Snaps More Than Four-Month Series Winless Streak With Victory
Story By: COLBY GORNIEWICZ / WORLD OF OUTLAWS MEDIA
Photos By: LONNIE WHEATLEY / RACERSGUIDE.COM
KANSAS CITY, KS – October 22, 2016- Brad Sweet steamrolled ahead Friday night to his eighth win of the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series season at Lakeside Speedway. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Rumble on the River did not only give Sweet an advantage to finish the season’s points race in the top-three, but the victory also snapped a 33-race drought for Sweet.
Sweet had not won a feature in the series since Badlands (S.D.) Motor Speedway on July 2. His best finish at Lakeside came in June 2014, when he placed sixth in the feature. Sweet started on the pole for this year’s 30-lapper, which initially put him in position to break his winless streak.
“It was a little bit frustrating after a while,” said Sweet, who also won the $10,000 purse. “We were off to a great start. Then we hit a slump and haven’t been in victory lane. But it feels like the monkey is off our back. It’s a bigger leap. Tonight we had a fast car, and we were able to move through lapped traffic.”
In the opening lap Ian Madsen, who started second in the feature, claimed Sweet’s spot in turns one and two. However in the five-caution feature frenzy, yellow flags prevented any of the three race-leaders throughout the race from putting any comfortable cushion between them and the 24-car feature. Though Madsen survived the race’s first restart on the third lap, it gave other drivers the chance to make their move.
In turn four of the best lap Joey Saldana, seeking his 100th career series win, joined Madsen and Sweet in a three-wide drag race down the front stretch for the top spot. Saldana managed to overtake both of them and led nearly the remainder of the first-half of the feature.
With two laps before the halfway point – and the race’s fourth caution – Sweet challenged Saldana riding the bottom of the track. Closing into the second half of the race, the front of the pack caught up to the back. Saldana, with less than a half-second lead at the time, got swept-up in the traffic, leaving Sweet enough room to claim the top spot.
The top-five underwent its biggest shuffle on the fourth restart, as Daryn Pittman led the charge into second position Pittman, who started third in the feature, regained a podium spot in turn two and through the backstretch overpowered Saldana. Logan Schuchart, with his most recent win the race before, followed Pittman’s charge in his No. 1s Bobby Allen Triple X racecar.
Though Pittman carried momentum through that sequence in his No. 9 Kasey Kahne Racing with Mike Curb GF1 winged-sprint, the race’s final caution on lap 19 reset the field. From there, Pittman challenged Sweet, at times side-by-side and within a quarter of a second to the No. 49 Kasey Kahne Racing GF1 car. Sweet ultimately won by a half-second margin. Sweet and Pittman are fellow teammates on Kasey Kahne Racing.
“We ran some pretty hard tires, and [the track] was really abrasive on tires,” said Pittman, who thought the setup hurt him. “We gambled with some pretty hard tires, and the longer we ran the better we were. So I didn’t need to see the yellows. We were close. This is one of my favorite half-miles that we run. If we can’t win, I guess it’s okay to get beat by your teammate, but I thought I had a shot on the last lap. But, I got a little too close to the lap cars and got caught in their dirty air.”
Schuchart rounded-out the podium. Schuchart carries back-to-back podium finishes into the final regular series race, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Twister Showdown at Salina (Okla.) Highbanks Speedway.
“At first, I didn’t feel good at all,” Schuchart said. “We were really loose and all over the place. “But the longer we went, the more fuel I got out of it and it started leaning left a little more. It got off [the turns] better and better. We’re just happy to be out here. The car has been fast lately, and I thought we were going to have an off-night in the beginning, but it got better.”
Earlier in the racing program, David Gravel recorded the fastest time in hot laps and qualifying, and won his heat race. Gravel’s seventh quick time of the season was a 13.704 lap time. In the first heat, Gravel was the only driver to record a lap time below the 14-second mark.
Lakeside Speedway Notebook
RACE NOTES: Brad Sweet took his eighth trip down victory this season Friday night, winning the O’Reilly Auto Parts Rumble on the River at Lakeside Speedway. Using his podium start, Sweet maintained his position up front, and passed Joey Saldana right before the race’s halfway mark. He never looked back. Though he had a late challenge by teammate Daryn Pittman, Sweet prevailed. With the win, he broke a winless streak that dates back to early-July.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): David Gravel; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Super Flow ($50 cash): Jacob Allen; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Brad Sweet, Daryn Pittman, Joey Saldana, David Gravel; Craftsman/Sears: Ian Madsen; KSE Hard Charger: Shane Stewart; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Brad Sweet; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Clyde Knipp; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz – 24 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4, Stockton Dirt Track on March 18, Stockton Dirt Track on March 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on April 2, Lincoln Speedway on May 19, Weedsport Speedway on May 22, Lincoln Park Speedway on June 8, Knoxville Raceway on June 11, River Cities Speedway on June 17, Rockford Speedway on June 29, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 3, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9, Attica Raceway Park on July 12, Eldora Speedway on July 16, Ohsweken Speedway on July 26, Junction Motor Speedway on August 16, Angell Park Speedway on August 21, River Cities Speedway on August 26, Nodak Speedway on August 28, Willamette Speedway on September 7, Clay County Fair Speedway on September 16, Lernerville Speedway on September 24, Fulton Speedway on October 8); David Gravel – 9 