the ninth race of the 2020 season, his seventh as a full-timer, as the World of Outlaws championship leader—12 points ahead of defending champion Brad Sweet and 28 over 10-time champion Donny Schatz.

And while the accomplishment is impactful by itself, it’s even more noteworthy when considering he is doing so with a Drydene Shark Racing team comprised almost entirely of his famous racing family.

Schuchart, 27, is the grandson of Bobby “Scruffy” Allen, one of the discipline’s original true outlaws. Jacob, 25, is Scruffy’s youngest son. Their engines are built and maintained by Michael Newman, Scruffy’s nephew.

Bobby Allen, of course, is the 1990 Knoxville Nationals winner and one of the most decorated and admired Sprint Car personalities.

logan schuchart,
PAUL ARCH

Now, Schuchart and the younger Allen are starting to meet the expectations of that legacy—a level that not everyone believed was possible.

Allen remembers wrapping up their first California swing in 2014 and being approached by crew members from Kasey Kahne Racing. They told Allen they had placed money that the Shark Racing boys would load up and return home to Pennsylvania without having finished the two-month stretch.

It wasn’t the most graceful of performances, but they made it.

So, it spoke volumes that when Allen flipped on the first night of racing last month at the Lake Ozark Speedway those same KKR crew members were feverishly laboring in the work area to repair his damaged car.

This wasn’t the first time it had happened, either. Respect had been earned.

“I don’t know the exact moment it happened, but I think people admired that we kept coming back no matter what obstacles were placed in front of us,” Allen said. “We’d flip or have mechanical problems and we would always come right back.

“We’d get hit and we would get right back up. Get hit. Get back up. Get hit. Get back up.

“That came from my dad. You can’t teach that kind of thing. You have to have a certain degree of heart, faith and belief to keep getting back up in those shitty circumstances. My dad has that. Logan has that. I have it. When all three of you have it, it creates something special.”

world of outlaws,
PAUL ARCH

It’s certainly been a special season thus far for Schuchart with finishes of second, fifth, first, third, third, third, fourth, first and sixth.

For longtime followers of the tour, that’s a Summertime Schatz-like pace. It’s also a far cry from the Schuchart who went out to California in 2014 and finished outside the top 10 on four different occasions and even missed two features— albeit with a second place at Tulare.

Unlike Allen, who only started racing full time once he joined the Outlaws, Schuchart had a much more robust pedigree before his first season.

In his early teenage years, Schuchart raced 358 Sprint Cars at several Pennsylvania tracks. He is the youngest driver to ever win the Lincoln Speedway 348 track championship. In 2012, his first year behind the wheel of a 410 Sprint Car, he was voted the National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year by the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.

It was never the lack of pedigree, but rather experience and additional funding.

“We’ve just continued to put in the work,” Schuchart said. “It’s been about continuing to run well at the places we’ve always raced well at, while also getting better at the places that used to kick our teeth in.

“Everyone has worked hard. My grandfather is tireless. He works so hard to show Jacob and I the ropes. He’s on the phone with Michael Newman five times a day. Tyler Barber has been with us for three years. Ben Whitman, Ron Helmick. Everyone is just working really well together, and that hard work is starting pay off.”

world of outlaws,
TRENT GOWERS

It’s something of a family tradition for Shark Racing to get the most out of its equipment.

The elder Allen earned the Scruffy nickname for both his outward appearance and also the blue-collar work ethic that accompanied it.

Even at 76 years old, he still drives the team’s hauler across the country and can often be found wrenching on the car alongside his boys. Since taking the team full-time Outlaws racing in 2014, this is the first year that Scruffy feels like his son and grandson have everything they need to contend for wins and a championship.

The latest step can be traced to a national sponsorship commitment from Drydene Performance Products. That agreement was first consummated in 2018 and expanded into a full-time naming rights agreement the following season.

