BLACK HILLS, South Dakota – A weekend double header in Big Sky Country continues what has been the most successful month of the 2018 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series season for Shark Racing’s Logan Schuchart. The 25-year-old driver of the No. 1s Drydene Performance Products/Priority Aviation/Ausherman Properties XXX is seeking to bookend the month with victories as he makes his second career starts at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota Friday and Big Sky Speedway in Billings, Montana Saturday night.
IRON-HOT AUGUST
The summer heat of St. Louis can be almost unbearable. Schuchart opened the month of August still chasing his first 2018 victory on U.S. soil and that didn’t sit well with the fifth-year WoO traveler. After making an appearance with former NASCAR star Ken Schrader at a Sears location for Craftsman in the St. Louis area on August 2, Schuchart looked to be a man on a mission in the annual Ironman 55 doubleheader at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Missouri.
In the opener, what was billed as the Night Before the Ironman and 2017 Ironman 55, Schuchart qualified second in the field of 30 cars and won the second heat race before finishing third in the Sears Craftsman Dash. In the 55-lap main event, Schuchart was in contention throughout the contest that was slowed several times by cautions and red flags. He had a good battle late with his Shark Racing teammate Jacob Allen for the third position, he came home fourth at the finish.
He came back determined to score a better result the following night in the 2018 Ironman 55. He was the first car to make a qualifying lap and posted the fastest lap in the field to pick up his fifth fast qualifier award of the season. After finishing second in the opening heat, he started third in the Sears Craftsman Dash. While Allen battled Donny Schatz for the top position on the opening lap, Schuchart drove past both of them before checking out on the field in the six-lap dash. It was his first pole position of the season and the Hanover, PA native was looking to make it count.
Daryn Pittman started outside Schuchart in the 55-lap main event and took the early lead. Schuchart closed in on the leader as the two reached traffic but a caution slowed the action on lap 13. Two laps later, Schuchart took the top spot and never looked back setting a blistering pace. The final 42 laps went nonstop and Schuchart drove a smart race including finding the rubber late. The win was his first of the season and seventh career WoO A-Feature triumph.
“Man, this is awesome,” said Schuchart in victory lane. “I feel like we have the best team we’ve ever had. This is Drydene Performance’s first Outlaw win and we can’t thank them enough for their support. This is one of the big ones – Ironman 55. It’s tough, it wears you out. It’s awesome to get one of these wins and a big one at that. I had a good car all night. We proved that. At the end, I tried to hold my line as the rubber set in and force someone to go around me. What a great way to head into the Knoxville Nationals.”
KNOXVILLE NATIONALS
The Drydene Performance Products team headed northwest on Sunday full of confidence and plenty of momentum behind them. Schuchart was making his sixth appearance in the sport’s biggest event. He was the third car to make a qualifying lap in the 58th annual 5-hour ENERGY Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway behind former WoO champions Donny Schatz and Daryn Pittman. He posted the fastest two laps of the night and was the only driver to post lap under 15 seconds (14.933).
The challenging format would then place Schuchart eighth in the opening heat. After contact with Pittman at the start, Schuchart dug deep and one by one advanced toward that all important fourth and final transfer position.The track was still narrow and fast, but he had a final lap shot at Roger Crockett for the spot, but couldn’t quite make the pass.
The finish relegated him to the stacked B-main that included five other WoO regulars. He started on the pole and after Schatz took the lead on the start, Schuchart passed the 10-time Knoxville Nationals champion to take the lead. Schatz regained the top spot, but Schuchart would pass him again for the top spot before driving away to score the victory. The emotional high from the win quickly turned to disappointment once Schuchart pulled into to his pit before making a trip to scales, which is mandatory for all transferring cars. He was disqualified and his night was done.
Schuchart owned up to the mistake and was determined to take advantage of the Nationals’ Friday night Hard Knox Night which had four spots remaining for Saturday’s 50-lap A-Main. He was the 30th of 31 cars in the first group to make a qualifying lap and once again he was quick time. He finished second in the opening heat and earned the pole position for the 25-lap A-Main. He led the opening laps before Brian Brown, a six-time Knoxville winner in 2018, took over the top spot. Schuchart stayed in his tracks and regained the lead in traffic and would end up leading 19 laps on his way to his first career Knoxville Raceway victory and earn one of the coveted four spots in Saturday’s A-Main.
“If anyone was going to ask, I know where the scales are now,” said a happy Schuchart in Victory Lane. “My leader of this team (grandfather Bobby Allen who is in the hospital) has taught me its not about how you get knocked down, it’s how you get back up. He’s taught Jacob (Allen) and I since we were young kids if you work hard enough, you can get to where you want to go. He’s the man and a champion. He won this thing in 1990 with little to nothing. He’s my hero, and it’s weird him not being here. It’s the first race my grandpa has not been at since I was about ten years old. I know he’s watching, and he’s proud. He’s got both his cars in the A main tomorrow night.”
In Saturday’s A-Main, Schuchart knew it would be an uphill climb. Earlier in the day, he identified some issues with the engine he used both Wednesday and Friday. He climbed from 17th to 11th in the opening 25 laps and following the pit stop he was looking to continue moving forward. He made his way inside the top-10, but was smoking the final 10 laps. He held on to finish eighth despite having a hole in his oil pan, which looked to be caused by some debris from the track.
“To have the best finish I’ve ever had in the biggest race of the year, we will call that a success,” admitted Schuchart. “After the way the week started, this team just kept working. This is the biggest race of the year and you have to have a lot go your way. We were coming forward, but just didn’t have enough drive out of the corners to get where we wanted to be. We lost a lot of oil late in the race, but a top-10 in the Knoxville Nationals is something we can build on for sure.”
