World of Outlaws Empire State Challenge

The KCP Racing star digs out of a big hole after Qualifying to notch his seventh score of 2026 

Saturday night couldn’t have started much worse for Sheldon Haudenschild at Weedsport Speedway.

He’s proven to be one of the best qualifiers since climbing aboard the KCP Racing No. 18 this season, but Haudenschild timed in 16th of 21 cars in his flight. Overcoming a subpar Qualifying effort at the elite level of Sprint Car racing is tough to pull off, but Haudenschild is known to pull off uncommon feats from time to time.

That’s exactly what Haudenschild did on night one of the Empire State Challenge Weekend. The KCP Racing/NOS Energy Drink No. 18 lined up all the way back in eighth for his Heat Race, and he ripped forward to second to put himself in the Toyota Dash. After drawing a three, the Wooster, OH native passed two cars in the Dash to put himself on the pole of the 30-lap Feature.

But it was Logan Schuchart getting the early advantage from outside the front row and setting up another hurdle for Haudenschild to overcome. Schuchart pulled ahead all the way to a nearly four-second advantage in the early stages. Haudenschild patiently chipped away as the race rolled into the second half and Schuchart began to struggle with lapped traffic. The gap was erased with less than 10 laps to go, and the winning move came on the 26th circuit. Haudenschild ripped the cushion in Turns 1 and 2 to clear Schuchart and take the top spot. David Gravel took second and nearly challenged Haudenschild but couldn’t quite find the run he needed as Haudenschild took the checkered flag.

“I think Logan just got in a tough spot,” Haudenschild said. “Those lappers were hard to get around. He tried the middle line, but I just don’t think that was the ticket. You just had to commit and go up to the berm and try to get a little drive up there. Honestly, it helped into (Turn) 3 as well because you had enough wing speed to be able to enter in the middle and be to the outside of the lappers. Man, what a tricky racetrack. You’ve got to be so patient for a track like that. The bottom is so thin, the middle is so slick, and there’s virtually nothing on the top. Hats off to (Kyle) Ripper, Adam (Clark), and Dauson (Heitritter). We didn’t unload probably quite how we wanted to and didn’t qualify very well. We just kept fighting all night.”

Haudenschild and the KCP crew are up to seven World of Outlaws victories in 2026, trailing only Michael “Buddy” Kofoid (nine) and David Gravel (eight). With his first win at Weedsport, he becomes the eighth different driver to visit Victory Lane with The Greatest Show on Dirt at the “Empire State” oval. Haudenschild also moved ahead of Kofoid to take control of the runner-up spot in the standings.

Gravel finished second. He’s still yet to miss the top two through seven tries at Weedsport since joining forces with Big Game Motorsports.

Schuchart rounded out the podium after pacing the first 25 laps. He and Shark Racing have now reeled off 12 consecutive top 10 finishes.

Donny Schatz and Carson Macedo completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

Carson Macedo clocked the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.

David Gravel bagged his 16th Simpson Quick Time of the year.

Heat Races belonged to David Gravel (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Carson Macedo (Knoxville Bound Heat Two), Logan Schuchart (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Bill Balog (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Donny Schatz.

Sheldon Haudenschild topped the Toyota Dash.

Matt Farnham won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Ashton Torgerson wheeled from 25th to 16th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Nate Dussel was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Emerson Axsom’s 13th-place finish made him the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

Logan Schuchart laid down the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

Cole Macedo was the Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars battle at Weedsport Speedway’s $20,000-to-win Empire State Challenge Weekend finale on Sunday, July 25. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[1]; 2. 2-David Gravel[3]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart[2]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz[4]; 5. 41-Carson Macedo[7]; 6. 17-Spencer Bayston[13]; 7. 1-Nate Dussel[11]; 8. 17B-Bill Balog[8]; 9. 7S-Chris Windom[10]; 10. 83-Michael Kofoid[5]; 11. 01-Danny Varin[14]; 12. 23-Garet Williamson[17]; 13. 27-Emerson Axsom[18]; 14. 10C-Paulie Colagiovanni[15]; 15. 21-Alex Therrien[16]; 16. 51-Ashton Torgerson[25]; 17. 99L-Larry Wight[24]; 18. 98-Ricky Peterson[23]; 19. 7NY-Matt Farnham[21]; 20. 79-Jordan Thomas[22]; 21. 2C-Cole Macedo[19]; 22. 28M-Conner Morrell[12]; 23. (DNF) 7C-Dylan Swiernik[9]; 24. (DNF) 28-Jordan Poirier[20]; 25. (DNF) 45-Cory Eliason[6]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.