In a season that lacks a traditional Kings Royal and Knoxville Nationals, the major events for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series will be hard to come by.
We’re nearing the mid-point of the calendar season and as of now the Jackson Nationals have hosted the top paying weekend.
While Tuesday’s Brad Doty Classic is paying the standard World of Outlaws $10,000 to the winner, there’s a certain allure that just makes this race bigger.
“(Brad’s) somebody I’ve always looked up to just because of the way he handled himself personally and it’s a race that everybody wants to win just because his name is tied to it,” World of Outlaws veteran Daryn Pittman said. “It doesn’t matter where it’s at, what it is, it’s a race that racers want to win and want to support.”
The race has called different tracks ‘home,’ but no matter where its at it still holds that special place with drivers all over.
It’s why Kyle Larson and Jac Haudenschild are coming to Attica Raceway Park this year to participate, even though they’ve basically ran every night of the past week.
The car count on Tuesday will be one of the highest of the year for open shows.
“He’s a great ambassador for our sport,” Pittman said. “Obviously, everybody hated to see his career get cut short the way it was, but I think he’s been a role model to a lot of us. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, you know.”
Doty was a sprint car racer back in the 1980’s with the World of Outlaws.
Before his career was cut short due to an accident, Doty racked up 18 feature wins with the tour, good for 28th on the all-time wins list.
“He’s made the best of his situation and is still active and is just an extremely well-respected person first off, who just so happened to be a great race car driver as well,” Pittman said. “Nobody really ever got to see the full potential of his career.”
The race usually kicks off five straight days of racing in Ohio, with the ensuing four coming at the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway.
However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, Eldora hasn’t had much of any racing at all, and the weekend for the Outlaws was outright canceled.
“I’m glad that he’s able to hold his race and I don’t know if the circumstances stay the same for him financially or not, but it’s a race that we all want to see happen and be successful,” Pittman said.
Pittman was a part of the 1998 Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway – where Brad Doty played a big role.
Doty paced the field in a modernized sprint car that had his paint scheme on it, prior to the race starting.
“I’ve never heard fans during a 4-wide, or been like able to notice them, like I did that night,” Pittman said. “It was unmistakable. It was incredible. It was louder (than anything I’ve ever seen). In all of my years of racing, it’s one thing that has stuck with me that I’ll never forget. “
“I remember after seeing it, I definitely knew what I was witnessing,” Pittman said. “Just being a part of it really brought that to life. It’s definitely cool to think back and whenever I see pictures of him pacing the field and knowing I was there. The atmosphere and electricity from that 4-wide was one that will never be matched, for sure.”
So when the drivers take to Attica on Tuesday night on DirtVision.com, just know what this race will mean to them, and what it could mean if they win it.
“It’s no doubt a race that I think everyone across the country cheers to be successful,” Pittman said.
| World of Outlaws Sprint Cars Standings | ||||
| Position | Driver | Points | Behind | |
| 1 | Brad Sweet | 2932 | -0 | |
| 2 | Logan Schuchart | 2888 | -44 | |
| 3 | Donny Schatz | 2880 | -52 | |
| 4 | Carson Macedo | 2844 | -88 | |
| 5 | S. Haudenschild | 2818 | -114 | |
| 6 | Daryn Pittman | 2794 | -138 | |
| 7 | David Gravel | 2744 | -188 | |
| 8 | Parker Price-Miller | 2592 | -340 | |
| 9 | Jacob Allen | 2534 | -398 | |
| 10 | Kerry Madsen | 2488 | -444 | |