Race Reports

Donny Schatz Scores History-Making 30th Win of the Season on Final Lap of NAPA Auto Parts Berlin Brawl

Becomes the first driver since 1992 to win 30 races in a single season

MARNE, Mich. – Sept. 26, 2015 – The NAPA Auto Parts Berlin Brawl looked like it was Daryn Pittman’s for the taking on Saturday night at Berlin Raceway as his 1.6 second lead with three laps to go appeared nearly insurmountable. Then Donny Schatz began moving. Schatz closed the gap with two to go and on the final lap, as Pittman worked the top in turns three and four, Schatz went to the bottom and drag raced the No. 9 to the checkered flag.

By .138 seconds Schatz scored his history-making 30th World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series feature win of the season. He is the first driver to win 30 features in a single-season since Steve Kinser achieved the feat in 1992 – Kinser ended that season with 31 wins. Kinser also did it in 1987 (46 wins) and 1991 (36 wins).

“It feels really good,” Schatz said of the win. “Daryn had a good car. He was going through traffic so well but the last laps there, the track started changing. I don’t know if it cleaned off or it felt like there was a little bit of rubber. My car started getting a little bit better and we kind of expected a little bit of that. I honestly didn’t think we were going to get him. The last couple of laps I just drove it as hard as I could without trying to get myself in too much trouble.”

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Greg Wilson Wins at Eldora, Claims First Ever Outlaws Victory

The Ohio-native becomes the 21st different winner of the season, second first-time winner of the year

ROSSBURG, Ohio – Sept. 25, 2015 – Greg Wilson’s ascent through the field at Eldora Speedway’s 4-Crown Nationals on Friday night was steady and underneath everyone’s radar as he rode the bottom of the track to his first ever World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory.

The Benton Ridge, Ohio-native and All Star Circuit of Champions regular, passed Rico Abreu midway through the feature and ran away with the win, leading second-place Shane Stewart by nearly seven seconds at the end.

“This is a World of Outlaws win!” an emotional Wilson said in victory lane. “I was starting to wonder. I just turned 40 – hell, I thought I was going to have to get Depends and quit this stuff. You ain’t going to wipe this smile off for a long time.”

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Brad Sweet Holds off Donny Schatz to Score at Deer Creek Speedway

Claims his fourth World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory of the season 

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. – Sept. 19, 2015 – A little good luck and a little skill helped Brad Sweet hold off Donny Schatz in Saturday night’s Meyerhofer Crane & Rigging Service Clash at the Creek at Deer Creek Speedway and propelled him to his fourth World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory of the season.

Sweet, who took the lead on lap two from his Kasey Kahne Racing with Mike Curb teammate Daryn Pittman, faced a critical moment late in the feature as Schatz tried to get around his No. 49 Ollie’s Bargain Outlet/Razorback Professional Tools car for the lead. As he ran the curb at the top of the track he got too high and hit the wall. Just as Schatz drove around him on the exit of turn two, the caution flew. Sweet held his position.

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Daryn Pittman Sweeps Outlaws at Antioch

Holds off Joey Saldana and Tyler Walker for fifth World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series win of the season 

ANTIOCH, Calif. – Sept. 13, 2015 – Daryn Pittman picked up the 2015 Antioch Speedway sweep Sunday night after winning his second World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series feature of the season at the track.

Pittman fought a hard battle past Joey Saldana and then held off him and Tyler Walker through the remaining laps of the feature. It was the fifth series win of the season for Pittman and his Kasey Kahne Racing with Mike Curb team.

“Hats off to this whole Great Clips team,” Pittman said. “They do a great job. This was a different track than what we’re used to. Really dried up and we were free all night. I haven’t yelled much at (my crew chief Kale Kahne) all year that I was loose and all night we were pretty free. He got it pretty good there for the end. Obviously, we had some breaks go our way but man these guys just keep working their tails off.”

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Gold Cup a Tale of Two Parts as Schatz Picks up His 29th Win of the Season

Powers past Joey Saldana to score his first Gold Cup win in 11 years 

CHICO, Calif. – Sept. 12, 2015 – The finale of the 62nd Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions on Saturday night at Silver Dollar Speedway was a tale of two parts – one belonged to Joey Saldana and the other to Donny Schatz.

It was Schatz’s part that counted most though as he led the field across the finish.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been to victory lane here at the Gold Cup,” said Schatz who won his first and, until tonight, only Gold Cup championship on Sept. 11, 2004. “I know we won here in the spring but you eye that Gold Cup when you come to this place. Damn proud to win it tonight.”

Saldana, who came into the night after a second place run in Friday night’s feature at Silver Dollar, led the field to the green flag and held off challenges early. As Schatz quickly battled from sixth to second in just the first five laps, Saldana maintained his lead.

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Shane Stewart Class of the Field in Gold Cup Win Friday Night

Outpowers Joey Saldana to score his ninth World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory of the season 

CHICO, Calif. – Sept. 11, 2015 – Shane Stewart was the class of the field during Friday night’s Gold Cup Race of Champions feature at Silver Dollar Speedway. He outpowered Joey Saldana to score his ninth World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory of the season.

The win was also Stewart’s first at Silver Dollar Speedway.

“I generally drive really, really bad here. I’ve had some really good cars here and screwed up and lost a couple of big races here,” Stewart said. “To finally get a win here, with these guys, with the amount of competition that’s in the pit area, it just says a lot about my (No. 2 GoPro/Eneos team).”

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From His First Victory to his 201st, Donny Schatz Scores Again at Cottage Grove Speedway

The reigning series champion now has 28 wins on the season

COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. – Sept. 9, 2015 – Seventeen years ago at Cottage Grove Speedway, Donny Schatz picked up his first ever World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory. Wednesday night at the track, he added to the record books his 201st series win.

“Every one you win is incredible. You never know when it’s going to be your last so I’m just enjoying the hell out of it at the moment,” Schatz said. “This is the place I got my first win so it’s always had a special place in my heart and I’m glad to be able to win here again tonight.”

The win came as Schatz battled past Daryn Pittman in his No. 15 Bad Boy Buggies/Chevrolet Performance car on the second lap of the 35-lap feature and held him off through restarts all while effectively maneuvering through traffic.

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Donny Schatz Scores 200th Career World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Win with Grays Harbor Victory

The reigning series champion now has 27 wins on the season, the most single-season wins of his career

ELMA, Wash. – Sept. 7, 2015 – Donny Schatz entered rarefied territory Monday night at Grays Harbor Raceway as he scored his 200th career World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory and joined legends Steve Kinser and Sammy Swindell as the only drivers to ever reach the mark.

The history-making moment occurred after Schatz passed Paul McMahan with two laps remaining in the Lucky Eagle Casino and Hotel Outlaw Invasion feature.

The win comes almost 17 years to the date of Schatz’s first-ever series win at Cottage Grove (Ore.) Speedway on Aug. 24, 1998.

“Unbelieveable,” Schatz said of his 200th win. “I’ve just been blessed being around great people my whole life. My family has supported me whole heartedly to this point and these guys I get to race with are awesome. Without their hard work, and all the guys who ever worked for me, there’s no way I would have ever got this far.”

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