NORTH DAKOTA RETURN
Following his most successful Knoxville Nationals, Schuchart and the Shark Racing team headed north to continue their run with the Outlaws. He returned to North Dakota with high hopes and in search of his first WoO triumph in the Rough Rider state. River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks is one of his favorite stops on the tour and he qualified sixth in the field of 29 cars. In heat three, he three he would battle Rico Abreu for the second position early. He smacked the frontstretch wall with his right rear, but looked like he would survive the miscue until a red flag halted the action halfway through the heat. While waiting for the track to be cleared, his right rear tire lost air because of the damage. He wasn’t able to get the tire replaced in time to return to action. The DNF pushed him into the Last Chance Showdown. Schuchart won the B to transfer into the 40-lap A-Feature. Starting 19th, he knew early on it was going to be a matter of avoiding any trouble. Unfortunately, a crash in front of him on the first lap left him with nowhere to go and he was involved in the crash. Extensive top wing and front axle damage ended his night.
It was a 70-mile trip down Interstate 29 the following night for his second appearance at Red River Valley Speedway in Fargo. A late qualifying draw put him behind early, but on the first lap of the opening heat he moved from seventh to second, but was put back for allegedly starting early. After being put back he charged back up to third, but a broken rod on the final lap spurred his chances to transfer directly into the A. Following an engine change, he came back and won his second consecutive Last Chance Showdown. From the 19th position, Schuchart charged forward 14 positions in the 30-lap A-Feature to earn his fourth KSE Hard Charger Award and 14th top-five finish of the season.
LOOKING FORWARD
The weekend ahead continues Outlaws’ 40th Anniversary Season with stops in their only stops in South Dakota and Montana. Last year, Schuchart was credited with a 23rd-place finish in his debut at Black Hills Speedway and charged from 13th to seventh in his first start at Big Sky.
He is currently tied for sixth in the WoO championship standings with Sheldon Haudenschild and the two trail fifth-place Shane Stewart by 80 markers with 25 nights of racing remaining. If you can’t make it to the track this weekend, watch all the action live on dirtvision.com.
https://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/LS_August_Recap_2018.jpg488900loganhttps://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo.pnglogan2018-08-23 16:06:472018-08-23 16:52:55SCHUCHART LOOKS TO KEEP HEAT ON OUTLAW COMPETITORS
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota – When the checkered flag fell in last Saturday’s Jackson Nationals finale, there was a palpable air of confidence amongst Bobby Allen’s Shark Racing team members. No, Logan Schuchart nor Jacob Allen came out victorious in the $40,000 main event, but both drivers and the crew members that make up the team had a lot to be proud of following a very productive week on the rugged World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Series tour.
They have carried that positive vibe with them this week to Grand Forks, North Dakota as they prepare for the 1st Leg of the Gerdau Recycling Northern Tour with stops first at the always exciting River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks Friday and Nodak Speedway in Minot Sunday.
Schuchart raced the Drydene Performance Products/Priority Aviation/Mike Palumbo Shark Racing No. 1s to a fifth-place finish in Saturday’s 40-lap finale, his second top-five in this year’s events that pay more than $20,000-to-win. Earlier this year he finished fourth in the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas. He was in position to make a run to the front in the Jackson Nationals finale because of his charge in Saturday afternoon’s A-main from 12th to fourth. He narrowly missed a position in Saturday night’s Sears Craftsman Dash when Tim Kaeding edged him in the opening heat. In his charge forward in the A-Feature, he was steadily moving forward until the rubber came in just past halfway. He pulled close to fourth-place running David Gravel several times, but ultimately had to stay in line.
Saturday’s performance came on the heels of a pair of finishes outside the top-10. Tuesday night, Schuchart and Allen were part of a tremendous three-car battle for victory during the Outlaws debut at Fairbury American Legion Speedway in east central Illinois. Schuchart qualified third, won his heat and finished third in the Dash. In the 40-lap A-Main, he followed leader Sheldon Haudenschild and Allen for most of the race before making a late pass of his teammate to take second. With three laps remaining, he made a bid for the lead in turns three and four on the rubber-down surface. By the time he reached turn two his right rear was going flat. A frustrating end to a solid night for the fifth-year Outlaw driver from Hanover, Pennsylvania. In Friday’s Jackson Nationals opener, he started 15th and finished 18th.
“We had a crazy week, but one that ended up on a really good note,” said Schuchart, who currently ranks eighth in the WoO standings. “To battle for a win and then come up with a DNF at the end of the night was frustrating, but I have to give it to this Shark Racing team for continuing to work hard. We were all excited with the news we got Thursday that Drydene Performance Products will be partnering with us for the rest of the year. So excited to represent their brand and work closely with Dave Klinger, Al Johnson and their great sales staff. Things didn’t go well the first night of the Jackson Nationals Friday, but Joe, Benny, Tyler, my pappy and Jacob worked hard, and we have a really good race car right now. I’m really excited to get back on the track this weekend. River Cities is one of my favorite tracks. We’ve run well there in the past, but just haven’t been able to be there at the end. That’s what we are aiming for Friday. And then going to Minot, that’s another place where we’ve had a couple good runs just need to be consistent all night to have a chance.”
Returning to Grand Forks is something Schuhcart looks forward to twice a season. From his first laps around the high-banked, quarter-mile oval during his rookie year in 2014, he’s been hooked. He’s made eight trips to the track and after not qualifying for the main the first night, he’s had some flashes of success with his best result coming in June 2016. That night he sixth, finished second to his teammate in the second heat and won the dash to start on the pole. He led the first 20 laps of the A-Feature and ultimately finished third.
“I love River Cities,” said Schuchart, who currently ranks eighth in the standings. “It’s so much fun to race there. We’ve been fast throughout the night, but just not at the end of 40. That’s our goal tonight. The fans up there are so passionate about their racing. We’ve been ready to get back up here since last year. And coming off a good weekend in Jackson, everyone on his team is chomping at the bit to get back on the track.”
