Schuchart and the Shark Racing crew entered their 11th year with championship aspirations. After a six-win 2023 season, there was reason to hope.
But the first 30 races of the didn’t work out in their favor. Despite showing speed on several nights, the Hanover, PA native had not a win or a podium to show for it. The campaign hit a really low point two weeks ago at Knoxville when Schuchart wound up wrecked with a DNF after battling for a win.
The Hanover, PA native simply refused to lose at the track where he earned his first career win with The Greatest Show on Dirt back in 2016. He started on the pole of the 30-lap finale, held off the season’s two winningest drivers in David Gravel and Sheldon Haudenschild, and took the Shark No. 1S to Victory Lane for the first time in 2024. After suffering through the struggles to start the year, the relief that the victory brought reminded him of that special night eight years ago.
“It almost feels like the very first one just with another eight years in between,” an ecstatic Schuchart said. “This stuff is tough. These guys are so good out here. The smallest things can make or break your night. It feels really good, for sure. It’s been a struggle. It’s been frustrating at times. I can say that I’ve got an amazing team with guys that stick by me and work their butts off no matter the outcome each week and are doing their best job to make us better. Huge thanks to my guys Lonnie Judy, Brendan Collum, Bill Klingbeil, my grandfather.”
The victory ends a 45-race winless streak for Schuchart dating back to September 4, 2023 at Elma, WA’s Grays Harbor Raceway. He’s now at nine consecutive seasons of topping at least one World of Outlaws race. The 42nd win of his career equals him with Andy Hillenburg for 18th on the all-time win list. Cedar Lake also became the 11th track in which he’s won at on multiple occasions.
The box score may show Schuchart led every lap, but it was far from a walk in the park. He lined up on the pole for the 30-lapper with three of the current best in the game – David Gravel, Sheldon Haudenschild, and Carson Macedo – starting in spots two through four. The trio behind him owned a combined 18 wins this year entering the night.
Schuchart darted ahead on the opening start as Haudenschild quickly stole second from Gravel. But the roles were reversed on an early restart with 26 laps to go as Gravel reclaimed second from Haudenschild. The point leader then set his sights on Schuchart and fired a slider attempt that didn’t quite clear him.
Logan Schuchart was forced to hold off one of the year’s hottest driver in Sheldon Haudenschild to get his first win of 2024 (Trent Gower Photo)
Schuchart pulled ahead as the battle for second again warmed up between Gravel and Haudenschild. After a few laps of jockeying that saw Gravel pull a massive wheelie down the entire front straightaway, Haudenschild took the position back. It didn’t take long for Haudenschild to run down Schuchart in traffic, but right as a battle looked to be brewing the red flag flew when Scott Winters flipped in Turn 2 with 12 laps to go.
The green flag brought the action back to life, and Schuchart again stretched his lead as Haudenschild and Gravel resumed their battle. A spinning Christopher Thram brought the yellow out quickly and necessitated a single-file restart.
The clean air on the restart allowed Schuchart to put some significant space between himself and Haudenschild as the race dipped inside 10 laps to go. The driver of the NOS Energy Drink No. 17 began to reel him back in as traffic became more of a factor and pulled within seventh tenths of a second with five laps to go.
But the Shark Racing machine proved to be too strong as Schuchart made some determined moves around lappers and went on to win by more than three seconds.
“I think the No. 2 car (Gravel) is obviously the fastest car out here this year,” Schuchart said. “And the two crew chiefs (Cody Jacobs and Kyle Ripper) are buddies, so I’m sure they’re sharing information. And Sheldon is always gassing it up, and I would expect him to be fast on this type of track. They’re a great group of guys. They’re always going to be fast. When they’re behind you, it’s going to be tough. We just wanted to make sure we got through lapped traffic at the right time.”
https://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/CedarLakeVL_Jared24.jpg8001200loganhttps://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo.pnglogan2024-07-08 01:09:012024-07-08 01:21:49FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME: Schuchart Wins Outlaw Feature at Cedar Lake
The Hanover, PA driver puts on a clinic to reach 40 career World of Outlaws wins
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars don’t near the ocean for a few more days. But that didn’t stop a shark from surfacing far inland this weekend in North Dakota.
On Friday Logan Schuchart won in dramatic fashion aboard the Shark Racing #1S at Grand Forks, ND’s River Cities Speedway. Then on Saturday the Hanover, PA native didn’t need a late race pass to find his way to Victory Lane. He simply dominated at West Fargo, ND’s Red River Valley Speedway to complete a weekend sweep in “The Peace Garden State.”
