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Up to Speed: World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Wilmot Raceway

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Up to Speed: World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Wilmot Raceway

WILMOT, WI — May 30, 2018 —The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series hits the track at Wilmot Raceway in Wisconsin for the third consecutive year and sixth time overall on Saturday, June 2 for the running of the Badger 40. Last year’s race was a thriller, with David Gravel, Brad Sweet and Shane Stewart trading the lead five times in the final 11 laps of the race. For Gravel, it was his third straight win at the track. This edition of Up to Speed sets the stage for the Badger 40.

 

 

The Track:

Wilmot Raceway is a semi-banked, one-third mile. The track record of 12.570-seconds was established by Paul McMahan on July 29, 2017.

Past Winners:

David Gravel is the defending race winner of the Badger 40. The native of Watertown, Conn., also won at Wilmot Raceway in 2014 and 2016, which makes him undefeated in his trio of starts with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at the track.

Mark Dobmeier won the inaugural World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series event at the track in 2006, while filling in for Brooke Tatnell. That race was a thriller as Dobmeier, Daryn Pittman and Jeremy Campbell all battled for the win on the last lap.

Pittman made up for that near-miss, by winning at Wilmot Raceway in 2008. The 2013 Outlaws champion led the race early, before Chad Kemenah took the top spot. Pittman moved back to the point just past the halfway point and would stay out front to earn his first Wilmot win.

Oh so close

Wilmot Raceway is one of the few tracks on the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series schedule that nine-time series champion Donny Schatz has not won at. The North Dakota native has a pair of runner-up finishes and has been in the top-10 in all five previous races for the series at the track.

Running up front

Daryn Pittman and Brad Sweet, who are teammates at Kasey Kahne Racing, both have finished in the top-10 in every single appearance they have made at Wilmot Raceway. Pittman, who won at the track in 2008, has five top-10 finishes, with three of those being top-five performances. Sweet has three top-five runs in the same number of starts. He led the first 28 laps of the Badger 40 last year, before finishing third.

Veteran presence

Shane Stewart, Jason Sides and Kraig Kinser have each made a few starts at Wilmot Raceway in their respective careers. Stewart led seven laps en route to a runner-up finish at the track last year. He has a pair of top-10 finishes at the track, as does Sides. Kinser has a best finish of fifth at Wilmot, with that coming in 2014.

Ohio connection

Wilmot Raceway is similar to the bullrings in Ohio, where Greg Wilson and Sheldon Haudenschild cut their teeth. Both drivers have translated that into solid runs at the third-mile. Haudenschild finished second at Wilmot in 2016 with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champion and was fourth last year with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series. Wilson ran third with the All Stars in 2015 and has one top-10 with the Outlaws at the track.

Lucky seven

Jason Johnson has finished seventh in both of his starts with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Wilmot Raceway. The 2016 winner of the Knoxville Nationals raced for the first time at Wilmot in 2016 and will visit the track for the third consecutive year in 2018. The veteran driver is currently tied for fourth in points.

The next generation

Logan Schuchart, Brent Marks, Jacob Allen and Clyde Knipp are four of younger drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series. Schuchart and Allen have each raced at Wilmot three times, with Schuchart earning a pair of top-10 finishes. Knipp has raced at Wilmot each of the last two seasons, while Marks saw the track for the first time last year.

Return visit

Ian Madsen, who is in the midst of his first full season on the road with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, has raced at Wilmot in the past. The Australian competed with the Outlaws at the third-mile in 2014.

Defending their home turf

A number of drivers who compete with the Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprint Car Series are expected to be in attendance at Wilmot Raceway for the Badger 40. Leading the way is current series point leader Scotty Thiel, who won last weekend at Beaver Dam Raceway. Matt Vandervere, who won with the IRA at Wilmot earlier this season, is also expected to be in action. Bill Balog, the eight-time IRA champion, who won with the Outlaws at Beaver Dam in 2016, is also expected at Wilmot as is past series titlist Jeremy Schultz. 

All open wheel action

The AutoMeter Wisconsin wingLESS Sprint Series will also be in action at Wilmot Raceway on Saturday, June 2. Chris Dodd, Allen Hafford and Jimmy Sivia have all won with the series at Wilmot thus far in 2018. Tim Cox is the current series point leader on the strength of five top-five finishes in the first five races of the season. The Wisconsin-Illinois Mini Sprints (WIMS) will round out the three division open wheel show.

Tickets for the Badger 40, featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, Wisconsin on Saturday, June 2 can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.comor by calling SLS Promotions at 815-344-2023 and at the track on race day.

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