WoO: Outlaws seeing wild start to season after following California Tour

When was the last time we’ve seen this kind of start to a World of Outlaws Sprint Car season?

Of the 16 scheduled races, seven have been rained out – which actually matches the amount from last season.

A group of proven drivers are in the opening steps of taking on new roles with different teams, trying to jump start some early season momentum.

And, oh yeah, 10-time series champion Donny Schatz only has one win – his lowest total since he won one of the first nine races in 2013.

That, of course, is just a testament to how good Schatz is – and he still has the points lead.

The series continues their season following what was a five-race California swing by heading to Arizona for a pair of races this weekend.

Friday night sees the return of USA Raceway on the schedule for the first time since 2015, while Saturday marks the annual trip to Arizona Speedway.

While Schatz is on top of the points, one of those drivers in a new ride – Daryn Pittman – has kept pace after moving to the Roth Motorsports No. 83 car. Pittman is tied with Schatz for the lead in the standings and can take a big step this weekend.

The last time the series went to USA Raceway, Pittman pulled took the W and has done so in two of the past four trips to Tucson.

A win this weekend would mean the points lead for the 2013 series champion and while that’s no sure thing when it comes to championship odds, it certainly doesn’t hurt.

His move to a new team is paying off tremendously, so far. Though others can’t say the same thing, at least not yet.

David Gravel was one of a pair of drivers that were even close to staying with Schatz in 2018, but early on this season, he’s been in a rut.

Through the first seven races, Gravel failed to register a top five on year after corralling 29 of them in 71 starts.

That came to an end at the tail end of the California swing, though.

Gravel ran the inside lane around Keller Auto Speedway to roll to his first win of the season, and first victory in the late Jason Johnson’s No. 41 car.

Speaking of, Carson Macedo – the driver that finished the 2018 season out in the No. 41 – is trying to make the most out of his first season as a full-timer in the series, and it’s off to good start.

Macedo sits fourth in the points standings thanks to eight top 10 finishes in the first nine events. Not to mention, he leads the series with five heat race wins on top of an overall victory at Silver Dollar Raceway in March.

It will be his first pair of Arizona races with the Outlaws, however he’s raced at both events and is looking to keep his strong start going this weekend.

Hot laps at both events will kick off at 6:00 p.m. locally and racing is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. Follow @LWOS_Motorsport on twitter for updates.