Schuchart led from green to checkered in the non-stop 30-lap Feature to top the Gerdau Presents the Duel in the Dakotas for his first Red River Valley triumph. From the moment they unloaded, Schuchart knew they’d be a force through the night.
“The car felt good right out of the box tonight,’ Schuchart said. “We made some very small, minor changes. The track stayed pretty quick. I thought it was an awesome racing surface. If we started fourth or fifth or sixth in that area, I feel like we still would’ve had a really good shot at winning the race. I just tried to pick my spots. Move when lapped cars were in the way and go to the top if I needed to. I could even run the middle of (Turns) 3 and 4 there at the end. This car was just awesome this weekend.”
The win marked a major milestone for the 30-year-old as he reached 40 career World of Outlaws victories – becoming the 19th driver to reach the feat. The sweep was also Schuchart’s first back-to-back trips to Victory Lane with The Greatest Show on Dirt since 2020. He’s up to five wins in 2023, the fifth straight year he’s hit that number.
Schuchart’s path to the checkered flag was paved in large part with his triumph in the Toyota Racing Dash. That sat the Drydene/Duramax machine on the pole for the NOS Energy Drink Feature. When the green lights flashed, Schuchart immediately showed his muscle by darting ahead on the opening circuit.
While Schuchart pulled away early, the first lap also signaled the beginning of what would be a race-long war for second. It began with David Gravel and James McFadden going wheel-to-wheel before Gravel secured the spot.
Only five laps in to the main event was when Schuchart encountered traffic which would persist throughout the race’s entirety with no yellow flags slowing the pace. While a few slower cars allowed Gravel and the battle for second to close in, Schuchart would always pull back ahead after a lap or two.
In the second half of the race, the jockeying for the runner-up position intensified as Giovanni Scelzi and Buddy Kofoid reeled in Gravel. The trio traded sliders and crossovers on the racy surface as the laps wound down.
Up front, Schuchart cruised with a comfortable advantage and ultimately crossed the finish line with nearly a three second advantage.
“We got out in front, and I just wanted to set a good, clean pace, not push the issue too far and not put myself in bad spots,” Schuchart said. “I tried to just hit my marks, and I thought it would make it pretty tough for someone to run up to us and blow by us. I can’t say enough about our team working so hard.”
https://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/FargoWinVL.jpg7071068loganhttps://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo.pnglogan2023-08-30 19:27:232023-08-30 19:27:23SHARK SWEEP: LOGAN SCHUCHART CLAIMS RED RIVER VALLEY WIN TO COMPLETE WEEKEND SWEEP IN NORTH DAKOTA
River Cities Speedway is known for delivering thrilling finishes. And the Grand Forks, ND bullring produced yet another one on Friday night.
Sheldon Haudenschild controlled the majority of the 40-lap World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Feature. But a shark fin rose from the water in the final laps as Logan Schuchart closed in. The driver of the Shark Racing #1S snatched the lead coming to two laps to go and drove away from Haudenschild to steal a victory in the Gerdau Presents The 2nd Leg of The Northern Tour.
For Schuchart, who lost in a close finish at River Cities in 2020, the triumph served as a form of redemption.
“Happy we were able to win like that,” Schuchart said. “I watch highlight videos over the winter time. The Outlaws love to show a race here a few years ago where Kyle (Larson) passed us on the last lap, so it feels good to get one kind of like that. Hopefully they add that to their highlight reel.”
Schuchart moved up to four wins this season with The Greatest Show on Dirt. It also put him at 39 for his career as he’s only one away from becoming the 19th driver in Series history to reach 40. Schuchart became the seventh different competitor to own multiple World of Outlaws wins at River Cities as he also topped a 2019 visit.
When the green flag dropped it was Donny Schatz and Sheldon Haudenschild leading the field. An opening lap red flag necessitated a second attempt, and Haudenschild rocketed around the outside to the lead when the race got underway, and Schuchart settled into third behind the lead duo.
During the opening portion of the race the leaders stayed mostly in line as they clicked off the early laps. A restart following a red flag with 26 laps to go gave Schuchart an opportunity at taking a step toward the front, which he took advantage of. As the green lights came back on, Schuchart accelerated perfectly out of Turn 4 and used the momentum to slide Schatz for second. Schatz wasn’t able to counter with a crossover allowing Schuchart to secure the spot.
After taking over runner-up, Schuchart began to stalk the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing #17. As they crossed the halfway mark, Schuchart wasn’t necessarily gaining on Haudenschild, but he also wasn’t letting him escape. Lapped traffic proved to be more problematic for Schuchart as he preferred the bottom groove where the slower cars were while Haudenschild ripped the top around them.
