Donny Schatz


Donny Schatz is an American professional sprint car racing driver. He currently competes full-time in the World of Outlaws, driving the No. 15 Ford for Tony Stewart Racing. Schatz is a ten-time champion in the World of Outlaws with a current total of 300 wins.

Career

Schatz started his racing career at 11 in go karts and moved to 358 sprints as a 15-year-old at Red River Valley Speedway. Schatz moved to 410 sprints and The World of Outlaws series three seasons later as an 18-year-old.

World of Outlaws

Schatz won the 1997 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year award, and picked up his first A-feature win in 1998..
Schatz has gone on to win ten championships in 2006–2009, 2012, and 2014–2018. He became only the second driver to win the points championship four years in a row, with the other being Steve Kinser. Since 2006 he has recorded a top two points finish, with three second places to go along with the ten championships.
As of March 18, 2020, Schatz has 300 WoO wins, third most all-time behind Steve Kinser and Sammy Swindell.
Prestigious wins include the Knoxville Nationals ten times,,the 2006 and 2007 Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup; the Brad Doty Classic in 2013, 2016 and 2018; the 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2007 National Open at William's Grove Speedway, and the inaugural World of Outlaws World Finals at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008. He also holds the record for farthest in the field a winner of the Knoxville Nationals has started, when he won from the 21st starting position in 2013.
In 2008 he moved to Tony Stewart Racing, and continues to drive for that team today.
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Australia

Schatz has spent time racing in Australia during his career. He won the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic at the Premier Speedway in Warrnambool, Victoria in 2002, and was runner up in the 1999/2000 and 2001/02 World Series Sprintcars series.

Personal life

He was a 1995 graduate of Minot High School. He currently lives in Fargo, North Dakota. He and his wife Erica, have a step-daughter, Savanna.