Stevie Smith Scores First National Open Win In 24 Years

Stevie Smith celebrates in victory lane after winning the rain delayed National Open for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series at Williams Grove Speedway Sunday night. Photo by WRT Speedwerx.Moran

After having his hopes dashed in a controversial finish one year ago, Stevie Smith roared back Sunday night and scored his third-career Champion Racing Oil National Open victory at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA.

The win, Smith’s second World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory of the season, is his first National Open title since 1991 and comes one year after contact between he and David Gravel in the closing laps of the 2014 National Open ended his run.

Sunday, the memory of last year was a distant one as Smith had 50,000 reasons to smile.

“It’s amazing,” Smith said of winning the $50,000-to-win 53rd Annual National Open title. “A couple of years ago I pretty much thought I was getting ready to wrap it up and just couldn’t get anything going. Just like you said, 24 years later here we are. This all goes to Fred Rahmer and the crew. I’m telling you, they have helped me tremendously. They have given me a really good racecar. I just try not to make too many mistakes. They’re the reason we’re standing down here.”

After crossing the finish line in his No. 51s Miller Chevrolet car, Smith saluted the Pennsylvania Posse fans who rode out three days of rainouts, by stopping on the track in front of the famous ‘Beer Hill’ on the backstretch of Williams Grove.

Smith battled Danny Dietrich through the early portion of the race and Donny Schatz through the last half. Late cautions set up several side-by-side restarts but Smith held tough.

“Well, I know he’s the best driver in the nation – one of them anyways,” Smith said of Schatz. “Look at his record. I just drive my race. I try to tell the boys that. I look forward and I don’t worry about who is behind me or beside me.”

For Smith’s team owner, Fred Rahmer, the win was his 10th as a car owner. It was also the second time in the last three seasons Rahmer has stood in victory lane at the event. He won the 2013 National Open title.

“Absolutely unbelievable,” Rahmer said. “I want to thank the Grove for persevering. I know as a half-assed promoter I would have bagged it. Here we sit $50,000 richer.”

The postponed National Open got underway after the previous three days had rained out thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Joaquin, churning off the East Coast. Though Sunday started off cloudy, the day gave way to sunshine and racing began under clear skies.

Dietrich and Rahmer started on the front row of the 40-lap feature with Logan Schuchart and Justin Henderson in row two. Dietrich led early but after a fierce battle, lost the top spot to Smith on lap eight. Through the next several laps, Schuchart chased down Dietrich and worked to get around him as both maneuvered through traffic.

Disaster nearly struck on lap 21 as Dietrich did a full 360 spin but was able to keep his car moving.

“If he didn’t get in the gas and try to spin it around I was probably going to hit him,” Schuchart said. “I’m glad that he’s a good enough driver that once he got in that situation he was able to back himself back out of it because it probably would have cost us both a run up front.”

The spin shuffled the field, as Dietrich slipped back to fifth, Schatz drove his No. 15 Bad Boy Buggies/Chevrolet Performance car into third. Schatz chased down Schuchart six laps later and as they all worked through traffic began running down Smith for the lead.

The yellow flag waved on laps 31 and 33. A red also flew following a restart on lap 33. On the final restart of the night with seven to go, Smith said the track changed.

“It got a little dirty and I just felt like I needed to slow my pace down,” Smith said. “Before that I could just run harder and harder. I think the tires were getting a little wore down too so I think that was probably a lot of it.”

Schatz closed the gap in the final two laps, but with a 1.5 second lead at the white flag, Smith cruised to victory lane.

“I’ve never won a $50,000-to-win race! I wanted to win it since Fred won it and I wanted to win it for Fred,” Smith said. “I appreciate everyone here. It’s been a great year and this just tops it off.”

The night was also a big one for Schatz, who, after a dominant and historic season, clinched the 2015 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series title, his seventh career series title.

Schatz said that tonight, Stevie Smith was just better than he and his Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing team.

“There’s nothing I could really do on the restarts,” Schatz said. “Stevie was really good. He made all the right lines on the race track work for him. We got ourselves buried there at the beginning and had to pass those guys one by one without traffic. We got going there about the lap 20 mark but it was just almost too late. Hats off to this whole Bad Boy Buggies/Chevrolet Performance team… Somedays you’re just going to be second best. Today we’ll settle for that.”

Schatz said he and his team have been trying things with their car in the last several weeks and that some days have worked and others have not. Regardless, the preparation, Schatz said, is giving them a head start on next season.

Well, http://greyandgrey.com/third-department-cases-5-9-13/ viagra price uk everyone wants to recover from ED without eliciting serious side effects that can cause great harm to their health. The pill increases generic cialis online browse for more info now your sex drive and helps have excitement with your wife during an intimacy. Men cannot enjoy intimate moments with their females if they suffer from weak ejaculation. levitra 60 mg greyandgrey.com It is not an aphrodisiac; it works by providing body with energy to enable an viagra professional 100mg erection. For Schuchart, a native of nearby Hanover, PA, his third place finish came in front of family and friends. It’s the sixth top-five run of the season and second podium finish in a row for Schuchart and his No. 1S Shark Racing/Mark Pell Tire Service team.

“We come back home with our family and friends and we have a lot of people to thank, a lot of people that are here helping us out… I’m thankful to be here. This Shark car was really fast and I’m looking forward to the rest of the year.”

Chase Dietz was named the National Open rookie of the year. He took home a $1,500 prize for the honor.

Follow the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series at WoOSprint.com.

World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series
Williams Grove Speedway – Mechanicsburg, PA
National Open – Oct. 4, 2015

1. 51S-Stevie Smith
2. 15-Donny Schatz
3. 1S-Logan Schuchart
4. 69K-Justin Henderson
5. 21-Brian Montieth
6. 48-Danny Dietrich
7. 87-Alan Krimes
8. 9-Daryn Pittman
9. 14-Lance Dewease
10. 11C-Cory Haas
11. 20-Ryan Taylor
12. 2-Shane Stewart
13. 16-Gerard McIntyre
14. 89-Cody Darrah
15. 1-Sammy Swindell
16. 27-Greg Hodnett
17. 3-Pat Cannon
18. 19M-Brent Marks
19. 94-Ryan Smith
20. 13-Jac Haudenschild
21. 49-Brad Sweet
22. 29-Kerry Madsen
23. 71M-Joey Saldana
24. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss
25. 25-Aaron Ott
26. 52-Austin Hogue
27. 1Z-Lucas Wolfe
28. O7-Doug Esh