A late pass propelled Logan Schuchart to his second career River Cities victory (Trent Gower Photo)
“I felt like I could run the bottom pretty good,” Schuchart explained. “I was hoping some lapped cars would kind of slow him down, but lots of times when lapped cars aren’t feeling comfortable they go to the bottom side of the racetrack. So, a lot of lapped cars weren’t really getting in his way. They were just kind of letting him run his line.”
As the race dipped inside 10 laps to go, Schuchart suddenly found the speed he needed. The Hanover, PA native stayed committed to the low line and began to close in on the tail tank of the NOS Energy Drink #17. On Lap 36, Schuchart used a big run off of Turn 2 to show Haudenschild a nose and put him in a defensive mode. Haudenschild responded to switching to the bottom, and that was all Schuchart needed.
Schuchart promptly moved to the top and got a big run coming to the finish line with two laps remaining. The Drydene/Duramax machine squeaked around Haudenschild’s outside to lead the 38th circuit. And with the lead secured, Schuchart never looked back on his way to parking in River Cities Speedway Victory Lane for the second time.
“I just tried to run hard laps. I could get close to him, but I could never really make anything happen,” Schuchart said. “When he kind of went to the bottom there the last few laps I just really got a run on him.”
https://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/RiverCitiesPassforWin2023.jpg6991061loganhttps://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo.pnglogan2023-08-30 19:26:322023-08-30 19:26:32ON THE HIGHLIGHT REEL: Logan Schuchart Slips by Haudenschild Late for River Cities Victory
Mechanicsburg, PA – The race appeared to be over. Brad Sweet had led from the drop of the green flag at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night with a comfortable advantage. But as the white flag waved on the Morgan Cup, the Jaws music began to play.
Logan Schuchart spent the entire race in pursuit. Scratching and clawing his way by lapped cars but unable to keep up with Sweet. And then suddenly, hope arose. Schuchart went from 2.2 seconds behind with three laps to go to 1.2 behind as they began the final lap. Down the back straightaway he charged with a head of steam aboard the Shark Racing #1S. As they exited the final corner, Schuchart used a massive run to dip under Sweet and steal the win by only eight one hundredths of a second.
The Pennsylvania crowd erupted. Fans looked at each other as if seeking confirmation for what they’d witnessed. Surely Schuchart couldn’t have pulled that off. But he did. He erased a more than two second gap in only three laps. Even Schuchart himself could hardly believe it.
“Man, I really didn’t think I had a shot, either,” Schuchart admitted. “I just ran the top the whole race running the same line as Brad. When we did get to some lapped cars there, they were just in both lines. I took way too long to get by them. Brad just got way out there. He was running a consistent race. I knew we felt pretty good, and I felt that our car was going to come in later.
“The closer it got those last couple laps, I think I looked up around Lap 20, and I thought I’d move the wing back and try to move around the racetrack to see if I could find anything. I was able to get by Kasey (Kahne) there and slowly started moving in on Brad and really gained on him the last couple laps there. I knew he was probably going to be conservative and block the bottom… When he moved down, I thought I’m just going to run the top and with my wing trunked I thought I’m going to have to keep the car as loose as possible and try and spring off the exit and try to get down the straightaway good. And that’s what we were able to do.”
Schuchart’s 38th career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car victory was his first at Williams Grove in his 57th attempt at the historic half mile. The Hanover, PA native became the 52nd different driver to win a race with The Greatest Show on Dirt at the tricky oval. The 30-year-old is up to a trio of World of Outlaws triumphs this year plus his Eldora Million victory.
And while he may hail from Pennsylvania, the win in the dual Morgan Cup finale/Champion Racing Oil Summer Nationals opener was one for the Outlaws as the 10-year Series veteran snatched the Cup from the PA Posse and banked $15,000. Regardless of his driving allegiance, Schuchart was full of excitement to stand in Victory Lane in front of the fans who’ve cheered him on from his earliest days.
“This one hits close to my heart,” Schuchart said. “This is really cool to win in front of our PA fans. If you would’ve told me 10 years ago it was going to take me 10 years to win an Outlaw race at one of my home tracks, I would’ve been pretty disappointed. I can’t thank all of the fans enough. Always a bunch of support after the races here no matter if we run 15th or whatever.”
The early portion of the race was controlled by Sweet. After topping the Toyota Racing Dash, he wheeled the Kasey Kahne Racing #49 ahead in the early circuits.
No cautions interrupted the flow of the race, and even when faced by thick traffic as they approached halfway, Sweet didn’t falter. The four-time and reigning champion sliced expertly through slower cars.
