Column By: ALEX NIETEN / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – CONCORD, NC – The 2023 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car season offered 71 opportunities at official Series victories.
As a result, many competitors bagged multiple checkered flags and elevated their name on the all-time win list that accounts for more than 3,600 races.
This season offered plenty of parity in the win column. A total of 19 different drivers visited Victory Lane with The Greatest Show on Dirt this year, the most since 2019 and tied for the 10th most in one season.
Donny Schatz (311 wins): While Donny Schatz didn’t gain any spots, he did add to his incredible win total. The 10-time Series champion won four times in 2023 including his sixth Kings Royal, this one worth $175,000. Schatz is 83 behind Sammy Swindell (394 wins) for the second most in Series history.
Brad Sweet (90 wins): The now five-time World of Outlaws champion reached a coveted top 10 spot on the list in 2023. Sweet’s sixth victory of the year came at Cedar Lake Speedway in late June and moved him ahead of Stevie Smith (84 wins). Then a win in his home state of California at Kings Speedway in September elevated him above former teammate – Daryn Pittman (86 wins) – for ninth on the list. “The Big Cat” added three more before the year was over to bring his tally to 90, only five away from equaling Dave Blaney for eighth.
David Gravel (88 wins): Three wins in the first five races of 2023 brought Gravel into a tie with Sweet for career wins before Sweet managed to inch ahead with Gravel right behind him all year long. Like Sweet, Gravel moved ahead of both Smith and Pittman to crack the top 10. A dozen victories for Gravel led the Series this year, and his career total of 88 is currently good enough for 10th all-time.
Logan Schuchart (41 wins): During his 10th year on tour, Logan Schuchart racked up six wins with his Shark Racing team. The second of those put him ahead of Shane Stewart for 19th most. The Hanover, PA native will enter 2024 only one behind Andy Hillenburg (42 wins) for 18th on the list.
Carson Macedo (35 wins): It was another strong year for Carson Macedo aboard the Jason Johnson Racing #41 as the pairing bagged seven victories. His first of the year in March broke a tie with fellow Californian – Kyle Larson – on the all-time list. Macedo also went on to surpass Bobby Allen (30 wins) and Sheldon Haudenschild (34 wins) and now sits 21st all-time, only one away from tying for 20th.
Sheldon Haudenschild (34 wins): The exciting talent from Wooster, OH may have not gained any positions on the all-time list, but Sheldon Haudenschild did add to his career total. He tallied a trio of triumphs this year including a memorable charge from 16th to victory at Skagit Speedway.
Kyle Larson (32 wins): While Macedo moved ahead of him, Kyle Larson still managed to make his own climb in 2023 with four wins. He broke a tie with Kerry Madsen (28 wins) and leaped ahead of Bobby Allen. “Yung Money” owns 32 triumphs in 136 career Feature starts (23.5%) and is 23rd on the all-time win list.
Rico Abreu (15 wins): This year proved to be Rico Abreu’s best by far. Competing on a part-time basis, the St. Helena, CA driver claimed six victories in 2023. His previous high for one season was two. Abreu’s efforts allowed him to move up more than 10 spots into a tie for the 36th most wins.
Brent Marks (14 wins): The former full-timer with the Series added two more tallies to his win column. Brent Marks grabbed his second National Open title and night two of the World Finals in November to go from 12 to 14 wins, giving him possession of the 38th most.
James McFadden (11 wins): In his second year piloting the Roth Motorsports #83, James McFadden made a huge climb up the list. “J-Mac” entered 2023 with five career wins and more than doubled that mark with six this year. He went from outside the top 60 to a tie for 46th.
Buddy Kofoid (3 wins): The only driver to wheel two different machines to a win in 2023 was Buddy Kofoid. The Californian topped Talladega in March with CMS Racing and Placerville in September aboard a second Roth Motorsports entry. Kofoid’s three career wins puts him in a tie with seven others for the 75th most.
More Movers: On top of those who made big leaps on the list, many drivers topped one race in 2023 to make a small step forward. The following five competitors made one trip to Victory Lane this year – Anthony Macri, Brian Brown, Giovanni Scelzi, Spencer Bayston, and Tyler Courtney.
First-timers: In addition to the many movers, the all-time win list also grew by three in 2023 as a trio of drivers notched their first Series victory. Brady Bacon topped Tri-State Speedway. Corey Day claimed the Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway. And Zeb Wise beat the best of the World of Outlaws and PA Posse at Port Royal Speedway. Now, 152 competitors have won a World of Outlaws race.
The 2024 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car season begins on Feb. 7-10 at Volusia Speedway Park with the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals.