Sheldon Haudenschild (18) beats Donny Schatz to the finish line to win Friday at Huset’s Speedway. (Tyler Carr photo)

By Jacob Seelman, SWN News Editor

BRANDON, S.D. (June 19, 2026) – A poor qualifying lap Friday night by Buddy Kofoid opened the door for someone to finally stop his Huset’s Speedway dominance, and Sheldon Haudenschild took full advantage of the opportunity.

After back-to-back runner-up finishes to open BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals week, Haudenschild finally ascended to the top step of the podium, leading the final six laps of Friday’s 35-lap prelim feature for his third World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series win of the year.

Haudenschild started fifth, slipped back to seventh early on, then rallied through the field before ultimately passing polesitter and race-long leader Logan Schuchart for the victory.

The Wooster, Ohio native’s winning move came on lap 30 to the inside of turns one and two, his KCP Racing No. 18 passing the Shark Racing No. 1s and holding on in a barnburner finish.

Though Haudenschild took the lead and held on the rest of the way, he had to weather a furious charge by Donny Schatz coming to the checkered flag, as Schatz got a run off the top side of turn four and came charging up alongside Haudenschild.

But that charge came up .094 seconds short, as Haudenschild grabbed the 49th victory of his Outlaws career and his fourth at the third-mile Huset’s dirt track.

Even as he celebrated on the frontstretch, Haudenschild – the high-points earner entering Saturday’s High Bank Nationals finale – was already turning his focus toward the series-record $300,000 winner’s share on offer during the cornerstone event of the premier week.

“It feels great,” Haudenschild said. “I don’t know. I’m just focused on tomorrow, man. That’s all I want to win, but tonight was great. I lost a couple spots there early and just kind of had to ride it out and be patient, to just see where those guys were going and try to sneak under them.

“I got under the [No.] 17 (Spencer Bayston). I got under the [No.] 28 (Conner Morrell). The [No.] 17B (Bill Balog) was pretty committed to the top, and I’m so glad he didn’t move down,” Haudenschild added. “Once I got to second, I never saw the [No.] 1S (of Schuchart). I knew I just had to hit my marks. I nailed them and nailed them and finally got to him, then I feel like I missed it a few times in a row but still pulled it off.”

Haudenschild’s leading point total from Friday places him on the pole of the first heat race Saturday night. If he can win that, he’s guaranteed a front-row starting spot in the feature via the King of the Hill match races which set the first six starting spots for the 40-lap grand finale.

Schatz’s charge to second place came up a bit short of his second Outlaws win of the season, but it did put him second in event points and also on the pole of a Saturday heat in the CJB Motorsports No. 15.

After pacing the first 29 laps, Schuchart faded to third at the finish, followed by two-time defending Outlaws champion David Gravel and Indiana native Spencer Bayston.

Despite starting 20th in the main event because of his poor time-trial lap, followed by winning his heat race, Kofoid roared back to finish seventh and still landed a front-row starting spot for Saturday’s third heat race as a result of his determined effort.

Kofoid will line up alongside Gravel in pursuit of a King of the Hill qualifying spot, aiming for his ninth Huset’s Speedway win and fifth six-figure payday at the South Dakota facility.

Broadcast coverage of Saturday’s BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals finale can be streamed live starting at 8:15 p.m. ET on DIRTvision.

The finish:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 laps): 1. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild [5]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1]; 4. 2-David Gravel [8]; 5. 17-Spencer Bayston [7]; 6. 77-Giovanni Scelzi [6]; 7. 83-Buddy Kofoid [20]; 8. 7BC-Tyler Courtney [11]; 9. 23-Garet Williamson [12]; 10. 7S-Chris Windom [19]; 11. 28M-Conner Morrell [3]; 12. 10-Ryan Timms [17]; 13. 17B-Bill Balog [2]; 14. 21-Brian Brown [9]; 15. 2C-Cole Macedo [18]; 16. 5-Parker Price Miller [10]; 17. 27-Emerson Axsom [22]; 18. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. [15]; 19. 16C-Skylar Gee [16]; 20. 25-Jy Corbet [23]; 21. 27W-Weston Olson [14]; 22. 64-Andy Pake [24]; 23. 33-Scotty Broty [13]; 24. 9-Daison Pursley [21].

Lap Leader(s): Logan Schuchart 1-29, Sheldon Haudenschild 30-35.

Hard Charger: 83-Buddy Kofoid (+13)