Dates: Friday and Sunday, April 23rd and 25th
Event: Bristol Throwdown
Series: World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway (Bristol, Tennessee)
Donny Schatz A-Main Finishes (Start):
Friday: 5th (3rd)
Sunday: 2nd (3rd)
2021 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Championship Standings: Seventh | 1982 points [160 points behind championship leader, Brad Sweet]
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (April 26, 2021) – Returning to a more consistent and well-known state, ten-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion, Donny Schatz, made the most of his return to Bristol Motor Speedway during the recent weekend and translated a pair of A-Main starts into a pair of top-five finishes, highlighting all results with a podium score during the second night of Bristol’s Throwdown featuring the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. The back-to-back top-five outcome served a major rebound for Schatz and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, as the Brownsburg, Indiana-based outfit missed the top-ten during five consecutive Series starts, mostly due to mechanical misfortune.
Schatz, driver of the Carquest Auto Parts/Curb Records/Ford Performance/Sage Fruit/Digital Ally/Advance Auto Parts/Rush Truck Centers/Absolute Automation and Security/Hunt Brothers Pizza/J&J Auto Racing/No. 15 sprint car, finished second in his podium appearance, ultimately gaining one position after starting third on the Throwdown finale grid. Making things interesting, the Fargo, North Dakota-native was in a prime position to pounce during a green-white-checkered restart, but eventual winner and fellow WoO championship contender, David Gravel, prevailed, solidifying his weekend sweep for a grand total of $35,000.
The $25,000-to-win Throwdown finale was scheduled to be completed on Saturday, but Mother Nature had other plans.
As the only former Bristol winner in the field, Donny Schatz opened his weekend at the Last Great Colosseum with a fifth-place run on Friday, maintaining for a top-five after starting third on the feature grid.
Although the team is still seventh in the World of Outlaws championship standings, Schatz’ weekend results pushed the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing entry 24 points closer to the championship lead, now trailing Brad Sweet by 160 markers.
“I wouldn’t say we’re back yet,” Schatz said afterward the Bristol finale. “We had a solid finish and had some good speed, but it’s a lot harder to climb out of a hole than people think. It’s just the nature of the beast. We had a chance to contend there for a while, but just couldn’t follow through. Momentum means everything, that’s a big lesson I’ve learned in my 25 years. So hopefully this is a stepping stone to getting back on track.”
Donny Schatz will continue his quest toward an 11th World of Outlaws championship with a three-day march through Illinois and Missouri on Thursday through Saturday, April 29-May 1. The Greatest Show On Dirt will visit Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, Illinois, on Thursday, followed by two straight nights at I-70 Motorsports Park in Odessa, Missouri, on Friday and Saturday.
ADDITIONAL MEDIA:
Fans are encouraged to follow the progress of Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing and the No. 15/Carquest Auto Parts/Curb Records/Ford Performance/Sage Fruit/Digital Ally/Advance Auto Parts/Rush Truck Centers/Absolute Automation and Security/Hunt Brothers Pizza/J&J Auto Racing motorsports team on the Web and on social media.
Broadcast Coverage:
Watch the World of Outlaws online at www.dirtvision.com.
Donny Schatz:
Web: www.donnyschatzmotorsports.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DonnySchatz
Twitter: www.twitter.com/donnySchatz
Instagram www.instagram.com/donnyschatz
Tony Stewart Racing:
Web: www.tonystewartracing.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TonyStewartRacing
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Tonystewart_rcg
Instagram: www.instagram.com/@TonyStewart_Rcg
2021 Donny Schatz / Tony Stewart Racing Overall Statistics:
Races: 23
Wins: 2
Top-5s: 13
Top-10s: 17
**Numbers reflect overall statistics
2021 Donny Schatz / Tony Stewart Racing WoO Statistics:
World of Outlaws Races: 15
World of Outlaws Wins: 0
World of Outlaws Top-5s: 8
World of Outlaws Top-10s: 9
**Numbers reflect WoO statistics, only
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CONTACT:
Photo Credit: Trent Gower Photography
Tyler Altmeyer
Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises
(724) 954-4915, pr@tonystewart.com