What hurt Sweet in the closing laps was a lost wheel cover, causing mud to fill his right-rear wheel and making the car difficult to handle. Sweet’s misfortune was Schuchart’s gain as he closed in and made the thrilling last-second pass.
For Schuchart, the moment served as a testament of the importance of giving your all until the race is over.
“It doesn’t matter what position you’re in. Until that checkered flag falls, you give it 110%,” Schuchart said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s racing, football, any sport, or life in general, you’ve got to give it 110% every chance you get because you never know. I’m just very thankful to do this with my team and get this opportunity night in and night out.”
https://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CDactionWG2.jpg12672067loganhttps://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo.pnglogan2023-07-25 14:53:162023-07-25 14:53:16MORGAN CUP MIRACLE: Logan Schuchart Steals Williams Grove Win at the Checkered Flag
Rossburg, Ohio – Logan Schuchart personifies the spirit of the Eldora Million. A decade ago, the Hanover, Pa., native and his family team were the prototypical weekly racer, driven by aspirations to one day strike it big on the grandest of stages in Sprint Car racing.
On Thursday at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, the Shark Racing driver arrived on the biggest stage of them all as the winner of the Eldora Million and its coveted $1,002,023 top prize. When Tony Stewart, Eldora Speedway and FloRacing announced the race last December, serving everyman dirt racers like Schuchart trying to make a good living was the overarching reason.
Through the euphoria that overflowed from winning the richest event in Sprint Car racing history came Schuchart’s testimony of just how far he and the family team — owned by his Hall of Fame grandfather, Bobby Allen — have come.
“This team has come such a long way and I know I say it time and time again, but I hope any kid or person in general can know what I’m feeling right now, to win a race like this,” Schuchart said. “If anybody ever tells you you can’t do anything, I know you hear that a lot. There’s lots of nights I sat there thinking, should I do something else? I don’t know if I’m good enough for this. I ran second in every major event and what if I never win one of these big races?
“I ask God every night before I start this race, watch over myself and my competitors, keep everybody safe, just help me to drive to the best of my ability. The man upstairs sure did that tonight.”
Before this week, Schuchart had finished second in all three of Sprint Car racing’s traditional Crown Jewels the past four years: the 2021 Williams Grove National Open, 2019 Kings Royal and ’19 Knoxville Nationals.
Last year, he even finished third in the Knoxville Nationals and fourth in the Kings Royal. Case in point, Schuchart’s been too close all these years, ever since he became a World of Outlaws traveler in 2014, to not eventually bust through in a Crown Jewel event. The Eldora Million so happened to be the event where everything fell Schuchart’s fell way.
After coming two markers shy of top points earner Carson Macedo following Wednesday’s prelims, Schuchart toughed out the victory in Thursday’s second heat race. The heat victory, though a sizable one over Rico Abreu, was anything but easy because of a broken power steering pump line. Schuchart’s odds to win the Eldora Million then increased all the more when he drew the pole position for the 50-lap main event.
From there, Schuchart controlled his destiny and never faced a true challenge from someone behind, not even runner-up Macedo or Brad Sweet.
Schuchart’s only real scare of the race happened during a caution period following a crash that wiped out Aaron Reutzel, Kyle Larson, Lachlan McHugh, Giovanni Scelzi and Spencer Bayston.
One of Schuchart’s brake rotors lit up inside the wheel well so brightly Sweet the No. 1S car had caught fire.
“It looked like he kind of flamed up for a second under that caution,” Sweet said. “I thought, ‘Oh that might change the outcome of the race.’ But hats off to them. They showed up and came out and executed.
“Honestly, I think Logan had the best car. I thought he was probably the best car all weekend. I knew of he got in front, he’d be hard to pass.”
Schuchart ended up winning the race by 2.706 seconds, a comfortable margin that was never really in question down the stretch. When Schuchart got to victory lane, his crew, needless to say, joined in on the celebration. No Shark Racing team member was prouder than Allen, though, the 69-year-old whose grandson delivered a victory that no other driver in the history of Sprint Car racing can say they’ve won.
“If this man wasn’t around, I would have never been introduced and got in a race car to begin with,” Schuchart said of Allen. “The amount of love our family has of bond and passion for this sport, I couldn’t ask for a better man to guide me. I got all my family here, this is an amazing moment.
