SCHATZ EIGHTH IN EMPIRE STATE RETURN
Donny hustles his way around Rolling Wheels Raceway. (Jeremiah Fish Photo)
ELBRIDGE, NY (May 16) – If Donny Schatz was looking for a positive following Wednesday night’s World of Outlaws return to Rolling Wheels Raceway, it would be that he made it through the opening lap. That wasn’t the case last fall when an opening-lap crash took out the TSR No. 15 STP/Armor All/Chevrolet J&J.
Schatz returned to the big 5/8-mile dirt oval and ultimately finished eighth. The four-time WoO champion was running sixth prior to a lap 23 restart and being on the bottom line was the favorable position. Cody Darrah and Sammy Swindell slipped by dropping him to eighth in the 25-lap A-Feature.
The STP driver qualified ninth in the field of 26 cars and finished second in the third heat. A fifth-place finish in the dash put the Fargo, N.D., racer in the third row for the feature event. In the feature, Schatz battled with his TSR teammate, Steve Kinser, early before laps clicked off in the feature. A late yellow forced the final restart, which resulted in Schatz finishing eighth.
Schatz ranks third in the 2012 WoO championship standings, trailing Sammy Swindell by 14 markers and Kinser by 10.
He’ll return to action on Saturday at Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, N.Y. The next night, Schatz will make his only 2012 appearance in Maryland at Hagerstown Speedway.