Catching up with Chase Raudman at the end of the 2023 season to look back on this past year with the World of Outlaws.

JW: Hey Chase! Thanks for taking the time to chat. First off, I have to start off our chat by asking you a softball. How was the 2023 World of Outlaws season for you? How would you rate the year for yourself?
 
CR: It was pretty fun! It’s a fun gig overall. It’s hard to complain about your job when you are involved with racing. It was a fun year. Got to see a few first-time winners. Something I really enjoy being a part of. We had 19 different winners and a points battle that came down to the very end. That’s all you can really ask for. DirtVision was stepping up their game every race of the year. Overall, it was a great year! 
 
JW: Not to go back too far in the time machine, but I’m sure many fans of DirtVision out there are curious about your background. A lot of people don’t know your history, but your origins are from the Northern California. How does a guy from the West Coast, who is involved with racing and different media projects within the sport, end up as one of the key faces for DirtVision and the World of Outlaws that is watched from fans around the world?
 
CR: I was lucky a little bit… There has to be some luck to get into the position where I am now. I was announcing races back in 2014 with a guy by the name of Kyler Shaw (Fast4Media). I only announced one time because the original announcer was getting married, and they needed someone to fill in. At the time, I was doing a mix of social media and Twitter work for a few tracks in my area at the time. After the one-off performance, I was asked to come on board with more races. I was going to college, working a job, and announcing all at the same time. From there, I got an opportunity with USAC on the West Coast. Did a few sprint car races here and there, which was a mix of 360 & 410 races for around three or four years. I did a mix of different races all over. I felt like I was spinning my wheels a bit and was about to quit as I didn’t see a future in this field. Once the pandemic hit, I got an opportunity to announce the iRacing events for the Outlaws and help out John Gibson. I knew a couple of guys that were involved with that production and I was recommended to come on and help Johnny out and announce those online races for WRG. That was my first step in the door with WRG. That turned into a few different one-off races with WRG & the Outlaws that year as a pit reporter in 2020, which then turned into a full-time deal in 2021 after they liked what they saw from my one-off performances.

JW: How much do you enjoy being one of the main figures in the media for the World of Outlaws? Next to John Gibson (race & track announcer), who is one of the most well-known individuals with the Outlaws brand, you have become one of the other main pieces that fans associate with the World of Outlaws “brand” and overall presentation for DirtVision.
 
CR: It’s crazy! Back in the day, me and my buddies would be driving up and down the road listening to the DirtVision audio, and you would hear Johnny on the mic by himself. When I started with WRG, I got to work beside him in the booth from time to time. When I would be sitting beside him, I would see all of his notes and gear with him—so professional and ready to go. He can nail everything he is saying, driver name and hometown, sponsor, track history, etc. When I did the first race with the Outlaws at Terre Haute I thought at that time, does this guy know who I am? It’s crazy to think that I have a relationship with him now.
 
JW: One of the major topics in sprint car racing this year was the Eldora Million. Even though the Eldora Million wasn’t an Outlaw sanctioned event and you weren’t working the race, what did you think of the event as a whole? Pros? Cons? Any improvements that could be made?
 
CR: I was in the grandstands for the race. I was a race fan for that one. I wish the racetrack was better for that event. When it comes to the big events for sprint car racing, those are the times to feature the sport to the world. Even other motorsports fans (NASCAR, Indycar, etc.) fans have an idea about these events and will be curious to tune in. But, the racing in a lot of these events isn’t the best, whether it’s single file racing, a big wreck that takes out a bunch of cars. It was cool to see the guy that won the race - Logan [Schuchart]. The storyline for him and Shark Racing on how they began... I mean, it’s a storyline that writes itself. It was cool to see a race for a million dollars, but the track just wasn’t up to snuff mainly because of the rain leading up to the event that week, as it could have been a better product on the track. 
 
JW: Who were one or two of your favorite sprint car drivers growing up that you enjoyed following, meeting with, and/or watching race? To add on to that question, even today, is there a driver(s) out there that you enjoy following?
 
CR: First part, with the Outlaws, Daryn Pittman. I always enjoyed watching him. To this day, I love midget racing. That’s what I paid the most attention to. My favorite was Brian Clauson. He won so much, I loved the way his race cars looked, a great driver all around, and an even better person. Corey Kruseman is another one I liked. A big name with the old-school midget racing scene. Donny Schatz was always up there for me. In my opinion, he is the best we have ever seen. Second part of the question; I really like Gio [Scelzi]. He is one of the good guys. He always makes time for DirtVision. It was the first time for everything for him this year with the Outlaws. Fourth place this year in his rookie season is insane. Gio represents the Outlaws unbelievably well. I can see him being a champion and really becoming one of the stars of the series over the next ten to fifteen years. 
 
JW: You have been witnessing this firsthand, but I have to ask you… What do you think of the competition level this year that we have been seeing with the World of Outlaws? It just seems like the series continues to increase the level of competition year after year. We had a three-way battle for the championship between Sweet, Gravel, and Macedo throughout most of the year.
 
CR: The parody in the sport this year was unbelievable. At one point in time, in every race, Carson [Macedo], David [Gravel], and Brad [Sweet] were switching from the top spot. Carson’s wreck at Knoxville really did affect his performance when he came back initially. Realistically, he should have been off for a month. It looked like it took him a couple of weeks to a month to get back to a position where he had the confidence and pace he initially had. The year was super competitive between the top three though. The championship fight this year was really intense, even though it became more of a two-horse race by Charlotte between Brad [Sweet] & David [Gravel]. 
 
JW: To round off our chat, I have to ask you this one… What’s been the highlight of the 2023 World of Outlaws season for Chase Raudman?
 
CR: There were many different highlights that stand out to me. Seeing Corey Day get that first win at the Gold Cup was a big deal. For Corey to get that first Outlaw win at a race he has been going to since he was six years old, was a massive moment for him and everyone watching. Corey has been close all season for his first Outlaw win, and it was great to see him break through. Buddy getting his win at Placerville was also special. It was one of the first tracks that he was allowed to race a sprint car at when he was in his early teens. That was cool. Again, Carson’s [Macedo] deal at Knoxville was wild. Really happy that he was able to come out of that and recover to perform well right until the end of the year. Donny [Schatz] winning the King's Royal was a big moment for him. To show that he still has it when it comes to the big races was special to see. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what 2024 has in store for us!