PEVELY, Mo. — I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park is perfect for sprint car racing.
A high-banked bullring that produces blistering 10-second laps early in the night before slicking off and widening out to leave plenty of room for huge slide jobs and crossovers. What more could you ask for?
All eyes are on the third-mile dirt track as it’s this weekend’s target for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.
The Federated Auto Parts Spring Classic brings the world’s best sprint car drivers to I-55 for two nights (April 10-11) of action. I-55 is currently tied with Silver Dollar Speedway as the sixth most visited track in series history with 79 races and will take sole possession of that spot this weekend.
The event brings the tour back to life after taking Easter off and signals the start of a huge stretch of racing as the World of Outlaws is busy for the next 12 consecutive weekends as the season ramps up.
MACEDO ON THE MOVE
Carson Macedo needed a good weekend after a disastrous trip to Oklahoma, and that’s exactly what he got.
The Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 won on Friday at US 36 Raceway. A night later, Macedo overcame a rough Qualifying effort by ripping from 22nd to fourth. The most important part of that huge charge? He passed David Gravel, who finished sixth. The two nights allowed Macedo to chop 10 points out of Gravel’s championship lead. The Lemoore, Calif., native now trails the two-time and defending titlist by 48.
I-55 ranks among Macedo’s best tracks and gives him a chance to cut into Gravel’s advantage even more. He’s finished on the podium in 10 of his last 14 tries there, including four victories. A pair of those triumphs came last year.
BUDDY’S COMING BACK
Macedo isn’t the only competitor clawing his way toward Gravel. Many circled Michael “Buddy” Kofoid and Roth Motorsports as the combination most capable of potentially dethroning Gravel and Big Game Motorsports in 2026, but the month of March didn’t quite start according to plan.
Mechanical woes on the final night of Volusia Speedway Park’s Bike Week Jamboree left them with a 27th-place result. A crash while leading late at Kennedale Speedway Park dropped Kofoid to 20th. Then, more issues with the No. 83 at Lawton Speedway forced them to salvage an 11th. The trio of results dropped them to sixth in points, staring down nearly a 100-point gap to Gravel atop the standings.
But since then, Kofoid and the Roth crew have built some serious momentum. The night after Lawton, the Penngrove, Calif., native came home second at Creek County Speedway. Then came another runner-up at US 36 Raceway before a thrilling victory at 81 Speedway. That gave Kofoid three straight top two finishes and allowed him to climb to fourth in the standings with the margin between he and Gravel down to 82 markers.
And now, Kofoid heads to a track where he’s the most recent winner, looking to keep chipping away. The 24-year-old topped last year’s Ironman 55 for his first score at I-55. He’s also only missed the top 10 there once in his last nine tries.
PEVELY PROWESS
Along with Macedo and Kofoid, several more current World of Outlaws drivers have enjoyed success at I-55.
Among them is the man they’re all chasing, David Gravel. The Watertown, Conn., native owns a pair of Pevely checkered flags. The first came in 2016 with CJB Motorsports. The most recent was in 2024 with his current Big Game bunch.
There was a time when Sheldon Haudenschild was just about unbeatable at I-55. During a stretch from 2019 to 2021, Haudenschild claimed four races in nine tries. This weekend will mark his first visit to the facility since joining forces with KCP Racing.
Donny Schatz has a trio of I-55 triumphs under his belt. The first was with his family-owned organization in 2006. The next two (2015 and 2024) were aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 15. This weekend, he’ll aim to park the CJB Motorsports ride in victory lane.
Logan Schuchart has twice conquered I-55. The Hanover, Pa., driver hoisted the Ironman 55 dumbbell in 2018 before taking the Federated Auto Parts No. 1S back to victory lane in last year’s Spring Classic finale.
Spencer Bayston topped the Night Before the Ironman in 2023 during his days with CJB Motorsports. The Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing pilot also won an I-55 POWRi Midget race in 2020.
NEARLY KNOTTED UP
Emerson Axsom and Ashton Torgerson have asserted themselves as the early favorites for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presented by Five Star Bodies, and the battle looks destined to be a fight all the way to World Finals.
The two have traded the lead multiple times over the past few weeks. Currently, Axsom leads Torgerson by a slim two markers. Both have had a handful of impressive outings. Axsom and the Klaasmeyer/Petry Motorsports crew have gotten rolling lately with three top 10s in the last five races, including a fifth at US 36 Raceway. Torgerson started strong with a trio of top 10s at Volusia, highlighted by a runner-up in the Bike Week Jamboree finale.
The two rookies have made four appearances at I-55 apiece. Torgerson’s are split between sprint cars and midgets. The Glendale, Ariz., native took the Shark Racing No. 1a to a pair of top 10s during last year’s Ironman 55 weekend and did the same in a Keith Kunz Motorsports ride with the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets presented by Toyota in 2024.
All four of Axsom’s I-55 efforts have been aboard a sprint car, with his top result being a seventh with KCP Racing in 2025.
FULL HOUSE
In addition to the 17 full-time World of Outlaws drivers, fans can expect many more competitors to pack the I-55 pit area. Last year’s Spring Classic welcomed a whopping 62 entries.
After nearly securing his second World of Outlaws win at 81 Speedway, Ryan Timms plans to be in action again this weekend. While his I-55 Sprint Car experience is limited, the Knoxville Nationals champion does boast a trio of Xtreme Outlaw Midget podiums at the third-mile.
Missouri’s own Brian Brown has the Federated Auto Parts Spring Classic on his schedule. “Blackjack” was on the I-55 podium with the World of Outlaws in 2012.
Tanner Thorson is expected to invade I-55 in the Rod Gross Motorsports No. 88. The Minden, Nev., native claimed a POWRi Midget race at the Pevely, MO oval in 2015 and drove from 17th to second in last year’s Ironman 55 finale.
South Dakota’s Kaleb Johnson will debut with Heidbreder Motorsports this weekend. The former Huset’s Speedway track champion got his first look at I-55 last year and will be back for more laps.
