Donny Schatz

Racing career

Schatz is son of Danny Christ Schatz, a sprint car driver in the 1970s, and Diane Korgel. He started his racing career at 11 in go karts, and moved to 358 sprint cars as a 15-year-old at Red River Valley Speedway. Schatz moved to 410 sprints and The World of Outlaws series three seasons later as an 18-year-old.

World of Outlaws

Schatz won the 1997 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year award, and picked up his first A-feature win in 1998..

Schatz has gone on to win ten championships in 2006–2009, 2012, and 2014–2018. He became only the second driver to win the points championship four years in a row, with the other being Steve Kinser. Since 2006 he has recorded a top two points finish, with three second places to go along with the ten championships.

As of June 19, 2021, Schatz has 300 WoO wins, third most all-time behind Steve Kinser and Sammy Swindell.

Prestigious wins include the Knoxville Nationals eleven times, (2006–09, 2011–15, 2017, 2022), the Kings Royal six times,(2007, 2009, 2016–18, 2023), the 2006, 2007, 2020 Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup; the Brad Doty Classic in 2013, 2016 and 2018; the 2000, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012 and 2020 National Open at William's Grove Speedway, and the inaugural World of Outlaws World Finals at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008. He also holds the record for farthest in the field a winner of the Knoxville Nationals has started, when he won from the 21st starting position in 2013.

In 2008, he moved to Tony Stewart Racing, and continued to drive for the team for eighteen years, until leaving the team on August 12, 2025.

Australia

Schatz has spent time racing in Australia during his career. He won the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic at the Premier Speedway in Warrnambool, Victoria back to back in 2001 & 2002. Donny was runner up in the 1999/2000 and 2001/02 World Series Sprintcars series.

NASCAR

On June 2, 2021, it was announced that Schatz would make his NASCAR and stock car racing debut in the inaugural Truck Series race at Knoxville Raceway, driving the No. 17 for David Gilliland Racing.

Personal life

He was a 1995 graduate of Minot High School. He currently lives in Fargo, North Dakota. He has a step-daughter, Savanna. Schatz is a licensed pilot and spends a great deal of time working with his parents in their family truck stop businesses in Fargo and Minot. He is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hunting and snowmobiling.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Camping World Truck Series

References

References

1. (14 August 2025). "Big Game Motorsports Creates Second Car for Schatz for Next Seven World of Outlaws Races".
2. [http://www.woosprint.com/history "World of Outlaws History"] {{webarchive. link. (December 7, 2013 at worldofoutlaws.com)
3. (August 12, 2025). "Donny Schatz Out At Tony Stewart Racing After 18 Years".
4. Weaver, Matt. (June 3, 2021). "Donny Schatz to Make Long Anticipated NASCAR Debut at Knoxville". [[Hearst Communications]].
5. "Donny Schatz". Donny Schatz Motorsports.
6. "Donny Schatz – 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.