Schuchart will conclude the weekend in the Roughrider state with his fifth trip to the 3/8-mile, dirt track in Minot. His best result came in August 2016 when he qualified fourth, won the second heat and finished third in the dash. He was in contention throughout the race and finished fourth.
https://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/LS_ND_Preview_2018.jpg10101600loganhttps://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo.pnglogan2018-06-15 14:09:202018-06-15 14:09:42SHARK RACING LOOKS TO CONTINUE MOMENTUM IN NODAK
JONESTOWN, PA (June 6, 2018) – Drydene Performance Products, a well-respected automotive, commercial, heavy duty and industrial lubricant brand, announced today it is increasing its partnership with World of Outlaws (WoO) Craftsman Sprint Car Series standout Logan Schuchart and Shark Racing.
After an initial sponsorship run over five recent races, the Drydene partnership with Schuchart and Shark Racing is expanding to include the remaining World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series races through the end of the season. The Shark Racing No. 1s will carry the Drydene Lubricants brand mark in prominent positions on both sideboards of the top wing and the full center section of the top wing.
“These are exciting times for all of us at Drydene Performance Products and partnering with a rising star like Logan Schuchart and his legendary grandfather Bobby Allen adds to it,” said Dave Klinger, President of Drydene Performance Products. “A passion for racing and hard work is something Drydene values, and there is no better example of hard work than Logan and the Shark Racing team. In addition, Sprint car racing is an excellent platform for Drydene and works seamlessly with our recent motorsports initiatives including a primary sponsorship with Will Rogers and Kenny Schrader in the ARCA Series.”
Coming off of their recent announcement of three additional races with Will Rodgers and Ken Schrader Racing in the ARCA series, Drydene’s increased commitment to Schuchart and Shark Racing was a natural progression for the brand.
“I’m excited to continue this partnership with Drydene for the rest of the season,” said Schuchart. “Drydene is an unbelievable brand with a strong heritage, and the company has always followed a customer-first philosophy while providing great service for 125 years. We are looking forward to carrying Drydene with us as we continue to chase success with the World of Outlaws.”
“I’m blown away to say the least, but so happy about this relationship,” Allen said. “I came up to Drydene’s primary market many, many years ago because Sprint car racing in Central Pennsylvania was known as the best place in the world to race. It was certainly true and led to a really successful career for me driving. Now I’m living out a dream of racing with my grandson (Logan) and my son (Jacob Allen) all the across the country. We’ve come a long way and now being able to represent Drydene while racing is beyond words to me. I can’t stop smiling. We’re going to take them for one heckuva ride.”
Drydene Performance Products, originally started in Baltimore, Maryland, is now headquartered in Jonestown, Pennsylvania. Drydene has been a commercial and automotive product staple in the mid-Atlantic region dating back to the 19th century. The brand’s product lineup includes engine, transmission and hydraulic oils, as well as greases, gear lubricants and DEF, along with other Functional Fluids.
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ABOUT LOGAN SCHUCHART
Logan Schuchart, pronounced (SHOE – HART), is in his fifth season of competition with the World of Outlaws (WoO) Craftsman Sprint Car Series driving for Shark Racing. He competed in go-karts and won a number of track championships before moving to 358 Sprint cars in 2009. He won track and series championships in 358s before moving to the 410 division late in 2011. In 2012 and 2013, he collected wins with the All-Star Circuit of Champions and at legendary Central Pennsylvania tracks like Williams Grove, Lincoln and Port Royal. In 2014, he began his career with the World of Outlaws and two years later scored his first career triumph in July 2016. He has six career wins with the Outlaws and also scored two wins in Australia this past winter. More details are available at: www.loganschuchart.com and social media platforms, facebook, www.Facebook.com/LoganSchuchart1s, on twitter @LSchuchart1s, and instagram @loganschuchart.
ABOUT SHARK RACING
Shark Racing is a dream realized of National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member Bobby Allen. The former world champion go-kart racer grew up in Miami, Florida and migrated to Central Pennsylvania in 1967 to race Sprint cars. After concluding his career as driver, which included hundreds of victories most notably the 1990 Knoxville (Iowa) Nationals, “Scruffy” began mentoring his grandson, Logan Schuchart, and son, Jacob Allen, from go-karts into 358 Winged Sprint cars and ultimately into the 410 Winged Sprint car class. In 2014 he took both drivers out on the road to compete with the World of Outlaws. The team is in the midst of their fifth season of competition with the Outlaws and have scored six wins to date. Shark Racing is based out of Hanover, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit https://shark1s.com/.
ABOUT DRYDENE LUBRICANTS
Since 1893, Drydene Lubricants have been made in America and made to last… paving the way into two centuries on our highways, in our fields and on the production line. In the dawn of American industry, Drydene was there as we built our first roads, laid the blocks for our first factories, spanned rivers with new bridges and rail. And we’re still right here today doing what we do best; helping America get the job done. Drydene products are built with ALL Technology™, Advanced Lubricity Life chemistry, to meet and exceed today’s modern automotive, heavy duty and industrial needs.
Drydene offers a complete line of automotive, commercial and industrial lubricants:
Engine oils
Diesel Exhaust Fluid
Transmission fluids
Grease
Hydraulic & Gear Oils
For more information, visit www.drydenelubricants.com or follow us on Facebook: TeamDrydene, Twitter: @TeamDrydene and Instagram: teamdrydene.
https://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/LS_Drydene_Announcement_2018.jpg6031080loganhttps://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo.pnglogan2018-06-08 01:29:542018-06-08 01:29:54DRYDENE PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS EXPANDS ITS SPONSORSHIP OF LOGAN SCHUCHART AND SHARK RACING
The momentum train continued last weekend for Logan Schuchart and the Shark Racing team with a pair of second-place finishes at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio highlighting the weekend.
Schuchart, driver of the Shark Racing Priority Aviation/Ausherman Properties/Mike Palumbo No. 1s, and the Bobby Allen led team have found their groove and entered last weekend’s #LetsRaceTwo World of Outlaws (WoO) Craftsman Sprint Car Series doubleheader with five consecutive top-five finishes. Schuchart was looking to score his first triumph of 2018 and repeat his May 2017 victory at Eldora.
