At a Glance: Season Milestone Reached
The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series invades Fremont (Ohio) Speedway on Friday, June 3 for the Kistler Engines Smackdown, and I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Mich. for the Rumble in Michigan on Saturday, June 4
CONCORD, N.C. – June 1, 2016 – As the World of the Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series crosses the 1/3-mark of the season, the series will head into a weekend double-header with the Kistler Engines Smackdown on Friday, June 3 at Fremont (Ohio) Speedway, and the Rumble in Michigan at I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Mich. on Saturday, June 4.
The Outlaws return to the track after two remarkable finishes at The Dirt Track at Charlotte on Friday, May 27 and Lawrenceburg Speedway on Monday, May 30. Shane Stewart led the most laps at Charlotte but was passed on the final lap by Greg Wilson for the victory, then returned to lead the most laps and win at Lawrenceburg after he exchanged slide jobs with Rico Abreu all race and held off David Gravel on the final lap.
Making a Point
Seven-time World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz has not been nearly as dominant as he was in his 31-win 2015 campaign. Schatz, who still leads the series in wins, has only scored seven checkered flags so far this season, compared to 11 at this point last year.
Schatz currently sits second in the points standings, 37 markers behind year-long leader Brad Sweet. Sweet has seen Schatz chip away at his point lead since the Gettysburg Clash at Lincoln Speedway on May 19. In the two weeks since, Schatz has scored two wins, four top-fives and six top-10s compared to Sweet’s zero wins, one top-five and four top-10s.
Duck, Duck, Goose
The start of the 2016 season has seen a variety of drivers capture the checkered flag, as seven drivers have multiple wins this year, while another four have one win apiece. Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet have combined to win 13 of the 31 total races, while Daryn Pittman has four wins and both Joey Saldana and Shane Stewart have three apiece.
The 2016 season has seen drivers such as Lance Dewease, Jason Johnson, Jason Sides and Greg Wilson each win a race, after those four drivers combined to win just two total races all of last year.
Only Half the Battle
2013 World of Outlaws champion Daryn Pittman, who currently sits third in the standings, just 82 points behind Sweet, leads the series in pole positions and laps led, but is third in wins. Pittman has started on the pole-position for eight features, while his closest competitor, Joey Saldana has started first four times.
Starting up front has also helped Pittman lead the most laps of any driver in 2016. Pittman has controlled the top spot for 192 laps, while Saldana, who has led 155 total laps, sits second on the list.
Unfortunately for Pittman, starting up front has only been half of the battle. Even though he leads the series in both poles and laps led, he has only scored four wins, while Schatz, with his seven wins, has started on the pole just once and has led 79 total laps.
Inversion Lottery
In 31 races this season, the dash inversion draw has been as close to equal as possible. So far, a zero ball (no inversion) has been drawn the most at 10 times, while both the four and six balls have been picked nine times each. When there have been four heat races, an inversion draw of eight has happened three times, including most recently at Lawrenceburg Speedway.
Weekend Road Trip
The distance between Fremont (Ohio) Speedway and I-96 Speedway is less than 200 miles, or a three hour road trip in a car. The close proximity of the two tracks will allow fans to enjoy “The Greatest Show on Dirt” all weekend, while also being able to experience the road life of teams and officials as they make the overnight trek into Michigan.