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.
https://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Eldora_Recap_Image.jpg10251500loganhttps://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo.pnglogan2018-05-15 19:57:392018-05-15 19:59:51A PAIR OF SECOND’S AT BIG HIGHLIGHT 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: 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.
CALIFORNIA, Missouri (April 12, 2018) – After spending the better part of three weeks without logging a lot of miles, Logan Schuchart spent the last five days charging on behind the wheel.
It started with his thrilling run from 16th to third in Saturday night’s World of Outlaws (WoO) Craftsman Sprint Car Series 30-lap A-Feature at Arizona Speedway on the outskirts of Phoenix. The 25-year-old Shark Racing driver’s talents were on full display in front of capacity crowd as he wheeled the No. 1s Priority Aviation/Ausherman Properties XXX machine to his first podium finish of the 2018 WoO campaign.
“I’m really proud of the way things ended up in Arizona,” said Schuchart. “It’s the result of having a hard working crew. Joe (Mooney) just kept trying things and the car just kept getting better. We rolled around pretty good in qualifying, but we were just on top of the track and spinning and couldn’t carry any speed. The heat race we were better, but just didn’t have enough laps to get farther than sixth. I actually wasn’t sure how the feature was going to go for a while. I was back in like 17th trying to get by Greg Wilson, who was on the bottom, and Brent Marks, who was on the top. I think that restart on lap 17 was the key. I was able to hit the bottom and just started going forward from there. Getting the KSE Hard Charger was nice and finishing on the podium was a good ending, but we want to be winning races. You have to start closer to the front when you are racing with these guys if you want to win. Like I said last week, you have to put a complete night together. That’s our goal for this weekend.”
His charge forward Saturday night was just beginning of his time in the drivers seat. He spent the next two and half days making the 1,390-mile trek from Phoenix, Arizona to California, Missouri. Once they arrived at the Clyde Knipp Racing shop late Tuesday afternoon, Schuchart and his National Sprint Car Hall of Fame grandfather, Bobby Allen, stretched their legs for a few minutes and jumped back in Logan’s motorhome and made the four-hour trip north to the Sprint Car Capital of the World, Knoxville, Iowa, for Wednesday’s Bryan Clauson Tower Ribbon Cutting event at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.
“It’s really remarkable what they accomplished in only 10 months,” said Schuchart. “To be there and see the building and more importantly all the people that made it possible like Richard (Marshall) and Jennifer (Marshall), and Bob Baker with the Hall of Fame. It was awesome. Pretty moving to hear everyone talk about Bryan today. Especially Tim Clauson. Huge inspiration. I’m really lucky to be surrounded by people with this kind of passion for our sport. It was really a memorable experience.”
Schuchart and his “Pappy” traveled back to Missouri late Wednesday night and spent today preparing for a weekend doubleheader Friday and Saturday as the Outlaws make their 2018 Midwest debut Friday night at Jacksonville (Ill.) Speedway and Saturday evening at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana.
Schuchart has made two previous appearances at Jacksonville, one of the smallest dirt ovals on the schedule. Not quite as small as say, Hunterstown Speedway where he cut his teeth racing go-karts and made some early laps in a Sprint car, but it’s close.
“I like Jacksonville,” admitted Schuchart, who finished 13th in 2014 and ninth in 2016 at the quarter-mile, high-banked dirt oval. “It’s a little bullring and that’s kind of a lot of what we are going to see in the next few weeks. I’m not quite sure why we went backwards in the feature two years ago (he started sixth). I remember feeling good in qualifying and seemed like we were pretty good all night. (He was the fastest qualifier and finished second in the opening heat). We gave ourselves a chance that night. Hopefully, we’ll be able to put a complete night together Friday and be a position to stay up there.”
Following Friday’s stop in west central Illinois, it’s back down the highway towards southwest Indiana for Saturday’s annual visit at Tri-State. Schuchart has been consistent in each of his four treks to the high-banked, dirt oval. He’s finished 22nd in all four starts. Something he’d like to improve on Saturday night.