Schuchart and his crew chief Joe Mooney headed into the first of four 2018 trips to the famous high-banked half-mile dirt oval with a plan and they were fast from the start. The Hanover, PA native was third fastest in the field of 37 cars during qualifying and had a tremendous battle with Jac Haudenschild for the top spot in the third heat. A runner-up finish put him in the Sears Craftsman Dash and he drew the seventh starting position. He would finish eighth in the six-lap dash and start the 30-lap A-Feature outside of row four. In the main event, Schuchart battled just inside the top-10 early on before making his charge forward. He raced his way into the top-five on lap 14 and two laps later was chasing leaders Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet. He took second from Sweet on lap 22 and spent the final eight laps trying to track down Schatz. He came 1.041 seconds short of his second career win at Eldora and earned his second runner-up finish of 2018.
With a notebook full of options for the second night at Eldora, Schuchart came out strong making an impressive lap in qualifying going out late and still turning the fifth-fastest lap. He raced past heat one pole sitter David Gravel and drove away to advance to his second fourth consecutive Sears Craftsman Dash before again drawing a last row starting position. He was clearly on a mission in the six-lap race charging from eighth to third in five laps and nearly took second from Parker Price-Miller on the final lap. In the feature, he held the fourth position for the first three laps before passing Aaron Reitzel coming out of turn two on lap four. Next was Price-Miller on lap seven and then it was again onto chasing Schatz down. He pulled almost even a couple of times, but his best chance came late in the race when the leader was mired in lapped traffic. Schuchart pulled even again coming out of turn four and looked to have a chance at the lead, but a caution flag nullified the opportunity. Following the yellow, it was a five-lap race to the finish and Schatz had an open track. Schuchart made five really good laps, but finished 1.536 seconds out of first.
Sunday night at Tri-State Speedway may have been a 17th-place finish that snapped seven consecutive top-10 runs, but it was a finish that didn’t slow down their momentum. Schuchart did a great job making his way into the A-Feature after starting eighth in his heat and bettered his career best finish at the track by five positions.
He continues to hold down the eighth position in the standings through 19 races and will be looking for his first win of the season this week on home soil as the Outlaws return to Central Pennsylvania. Schuchart, a former 358 Lincoln Speedway track champion, will open with the Gettyburg Clash presented by Drydene Performance Products Wednesday near his hometown of Hanover before the Friday and Saturday doubleheader at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA.
Season stats: WoO Races: 19Podium Finishes: 4Top-Fives: 5 Top-10s: 10 Fast-time Awards: 2 KSE Hard Charger Awards: 3 Points/Position: 2314/8th
Up Next:
Wednesday, May 16, 2018 • Lincoln Speedway, New Oxford, PA Schuchart has plenty of laps at the Fabulous Lincoln Speedway earning his first Lincoln win back in 2010 in the 358 division. Later that season, he won the 358 track championship and was named most improved driver. He won a pair of 358 features in 2011 at Lincoln and then in 2013, he won in April and October. He has entered seven WoO races at Lincoln and after not qualifying for the first four A-Features, he has made the last three. His best finish came in 2016 when he finished fifth.
Friday-Saturday, May 18-19, 2018 • Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA Schuchart has entered 32 WoO races at Williams Grove dating back to his debut in the 2011 Williams Grove National Open, when started on the front row with reigning WoO champion Jason Meyers. His first WoO top-10 came during the 2013 Summer Nationals and his podium came in the 2015 National Open. He raced to a fifth-place finish last May in the Morgan Cup finale before charing from 20th to fourth in the National Open.
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Schuchart Posts Three Top-10s, including season-best 2nd at Devils Bowl
MESQUITE, Texas – The start of the 2018 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series campaign hasn’t quite provided the results Logan Schuchart and his Shark Racing team were aiming for, but their best three-race run of the season last weekend in Texas has them feeling positive about the month of May and beyond.
“We had a really good weekend here in Texas,“ Schuchart said. “I have to thank everyone behind this team. Nobody gives up. I feel like we have a really good racecar right now. Friday night was fun racing upfront with Jason (Johnson) and Daryn (Pittman). We kept dialing it in Saturday and I wish we would have started a little bit closer to the front, because we were coming there at the end. It’s consistency that makes the difference out here. We’re all working really hard to get there. Me, Joe (Mooney), my grandpa (Bobby Allen), Jacob (Allen) and Tyler (Garber) are working really well together. As good as my car felt Saturday night at Devils Bowl, I wish we were racing tonight. It’s going to be hard to wait until Friday, but we’re excited about our direction right now.”
The driver of the Shark Racing No. 1s Priority Aviation/Ausherman Properties/Michael Palumbo XXX finished 10th Thursday night at Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, Texas. The race was originally scheduled for February, but was postponed to last Wednesday. Late afternoon rain forced Outlaw officials to push the program to Thursday. He started 13th and advanced to 10th in the 30-lap A-Feature and earned his third KSE Hard Charger Award of the season.
Following the race, the Hanover, Pennsylvania native ventured to historic Devils Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas for the two-night Texas Outlaw Nationals. Things got off to a good start with Schuchart qualifying sixth Friday night and earning a front row starting spot of heat three. After winning the heat, he transferred to the Craftsman Club Dash and finished second and would share the front row for the 25-lap A-Feature with Daryn Pittman. Pittman took the lead at the start while Schuchart battled Jason Johnson for the second position. Johnson was able to get the spot early, but Schuchart used a mid-race restart to his advantage and regained second. He closed on Pittman late, but wasn’t able to make a move for the lead before the finish and came home second.
Following his best result of the season, Schuchart returned for the $20,000-to-win Texas Outlaw Nationals finale Saturday. He qualified 12th and finished fourth in heat three to transfer into the 30-lap A-Feature. He was on the move in the main event climbing from his sixth row starting spot into the top-10 quickly. He continued his run to the front throughout the main event taking fourth from Johnson during the late stages and was rapidly closing on third-place Shane Stewart before running out of time. He was credited with a fourth-place finish to cap the best weekend of the season so far.
