Five years ago, Daryn Pittman turned a storybook return to the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series into a championship run the likes of which few believed was possible.
He joined powerhouse Kasey Kahne Racing, won the opening race of the season and ultimately dethroned series kingpin Donny Schatz by a scant 14 points to secure his first WoO crown.
It was a moment that many pundits thought would lead to even more success. But after a runner-up effort in 2014, the momentum stalled.
Just as quickly as Pittman sent shock waves through the dirt-racing world, he faded quietly back into the background as Schatz returned with a vengeance and racked up four consecutive championships.
A frustrating 50-plus race winless streak last year did little to help Pittman’s cause and the departure of long-time sponsor Great Clips had many wondering if Pittman might be nearing the end of the rope in his second full-time stint with the World of Outlaws.
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However, things have clicked this year with he and crew chief Justin Adams, and the team is contending regularly once again.
Pittman scored five World of Outlaws victories in the first 34 events this season, including a run of three wins in four races during April, and he is confident things are “headed back to where they needed to be” despite a tumultuous 18-month stretch that had him on edge at times.
“We’ve been getting more consistent here of late over the last month or so,” Pittman noted. “Earlier in the season, it was basically feast or famine for our team. Between all the rainouts we had at the beginning of the year, not running well some and crashing more than we normally do, it definitely was a slow start for us.
“As a driver, when you have the struggles that we battled the past year, it does make you think about it at times and question where things are at, but at the same time it motivates you to push that much harder to come back even stronger … especially when you know you have the equipment and the team to be successful every night at the track like I know we’re capable of,” Pittman continued. “We’ve started to turn the corner, but we just have to keep working at it because you can never be content on this tour with the caliber of guys that we’re running against. We have to keep pushing forward all the time.”
Ironically, Pittman’s original path to Kasey Kahne Racing came after a similar down spell that actually saw him come off the Outlaws tour after losing his ride with Titan Racing at the start of the 2009 season.
That was a period in which Pittman doubted his future as well, especially considering his eldest daughter, Taylor, was born in March 2009.
“It was difficult to make ends meet at that point … and with the new responsibilities of being a dad, there were definitely times that I questioned if I was being irresponsible by continuing to race,” Pittman admitted. “There were times I contemplated giving it all up and moving back to Oklahoma to work for my dad at his salvage yard.”
Pittman stayed the course despite the fact that his rocky road continued. An abysmal start to the 2010 season with car owner Jesse Keen led him to gamble on a move to Mike Heffner’s No. 27. It was a move that ultimately saved his career.
