WHAT TO WATCH FOR: World of Outlaws Set for Vital Weekend at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway

Every Lap Matters Ahead of 61st NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals in August

KNOXVILLE, IA – June 6, 2022 – The Greatest Show on Dirt heads for The Sprint Car Capital of the World this weekend.

Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway will host a doubleheader this Friday and Saturday, June 10-11 as the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series comes to town for the annual Brownells Big Guns Bash. It’s a thrilling two nights at the Marion County Fairgrounds with the local legends facing the best of the best as they invade the Black Zook Clay.

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Here’s what to watch for this weekend on DIRTVision.com:

BLACK ZOOK EXPERIENCE: When it comes to the World of Outlaws at Knoxville, three full-time stars stand out above the rest – Donny Schatz, David Gravel, and Brad Sweet.

Donny Schatz is ranked eighth on the track’s All-Time Wins List with 17 of his 27 Knoxville wins coming with the World of Outlaws, and 10 of those being the Knoxville Nationals. The 10-time Series champion finished 3rd, 3rd & 2nd at the track last August, and heads into this weekend eyeing a second win of the year in the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15.

David Gravel has been especially hot at Knoxville Raceway in the past few years, winning HALF (7 of 14) starts since August 2019. This weekend, the Watertown, CT native will be going for this third World of Outlaws win of the season and his third Knoxville Raceway win in the Big Game Motorsports #2.

Brad Sweet hasn’t won at Knoxville since June 2019, but he’s been consistent with 10 top-10 finishes and an average result of 7.7 in 14 starts since then. The Big Cat will be going for his second World of Outlaws win of the season and the eighth of his career at Knoxville Raceway this weekend in the Kasey Kahne Racing #49.

TEAM KNOXVILLE: There’s the PA Posse out east and the Golden State Gang out west, but in the heart of the country lies Team Knoxville – a group of loyal locals committed to weekly action at The Sprint Car Capital of the World. Leading that contingent against the World of Outlaws is Brian Brown of Higginsville, MO, who goes for his 59th Knoxville Raceway 410 win this weekend in hopes of tying Terry McCarl for third on the all-time win list at the track.

Currently on top of the Knoxville season standings is Austin McCarl of Altoona, IA in the Country Builders #88. He’s a six-time 410 victor at the track, including once this year, and looks to top his career-best of second with the Series. Austin and younger brother Carson McCarl are both trying to join their father “T-Mac” as a World of Outlaws winner.

Other names to look for this weekend include Justin Henderson (23 total Knoxville wins), Davey Reskin (reigning track champ), Lynton Jeffrey (last week’s winner), Matt Juhl (Outlaw career-best of 3rd), Ayrton Gennetten (led World of Outlaws race last year). Also keep your eye on the likes of Sawyer & Tasker Phillips, Riley Gordon, J.J. Hickle, Josh Higday, and Chris Martin, among others.

SHOOTING FOR SIX: The two most recent winners in World of Outlaws competition are also the two winningest drivers with the Series in 2022. Both Carson Macedo and Sheldon Haudenschild own five wins apiece thus far, and head for The Sprint Car Capital of the World this weekend with a chance at winning for the sixth time.

Carson Macedo, who topped Friday’s Feature at River Cities, has already won once at Knoxville earlier this season in weekly competition. The Lemoore, CA native also brings in momentum from last year’s June doubleheader with the World of Outlaws, a weekend he swept aboard the Jason Johnson Racing #41. Later this year, he’ll have a chance to become JJR’s third different Knoxville Nationals champion in six runnings.

Sheldon Haudenschild has been on a hot streak of late, winning three of four Features before his streak ended with a 13th-place result at River Cities. The Wooster, OH native has yet to beat the World of Outlaws at Knoxville, but he did score his first win at the track last year during a local show. His father, Jac Haudenschild, was a nine-time winner with the Series at the Marion County Fairgrounds, and Sheldon gets his next chance this weekend in the NOS Energy Drink #17.

