Brad Sweet, Donny Schatz and David Gravel sit first, second and third, respectively, in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series standings. The trio also are the winningest three drivers on the circuit, in that same order, so it’s only fitting that each of the three were victorious in the first three high-dollar events of the “Month of Money.”

Sweet took the biggest prize, the record-setting $175,000-to-win Kings Royal at the historic Eldora Speedway in Ohio. Schatz won the $20,000 Summer Nationals at the famed Williams Grove Speedway, while Gravel pocked $25,000 at Lernerville Speedway in the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup.

The “Month of Money” continues over the next two weekends, with two more high-paying events, the $20,000 Ironman 55 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 Raceway in Missouri and the “Granddaddy of them All,” the $150,000-to-win Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway in Iowa.

Highest paying Kings Royal

Brad Sweet put his name in the history books in the Kings Royal, when he claimed the $175,000 win, which marked the highest payout in the history of the event. The win also was the highest-ever winged sprint car payout. The only sprint car payout higher, was the Mopar Million, a non-wing race, at Eldora in 2003, which paid Hall of Famer Jac Haudenschild $200,000. Sweet has won the two highest paying Outlaws races thus far in 2019, also claiming the $41,000 Jackson Nationals back in June at the Jackson Motorplex in Minnesota.

Keeping pace

Brad Sweet and Donny Schatz have been neck-in-neck for most of the 2019 season, with Sweet pulling away a bit in June in both the win department and point standings. In the four races at Eldora, during Kings Royal week, the pair split those wins. Schatz struck first, picking up the victory in the finale of the #LetsRace2 weekend, which was postponed by inclement weather in May. Sweet returned the favor, visiting victory lane during the Joker’s Wild, with Schatz reclaiming the top spot in the Knight Before the Kings Royal. Sweet wrapped up the weekend with the Kings Royal win, which snapped Schatz’s three-race win streak in the event and gave the California native his second Kings Royal triumph.

One for a True Outlaw

Tim Shaffer is neither a World of Outlaws driver nor a Pennsylvania Posse member. Hailing from Western Pennsylvania, he races when he wants, where he wants. With his victory in the opener of the Summer Nationals at Williams Grove Speedway, he claimed a win for all of the drivers who run a ‘True Outlaw schedule.’ For Shaffer, it was his second-career win at Williams Grove, but first since 2001. The win also marked the second of the season in Outlaws competition for the veteran driver.

Outlaws with the upper hand

On the final tally sheet from Night 2 of the Williams Grove Summer Nationals, drivers from the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series held the upper hand over their counterparts from the Pennsylvania Posse. Donny Schatz scored the Summer Nationals win for the Outlaws, while the travelling band secured each of the top-five spots in the finishing order and had seven drivers in the top-10. The highest finishing PA Posse driver was Lance Dewease in sixth.

In the opener of the Summer Nationals, the Outlaws claimed five spots in the top-10, with David Gravel, being the highest finisher in second. Freddie Rahmer carried the Posse torch with a fourth-place showing. Schatz, Gravel and Brad Sweet were among the top-10 both nights, with Schatz lead the way with a pair of podium finishes.

Gravel masters Lernerville

David Gravel used a dominating performance to win the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway for the second time in his career. The driver of the No. 41 for Jason Johnson Racing, got faster as the race went on and pulled away in lapped traffic, scoring the win over Kyle Larson by nearly five-seconds. Gravel lined up fourth and was up to second on the opening lap. He tracked down James McFadden in lapped traffic on the 15th circuit and set sail for the remainder of the race en route to his fifth win of the season.

Tom Harris makes history at Eldora

Tom Harris, who hails from the United Kingdom, make history at the Kings Royal. Not only did he become the first British driver to ever qualify for a World of Outlaws main event, he also became the first driver from the U.K., to qualify for the Kings Royal. Harris was third-fastest in time trials of the star-studded 62-car field. By virtue of being one of the fastest-two drivers from time trials, not qualified for the feature, Harris earned a spot in the main event. Harris also competed at Eldora with the USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series in the #LetsRaceTwo event and has raced in a number of Indiana Sprint Week events with the traditional sprint car tour.

Sye Lynch turns heads at Eldora

For years, Ed Lynch Jr., would make one appearance a year at the famed Eldora Speedway and that was always for the Kings Royal. The native of Apollo, PA, was usually fast right out of the box at the famed half-mile and this year, his son, Sye, followed in his footsteps. Making his competition debut at Eldora, the third-generation driver was fastest in time trials during the finale of the Kings Royal weekend, with a stacked 62-car field, from coast-to-coast, in attendance.

Points update

Brad Sweet continues to lead the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series standings, as he chases his first title, but Donny Schatz has cut the lead to single digits, at eight markers. Just a couple of weeks ago, the lead was high as 78 points. David Gravel, who has gained over 50 points on the leaders over the last few weeks, is third, 106 points out of the top spot. Daryn Pittman remains fourth, with Logan Schuchart fifth. Carson Macedo was moved back into the sixth position, with Shane Stewart seventh, Ian Madsen eighth, Sheldon Haudenschild ninth and Brent Marks 10th.

Up next

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series heads to the always racy Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, MO, for the Ironman 55 weekend, August 2-3. Last year, Rico Abreu won the opener at Pevely, which served as the 2017 Ironman 55, which had been postponed by rain that year. Logan Schuchart won the 2018 Ironman, which was the highest-paying win of his young career. Donny Schatz and Daryn Pittman have each won at I-55 twice in their careers, while David Gravel and Shane Stewart each have a win.

The Outlaws then head to Knoxville Raceway for the Knoxville Nationals, August 7-10. Brad Sweet is the defending winner of the Nationals, while Donny Schatz leads all active drivers with 10 wins in sprint car racing’s biggest event. Schatz has finished first or second in 14 straight Nationals, dating back to 2005, the year before he won it for the first time.