Schatz outdraws Stewart at Devils Bowl
Donny Schatz wins the Texas Outlaws national
WoO Pic
The Texas Outlaws National over the weekend at the Devils Bowl was another chapter in the Schatz, Stewart show as the Outlaws continue their personal battle for the Championship lead in 2015.
Schatz and Stewart, the yard sticks for the Championship as the Outlaws as the heads further into Championship race for 2015.
The opening night of the Texas Outlaw Nationals and the Ted Johnson Memorial was a wash out giving the teams time to refocus on the challenge ahead.
Up for grabs tonight was a winners purse of $20,000 and that very special Texas Cowboy hat that will be presented to the winner after 30 laps of the Devils Bowl. Once again this would be a Schatz, Stewart dominated show,
Stewart started the show with his Larson Marks racecar posting fast time over Schatz, Schubert and Kraig Kinser.
The dash was a reverse of the qualifying when Schatz over Stewart and Schubert.
Schatz and Stewart side by side in the pits and together on the fron row at Devils Bowl, WoO Pic
The 30 lap Ted Johnson Memorial, Schatz and Stewart on the front row and 22 hungry for a win Outlaws on their tails. Schatz was first to respond jumping into the race lead with Stewart and Schubert on the gas and in tow
Schatz would command the race lead for the first 7 laps before Stewart managed to get by Schatz as the pair came into lapped traffic. Now it was Stewarts turn to control and set the race pace.
The Larson Marks driver worked the track as he looked for any advantage to increase his advantage over the “Bad Boys “ supported driver .Traffic in these races can be the difference between winning and losing , taking any opportunity that is available and as the traffic loomed Schatz started to regain lost ground .
Lap 17 the Schatz and Stewart race battle would be decided after the six time champion pushed down on the bottom to regain the race lead .Almost forgotten young Logan Schubert was under pressure from first Jason Sides then Kraig Kinser. Schubert first lost out to Sides then Kinser passed to try and run Sides down for the final podium spot behind Schatz and Stewart.
Stewart continued to chase down Schatz without causing any real challenge leaving Schatz to cross the stripe and record his 6th win for 2015. Stewart was second with Kraig Kinser finally wrestling third from Sides .Schubert would finish in 4th.
The Devil’s Bowl Outlaw show saw the first appearance in the Outlaw Championship by Australia’s Jamie Veal in the Jason Johnson’s #41. After a slow start in the heats the Aussie rebounded strongly by winning the B main and finishing a creditable 11th place behind Schatz.
Jamie Veal ready at Devils Bowl with the #41
Pic Jason Johnson Racing
The race also had David Gravel making his debut behind the wheel of the Density Motorsports #7 following Craig Dollansky departure .Gravel finished in 16th .Kyle Hirst making his debut in the #83 Roth Motorsports Team finished in 19th . Driver and team changed mid season is hard to understand but the relationship between team owners, crews and driver is paramount to success.
Race results Devils Bowl Texas Outlaw National:
A-Main – (30 Laps) – 1. 15-Donny Schatz [1] [$20,000]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [2] [$6,000]; 3. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5] [$3,750]; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [4] [$3,250]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3] [$2,750]; 6. 71M-Joey Saldana [11] [$2,500]; 7. 51-Paul McMahan [8] [$2,400]; 8. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [9] [$2,300]; 9. 29-Kerry Madsen [6] [$2,200]; 10. 49-Brad Sweet [20] [$2,100]; 11. 41-Jamie Veal [13] [$1,700]; 12. 9-Daryn Pittman [18] [$1,400]; 13. 45X-Johnny Herrera [14] [$1,300]; 14. 11-Steve Kinser [7] [$1,200]; 15. 31B-Kevin Swindell [21] [$1,100]; 16. 7-David Gravel [16] [$1,000]; 17. 18-Tony Bruce Jr [19] [$1,000]; 18. 1A-Jacob Allen [15] [$1,000]; 19. 83-Kyle Hirst [24] [$1,000]; 20. 7H-Jojo Helberg [10] [$1,000]; 21. 21T-Ray Kulhanek [22] [$1,000]; 22. O1-Sammy Swindell [17] [$1,000]; 23. 29T-Travis Rilat [23] [$1,000]; 24. 77X-Wayne Johnson [12] [$1,000]. Lap Leaders: Donny Schatz 1-7, 17-30; Shane Stewart 8-16. KSE Hard Charger Award: 49-Brad Sweet [+10]
Last Chance Showdown – (12 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 41-Jamie Veal [1] [-]; 2. O1-Sammy Swindell [2] [-]; 3. 31B-Kevin Swindell [4] [-]; 4. 18-Tony Bruce Jr [3] [-]; 5. 29T-Travis Rilat [6] [-]; 6. 83-Kyle Hirst [8] [-]; 7. 17-Lane Whittington [9] [$300]; 8. 74B-John Carney II [12] [$250]; 9. 1AX-Kevin Ramey [11] [$225]; 10. 74X-Josh Hodges [10] [$200]; 11. O3-Joe Wood [5] [$200]; 12. 4X-Shawn Peterson [7] [$200]
Driver quotes :
Donny Schatz“”It’s fun racing with Shane. He’s a class act. He races hard and he races clean and it’s fun to come out on the better end of him,” Schatz said. “Never been so proud to wear a hat in my life.”
Schatz said getting through traffic and anticipating the challenges from behind was the key for the night.
“Well you’ve got to expect it – you don’t know if he’s there or not,” Schatz said. “You’ve got to go as hard as you can and try not to make mistakes. And if you’ve got to move around, you move around. That we did. Getting through traffic – that’s what wins and losses these races. That’s what has lost me a lot of races and that’s what’s won me a lot too.”
Shane Stewart “Stewart said he was disappointed with his finish but pleased with the way the 2015 season has gone so far for his team.
“I really, really wanted to win this race,” Stewart said. “I’ve got a lot of friends and family here. It was a race that I had on my radar that I really wanted to win. This Eneos/GoPro car has been really good all season and (crew members Scotty Martin and Andrew Seamans) once again gave me a good car. It’s always fun to be able to race for the lead, to be able to race up front like we’ve been able to do all year. Definitely a dream come true for me.”
Kraig Kinser :” Kinser, who finished third and in the process scored his first podium finish of the season, said the finish was one his team needed.
“We struggled a little bit the last month and a half,” Kinser said. “Just to get up here on the front stretch with these two guys is an accomplishment right now for us. Hopefully this will give us some momentum going into the rest of the year.”
The next outing for the Outlaws will be this Friday night May 1st at the Highbanks of Salina Speedway
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