Photos by Jim Balentine

SHELDON HAUDENSCHILD WINS WORLD OF OUTLAWS FROM 10TH FOR $18,000- RICHEST IN SHARON SPRINT CAR HISTORY; 1ST UMP MOD WIN FOR BUD WATSON IN OVER 2 YEARS
By Mike Leone

October 10, 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Hartford, OH)…It would only be fitting in the weather-challenged year that Mother Nature would try and intervene for the final race of the 97th anniversary season on Saturday night at Sharon Speedway. Despite no chance of rain until hours after midnight, several rounds of light showers delayed the program, but in the end the entire show was completed. Celebrating with wins in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Victory Lane were Sheldon Haudenschild (World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars) and Bud Watson (Hovis Auto & Truck Supply UMP Mods presented by A&MP Electric). A large crowd watched 91 cars compete in the two-division Federated Auto Parts Showdown part of “Sheldon’s Buckeye Brawl”.

For the second straight night, Sheldon Haudenschild took home the $18,000 payday in his self-promoted “Sheldon’s Buckeye Brawl”. One night after winning the return of the World of Outlaws after 45 years to Mansfield Speedway, Haudenschild charged from the 10th starting spot to pass Logan Schuchart with five laps to go in the 30-lap feature and went on to win the richest Sprint Car race in the storied history of Sharon Speedway! Haudenschild also became the season’s seventh different winner in seven “410” Sprint Car races!

“Hats off to (Kyle) Ripper, Adam (Clark), and Dauson (Heitritter),” said the 33-year-old Wooster, Ohio native after his 57th career Series win. “That car was so good. If I lost that race, I was going to be pretty mad at myself. I was so good. I didn’t know if that restart was a good thing or a bad thing. I kind of feel like I had the 1s (Schuchart) guessing a little bit. Not much else to say. Like Ripper said, that was a good Ohio ass kicking these last two nights!”

Donny Schatz and Cameron Smith led the 24-car field to green with Schatz jumping into the early lead, while Schuchart passed Smith, his Shark Racing teammate, for second. Schuchart closed in on Schatz on lap six as the top two pulled away. Carson Macedo started sixth and was on the move getting by David Gravel on lap four for fourth then by Smith for third on lap seven.

Schatz caught lapped traffic on lap 11, which allowed Macedo to close in as well making it a three-car race for the lead. On lap 12, Schuchart split the lapped car of Logan McCandless to take the lead from Schatz. Haudenschild was on the prowl and joined the battle for the lead by the half-way point. On lap 17, Haudenschild got past Macedo for third and three laps later drove under Schatz for second.

Macedo wasn’t about to go away as he drove around Schatz for third on lap 22, but one-lap later got into the fence and suffered a flat tire to bring out the caution with seven laps to go. When racing resumed on lap 24, Gravel dropped Schatz back another spot to fourth. Haudenschild went after Schuchart and made the winning pass by driving around the #1s off turn four on lap 25.

Haudenschild would pull away over the final five laps and took the checkered flag first by 2.928 seconds for his 11th World of Outlaws win of the season in the KCP Racing-owned, NOS Energy Drink/Royal Flooring-sponsored #18. For Haudenschild, it was his third career Sharon win, but first since winning the “Lou Blaney Memorial” All Star Circuit of Champions-sanctioned event on July 11, 2015. Twenty years later, Sheldon joins his father Jac, who won in 2006, as World of Outlaws winners at the Hartford, Ohio oval.

Schuchart was second over David Gravel, who leads the World of Outlaws points in search of his third straight championship. Ninth starting Garet Williamson passed Schatz for fourth on the final lap. After leading the first 11 laps, Schatz dropped to fifth at the finish. Buddy Kofoid was sixth over Cole Macedo. Dale Blaney, who won the 2025 event, went 16th to 8th. Emerson Axsom was ninth, while 18th starting Skylar Gee completed the top 10.

Carson Macedo set fast time overall against the 54-car field in qualifying with a lap of 13.641. Leyton Wagner won the non-qualifier race before Carson Macedo, Axsom, Gravel, and Schuchart won the heat races. Creed Kemenah won the C main, while the B main went to Nate Dussel. Schatz was the winner of the dash to earn the feature pole.

After getting into the fence on the final lap and giving away the win in the last UMP Modified feature on September 11, Bud Watson redeemed himself on Saturday night. Watson led all 25 laps of the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply feature presented by A&MP Electric, Mark Thomas Ford, and Wedge Motorsports to garner the $1,500 victory. Thanks as well to year-long support by Holbrook Sewer & Excavating, and Kangaroof. Watson became the season’s sixth different winner in seven races!

“Man, what a race track- I like it when it gets like this,” acknowledged the 33-year-old Kingsville, Ohio racer. “The last time we were here, we knocked down the fence and I thought I was going to get to talk to you (announcer Mike Ackelson), but we got some redemption tonight and it feels good. David Stremme of Lethal Chassis built a fantastic race car. I’m so happy I got hooked up with these guys halfway through the year. The only thing I don’t like is I didn’t have one a long time ago. This race car is just awesome.”

