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Donny Schatz on a Mission to Defend WoO Title,
Eyes Victory in May 25 Eckerd Outlaw Showdown
CONCORD, N.C. (May 11, 2007) - Donny Schatz became just the seventh
driver in 29 years to earn a World of Outlaws sprint car title when he
captured last year's championship. Now, Schatz is on a mission to
defend his title and the 29-year-old racer from Fargo, N.D., can bolster his
championship hopes by winning the Eckerd Outlaw Showdown Friday night, May
25, at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway.
"It feels great to have won the championship, but once this season
started the focus turned to winning it again," Schatz explained. "Through
the years, we have won a lot of races but to finally put the consistency
together that we did last year, and win big races like the Knoxville
Nationals and Lernerville's Silver Cup, was quite an accomplishment.
"Our goal this year is to win the most races," Schatz added. "The
guy who wins the most races almost always wins the championship. Winning is
pretty addictive, and the more you win the more you want to win the next
one."
Even with a championship trophy already on his shelf, Schatz still
feels the pressure of racing in one of the world's most competitive
dirt-track series.
"There is always pressure-it's just a matter of where it comes
from," he said. "Winning the championship was a huge accomplishment and
something no one can ever take away from me. But I wouldn't say there is any
less pressure now, because once you reach a certain level you want to keep
reaching higher."
Following in the tire tracks of his sprint car racing father, Schatz
started his career in go-karts at age 5 and was just 15 years old when he
made his sprint car debut in 1993.
Schatz captured the WISSOTA sprint car championship in 1996 and was
the World of Outlaws' rookie of the year in 1997. This is his 11th season
with the World of Outlaws and he has 73 series victories, including four
this year.
Included among Schatz's WoO victories is a 2000 triumph at The Dirt
Track and he's eagerly anticipating the Eckerd Outlaw Showdown, which is
part of Coca-Cola 600 Week.
"We're going back to The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway to do
one thing-win," said Schatz. "I haven't won there since 2000 and we need to
do it again. It's a great atmosphere with a great crowd. It's awesome for
our corporate partners like Global ParkerStore and Hose Doctor and it'll be
shown on SPEED so we want to put on a good show.
"I really like The Dirt Track because it's a high-speed track," he
added. "It's wide and allows for some good side-by-side racing."
Schatz, who drives the No. 15 Global ParkerStore J&J sprint car
owned by his parents Danny and Diane, enjoys driving World of Outlaws sprint
cars but is keeping his options open for the future.
"We're not thinking of anything more than sprint cars right now, but
we're always open to options," he said. "I spent a season racing USAC Silver
Crown cars and I've tested pavement late models. There are a lot of guys
that have dirt racing roots that are succeeding in NASCAR. There's always a
chance something like that may work out in the future."
In addition to Schatz, the entry list for the May 25 Eckerd Outlaw
Showdown at The Dirt Track includes 20-time World of Outlaws champion Steve
Kinser and 2001 titlist Danny Lasoski.
Second-generation driver Joey Saldana, piloting the No. 9 sprint car
owned by NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne, and veteran Paul
McMahan, driving the No. 20 sprint car owned by two-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
champion Tony Stewart, will also be among the more than 30 cars expected to
battle for the $10,000 first prize.
The late model stock cars of the Goodyear Fastrak Challenge will
join the sprint cars during the action-packed program when on-track
activities begin at 7:30 p.m.
Reserved seats for the Eckerd Outlaw Showdown on Friday, May 25, are
just $25 for adults and $10 for children ages 12 and under. Tickets can be
purchased by calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS or online
at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.
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