Championship battle resumes during Wisconsin’s summertime staple weekend
NEW RICHMOND, WI (June 27, 2023) – An Independence Day weekend tradition continues this week for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars.
After making its first appearance of 2023 in Wisconsin less than two weeks ago, The Greatest Show on Dirt is returning to “The Badger State.” Cedar Lake Speedway (New Richmond, WI) welcomes the World of Outlaws this weekend (June 30 – July 1) for the Independence Day Spectacular.
The doubleheader weekend boasts two $10,000-to-win events and brings the year to its halfway point, seeing Brad Sweet currently atop the points by a mere 10 points ahead of David Gravel in second and 40 points ahead of Carson Macedo in third.
Cedar Lake has hosted 49 Series races in the past, meaning Friday’s visit will make the 3/8-mile the 18th different track to reach 50 World of Outlaws races.
Let’s look at the top storylines to watch:
BROCK’S BREAKTHROUGH: Last year’s Independence Day Spectacular offered a memorable moment.
Brock Zearfoss’ perseverance paid off when he topped the final night. The win was his second with the World of Outlaws but first in five years and first with his family-owned team. The triumph led to an emotional Victory Lane.
The Jonestown, PA native returns to the site of that victory this weekend still seeking his first win of 2023. It’s been an up and down year for Zearfoss highlighted by a top-five effort at U.S. 36 Raceway in April. Repeating at Cedar Lake could serve as a boost for the remainder of his campaign as he continues his third year on tour.
BADGER BRAD: Brad Sweet owns a nearly impeccable résumé at Cedar Lake that he hopes to add to.
“The Big Cat” already owns the record for the most consecutive victories at the Wisconsin oval – topping a whopping five straight from July of 2019 to July of 2021. In 18 Series starts, Sweet owns six wins, 11 podiums, and has only missed the top 10 once. If he can collect another checkered flag this weekend, he’ll equal Sammy Swindell as the winningest Series driver at Cedar Lake with seven. A weekend sweep would give him sole possession of that honor.
The four-time and defending champion enters the weekend as the points leader, hoping to turn his past succession into a chance to grow that lead.
DOUBLE SHARKS: Cedar Lake Speedway is one of three tracks that both Shark Racing teammates – Logan Schuchart and Jacob Allen – have won at during their World of Outlaws careers.
For Schuchart, Cedar Lake is a special place. In 2016, the Hanover, PA native collected his first career victory with The Greatest Show on Dirt at the 3/8-mile. Schuchart is yet to claim another win there, but he’s been in the top five on three other occasions including twice in the last three races.
Allen’s Cedar Lake victory came last year as a part of his breakout 2022. The pilot of the Shark Racing #1A stood atop the podium on night one of the Independence Day Spectacular. Allen has also been consistent at Cedar Lake with nine top 10s in his last 11 starts.
WISCONSIN WINNERS: Two more current full-time Series competitors have found their way to Victory Lane at Cedar Lake – Donny Schatz and Sheldon Haudenschild.
Schatz is tied with Steve Kinser as the third winningest Cedar Lake driver with five victories apiece. The 10-time Series champion has won back-to-back races on two occasions and most recently triumphed in 2016.
Haudenschild, driver of the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing #17, found Victory Lane in 2019 and in his eight starts there since hasn’t finished worse than ninth.
GRAVEL’S MOMENTUM: There is no driver on the tour hotter than David Gravel right now.
The Watertown, CT native is fresh off earning the largest payday in Series history ($250,000) at the Billion Auto Huset’s High Bank Nationals presented by Menards. That win is part of a seven-race stretch consisting of two wins, six top-two finishes, and an average finish of 2.1 for Gravel.
Despite experiencing plenty of success at Cedar Lake, Gravel is yet to win at the facility. He has finished second on seven different occasions including during the most recent visit last year. Gravel looks for that elusive win this weekend as he continues to attempt to cut into Sweet’s championship lead.
Gravel’s race team – Big Game Motorsports – is no stranger to winning at Cedar Lake, though. They scored a Victory Lane there with Kerry Madsen in 2018.
BAYSTON BUILDING: An effective four nights at Huset’s have Spencer Bayston and CJB Motorsports on their best stretch of the season.
Bayston finished no worse than ninth at the Brandon, SD oval and collected his second podium of the season on the penultimate night. The Lebanon, IN native is now on a seven-race top-10 streak – his best of the season.
The 24-year-old has had mixed results in four starts at Cedar Lake with two finishes both inside and outside of the top 10.
GAINS FOR GASS: This past week at Huset’s provided Noah Gass with one of his most encouraging outings behind the wheel.
Facing off against a massive field of some of the sport’s most talented competitors, the World of Outlaws sophomore made the main event on three of the four nights including the finale. On Thursday, he matched his season high with a 12th-place effort. Then, his 14th on Saturday was enough to net him $5,200.
Gass now looks to keep rolling as he’ll take on Cedar Lake for the first time this weekend.
If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action on DIRTVision.
THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
WHEN AND WHERE
Friday-Saturday, June 30-July 1 at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, WI