“We have been consistent for sure (laughs), consistently bad,” continued Schuchart. “It hasn’t been one of my better tracks out here on the road, but we’re looking forward to changing that this year. We have changed things around on the car every time we have been there and still haven’t quite figured it out, but we aren’t giving up on it. We’re going to continue to working on it and keep fighting for it. Hopefully, we’re going to also be able to change the stats for the better this year.”
The learning curve has been steep at Tri-State during his first four years with the Outlaws and he’s hoping maybe even some of his international experience in Australia at Archerfield Speedway in Brisbane last December may help change his fortune Saturday.
“I think Haubstadt and Archerfield are similar in size and shape,” said Schuchart. “Haubstadt has a little more banking, but we are hoping we learned some things over there this year. Seeing how the fast guys make their cars go around Haubstadt. The big thing there is being able to get the cars to squat back and pick the front ends up and drive down the straightaway real hard, which is something we haven’t been able to do there in the past. Instead, we just feel like we’re riding around there. Hopefully we have that figured out and we’re able to get some traction and pull some wheelies. If we can do that, moving forward may be in the cards for us.”
Season Stats
After winning twice at Archerfield, Schuchart embarked on his fifth season with the Outlaws in February. He opened the campaign by setting fast time at Volusia. It was the first of two fast time awards he has scored this season.
April 7, 2018 – With the calendar turning to April, the first quarter of the 2018 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series is the books and the results weren’t what Shark Racing’s Logan Schuchart was aiming for. The good news is that the second quarter starts tonight and the six-time Outlaw winner is ready to push ahead in his fifth campaign with the top national Sprint car racing circuit.
The 25-year-old driver of the Shark Racing No. 1s Priority Aviation/Ausherman Properties XXX machine took a few minutes to talk about his first eight weeks of racing on U.S. soil.
LS.com: You started your fifth season with the World of Outlaws by setting fast-time at Volusia in the season opener. Unfortunately, your speed early in the night didn’t result in finishes near the the front. How tough is it to get your car not only fast early in the night, which you have to with the Outlaws format, but also fast at the end of the night when the race is on the line?
Logan: “That’s the key racing with the Outlaws. Being able to be good all night. The biggest thing we have to address about our early season is being strong all night. You can’t be falling out of races or having mechanical troubles. It felt great to start the year with the first fast time, but that feeling didn’t last long. A few times we started the night out good and had something slow us down in the feature. We had some bleeder issues in Volusia and that gave us trouble in the first two feature races. And in Las Vegas, I was running in fifth or sixth before I knocked the front end out. We’ve had some chances, but didn’t capitalize on them. Overall, we need to put some full nights together. We have a fast car. You have to qualify well and get through your heat, but you also have to continue getting better in the dash and feature.”
LS.com: You talked a little about Las Vegas. You were in the top-10 the first night before losing a front end during the feature, but you bounced back the second night with one of your patented charges from the back to the front where you had your best finish of the season to date. It had to feel good drive forward in a Feature event?:
Logan: “It always feels to good to pass cars no matter where you are at or where you are starting. That second night in Las Vegas we came from 22nd to eighth, and I was catching the cars in front of us at a pretty good rate and felt like I was much faster than they were. If we were better at the beginning of the night, we could have had a lot better finish. It just goes back to putting a whole night together. That’s the key.”
LS.com: Mother Nature has been a problem this year with six races being affected, four of them canceled and two rescheduled. How tough is it to get yourself and team in a rhythm when you constantly are having shows either canceled or postponed?
Logan: “It’s definitely a lot of sitting around. I don’t think we have sat around this long and not raced. Definitely have a lot of time to think about what you can do with the cars to make it fast, but not a whole of time to try it out and see if you know what you are doing. You just have to be patient. Everyone is in the same position. We did have a lot fun spending time with family over the Easter break. My aunt Robin and her husband Jeff took us around to see some sights and relax. My grandpa and I got to check out LA and that was a blast, but we definitely are ready to be racing as much as we can.”
