PORT ROYAL, Pa. – Donny Schatz scored the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series 51st annual Tuscarora 50 at Port Royal Speedway early Sunday evening after wrestling the lead away from Brad Sweet for the $51,000-plus payday.
Earlier in the afternoon program, Grain Valley Missouri’s Brian Brown became the fastest man in the history of Port Royal Speedway by turning in a new track record in time trials that produced a lap time of 14.868 seconds, a speed of 120.581 mph.
Brown picked up $500 for his fast time efforts courtesy of sprintcarunlimited.com.
In total, seven different drivers turned in qualifying laps under the old track record of 15.011 seconds set in April of 2017.
Logan Schuchart became the first-ever driver in history to circle the track in the 14-second bracket, posting a lap of 14.905 seconds.
Others that followed aside from Brown included Carson Macedo, TJ Stutts, Logan Wagner, Jacob Allen and Brock Zearfoss
Much like the afternoon qualifying heat races, the Tuscarora 50 itself was riddled with caution flags and stoppages.
Sweet could lead on the first lap of the main event before the red flag appeared for a horrifying, high-flying first turn crash involving Tim Shaffer and Logan Wagner.
When Shaffer lost his right rear wheel entering the corner, 2018 track champion Wagner launched over it and consequently vaulted straight up in the air, actually flipping over backwards while nearly leaving the track out over the high second turn tin fence.
Luckily, there were no serious injuries.
Sweet restarted with polesitter Lucas Wolfe giving chase followed by Shane Stewart and fifth starter Schatz.
Logan Schuchart coasted to a stop on the sixth lap just after Schatz got around Stewart for third.
The restart saw Wolfe attempt to steal control but Sweet was able to handle the challenge and he began chasing the rear of the field under green flag conditions.
Sweet had just entered lapped traffic on the 15th tour when Sheldon Haudenschild slowed on the track, again forcing a yellow flag.
Wolfe tried again on the restart but only one more lap was recorded before Steve Buckwalter came up with a right rear flag tire. And then under the yellow flag pace laps, more cars came up with right rear flat tires including fifth place runner Danny Dietrich.
Numerous caution laps to that point coupled with the cool air temperatures and a surface conducive to producing high horsepower then began to cause drivers to run out of fuel with just 21-laps completed, forcing officials to go red on the event in order to allow for refueling some four laps shy of the scheduled halfway stoppage.
For the restart, Sweet had Wolfe, Schatz, Stewart and Giovannie Scelzi in tow with 17th starter David Gravel up to sixth.
Schatz went to work on the restart, driving right by Wolfe for second in the first corner before setting his sights on Sweet and the top money.
It took until lap 31 for Schatz to run down the leader and then take the lead with a low side move in the first and second turns with 18 laps to go.
Shortly after lap 32 was scored however, another caution flag bunched the field, this time for a stopped Scelzi.
Sweet proved little contest on the restart and instead Wolfe raced with him for second and finally got the spot with 12 laps to go.
Buckwalter came up with another flat tire, again bunching the field with eight laps to go and on the restart, 16th starter Freddie Rahmer bolted into third before a final yellow with seven laps to go.
Rahmer may have had the car to contend with late in the race had another restart developed as the Salfordville speedster drove by Wolfe for second with five laps to go.
But by that time, Schatz was cruising away out in front to pick up his third career oval checkers, worth a total of $51,513 including lap money.
Rahmer rode home second by 4.408 seconds with 23rd starter Daryn Pittman coming home third while collecting the $500 Bob Bergstresser Hard Charger Award.
Sweet, who garnered $937in lap money faded to fourth with Gravel ending up fifth.
Sixth through 10th went to Wolfe, Dietrich, Stewart, Brian Brown and Jason Sides.
Six heat races went to Schatz, Giovanni Scelzi, Wolfe, Dietrich, Stewart and Sweet.
Spencer Bayston scored the C Main and Ian Madsen won the B Main.
Logan Wagner won the Lucas Snyder Tough Luck award and Mike Wagner earned the 20th annual Will Gamble Determination Award for being the first non-qualifier that was a Port Royal regular.
The day’s events took a toll on several teams and sidelined several pre-race favorites during qualifying action including flip victims Lance Dewease, Brent Marks and Spencer Bayston while mechanical difficulties took out Aaron Reutzel and TJ Stutts.
The make-up date for the Tuscarora 50 was the latest in the season in the history of the 51-year old prestigious event and it was the first time ever that the race was sanctioned by the World of Outlaws.
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Feature Finish
10/28/18
410 Sprints, 50 laps: 1. Donny Schatz, 2. Freddie Rahmer, 3. Daryn Pittman, 4. Brad Sweet, 5. David Gravel, 6. Lucas Wolfe, 7. Danny Dietrich, 8. Shane Stewart, 9. Brian Brown, 10. Jason Sides, 11. Ian Madsen, 12. Jim Siegel, 13. Dylan Cisney, 14. Carson Macedo, 15. TJ Stutts, 16. Steve Buckwalter, 17. Brock Zearfoss, 18. Giovanni Scelzi, 19. Dominic Scelzi, 20. Tyler Reeser, 21. Anthony Macri, 22. Sheldon Haudenschild, 23. Logan Schuchart, 24. Tim Shaffer, 25. Logan Wagner
DNQ: Trey Starks, Kerry Madsen, Justin Henderson, Gerard McIntyre Jr., Jacob Allen, Cory Eliason, Kraig Kinser, Brent Shearer, Cale Conley, Dave Blaney, Spencer Bayston, Mike Wagner, Brian Montieth, Ryan Smith, Cory Haas, Greg Wilson, Kyle Reinhardt, Anthony Fiore, Kody Lehman, Troy Fraker, Joe Kata III., Aaron Reutzel, Brent Marks, Robbie Kendall, Lance Dewease, Jared Esh