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Schatz Goes Four for Five in Indiana with Bloomington Win

With 23rd win, Schatz ties 2013 for the winningest season of his career

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Sept. 26, 2014 - The cushion and lapped traffic midway through Friday night's Indy Race Parts presents the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series at Bloomington Speedway provided Donny Schatz the opportunity he needed to score his 23rd win of the season and fourth straight in Indiana.

It was 19-year-old Christopher Bell who provided Schatz with his fiercest competition. Bell, who has one World of Outlaws win this season despite having just a handful of starts with the series, took over the lead from Jac Haudenschild early on in the feature and built on it as Schatz advanced forward.

By lap 10 Schatz had caught and was challenging Haudenschild for second. Schatz cleared Haudenschild two laps later and set his sights on Bell.

As the field went around to complete lap 19, Bell hit lapped traffic in turn one. Schatz went to the bottom while Bell rode the cushion at the top. As the two drivers exited turn two side-by-side, Bell jumped the cushion.

"We got down there in the lapped traffic and I was really good when I could run the top at my speed but as soon as I had to slow down for other people I got myself into trouble," Bell said. "It kind of surprised me that I didn't end up on the other side of the banking."

Bell gave up the lead to Schatz but managed to hang on to second.

As much of the field ran high on the cushion, Schatz looked for other ways around the track.

"It was pretty touchy on the cushion," said the Tony Stewart Racing driver. "I just did the best I could somewhere else. We could roll the bottom; we could roll through the middle… You need that lapped traffic to get them opportunities to race with guys and come through the field."

By the end of the feature Schatz had built up a lead of nearly an entire straightaway in his STP/Armor All car. He was never seriously challenged again.

This was Schatz's fourth Indiana win in a row. With his win, he claimed four of five races in the Hoosier state this season.

Schatz's win also tied this season with 2013 as the winningest of his career. It has been more than a decade since a driver other than Schatz has won 23 or more races - 20-time champion Steve Kinser won 25 during the 2003 season.

"It's unbelievable. It's been a great year," Schatz said. "This race team is unbelievable - what they keep providing for racecars is awesome. There are a lot of guys from the shop here tonight and it's cool to win close to the shop for these guys. We had a good run in Indiana. Being in the King's hometown and getting the win, that's pretty cool."

Schatz's points lead now extends to 281 over second place Daryn Pittman. Paul McMahan remains in third. The tightest points battle is the race for fourth where Kerry Madsen and Joey Saldana are separated by just six points.

Bell had his hands full the remainder of the feature with Haudenschild and Daryn Pittman.

With 11 to go, Pittman got around Haudenschild and moved back into the third spot. As the laps wound down, Pittman managed to get the nose of his Great Clips car under Bell, but was never able to clear him.

Bell said he needed to work on being able to run other lines around the track in his CSI Shocks/Foxco/Hinkle Hamburgers car.

"I think my car was pretty good," he said. "It was just me trying to figure out how to use my feet together as well as keeping the tires underneath me. These guys gave me an awesome racecar tonight and just came up one spot short."

Pittman, the defending Outlaws champion, started the feature in third, but fell back early as Schatz made his charge to the front. Pittman said with Schatz's growing points lead he needs to quit focusing on the championship and start taking some risks to win races.

"Just felt like I just made way too many mistakes too early and was too cautious," said the Kasey Kahne Racing driver. "I've just got to get more aggressive. It's a good night for us after last weekend. We had probably one of the toughest weekends we've had as a team - two back-to-back nights that we really struggled. It's good to get back on the podium but we really need to win a race and that starts with me."

Earlier in the night David Gravel toppled Joey Saldana's track record at Bloomington Speedway after turning a quick time lap of 9.304. It was Gravel's 11th quick time of the season, the second most of any driver.

The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series heads north to take on Berlin Speedway in Marne, Mich. for the first time ever on Saturday. The series then heads back to Williams Grove Speedway for the final time this season to take on the Pennsylvania Posse at the National Open on Oct. 3 and 4.