“It’s an awesome race car. We’ve been struggling a little bit at points this year. I’ll admit, this man right here next to me (Allen) when told me about a month ago, ‘I don’t know about the season Im going to have. I don’t feel real confident in what we’re doing.’ He goes, ‘Yeah, well you’re going to win the Million.’ And, man he was right.”
https://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/EldoraMillionWinningCrew.jpg9601200loganhttps://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo.pnglogan2023-07-25 14:51:582023-07-25 14:51:58Logan Schuchart Captures The Eldora Million And All Its Glory
FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME: Schuchart Wins Outlaw Feature at Cedar Lake
Logan Schuchart isn’t afraid to admit the 2024 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car season hasn’t gone to plan.
Schuchart and the Shark Racing crew entered their 11th year with championship aspirations. After a six-win 2023 season, there was reason to hope.
But the first 30 races of the didn’t work out in their favor. Despite showing speed on several nights, the Hanover, PA native had not a win or a podium to show for it. The campaign hit a really low point two weeks ago at Knoxville when Schuchart wound up wrecked with a DNF after battling for a win.
But then it all turned around on Saturday night at Cedar Lake Speedway.
The Hanover, PA native simply refused to lose at the track where he earned his first career win with The Greatest Show on Dirt back in 2016. He started on the pole of the 30-lap finale, held off the season’s two winningest drivers in David Gravel and Sheldon Haudenschild, and took the Shark No. 1S to Victory Lane for the first time in 2024. After suffering through the struggles to start the year, the relief that the victory brought reminded him of that special night eight years ago.
“It almost feels like the very first one just with another eight years in between,” an ecstatic Schuchart said. “This stuff is tough. These guys are so good out here. The smallest things can make or break your night. It feels really good, for sure. It’s been a struggle. It’s been frustrating at times. I can say that I’ve got an amazing team with guys that stick by me and work their butts off no matter the outcome each week and are doing their best job to make us better. Huge thanks to my guys Lonnie Judy, Brendan Collum, Bill Klingbeil, my grandfather.”
The victory ends a 45-race winless streak for Schuchart dating back to September 4, 2023 at Elma, WA’s Grays Harbor Raceway. He’s now at nine consecutive seasons of topping at least one World of Outlaws race. The 42nd win of his career equals him with Andy Hillenburg for 18th on the all-time win list. Cedar Lake also became the 11th track in which he’s won at on multiple occasions.
The box score may show Schuchart led every lap, but it was far from a walk in the park. He lined up on the pole for the 30-lapper with three of the current best in the game – David Gravel, Sheldon Haudenschild, and Carson Macedo – starting in spots two through four. The trio behind him owned a combined 18 wins this year entering the night.
Schuchart darted ahead on the opening start as Haudenschild quickly stole second from Gravel. But the roles were reversed on an early restart with 26 laps to go as Gravel reclaimed second from Haudenschild. The point leader then set his sights on Schuchart and fired a slider attempt that didn’t quite clear him.
Schuchart pulled ahead as the battle for second again warmed up between Gravel and Haudenschild. After a few laps of jockeying that saw Gravel pull a massive wheelie down the entire front straightaway, Haudenschild took the position back. It didn’t take long for Haudenschild to run down Schuchart in traffic, but right as a battle looked to be brewing the red flag flew when Scott Winters flipped in Turn 2 with 12 laps to go.
The green flag brought the action back to life, and Schuchart again stretched his lead as Haudenschild and Gravel resumed their battle. A spinning Christopher Thram brought the yellow out quickly and necessitated a single-file restart.
The clean air on the restart allowed Schuchart to put some significant space between himself and Haudenschild as the race dipped inside 10 laps to go. The driver of the NOS Energy Drink No. 17 began to reel him back in as traffic became more of a factor and pulled within seventh tenths of a second with five laps to go.
But the Shark Racing machine proved to be too strong as Schuchart made some determined moves around lappers and went on to win by more than three seconds.
“I think the No. 2 car (Gravel) is obviously the fastest car out here this year,” Schuchart said. “And the two crew chiefs (Cody Jacobs and Kyle Ripper) are buddies, so I’m sure they’re sharing information. And Sheldon is always gassing it up, and I would expect him to be fast on this type of track. They’re a great group of guys. They’re always going to be fast. When they’re behind you, it’s going to be tough. We just wanted to make sure we got through lapped traffic at the right time.”
SHARK SWEEP: LOGAN SCHUCHART CLAIMS RED RIVER VALLEY WIN TO COMPLETE WEEKEND SWEEP IN NORTH DAKOTA
The Hanover, PA driver puts on a clinic to reach 40 career World of Outlaws wins
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars don’t near the ocean for a few more days. But that didn’t stop a shark from surfacing far inland this weekend in North Dakota.