LS.com: The final two nights of action in California included your second fast time of the season in Stockton and your second top-10 finish at Bakersfield. Stockton had a frustrating end, but you were able to score a top-10 to close the California swing at Bakersfield. Talk about this year’s early-season California run.
Logan: “Racing three nights instead of six or seven really wasn’t what we had in mind. I feel like we were putting a complete night together at Stockton with our setups and the calls that we made with the car as the night went on. It was a really rough track and hard on the race cars. It was really testing the equipment. We had some parts on the front end that didn’t hold up late in the race and it costs us. We were definitely a top-five car and those kind of nights are frustrating. We’re hurting a little bit in the points deal right now, but as long as we keep progressing and start having those complete nights we’ll be able to make up some ground. We’ve got speed and just need to have a complete night and get rolling.”
LS.com: You have welcomed some new partners to your team and had the chance to spend some time with them early in the campaign. How important is it to surround yourself and team with quality people?
Logan: “It’s super important to be surrounded by quality people. We’ve welcomed Ausherman Properties and Priority Aviation to our team this year and they joined a great group that have helped us out for long time like Mark Pell and Mike Palumbo. As well as a lot of great manufacturers that help us put a fast race car out there on the track. We’re really proud of everyone that is part of Shark Racing and honored to represent them. People like Richard and Jennifer Marshall of Priority Aviation are tremendous ambassadors for dirt track racing. They help a lot of teams and drivers out giving a lot people the opportunity to chase a dream. Ausherman Properties is new to the sport and have helped us get our race team some solid help. We’re really thankful for everyone that is involved.”
LS.com: Speaking of quality people you started the season with a pair of new crew members Joe Mooney and Tyler Garber. How have they meshed with you, your grandpa and Jacob?
Logan: “Joe and Tyler have been great additions this year. They are very smart guys and pay attention to details. They worked hard over the winter to have us ready and they have taken a big load off Jacob and I’s shoulders and my grandpa’s too. I think they are going to be a big key to our success this year.”
LS.com: It’s been two weeks since you last raced, but tonight it’s back to action for you as the Outlaws return to Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek, Arizona. What do you remember about the track?
Logan: “Last year, they changed the track a little bit. I think it was completely different in 2016. I think they widen it out. So we’ve been there twice and it’s been different both times. It was really tricky last year and I know talking to some other people they said it was a weird track too. It seemed to be wet and fast early and then almost immediately went to slick and then rubbered up. I haven’t seen many tracks do that and I’m not sure if had something to do with it being in the desert, being sandy or what. Looking back at our notes, we have a good idea of why we were any as good as we wanted to be and I look forward to getting back there tonight and hope we can get the 1s rolling.”
Next week, we’ll have a recap of Saturday’s race at Queen Creek and look ahead the Outlaws 2018 debut in the Midwest at Jacksonville (IIl.) Speedway and Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana.
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/2018/02/LS_FloridaRecap_2018.jpg8331250loganhttps://loganschuchart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo.pnglogan2018-02-22 15:53:592018-06-15 14:02:19SHARK RACING LOOKS TO CONTINUE MOMENTUM IN NODAK
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.
TRAVELING MAN: Schuchart Charges On
CALIFORNIA, Missouri (April 12, 2018) – After spending the better part of three weeks without logging a lot of miles, Logan Schuchart spent the last five days charging on behind the wheel.
It started with his thrilling run from 16th to third in Saturday night’s World of Outlaws (WoO) Craftsman Sprint Car Series 30-lap A-Feature at Arizona Speedway on the outskirts of Phoenix. The 25-year-old Shark Racing driver’s talents were on full display in front of capacity crowd as he wheeled the No. 1s Priority Aviation/Ausherman Properties XXX machine to his first podium finish of the 2018 WoO campaign.
