Sweet eyes top prize in Outlaws' LPS return

Sunday, June 5, 2016
Brad Sweet accelerates down the straightaway during World of Outlaw competition this season. Sweet tops the season points heading into Wednesday's date at Lincoln Park Speedway.

Winged sprint car racing used to be a weekly occurrence at Lincoln Park Speedway, but the non-wings have been king of Indiana for more than a decade.

However, Wednesday night will see a return of the winged warriors as the World of Outlaw Series returns to the Putnamville oval for the first time since 1988. Eighteen long years have passed since the series last visited the high-banked 5/16th mile oval.

The Outlaws made their maiden visit to Lincoln Park during the series' sophomore year in 1979. Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaw Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion, who hails from Bloomington, won that inaugural race at LPS. In 1988, it was Dave Blaney who took the checkered flag.

The series, featuring 900-horsepower winged sprint cars, presents the most grueling schedule in racing with 91 races at 54 different tracks across 25 states and one Canadian Province.

With a season that runs from February until the end of October, the Outlaws Tour tests the mental, physical and mechanical make-up of the most talented winged sprint car drivers in the nation. There are 14 drivers who have committed to running the entire slate in 2016 and that includes teams owned by NASCAR drivers Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart and Kyle Larson.

Brad Sweet, who drives for Kasey Kahne Racing, is the current series points leader with designs of capturing the champions' check of $150,000. He is one of the few Outlaw drivers who have seen action at Lincoln Park Speedway in the past.

His resumè includes several visits in a non-wing sprint car and a 2010 win during "Indiana Midget Week."

"I've actually raced there a few times in non-wing and midgets. I think I actually won a race there in midgets," Sweet recalled. "It's really a pretty small track, kind of a bullring. I'd imagine there will be quite a few cars there and we'll see some great racing for sure."

While he's had probably the most experience at the Putnamville oval in other series, Sweet admitted that it won't be of much help in his winged return.

"I don't think you can apply a lot of things [from the other cars]," Sweet said. "I think just understanding a few things about the track and knowing that it could build a cushion or that the back straightaway is a little different, just some things you learn about tracks having raced them will help me with the wing car."

Seven drivers on the full tour can claim past experience at LPS with Greg Wilson having run both a wing and non-wing there. Shane Stewart, Paul McMahan, Jason Sides and Wilson each competed in the National Sprint Tour Series race in 2006.

Teenage rookie Clyde Knipp of Missouri raced a non-wing sprint car a couple of times at LPS last season. The recent high school graduate was one of 47 drivers on hand for last summer's "Indiana Sprint Week" date with the USAC National Sprint Car Series.

For fans looking for a local connection, Darryn Pittman, originally from Owasso, Okla. now calls Danville his home.

Joey Saldana calls Brownsburg home and has won features with the All-Stars back in 1992 and 1993 at LPS. Stewart lives in Avon.

"I actually won my very first All-Star race there and I think I won another All-Star race there in 1994. It's been awhile since I've raced there, but I'm looking forward to it. It's only like 45 minutes away from my house so it's definitely the closest race for my family to come and watch," Saldana said. "I'm sure they will be there to enjoy that."

Having reached the one-third mark of the long Outlaws Tour, being close to home for a rare visit is pretty special according to Saldana. He'll get a chance for a three-day hiatus between races heading into Wednesday's 7:30 p.m. show at LPS.

"For me it does, I don't know about other guys," Saldana said in regards to recharging the batteries at home for a couple of days. "A lot of guys stay out on the road or don't go home, but I've just got to get home regroup with my family and kids. You miss so much.

"I got asked to drive a sprint car Wednesday night at Plymouth, but my youngest has a baseball game that day so It's like, 'Man, I don't have to go race.' I think it's more important to go see him play baseball because I miss a lot of that," Saldana admitted. "Definitely getting home is good for me. I need it. I need a recharge and to get focused on what is more important than racing and that is your family. It's always good to race at home and for them to be able to come."

Sweet rolls into Lincoln Park Speedway with a narrow 11-point lead over Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing driver Donny Schatz. The Fargo, N.D., driver has 204 career wins in the series and seven championships, including last season. Pittman maintains third place with four victories followed by Stewart and Saldana in the top-five.

Saldana has earned previous wins on All-Stars Tour prior to joining the Outlaws and he knows full well how competitive the series is from top to bottom.

"This is my 18th season with the Outlaws and I've never known it not to be competitive. I can remember my rookie season in 1996, how tough it was with Steve [Kinser], Sammy [Swindell], Andy Hillenberg, Stevie Smith and Dave Blaney and Doug Wolfgang back then. There were a lot of guys that, as a kid, you look up to and are like 'I can't believe I'm racing with these guys.' Some of those guys have retired, but others have stepped up to the plate," Saldana said.

"Obviously Donny Schatz is as good as anyone right now and probably top two or three all-time in a sprint car. So we definitely have a guy who we are trying to beat in Donny. Other teams are stepping up, Brad Sweet full-time and Daryn Pittman, David Gravel, Paul McMahon and Shane Stewart. There's a lot of guys out here running full-time who are competitive and it shows.

"Everyone has great equipment so it's difficult to do anything special," Saldana added. "Back 20 years ago it was just drivers. I don't know if the motors or the cars were as important as they are now. It's all motor and car now and you have to have a good program to even have a shot."

Lincoln Park Speedway presents a bit of a unique challenge for the drivers since most of them have little experience at the dirt oval.

The Outlaws Tour spends a lot of time at half-mile ovals so being successful on the smaller tracks is important if you are chasing a title according to Sweet.

"We've had a fast car on some of these smaller tracks. So I'm excited to go [to Lincoln Park] and hopefully we can keep the Ollie's Bargain Outlet Car where it's been, up front. It's just a different mindset," Sweet said in regards to preparing for small track racing.

Saldana started out his career running in the heart of USAC Country in the Midwest so he knows the importance of small track racing.

"Growing up all that I ran was short tracks. My dad wouldn't even let me run a half mile until I'd raced for two years," Saldana said. "So all I really did was short track racing and I enjoyed it. It seems like I've been running better on the bigger tracks, but to be competitive with the World of Outlaws you have to run well on both short and large.

"We won Jacksonville, which was a good boost for our team and our small track program and we've won at Devils Bowl and Las Vegas. So we've been fast on both situations so hopefully we can bring some of that knowledge from Jacksonville and be successful at Putnamville."

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