The sponsorship has allowed the blue collar team the means to continually update its parts and pieces, while also providing Newman the ability to provide greater engine inventory and flexibility.

Before connecting with Drydene, Bobby Allen had his boys racing on a shoestring budget, at least in comparison to the powerhouse teams of national Sprint Car competition.

Shark Racing was getting by, but it wasn’t a sustainable model.

 

“Jacob is two years behind Logan, but now they’re both right there in front. I thought Logan would be a dark horse to win the championship and would have been really proud for Jacob to finish sixth to eighth. But now Logan is right there, and Jacob has been right there with him the past couple of weeks, except for the crash and the broken axle.

“We’ve got a long year, and we’re not counting our chickens before they hatch, but we’re actually ahead of where I thought we might be.”

World of Outlaws television analyst and 1980s perennial championship contender Brad Doty believes Schuchart has always been an exceptional talent and simply needed his equipment and experience to match the latent skillset.

“I can say I tore up a lot of stuff when I first started because young drivers just think you mash the pedal and that’s how you win races,” Doty said. “Doug Wolfgang told me that every good driver has a crashing spell. I told him that I had crashed so much that I should be a great driver someday!

“Logan never had that phase. He always seems to reach the line, but he’s never crossed it. He’s so mature and gets everything out of that race car. He’s smooth, has the right feel for every kind of racetrack and has always done a good job.

“He knew that if he crashed a lot, that meant he was going to have to sit out a couple of weeks, and that’s served him well now that he has more resources.”

nick zebelian
NICK ZEBELIAN

Doty also believes the likelihood of a pandemic-shortened season could actually benefit both Schuchart and Shark Racing this season.

“As long as they can maintain their engine program, I believe they can run inside the top five all year,” Doty added. “There’s a lot of luck involved in all kinds of racing. When you run a 90-race schedule, you need luck.

“Steve Kinser would admit it, nights that he had a tire go flat in victory lane, or just having one less bad break than the other guy. With the shorter abbreviated schedule, there are less mulligans and they’re racing from an advantage right now. Every race is going to matter more, and they’re already ahead.

“With a team like Bobby’s, I think the shorter schedule will be easier on their engine program and will help them keep up with teams that have been here the past couple of years.”

No matter what happens the rest of the season, Schuchart just wants to continue building Shark Racing. It’s not enough to contend for the championship or even win it. It’s about improving on whatever the end result is and become even better than that.

“We want the people that are here to stay here,” Schuchart said. “We want to continue pursuing championships. We don’t want to lose sight of where we came from. That’s our goal and that’s what we want to continue to do.”

FIRST ‘WON’: SCHUCHART SCORES FIRST EDIRT RACING SHOOTOUT WINS IN CBS DEBUT

By World of Outlaws – April 29, 2020

Eldora Speedway never disappoints, and that clearly holds true for virtual racing, too. While fans wait for the real dirt to fly, Big E provided a rush of adrenaline during the World of Outlaws: eDirt Racing Shootout debut Tuesday night on CBS Sports Network.

World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car star Logan Schuchart brought the virtual crowd and those watching at home to their feet, trading slide jobs with Kevin Swindell for the final five laps and edging him at the finish line to win his first World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car iRacing Feature … using the DIRTVision studio simulator no less. But before all that excitement, 19-year-old Kaeden Cornell picked up his first World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model iRacing win in a barn burner race, kicking off the doubleheader.

The two drivers beat star-studded fields that included a host of dirt aces taking on high-profile invaders like Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, Juan Pablo Montoya, William Byron, Ron Capps, Chase Briscoe, Justin Allgaier and Cruz Pedregon.

The start of the NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car eDirt Racing Shootout Feature saw NASCAR Xfinity Series standout Briscoe pulled away from the field as drivers behind him went three and four wide, arguing over positions second through fifth.

Swindell became the benefactor of the battle, splitting the gap between Brad Sweet, Max McLaughlin and Robbie Kendall to launch his #39 Swindell Speedlab car into second. The two-time World of Outlaws iRacing Invitational winner was then on the hunt for Briscoe.