Season stats:
WoO Races: 14Podium Finishes: 2Top-Fives: 3 Top-10s: 6 Fast-time Awards: 2 KSE Hard Charger Awards: 3
Points/Position: 1754/8th
Up Next:
Friday, May 4, 2018 • Lake Ozark Speedway, Eldon, MO The Outlaws have not competed at the track since 2007 before Schuchart ever wheeled a Sprint car. He will be making his debut at the 1/3-mile dirt oval in central Missouri.
Salina Highbanks Saturday, May 5, 2018 • Salina (Okla.) Highbanks
Schuchart has made an appearance at the Salina Highbanks in each of his first four full seasons on the Outlaw tour. He finished 22nd during his rookie season before racing from 18th to ninth to earn the KSE Hard Charger Award in the spring of 2015. In October 2016, he started sixth and was moving forward before losing an engine and finishing 22nd. Last fall, he was the fourth fastest qualifier and finished seventh in the A-Feature.
SCHUCHART LOOKS TO KEEP HEAT ON OUTLAW COMPETITORS
BLACK HILLS, South Dakota – A weekend double header in Big Sky Country continues what has been the most successful month of the 2018 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series season for Shark Racing’s Logan Schuchart. The 25-year-old driver of the No. 1s Drydene Performance Products/Priority Aviation/Ausherman Properties XXX is seeking to bookend the month with victories as he makes his second career starts at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota Friday and Big Sky Speedway in Billings, Montana Saturday night.
IRON-HOT AUGUST
The summer heat of St. Louis can be almost unbearable. Schuchart opened the month of August still chasing his first 2018 victory on U.S. soil and that didn’t sit well with the fifth-year WoO traveler. After making an appearance with former NASCAR star Ken Schrader at a Sears location for Craftsman in the St. Louis area on August 2, Schuchart looked to be a man on a mission in the annual Ironman 55 doubleheader at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Missouri.
In the opener, what was billed as the Night Before the Ironman and 2017 Ironman 55, Schuchart qualified second in the field of 30 cars and won the second heat race before finishing third in the Sears Craftsman Dash. In the 55-lap main event, Schuchart was in contention throughout the contest that was slowed several times by cautions and red flags. He had a good battle late with his Shark Racing teammate Jacob Allen for the third position, he came home fourth at the finish.
He came back determined to score a better result the following night in the 2018 Ironman 55. He was the first car to make a qualifying lap and posted the fastest lap in the field to pick up his fifth fast qualifier award of the season. After finishing second in the opening heat, he started third in the Sears Craftsman Dash. While Allen battled Donny Schatz for the top position on the opening lap, Schuchart drove past both of them before checking out on the field in the six-lap dash. It was his first pole position of the season and the Hanover, PA native was looking to make it count.
Daryn Pittman started outside Schuchart in the 55-lap main event and took the early lead. Schuchart closed in on the leader as the two reached traffic but a caution slowed the action on lap 13. Two laps later, Schuchart took the top spot and never looked back setting a blistering pace. The final 42 laps went nonstop and Schuchart drove a smart race including finding the rubber late. The win was his first of the season and seventh career WoO A-Feature triumph.
“Man, this is awesome,” said Schuchart in victory lane. “I feel like we have the best team we’ve ever had. This is Drydene Performance’s first Outlaw win and we can’t thank them enough for their support. This is one of the big ones – Ironman 55. It’s tough, it wears you out. It’s awesome to get one of these wins and a big one at that. I had a good car all night. We proved that. At the end, I tried to hold my line as the rubber set in and force someone to go around me. What a great way to head into the Knoxville Nationals.”
KNOXVILLE NATIONALS
The Drydene Performance Products team headed northwest on Sunday full of confidence and plenty of momentum behind them. Schuchart was making his sixth appearance in the sport’s biggest event. He was the third car to make a qualifying lap in the 58th annual 5-hour ENERGY Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway behind former WoO champions Donny Schatz and Daryn Pittman. He posted the fastest two laps of the night and was the only driver to post lap under 15 seconds (14.933).
The challenging format would then place Schuchart eighth in the opening heat. After contact with Pittman at the start, Schuchart dug deep and one by one advanced toward that all important fourth and final transfer position. The track was still narrow and fast, but he had a final lap shot at Roger Crockett for the spot, but couldn’t quite make the pass.
The finish relegated him to the stacked B-main that included five other WoO regulars. He started on the pole and after Schatz took the lead on the start, Schuchart passed the 10-time Knoxville Nationals champion to take the lead. Schatz regained the top spot, but Schuchart would pass him again for the top spot before driving away to score the victory. The emotional high from the win quickly turned to disappointment once Schuchart pulled into to his pit before making a trip to scales, which is mandatory for all transferring cars. He was disqualified and his night was done.
“If anyone was going to ask, I know where the scales are now,” said a happy Schuchart in Victory Lane. “My leader of this team (grandfather Bobby Allen who is in the hospital) has taught me its not about how you get knocked down, it’s how you get back up. He’s taught Jacob (Allen) and I since we were young kids if you work hard enough, you can get to where you want to go. He’s the man and a champion. He won this thing in 1990 with little to nothing. He’s my hero, and it’s weird him not being here. It’s the first race my grandpa has not been at since I was about ten years old. I know he’s watching, and he’s proud. He’s got both his cars in the A main tomorrow night.”
In Saturday’s A-Main, Schuchart knew it would be an uphill climb. Earlier in the day, he identified some issues with the engine he used both Wednesday and Friday. He climbed from 17th to 11th in the opening 25 laps and following the pit stop he was looking to continue moving forward. He made his way inside the top-10, but was smoking the final 10 laps. He held on to finish eighth despite having a hole in his oil pan, which looked to be caused by some debris from the track.
“To have the best finish I’ve ever had in the biggest race of the year, we will call that a success,” admitted Schuchart. “After the way the week started, this team just kept working. This is the biggest race of the year and you have to have a lot go your way. We were coming forward, but just didn’t have enough drive out of the corners to get where we wanted to be. We lost a lot of oil late in the race, but a top-10 in the Knoxville Nationals is something we can build on for sure.”