Follow the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WorldofOutlaws, like it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws, or check out the latest videos on YouTube at www.youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws.

BLOOMINGTON SPEEDWAY NOTES: Donny Schatz picked up his 23rd win of the season tying his best season ever…David Gravel picked up his 11th quick time of the season at Bloomington and toppled Joey Saldana's track record after turning a lap of 9.304… Christopher Bell, Jac Haudenschild, Steve Kinser and Brad Sweet all won their heat races tonight… Tim Kaeding received the KSE Hard Charger Award after advancing seven positions to finish in 11th.

SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 23 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 15, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 19, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 27, I-96 Speedway on May 31, River Cities Speedway on June 20, 34 Raceway on June 27, Cedar Lake Speedway on June 29, Lernerville Speedway on July 15, Autodrome Drummond on July 26, Cornwall Motor Speedway on July 27, Ohsweken Speedway on July 29, Knoxville Raceway on Aug. 9, Junction Motor Speedway on Aug. 12, Nodak Speedway on Aug. 17, Castrol Raceway on Aug. 22 and Aug. 23, Skagit Speedway on Aug. 29 and Aug. 30, Grays Harbor Raceway on Sept. 1, Kokomo Speedway on Sept. 16, Terre Haute Action Track on Sept. 17 and Bloomington Speedway on Sept. 26); Daryn Pittman - 13 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 14, Calistoga Speedway on April 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 19, Williams Grove Speedway on May 16 and May 17, Orange County Fair Speedway, May 18, New Egypt Speedway, May 20, Dodge City Raceway Park on July 4 and 5, Lincoln Speedway on July 17, Fulton Speedway on July 23, River Cities Speedway on Aug. 15 and Southern Oregon Speedway on Sept. 3); Joey Saldana - 7(Perris Auto Speedway on April 12, Salina Highbanks on April 25, The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 23, I-80 Speedway on June 6, Jackson Speedway on June 13, Eldora Speedway on Sept. 19 and Lernerville Speedway on Sept. 20); Kerry Madsen - 6(Stockton Dirt track on March 22, El Paso Speedway Park on April 15, Lakeside Speedway on June 7, Eldora Speedway on July 12 and Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 3 and Antioch Speedway on Sept. 8); Paul McMahan - 5(The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 5, Tri-State Speedway on May 10, Limaland Motorsports Park on July 9, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 1 and Deer Creek Speedway on Sept. 13); Brad Sweet - 5 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Tucson International Raceway on March 8, Calistoga Speedway on April 5, Knoxville Raceway on June 14 and Beaver Dam Raceway on June 28); David Gravel - 4(Merced Speedway on March 28, Eldora Speedway on May 3, Wilmot Raceway on May 9 and Lebanon Valley Speedway on July 20); Cody Darrah - 2(Kings Speedway on April 11 and Lernerville Speedway on July 15); Shane Stewart - 2(Eldora Speedway on May 2 and Willamette Speedway on Sept. 2);Sammy Swindell - 2(Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on April 26 and Eldora Speedway on July 11);Rico Abreu - 1(Thunderbowl Raceway on March 15); Jonathan Allard - 1 (Silver Dollar Speedway, Sept. 6);Christopher Bell - 1(Jacksonville Speedway on May 7); Dale Blaney - 1 (Attica Raceway Park on May 30);Roger Crockett - 1(I-94 Speedway on June 21); Lance Dewease - 1 (July 20 at Williams Grove Speedway);Greg Hodnett - 1 (July 18 at Williams Grove Speedway); Mark Dobmeier - 1 (Huset's Speedway on July 2);Kraig Kinser - 1 (Clay County Fair Speedway on Sept. 12); Steve Kinser - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 16); Carson Macedo - 1 (Silver Dollar Speedway on Sept. 5); Stevie Smith - 1 (Lincoln Speedway on May 14).

World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Bloomington Speedway; Bloomington, Ind.; Sept. 26, 2014

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