OSBORN, Mo. — The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series returns to U.S. 36 Raceway and I-80 Speedway for the first time in four years this weekend.
The Outlaws will grace the three-eighths-mile U.S. 36 Raceway in Osborn, Mo., on Aug. 29 and then the four-tenths-mile I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb., on Aug. 30.
Both tracks will likely produce a first-time winner in some capacity, as none of the current full-time World of Outlaws drivers have won at either track.
The tracks will also play a big role in the series championship battles, with five drivers still in contention for the driver championship and six teams in the running for the team title.
Below are the top storylines to follow this weekend:
— Logan Schuchart continues to lead the Outlaw points with less than 20 races remaining this season. However reigning champion Brad Sweet, who is second in points, closed within eight points last race.
To hold the lead after this weekend, Schuchart will look to improve upon his last performances at U.S. 36 Raceway and I-80 Speedway from 2016. He finished 17th at U.S. 36 and 20th at I-80.
However, he’s proved over the last year and a half that he and his Shark Racing team can enter any track and perform well – currently holding the most top-10s in 2020 with 34.
— David Gravel is on an incredible run of 18 top-10 finishes in a row – including three of his four wins this year. That has helped elevate Jason Johnson Racing to be tied with Schuchart’s Shark Racing team for the lead of the team championship points.
Gravel has missed two races this year to run an ARCA and NASCAR Truck Series race, taking him out of the driver championship. However, Parker Price-Miller filled in for him in those races to help keep JJR in championship contention.
Gravel may keep his top-10 hot streak going this weekend, as he finished third at U.S. 36 and eighth at I-80 in 2016.
— Bad luck struck again for Sweet at River Cities Speedway, getting sent into the wall early on. However, this time, he and his Kasey Kahne Racing team were able to overcome it.
Sweet charged from the rear to finish fifth and then backed that up with a second-place run the next night.
This weekend will be another good opportunity for Sweet and KKR to keep their top-five streak going and gain more points. The last time he raced at I-80 he finished third, and the in the last time he raced at U.S. 36 he finished fifth.
— After a rough week at Knoxville Raceway, where Donny Schatz was unable to score a top-10 finish, he rebounded in his home state with a third-place run at River Cities Speedway and seventh-place run at Red River Valley Speedway.
Schatz and his Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing team will look to build off that to get back to their winning ways this weekend. He’ll be on the hunt for his first career win at U.S. 36 and I-80 this weekend – he finished second at I-80 and seventh at U.S. 36 in 2016.
Schatz is currently only three wins away from a milestone 300 career wins.
— While all of the full-time World of Outlaws drivers are looking for their first win at I-80 and U.S. 36 this weekend, several will be making their first ever Outlaw start at both tracks.
Among them are Rookie of the Year contender Mason Daniel and young guns Carson Macedo and Sheldon Haudenschild. Bill Rose will also be making his first appearance with the Outlaws at I-80.
— Daniel is currently leading the Rookie of the Year battle by 16 points over Wayne Johnson.
After going eight races in a row of not making it to the feature, Daniel turned his fortune around in North Dakota, qualifying for both races and securing a top-20 at both events.
— Macedo is having a strong sophomore year with Kyle Larson Racing, currently sitting fourth in points with one win so far. He’s currently tied with defending champion Brad Sweet for the second most top-10 finishes this year with 29.
He led laps early at Red River Valley Speedway last weekend and earned a top-10 during both nights in North Dakota.
— Haudenschild is having one of the best seasons of his career, currently sitting fifth in points with two wins. He and his Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing team have been contenders to win just about every weekend with their NOS Energy Drink No. 17 car.
He finished seventh and third, respectively, last weekend in North Dakota.