TOYOTA HISTORY: Aaron Reutzel and Ridge & Sons Racing made history last week at Knoxville Raceway by winning the first-ever 410 Winged Sprint Car race with a Toyota Development Racing engine under the hood of their Mobil 1 #8. The Clute, TX native already claimed Toyota’s best finish with the World of Outlaws earlier this year when he took the TRD machine to third-place at Volusia (FL) during the season opener.

A six-time winner in both World of Outlaws competition and Knoxville Raceway action (4 with 410, 2 with 360), Reutzel will eye his seventh score with the Series and at the track this weekend.

ON THE GASS: In his 25th Feature start with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series last Friday, 18-year-old Noah Gass of Mounds, OK recorded his first-career top-10 finish. The moment of jubilation for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender was amplified as he also earned his first KSE Hard Charger Award thanks to the 17th-to-10th bid at River Cities.

It’s been a massive learning curve for the youngster and his crew of Cody Cordell & Robby McQuinn, but they’re rolling with the punches quite well. The teenager is committed to giving this his all and is beginning to prove he’ll be one to closely watch as he progresses over the coming months and years.

CHASING THE FIRST: Several full-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series stars will be chasing their first 410 victory at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway this weekend at the Brownell’s Big Guns Bash.

Spencer Bayston has finished as high as second with the All Star Circuit of Champions and also ran fifth with the World of Outlaws at the track in 2020. The Lebanon, IN native is looking for his second win of the season in the CJB Motorsports #5.

James McFadden is a two-time ASCS National Tour winner at Knoxville with a 360 under the hood, but he’s yet to tame the black book clay with a 410. The Roth Motorsports #83 pilot has an opportunity to change that this weekend and score the 99th World of Outlaws win for Hall of Fame car owner Dennis Roth.

Jacob Allen once started on the pole of a Hard Knox night at the Knoxville Nationals but hasn’t faired as well in the results department with a career-best of 12th through 16 starts at the 1/2-mile. He’s already a two-time World of Outlaws winner in 2022 and hopes to nail down that first Knoxville top-10 this weekend.

In his most recent appearance, Brock Zearfoss recorded his Knoxville career-best, a fourth-place during last year’s Hard Knox program. The driver of the Moose’s LZ Bar & Grill #3Z is fresh off his fifth top-10 of the season at River Cities last week.

EVERY LAP MATTERS: In preparation for the 61st NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores, a driver and team can never have enough laps at Knoxville Raceway. Local teams spend all season dialing in their setups, while the invaders take every single chance they get to hit the Black Zook Clay and find the speed they need.

With the exception of last year’s champion Kyle Larson (who didn’t race in June), the last three Knoxville Nationals winners before him (Gravel ’19, Sweet ’18, Schatz ’17) were winning contenders in the World of Outlaws early-summer tune-up and finished within the top-five.

THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

Friday & Saturday, June 10-11 at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, IA

On the Internet
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Twitter – @WorldofOutlaws
Instagram – @WoOSprint
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsSprintCarSeries
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (24/77 Nights):
1. 49-Brad Sweet (3,328 PTS); 2. 2-David Gravel (-52 PTS); 3. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild (-56 PTS); 4. 41-Carson Macedo (-62 PTS); 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart (-88 PTS); 6. 15-Donny Schatz (-148 PTS); 7. 83-James McFadden (-172 PTS); 8. 5-Spencer Bayston (-184 PTS); 9. 1A-Jacob Allen (-250 PTS); 10. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss (-384 PTS).

