WHAT TO WATCH FOR: World of Outlaws Set for Thunderbird Debut, Trip to 81

Oklahoma and Kansas will welcome The Greatest Show on Dirt this weekend for two nights in the country’s heartland.

First up is the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series’ debut at Thunderbird Speedway (Muskogee, OK) on Friday, March 29. The half mile will become the seventh “Sooner State” track visited by the World of Outlaws. Then, Kansas’ 81 Speedway (Wichita, KS) awaits to host the Series for the 15th time on Saturday.

The 2024 campaign has already been full of action in 2024, and this weekend promises to deliver more of the same. The World of Outlaws roll into the weekend with a tie atop the standings, no repeat winners, and many more storylines that have set the stage for another can’t-miss two nights of racing.

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Let’s take a look at the weekend’s top storylines:

THE VERGE OF HISTORY: The World of Outlaws have seen historic parity so far in 2024. The first eight races have yielded eight different winners, which ties the record for the most first established in 2015.

That means the stage is set for Thunderbird Speedway to potentially reach a new mark of nine. The first name that sticks out this year on the list of those without a win is Logan Schuchart. He and Shark Racing currently reside fourth in points with a 6.38 average finish. Schuchart is the owner of 41 career Series victories.

A pair of Series rookies – Michael “Buddy” Kofoid and Bill Balog – are also potential candidates to push the streak to nine. Balog has posted finishes of 10th, a pair of eighths, and fourth over the last four Features. Kofoid enters the weekend on a roll of three consecutive top 10s.

KNOTTED UP: Last week, David Gravel surrendered the points lead to Giovanni Scelzi as “Hot Sauce” took the top spot for the first time in his career. But Gravel rebounded with a runner-up at Kennedale while Scelzi came home 10th, leaving them tied atop the standings. Gravel owns six top fives in eight races this season while Scelzi is still yet to miss the top 10.

Now each head to Thunderbird and 81 looking to regain control. Neither has Thunderbird experience, but both have turned laps at the Kansas oval.

Gravel has twice taken on 81 Speedway, and twice he’s landed on the podium. The Watertown, CT native drove from seventh to third in 2017. When the Series returned last year, he completed the top three again aboard the Big Game Motorsports #2.

Scelzi also owns a pair of starts at the 3/8-mile. First, he finished 17th aboard his family’s car during a 2020 All-Start Circuit of Champions race. Then, last year, the 22-year-old came home sixth with KCP Racing.

ONE WICHITA WINNER: There’s only one full-time 2024 World of Outlaws driver with an 81 Speedway win with the Series, and it’s the 10-time champion – Donny Schatz. In fact, he’s visited 81 Victory Lane twice.

Schatz’s first 81 victory came in 2006 on his way to his first title. An 11-year absence from the track followed before Schatz won The Greatest Show on Dirt’s return in 2017 on the path to his ninth championship. If Schatz can win on Saturday at 81, it would be his 14th victory in the state of Kansas and break a tie with Sammy Swindell for the most all-time in the “Sunflower State.”

The Fargo, ND driver is off to a strong start to 2024 as he pursues an 11th championship. A win, three top fives, and zero finishes outside the top 10 have slotted him third in points, trailing Gravel and Scelzi by only 16 markers.

MACEDO’S MOMENTUM: The slow start to 2024 feels long gone for Carson Macedo and Jason Johnson Racing.

There’s been no driver on the tour hotter than the Lemoore, CA gasser in recent weeks. The last four races have seen Macedo drive the #41 to a Kennedale win, three podiums, and a 3.5 average finish. He had fallen behind the top spot in the standings by as many as 84 points early in the season and has trimmed the gap to 64 in only four races.

Recent history suggests Macedo could be in the hunt for the Thunderbird checkered flag. He doesn’t have any laps at the half mile like many others, but he’s won the two most recent track debuts with the World of Outlaws – Kennedale this past weekend and Ogilvie in 2023. Macedo’s lone 81 appearance resulted in a runner-up (2023).

SOONER STRENGTH: Oklahoma has supplied its fair share of talent to the Sprint Car landscape. The state has provided eight different World of Outlaws winners totaling 179 triumphs. And some of the current crop of Sooners will be looking to contribute to the state’s success on home turf at Thunderbird.

Oklahoma City’s Ryan Timms stands out as a candidate for a good run and potentially his first career World of Outlaws win. The talented teenager is fresh off an impressive sixth place run at Kennedale on a night he climbed as high as third.

2020 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year – Wayne Johnson – is a former Thunderbird winner, topping an American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) race back in 2000. He also finished fourth in an ASCS Sooner Region race there last year.

Noah Gass is expected to make his 2024 World of Outlaws season debut at Thunderbird. The Mounds, OK native with two years of full-time experience on the tour is already a winner in 2024 with an ASCS Elite Outlaw victory at Hunt County Raceway under his belt.

Another driver planning to make his season debut is Sapulpa’s Blake Hahn. Last year, Hahn drove from 12th to third for an ASCS Sooner Region podium at Thunderbird. The two-time ASCS champion also displayed some prowess in a 410 last season by picking up his first two World of Outlaws top 10s.