World of Outlaws Sprint Car racers eager for first race at West Liberty

WEST LIBERTY — When the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series rolls into West Liberty Raceway on Friday for the first series race in track history, only one series regular will have ever turned a lap at the half-mile best known for its Late Model racing.

Only defending series champion Donny Schatz has even been to the track at all, let alone turned a lap — and that was last year in a World of Outlaws Late Model race.

Going to new tracks doesn't really faze any of the drivers and teams, but it does offer an equalizer of sorts. Given so many veteran racers in the series have been to so many places, it's also refreshing to have a new challenge.

'It's neat to go to different places, see new fans,' Schatz said. 'You want to hit every dirt track at least once in your life, so it's cool to see that. We're going to make the best of it.'

The West Liberty Hawkeye 25 begins with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. Qualifying is at 7 and opening ceremonies at 7:30.

Schatz said he 'ran 10th or ninth or somewhere in there — not very good,' in his one trip to West Liberty, but that he enjoyed the track and said it compared to Rolling Wheels Speedway in Eldridge, N.Y., in terms of its flat banking.

The best part for a guy like Schatz, who's won pretty much everywhere possible, is the unique aspects each track features.

While shapes and banking levels might be different, there's always some different characteristic a driver has to manage or work around.

'Every place has a unique shape and obviously the surface,' Schatz said. 'We'll try to make the best guess when we get there and compare it to something. It's a little different setting, but it's a neat little racetrack — big racetrack, actually.

'I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully we can use it to our advantage, being there before.'

The advantage comes off the truck for someone in Schatz's position, but even then it won't be vast in the case of West Liberty since he was in a Late Model.

And as his fellow World of Outlaws competitor Shane Stewart pointed out, the drivers and teams that compete night-in and night-out on tour are professionals. They've been to hundreds of race tracks and turned thousands of laps, and will have a solid baseline regardless of where they go.

Stewart pointed out YouTube and Facebook videos offer a chance to at least get a feel for the layout, too.

A new track being an equalizer gets every racer excited about getting to the racetrack, and Stewart highlighted that.

'I actually like going to new tracks,' Stewart said. 'It creates more of a different dynamic with all of us because nobody has an advantage, which is kind of cool and doesn't happen very often.

'The good thing about World of Outlaws, it doesn't matter where we go, we put on a good show and good race. I'm sure the fans, when they leave there, they won't be disappointed.'

The process of finding new venues is one the World of Outlaws goes through yearly as an organization — both for its Sprint Cars and Late Models. Stewart's last point, about putting on a show for the fans that come out, is very high on the list — for obvious reasons.

World of Outlaws President and Chief Operations Officer Tom Deery said of the 94-race schedule the Sprint Cars have, there are approximately 10 races each year that are either brand-new venues or venues at which the series hasn't been in many years. Fan demographic has to be a chief consideration because putting on a show for a small number of fans doesn't make sense for anyone.

When it came to West Liberty, Deery said he consulted with a few different racers, specifically local Late Model guys, and said the reception was very positive.

Eastern Iowa doesn't have a ton of Sprint Car racers and very few events — 34 Raceway in West Burlington is the only track on this side of the state that runs them with any regularity — so the unique nature of the event has created optimism for Deery in what kind of event West Liberty will have.

Whether or not the high-powered Sprint Cars come back depends on whether or not the optimism meets reality — as is the case for all their events.

Regardless, as Stewart said, everyone anticipates a good show — whether anyone has been there or not.

'You've got avid race fans within that community and regional area, a legendary facility with seats to accommodate it, and those meet all the interest points,' Deery said. 'It seemed like we created excitement when, at least, the conversation came up (about going there).

'We have to gauge what the appropriateness is for a Sprint Car race once we've raced there, and what the response is from the community as a whole. Wherever you're welcomed and wanted surely makes it easy to make a positive decision in the future.'

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com