Twelve laps into the 35-lap Feature, Briscoe pounced off the wall off Turn 2 and slid down into Swindell, who was underneath him going for the lead. The two cars locked and slid sideways going into Turn 3, stacking up the field and bringing out the caution.

Swindell and Briscoe held their positions up front, but Swindell now had the lead. He, like Briscoe before him, pulled away from the field while the top-five traded positions amongst themselves every lap.

With 15 laps to go, as Briscoe, Sweet and Balog slowed each other’s momentum while battling for second, Schuchart held the throttle to the floor and fired his Drydene #1a car into the runner-up spot.

Schuchart, a two-time World of Outlaws winner in real life at Eldora, knew exactly what to do to catch Swindell.

“I just kind of used the same line that I used in real life last year at the Kings Royal,” said Schuchart, who powered from 12th to second in the 2019 Kings Royal at Eldora. “It seems to work on this thing.”

He ran the top, putting his right rear tire on the cushion, inches from the wall. That helped him run down Swindell in seconds. Once he caught him, he tried a slide job on Swindell in the first corner, but Swindell charged back by him the next turn.

A couple of cautions got in the way of their battle, but on a restart with five laps to go, the two drivers put on a Sprint Car racing clinic, virtual or not. Schuchart would launch his car ahead of Swindell one corner and Swindell would slide back by him the next. They crossed the finish line separated by thousandths of a second each lap.

With two laps to go, Swindell bounced off the cushion just enough to give Schuchart the advantage to clear him off Turn 4. However, Swindell wasn’t finished. “The Bulldog” stayed close to Schuchart and looked underneath him coming to the checkered flag.

Schuchart had the better momentum off Turn 4 and edged Swindell at the line by 0.25 seconds.

As fast as everyone’s heart was beating by watching the spectacular finish, Schuchart’s adrenaline was up just as high.

“My heart is going, I feel like I just got out of a real car,” said an out of breath Schuchart. “That was a great race with Kevin. That was really cool. We were able to race each other real clean. It was a lot of run. It’s real cool to win one of these things.”

World of Outlaws Sprint Car NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 laps) — 1. 1-Logan Schuchart [6] [$1,000]; 2. 39-Kevin Swindell [5]; 3. 170-Bill Balog [1]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [4]; 5. 7-Tyler Courtney [14]; 6. 17-Austin McCarl [11]; 7. 6-Juan Pablo Montoya [20]; 8. 5-Chase Briscoe [2]; 9. 35-Mike Mahaney [13]; 10. 1-Jacob Allen [15]; 11. 17-Max McLaughlin [7]; 12. 2-Wayne Johnson [18]; 13. 41-David Gravel [12]; 14. 5-Brent Marks [10]; 15. 25-William Byron [21]; 16. 28-Ron Capps [19]; 17. 18-Ian Madsen [16]; 18. 21-Brian Brown [9]; 19. 2-Carson Macedo [8]; 20. 55-Robbie Kendall [3]; 21. 2-Kerry Madsen [17]. Lap leaders: Chase Briscoe 1-11; Kevin Swindell 12-33; Logan Schuchart 34-35. KSE Hard Charger: Juan Pablo Montoya +13.

MAKIN’ A SPLASH: LOGAN SCHUCHART OFF TO CAREER BEST START

Story courtesy of WOO; written by Nick Graziano – February 19, 2020

Logan Schuchart had never won at Volusia Speedway Park coming into the 2020 DIRTcar Nationals. Never led a lap. Never even finished inside the top-five. That’s changed.

In the three World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series season opening races at the half-mile Florida track, Schuchart amassed 50 laps led and three top-five finishes, including two podiums and a win.

“Getting a win before we leave Florida is awesome,” said Schuchart, of Hanover, PA. “I’m really excited about that.”

