Federated Auto Parts I-55 Raceway

Sheldon Haudenschild set to backup historic I-55 win

5/20/2020

RacinBoys

Sheldon Haudenschild set to backup historic I-55 win

By Nick Graziano, WOO Sprint Series PR (Concord, NC) -- Rarely does a driver have a performance so prodigious that it sets a new level of excellence in the era of Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz dominance.

That triumph was earned by Sheldon Haudenschild when he won the Ironman 55 last year at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55. He crossed the finish line 10.3 sec. ahead of runner-up Schatz, lapped up to fifth place and led 45 of the 55 laps in the caution free race — a feat that still amazes to this day.

PHOTO CREDIT: Trent Gower

With the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series returning to the 1/3-mile track in Pevely, MO for the Drydene Down Double Invitational May 22-23 — where there are limited tickets still available to each night’s action — the Wooster, OH driver will look to dominate once again.

However, even Haudenschild isn’t sure we’ll ever see a performance like his Ironman run again.

“That’s a night that will probably be hard to ever beat again,” Haudenschild said. “I don’t know. Just the feeling in the car that night was something different. And to get a 55-lap race with no cautions is something unheard of. That one will definitely be hard to replicate again. But all we can do is do our best.”

(RELATED: Watch the Drydene Double Down Invitational on Friday and Saturday on DIRTVision.)

While Haudenschild was putting on one of the best performances in the history of the sport, from inside the car he had no idea.

“Ever since I started racing you have to expect somebody is right on you and is going to pass you,” he said. “That’s how I raced that night. That’s how you have to do it with the Outlaw guys. You never know. There’s a good chance somebody could have been running with me and been there at the end.

“I think I looked at the board one lap and I think that was my one mistake. I won’t do that again. That was a weird night. I didn’t really realize what was going on until I got to the white or the checkered and you start lapping some of them guys you knew you were racing with at the beginning of the race. It was kind of making me wonder.”

Haudenschild and I-55 have blended well ever since his debut at the track in 2017 with his own #93 car. He started the Feature third and finished third. In his six World of Outlaws starts at the track, he’s finished outside the podium twice.

He’s been watching his past I-55 races to prepare for the upcoming World of Outlaws doubleheader and his Ironman victory isn't one of them.

“I try not to watch that one actually,” Haudenschild said. “I watch different ones from Pevely. Maybe some older ones. I watched the one from when I ran second (the Friday before the Ironman) probably more than that one. I feel like I passed more cars and it was a little more realistic. I try to watch more common races than that one.”

Haudenschild and his NOS Energy Drink Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing team have had a decent start to the 2020 season. During the three season opening races in February at the DIRTcar Nationals, Haudenschild picked up one top-five and two top-10 finishes. He also earned two KSE Racing Hard Charger awards. Then, after about two months of not racing, he was on his way to a potential top-10 finish at Knoxville Raceway before getting caught up in a wreck when a car blew their tire directly in front of him.

Despite the poor finish, Haudenschild said he still has confidence in his car and team going into Pevely — a trait he said helped him win the Ironman.

“I feel like we had a solid Florida,” Haudenschild said. “Maybe not set the world on fire, but I felt good in the car. That gives me confidence. Same with Knoxville. We might not have started the night well, and it didn’t end well, but we made good laps in the [Last Chance Showdown] and I feel like we could’ve had a top-10 in the Feature. In my mind, I feel like we’re good. Just didn’t have the results we needed. Just move on and look forward to Pevely.”

One change to the team this year that’s already been a benefit to him is the addition of crew chief Kyle Ripper, who he worked with prior to joining SJM Racing. There’s a chemistry between them. Haudenschild already feels it. He said there’s no worries between them. They go to each race and focus on what they have going on.

Even team owner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. sees the potential in the pair.

“I think Sheldon’s communication with Ripper is in a really good spot,” Stenhouse said. “We raced good in Volusia but got to work on our qualifying a little bit. But I thought we went forward. Got a few hard chargers there and raced good. I definitely like our team.”

Going into their third year together this year, Stenhouse added he has seen the 26-year-old Haudenschild grow as a driver during that time. Haudenschild has seen it in himself, too.

“From 2017, when I was in my own car to 2018 when I was with Ricky, I look back and see things and wonder why I did that back then,” Haudenschild said. “It’s all a learning curve. I think that definitely in this sport, the older you get, the more experience you get and the better you get. To me, I think you hit your prime at about 35 years old. I think just growing and learning to work to that point to try and be perfect.”

Right now, whether it’s in a history making performance or not, his expectation is to just win — starting with the doubleheader at I-55 against a star-studded field and $26,000-to-win on the line between the two days.

THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

PROSPECTIVE ENTRIES

No.