On Friday Logan Schuchart won in dramatic fashion aboard the Shark Racing #1S at Grand Forks, ND’s River Cities Speedway. Then on Saturday the Hanover, PA native didn’t need a late race pass to find his way to Victory Lane. He simply dominated at West Fargo, ND’s Red River Valley Speedway to complete a weekend sweep in “The Peace Garden State.”
Schuchart led from green to checkered in the non-stop 30-lap Feature to top the Gerdau Presents the Duel in the Dakotas for his first Red River Valley triumph. From the moment they unloaded, Schuchart knew they’d be a force through the night.
“The car felt good right out of the box tonight,’ Schuchart said. “We made some very small, minor changes. The track stayed pretty quick. I thought it was an awesome racing surface. If we started fourth or fifth or sixth in that area, I feel like we still would’ve had a really good shot at winning the race. I just tried to pick my spots. Move when lapped cars were in the way and go to the top if I needed to. I could even run the middle of (Turns) 3 and 4 there at the end. This car was just awesome this weekend.”
The win marked a major milestone for the 30-year-old as he reached 40 career World of Outlaws victories – becoming the 19th driver to reach the feat. The sweep was also Schuchart’s first back-to-back trips to Victory Lane with The Greatest Show on Dirt since 2020. He’s up to five wins in 2023, the fifth straight year he’s hit that number.
Schuchart’s path to the checkered flag was paved in large part with his triumph in the Toyota Racing Dash. That sat the Drydene/Duramax machine on the pole for the NOS Energy Drink Feature. When the green lights flashed, Schuchart immediately showed his muscle by darting ahead on the opening circuit.
While Schuchart pulled away early, the first lap also signaled the beginning of what would be a race-long war for second. It began with David Gravel and James McFadden going wheel-to-wheel before Gravel secured the spot.
Only five laps in to the main event was when Schuchart encountered traffic which would persist throughout the race’s entirety with no yellow flags slowing the pace. While a few slower cars allowed Gravel and the battle for second to close in, Schuchart would always pull back ahead after a lap or two.
In the second half of the race, the jockeying for the runner-up position intensified as Giovanni Scelzi and Buddy Kofoid reeled in Gravel. The trio traded sliders and crossovers on the racy surface as the laps wound down.
Up front, Schuchart cruised with a comfortable advantage and ultimately crossed the finish line with nearly a three second advantage.
“We got out in front, and I just wanted to set a good, clean pace, not push the issue too far and not put myself in bad spots,” Schuchart said. “I tried to just hit my marks, and I thought it would make it pretty tough for someone to run up to us and blow by us. I can’t say enough about our team working so hard.”
ON THE HIGHLIGHT REEL: Logan Schuchart Slips by Haudenschild Late for River Cities Victory
River Cities Speedway is known for delivering thrilling finishes. And the Grand Forks, ND bullring produced yet another one on Friday night.
Sheldon Haudenschild controlled the majority of the 40-lap World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Feature. But a shark fin rose from the water in the final laps as Logan Schuchart closed in. The driver of the Shark Racing #1S snatched the lead coming to two laps to go and drove away from Haudenschild to steal a victory in the Gerdau Presents The 2nd Leg of The Northern Tour.
For Schuchart, who lost in a close finish at River Cities in 2020, the triumph served as a form of redemption.
“Happy we were able to win like that,” Schuchart said. “I watch highlight videos over the winter time. The Outlaws love to show a race here a few years ago where Kyle (Larson) passed us on the last lap, so it feels good to get one kind of like that. Hopefully they add that to their highlight reel.”
Schuchart moved up to four wins this season with The Greatest Show on Dirt. It also put him at 39 for his career as he’s only one away from becoming the 19th driver in Series history to reach 40. Schuchart became the seventh different competitor to own multiple World of Outlaws wins at River Cities as he also topped a 2019 visit.
When the green flag dropped it was Donny Schatz and Sheldon Haudenschild leading the field. An opening lap red flag necessitated a second attempt, and Haudenschild rocketed around the outside to the lead when the race got underway, and Schuchart settled into third behind the lead duo.
During the opening portion of the race the leaders stayed mostly in line as they clicked off the early laps. A restart following a red flag with 26 laps to go gave Schuchart an opportunity at taking a step toward the front, which he took advantage of. As the green lights came back on, Schuchart accelerated perfectly out of Turn 4 and used the momentum to slide Schatz for second. Schatz wasn’t able to counter with a crossover allowing Schuchart to secure the spot.