Schuchart is now second in the standings, two-points behind reigning champion Brad Sweet. It’s the best position he’s been in to start a season with the Texas doubleheader at Cotton Bowl Speedway on March 13 and LoneStar Speedway on March 14 the next stop on the tour.

His performance is a testament to the continued growth of his talent and Shark Racing’s capabilities since joining the World of Outlaws tour full-time in 2014.

The team’s first few years were about surviving and making it to November, Schuchart has said. In his rookie campaign he earned five top-five finishes and 15 top-10s. It wasn’t until 2016 that he earned his first career victory.

Last year, in a breakout year for the 27-year-old, Schuchart earned a career high eight wins – doubling his number of total career wins – 32 top-five finishes, 53 top-10s and led 243 laps. He also finished a career best fifth in the Series standings. And while that success has helped propel him to a strong start this year, Schuchart cites he and the team’s progressive growth began long before 2019.

“Not just 2019, but all of the years in general, the experience over the years, taking notes, getting better and just getting smarter about everything,” Schuchart said. “I just feel like the more experience we get the smarter we get about certain things.

“But this is tough. There’s a lot of great race car drivers out here. A lot of great teams. Great mechanics. They can put you in your place very quick. The World of Outlaws is in a great spot. The sport is in a great spot. But we’re trying to stay on top.”

Schuchart’s five days in Florida showed how quickly he and his Shark Racing team can learn and adapt. The two opening Sprint Week races during the DIRTcar Nationals with the All Star Circuit of Champions saw Schuchart finish 11th and 17th, respectively.

Then he nearly won the season opening race for the World of Outlaws. Schuchart led 21 laps and lost the lead to 10-time Series champion Donny Schatz with three laps to go, settling for a runner-up finish. The next night he failed to qualify for the Feature and had to use a provisional to start. However, he was able to charge his way from 25th to fifth – earning the Hard Charger award for the night.

On the final night of racing in Florida, Schuchart led 29 of 30 laps, and held off attacks from Cory Eliason and Daryn Pittman to pick up his first Volusia Speedway Park win. His Shark Racing teammate Jacob Allen also got a career best finish of 12th at the speedway on the final night.

“Definitely a weight off your shoulders knowing you got one,” Schuchart said. “They’re so tough to come by. To get one off your back and being able to just go out there and race and build off of what you already have is definitely a relief.”

While Schuchart is on track for another possible career year, with more than 80 races to go this year, contending for the championship is far out of his mind.

“I just want to win races,” Schuchart said. “I don’t want to think about that at all. That comes at the end. At November I’m sure you think about that when the points are close. Whatever it is. I just want to win as many races as I can and if we’re able to do that the rest will come.”

SCHUCHART GRABS GATOR, FIRST WOO WIN IN 2020

BARBERVILLE, FL – February 9, 2020 – The wild hunt commenced Sunday night at the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series finale at the DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford.

The trophies: A golden gator. And a Big Gator.

Logan Schuchart put an assault on the 27-car field, in front of a packed house, to earn his first win at Volusia Speedway Park and Brad Sweet cruised to his third podium finish in-a-row, awarding him his second Big Gator championship. Sweet won his first Big Gator in 2016.

“It was a lot of fun,” Sweet said about the event. “I thought we had a lot of different tracks all week. The NAPA car was fast on all the different conditions, but we’ll take that… 2020 is looking to be a strong year for us.”

Schuchart, who had never finished inside the top-five and never led a lap at the half-mile speedway, ended his 2020 DIRTcar Nationals with three top-five finishes in-a-row and 50 laps led. He placed second the first night. Charged from 25th to fifth the second night. And won the DIRTcar Nationals Sprint Car Week finale.

“This place is just so tough,” Schuchart said. “You know, we come here, we learn, I watch videos in the wintertime. We just try to make our cars better as a whole.