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 12, Tri-State Speedway on May 14, I-96 Speedway on June 6, Eldora Speedway on July 14, Lernerville Speedway on July 19, Wilmot Raceway on July 30, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 5, Skagit Speedway on Sept 2 and 3); Shane Stewart – 8 (Arizona Speedway on March 6, Devil’s Bowl Speedway on April 23, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 30, Granite City Speedway on June 15, Brown County Speedway on June 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 9; Hartford Speedway on September 22; Eldora Speedway on September 24); Brad Sweet – 8 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Cotton Bowl Speedway on Feb. 26, Ocean Speedway on April 1, Bakersfield Speedway on April 15, Plymouth Speedway on May 13, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 2; Lakeside Speedway on October 21); Daryn Pittman – 7 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 27, Perris Auto Speedway on April 16, USA Raceway on April 18, New Egypt Speedway on May 24, Jackson Motorplex on June 24, Eldora Speedway on July 15, Williams Grove Speedway on July 22); Joey Saldana – 5 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 3, Devil’s Bowl Speedway on April 22, Jacksonville Speedway on May 4, I-80 Speedway on June 22, U.S. 36 Raceway on September 17); Jason Johnson – 3 (Placerville Speedway on March 24, Knoxville Nationals on August 13, El Paso County Raceway on September 14); Lance Dewease – 2 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 20, Williams Grove Speedway on July 23); Kerry Madsen – 2 (Eldora Speedway on May 6 and 7); Rico Abreu – 2 (Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 6, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 10); Logan Schuchart – 2 (Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9; Port Royal Speedway on October 15); Bill Balog – 1 (Beaver Dam Raceway on June 25); Chad Kemenah – 1 (Fremont Speedway on June 3); Terry McCarl – 1 (Knoxville Raceway on June 10); Jason Sides – 1 (I-30 Speedway on April 26); Greg Wilson – 1 (The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 27); Danny Dietrich – 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on October 14)
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Lakeside Speedway, Kans.; Oct. 21, 2016
Feature – (30 Laps) – 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1] [$10,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [3] [$5,500]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [10] [$3,200]; 4. 83-Joey Saldana [4] [$2,800]; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [19] [$2,500]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz [12] [$2,300]; 7. 17W-Kerry Madsen [9] [$2,200]; 8. 82-Sammy Swindell [13] [$2,100]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [11] [$2,050]; 10. 2C-Wayne Johnson [21] [$2,000]; 11. 41-Jason Johnson [20] [$1,500]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [7] [$1,200]; 13. O9-Matt Juhl [16] [$1,100]; 14. 1A-Jacob Allen [15] [$1,050]; 15. 5J-Jeremy Schultz [23] [$1,000]; 16. 71A-R.J. Johnson [18] [$900]; 17. 13-Clyde Knipp [17] [$800]; 18. 18-Ian Madsen [2] [$800]; 19. 21-Brian Brown [6] [$800]; 20. 7-Paul McMahan [8] [$800]; 21. 5-David Gravel [5] [$800]; 22. 12-Lynton Jeffrey [14] [$800]; 23. 95-Matt Covington [22] [$800]; 24. 21X-Kameron Key [24] [$800] Lap Leaders: Ian Madsen 1-4, Joey Saldana 5-12, Brad Sweet 13-30 KSE Hard Charger Award: 2-Shane Stewart[+14]
Qualifying –1. 5-David Gravel, 13.704; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.919; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.928; 4. 83-Joey Saldana, 13.993; 5. 21-Brian Brown, 14.010; 6. 18-Ian Madsen, 14.037; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.066; 8. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.097; 9. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.151; 10. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.196; 11. 17W-Kerry Madsen, 14.274; 12. 82-Sammy Swindell, 14.293; 13. 7-Paul McMahan, 14.300; 14. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.339; 15. 7W-Tasker Phillips, 14.358; 16. 12-Lynton Jeffrey, 14.453; 17. 71A-R.J. Johnson, 14.510; 18. O9-Matt Juhl, 14.513; 19. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.527; 20. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 14.712; 21. 95-Matt Covington, 14.753; 22. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.781; 23. 5J-Jeremy Schultz, 14.826; 24. 21X-Kameron Key, 15.669; 25. 75-Glen Saville, 15.840; 26. 41-Jason Johnson, 14.082
Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)-1. 5-David Gravel [1] ; 2. 83-Joey Saldana [2] ; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [4] ; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3] ; 5. 82-Sammy Swindell [5] ; 6. O9-Matt Juhl [7] ; 7. 21X-Kameron Key [9] ; 8. 7W-Tasker Phillips [6] ; 9. 95-Matt Covington [8]
Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)-1. 21-Brian Brown [2] ; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [1] ; 3. 7-Paul McMahan [5] ; 4. W20-Greg Wilson [7] ; 5. 12-Lynton Jeffrey [6] ; 6. 13-Clyde Knipp [8] ; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [4] ; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [3] ; 9. 75-Glen Saville [9]
Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)-1. 9-Daryn Pittman [1] ; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [2] ; 3. 17W-Kerry Madsen [4] ; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [3] ; 5. 1A-Jacob Allen [5] ; 6. 71A-R.J. Johnson [6] ; 7. 5J-Jeremy Schultz [8] ; 8. 2C-Wayne Johnson [7]
Craftsman Club®Dash – (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 6 starting positions of A-feature)-1. 49-Brad Sweet [2] ; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [1] ; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [4] ; 4. 83-Joey Saldana [3] ; 5. 5-David Gravel [6] ; 6. 21-Brian Brown [5]
Last Chance Showdown – (12 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) –1. 2-Shane Stewart [1] [-]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [8] [-]; 3. 2C-Wayne Johnson [3] [-]; 4. 95-Matt Covington [4] [-]; 5. 5J-Jeremy Schultz [5] [-]; 6. 21X-Kameron Key [6] [-]; 7. 75-Glen Saville [7] [$300]; 8. 7W-Tasker Phillips [2] [$250]