“I’m really proud of the way things ended up in Arizona,” said Schuchart. “It’s the result of having a hard working crew. Joe (Mooney) just kept trying things and the car just kept getting better. We rolled around pretty good in qualifying, but we were just on top of the track and spinning and couldn’t carry any speed. The heat race we were better, but just didn’t have enough laps to get farther than sixth. I actually wasn’t sure how the feature was going to go for a while. I was back in like 17th trying to get by Greg Wilson, who was on the bottom, and Brent Marks, who was on the top. I think that restart on lap 17 was the key. I was able to hit the bottom and just started going forward from there. Getting the KSE Hard Charger was nice and finishing on the podium was a good ending, but we want to be winning races. You have to start closer to the front when you are racing with these guys if you want to win. Like I said last week, you have to put a complete night together. That’s our goal for this weekend.”
“It’s really remarkable what they accomplished in only 10 months,” said Schuchart. “To be there and see the building and more importantly all the people that made it possible like Richard (Marshall) and Jennifer (Marshall), and Bob Baker with the Hall of Fame. It was awesome. Pretty moving to hear everyone talk about Bryan today. Especially Tim Clauson. Huge inspiration. I’m really lucky to be surrounded by people with this kind of passion for our sport. It was really a memorable experience.”
Schuchart and his “Pappy” traveled back to Missouri late Wednesday night and spent today preparing for a weekend doubleheader Friday and Saturday as the Outlaws make their 2018 Midwest debut Friday night at Jacksonville (Ill.) Speedway and Saturday evening at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana.
Schuchart has made two previous appearances at Jacksonville, one of the smallest dirt ovals on the schedule. Not quite as small as say, Hunterstown Speedway where he cut his teeth racing go-karts and made some early laps in a Sprint car, but it’s close.
“I like Jacksonville,” admitted Schuchart, who finished 13th in 2014 and ninth in 2016 at the quarter-mile, high-banked dirt oval. “It’s a little bullring and that’s kind of a lot of what we are going to see in the next few weeks. I’m not quite sure why we went backwards in the feature two years ago (he started sixth). I remember feeling good in qualifying and seemed like we were pretty good all night. (He was the fastest qualifier and finished second in the opening heat). We gave ourselves a chance that night. Hopefully, we’ll be able to put a complete night together Friday and be a position to stay up there.”
Following Friday’s stop in west central Illinois, it’s back down the highway towards southwest Indiana for Saturday’s annual visit at Tri-State. Schuchart has been consistent in each of his four treks to the high-banked, dirt oval. He’s finished 22nd in all four starts. Something he’d like to improve on Saturday night.
“We have been consistent for sure (laughs), consistently bad,” continued Schuchart. “It hasn’t been one of my better tracks out here on the road, but we’re looking forward to changing that this year. We have changed things around on the car every time we have been there and still haven’t quite figured it out, but we aren’t giving up on it. We’re going to continue to working on it and keep fighting for it. Hopefully, we’re going to also be able to change the stats for the better this year.”
The learning curve has been steep at Tri-State during his first four years with the Outlaws and he’s hoping maybe even some of his international experience in Australia at Archerfield Speedway in Brisbane last December may help change his fortune Saturday.
“I think Haubstadt and Archerfield are similar in size and shape,” said Schuchart. “Haubstadt has a little more banking, but we are hoping we learned some things over there this year. Seeing how the fast guys make their cars go around Haubstadt. The big thing there is being able to get the cars to squat back and pick the front ends up and drive down the straightaway real hard, which is something we haven’t been able to do there in the past. Instead, we just feel like we’re riding around there. Hopefully we have that figured out and we’re able to get some traction and pull some wheelies. If we can do that, moving forward may be in the cards for us.”
Season Stats
After winning twice at Archerfield, Schuchart embarked on his fifth season with the Outlaws in February. He opened the campaign by setting fast time at Volusia. It was the first of two fast time awards he has scored this season.
WoO RACES: 9 Top-Fives: 1 Top-10s: 1 Quicktime: 2 Points/Position: 1104/9th
FIRST QUARTER NOTES: Schuchart Seeking Consistency
April 7, 2018 – With the calendar turning to April, the first quarter of the 2018 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series is the books and the results weren’t what Shark Racing’s Logan Schuchart was aiming for. The good news is that the second quarter starts tonight and the six-time Outlaw winner is ready to push ahead in his fifth campaign with the top national Sprint car racing circuit.