After taking over runner-up, Schuchart began to stalk the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing #17. As they crossed the halfway mark, Schuchart wasn’t necessarily gaining on Haudenschild, but he also wasn’t letting him escape. Lapped traffic proved to be more problematic for Schuchart as he preferred the bottom groove where the slower cars were while Haudenschild ripped the top around them.
A late pass propelled Logan Schuchart to his second career River Cities victory (Trent Gower Photo)
“I felt like I could run the bottom pretty good,” Schuchart explained. “I was hoping some lapped cars would kind of slow him down, but lots of times when lapped cars aren’t feeling comfortable they go to the bottom side of the racetrack. So, a lot of lapped cars weren’t really getting in his way. They were just kind of letting him run his line.”
As the race dipped inside 10 laps to go, Schuchart suddenly found the speed he needed. The Hanover, PA native stayed committed to the low line and began to close in on the tail tank of the NOS Energy Drink #17. On Lap 36, Schuchart used a big run off of Turn 2 to show Haudenschild a nose and put him in a defensive mode. Haudenschild responded to switching to the bottom, and that was all Schuchart needed.
Schuchart promptly moved to the top and got a big run coming to the finish line with two laps remaining. The Drydene/Duramax machine squeaked around Haudenschild’s outside to lead the 38th circuit. And with the lead secured, Schuchart never looked back on his way to parking in River Cities Speedway Victory Lane for the second time.
“I just tried to run hard laps. I could get close to him, but I could never really make anything happen,” Schuchart said. “When he kind of went to the bottom there the last few laps I just really got a run on him.”
MORGAN CUP MIRACLE: Logan Schuchart Steals Williams Grove Win at the Checkered Flag
by Alex Nieten, World of Outlaws
Mechanicsburg, PA – The race appeared to be over. Brad Sweet had led from the drop of the green flag at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night with a comfortable advantage. But as the white flag waved on the Morgan Cup, the Jaws music began to play.
Logan Schuchart spent the entire race in pursuit. Scratching and clawing his way by lapped cars but unable to keep up with Sweet. And then suddenly, hope arose. Schuchart went from 2.2 seconds behind with three laps to go to 1.2 behind as they began the final lap. Down the back straightaway he charged with a head of steam aboard the Shark Racing #1S. As they exited the final corner, Schuchart used a massive run to dip under Sweet and steal the win by only eight one hundredths of a second.
The Pennsylvania crowd erupted. Fans looked at each other as if seeking confirmation for what they’d witnessed. Surely Schuchart couldn’t have pulled that off. But he did. He erased a more than two second gap in only three laps. Even Schuchart himself could hardly believe it.
“Man, I really didn’t think I had a shot, either,” Schuchart admitted. “I just ran the top the whole race running the same line as Brad. When we did get to some lapped cars there, they were just in both lines. I took way too long to get by them. Brad just got way out there. He was running a consistent race. I knew we felt pretty good, and I felt that our car was going to come in later.
“The closer it got those last couple laps, I think I looked up around Lap 20, and I thought I’d move the wing back and try to move around the racetrack to see if I could find anything. I was able to get by Kasey (Kahne) there and slowly started moving in on Brad and really gained on him the last couple laps there. I knew he was probably going to be conservative and block the bottom… When he moved down, I thought I’m just going to run the top and with my wing trunked I thought I’m going to have to keep the car as loose as possible and try and spring off the exit and try to get down the straightaway good. And that’s what we were able to do.”
Schuchart’s 38th career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car victory was his first at Williams Grove in his 57th attempt at the historic half mile. The Hanover, PA native became the 52nd different driver to win a race with The Greatest Show on Dirt at the tricky oval. The 30-year-old is up to a trio of World of Outlaws triumphs this year plus his Eldora Million victory.
And while he may hail from Pennsylvania, the win in the dual Morgan Cup finale/Champion Racing Oil Summer Nationals opener was one for the Outlaws as the 10-year Series veteran snatched the Cup from the PA Posse and banked $15,000. Regardless of his driving allegiance, Schuchart was full of excitement to stand in Victory Lane in front of the fans who’ve cheered him on from his earliest days.
“This one hits close to my heart,” Schuchart said. “This is really cool to win in front of our PA fans. If you would’ve told me 10 years ago it was going to take me 10 years to win an Outlaw race at one of my home tracks, I would’ve been pretty disappointed. I can’t thank all of the fans enough. Always a bunch of support after the races here no matter if we run 15th or whatever.”
The early portion of the race was controlled by Sweet. After topping the Toyota Racing Dash, he wheeled the Kasey Kahne Racing #49 ahead in the early circuits.
