Though Schatz emerged as champion, he did have to hold several hungry drivers at bay, most notably Watertown, Conn. young gun David Gravel.
Gravel racked up 18 wins, the closest anyone has come to beating Schatz in the win column since 2011 when three drivers (Jason Meyers, Steve Kinser & Craig Dollansky) actually did top him, but struggled with consistency and finished third in points.
Despite the heat from the CJB Motorsports No. 5, Schatz said his focus is on what he can control and not his competition.
“I’m the kind of person that can control what it is that I do, and I’m not motivated by what someone else does,” explained Schatz. “That’s what’s gotten me into this position for as long as I have, and I don’t plan to change that, There’s been a lot of guys who’ve done a lot of great things over the years, and David’s just another one coming up through the ranks.”
“He’s doing a great job and that’s what our sport needs. We need young, hungry guys … but we’ve seemed to stay in that mix every year of racing for a championship, so that’s what we continue to do and what we do is what we control. We don’t change anything via what somebody else does. David had a great year with 18 wins, but he was almost 300 points out of being a contender for the championship. That’s six nights of DNFs to a win, so it’s a tough scenario to be in.”
“It’s a great time in the sport … right now it’s as competitive as I’ve seen it in 10 years, so it makes it feel awful special when you win a championship and it’s in a field that’s that competitive.”
And with the 250-win milestone looming, as well as the possibility of becoming just the 10th Outlaw ever to claim double-digit points titles, you might think that Schatz has begun to think about the magnitude of what he’s done.
Not so, says the North Dakota native, who turned 40 this year but is still as driven as ever.
“I’m going to reflect on (the numbers) someday when I’m retired, but right now I keep myself very busy away from the race track to keep from thinking about those things,” Schatz admitted. “I mean, yeah, I’m very proud of the accomplishments I have and I’m very appreciative of the compliments I get, but you’re never going to hear me slamming in someone’s face saying ’10 titles this’ or ‘I’m a nine-time that’ or a ‘five-time this.’ It’s just not who I am.”
“Life’s short, you’ve got to play hard, but you’re only going around once. None of us know how long we’ve got. Some days, this can be a dangerous sport, but most importantly it’s a very humbling sport that I enjoy to the fullest. You have to enjoy the great victory today and act like you didn’t have a victory tomorrow. That’s worked for me for the last 10 years, so I’m not going to change what I’ve done or who I’ve become.”
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network, as well as a periodic contributor to SPEED SPORT Magazine.
Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 23-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
Email Race Chaser Online: [email protected]
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