NORTH DAKOTA RETURN
Following his most successful Knoxville Nationals, Schuchart and the Shark Racing team headed north to continue their run with the Outlaws. He returned to North Dakota with high hopes and in search of his first WoO triumph in the Rough Rider state. River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks is one of his favorite stops on the tour and he qualified sixth in the field of 29 cars. In heat three, he three he would battle Rico Abreu for the second position early. He smacked the frontstretch wall with his right rear, but looked like he would survive the miscue until a red flag halted the action halfway through the heat. While waiting for the track to be cleared, his right rear tire lost air because of the damage. He wasn’t able to get the tire replaced in time to return to action. The DNF pushed him into the Last Chance Showdown. Schuchart won the B to transfer into the 40-lap A-Feature. Starting 19th, he knew early on it was going to be a matter of avoiding any trouble. Unfortunately, a crash in front of him on the first lap left him with nowhere to go and he was involved in the crash. Extensive top wing and front axle damage ended his night.
LOOKING FORWARD
The weekend ahead continues Outlaws’ 40th Anniversary Season with stops in their only stops in South Dakota and Montana. Last year, Schuchart was credited with a 23rd-place finish in his debut at Black Hills Speedway and charged from 13th to seventh in his first start at Big Sky.
He is currently tied for sixth in the WoO championship standings with Sheldon Haudenschild and the two trail fifth-place Shane Stewart by 80 markers with 25 nights of racing remaining. If you can’t make it to the track this weekend, watch all the action live on dirtvision.com.
SEASON STATS
Races: 50
Wins: 2
Podium Finishes: 7
Top-Fives: 14
Top-10s: 26
Fast-time Awards: 7
KSE Hard Chargers: 4
Points/Position: 6th/6104
Photos courtesy of DB3 Imaging (Ironman & Fargo), Paul Arch (Knoxville).
SHARK RACING LOOKS TO CONTINUE MOMENTUM IN NODAK
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota – When the checkered flag fell in last Saturday’s Jackson Nationals finale, there was a palpable air of confidence amongst Bobby Allen’s Shark Racing team members. No, Logan Schuchart nor Jacob Allen came out victorious in the $40,000 main event, but both drivers and the crew members that make up the team had a lot to be proud of following a very productive week on the rugged World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Series tour.
They have carried that positive vibe with them this week to Grand Forks, North Dakota as they prepare for the 1st Leg of the Gerdau Recycling Northern Tour with stops first at the always exciting River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks Friday and Nodak Speedway in Minot Sunday.
Schuchart raced the Drydene Performance Products/Priority Aviation/Mike Palumbo Shark Racing No. 1s to a fifth-place finish in Saturday’s 40-lap finale, his second top-five in this year’s events that pay more than $20,000-to-win. Earlier this year he finished fourth in the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas. He was in position to make a run to the front in the Jackson Nationals finale because of his charge in Saturday afternoon’s A-main from 12th to fourth. He narrowly missed a position in Saturday night’s Sears Craftsman Dash when Tim Kaeding edged him in the opening heat. In his charge forward in the A-Feature, he was steadily moving forward until the rubber came in just past halfway. He pulled close to fourth-place running David Gravel several times, but ultimately had to stay in line.
Saturday’s performance came on the heels of a pair of finishes outside the top-10. Tuesday night, Schuchart and Allen were part of a tremendous three-car battle for victory during the Outlaws debut at Fairbury American Legion Speedway in east central Illinois. Schuchart qualified third, won his heat and finished third in the Dash. In the 40-lap A-Main, he followed leader Sheldon Haudenschild and Allen for most of the race before making a late pass of his teammate to take second. With three laps remaining, he made a bid for the lead in turns three and four on the rubber-down surface. By the time he reached turn two his right rear was going flat. A frustrating end to a solid night for the fifth-year Outlaw driver from Hanover, Pennsylvania. In Friday’s Jackson Nationals opener, he started 15th and finished 18th.
“We had a crazy week, but one that ended up on a really good note,” said Schuchart, who currently ranks eighth in the WoO standings. “To battle for a win and then come up with a DNF at the end of the night was frustrating, but I have to give it to this Shark Racing team for continuing to work hard. We were all excited with the news we got Thursday that Drydene Performance Products will be partnering with us for the rest of the year. So excited to represent their brand and work closely with Dave Klinger, Al Johnson and their great sales staff. Things didn’t go well the first night of the Jackson Nationals Friday, but Joe, Benny, Tyler, my pappy and Jacob worked hard, and we have a really good race car right now. I’m really excited to get back on the track this weekend. River Cities is one of my favorite tracks. We’ve run well there in the past, but just haven’t been able to be there at the end. That’s what we are aiming for Friday. And then going to Minot, that’s another place where we’ve had a couple good runs just need to be consistent all night to have a chance.”
Returning to Grand Forks is something Schuhcart looks forward to twice a season. From his first laps around the high-banked, quarter-mile oval during his rookie year in 2014, he’s been hooked. He’s made eight trips to the track and after not qualifying for the main the first night, he’s had some flashes of success with his best result coming in June 2016. That night he sixth, finished second to his teammate in the second heat and won the dash to start on the pole. He led the first 20 laps of the A-Feature and ultimately finished third.
“I love River Cities,” said Schuchart, who currently ranks eighth in the standings. “It’s so much fun to race there. We’ve been fast throughout the night, but just not at the end of 40. That’s our goal tonight. The fans up there are so passionate about their racing. We’ve been ready to get back up here since last year. And coming off a good weekend in Jackson, everyone on his team is chomping at the bit to get back on the track.”
Schuchart will conclude the weekend in the Roughrider state with his fifth trip to the 3/8-mile, dirt track in Minot. His best result came in August 2016 when he qualified fourth, won the second heat and finished third in the dash. He was in contention throughout the race and finished fourth.
