Logan Schuchart is still channeling the confidence he gained when he became the “Million Dollar Man” last season, but he no longer wants to be defined by his historic victory in the Eldora Million.
It’s a new season and, as he sees it, his win counter has been set back to zero.
“Everybody starts on the same page, and that feels good. You can forget about what happened last year, where you finished or ended up,” Schuchart said.
That doesn’t mean he’s writing off his $1 million triumph at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway, but with his 11th consecutive year on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series tour ahead, Schuchart is focused forward.
Other than starting the year off strong with a victory during Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals finale, the Pennsylvania native wants to add another crown jewel to his résumé.
Until winning at Eldora last July, chasing a crown jewel win had become a sort of sore point for Schuchart.
He’d finished second plenty of times at events such as the Knoxville Nationals and the Kings Royal, but there was a point in time where it deeply bothered the Shark Racing driver that he could never quite get to the top.
However, if there’s one thing his grandfather, Hall of Famer and Shark Racing team owner Bobby Allen, instilled in Schuchart, it’s a never-give-up attitude.
“It paid off that we were able to win the biggest one in history last year,” Schuchart said. “When you run second at all those major races, you know you have a chance and that you’re knocking at the door.”
The 31-year-old is hoping the team will continue to reap rewards for their hard work — this time, in terms of a World of Outlaws championship — but even if the prize remains elusive, Schuchart will still take pride in his efforts.
“Say it never does happen, if you give it 110 percent, you can say when your time’s done or at the end of the day that you didn’t leave anything in the tank,” Schuchart said.
The driver of the No. 1s finished fifth in the standings last year, but maintained some frustration about the team’s lack of consistency. This season, Schuchart is aiming to get back to his 2020 form — the year of his career-best effort with the Outlaws where he finished runner-up to Brad Sweet in the championship hunt.
It’s taken a long time for Schuchart to feel like he has momentum rolling his way, but the “Million Dollar Man” has recently become more optimistic about the way his legacy is shaping up.
“I’ve always wanted to be like the Steve Kinsers, the Sammy Swindells, the Mark Kinsers and the Donny Schatzes — all the people I watched as a kid and seeing what they accomplished,” Schuchart said. “I just want to do the most I can for the longest period of time and see what happens.”
The Shark Racing driver has finished in the top seven on the opening three nights at the DIRTcar Nationals with a best finish of fifth on night one. Saturday’s finale will pay $20,000 to win.