The 25-year-old driver of the Shark Racing No. 1s Priority Aviation/Ausherman Properties XXX machine took a few minutes to talk about his first eight weeks of racing on U.S. soil.
Logan: “That’s the key racing with the Outlaws. Being able to be good all night. The biggest thing we have to address about our early season is being strong all night. You can’t be falling out of races or having mechanical troubles. It felt great to start the year with the first fast time, but that feeling didn’t last long. A few times we started the night out good and had something slow us down in the feature. We had some bleeder issues in Volusia and that gave us trouble in the first two feature races. And in Las Vegas, I was running in fifth or sixth before I knocked the front end out. We’ve had some chances, but didn’t capitalize on them. Overall, we need to put some full nights together. We have a fast car. You have to qualify well and get through your heat, but you also have to continue getting better in the dash and feature.”
LS.com: You talked a little about Las Vegas. You were in the top-10 the first night before losing a front end during the feature, but you bounced back the second night with one of your patented charges from the back to the front where you had your best finish of the season to date. It had to feel good drive forward in a Feature event?:
Logan: “It always feels to good to pass cars no matter where you are at or where you are starting. That second night in Las Vegas we came from 22nd to eighth, and I was catching the cars in front of us at a pretty good rate and felt like I was much faster than they were. If we were better at the beginning of the night, we could have had a lot better finish. It just goes back to putting a whole night together. That’s the key.”
LS.com: Mother Nature has been a problem this year with six races being affected, four of them canceled and two rescheduled. How tough is it to get yourself and team in a rhythm when you constantly are having shows either canceled or postponed?
Logan: “It’s definitely a lot of sitting around. I don’t think we have sat around this long and not raced. Definitely have a lot of time to think about what you can do with the cars to make it fast, but not a whole of time to try it out and see if you know what you are doing. You just have to be patient. Everyone is in the same position. We did have a lot fun spending time with family over the Easter break. My aunt Robin and her husband Jeff took us around to see some sights and relax. My grandpa and I got to check out LA and that was a blast, but we definitely are ready to be racing as much as we can.”
LS.com: The final two nights of action in California included your second fast time of the season in Stockton and your second top-10 finish at Bakersfield. Stockton had a frustrating end, but you were able to score a top-10 to close the California swing at Bakersfield. Talk about this year’s early-season California run.
Logan: “Racing three nights instead of six or seven really wasn’t what we had in mind. I feel like we were putting a complete night together at Stockton with our setups and the calls that we made with the car as the night went on. It was a really rough track and hard on the race cars. It was really testing the equipment. We had some parts on the front end that didn’t hold up late in the race and it costs us. We were definitely a top-five car and those kind of nights are frustrating. We’re hurting a little bit in the points deal right now, but as long as we keep progressing and start having those complete nights we’ll be able to make up some ground. We’ve got speed and just need to have a complete night and get rolling.”
LS.com: You have welcomed some new partners to your team and had the chance to spend some time with them early in the campaign. How important is it to surround yourself and team with quality people?
LS.com: Speaking of quality people you started the season with a pair of new crew members Joe Mooney and Tyler Garber. How have they meshed with you, your grandpa and Jacob?
Logan: “Joe and Tyler have been great additions this year. They are very smart guys and pay attention to details. They worked hard over the winter to have us ready and they have taken a big load off Jacob and I’s shoulders and my grandpa’s too. I think they are going to be a big key to our success this year.”
LS.com: It’s been two weeks since you last raced, but tonight it’s back to action for you as the Outlaws return to Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek, Arizona. What do you remember about the track?
Next week, we’ll have a recap of Saturday’s race at Queen Creek and look ahead the Outlaws 2018 debut in the Midwest at Jacksonville (IIl.) Speedway and Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana.
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