Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / TONY STEWART RACING – BROWNSBURG, IN – Donny Schatz’ 2024 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series top-ten streak continued during the recent weekend, concluding the two-day Texas Two Step at Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, Texas, with a pair of results no worse than ninth.
In fact, Schatz, ace of the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Carquest, Advance Auto Parts, Ford Performance, Curb Records, Sage Fruit, Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts, Mobil 1, No. 15 sprint car, highlighted the pair with a podium on Saturday night, finishing third after starting from the pole position.
“I would’ve liked to have won that, but I guess third is better than fourth,” Schatz said. “You’ve got to think about the big picture. All in all a decent night. This isn’t one of my best places. I think everybody that has a cell phone could see that all weekend it didn’t look like we were going to get to race, and we got two great nights of racing.”
Despite backing up two spots in the Cotton Bowl finale, the ten-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion was in the hunt the entire distance, forced to surrender the top spot to eventual winner, Gio Scelzi, at the initial start.
Friday night winner, Brent Marks, who snuck by Schatz on lap 13, finished second in the Texas Two Step nightcap. A caution with two laps remaining gave Schatz the opportunity to overtake the runner-up position, but Marks proved too strong.
Speaking of Friday, Schatz raced on to finish ninth in the Texas Two Step opener, but not without some challenges. A “nowhere to go” tangle with 18 laps recorded forced the Fargo, North Dakota, native to the work area. The team was able to make the necessary changes, and although Schatz was forced to restart at the tail of the field, he battled back to earn the aforementioned top ten.
ON DECK:
Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing and Donny Schatz will continue their 2024 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series campaign with another double in the Lone Star State, this time visiting Big O Speedway in Ennis, Texas, on Friday, March 22, and Kennedale Speedway Park in Kennedale, Texas, on Saturday, March 23.