Cousins Joel and Bud Watson led the 24-car field to green with Bud taking the early advantage. Bud Watson began to distance himself from the field on lap five and caught traffic on lap 12 just before a caution for Eric Wilson slowed action. The final 14 laps went green-to-checkered as Bud Watson was never challenged; his Evergreen Lake Park/Holbrook Sewer & Excavating/Hypertech Precision & Manufacturing/Northwestern Manufacturing/C&B Lawn Care/Chief’s Automotive/TRC Construction/#1 Roof Dude-sponsored #225 took the checkered flag first by 3.173 seconds. It was Watson’s third career win in the division, but first since June 22, 2024.

Joel Watson was second over Wyatt Scott. David Stremme, who won the July 11 $1,500 feature, was fourth over Jeremy Holbrook. Dutch Davies, Jeremy Double, Troy Johnson, 18th starting Vinnie DePizzo and Dustin DeMattia completed the top 10. Dan McDonald went 21st to 11th to earn the $100 Summit Racing Equipment Hard Charger gift card. Double. Scott, Bud Watson, and Joel Watson won the heat races over the 37-car field. Steve Haefke, Jr. and Mason Canter won the last chance B mains.

That concludes the 97th anniversary season. In case you missed it, the September 12 night two of the “Apple Festival Nationals” has been rescheduled to Saturday, May 15, 2027.

World of Outlaws Sprint Cars (30 laps, $18,000 to-win): 1. 18-SHELDON HAUDENSCHILD[10]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart[3]; 3. 2-David Gravel[4]; 4. 23-Garet Williamson[9]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz[1]; 6. 83-Michael Kofoid[7]; 7. 2C-Cole Macedo[6]; 8. 10-Dale Blaney[16]; 9. 27-Emerson Axsom[8]; 10. 16C-Skylar Gee[18]; 11. 1A-Cameron Smith[2]; 12. 17B-Bill Balog[15]; 13. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[11]; 14. 1-Nate Dussel[21]; 15. 22-Brandon Spithaler[23]; 16. 33W-Cap Henry[20]; 17. 51-Steven Snyder Jr[13]; 18. 6-Bryce Lucius[12]; 19. 7S-Chris Windom[14]; 20. 15C-Chris Andrews[19]; 21. 14-Zane DeVault[17]; 22. 29-Logan McCandless[22]; 23. 41-Carson Macedo[5]; 24. 17-Spencer Bayston[24].

DNQ for the feature: 11-Carl Bowser, 98-Ricky Peterson, W20-Greg Wilson, 28M-Conner Morrell, 3J-Trey Jacobs, 11N-Darin Naida, 70-Henry Malcuit, 20B-Cody Bova, 3J-Jacob Begenwald, 21-Larry Kingseed Jr, 46-Michael Bauer, 38-Leyton Wagner, 12DD-Darren Dryden, 33-Jeremy Weaver, 2-AJ Flick, 5*-DJ Christie, 15K-Creed Kemenah, 16-Gauge Garcia, 5K-Adam Kekich, 6-Bob Felmlee, 47-Dusty Larson, 1B-Keith Baxter, 39-Ryan Newman, 47-Brett Brunkenhoefer, 32B-Jeremy Kornbau, 5E-Bobby Elliott, 45-Cale Thomas, 08-Danny Kuriger, 13-Brandon Matus, 3V-Chris Verda.

Hovis Auto & Truck Supply UMP Modifieds presented by A&MP Electric (25 laps, $1,500 to-win): 1. 225-BUD WATSON[2]; 2. 92-Joel Watson[1]; 3. 3-Wyatt Scott[3]; 4. 35-David Stremme[5]; 5. 151-Jeremy Holbrook[6]; 6. 40D-Dutch Davies[7]; 7. 83-Jeremy Double[4]; 8. 2J-Troy Johnson[10]; 9. 1-Vinnie DePizzo[18]; 10. 77D-Dustin DeMattia[8]; 11. 39-Dan McDonald[21]; 12. 28-Mason Lobb[16]; 13. 68-Andrew Hammond[23]; 14. 62B-Benny Zimmer[13]; 15. 8-Jonathan Davis[20]; 16. 187-Nate Young[14]; 17. 9T-Mason Canter[22]; 18. 19K-Thomas Kosinski[19]; 19. M16-Matthew Kosinski[9]; 20. 27-Nathaniel Arp[11]; 21. 71D-Dan Davies[12]; 22. 37-Josh McDonald[17]; 23. 10-Eric Wilson[24]. DNS: 39H-Steve Haefke Jr.

DNQ for the feature: 12R-Ty Rhoades, 89C-Travis Carothers, 71S-Charles Steinle, 11J-Ryan Johnston, 9G-Arianna Samuelson, 21-Jarrett Young, 4RJ-Robert Simmons, 344R-Gary Robinson II, 157-Tyler Rendell, 9S-Ken Schrader, 89-Junior Mechling, C12-Calvin Clay, 71L-Dennis Lunger Jr.

Sharon Speedway is owned by the Dave Blaney, Ryan Blaney, and Will Thomas III and is a 3/8-mile dirt track located on Custer-Orangeville Road in Hartford, Ohio near the intersection of Routes 7 & 305. For more information, check out the website at http://www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter) @sharonspdwy.

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