Oct 2, 5:00 PM UTC
QA Load Test 6
Nov 26, 11:05 PM UTC
USAC November Classic at Bakersfield
Nov 29-30, TBD
Gobbler at Cochran
Dec 6-8, TBD
Snowbird Outlaw Nationals at Bradenton
The World Of Outlaws

Dave Blaney Shocks And Marvels The World Of Outlaws At Sharon

Dave Blaney Shocks And Marvels The World Of Outlaws At Sharon

Blaney came across like a legendary rock star in beating the Outlaws at home.

May 23, 2021
null

This was a rumble that originated in Hartford Township but surely spread across Ohio and Pennsylvania, eventually rocking Cleveland and perhaps even producing a small tsunami that rippled throughout Lake Erie.

It’s what happened when Dave Blaney first took the lead from Sheldon Haudenschild with four laps to go in the World of Outlaws feature at Sharon Speedway.

But that was just the foreshock.


Haudenschild took the lead again but couldn’t stop drilling the Turn 2 wall with his right rear tire -- losing more and more momentum each time he bounced off the non-existent cushion.

It’s not clear what made more of an initial jolt to the epicenter that was Sharon Speedway, the Blaney faithful or Haudenschild attempting to knock the wall down, but it became a steady shake over the final five laps as the 1995 World of Outlaws champion drove away to his first win since Oct. 21, 1997 at Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, New Mexico.


First was the rumble and then came the roar.

"Blaney! Blaney! Blaney!"

They love him here … as they should with the family operating the 3/8-mile clay bullring for over half a century dating back to Lou Blaney.

And speaking of over a half century, that’s how old Dave is, taking the Greatest Showmen on Dirt to the woodshed at 58 years old.

It was also 8,614 days since that last win on what was then called the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. Specifically, it was 23 years, 7 months and 1 day ago.

Much has happened since then, of course.

Blaney took off as a journeyman NASCAR regular the next season with a Busch Grand National Series victory in 2006 with Braun Motorsports and over 550 starts across all three national tours. That didn’t leave much time for Sprint Car appearances, roughly a half-dozen each year while he was in Stock Cars.

Even after retiring from NASCAR, his only full-time Sprint Car season came in 2018 with the All-Star Circuit of Champions, with just 61 WoO appearances between that night in Southern New Mexico and Saturday.

"Blaney! Blaney! Blaney!"

Again, they really love the Buckeye Bullet in Ohio, obviously.

But they love the Haudenschilds too, and there was nothing bittersweet about this moment, nearly everyone rooting for their hometown legend and serenading him on the frontstretch.

They were loud, waiving the flashers on their cellphones, and rocking the grandstands. Two hours away from Cleveland, Blaney came across like a legendary rock star and Sharon was his Hall of Fame.  

"Yeah, that was cool, and I’ve never experience that here before," Blaney said. "I’m going to remember that one for a long time."

Even amidst his disappointment, even Haudenschild acknowledged the specialness of the moment, one his heroes winning at his expense.   

"It really is awesome," Haudenschild said," It’s awesome for him and his family, but we want to win these races, too."

Two-time and defending World of Outlaws champion Brad Sweet grew up watching Jac Haudenschild and Dave Blaney dueling each other for marquee wins across the country.

"There are going to be headlines tomorrow that read 'Blaney outduels Haudenschild,' but it’s Sheldon," Sweet said. "That’s pretty cool. It’s a big win for the old guys. I watched Dave Blaney in Sprint Cars and NASCAR and always admired Dave.

"That’s cool, at his home track, and I don’t think he’s won one of these in a while. Dave Blaney is probably 60 years old and just smoked us tonight."

Yeah.


It was a field that included Sweet, Haudenschild, 10-time champion Donny Schatz, Knoxville Nationals winner David Gravel and All-Stars Circuit of Champions champion Aaron Reutzel.

It was vintage Dave Blaney.

"This is the best ever when you can come here and beat these guys, anywhere and anytime," Blaney said. "This is just my second race of the year and we beat the Outlaws."

 "Blaney! Blaney! Blaney!"

Carson Macedo finished third to Blaney and Haudenschild, but acknowledged the occasion. He called Blaney a legend of the sport.

"He’s a hero," Macedo said. "To build a one-off car for this place and beat us is pretty incredible. I don’t know Dave’s age, but for him to win in the World of Outlaws is really something else."

So, how big of a win was it, and where does it rank in an awesome career that includes the Outlaws championship, Knoxville Nationals, Kings Royal, Gold Cup and a Chili Bowl Midget Nationals?

"Well, it’s the biggest win, today," Blaney said with a chuckle.

"So, I don’t know."

Spoken like a man who has no interest in this being the last one, with a target set on many more todays.