Schuchart Brings Momentum To ‘Unique’ Williams Grove

The Greatest Show on Dirt heads to Pennsylvania for the first time this year, as the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is set to compete at Williams Grove Speedway on March 17. 

It’ll be the first race for the series this season not run at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park, after the Big Gator Championship wrapped up at the beginning of March. 

The driver hoisting the Big Gator Trophy after capping off a stellar Dirt Car Nationals in February? 

None other than Hanover, Pa., native, Logan Schuchart. 

With the first two events of the Pennsylvania swing cancelled due to weather at Port Royal Speedway, the Shark Racing driver will have his first crack at home soil on Friday in an event that will open the season at the Grove. 

Though for Schuchart, finding a balance on the Mechanicsburg, Pa., track has been a tricky one as of late. In five starts last season, Schuchart’s No. 1s appeared in the top-10 once, a fifth-place run in last May’s Morgan Cup. 

At a glance, the Grove is in a league of its own in terms of tracks the World of Outlaws tours every year. Schuchart believes every track the series visits in his home state has its own distinct characteristics. 

“Williams Grove’s a very unique race track compared to any other race track we go to,” Schuchart told SPEED SPORT. “Port Royal (Speedway) has a similar feel. All race tracks in Pennsylvania really, they all have that paperclip type of shape to them. Long straightaways, tighter corners.

“It’s more of the scale of which they’re at. Port Royal has a little bit wider corners, we run different setups at all of them.”

When it comes to pinpointing why the No. 1s has struggled at the half-mile dirt oval, Schuchart feels having a stout qualifying effort is the key to having a successful night in Central Pennsylvania. 

“Why we struggled? I can’t really say. Part of it is just starting out your night well. I have struggled at qualifying,” Schuchart said. “The biggest reason certain cars go good every time they go there is because they qualify well and start themselves up front. 

“Williams Grove anyway, or certain race tracks, are hard to come from the back and make something happen. You can improve as the night goes on, feel like you make your car a lot better. It’s just harder to improve and advance spots later on.” 

Despite qualifying and outright speed being a significant contributor to success at the Grove, Schuchart believes his crew will play an important role in figuring out the missing elements when it comes to the Pennsylvania tracks. 

“It’s just part of it, trying to figure it out,” Schuchart said. “We got some new guys, it’s gelling together, working as a team and figuring it out.” 

Schuchart enters the Low-E Insulation Spring Showdown at the Grove second in points, only 20 markers behind leader David Gravel, who has won three of the first five races.