After seven years of competing full time on the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series tour, Sheldon Haudenschild enters year No. 8 feeling like he’s just getting started.
At first glance, Haudenschild’s numbers are already stout as he sits 22nd on the World of Outlaws all-time wins list with 34 feature wins. However, he feels those first seven years have been filled with growth and learning.
“Year number eight is a long time. I was talking earlier, I still feel like I’m just getting going,” Haudenschild said during World of Outlaws Media Day on Friday. “It takes a long time to learn how to win these races, let alone fight for championships.
“I feel like we’re getting to that stage where we can fight for championships. We’ve been close in the past. It’s just putting the whole year together and kind of going from there.”
On a personal level, Haudenschild’s growth as a driver with the Greatest Show on Dirt has been exponential.
“I think it’s just, man, learning how to race with these guys and how to be consistent,” Haudenschild said. “I’ve by no means got it perfected or think I have anything figured out. I think just after you do it this long, you kind of learn what your car’s gonna give you and probably where you’re at that night.
“As to where, when I was younger, you kind of just send it every night and you don’t really worry about the end of the night or the next race or anything like that,” Haudenschild continued.
“I think it’s just learning in life and learning in racing that there’s gonna be another one. We kind of just gotta figure out what we have each night and kinda go from there.”
The son of National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Jac Haudenschild has finished as high as fourth in the standings (2020) since his first year on the tour in 2017.
Now a seasoned veteran, Haudenschild believes he’s entering the prime of his career aboard a sprint car.
“I’m 30 years old. I kind of tell everybody, once you hit 30 is when you kind of learn and get going,” Haudenschild explained. “That’s what’s different about our sport than any other. A lot of sports, you’re retired by 30.
“I truly feel like this sport, you turn 30 and you’re kind of just getting going.”
As he approaches another year on the tour with a fresh mindset, Haudenschild and his Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing No. 17 team are going back to their old ways as they eye more success.
Three wins, 19 top fives and 45 top-10 finishes was certainly a positive last year. However, their number of trips to victory lane dipped considerably for the team compared to the previous three seasons, where they earned seven wins or better in each of those years.
The reason for a lack of results last year was due to changes within their package that didn’t pan out like the team hoped.
“Last year we just had a lot going on. Changed cars, changed shocks. Engines, we tried. Obviously a new tire last year, too,” Haudenschild said. “Just tried a lot that probably didn’t work.
“Also, I’m happy that we did try everything that we did.”
The veteran mindset from Haudenschild beamed as he further explained why the team’s trial and error on their package last season has turned into a positive ahead of the season opener at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park this week.
“We figured out a lot that didn’t work. Excited to just kind of go back to our old package and something that we know works,” Haudenschild said.
“We have good notes for that. We did four or five years on our old package. You always think you can be better. That’s kind of what we were going for last year and it didn’t work out.
“But, in a way I think it did work out just for us mentally and as a team too.”