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (11 Drivers):
5 wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing #17
5 wins – Carson Macedo, Jason Johnson Racing #41
2 wins – David Gravel, Big Game Motorsports #2
2 wins – Jacob Allen, Shark Racing #1A
2 wins – Kyle Larson, Kevin Kozlowski/Paul Silva #57
2 wins – Brent Marks, Murray-Marks Motorsports #19
2 wins – Giovanni Scelzi, KCP Racing #18
1 win – Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne Racing #49
1 win – Logan Schuchart, Shark Racing #1S
1 win – Spencer Bayston, CJB Motorsports #5
1 win – Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15

FEATURE LAPS LED (22 Drivers):
107 laps – Carson Macedo
81 laps – Brad Sweet
79 laps – Sheldon Haudenschild
71 laps – David Gravel
64 laps – Jacob Allen
61 laps – Kyle Larson
55 laps – Giovanni Scelzi
49 laps – Spencer Bayston
41 laps – Logan Schuchart
29 laps – Brent Marks
26 laps – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
25 laps – Donny Schatz
15 laps – Justin Peck
13 laps – Cory Eliason
9 laps – Dominic Scelzi, Brady Bacon
8 laps – James McFadden, Anthony Macri
3 laps – Brock Zearfoss, Brian Brown
1 lap – Corey Day, Aaron Reutzel

SLICK WOODY’S QUICKTIME AWARDS (15 Drivers):
4 QuickTimes – Carson Macedo
3 QuickTimes – David Gravel
2 QuickTimes – Sheldon Haudenschild, Jacob Allen, Rico Abreu, Giovanni Scelzi*
1 QuickTime – Brad Sweet, Logan Schuchart, Spencer Bayston, James McFadden, Aaron Reutzel, Cory Eliason, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Justin Peck, Buddy Kofoid
* Denotes New Track Record

HEAT RACE WINNERS (26 Drivers):
10 Heat Wins – David Gravel
8 Heat Wins – Brad Sweet, Carson Macedo, Jacob Allen
6 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild
5 Heat Wins – Logan Schuchart, James McFadden, Rico Abreu
4 Heat Wins – Giovanni Scelzi
3 Heat Wins – Donny Schatz, Kraig Kinser, Aaron Reutzel
2 Heat Wins – Spencer Bayston, Brock Zearfoss, Tyler Courtney, Cory Eliason, Kerry Madsen
1 Heat Win – Kasey Kahne, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Dominic Scelzi, Corey Day, Justin Peck, Anthony Macri, Justin Whittall, Ian Madsen, Parker Price-Miller

DIRTVISION FAST PASS DASH APPEARANCES (35 Drivers):
16 Dashes – David Gravel
14 Dashes – Brad Sweet, Carson Macedo, Spencer Bayston, Jacob Allen
11 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart,
8 Dashes – Donny Schatz, James McFadden
7 Dashes – Rico Abreu
6 Dashes – Kraig Kinser
5 Dashes – Kyle Larson, Cory Eliason, Giovanni Scelzi
4 Dashes – Aaron Reutzel
3 Dashes – Brock Zearfoss, Brent Marks, Tyler Courtney, Kerry Madsen
2 Dashes – Kasey Kahne, Dominic Scelzi, Corey Day, Anthony Macri
1 Dash – Sam Hafertepe Jr, Colby Copeland, Tanner Carrick, DJ Netto, Brian Brown, Brady Bacon, Justin Peck, Matt Campbell, Justin Whittall, Ian Madsen, Cole Duncan, Parker Price-Miller

MICROLITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (15 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, James McFadden
2 LCS Wins – Logan Schuchart, Ayrton Gennetten
1 LCS Win – Spencer Bayston, Donny Schatz, Brock Zearfoss, Anthony Macri, Mitchell Faccinto, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Kerry Madsen, Brent Marks, DJ Foos, Christopher Bell, Austin Pierce

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (11 Drivers):
4 Hard Chargers – Logan Schuchart
3 Hard Chargers – Sheldon Haudenschild
2 Hard Chargers – Carson Macedo, James McFadden,
1 Hard Chargers – David Gravel, Donny Schatz, Brock Zearfoss, Noah Gass, Jason Sides, Rico Abreu, Tanner Thorson, Alan Krimes, Devon Borden, Anthony Macri, Greg Wilson, Travis Philo, Kyle Larson

