BARBERVILLE, Fla. — As the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series prepares to open the season Thursday through Saturday at Volusia Speedway Park, all targets are pointed at the Kasey Kahne Racing No. 49 sprint car wheeled by Brad Sweet.
Sweet will be looking to win his fourth consecutive series championship after having joined Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz last year as the only drivers to win three WoO titles in succession.
“The Big Cat” steered his Maxim/Kistler entry to a third straight championship with the tremendous trio of Eric Prutzman, Joe Mooney and Andrew Bowman, who all remain on board, preparing his cars.
Sweet has won six features at Volusia as the series opens its season at the half-mile Florida track for the 18thconsecutive year.
• When it comes to Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, all that matters is winning. After a strenuous research and development program, the No. 15 team believes the Ford Performance 410 engine is as strong as ever entering the season.
Schatz, who only won three times last season, will be in search of his 11th series championship.
Schatz has won 13 World of Outlaws features at Volusia (more than double Sweet at 6) and boasts a record total of 22 DIRTcar Nationals triumphs.
• Three of last year’s breakout teams are all back together and ready to launch a new attack on earning their first World of Outlaws championship.
David Gravel and Big Game Motorsports clicked in 2021, rattling off 11 wins as Gravel finished second in the standings. Gravel will benefit from the return of reigning Crew Chief of the Year Cody Jacobs and full backing from Tod Quiring on the Huset’s Speedway No. 2.
In his first season with Jason Johnson Racing, Carson Macedo won 11 features with a career-best third-place championship effort. The Lemoore, Calif., native has developed into a nightly threat with ace Phil Dietz calling the shots on the No. 41.
Statistically, Sheldon Haudenschild put together a career year in 2021 by setting personal bests with eight wins, 296 laps led, and 23 podium finishes.
It will be the Ohio native’s fifth season aboard the Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing, NOS Energy Drink No. 17 with Kyle Ripper again serving as crew chief.
Kyle Larson has never won at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park. (Julia Johnson photo)
• After competing in Sunday’s groundbreaking Clash at the Coliseum, two Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series drivers will participate in the DIRTcar Nationals.
Kyle Larson and Paul Silva will unload the revered No. 57 at a track the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion has yet to conquer. The Elk Grove, Calif., native has won at 89 different dirt tracks worldwide, but not at Volusia Speedway Park.
Alex Bowman will make his World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series debut aboard his own Ally Racing No. 55 sprint car. The Hendrick Motorsports star began dabbling in 410 competition last year and prepares to hit it even harder this year as he challenges himself with a new discipline. Joe Gaerte will serve as Bowman’s crew chief.
• The defending DIRTcar Nationals champions, Shark Racing, will try to earn back-to-back Big Gator Championships for the first time since the trophy was introduced a decade ago. Logan Schuchart and Jacob Allen are preparing for their ninth season with the World of Outlaws.
Schuchart was unstoppable at Volusia last February, recording a win with the All Stars and World of Outlaws as the No. 1s scored a dominant DIRTcar Nationals title.
Allen is ready for a fresh 90-race slate and that’s exactly what he’ll get this week down in Florida. The son of Bobby Allen has a new look and new attitude as his design pays tribute to his legendary father all year long.
• James McFadden, who was named rookie of the year last year, returns for his second full season, but moves from Kasey Kahne Racing to the No. 83 Roth Motorsports entry. Justin Adams continues as McFadden’s crew chief.
• Brock Zearfoss returns to the series full time aboard his familiar No. 3z machine with Shane Bowers working as crew chief.
• Three drivers — Kasey Kahne, Spencer Bayston and Noah Gass — will be vying for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award.
Kahne, 41, will race with the full series schedule for the first time in his career, driving his own Kasey Kahne Racing No. 9.
The CJB Motorsports No. 5 headed by crew chief Barry Jackson returns to the series with 23-year-old Spencer Bayston, who won two WoO features last year, behind the wheel.
Eighteen-year-old Oklahoma driver Noah Gass will tackle the full schedule for the first time with Cody Cordell leading his No. 20 team.
• Joining Schatz as the only three full-time WoO drivers who have run 1,000 features in the series, Jason Sides and Kraig Kinser each plan to run the complete schedule of events again this season.
• Reigning All Star champion and Kings Royal winner Tyler Courtney will be in attendance at the DIRTcar Nationals with the Clauson-Marshall Racing, NOS Energy Drink No. 7BC. Sunshine set his VSP career-best last year with a sixth-place effort.
Other drivers representing the All Stars during this weekend’s season kick-off will be Cory Eliason (Rudeen Racing), Justin Peck (Buch Motorsports),, Kevin Thomas Jr. (Snow Racing) and Kerry Madsen (Sam McGhee Motorsports).
• Three of the PA Posse’s finest have made their annual trip south to start the season at the DIRTcar Nationals.
Brent Marks, who was the hottest driver in the country at the end of last season, will showcase his new Murray-Marks Motorsports No. 19. Danny Dietrich and Anthony Macri will also be in the field.
• Wildcard invaders to think about during this week’s DIRTcar Nationals include Brian Brown and his familiar FVP Parts, Casey’s General Stores No. 21, Aaron Reutzel in the RSR No. 8, KCP Racing’s Giovanni Scelzi, Texas traveler Sam Hafertepe Jr. and first-time DIRTcar Nationals visitors Ayrton Gennetten and Paulie Colagiovanni.
Keyword: WoO Notes: Season Begins At Volusia