TOP FIVE STORYLINES: Major Midwestern Stretch Begins with US 36, 81 Speedway Weekend

Column By: Alex Nieten / WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SERIES – OSBORN, MO – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is ready to hit the ground running in America’s Heartland.

An extended stay in the Midwest is ahead for The Greatest Show on Dirt. Stops in Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa are all ahead in the next month for the country’s best Sprint Car drivers.

It begins this weekend as Osborn, MO’s US 36 Raceway makes a popular return to the schedule for the KC Classic on Friday, March 27. The “Show-Me State” oval never fails to produce some of the best Sprint Car racing fans can find anywhere.

Then it’s one state west as the spotlight shines on Park City, KS’ 81 Speedway on Saturday, March 28. The Tallgrass Tussle brings the World of Outlaws to the track just north of Wichita for the 16th time in Series history.

Let’s look at the biggest stories to watch this weekend:

DOES THE STREAK STAY ALIVE?

There isn’t a lot David Gravel hasn’t done at this point in his career, but he checked off another box over the Oklahoma weekend.

The two-time and defending champion swept the races at Lawton Speedway and Creek County Speedway. Combine those with his Kennedale Speedway Park score from the prior Friday, and you get the first three-race World of Outlaws win streak of Gravel’s career. It’s also allowed Gravel and Big Game Motorsports to stretch their advantage atop the standings to 58 markers.

Friday presents Gravel the chance to be the first driver to win four in a row since Brad Sweet in early April of 2021. Recent history favors the Watertown, CT native considering he claimed the last US 36 visit in 2024. Should he get the job done in Missouri, he’ll go for the first five-race streak since Donny Schatz pulled it off in March of 2017. He’s yet to win at 81, but he’s been on the podium all three times he’s raced there.

BRAWL FOR SECOND

Gravel might be stretching his legs at the top, but it’s a donnybrook the runner-up spot knowing if Gravel slips at all, they can pounce. Only 38 points separate five drivers.

Carson Macedo currently sits second, but he and Jason Johnson Racing fought some struggles in Oklahoma. A spin at Lawton turned a potential podium into a 16th-place finish. Qualifying and Heat Race problems at Creek County left them playing catch up, and Macedo salvaged a top 10 after starting 22nd. The Lemoore, CA native has been to US 36 on three occasions and never finished worse than seventh. Over at 81, he was runner-up in his 2023 debut before slipping to ninth in 2024.

Six straight finishes of eighth or better have allowed Sheldon Haudenschild and KCP Racing to climb to third. The new combination sits just six markers shy of Macedo for second. Haudenschild won his first two US 36 appearances (2020 and 2023) and was primed to make it three straight in 2024 before an incident in traffic. The Wooster, OH native has improved with each visit to 81 – 12th in 2017, seventh in 2023, and fourth in 2024.

Donny Schatz and CJB Motorsports are beginning to click and sit fourth in points as a result. They’ve pieced together four consecutive top 10s including a pair of podiums. Seven trips to US 36 have yielded five top 10s for Schatz highlighted by a 2024 runner-up. Among the current crop of 17 full-time World of Outlaws drivers, Schatz is the only one with a victory at 81, and he’s topped a pair at the Kansas track.

The fifth spot belongs to Logan Schuchart. The Shark Racing No. 1S has been solid all year with seven top 10s through nine races and nearly picked up a victory at Creek County until slipping to fifth in the final laps. The Pennsylvanian owns a pair of top fives in four US 36 appearances. His best result at 81 in three tries is seventh.

Michael “Buddy” Kofoid sits sixth after some mechanical woes and crashes have hampered the championship contender early in the campaign. He did rebound with a Creek County runner-up on Saturday in the Roth Motorsports No. 83. Kofoid podiumed at the 2024 trip to US 36. He also bagged a top five at 81 the same season.

SHOW-ME STATE SOPHOMORE

Three of the next four races are in the state of Missouri, which means it’s time for some home games for Garet Williamson.

It begins on Friday with US 36, which is only about 150 miles from his hometown of Columbia, MO. The Series sophomore finished second with the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) there in 2021. After the Kansas tilt Saturday and Easter weekend off, the tour returns to the “Show-Me State” for a weekend (April 10-11) at Pevely, Mo’s I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park. He’s been in the top 10 in two of his last four races at I-55.

Williamson is off to a solid start in his second season with The Greatest Show on Dirt. He’s got an average finish of 10.89 and holds down the seventh spot in points after nine races.

THE NIGHTMARE IS KNOCKING

The start of Bill Balog’s third World of Outlaws season didn’t go according to plan in Florida, but he’s quickly turned things around and is knocking on the door of Victory Lane.

The turnaround began with a sixth-place run at Talladega. Then “The North Pole Nightmare” led the most laps and nearly won at Kennedale before being passed by David Gravel in the final corner. The latest sign of progress was leading 13 laps and a top 10 finish at Creek County.

Balog gets two more opportunities to score that first victory of the season this weekend. He’s yet to crack the top 10 at either track on the agenda, but recent momentum suggests that could change.

ROOKIE CHECK-IN

The battle for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presented by Five Star Bodies is living up to the hype.

Ashton Torgerson pulled ahead early thanks to three top 10s in the first five races including a runner-up at Volusia Speedway Park. But then Emerson Axsom came alive with back-to-back top 10s at Kennedale and Lawton while Torgerson struggled. That gave Axsom the top spot only for Torgerson to reclaim it after a ninth at Creek County. A mere six points now separates the two.

Behind the top two, it’s Kasey Jedrzejek, Scotty Thiel, and Scott Bogucki completing the standings of the 2026 rookie class. Bogucki made a statement over the weekend by driving from ninth to second at Lawton for his first Series podium.

All five rookies are separated by only 72 markers.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 
Friday, March 27 at US 36 Raceway in Osborn, MO
Saturday, March 28 at 81 Speedway in Park City, KS

AROUND THE TURN
Friday-Saturday, April 10-11 at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park in Pevely, MO (TICKETS)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (9/85 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (1250 PTS)
2. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-58 PTS)
3. Sheldon Haudenschild – KCP Racing No. 18 (-64 PTS)
4. Donny Schatz – CJB Motorsports No. 15 (-84 PTS)
5. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-92 PTS)
6. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (-96 PTS)
7. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-140 PTS)
8. Chris Windom – Sides Motorsports No. 7S (-148 PTS)
9. Spencer Bayston – Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing No. 17 (-156 PTS)
10. Bill Balog – B2 Motorsports (-162 PTS)