“Just kind of studying the racetrack. Notes from the past. Watching the highlight videos from the past few years and what other people’s cars look like compared to ours and maybe what we could have done better to qualify and put us in better positions… First three races were awesome. To pull away with a win really helps our confidence.”

That confidence showed before the conclusion of Sunday night’s 30-lap Feature when the Hanover, PA driver powered his way underneath Daryn Pittman on Lap 2 to take the lead. From there, he never relinquished it, leading the final 29 laps. Although, those on the hunt behind him tested his poise.

Schuchart held a commanding lead on the field but as lap traffic continuously hindered his pace, Pittman closed in. With 10 laps to go, Schuchart got caught behind a slower car coming off Turn 2, allowing Pittman to close within a car length’s distance.

However, once Schuchart found his way back into clean air, Pittman was left having to fend off Cory Eliason and Sweet.

In the closing laps of the race, Eliason found another gear. With five laps to go he charged his way around the outside of Pittman for second and set his sights on Schuchart. Three laps later, with smoke billowing out of his exhaust, Eliason powered his way around Schuchart off Turn 2.

Not willing to forgo his first DIRTcar Nationals win, Schuchart threw a hold-your-breath-slide job on Eliason through Turns 3 and 4 to reclaim the lead.

A large cloud of smoke erupted from Eliason’s motor the next lap, ending his night. The yellow flag flew with one lap to go.

On the restart, with Pittman and Sweet breathing down his neck, Schuchart darted away from the field. No one could touch the red and white Drydene car. Pittman and Sweet had to settle for second and third, respectively.

“Just pissed off at myself,” Pittman said. “I feel like if I would have stayed second… Man, like on that white flag, I couldn’t believe how far back he (Schuchart) came to me and Cory (Eliason). Honestly, I think it was anybody’s race going down the backstretch there on the white flag lap. We were kind of nose to tail. I wish I would have been in second there, I think I would have had a shot.”

Sweet started the DIRTcar Nationals being presented his 2019 World of Outlaws championship ring and ended it being presented his second Big Gator trophy. He’ll also leave Florida with the Series points lead – two points ahead of Schuchart.

The championship is far out of Schuchart’s head with more than 80 races to go this season. He said his focus is just to win as many races as he can. Nabbing his first golden gator trophy is one he can finally cross of his list.

“I really wanted one of these gators,” Schuchart said. “I’m really glad we got one.”

Story courtesy of WorldofOutlaws.com

HIGH-FIVE: Schuchart Earns Fifth WoO Triumph of 2019 at Skagit

Logan Schuchart always wanted to match his grandfather Bobby Allen’s win total in a single World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series season – five.

For the Pennsylvania-native that number always stopped at four. He’s had seven second-place finishes since his fourth win of the year in June. Always close. But never quite enough.

Until Friday night at Skagit Speedway. Schuchart claimed his first victory at the 3/10-mile speedway and the illustrious fifth win of the season.

“Having my grandfather by my side since the beginning, he’s the main part of why this team is where it is, and really everyone together, but he’s the boss, the man in charge,” Schuchart said. “The most Outlaw wins he had in a year was five, so that was my main goal at the beginning of the year to at least get that. It’s pretty cool to do that with him and the rest of our team.”

Schuchart and his Shark Racing team at first looked destined for another runner-up finish as the night progressed. He finished second to Kraig Kinser in his Drydene Heat race and then second to Kinser again in the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash.

When the 30-lap Feature went green, Schuchart was ready. He stayed side by side with Kinser into the first turn. Kinser, on the bottom, edged Schuchart on the exit of turn two, but the Shark Racing driver had the better run on the outside and powered by the Mesilla Valley Transportation No. 11k for the lead.

Schuchart pulled away by several car lengths, but a caution two laps into the race brought Kinser back to his tail tank. On the restart the Pennsylvanian picked up where he left off. He rocketed in front of Kinser by almost two car lengths before entering turn one and then ran away with the lead.

Kinser said he couldn’t hang with Schuchart in traffic.

