Schatz Keeps Pressure on Sweet in Championship Battle

Schatz Keeps Pressure on Sweet in Championship Battle
Title contenders on front row of heats; Schuchart, Reutzel set Quick Times

Story By: Nick Graziano/WoO

Photo By: Chris Owens/DIRTcar

CONCORD, NC – Nov. 7, 2019 – Two rounds of Qualifying for the Can-Am World Finals Thursday night have set the stage for an epic World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series championship battle at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

This weekend will determine the 2019 champion – Brad Sweet currently leads reigning champion Donny Schatz by eight points.

Schatz earned a front row Drydene Heat race starting spot for Friday’s and Saturday’s events. Sweet earned one for Saturday’s event. With an 11th-place qualifying effort for Friday’s event — in Flight B — Sweet will have to work his way into the top-two to make the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash to help him move closer to the front row in the Feature.

Logan Schuchart — who won at in May at The Dirt Track at Charlotte — set Quick Time for Friday’s event with a 12.774-second lap and Aaron Reutzel set Quick Time for Saturday’s event with a 12.737-second lap. Both Time Trial sessions saw two Flights of Qualifying for the 53-car field.

Schuchart and Reutzel will lead the way in their respective Heat races. Official line ups will be posted Friday afternoon.

Reutzel had speed at the start of the night, setting the fastest time in Hot Laps before claiming Quick Time for Saturday’s event. He then qualified third — in Flight (B) — for Friday’s event, earning a Heat Race front row starting spot.

Schuchart’s good fortune started before cars even hit the track Thursday afternoon. Drydene announced its new racing oil — Drydene Racing Formulas — and new paint schemes featuring the product on Schuchart’s and his Shark Racing teammate Jacob Allen’s cars. The Hanover, Pa. driver then ran fifth in Hot Laps, was fastest in Flight (B) for Saturday’s event and then set Quick Time for Friday’s event. He has two wins at the 4/10-mile track.

The first Sprint Car Heat race Friday will take place after the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series Heat races are completed. Racing will start at 4 p.m.

As always, if you can’t be there, you can watch all of the action LIVE on DIRTVision.com.

QUALIFYING RESULTS FOR FRIDAY:

Qualifying Flight-A – 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.774; 2. 41-David Gravel, 12.895; 3. 18-Ian Madsen, 12.916; 4. 19P-Paige Polyak, 12.939; 5. Giovanni Scelzi, 12.959; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.980; 7. 39-Spencer Bayston, 12.982; 8. 39M-Anthony Macri, 12.986; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen, 12.993; 10. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 13.029; 11. 7-Jason Sides, 13.032; 12. 83-Daryn Pittman, 13.065; 13. 2-Carson Macedo, 13.095; 14. 98H-Dave Blaney, 13.123; 15. 7S-Tim Shaffer, 13.181; 16. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 13.181; 17. 19-Brent Marks, 13.193; 18. 48-Danny Dietrich, 13.195; 19. 83R-Lyton Jeffrey, 13.280; 20. 1-Sammy Swindell, 13.285; 21. 5-Shane Stewart, 13.290; 22. 99-Skylar Gee, 13.347; 23. 44-Trey Starks 13.371; 24. 91-Tony Fiore, 13.494; 25. 71M-Paul May, 13.662; 26. J4-John Garvin, 13.697; 27. 29-Steve Butler, 14.306

Qualifying Flight-B – 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 12.927; 2. 11-Zeb Wise, 12.938; 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 12.943; 4. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.960; 5. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.020; 6. 13-Paul McMahan, 13.027; 7. 21-Brian Brown, 13.034; 8. 17B-Bill Balog, 13.092; 9. 15H-Sam Hafertepe, 13.093; 10. 51-Freddie Rahmer, 13.113; 11. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.123; 12. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 13.217; 13. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 13.293; 14. 21X-Parker Price-Miller, 13.308; 15. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, 13.364; 16. K4-Chad Kemenah, 13.393; 17. 5B-Justin Barger, 13.445; 18. 3C-Cale Conley, 13.458; 19. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.479; 20. 11B-Carl Bowser, 13.487; 21. 4-Terry McCarl, 13.586; 22. 40-George Hobaugh, 13.590; 23. 2S-Nathan Skaggs, 13.957; 24. 27G-Jay Galloway, 14.329; 25. 91W-Davey Walsh, 14.980; 26. 49H-Bradley Howard (NT)

QUALIFYING RESULTS FOR SATURDAY:

Qualifying Flight-A – 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 12.737; 2. 11-Zeb Wise, 12.827; 3. 1A-Jacob Allen, 12.846; 4. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.880; 5. 2-Carson Macedo, 12.894; 6. 39-Spencer Bayston, 12.931; 7. 48-Danny Dietrich, 12.938; 8. 51-Freddie Rahmer, 12.957; 9. 5-Shane Stewart, 12.975; 10. 19P-Paige Polyak, 12.975; 11. 17B-Bill Balog, 12.983; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.985; 13. 15H-Sam Hafertepe, 13.014; 14. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 13.028; 15. 83R-Lynton Jeffrey, 13.054; 16. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 13.057; 17. 19-Brent Marks, 13.078; 18. 71M-Paul May, 13.106; 19. 91-Tony Fiore, 13.106; 20. 21X-Parker Price-Miller, 13.177; 21. 5B-Justin Barger, 13.216; 22. 4-Terry McCarl, 13.246; 23. 3C-Cale Conley, 13.267; 24. 44-Trey Starks, 13.347; 25. 40-George Hobaugh, 13.400; 26. J4-John Garvin, 13.401; 27. 91W-Davey Walsh, 14.460

Qualifying Flight-B – 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.785; 2. 41-David Gravel, 12.835; 3. 71-Giovanni Scelzi, 12.842; 4. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 12.852; 5. 21-Brian Brown, 12.924; 6. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.951; 7. 98H-Dave Blaney, 12.956; 8. 18-Ian Madsen, 12.969; 9. 39M-Anthony Macri, 12.970; 10. 83-Daryn Pittman, 12.993; 11. 13 Paul McMahan, 13.023; 12. 7S-Tim Shaffer, 13.033; 13. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 13.057; 14. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 13.141; 15. 7-Jason Sides, 13.154; 16. 99-Skylar Gee, 13.211; 17. 1-Sammy Swindell, 13.225; 18. 49D-Shawn Dancer, 13.234; 19. K4-Chad Kemenah, 13.291; 20. Paul Nienhiser, 13.293; 21. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.371; 22. 2S-Nathan Skaggs, 13.388; 23. 11B-Carl Bowser, 13.442; 24. 29-Steve Butler, 14.088; 25. 27G-Jay Galloway, 14.367; 26. 49H-Bradley Howard (NT)