LEBANON, Pa.: Now that the Sprint Car season is underway at the national level and in different areas of the country, it’s time to kick off our weekly Friday installment of storylines to follow.
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series heads to Alabama and Mississippi for a pair of shows, and Lincoln Speedway will host another two-day affair. We keep you informed every step of the way and kick things off with some tidbits to keep an eye on over the weekend.
Bounce-back for Kofoid: You can’t have a worse night than Buddy Kofoid had in the Bike Week finale at Volusia Speedway Park. It was his worst outing since he joined the World of Outlaws at the beginning of 2024. Kofoid was in the mix for a Dash spot in the heat race when he rolled to a stop. Worse, he was leading the Last Chance Showdown and broke a rear end. The team pulled down a back-up car to take a provisional, and it wouldn’t’ fire. The good news is that Kofoid has won at the Talladega Short Track and owns a top five at Magnolia. I expect this group to be back in form this week.
Scelzi debut: While the World of Outlaws and other high-profile drivers kicked off their season in Florida, Gio Scelzi and the Spire Motorsports team have been working to put the finishing touches on their operation. The Scelzi-Eric Prutzman tandem will debut this weekend with the World of Outlaws at Talladega and Magnolia before heading out to Las Vegas for the High Limit opener next week. It will be interesting to see how this new team comes out of the gate against some of the best drivers in the country.
Macri back to PA: What a start to the season for Anthony Macri and his team. The Dillsburg, Pa., standout polished off two World of Outlaws wins in five races at Volusia, won the Big Gator during the DIRTCar Nationals, and has an average finish of 3.0 during that stretch. Now, Macri heads back to central Pennsylvania to compete at Lincoln Speedway Saturday and Sunday. There is no doubt that he is the favorite to win at least one of these programs after showing out against some of the best drivers in the business. Pill draw is critical in these early-season day shows, but if the track is racy, it’s another chance to add to his already impressive stats.
Still searching: David Gravel and Carson Macedo have been two of the fastest cars in the pit area through the first five shows of the 2026 season. The only thing this tandem hasn’t done is crack Victory Lane. Gravel has three runner-up finishes and a third after a crash took him out of the opener, and Macedo has racked up a second, three thirds, and a fourth-place result. Do one, or both, of these guys crack Victory Lane this weekend? It’s a good possibility. A year ago, one of these two drivers failed to get to Victory Lane over a five-race stretch one time. Think about that. The numbers say this streak comes to an end this weekend.
Prepping for Vegas: I already mentioned Gio Scelzi tuning up for the High Limit Racing season during this weekend’s two-fer at Talladega and Magnolia. Brent Marks will also be in attendance, and I expect one or two other High Limit regulars to be in the field to shake the rust off. The only deterrent could be a shaky Saturday forecast that could change the two-race weekend into one and keep some drivers away. Still, it will be an opportunity for a couple of guys who are making the trip west next week to dial in their stuff and hit the ground running when the High Limit season kicks off.
Backing up success: A week ago, Chase Dietz continued his success from last season by capturing the Icebreaker 30 at Lincoln Speedway. It was the second-straight win for the Stehman Motorsports driver in the event. It seems like Dietz and crew chief Tommy Carl have taken a liking to these daytime shows, and they get two chances this week to pad their stats against the central Pennsylvania clan. Anthony Macri will make the field deeper, and guys like Danny Dietrich and Troy Wagaman Jr. should be sporty, but I expect Dietz to contend for his second win of the season.
Haud’s surge: One of the talking points coming out of the February DIRTCar Nationals was the performance of Sheldon Haudenschild and KCP Racing … and I don’t mean in a good way. The average finish for the Ohio driver was 16.3, but crew chief Kyle Ripper and Co. went to work and returned for Bike Week looking for redemption. Haudenschild got it with a win and eighth-place finish in which he started on the pole and just seemed to miss it in the main event. These are two shorter tracks on the schedule, which are in Haudenschild’s wheelhouse, so we will see if KCP can continue that upward tick.
Schatz and CJB: It’s been a mixed bag for Donny Schatz and CJB Motorsports in their first five races together this season. There has been speed at times, it just hasn’t been in qualifying, which has put Schatz behind the rest of the night. Then there have been a rash of rear-end problems that have plagued the team. On the positive side, Schatz looks rejuvenated behind the wheel, and he’s been able to carve his way through the field a couple of times to land some good results. These two tracks are part of a small list of facilities Schatz hasn’t won at, but he has finished in the top five. Stay tuned.
Backing up Bike Week: Most of the pub this week has been surrounding Ashton Torgerson and his first five races as a rookie with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. That’s what happens when you post three top-10 runs and a runner-up finish in your first five events. But like any series, it’s about what you do next, and Torgerson heads to Talladega and Magnolia 11th in points and leading the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year chase. With any measure of success comes some expectation. Regardless, eyes will be on this side of Shark Racing this weekend.
Weather and car count: The weather is still a little dicey in central Pennsylvania — I expect Lincoln to give it a try — and even a little worse Saturday night for the Outlaws visit to Magnolia Motor Speedway. Hey, one out of two isn’t bad this time of year for the Greatest Show on Dirt. At Lincoln, the car count is something to watch, especially after 22 cars showed up for last week’s Icebreaker 30 in 65-degree weather. There could be a couple of additions to this week’s field with respectable temperatures in play, but Lincoln can’t lose anybody if they are going to pull a respectable number.