By Tony Veneziano

For the first time since early February, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series completed three race programs in the same week. 

As has become par for the course for 2018, Mother Nature did interrupt Wednesday's event at Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, Texas, pushing it back a night, after already having previously been re-scheduled once. Daryn Pittman continued his recent surge, picking up his third win in a four-race span, while Donny Schatz added to his series-leading win total and David Gravel found victory lane for the first time this season.

Emotional Win

The winner of the Texas Outlaw Nationals at Devil’s Bowl Speedway has their name placed on the Ted Johnson Trophy, which remains at the famed half-mile throughout the year. The Mesquite track was the birthplace of the World of Outlaws in 1978. 

Donny Schatz, who won the $20,000 finale at Devil’s Bowl on Saturday, had a close relationship with Johnson, the founder of the Outlaws, and even said in his post-race interview that down the stretch in the 30-lap race, he heard the late owner of the series telling him to “get my ass in gear.” 

Schatz also received a cowboy hat for the win, to go along with a one-of-kind cowboy boot trophy for earning his fifth win of the season.

A Clean Sweep

After a career year in 2017, it wasn’t a matter of if but rather when David Gravel would pick up his first win of the season. The Connecticut native found his way back to victory lane at Cotton Bowl Speedway on Thursday to score that elusive first win of the year. 

The 25-year-old did it in impressive fashion, sweeping the entire night. Gravel was fastest in time trials, won the first heat race, won the dash, and led all 35 laps of the main event.

Three Outa Four

Daryn Pittman won on the opening night at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Friday, which was his third win in a four-race span, dating back to a weekend sweep at Riverside International Speedway and Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on April 20-21. 

Pittman, who started on the pole, led all 25 laps. The win was the 75th of his career with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.

Oh, So Close

Brad Sweet finished second two more times over the course of the last three races as he looks for his first win of the year. The Californian moved to second in points with a solid three-race swing in Texas. 

He led 25 laps in the finale at Devil’s Bowl, before Donny Schatz got by him in the waning laps. Sweet has eight top-five finishes this season, which is second most only to Schatz.

Building Consistency 

Jason Johnson was third at Cotton Bowl, third on the opening night at Devil’s Bowl, and fifth in the finale. He also was fastest in time trials on both nights at Devil’s Bowl. 

In the opener, he broke the track record, which has been in place for 19 years. The veteran driver is tied for fourth in points and is tied second on the leaderboard in top 10 finishes this season.

Up To Speed

Cory Eliason made his Cotton Bowl Speedway debut on Thursday and promptly finished in the fourth position. For the young Californian, who scored his first-career World of Outlaws win last month, it was his fifth top five of the season. He is currently ninth in the standings.

A Total Team Effort

Kasey Kahne Racing field three cars at all three events in Texas. Along with Brad Sweet and Daryn Pittman, Kahne, himself, was in action. At Cotton Bowl, Sweet ran second, with Pittman fifth and Kahne sixth. 

Pittman won on the first night at Devil’s Bowl, while Sweet was fifth and Kahne finished sixth. In the finale at Devil’s Bowl, Sweet was second and Pittman was eighth.

Turning The Corner

Logan Schuchart has his best span of races this season in Texas. The young driver finished a season-best second on the opening night at Devil’s Bowl. In the finale at the half-mile, Schuchart ran fourth. 

Those were his first two top-five finishes of the season and help him move up in the point standings. The Pennsylvania native was 10th at Cotton Bowl Speedway.

Holding On

Donny Schatz finished ninth at Cotton Bowl Speedway, after having something on the front end of his car break early in the race. From that point on, he had to “hang on” and ultimately limped a very hard to handle race car to the finish, after starting fourth.

Gaining Ground

Shane Stewart and the Kyle Larson Racing team continue to close in on their first win of the season. 

The veteran driver finished third in the finale at Devil’s Bowl to record his fifth top-five finish of the season. He was 10th in the opener at the half-mile and was sixth at Cotton Bowl Speedway the previous night.

Best Finish Of The Season

Kraig Kinser finished seventh in the finale at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, which marked his best finish of the season. The previous weekend he had run 10th at Riverside International Speedway in Arkansas, which to date had been his best finish.

Outlaws Debut

Tucker Klaasmeyer and Ryan Robinson both made their World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series debuts at Devil’s Bowl Speedway for Keith Kunz Motorsports. The pair traditionally runs midgets for Kunz’s powerhouse operation. Klaasmeyer was coming off a pair of Lucas Oil POWRi National Midget Series wins the weekend before, including in an event at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, in support of the World of Outlaws event at that venue.

Points Update

Donny Schatz remains atop the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series standings. Brad Sweet moved into second, 72 markers out of the top spot. Sheldon Haudenschild is currently third, 20 points behind Sweet. Shane Stewart and Jason Johnson are tied for fourth, 20 markers behind Haudenschild. 

David Gravel currently is sixth, with Daryn Pittman 20 points behind him in seventh. Logan Schuchart has jumped up to eighth in the standings, with Cory Eliason ninth and Paul McMahan 10th.

Up Next

The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to Lake Ozark Speedway in Missouri on Friday, May 4, for the first time since 2007. Craig Dollansky won that event, while Tim Shaffer won the Outlaws debut at the third-mile in 2005. 

On Saturday, May 5, the series visits Salina Highbanks Speedway in Oklahoma, where Kerry Madsen won last year. Daryn Pittman was victorious at the track in his home state in 2016, while fellow Oklahoman Shane Stewart won at the track in 2015.