Name

Hometown

Jacob Allen

Hanover, PA

Logan Schuchart

Hanover, PA

Carson Macedo

Lemoore, CA

Wayne Johnson

Tuttle, OK

Kerry Madsen

St. Mary's, NSW, AU

2KS

Chad Boespflug

Hanford, CA

Ayrton Gennetten

Gravois Mills, MO

Brock Zearfoss

Jonestown, PA

Terry McCarl

Altoona, IA

Brent Marks

Myerstown, PA

Bill Rose

Plainfield, IN

Jason Sides

Bartlett, TN

Kasey Kahne

Enumclaw, WA

Kyle Schuett

Philo, IL

Paul Nienhieser

Chapin, IL

Zeb Wise

Angola, IN

11K

Kraig Kinser

Bloomington, IN

11T

TJ Stutts

Liverpool, PA

Paul McMahan

Nashville, TN

13JT

Mark Dobmeier

Grand Forks, ND

Parker Price-Miller

Kokomo, IN

14X

Jeff Swindell

Memphis, TN

Donny Schatz

Fargo, ND

15H

Sam Hafertepe Jr.

Sunnyvale, TX

Sheldon Haudenschild

Wooster, OH

17A

Austin McCarl

Altoona, IA

17B

Bill Balog

Hartland, WI

17W

Shane Golobic

Fremont, CA

17X

Josh Baughman

Odessa, TX

Ian Madsen

St. Mary's, NSW, AU

W20

Greg Wilson

Benton Ridge, OH

Brian Brown

Grain Valley, MO

21X

Brinton Marvel

Pittsboro, IN

23B

Brian Bell

Arlington, TN

Rico Abreu

St. Helena, CA

24W

Lucas Wolfe

Mechanicsburg, PA

Cory Eliason

Visalia, CA

33M

Mason Daniel

Springville, CA

Zach Hampton

Plainfield, IN

35X

Stuart Brubaker

Fremont, OH

39M

Anthony Macri

Dillsburg, PA

David Gravel

Watertown, CT

41S

Dominic Scelzi

Fresno, CA

Cory Bruns

Lincoln, IL

44S

Trey Starks

Puyallup, WA

Danny Dietrich

Gettysburg, PA

Brad Sweet

Grass Valley, CA

49J

Josh Schneiderman

West Burlington, IA

Freddie Rahmer

Salfordville, PA

51B

Joe B. Miller

Millersburg, MO

Hunter Schuerenburg

Sikeston, MO

55W

Logan Wagner

Harrisonville, PA

Kyle Larson

Elk Grove, CA

Scotty Thiel

Sheboygan, WI

Justin Peck

Monrovia, IN

Shane Stewart

Bixby, OK

Daryn Pittman

Owasso, OK

83R

Lynton Jeffrey

Sydney, NSW, AU

Aaron Reutzel

Clute, TX

Cale Thomas

Fairland, IN

91R

Kyle Reinhardt

Neptune City, NJ

99M

Kyle Moody

Lewisberry, PA

WHEN & WHERE
Friday, May 22 and Saturday, May 23 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, MO, on DIRTVision. Hot Laps at 6 p.m. (CT)/7 p.m. (ET) and racing at 7:30 p.m. (CT)/8:30 p.m. (ET).

ABOUT THE TRACK
Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 is a high-banked 1/3-mile track.
Track Record – 10.115 sec. set by Logan Schuchart on Aug. 2, 2019
Online – FederatedAutoPartsRaceway.com

1/3-MILE WINNERS IN 2019
There were 8 races on a 1/3-mile track last year.
Thunderbowl Raceway: Ian Madsen won on March 9
Arizona Speedway: David Gravel won on April 6
Lake Ozark Speedway: Brad Sweet won on April 26 and David Gravel on Oct. 19
Beaver Dam Raceway: Brad Sweet won on June 22
Wilmot Raceway: Donny Schatz won on July 13
Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55: Brad Sweet won on Aug. 2 and Sheldon Haudenschild won on Aug. 3

