DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript

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Haudenschild, Stenhouse team split... What's next? - BONUS DAILY | Daily 9-5-2025

Sheldon Haudenschild will split with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Richard Marshall's team at the conclusion of the season. We'll dive in on this bonus show, and talk about their time together, and what's next for everyone. Let's go!

It's Friday, September 5th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.

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Welcome to a little bonus Daily for this Friday. I wanted to put a quick show together to talk about the news from yesterday evening that Sheldon Haudenschild will depart the Stenhouse Jr. Marshall team at the end of the 2025 World of Outlaws Sprint Car season. Both Sheldon and the team making the announcement yesterday around 5:30PM eastern time. It was the usual stuff in the statements, pointing out the accomplishments, and everyone thanking each other. Neither SJM or Sheldon elaborated on 2026 plans, but we'll come back around to that in a bit. I did get asked on social media yesterday if I expected this move, and the answer was yes. There have been rumblings in recent days that Sheldon was lining up a new deal, and that crew chief Kyle Ripper was coming with him. It seems like there has been some unrest with this team for a while, as there was also very quiet chatter last offseason that Haudenschild and Ripper were shopping a move. That obviously didn't come to fruition, but now here we are.

Looking at his career up this point, Haudenschild was a World of Outlaws rookie in 2017, but he did that driving in family owned equipment. He didn't move over to the SJM team until the 2018 season. As an aside on the history of that 17 team. If you remember back to 2016, the 17 was originally the 17W that started out as the Matt Wood-owned team for Bryan Clauson. The original plan was for that team to shift to full time World of Outlaws competition for 2017, but as we know that never happened after we lost Clauson. Later in 2016, Kerry Madsen got in that car and ended up finishing the season. But for 2017, the team became Stenhouse Jr. Wood Racing, and Joey Saldana was the driver with backing from Roth Investments and Elk Grove Ford. Saldana struggled though through the first half of that World of Outlaws season, and he was dropped before the Kings Royal. In 37 Outlaw starts, Saldana had just 11 top ten finishes. After that, Jac Haudenschild then filled in for the rest of the season. We know NOS came onboard during that stretch with Jac in the car, and then for 2018, Sheldon took it over. And the move paid off almost immediately, with Sheldon scoring his first career Outlaw win in his first series start aboard the 17. Since pairing up, it was 44 Outlaw wins together, which at the moment is good for 19th all time with the Outlaws. Sheldon tied with Logan Schuchart. The team though never able to really contend for a title. 2020 was the best end of the season result with a fourth place championship run, and that was their best season average finish. 2020 the best season for Sheldon in most statistical categories, except wins. The peak season for wins was 2022 with nine. For most of the run together though, this team has always been kind of the same. Fifth to seventh in points, good for a decent amount of wins, but they never took steps forward beyond 2020. And 2025 has been more of the same. Fifth in the standings, a top ten rate of about 65%, an average finish of a bit worse than 9th, and two wins. I've said it so many times before, but when he's on, there aren't many better than Sheldon Haudenschild on any given night. He's appointment viewing when he's banging the top and flying around. Think back to Huset's in 2022. The problem though, is those types of performances just never happen consistently enough. Consider this, Haudenschild has won 44 races, but since 2017 he's led laps in 89 races. That means he's won less than 50% of the races in which he's led laps. Over that span, of the top ten drivers with the most Outlaw wins, only Daryn Pittman has a worse percentage there. And Pittman hasn't been a full time driver since 2020. For comparison, David Gravel has won 71.5% of races in which he's led. The average among those top ten drivers is 60%. If Sheldon was at that percentage, he'd be at 53 or 54 wins.

So now that we know it's coming to an end, what's next? Via the announcements, we know that Sheldon and crew chief Kyle Ripper are staying together. SJM also thanked Ripper, and Sheldon's statement said quote "Looking ahead, Sheldon Haudenschild and crew chief Kyle Ripper are excited to build on their success and focus on the future in 2026" unquote. The speculation about where Sheldon is going was obviously running rampant yesterday, but I'd keep an eye on the KCP 18 team. I know a lot thought maybe the TSR 15, but a lot of the talk out there centers around the 18. I said on the free agency episode we did that the KCP ride was in play. They have Emerson Axsom in the car at the moment, who they brought in after Gio Scelzi quit mid-Eldora weekend. We know Axsom will finish the season, but he hasn't set the world on fire in that ride. Since getting in the car at BAPS, he's had just five top ten runs. Another thing to consider, is geography. KCP is based near Knoxville, which is the area in which Kyle Ripper lives. That will certainly make it easier for him to be home more often. I would imagine that Sheldon doesn't quit one ride until he has the other lined up, but stay tuned for the announcement here. I think it's likely Axsom will get back in the Klaasmeyer Petry car for 2026. As for series choice for Sheldon, this one seems TBD. Given recent events, it seems a lot of folks think a flip to High Limit is in the cards, but I don't know that the recent penalty will play a role in where he decides to race. The other big question is NOS. Jeremy Elliott reported this morning that NOS will continue with SJM, but I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't also on whatever car Sheldon ends up in. We know NOS and program manager Lauren Albano aren't afraid to spread the love around. The future for the 17 though seems much more murky at the moment. This could be a possible landing spot for Donny Schatz, but it's also been floated they could shut down completely. Schatz's name is also popping up other places, so I don't know that I put a lot of stock in either of those directions currently. I'm sure the Stenhouse and Richard Marshall phones are already ringing off the hook with interested drivers.

It was less than two weeks ago that we did a show about some of the potential sprint car moves to come, and I said that there would be other domino affects and more changes. And there are more surprises to come. Unsettled situations right now include Tony Stewart Racing, Donny Schatz, the Meyers 14, Gio Scelzi, and Spencer Bayston. There are also rumors about KCP, Kasey Kahne Racing, CJB, and that's before we talk crew chiefs and series choices. Don't go anywhere friends, we are just getting started.

That's enough for today. Hope you guys have a great Friday out there, we'll see you back here Sunday!