Season stats:
WoO Races: 27 Podium Finishes: 5 Top-Fives: 8 Top-10s: 14
Fast-time Awards: 4
KSE Hard Charger Awards: 3
Points/Position: 3464/8th
DRYDENE PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS EXPANDS ITS SPONSORSHIP OF LOGAN SCHUCHART AND SHARK RACING
JONESTOWN, PA (June 6, 2018) – Drydene Performance Products, a well-respected automotive, commercial, heavy duty and industrial lubricant brand, announced today it is increasing its partnership with World of Outlaws (WoO) Craftsman Sprint Car Series standout Logan Schuchart and Shark Racing.
After an initial sponsorship run over five recent races, the Drydene partnership with Schuchart and Shark Racing is expanding to include the remaining World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series races through the end of the season. The Shark Racing No. 1s will carry the Drydene Lubricants brand mark in prominent positions on both sideboards of the top wing and the full center section of the top wing.
Coming off of their recent announcement of three additional races with Will Rodgers and Ken Schrader Racing in the ARCA series, Drydene’s increased commitment to Schuchart and Shark Racing was a natural progression for the brand.
“I’m excited to continue this partnership with Drydene for the rest of the season,” said Schuchart. “Drydene is an unbelievable brand with a strong heritage, and the company has always followed a customer-first philosophy while providing great service for 125 years. We are looking forward to carrying Drydene with us as we continue to chase success with the World of Outlaws.”
“I’m blown away to say the least, but so happy about this relationship,” Allen said. “I came up to Drydene’s primary market many, many years ago because Sprint car racing in Central Pennsylvania was known as the best place in the world to race. It was certainly true and led to a really successful career for me driving. Now I’m living out a dream of racing with my grandson (Logan) and my son (Jacob Allen) all the across the country. We’ve come a long way and now being able to represent Drydene while racing is beyond words to me. I can’t stop smiling. We’re going to take them for one heckuva ride.”
Drydene Performance Products, originally started in Baltimore, Maryland, is now headquartered in Jonestown, Pennsylvania. Drydene has been a commercial and automotive product staple in the mid-Atlantic region dating back to the 19th century. The brand’s product lineup includes engine, transmission and hydraulic oils, as well as greases, gear lubricants and DEF, along with other Functional Fluids.
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ABOUT LOGAN SCHUCHART
Logan Schuchart, pronounced (SHOE – HART), is in his fifth season of competition with the World of Outlaws (WoO) Craftsman Sprint Car Series driving for Shark Racing. He competed in go-karts and won a number of track championships before moving to 358 Sprint cars in 2009. He won track and series championships in 358s before moving to the 410 division late in 2011. In 2012 and 2013, he collected wins with the All-Star Circuit of Champions and at legendary Central Pennsylvania tracks like Williams Grove, Lincoln and Port Royal. In 2014, he began his career with the World of Outlaws and two years later scored his first career triumph in July 2016. He has six career wins with the Outlaws and also scored two wins in Australia this past winter. More details are available at: www.loganschuchart.com and social media platforms, facebook, www.Facebook.com/LoganSchuchart1s, on twitter @LSchuchart1s, and instagram @loganschuchart.
ABOUT SHARK RACING
Shark Racing is a dream realized of National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member Bobby Allen. The former world champion go-kart racer grew up in Miami, Florida and migrated to Central Pennsylvania in 1967 to race Sprint cars. After concluding his career as driver, which included hundreds of victories most notably the 1990 Knoxville (Iowa) Nationals, “Scruffy” began mentoring his grandson, Logan Schuchart, and son, Jacob Allen, from go-karts into 358 Winged Sprint cars and ultimately into the 410 Winged Sprint car class. In 2014 he took both drivers out on the road to compete with the World of Outlaws. The team is in the midst of their fifth season of competition with the Outlaws and have scored six wins to date. Shark Racing is based out of Hanover, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit https://shark1s.com/.
ABOUT DRYDENE LUBRICANTS
Since 1893, Drydene Lubricants have been made in America and made to last… paving the way into two centuries on our highways, in our fields and on the production line. In the dawn of American industry, Drydene was there as we built our first roads, laid the blocks for our first factories, spanned rivers with new bridges and rail. And we’re still right here today doing what we do best; helping America get the job done. Drydene products are built with ALL Technology™, Advanced Lubricity Life chemistry, to meet and exceed today’s modern automotive, heavy duty and industrial needs.
Drydene offers a complete line of automotive, commercial and industrial lubricants:
For more information, visit www.drydenelubricants.com or follow us on Facebook: TeamDrydene, Twitter: @TeamDrydene and Instagram: teamdrydene.
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A PAIR OF SECOND’S AT BIG HIGHLIGHT WEEKEND
The momentum train continued last weekend for Logan Schuchart and the Shark Racing team with a pair of second-place finishes at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio highlighting the weekend.
Schuchart, driver of the Shark Racing Priority Aviation/Ausherman Properties/Mike Palumbo No. 1s, and the Bobby Allen led team have found their groove and entered last weekend’s #LetsRaceTwo World of Outlaws (WoO) Craftsman Sprint Car Series doubleheader with five consecutive top-five finishes. Schuchart was looking to score his first triumph of 2018 and repeat his May 2017 victory at Eldora.
Schuchart and his crew chief Joe Mooney headed into the first of four 2018 trips to the famous high-banked half-mile dirt oval with a plan and they were fast from the start. The Hanover, PA native was third fastest in the field of 37 cars during qualifying and had a tremendous battle with Jac Haudenschild for the top spot in the third heat. A runner-up finish put him in the Sears Craftsman Dash and he drew the seventh starting position. He would finish eighth in the six-lap dash and start the 30-lap A-Feature outside of row four. In the main event, Schuchart battled just inside the top-10 early on before making his charge forward. He raced his way into the top-five on lap 14 and two laps later was chasing leaders Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet. He took second from Sweet on lap 22 and spent the final eight laps trying to track down Schatz. He came 1.041 seconds short of his second career win at Eldora and earned his second runner-up finish of 2018.
