PEVELY, Mo. — The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will make its annual spring visit to Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 this weekend.
In preparation for the intense Ironman 55 (Aug. 5-6), The Greatest Show on Dirt is given a spring doubleheader to get the juices flowing at the quarter-mile bullring. The Lucas Oil POWRi Midget League will also be on the card April 15-16.
Three-time World of Outlaws champion Brad Sweet and Sheldon Haudenschild have combined to win eight of the last 10 WoO events at the track, with each scoring four victories.
Both drivers, who each swept a weekend at I-55 last year, enter this go-round with a chance to leave as the winningest driver in Pevely.
Aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts No. 49, Sweet brings a 40-point lead into the weekend as he continues to command the standings with his fourth consecutive series championship on the line.
The Grass Valley, Calif., native only has one win to his credit through 13 races but looks to change that this weekend as he backs up his spring sweep of last year’s I-55 event.
The Big Cat has finished on the podium in eight of the last 10 races at I-55 and holds an impressive 5.5 average finish since becoming a full-time Outlaw in 2014.
Driving the Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing, NOS Energy Drink No. 17, Haudenschild comes into the weekend as the reigning Ironman 55 champion. After winning two of the first four races, the Wooster, Ohio, native has slipped to a 9.2 average finish over the last nine races as he remains fifth in the standings.
For four championship hopefuls, this weekend’s I-55 double offers the opportunity to return to form and collect some crucial momentum as the series continues to head east.
David Gravel rebounded properly from a 13th-place run at Devil’s Bowl with his sixth podium of the season at Lake Ozark Speedway last week. In four appearances at I-55 last year in the Big Game Motorsports No. 2, Gravel finished eighth, sixth, third and sixth.
Carson Macedo has fallen to third in the standings following a 16th-place effort in the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 at the Jason Johnson Classic. Macedo has only two top-five finshes in 11 starts at I-55. However, both of those results came last year with Philip Dietz on the wrenches.
Ten-time series champion Donny Schatz is without a doubt the most experienced driver at I-55, starting more than 50 features, with two wins and 43 top-10 finishes on his résumé.
James McFadden is on a rollercoaster ride with recent runs either providing top-five results or finishes completely outside the top-10. The Roth Motorsports No. 83 pilot currently sits sixth in the standings without a victory this season.
Jacob Allen brought a smile to fans worldwide when he returned to victory lane at Lake Ozark Speedway. The Shark Racing No. 1a pilot did it in spectacular fashion, completing a pass on Brady Bacon with three laps left and earning his second career victory in the form of a perfect night.
Allen’s teammate, Logan Schuchart, followed his Shark Racing teammate with a fourth-place finish, matching his season-high in the No. 1s.
Spencer Bayston has shown immense speed all season long in the CJB Motorsports No. 5. The leading Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender has been on the verge of winning his first race of 2022 for more than a month now, but things just haven’t fallen into place. The 23-year-old finished second at Lake Ozark.
Brock Zearfoss equaled his season-high of sixth-place at Lake Ozark.
Keyword: Sweet & Haudenschild Lead Outlaws To I-55