HARTFORD, Mich. — The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is gearing up for a full weekend of action with three races at three tracks in three nights.
First on the agenda is a highly anticipated return to Michigan. The tour hasn’t crossed into the state’s border since 2019, but that’ll change on Friday, June 5, when Hartford Speedway takes center stage for the Pure Michigan Showdown.
Then, it’s around the southern rim of Lake Michigan and up to Wisconsin’s Plymouth Dirt Track on Saturday, June 6, for the Cheese Town Showdown. The World of Outlaws returned to the “Badger State” track in thrilling fashion a year ago after two decades away.
Finalizing the weekend is a Sunday, June 7, stop at Sun Prairie’s Angell Park Speedway. It’ll be a special night as the tour honors the man responsible for the World of Outlaws with the Ted Johnson Memorial Race at the track where he fell in love with the sport.
NIGHTMARE’S HOME
Few fanbases appreciate a local hero the way Wisconsin loves Bill Balog. His route is a bit unconventional in spending multiple decades racing on a primarily local basis before deciding to hit the road with the World of Outlaws.
He amassed a huge following in the “Badger State” over that time, and they’re always eager to welcome him to familiar territory.
The numbers are enormous for Balog at both Wisconsin tracks ahead. He’s won a whopping 20 times at Plymouth with the Interstate Racing Association. Two of those were co-sanctioned events with the All Star Circuit of Champions. Balog was seventh at last year’s Cheese Town Showdown. His versatility has been on display at Angell Park with 16 victories spread across winged sprint cars, non-winged sprint cars and midgets.
Balog heads home still chasing his first checkered flag of the season. He’s been close with laps led at multiple races and a Kennedale Speedway Park runner-up. History says don’t be surprised if he’s in contention this weekend.
MIGHTY MICHIGAN
There’s only one driver on the tour currently with a World of Outlaws win at Hartford, and it’s the two-time and defending champion, David Gravel.
The Watertown, Conn., native took the CJB Motorsports No. 5 to victory lane in 2017. He backed that up two years later in a different ride, the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41, by being the last of a three-leader thriller at Hartford. That made him the first and only competitor to top consecutive visits.
Friday will be Gravel’s first visit to the “Great Lakes State” since climbing aboard the Big Game Motorsports No. 2, but the team itself finished on the podium at Hartford in 2011 with Craig Dollansky. Gravel enters the weekend atop the standings with a 114-point advantage.
UNDEFEATED
Sheldon Haudenschild will put his perfect Angell Park record on the line Sunday.
He debuted at the third-mile during a 2014 IRA race aboard Chris Hartnell’s No. 48H and got the job done. The Wooster, OH native didn’t return for 11 years, but once he did, the result was the same as he steered the Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing No. 17 from third to the front. He’ll aim to make it three wins in three rides Sunday as he makes the trip with the KCP Racing crew.
Recent weeks have produced a stretch of consistency for Haudenschild in the NOS Energy Drink No. 18. He’s bagged six top fives in the last eight races, including a pair of runner-up results. He and Donny Schatz have traded the fourth spot in points several times this year, and Haudenschild’s May speed has given him the advantage by six markers entering June.
PRAIRIE SPEED
Haudenschild might be the only one with a perfect record at Angell Park, but he’s not the lone World of Outlaws competitor to find some speed in Sun Prairie, Wis.
Donny Schatz’s first visit to Angell Park ended in victory lane. He claimed the World of Outlaws debut at the oval in 2016 aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 15 and will head there this Sunday in the CJB Motorsports No. 15.
Before his time on the World of Outlaws tour began, Carson Macedo topped a POWRi Midget race at Angell Park a decade ago. His best sprint car result there is seventh at a 2016 IRA race aboard Jimmy Davies’ No. 99x. Macedo enters the weekend as the most recent series winner, courtesy of charging from ninth to the checkered flag at River Cities Speedway on Friday.
SUMMER OF MONEY
The time is now for World of Outlaws teams to make sure their cars are firing on all cylinders.
The beginning of the “Summer of Money” is less than three weeks away. What began as the Month of Money has evolved into a three-month stretch filled by pocket-stuffing races. From June 17 through Sept. 19, the teams will tackle 14 races that send the winner home with at least $20,000.
Four of them serve up a six-figure payday, including the largest in series history, the $300,000-to-win finale of the BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals on June 20. That’s part of a massive week at Huset’s Speedway that also boasts the $150,000-to-win Hefty Seed Huset’s Hustle on June 18.
The stretch also features the $200,000-to-win Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway (July 17-18) and the $200,000-to-win NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s at Knoxville Raceway (Aug. 12-15). It’s punctuated by the $83,000-to-win Dennis Roth Classic at California’s Stockton Dirt Track (Sept. 18-19).