With a notebook full of options for the second night at Eldora, Schuchart came out strong making an impressive lap in qualifying going out late and still turning the fifth-fastest lap. He raced past heat one pole sitter David Gravel and drove away to advance to his second fourth consecutive Sears Craftsman Dash before again drawing a last row starting position. He was clearly on a mission in the six-lap race charging from eighth to third in five laps and nearly took second from Parker Price-Miller on the final lap. In the feature, he held the fourth position for the first three laps before passing Aaron Reitzel coming out of turn two on lap four. Next was Price-Miller on lap seven and then it was again onto chasing Schatz down. He pulled almost even a couple of times, but his best chance came late in the race when the leader was mired in lapped traffic. Schuchart pulled even again coming out of turn four and looked to have a chance at the lead, but a caution flag nullified the opportunity. Following the yellow, it was a five-lap race to the finish and Schatz had an open track. Schuchart made five really good laps, but finished 1.536 seconds out of first.
Sunday night at Tri-State Speedway may have been a 17th-place finish that snapped seven consecutive top-10 runs, but it was a finish that didn’t slow down their momentum. Schuchart did a great job making his way into the A-Feature after starting eighth in his heat and bettered his career best finish at the track by five positions.
He continues to hold down the eighth position in the standings through 19 races and will be looking for his first win of the season this week on home soil as the Outlaws return to Central Pennsylvania. Schuchart, a former 358 Lincoln Speedway track champion, will open with the Gettyburg Clash presented by Drydene Performance Products Wednesday near his hometown of Hanover before the Friday and Saturday doubleheader at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA.
Season stats:
WoO Races: 19 Podium Finishes: 4 Top-Fives: 5 Top-10s: 10
Fast-time Awards: 2
KSE Hard Charger Awards: 3
Points/Position: 2314/8th
Up Next:
Wednesday, May 16, 2018 • Lincoln Speedway, New Oxford, PA
Schuchart has plenty of laps at the Fabulous Lincoln Speedway earning his first Lincoln win back in 2010 in the 358 division. Later that season, he won the 358 track championship and was named most improved driver. He won a pair of 358 features in 2011 at Lincoln and then in 2013, he won in April and October. He has entered seven WoO races at Lincoln and after not qualifying for the first four A-Features, he has made the last three. His best finish came in 2016 when he finished fifth.
Friday-Saturday, May 18-19, 2018 • Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
Schuchart has entered 32 WoO races at Williams Grove dating back to his debut in the 2011 Williams Grove National Open, when started on the front row with reigning WoO champion Jason Meyers. His first WoO top-10 came during the 2013 Summer Nationals and his podium came in the 2015 National Open. He raced to a fifth-place finish last May in the Morgan Cup finale before charing from 20th to fourth in the National Open.
Texas-Sized Weekend
Schuchart Posts Three Top-10s, including season-best 2nd at Devils Bowl
MESQUITE, Texas – The start of the 2018 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series campaign hasn’t quite provided the results Logan Schuchart and his Shark Racing team were aiming for, but their best three-race run of the season last weekend in Texas has them feeling positive about the month of May and beyond.
“We had a really good weekend here in Texas,“ Schuchart said. “I have to thank everyone behind this team. Nobody gives up. I feel like we have a really good racecar right now. Friday night was fun racing upfront with Jason (Johnson) and Daryn (Pittman). We kept dialing it in Saturday and I wish we would have started a little bit closer to the front, because we were coming there at the end. It’s consistency that makes the difference out here. We’re all working really hard to get there. Me, Joe (Mooney), my grandpa (Bobby Allen), Jacob (Allen) and Tyler (Garber) are working really well together. As good as my car felt Saturday night at Devils Bowl, I wish we were racing tonight. It’s going to be hard to wait until Friday, but we’re excited about our direction right now.”
The driver of the Shark Racing No. 1s Priority Aviation/Ausherman Properties/Michael Palumbo XXX finished 10th Thursday night at Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, Texas. The race was originally scheduled for February, but was postponed to last Wednesday. Late afternoon rain forced Outlaw officials to push the program to Thursday. He started 13th and advanced to 10th in the 30-lap A-Feature and earned his third KSE Hard Charger Award of the season.
Following the race, the Hanover, Pennsylvania native ventured to historic Devils Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas for the two-night Texas Outlaw Nationals. Things got off to a good start with Schuchart qualifying sixth Friday night and earning a front row starting spot of heat three. After winning the heat, he transferred to the Craftsman Club Dash and finished second and would share the front row for the 25-lap A-Feature with Daryn Pittman. Pittman took the lead at the start while Schuchart battled Jason Johnson for the second position. Johnson was able to get the spot early, but Schuchart used a mid-race restart to his advantage and regained second. He closed on Pittman late, but wasn’t able to make a move for the lead before the finish and came home second.
Following his best result of the season, Schuchart returned for the $20,000-to-win Texas Outlaw Nationals finale Saturday. He qualified 12th and finished fourth in heat three to transfer into the 30-lap A-Feature. He was on the move in the main event climbing from his sixth row starting spot into the top-10 quickly. He continued his run to the front throughout the main event taking fourth from Johnson during the late stages and was rapidly closing on third-place Shane Stewart before running out of time. He was credited with a fourth-place finish to cap the best weekend of the season so far.
Season stats:
WoO Races: 14 Podium Finishes: 2 Top-Fives: 3 Top-10s: 6
Fast-time Awards: 2
KSE Hard Charger Awards: 3
Points/Position: 1754/8th
Up Next:
Friday, May 4, 2018 • Lake Ozark Speedway, Eldon, MO
The Outlaws have not competed at the track since 2007 before Schuchart ever wheeled a Sprint car. He will be making his debut at the 1/3-mile dirt oval in central Missouri.
Salina Highbanks
Saturday, May 5, 2018 • Salina (Okla.) Highbanks
Schuchart has made an appearance at the Salina Highbanks in each of his first four full seasons on the Outlaw tour. He finished 22nd during his rookie season before racing from 18th to ninth to earn the KSE Hard Charger Award in the spring of 2015. In October 2016, he started sixth and was moving forward before losing an engine and finishing 22nd. Last fall, he was the fourth fastest qualifier and finished seventh in the A-Feature.