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.”
https://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Sprint_DCN_Feb9_LoganvPittman_byFrankSmith.jpg7201170loganhttps://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo.pnglogan2020-02-17 14:54:132020-02-17 14:55:36SCHUCHART GRABS GATOR, FIRST WOO WIN IN 2020
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.”
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.”
https://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/StocktonWin_JasonTucker_2019.jpg8701922loganhttps://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo.pnglogan2019-03-28 17:50:132019-03-28 17:54:45Schuchart Looking For A Repeat At Hanford
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).
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.
https://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/LS_Win_Web_SDC_2019.jpg5591043loganhttps://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo.pnglogan2019-01-15 15:09:432019-01-15 15:13:07SCHUCHART CAPS AUSTRALIAN TOUR WITH HISTORIC VICTORY
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.