In Saturday night’s 67th Gold Cup Race of Champions, one World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series driver had just what it took to earn the gold at Silver Dollar Speedway. Although Logan Schuchart would have to start this 40-lap race alongside NASCAR superstar Kasey Kahne, Schuchart did everything that he could to take down the famed stock car star.
Despite failing to complete a single lap in Friday’s Feature following contact with fellow full-time Outlaw Brad Sweet, which resulted in a brief post-race altercation, Schuchart seemed to find just what he needed on Saturday night. Before he could find what he needed to pull off this win, the 29-year-old driver from Hanover, PA would have to share the spotlight with Kasey Kahne and Tanner Carrick. While both drivers were in pursuit of their first-career World of Outlaws win, it was Carrick that was more than ready for a challenge when Sweet passed him on Lap 21. He promptly got up on the wheel and slid right back by the reigning champion and continued to lead four more circuits until disaster struck. While 19-year-old Carrick put up one heck of a battle, things would begin to fall apart on Lap 26 after damage to Carrick’s ride would leave him driving into the pits.
After this Schuchart was gifted the lead and proceeded to go slider-for-slider with new race leader Brad Sweet. The duo ran through lap traffic down the stretch, and it came down to a last-lap pass into turn one, which fell just short for Sweet and gave Schuchart a 0.954-second margin of victory.
“It is pretty awesome to win such a prestigious race like this in California,” said Schuchart. “Being a Pennsylvania boy, we are not used to this kind of stuff, but it is something I have grown accustomed to being on the road and all these different tracks. It’s awesome to get back up here in victory lane.”
For Brad Sweet, who hails from nearby Grass Valley, his wait for the elusive Gold Cup will have to wait another year.
“I think both nights we were just one corner away from winning,” said Sweet. “That’s on me. I need to step up and make some better moves. That was good, hard racing, though, and I’m sure the fans were excited. I hated giving up second on the last lap, so that’s a bit disappointing. One of these years I’ll get a Gold Cup.”
Rounding out the top-five on Saturday night was 10-time champion Donny Schatz in the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15 and early leader Kasey Kahne in the Roth Motorsports No. 83. The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will conclude the west coast swing next Saturday, September 18. The Greatest Show on Dirt will compete for a $21,000 top prize in the Tom Tarlton Classic at Hanford’s Keller Auto Speedway. Stay tuned to RacingJunk.com for the latest news from the dirt.
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