JACKSON, Minn. — Logan Schuchart executed a last-lap pass to secure a World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory at Jackson Motorplex for the third straight season Saturday afternoon.
Mother Nature hampered the two preliminary nights of the 44th annual AGCO Jackson Nationals, forcing Friday’s race to be run in the middle of the day on Saturday. While track conditions are always a concern for day races, Schuchart and Carson Macedo put on a show in a thrilling 25-lap A Main.
Schuchart rocketed to the top spot on the opening lap and maintained the lead while utilizing the top groove despite five cautions during the first two thirds of the race. Macedo found rubber at the bottom of the track to make the pass for the lead on Lap 17.
“As soon as I saw Carson to the inside of me on the restart I knew there was rubber down there,” Schuchart said. “I just felt like I was a sitting duck. I felt here goes another one where you’re leading and just have no idea where to go as the leader. Rubber is one of them things it’s good to be running about fourth or fifth sometimes. If you’re the first one to feel it you’re able to pass all those guys pretty darn quick.”
Schuchart remained within striking distance throughout the final eight laps. As Macedo primarily hit his marks on the bottom lane, Schuchart focused his effort toward the middle to top of the track.
“I just tried to run somewhere else on the race track, really run it into one and two as hard as I could,” he said. “I got to (Turns) 3 and 4 a few times and went to the bottom. I knew I wasn’t going to get anything on him there. Carson is too smart to mess up. I just raced aggressive the last couple of laps. I was able to get a run on him in one and two and kind of block my line in three and four.”
Schuchart was on the rear bumper of Macedo as the white flag was waved. Macedo went to the bottom entering turn one while attempting to lap a driver. Schuchart sailed it in on the top and was able to reclaim the lead before exiting the corners. He then dove low entering turn three to secure the position en route to his fourth career World of Outlaws win at Jackson Motorplex.
“I’m just glad we were able to get one back,” he said. “He drives a great race. It’s nice to steal one back from them.
“We’re going to get a different race track tonight. It’s so much better when you show up to a track and you feel like you have good notes and a car that’s underneath of you. I definitely feel like we have the car to beat and the driver has just got to do his job. We’ll keep it up and try to go after this big one later on.”
Macedo finished second – only 0.435 seconds behind Schuchart.
“I was running the bottom right in the rubber,” Macedo said. “I could hear Logan at times, but I felt like I was so locked down in the rubber that I was making pretty good laps down there. If I would have moved out of the rubber and got to the top and then he’d have drove by me in the rubber on the bottom I’d have been an idiot, too. I had a car to win. Out in open air there I kinda just had to pace because I was nervous dragging my left rear and using up tires and stuff like that. I feel like we were good enough; he just did a good enough job.”
Jacob Allen rounded out the podium.
“I feel pretty good,” Allen said. “Obviously starting on the pole you want to win, but if anyone else is going to win obviously I want it to be Logan. That looked exciting for Logan for sure. My car was great all day; just had a bad start and I ended up third.”
Donny Schatz placed fourth and Sheldon Haudenschild finished fifth.
Macedo kicked off the program by establishing a new track record during qualifying as he and Brian Brown were quickest in their qualifying groups. Macedo, Giovanni Scelzi, Schuchart and Allen were the heat race winners. Allen captured the dash and Spencer Bayston won the Last Chance Showdown.
The 44th annual AGCO Jackson Nationals concludes Saturday night as the action features the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the Upper Midwest Renegades Sprint Car Series. It is scheduled to begin with hot laps at approximately 7:30 p.m.