The biggest pay day in Pennsylvania racing is here. Friday marks the start of the 60th running of the Champion Oil National Open at Williams Grove.
With the World of Outlaws, the brigade of drivers they call the PA Posse, and a number of capable invaders on the docket for the two-day event, there’s no shortage of things to talk about.
Over the weekend, the Outlaws visited Eldora and Lernerville, where David Gravel was able to take advantage of a race that saw defending and two-time series champion Brad Sweet be succumbed to two tire punctures.
Going into the weekend 166 points back, Gravel comes out 120 behind Sweet as he tries to go in on a last-minute upset attempt to dethrone the Big Cat from the top of the sprint car ranks.
Now, there is still a lot that needs to happen. Gravel has to out-race Sweet by 60 positions on the race track in just nine races as the season comes to a close – that’s about 6.5 positions per race.
It will take a lot, but this weekend creates a more than ideal setup for Gravel.
If Sweet has any weakness, and it could be easily argued that he doesn’t, it would be tabbed as Williams Grove Speedway and racing in Pennsylvania.
To end his 2020 championship season, Sweet brought home 21 top-10 finishes in the final 24 races of the season. Two of his finishes outside of the top 10 came in Pennsylvania and one of those were at last year’s National Open.
Not many drivers will complain about an 11th-place run in such a big race, but for Sweet, its what delivers championships.
The No. 49 team came back to the first Pennsylvania swing this year and actually opened things up with a win at Lincoln Speedway. However, Sweet ran outside of the top 10 in each of the next two races – both coming at Williams Grove.
I’m not trying to say ‘Sweet sucks in PA’ or ‘Gravel could jump him in the standings this weekend,’ or anything to that level of claim.
Although, the numbers point to Gravel, a two-time National Open champion, having a decent opportunity to make up some ground this weekend.
There’s no telling, though, what will come of the weekend for Donny Schatz – a six-time National Open winner and 10-time World of Outlaws champion.
Schatz won last year’s National Open and has since captured his 300th win with the series.
Since his runner-up finish in the 2021 Knoxville Nationals back in August, Schatz has recorded 10 top-5 finishes in the past 13 races. If he can find the speed, expect the 15 to be a contender to win No. 7.
Along with the national tour, there will be a number of Pennsylvania drivers out to try and spoil it, though. A $75,000-to-win pay day would be a major deal to any of those teams and drivers.
Anthony Macri has been one of the hottest drivers in the state as of late, collecting nine wins so far this season with one of his recent victories coming in Mechanicsburg.
Lance Dewease has won at the track four times, as well, this season alone. The old veteran is looking to go out and put it together again when the big show is in town.
That even goes without mentioning Brent Marks, who has ran more of an unattached schedule this season and won twice with the World of Outlaws. That includes the series earlier trip to the track this year where he won at the Summer Nationals.
As far as invaders are concerned, there will be a large amount of drivers flocking to the northeast to race over the next two weekends as well as this past Friday and Saturday.
Four-time Knoxville Raceway track champion Brian Brown took the win at Williams Grove a week ago and is expected to be running this weekend.
A full-time ASCoC driver in Justin Peck has been confirmed to be making the trip as well – and he’ll be donning the throwback to 1978 National Open champion Kramer Williamson that he rocked at Knoxville.
On top of that, the Indy Race Parts No. 71 team has picked up Justin Henderson to race this weekend, fresh off his Huset’s Speedway track championship. Gio Scelzi will join in the KCP No. 18 car.
Hot laps for racing action this weekend are scheduled to push off at 6:30 p.m. CT, and if you can’t make it to the track to watch, DirtVision will have full live coverage.
| World of Outlaws Sprint Car Standings | ||||
| Pos. | Driver | Points | Behind | |
| 1 | Brad Sweet | 9412 | – | |
| 2 | David Gravel | 9292 | -120 | |
| 3 | Carson Macedo | 9240 | -172 | |
| 4 | Donny Schatz | 9176 | -236 | |
| 5 | S. Haudenschild | 9084 | -328 | |
| 6 | Logan Schuchart | 9078 | -334 | |
| 7 | James McFadden ® | 8706 | -706 | |
| 8 | Kraig Kinser | 8336 | -1076 | |
| 9 | Brock Zearfoss ® | 8068 | -1344 | |
| 10 | Jacob Allen | 7764 | -1648 | |
2021 WoO Sprint Remaining Schedule: 10/1-2 National Open @ Williams Grove, 10/8-9 Nittany Showdown @ Port Royal, 10/22 Lakeside, 10/29 Lawton, 10/30 Devil’s Bowl, 10/4-6 World Finals @ Charlotte