PODIUM FINISHES (20 Drivers):
9 Podiums – Brad Sweet
8 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild, Carson Macedo
7 Podiums – Kyle Larson
6 Podiums – David Gravel
5 Podiums – Logan Schuchart, Donny Schatz
3 Podiums – James McFadden, Jacob Allen, Giovanni Scelzi, Brent Marks
2 Podiums – Spencer Bayston, Aaron Reutzel, Corey Day
1 Podium – Kraig Kinser, Cory Eliason, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Brian Brown, Justin Peck, Rico Abreu

TOP 10 FINISHES (39 Drivers):
21 Top 10s – Brad Sweet
20 Top 10s – David Gravel
18 Top 10s – Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart
17 Top 10s – Carson Macedo
16 Top 10s – Donny Schatz
15 Top 10s – Spencer Bayston
14 Top 10s – James McFadden
13 Top 10s – Jacob Allen
12 Top 10s – Giovanni Scelzi
10 Top 10s – Rico Abreu
8 Top 10s – Kyle Larson
7 Top 10s – Cory Eliason
5 Top 10s – Brock Zearfoss, Brent Marks
4 Top 10s – Aaron Reutzel, Tyler Courtney, Anthony Macri
3 Top 10s – Kerry Madsen
2 Top 10s – Kraig Kinser, Kasey Kahne, Dominic Scelzi, Corey Day, Justin Peck, Sam Hafertepe Jr.
1 Top 10 – Noah Gass, Shane Golobic, DJ Netto, Brian Brown, Hunter Schuerenberg, Carson Short, Tanner Thorson, Danny Dietrich, Lance Dewease, Greg Wilson, Cole Duncan, Cale Thomas, Cole Macedo, Mark Dobmeier

2022 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE & WINNERS:
No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Thur, Feb. 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Donny Schatz (1)
2. Fri, Feb. 11 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
3. Sat, Feb. 12 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (1)
4. Fri, March 4 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Sheldon Haudenschild (2)
5. Sat, March 5 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Carson Macedo (1)
6. Fri, March 11 / Thunderbowl Raceway / Tulare, CA / Giovanni Scelzi (1)
7. Sat, March 12 / Thunderbowl Raceway / Tulare, CA / Kyle Larson (1)
8. Fri, March 18 / Merced Speedway / Merced, CA / Carson Macedo (2)
9. Fri, March 25 / Bakersfield Speedway / Bakersfield, CA / Giovanni Scelzi (2)
10. Sat, March 26 / Perris Auto Speedway / Perris, CA / David Gravel (2)
11. Tues, March 29 / Vado Speedway Park / Vado, NM / Brad Sweet (1)
12. Sat, April 2 / Devil’s Bowl Speedway / Mesquite, TX / Brent Marks (1)
13. Sat, April 9 / Lake Ozark Speedway / Eldon, MO / Jacob Allen (1)
14. Fri, April 15 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Carson Macedo (3)
15. Sat, April 23 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Carson Macedo (4)
16. Fri, April 29 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / Logan Schuchart (1)
17. Sat, April 30 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / Spencer Bayston (1)
18. Wed, May 11 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Jacob Allen (2)
19. Sat, May 14 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Brent Marks (2)
20. Tues, May 17 / Bridgeport Motorsports Park / Swedesboro, NJ / Sheldon Haudenschild (3)
21. Fri, May 20 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Kyle Larson (2)
22. Sat, May 28 / Atomic Speedway / Waverly, OH / Sheldon Haudenschild (4)
23. Mon, May 30 / Lawrenceburg Speedway / Lawrenceburg, IN / Sheldon Haudenschild (5)
24. Fri, June 3 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND / Carson Macedo (5)