GRANITE CITY, Ill. — The Illini State and the Hoosier State await The Greatest Show on Dirt this weekend.
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will conclude a three-week swing through the Midwest with a long-awaited return to Tri-City Speedway on Friday night, followed by an exciting night at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind., on Saturday.
- For the first time since 2008, the World of Outlaws return to Tri-City Speedway Friday night. Absent from the schedule for the last 14 years, the three-eighths-mile oval is still the 13th most visited track in series history with 55 appearances dating back to the first in 1979.
When the series last ran there, 10-time champion Donny Schatz claimed victory. Schatz is one of the most experienced racers at the track with 16 starts between 1997 and 2008. He’ll look to use that to his advantage with his second win of 2022 on the line this Friday night.
Along with Schatz, only Kraig Kinser and Jason Sides have previously raced at Tri-City with the World of Outlaws.
Both drivers finished in the top-five in 2005, and both enter this weekend vying for their first top-10 effort of the new season.
- Following a trip to Tri-City, Tri-State takes center stage on Saturday night. The bullring will become the 20th most visited track in series history with their 42nd World of Outlaws race since 1979. It’s a high-banked quarter-mile known for producing off-the-wall action, first-time winners and pure mayhem at times.
Carson Macedo has topped the last two races there, joining Doug Wolfgang, Andy Hillenburg, and Paul McMahan as the only back-to-back winners at Tri-State. David Gravel is the only other full-time driver to win in Haubstadt, claiming two victories as well.
- Gravel will reach the first of several upcoming milestones this weekend with his 700th World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series feature on Saturday night. Gravel is four victories shy of his 75thWoO triumph.
- A pair of Indiana natives in Spencer Bayston and Kraig Kinser will race in their home state for the first time in 2022 this weekend as the series travels to Tri-State Speedway. Neither driver has yet to win at the quarter-mile with Kinser’s best run coming in fourth and Bayston’s best result in 11th.
For Bayston, he’s been on the verge of victory lane all season in the CJB Motorsports No. 5. The leading Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender enters this weekend on a streak of five straight top-10 finishes. For Kinser, the No. 11k has been quick throughout 2022 with little luck to show for it. He hopes to turn that around this weekend in the Hoosier State.
- The Shark Racing team was maybe only one lap away from scoring back-to-back World of Outlaws wins with both Jacob Allen and Logan Schuchart
After a rocky start to the season, both rebounded with impressive runs including Jacob’s Jason Johnson Classic victory and Schuchart’s near-win at I-55.
- Although the World of Outlaws hasn’t been to Tri-City since 2008, the Midwest Open Wheel Ass’n has raced there regularly.
Ayrton Gennetten is unbeaten in his Tri-City career, winning each of the last two MOWA races. He’s looking to top his World of Outlaws career-best of fourth, which came at Devil’s Bowl Speedway last fall.
Rico Abreu is a former MOWA winner at Tri-City as well, and he owns a USAC National Midget victory at the venue as does Tanner Thorson. Both will be in action this weekend following a pair of strong finishes at I-55 last weekend.
- Sheldon Haudenschild and James McFadden both returned to the top five last week at I-55 as their strong runs continue.
Haudenschild is a two-time winner already this year, but it has been 10 races since the Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing, NOS Energy Drink No. 17 last visited victory lane. Haudenschild mounted a magnificent charge from the tail to finish fourth last week and hopes that momentum carries him to a third win of the season.
McFadden nabbed his fourth top-five in the last six races aboard the Roth Motorsports No. 83, but the Australian is still searching for his first win of the season.
The reigning Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year has been a contender throughout the first 14 races and is on the verge of breaking through soon.
Keyword: WoO Notes: Illinois & Indiana Are Next