JOLIET, Ill. — The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars are ready for one last stop in the “Land of Lincoln” as #AllDirtRoads continue to bring the tour closer to World of Outlaws World Finals.
After seven years away, The Greatest Show on Dirt is set to return to Joliet, Ill.’s Dirt Oval 66 for this weekend’s (Oct. 18-19) Federated Auto Parts Route 66 Showdown. The facility, less than an hour south of Chicago, has hosted the nation’s best Sprint Car drivers on nine occasions and will welcome them for the 10th and 11th times this weekend.
The fight atop the standings is tightening, and other battles throughout the points still need settled. Dirt Oval 66 takes center stage this weekend as the action continues to unfold and the 2024 World of Outlaws season rolls toward its conclusion.
Let’s look at the weekend’s top storylines:
CLOSER AND CLOSER
Carson Macedo is doing everything he can to bring a fight to David Gravel and Big Game Motorsports when the World of Outlaws World Finals decides a champion, Nov. 6-9.
Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing crew looked like they might be out of contention a little less than two months ago. They sat third in the standings – a distant 142 markers behind Gravel. But then they caught fire.
Six of the 13 races since that point have been won by Macedo, and he’s only missed the top 10 once. The Lemoore, Calif. native not only sits second in points, but he’s also slashed the gap between he and Gravel down to 72 points with seven races to go.
The two are even in terms of experience at this weekend’s venue with one appearance apiece. Gravel took the CJB Motorsports machine to a fourth-place finish when the World of Outlaws last visited Joliet in 2017. Macedo’s lone night at Dirt Oval 66 also led to a fourth, but that came with the All-Star Circuit of Champions in 2018 aboard Joe Gaerte’s No. 3G.
WINDY CITY WHEELMAN
There’s no doubt that Donny Schatz will have the upper hand this weekend when it comes to experience.
While many of the current full-timers have only seen the three-eighths-mile a time or two or not at all, Schatz has made nine trips to Dirt Oval 66. The driver of the Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing No. 15 is the winner of the two most recent Series visits (2005 and 2017). His average finish there is 5.78, and he’s never come home worse than 12th.
Schatz heads to Joliet fresh off a $20,000 payday from Lincoln (Pa.) Speedway. He’s currently third in the standings with Macedo 86 points ahead.
THE NIGHTMARE’S KNOWLEDGE
There’s one other driver among the current World of Outlaws full-time roster that’s visited Victory Lane at Dirt Oval 66.
In 2017, Bill Balog scored one of his more than 100 wins with the Interstate Racing Association (IRA). The “North Pole Nightmare” also took part in the World of Outlaws race that year, finishing 14th.
But that’s not the extent of Balog’s Joliet laps. He visited the track in 2019 and 2021 with the All-Stars and brought home top fives on both occasions. He enters the weekend as one of the most experienced competitors at the northern Illinois facility.
ROOKIE ON A ROLL
Michael “Buddy” Kofoid is piecing together one of the best rookie seasons in World of Outlaws history.
Kofoid and the Roth Motorsports team were solid in the first half of 2024, but since late August they’ve arguably been the fastest car on tour. In the last 14 races, Kofoid has won five, bagged a dozen podiums, and only been outside the top five once. The No. 83’s average finish over that stretch is a staggering 3.2.
The run has helped Kofoid climb to fourth in points with history reasonably within sight. Schatz resides in third with a 72-point advantage over Kofoid. If the Penngrove, CA native can surpass the 10-time champ, he’ll establish a new record for the highest finishing Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year.
Kofoid’s only trip to Dirt Oval 66 led to a top 10 with the All-Stars driving a Keith Kunz Sprint Car in 2021.
READY FOR REDEMPTION
One competitor heading to Joliet this weekend with redemption in mind is Kraig Kinser.
Seven years ago, Kinser came so close to an impressive Dirt Oval 66 win. The Bloomington, Ind. native drove all the way from 11th to the lead in five laps. Kinser led for 21 circuits before Donny Schatz came along and wrestled the top spot away with only four circuits remaining as Kinser slipped to eighth in the closing laps.
Kinser is closing in on the conclusion of another season with the World of Outlaws. His best finish with the Premier Motorsports team, so far, is a seventh at Eldora Speedway – a mark he’ll look to better this weekend at a track where he’s proven to have speed.