FEDERATED AUTO PARTS RACEWAY AT I-55 PREVIOUS WINNERS
2019 - Brad Sweet on Aug 2, Sheldon Haudenschild on Aug. 3
2018 – Daryn Pittman on April 21, Rico Abreu on Aug. 3, Logan Schuchart on Aug. 4
2017 – Daryn Pittman on Aug. 4
2016 – David Gravel on Aug. 5, Rico Abreu on Aug. 6
2015 – Christopher Bell on May 2, Donny Schatz on Aug. 7, Shane Stewart on Aug. 8
2014 – Sammy Swindell on April 26, Paul McMahan on Aug. 1, Kerry Madsen on Aug. 2
2013 – Craig Dollansky on Aug. 3
2012 – Craig Dollansky on Oct. 13, Jason Sides on Oct. 13
2011 – Craig Dollansky on Aug. 5
2010 – Joey Saldana on April 17, Tim Shaffer on Aug. 6, Jason Meyers on Aug. 7
2009 – Craig Dollansky on Aug. 7, Joey Saldana on Aug. 8
2008 – Jason Meyers on April 5
2007 – Joey Saldana on July 7
2006 – Donny Schatz on April 1, Brooke Tatnell on July 8
2005 – Kraig Kinser on April 2, Chad Kemenah on July 8
2004 – Craig Dollansky on April 17, Danny Lasoski on Aug. 7
2003 – Steve Kinser on April 12, Tyler Walker on July 12
2002 – Jac Haudenschild on March 30, Daryn Pittman on July 13
2001 – Randy Hannagan on March 24, Stevie Smith on July 14
2000 – Jac Haudenschild on July 22
1999 – Jac Haudenschild on July 24
1998 – Stevie Smith on July 25, Andy Hillenburg on Oct. 10
1997 – Mark Kinser on May 18, Sammy Swindell on Oct. 11
1996 – Mark Kinser on June 12
1992 – Steve Kinser on June 10
1991 – Sammy Swindell on May 4
1990 – Sammy Swindell on April 14
1989 – Doug Wolfgang on April 15, Doug Wolfgang on Aug. 11
1988 – Steve Kinser on April 23
1987 – Brad Doty on April 22, Steve Kinser on Sept. 25

ON THE INTERNET
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Twitter – Twitter.com/WorldofOutlaws – @WorldofOutlaws
Instagram – Instagram.com/WoOSprint – @woosprint
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws
YouTube – YouTube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – Dirtvision.com – Get your Fast Pass to watch all races LIVE for only $39/month
Twitter – Twitter.com/DIRTVision – @DIRTVision
Facebook – Facebook.com/WatchDIRTVision

DRIVER INFO
Follow World of Outlaws full-time drivers on Twitter:
Brad Sweet – @BradSweet49
Carson Macedo – @carson_macedo
Daryn Pittman – @darynpittman
David Gravel – @DavidGravel
Donny Schatz – @donnyschatz
Jacob Allen – @JacobAllen1A
Jason Sides – @SidesMotorsport
Kraig Kinser – @KraigKinser11k
Logan Schuchart – @Lschuchart1s
Mason Daniel – @MasonDRacing
Sheldon Haudenschild – @Haudenschild_17
Wayne Johnson – @wjr77x

AROUND THE TURN: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series on Friday, May 29, and Saturday, May 30, will race at Lake Ozark Speedway, broadcasted live on DIRTVision. The first night will be $6,000-to-win and the second night will be $10,000-to-win.

2020 STATS
There have been four World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series Feature events this season.

FEATURE WINNERS (4 different drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Wins
1– Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. – 1
– Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, Calif. – 1
– Logan Schuchart, Hanover, Pa. – 1

– David Gravel, Watertown, Conn. – 1

DRYDENE HEAT RACE WINNERS (11 different drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Wins
1 – Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla. – 3
2 – Ian Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Australia – 2
– David Gravel, Watertown, Conn. – 2

– Cory Eliason, Visalia, Calif. – 2

3 – Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Australia – 1
– Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. – 1
– Parker Price-Miller, Kokomo, Ind. – 1
– James McFadden, Warrnambool, VIC, Australia – 1
– Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, Calif. – 1
– Shane Stewart, Bixby, Okla. – 1
– Logan Schuchart, Hanover, Pa. – 1

DIRTVISION FAST PASS DASH WINNERS (3 different drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Wins
1 – Ian Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Australia – 2

2 – Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. – 1
– Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla. – 1

LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (4 different drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Wins
1 – Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, Pa. – 1
– Jacob Allen, Hanover, Pa. – 1
– Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, Calif. – 1
– Sheldon Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio – 1

C-MAIN WINNERS (1 driver)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Wins

1 – Trey Starks, Puyallup, WA – 1

PODIUM FINISHES (7 different drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – # of podiums
1 – Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, Calif. – 3
– Logan Schuchart, Hanover, Pa. – 3
2 – Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla. – 2
3 – Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. – 1
– James McFadden, Warrnambool, VIC, Australia – 1
– David Gravel, Watertown, Conn. – 1
– Ian Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Australia – 1

HARD CHARGER AWARD (2 different drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C. Awards
1 – Sheldon Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio – 2
2 – Logan Schuchart, Hanover, Pa. – 1
– Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, Calif. – 1

TOTAL LAPS LED (6 different drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Laps
1 – Logan Schuchart, Hanover, Pa. – 50
2 – Ian Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Australia – 32

3 – Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, Calif. – 23
4 – Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. – 9

– Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla. – 9
5 – David Gravel, Watertown, Conn. – 2

QUALIFYING QUICK TIME (3 different drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs
1 – David Gravel, Watertown, Conn. – 2
2 – Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla. – 1
– Aaron Reutzel, Clute, Texas – 1

FASTEST IN PRACTICE (4 different drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – # of times fastest
1 – Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla. – 1
– Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. – 1
– Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, Calif. – 1
– Logan Schuchart, Hanover, Pa. – 1

2020 World of Outlaws Schedule & Winners
No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)