Schuchart caught the back of the field by Lap six, but the slower cars didn’t hinder his performance. He maneuvered around them with ease, never losing his quick pace. However, in the closing laps, Schuchart said he felt like he fell off a little bit.

“For the first half, three-quarters of the race I could run up on any car that is in front of me and run a different line and go right by them,” Schuchart said. “There at the end I caught up to Shane (Stewart), but I wasn’t gaining anymore. It’s hard to tell how close Kraig is. You’re just running your own race at that point.”

At the end of the 28- lap run to the finish, Schuchart crossed the finish line with a 4.6 second lead over Kinser.

“I’ve wanted to win here for a couple of years now, since we’ve been coming here,” Schuchart said.

Schuchart – 298 points behind leader Donny Schatz – knows it would be hard to get in the mix with the top three in points, but has his eye on fourth-place, currently held by Daryn Pittman. He’s currently 34 points behind him.

“We’re kind of close to Daryn there in points, it would be nice to see if we could get him,” Schuchart said. “My best finish in points is sixth, last year. We’re fifth right now, I’d like to get to fourth and stay consistent. Keep learning as a program.

“We had two new guys with Ron Helmick and Ben Whitman this year and they’ve improved tremendously since they’ve started. I just want to improve the team and keep building this team from what it was five years ago and keep heading in the right direction.”

Tying records with Bobby Allen is a good start.

Schuchart Looking For A Repeat At Hanford

HANFORD, Calif. – In the moment, Logan Schuchart could only focus on the fact that he won a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series race in California for the first time.

That moment came on March 31, 2017 after his remarkable run from the 19th-starting position to victory at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, a result no driver has come close to matching since.

The most recent winner on the World of Outlaws trail returns to Hanford almost two years to the day Friday, when he leads The Greatest Show on Dirt back to Keller Auto Speedway with the goal of parking his Drydene Performance Products/NGK Spark Plugs/Michael Palumbo-backed Shark Racing No. 1s in victory lane again.

The thrill of victory following Schuchart’s triumph on March 31, 2017 at Keller Auto Speedway.

“I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was that night,” admitted Schuchart. “I was pumped that we got our first win of the year. A Pennsylvania driver winning an Outlaw feature in California. Those things don’t happen often. Let alone the fact that we started 19th. It was a just one of those special nights. Needless to say, I can’t wait to get back there on Friday night.”

Schuchart, the grandson of sprint car hall of famer Bobby Allen, emulated the man known as Scruffy that night, patiently working the bottom groove of the three-eighths-mile dirt oval to perfection. He picked up position after position, ultimately taking the lead from Ian Madsen coming to the white flag in the 35-lap marathon. It was the 11th race of the 2017 World of Outlaws campaign and Schuchart had shown signs that he was close to picking up his third World of Outlaws victory, but after qualifying 11th and dropping from third to fifth in his heat, the outlook for winning didn’t look all that promising.

“I just watched the race again on DIRTVision yesterday,” said Schuchart, who currently sits fourth in the World of Outlaws standings following his victory at the Stockton Dirt Track on March 15. “We qualified OK, but I ended up having a bad start to the heat and found myself racing as hard as I could just to get fifth. We knew we were going to be deep in the field. It’s one of the great things about racing with the Outlaws. You just have to keep working. We went out there with a plan and I was patient enough to let my car come in and we just kept passing cars. It was a great race. Gave our team a lot of confidence. The season before we won our first race at Cedar Lake in July and then won back home at Port Royal late in the season. We knew we could win. Looking back, man that was one we’ll always remember.”

There have been 148 World of Outlaws A-Mains since Schuchart’s victory in Hanford and only once has a driver started outside the top-10 and came home victorious. Donny Schatz raced from 12th to win at Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek, Ariz., early last season, the same race where Schuchart charged from 16th to third, indicating just how impressive his drive from the 19th-to-first was.

