Sheldon Haudenschild Proves You Can Go Home Again

Sheldon Haudenschild Proves You Can Go Home Again

With no apologies to Thomas Wolfe, Sheldon Haudenschild proved that you can go home again by winning an Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions at Wayne County Speedway.

Apr 24, 2017 by Dan Beaver
Sheldon Haudenschild Proves You Can Go Home Again
When rain washed out the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series races in Arkansas and Missouri, Sheldon Haudenschild headed home to Ohio on Saturday and beat the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC) regulars in a 30-lap feature at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville.

The current rookie of the year leader in the World of Outlaws started the A-Main sixth. Haudenschild tracked down the leader by lap 12 and took the lead in turn two. Making that pass for the top spot even more special was the fact that the driver he slid past was his father, Jac.

A former regular in the series, this was the younger Haudenschild's 16th win of his ASCoC career and the fifth at Wayne County.

Dubbed the "Wild Child" throughout his more than 30-year career, Jac led the field to green and battled with Caleb Armstrong early. Meanwhile, his son was slicing through traffic. Armstrong and Jac swapped the lead for a handful of laps. Once Sheldon came along, it was father versus son.

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"This car was a dream all night long," Sheldon Haudenschild said from Victory Lane. "My guys did one heck of a job which made my job a lot easier, too. The track tonight was great as always. It's pretty cool to come back here and have an opportunity to race close to home."

Once Haudenschild firmly established his lead over his father, he did not give up the advantage. Within three laps, he yarded the field by a full straightaway; the final margin of victory was six seconds, which was a little less than a half-lap.

"The cushion in one and two was really good, but my car was so good that I didn't have to go up there and touch it much," Haudenschild said. "I got around my dad early, but you can never be too sure about him. He never gives up, so you almost have to expect that he'll be coming back at some point. I wish him and I could have finished 1-2, but it is what it is. We are happy to get the win."

When the checkers flew, Haudenschild had a six-second advantage over points leader Chad Kemenah. Jac Haudenschild, Armstrong, and Travis Philo rounded out the top five.

Kemenah's second-place finish allowed him to maintain his lead in the ASCoC points.

"We have a really good race team right now," Kemenah said. "The car was really good all night long. Hats off to Sheldon and his guys. They were really good. Consistency is really important. We're just going to keep doing what we've been doing, and the wins and championships will show up."

Jac Haudenschild's nephew, Brad, finished 10th.

Top 10 Finishers
1. Sheldon Haudenschild
2. Chad Kemenah
3. Jac Haudenschild
4. Caleb Armstrong
5. Travis Philo
6. Christopher Bell
7. Caleb Helms
8. Hunter Schuerenberg
9. Brandon Spithaler
10. Brad Haudenschild