Donny Schatz Prevails in Close Jackson Nationals Finish

Donny Schatz, David Gravel and Sheldon Haudenschild in Victory Lane at Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minnesota. (Photo: Trent Gower | World Racing Group)

JACKSON, Minn. — Night Two of the Jackson Nationals at Jackson Motorplex took place on Saturday night with a 35-lap feature race.

Donny Schatz and David Gravel led the field to the start/finish line and Schatz went to the bottom to claim the lead early. Gravel ran right with him around the top going down the backstretch.

Eight laps later, Brock Zearfoss and Emerson Axsom battled for sixth. As they came off of Turn 2, Axsom went to the bottom to get around Zearfoss for the lead, and he successfully completed the pass before they hit Turn 3.

Lap 11 saw two drivers spin out in Turn 2, drawing a caution. On the restart, Aaron Reutzel got around Sheldon Haudenschild for third and was in hot pursuit of Gravel. One lap later though, Haudenschild got him back as they came off of the first corner and headed down the backstretch, making a pass on the bottom to slide in front of him to go into Turn 3.

With 17 laps remaining, everyone was eager to crack the top five. Giovanni Scelzi was no exception. Logan Schuchart was running sixth and as they came off of Turn 4, Scelzi ran the higher line, claiming sixth at the line.

As they came off of Turn 2, Schuchart went to the bottom, inching closer and closer to Scelzi. Finally, they hit the next turn and Schuchart slide-jobbed Scelzi, edging himself back into sixth. Scelzi went to the bottom to slide past him coming off of the corner but ended up making the pass going into Turn 1. This time, when Schuchart went to the bottom, he could not find a way around Scelzi and remained in seventh.

Aaron Reutzel competing at Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minnesota. (Photo: Trent Gower | World Racing Group)

At the end of Lap 23, Haudenschild duked it out with Gravel. Coming off of Turn 4, Haudenschild was on the inside of Gravel, running side-by-side with him. As they went into Turn 2, Haudenschild pulled a slide job on Gravel, but coming out of the corner, Gravel took his position back. 

Lap 28 saw Schuchart and Scelzi go at it, as well as Gravel and Haudenschild. Scelzi held off all of Schuchart’s advances to maintain sixth, but Gravel did not fare as well. Haudenschild took Gravel on the high side going into Turns 1 and 2 this time, and although Gravel went to the faster lane on the bottom, he could not catch up to Haudenschild.

In the last corner of the race, Haudenschild went high and got a good run on Schatz to make it a really close race, but the ten-time World of Outlaws champion held him off to win $25,000.

“I guess you gotta look at stats and look back at things and these two-day shows are not good [for us],” said Schatz. “Tonight was another one of them nights: take what we’ve learned from the first night and take it to the second night. [This] racetrack you could go everywhere on. I criticize these kids a lot, but I’m damn proud to race with guys like Sheldon [Haudenschild] and Carson [Macedo.] If you’re a fan [of WoO] it’s a great time to be alive.”