Logan Schuchart will start his tenth season full-time with World of Outlaws on the DIRTcar Nationals, February September 11. (pictures by Trent Gower)
BARBERVILLE, Fla. — Logan Schuchart completed the 2022 World of Outlaws NOS Vitality Drink Dash Automobile Sequence season with the identical variety of wins as Brad Candy. Nonetheless, Candy gained the title, whereas Schuchart completed sixth in factors.
He is excited to alter that in 2023.
Already forward of the place he and the Shark Racing staff had been final 12 months in pre-season, Schuchart has his eyes set on a second DIRTcar Nationals Large Gator Championship in February to assist kick-start the World of Outlaws Championship.
“Final 12 months, we did not actually know what was occurring with RelaDyne and Drydene till very late, and this 12 months, in October, we already knew they had been on board once more, so we might be sort of extra ready,” Schuchart mentioned. what”. “We will get issues prepared forward of time to be able to go this winter.
“We received it executed final 12 months, however, like, January was a large number. We had been operating round like chickens with our heads reduce off. This 12 months, it is just a little extra relaxed. We will do issues the best way they need to be executed. A little bit extra organized.”
He is hoping that results in the success he has at Volusia Speedway Park in 2021 when he wins his first Large Gator Championship and grabs his third DIRTcar Nationals Characteristic win (two with World of Outlaws and one with the All Star Circuit of Champions).
In addition to this being the primary time he had lifted a life-size championship trophy, it was additionally a primary for a number of members of his Shark Racing staff. A real testomony to their onerous work and consistency all through the occasion.
“The consistency of the week and being within the lead made us really feel superb about what occurred,” mentioned Shushart. “Clearly it is early within the season and it is a number of races on one monitor, nevertheless it makes you’re feeling good.
“It was my first massive race win and the individuals are on my staff. Invoice Klingbeil, my husband, does all our PR work, he is been into the game for a very long time. He used to work for Donnie (Schutz, 10-time World of Outlaws Champion), Dale Blaney. He loves lots of massive groups [Tony Stewart Racing] And the massive crocodile has by no means gained earlier than. For him to work with these groups and by no means win that and having the ability to be a primary for him, I believed that was very particular, particularly with the extent of competitors he is labored with previously.”
Schuchart completed seventh, twenty fifth and ninth over the three days of DIRTcar Nationals final 12 months. Twenty-fifth place was a DNF resulting from a mechanical downside. It was the primary of many DNFs that plagued him and his staff all year long, Shushart mentioned, and one of many causes they had been 436 factors behind Candy on the finish of the season with each having 5 wins.
By main the sport in preparation, trusting his elements, getting the help they want and specializing in eliminating a DNF this 12 months, Schuchart mentioned he and the Drydene/DuraMax No. 1 staff suppose they are often title contenders.
“I need to race for a championship,” Shushart mentioned. “I feel we are able to do this. [Brad Sweet] We had zero DNFs, whereas we had eight or 9. We won’t do this. A few of it’s a studying expertise. Some are monetary. A part of it’s COVID remaining on elements you possibly can’t get. 2020 was our greatest 12 months (with seven wins and a second-place end in factors), however apparently all these elements had been purchased the 12 months earlier than and fitted the 12 months earlier than. Since then, we have needed to change some elements of our program for various elements that we could not have felt assured about. I really feel like this has brought on us some issues previously 12 months.
“Hopefully we have caught them. We really feel like we have now. There’s at all times stuff you’ll study alongside the best way. However I really feel actually good in regards to the high quality of our race automobiles, the elements in them and the folks we work with, I really feel like they’re doing an awesome job. We positively have the capabilities to attain these objectives.” .
Being an expert race automobile driver and World of Outlaws Champion is one thing a Hanover, Pennsylvania driver has dreamed of since he was a child watching his grandfather, Bobby Allen, reside the lifetime of an outlaw. For him, it’s the final testomony to being a quick velocity automobile driver.
“The very best degree of racing automobiles for me is at all times the realm of outlaws, it at all times has been,” Shushart mentioned. “It’s at all times the place one of the best drivers have been, one of the best mechanics, and I feel it’s nonetheless there. You may need guys who can present up at these massive occasions and present up in numerous elements of the nation and be quick, however you are taking those self same automobiles and allow them to run with the World.” of Outlaws full time, they’d be seventh, eighth and ninth place automobiles.
“The World of Outlaws is the hardest degree of competitors. Particularly once you’re operating 80 instances with them. So, profitable the Outlaw Championship, it is my objective to say you are one of the best on the planet. That can be very particular for myself and my staff.”