No cautions interrupted the flow of the race, and even when faced by thick traffic as they approached halfway, Sweet didn’t falter. The four-time and reigning champion sliced expertly through slower cars.
What hurt Sweet in the closing laps was a lost wheel cover, causing mud to fill his right-rear wheel and making the car difficult to handle. Sweet’s misfortune was Schuchart’s gain as he closed in and made the thrilling last-second pass.
For Schuchart, the moment served as a testament of the importance of giving your all until the race is over.
“It doesn’t matter what position you’re in. Until that checkered flag falls, you give it 110%,” Schuchart said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s racing, football, any sport, or life in general, you’ve got to give it 110% every chance you get because you never know. I’m just very thankful to do this with my team and get this opportunity night in and night out.”
Logan Schuchart Captures The Eldora Million And All Its Glory
by Kyle McFadden
Rossburg, Ohio – Logan Schuchart personifies the spirit of the Eldora Million. A decade ago, the Hanover, Pa., native and his family team were the prototypical weekly racer, driven by aspirations to one day strike it big on the grandest of stages in Sprint Car racing.
On Thursday at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, the Shark Racing driver arrived on the biggest stage of them all as the winner of the Eldora Million and its coveted $1,002,023 top prize. When Tony Stewart, Eldora Speedway and FloRacing announced the race last December, serving everyman dirt racers like Schuchart trying to make a good living was the overarching reason.
Through the euphoria that overflowed from winning the richest event in Sprint Car racing history came Schuchart’s testimony of just how far he and the family team — owned by his Hall of Fame grandfather, Bobby Allen — have come.
“This team has come such a long way and I know I say it time and time again, but I hope any kid or person in general can know what I’m feeling right now, to win a race like this,” Schuchart said. “If anybody ever tells you you can’t do anything, I know you hear that a lot. There’s lots of nights I sat there thinking, should I do something else? I don’t know if I’m good enough for this. I ran second in every major event and what if I never win one of these big races?
“I ask God every night before I start this race, watch over myself and my competitors, keep everybody safe, just help me to drive to the best of my ability. The man upstairs sure did that tonight.”
Before this week, Schuchart had finished second in all three of Sprint Car racing’s traditional Crown Jewels the past four years: the 2021 Williams Grove National Open, 2019 Kings Royal and ’19 Knoxville Nationals.
Last year, he even finished third in the Knoxville Nationals and fourth in the Kings Royal. Case in point, Schuchart’s been too close all these years, ever since he became a World of Outlaws traveler in 2014, to not eventually bust through in a Crown Jewel event. The Eldora Million so happened to be the event where everything fell Schuchart’s fell way.
After coming two markers shy of top points earner Carson Macedo following Wednesday’s prelims, Schuchart toughed out the victory in Thursday’s second heat race. The heat victory, though a sizable one over Rico Abreu, was anything but easy because of a broken power steering pump line. Schuchart’s odds to win the Eldora Million then increased all the more when he drew the pole position for the 50-lap main event.
From there, Schuchart controlled his destiny and never faced a true challenge from someone behind, not even runner-up Macedo or Brad Sweet.
Schuchart’s only real scare of the race happened during a caution period following a crash that wiped out Aaron Reutzel, Kyle Larson, Lachlan McHugh, Giovanni Scelzi and Spencer Bayston.
One of Schuchart’s brake rotors lit up inside the wheel well so brightly Sweet the No. 1S car had caught fire.
“It looked like he kind of flamed up for a second under that caution,” Sweet said. “I thought, ‘Oh that might change the outcome of the race.’ But hats off to them. They showed up and came out and executed.
“Honestly, I think Logan had the best car. I thought he was probably the best car all weekend. I knew of he got in front, he’d be hard to pass.”
Schuchart ended up winning the race by 2.706 seconds, a comfortable margin that was never really in question down the stretch. When Schuchart got to victory lane, his crew, needless to say, joined in on the celebration. No Shark Racing team member was prouder than Allen, though, the 69-year-old whose grandson delivered a victory that no other driver in the history of Sprint Car racing can say they’ve won.
“If this man wasn’t around, I would have never been introduced and got in a race car to begin with,” Schuchart said of Allen. “The amount of love our family has of bond and passion for this sport, I couldn’t ask for a better man to guide me. I got all my family here, this is an amazing moment.
“It’s an awesome race car. We’ve been struggling a little bit at points this year. I’ll admit, this man right here next to me (Allen) when told me about a month ago, ‘I don’t know about the season Im going to have. I don’t feel real confident in what we’re doing.’ He goes, ‘Yeah, well you’re going to win the Million.’ And, man he was right.”