In those same 148 races, 45 have been won from the pole and in exactly half (74) the winner has started on the front row.

It was the deepest win during a World of Outlaws A-Main since Schatz raced from 21st to win the 2013 Knoxville (Iowa) Nationals, but Fred Rahmer’s run from 24th to first on May 14, 2010 at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., remains the benchmark.

“I remember Fred winning that night at the Grove, it was a pretty crazy race,” said Schuchart. “The only experience I had that comes close was in 2011 at Lincoln Speedway. I was driving a 358 and we started last, 22nd I think, and passed Pat Canon on the last lap to win. All the way from the back with only one caution. That was a really big deal for us. Doing what we did a couple years ago at Hanford that was an Outlaw show. Those are extremely difficult races to win and to do it in California where not a lot guys from back home have won before. Just crazy to think about. Hopefully, we don’t have to try and come from that deep again Friday.”

Logan Schuchart races to victory at Stockton (Ca) Dirt Track, March 15, 2019. Photo courtesy of DB3 Imaging

Schuchart returns to Hanford with plenty of momentum despite dealing with several early season rainouts. The Drydene Performance Products-backed driver picked up his second California World of Outlaws triumph in Stockton by rough riding his way to victory from the pole on a treacherous surface. He became the sixth different winner in the previous six races.

Only World of Outlaws points leader Daryn Pittman, winner of the first two races at Volusia Speedway Park to start the year, has more than one victory. With the win, Schuchart is now tied with sprint car legends Keith Kauffman, Brent Kaeding and Kenny Jacobs with nine career World of Outlaws triumphs.

“It’s been a dream of mine to race with the World of Outlaws,” continued Schuchart. “My grandpa had a dream and vision for making this happen. We are in our sixth season out here with the World of Outlaws and so many people have made it possible. I can’t thank everyone enough for all the help and support. We just want to keep working hard and winning races. Stockton was cool to have an all Shark Racing front row. A couple of Drydene sponsored cars leading the field to the green flag. I’m hoping that happens quite a bit more. We are the best we’ve ever been prepared to compete with the Outlaws and now it’s up to us to keep putting up the wins. However we have to. From first. From 19th. It doesn’t matter. Every time you win an Outlaw race you know you’ve beaten the best.”

ROUGH RIDING TO VICTORY

Schuchart Muscles His Way to Stockton Triumph

March 16, 2019 – Stockton, CA – Logan Schuchart set some high goals for 2019 and winning races was the priority. For most of Saturday night, his Shark Racing Drydene Performance Products/NGK Spark Plugs/ Michael Palumbo backed XXX No. 1s was in total control of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series FVP Platinum Battery Showdown, but his first victory of the season wasn’t easy to grab.

Schuchart qualified second in the field of 35 cars, dominated heat race two and the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash to earn his first pole of the 2019 season. The Hanover, PA native shared the front row with his Shark Racing teammate Jacob Allen and the two raced side by side into turns one and two on the opening lap before Schuchart took control. Several cautions early kept Schuchart from getting a good rhythm around the demanding 3/8-mile dirt oval that was extremely rough.

He led the first 11 laps before bouncing violently through turns three and four which allowed Shane Stewart to take command. Schuchart gathered up his machine and got back to work and tracked Stewart for the ensuring dozen laps when a caution provided Schuchart another shot at Stewart. He took advantage of the restart and regained the lead coming out of turn four and pulled away. He would withstand another late restart and drove off for his first WoO A-Main triumph of 2019 and ninth of his career.

“I’m just happy for this whole team,” said Schuchart, who ranks fourth in the 2019 WoO championship standings. “It’s very rewarding for all of their hard work to be able to get a win this early in the season. It also feels good to get this win for everyone that helps us. Drydene Performance Products is a huge part of this by sponsoring both me and Jacob and then we have great partners in NGK Spark Plugs and people like Mike Palumbo that helps us out. It’s a total team effort.”

