BRANDON, S.D. — Sheldon Haudenschild delivered a winning performances on Friday at Huset’s Speedway during the opening round of the L.G. Everist Huset’s Shootout presented by D & I Railroad.
The $15,000-to-win World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series main event got off to a rough start with a red flag on Lap 1 and caution on Lap 3 for a multiple-car incident.
It didn’t take long to heat up as Sheldon Haudenschild drove around Garet Williamson, who led the first 11 circuits, in turns three and four on Lap 12. Williamson briefly reclaimed the lead in turns one and two before Haudenschild powered into the top spot exiting turn two.
Two laps later, Williamson once again used a slide job to take the lead for a few feet before Haudenschild rocketed back by off turn four.
A caution on Lap 16 was followed by a close call on Lap 18 for Haudenschild, who squeezed between a stopped car near the top of turn two and the wall, appearing to tag the outside wall during the dicey maneuver.
“Man, that first one got my heartrate up big time,” he said. “I thought I was done. It’s tough to see around that corner. He was yelling red (on the RACEceiver) and you know I’m sliding up the track. I’d rather hit the wall than him.”
Haudenschild was hard on the brakes during another close call to avoid a stopped car on the backstretch on Lap 22. Meanwhile, Michael “Buddy” Kofoid used the mid-race cautions and restarts to drive into the second position by Lap 19.
The final 14 laps didn’t see a caution and Haudenschild was able to maintain a comfortable lead despite racing through traffic the final seven laps. His margin of victory was 0.527 seconds.
“What a gnarly race,” he said after his ninth World of Outlaws triumph of the season and second at Huset’s Speedway this year. “This heat was no joke today. Thank you to the fans that stuck that one out cause that was a hot one. Good to get a win early in the week here.”
Williamson used a last-lap pass to garner the runner-up result.
“You’re a sitting duck out there in traffic,” he said. “Sheldon got by us there and then I feel we ran back to him in traffic. I think we went back and forth a lap or two. Buddy got by and then kinda just paced him, started searching a little bit. That’s when we really got good. Our car was phenomenal all night so that was really good.”
Kofoid’s third-place showing marked his fourth podium in the sixth World of Outlaws race at Huset’s Speedway this season.
“Just restarts and maneuverability,” he said of his strengths. “I got to the top at the right time and had good restarts where I could fire off on the outside. I felt really good on restarts and on short runs especially.”
World of Outlaws points leader David Gravel ran fourth and Carson Macedo placed fifth.
Lance Nordstrom led the distance of the 18-lap Nordstrom’s Automotive Late Model Street Stocks main event for his first career triumph at the track.
The finish:
Feature (35 Laps): 1. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild (2); 2. 23-Garet Williamson (1); 3. 83-Michael Kofoid (7); 4. 2-David Gravel (3); 5. 41-Carson Macedo (10); 6. 17-Spencer Bayston (6); 7. 17B-Bill Balog (5); 8. 10-Ryan Timms (18); 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart (4); 10. 27-Emerson Axsom (15); 11. 51-Steven Snyder Jr (9); 12. 2C-Cole Macedo (21); 13. 3-Kelby Watt (20); 14. 7S-Chris Windom (11); 15. 15-Donny Schatz (14); 16. 45X-Ashton Torgerson (12); 17. 24T-Christopher Thram (17); 18. 13-Mark Dobmeier (22); 19. 19-Kaleb Johnson (16); 20. 8-Jacob Hughes (23); 21. 16C-Skylar Gee (13); 22. 16-Riley Goodno (19); 23. 28M-Conner Morrell (24); 24. 16D-Sean Rayhall (8).
