WEST FARGO, N.D. — August 16, 2017 — Jac Haudenschild has raced in more World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series main events at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, N.D., than any other driver who is expected to compete with the series at the track this weekend. The Ohio native circled the track for the first time with the Outlaws back in 1986 and has made 38 starts with the series at Red River Valley Speedway in the years following. Haudenschild has a pair of wins in his Hall of Fame career at the track, including in his most recent visit to the now three-eighths-mile in 2012. That victory came with the Arctic Car All Star Circuit of Champions.
Haudenschild returns to Red River Valley Speedway this weekend with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series for the Gerdau Recycling Duel in the Dakotas on Saturday, August 19. The event was originally scheduled for June 17 and postponed by inclement weather. All tickets and pit pass armbands from the originally scheduled date will be honored on Saturday.
“We haven’t been there and seen the track in a few years, so we’ll take a look at it when we get there and see how that compares to what I remember from there in the past,” said Haudenschild. “We are with a good team and in a good race car, so we should be able to adapt when we get there and hopefully have a good run.”
In his last three starts with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Red River Valley Speedway, Haudenschild has finished on the podium in each and every one. Over the years, the native of Wooster, Ohio has racked up 27 top-10 finishes at the track, the most of any active driver with the series, with 17 of those being top-five performances.
“We enjoy going to the high banked tracks, so Fargo should be a good one for us,” Haudenschild said. “Those are types of tracks where you have to keep your speed and momentum up and that seems to fit my driving style.”
The Hall of Famer pilots the No. 17 machine for the Stenhouse Jr. Wood Racing team, which is in their first full season on the road with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series. Haudenschild climbed behind the wheel for the team near the end of June. In his second start with the team, he suffered a concussion, which kept him out of action for three races. The veteran driver picked up his best finish with the team recently on the opening night of the Ironman 55 weekend at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Missouri, coming home eighth.
The team scored their first World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win back on June 13, when Kyle Larson won a thriller at Eagle Raceway in Nebraska, driving the team’s back-up car, as a “test session.”
“It’s good to work with a new team,” Haudenschild noted. “We’re all working hard and learning and things seems to be going pretty good. We’ve only been in the car for a little over a month, so everything is still coming together. We’ll just keep at it and hopefully we can keep getting faster and have solid runs.”
Haudenschild is paired with veteran crew chief Tyler Swank, who joined the Stenhouse Jr. Wood Racing team prior to this season. Like Haudenschild, Swank has been on the road for a large portion of his career and has a big notebook to draw from, when it comes to tracks the Outlaws race at.
“The biggest thing with a new team is working with the mechanic and getting the car as close as you can,” Haudenschild explained. “Everyone is so fast out here and has been working on things for half the season, so we are trying to get up to speed as quick as we can. Things seems to be going in the right direction.”
Being back on the road with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series has afforded Haudenschild the opportunity to race with and against his son, Sheldon, night in and night out. The younger Haudenschild is in the midst of his rookie season with the Outlaws and has been very impressive, recording 25 top-10 finishes to date, with nine of those being top-five runs. S. Haudenschild has also led a number of laps as he closes in on his first-career Outlaws win. The elder Haudenschild has 56 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series wins in his illustrious career, which is 13th on the series all-time win list.
“It’s been a lot of fun getting to race against Sheldon out here,” said J. Haudenschild. “He’s been fast and having a good season. Hopefully we can get up front and run with him, since that’s where he’s been running most of this season.”
Tickets for the “Duel in the Dakotas,” featuring World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, North Dakota, on Saturday, June 17 can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by phone at 815-344-2023.
Fans can also save $5 on General Admission tickets when purchased at participating NAPA Auto Parts stores. Tickets buyers will exchange their NAPA receipt for a race ticket at the Main Grandstand ticket booth on race day.
All tickets and pit pass armbands from the originally scheduled race on June 17 will be honored on Saturday, August 19.
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