His team put in a lot of work to position Schuchart for Saturday victory. First-year crewman Ron Helmick and AJ Haynes along with assistance from Tyler Garber have started gelling with 10 nights of racing under their belts. After a hard-charging run of 19th to eighth in Volusia and a podium finish in Las Vegas, the team was looking to find consistency during the Outlaws’ annual spring California swing.

Friday night in the Mini Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, they recovered from a mechanical problem which kept them out of qualifying as Schuchart charged from 10th to third in his heat and 11th to sixth in the A-main. The momentum continued Saturday where Schuchart was looking to improve on his career-best sixth at Stockton. He paced the field in hot laps and backed it up by turning the second fastest-lap in qualifying. He knew he had a fast car and starting from the pole there would be only one finish that satisfied them.

Despite losing the lead, Schuchart relied on the mantra of his hall of fame grandfather and mentor Bobby Allen of “Never Giving Up” to keep himself in the right frame of mind during the second half of the race.

“I was running pretty hard when I was out by myself,” Schuchart said. “That’s what kind of got me in trouble. I almost flipped the thing, bouncing around, jumping up and down.“I knew (Shane) was going to have the same issues, he’s going to want to get out front and stand on it. You can count on probably some more yellows, because we were having one right after the other.”

The win gives Schuchart a second Outlaws triumph in California and the former Pennsylvania Posse racer was happy to give the packed house a show they won’t soon forget.

“The fans are awesome (in California),” continued Schuchart, who is now tied with Sprint car greats Keith Kauffman, Brent Kaeding and Kenny Jacobs on the all-time the Outlaws win list with nine. “They’re very passionate. It’s awesome to win in front of this great crowd.”

Schuchart will look to keep the momentum going in California next weekend with a pair of races Friday (Ocean Speedway, Watsonville, CA) and Saturday (Placerville Speedway).

SCHUCHART CAPS AUSTRALIAN TOUR WITH HISTORIC VICTORY

GRANVILLE, NSW, AUSTRALIA – (January 14, 2019)  American standout Logan Schuchart concluded his third tour of Sprint car racing in Australia with a dramatic victory in the final Scott Darley Memorial Challenge Saturday near Sydney. 

Schuchart carried the Drydene banner to great heights over the past 16 days in Australia finishing second twice and winning once during six nights of action driving a Drydene-branded No. USA1s.

The first five nights he competed at Archerfield Speedway near Brisbane and Australia’s famous Gold Coast region. He earned podium finishes in his first nights of action coming home third on December 29 and second to reigning World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz on New Year’s Day. After finishing eighth in the Australian Open preliminary event, Schuchart was poised to grab one of the most prestigious Sprint car races in Australia. He raced his way to the pole position with great time in the pole shuffle and led the star-studded field to the green. The Drydene USA No. 1s set a blistering pace through the first 20 laps, but Schuchart struggle to get past a lapped car. While trying to get around the back marker, Schatz was able to get under him and grab the top spot. Schuchart chased him the rest of the way and finished a career-best second in the event. 

A part failure in heat race during his final appearance at Archerfield ended his night early on January 9. The team regrouped and headed for Sydney to compete in the 10thand final Scott Darley Challenge at Sydney Speedway. After Friday night’s opening night was washed out by rain, Schuchart closed his trip with the best possible results. He was fastest in his qualifying group, won his heat and after starting fifth in the 38-lap A-Main, charged forward to take the lead on lap 22 and never looked back. 

Schuchart returned to the United States on Monday and will join his Shark Racing team as they continue preparing for the 2019 campaign, which will begin Thursday, January 31 at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fl. 

QUICK STATS:
Races: 6               
Wins: 1                
Top-3: 4                
Highlights: Logan led the first half of the prestigious Australian Open before finishing second. He scored his first A-Main win at Sydney Speedway to close his Summer Tour Down Under, winning the final Scott Darley Memorial and joining an elite list of winners of the event including Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz.