For the eighth consecutive year, Sheldon Haudenschild will be on the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car tour. The always exciting wheelman will be aboard the Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing #17 machine in 2024, marking his seventh straight year in the ride with The Greatest Show on Dirt.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Haudenschild said of heading into year eight. “Time flies. I feel like I still am just getting going in this. It feels like just yesterday I was out there in the 93 car and the first year with the 17. To be able to be with them for seven years now and be on the road this long feels great. You learn something every year. I’m very grateful for that. Not a lot of people get to do that and live out their childhood dream.”
Haudenschild is fresh off wrapping up a seventh place finish in the 2023 standings. The Wooster, OH native tallied a trio of victories this season including an unforgettable drive from 16th to the win at Skagit Speedway. He also scored 10 podiums and 44 top 10s.
Despite the solid statistics, Haudenschild came away a little disappointed with how 2023 unfolded. But he’s confident he and the NOS Energy Drink team built their notebook up in a way that will allow them to come out swinging next season.
“It’s probably not the year that we wanted,” Haudenschild said. “But I think we learned a lot of what not to do and kind of just took it as almost a testing year once we got to a certain part of the year and kind of struggled. We kind of just tried a lot of things in 2023 and like I said some stuff that we probably won’t try again. And we’ll change our package up a little bit for 2024 back to some stuff that we know for sure works. Overall, probably not the year that we wanted but still a learning year.”
Haudenschild hopes a return to a package they’re more confident in will allow him to return to his peak form. Back in 2022, he topped a personal-best nine races and came home fifth in the standings.
“We’re really looking forward to 2024 and going back to some cars that we know work for us, little different shock package,” Haudenschild said. “We’re getting back to our old baseline to know it’s a package we can win with consistently and be up front consistently. That’s what we struggled with all of 2023 – consistently being up front and fighting for wins like we should.”
Haudenschild enters 2024 with 34 career victories in 517 Feature starts, good enough for 22nd on the all-time win list. He’s also amassed 93 podiums, 29 QuickTimes, and 320 top 10s.
With a high level of motivation and plans to return to a more comfortable setup, fans can be sure they’ll see the son of the legendary Jac Haudenschild put on a show with the Haud Line in 2024.
“I think next year is as open as it’s ever going to be,” Haudenschild said. “My goals are high and up there, and we’re going to do the best we can to achieve them. I look forward to it.”
The 2024 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car season begins at Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, FL) on Feb. 7-10 for the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.
