BARBERVILLE, Fla. - Donny Schatz edged out NASCAR Cup Series ace Kyle Larson to score the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions sprint car series victory Wednesday night at Volusia Speedway Park.
Schatz took the win by just a .113 second advantage, earning his 16th career series victory.
“This is all because of this race team,” Schatz said. “I’ve been racing with these guys for a long time. Ricky (Warner) and I have been together for nearly 10 years. This is not something that is built overnight. They work their tails off and do an incredible job. We never fail to learn from our mistakes and I learn from mine.”
Chad Kemenah jumped to the early advantage from the outside of the front row, utilizing the top line of the Volusia half-mile to officially lead lap one over pole sitter Schatz and fourth starting Brad Sweet.
By lap five, Kemenah’s advantage stretched to nearly three seconds, catching the tail of the field for the first time on lap six. Schatz used the lap traffic to his advantage, slowly erasing Kemenah’s lead by lap ten. He would move to the lead for the first time on lap 14.
The race went under the first of two red flags on lap 17 as Joey Saldana and Jason Johnson battled with Chad Kemenah and made contact. Although unable to return to the speedway, Saldana and Johnson walked away unharmed.
The second red flag flew three laps later for a crash by Brent Marks. He to was uninjured, but his night was over.
A caution on lap 22 would halt the feature field for the final time, giving Schatz an open track and clean air to race in. In the meantime, Larson had moved in striking distance. He has used all three cautions to his advantage, moving from his 15th starting positon to third in the running order.
By lap 28, Larson moved past Chad Kemenah for second, and looked for an opportunity to close on Schatz.
“I couldn’t feel anybody coming. It’s not my job to pay attention to what is behind me,” Schatz said. “Somebody had to be coming. That’s what racers do and Kyle (Larson) is a great racer. He’s an aggressive racer and that helped put him in the position that he was in. I know he’s driving a really good race car, so that obviously helps, too.”
With slower traffic blocking Schatz’s momentum, one final charge on lap 30 would put Larson on the leader’s back bumper. The two charged through the final nearly side-by-side, with Schatz holding on for the win.
“I was coming up on traffic and I couldn’t get off the top,” Schatz said. “I tried to slide the lapped car in the last corner, but he ended up finding some speed somewhere and kept himself going. That forced me to kinda go back to the top and park myself there.”
For Larson, it was his first-ever appearance at Volusia Speedway Park, as well as his first time in the cockpit of the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing/No. 14.
“Tonight was a lot of fun,” Larson explained. “I had a decent start and was able to get in line right away. I made up most of my time down the straightaways and was able to slide people through the corners, then get going back the other direction. That was the biggest key to me moving forward.
“I can’t thank Tony Stewart and everyone on this team enough. I called Tony today and told him I was going to put my seat in his car and race since Christopher Bell couldn’t make it. It all worked out great.”
Chad Kemenah finished in third, with Daryn Pittman in fourth and Brad Sweet in fifth.
The Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions will continue their 2017 tour of the Sunshine State on Thursday evening, with the second of two DIRTcar Nationals programs at the Volusia Speedway Park.
In other action, Nick Hoffman scored the victory in the DIRTcar UMP Modified feature. He led all 20 laps en route to the win, with NASCAR Cup Series driver David Stremme in second, Brian Ruhlman in third, former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace in fourth and Garrett Stewart in fifth.
For more information, visit DirtcarNationals.com.
Volusia Speedway Park – Barberville, FL
DIRTcar Nationals – Feb. 15, 2017
Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions
1. 15-Donny Schatz
2. 14-Kyle Larson
3. 10H-Chad Kemenah
4. 9-Daryn Pittman
5. 49-Brad Sweet
6. 11K-Kraig Kinser
7. 1Z-Dale Blaney
8. 2-Shane Stewart
9. 5W-Lucas Wolfe
10. 4-Paul McMahan
11. 5-David Gravel
12. 2M-Kerry Madsen
13. 17-Caleb Helms
14. 27-Greg Hodnett
15. 18-Ian Madsen
16. 24-Rico Abreu
17. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier
18. 7C-Caleb Armstrong
19. 8M-T.J. Michael
20. 19-Brent Marks
21. 17s-Joey Saldana
22. 41-Jason Johnson
23. 21-Brian Brown
24. 87-Aaron Reutzel
25. 59H-Justin Henderson
DIRTcar UMP Modifieds
1. 2 Nick Hoffman
2. 35 David Stremme
3. 49 Brian Ruhlman
4. 36 Kenny Wallace
5. 67 Garrett Stewart
6. 90 Jason Beaulieu
7. 13 Jacob Hawkins
8. 9 Ken Schrader
9. 4 Mike Learman
10. 65 Josh Rice
11. K9 Will Krup
12. 2×4 Chase Collins
13. 7 Justin Allgaier
14. 3L Jeff Leka
15. 98 Shon Flanary
16. 88 Matt Crafton
17. 21C Taylor Cook
18. 10Y Trent Young
19. 11N Gene Nicholas
20. 45J Johnny Broking
21. 77 Ray Bollinger
22. 25 Tyler Nicely
23. D4 Dave Jamieson
24. 1 Blake Spalding
25. 3E Robbie Eilers
26. 72 Todd Neiheiser
27. 8 Kyle Strickler
28. 69 AJ Fike
