ROCKFORD, Ill. — When Charlie Schultz heads to Rockford Speedway this weekend, he will do so as the current Must See Racing Sprint Series Presented by Engine Pro points leader. It will be the first time the MSR 410 winged sprints have raced at Rockford Speedway since 2018.
Schultz hopes to make sure the outcome is different than it was in 2018 when he led 49 of 50-lap feature only to be passed on the last lap by Jimmy McCune. An ill-handling race car was the culprit, ultimately costing Schutz a victory.
Schultz returns to Rockford Speedway for this Saturday night’s MSR event as the current MSR points leader, with several solid finishes and a new track record under his belt thus far.
“You never really think about the points” said Schultz. “But we started off the season strong with a second and a fourth. Jimmy’s (McCune) had some issues. You gotta go into every race wanting to win and be fast qualifier. At the end of the night, if you come up short, you say it was a good points night so-to-speak. Hopefully we’ll knock off one or two wins here soon. Obviously, this Hurricane has been treating us well since we got it put together late last year”.
Even though his last visit to Rockford ended in sorrow, he’s eager to return.
“I’ve been there twice,” Schutz said. “The last time I was there I led 49 of 50 laps and Jimmy McCune stole one from me and we finished second. We were pretty good early in the feature. We weren’t sure what the track would do when the sun went down. I was already fighting a tight condition. The car continued to get tighter as the race went on.
“There are two grooves at Rockford. I was running the high line because it was better suited for what the car was doing at that time. Jimmy was able to get underneath me on the last lap. I couldn’t get it done with the tight condition. I got beat at the line by just a little bit. I needed it to be 40 laps instead of 50. It wasn’t all that bad. I got my First MSR win a week later at Berlin. One thing I’ve learned, you can win or lose them on the last lap.”
Schultz will take a 14-point lead over Joe Liguori into Rockford Speedway, hoping to get his first victory of the season and extend his lead. Schultz will be joined by other MSR regulars for a full night of racing capped off by a 50-lap feature event.