BRISTOL, Tenn. (April 22, 2021) – Caught completely by surprise, Wooster, Ohio’s Jac Haudenschild was reunited with the iconic Pennzoil No. 22 sprint car earlier this afternoon, which was ceremoniously unveiled at Bristol Motor Speedway to help kick-off the Wild Child’s Farewell Tour. Celebrating nearly five decades of short track competition, the 63-year-old will participate in a 25-race schedule aboard the legendary Pennzoil No. 22, kicking things off with Bristol’s three-day Throwdown tonight through Saturday.
A salute to “Wild Child” fans from coast to coast, Haudenschild’s Farewell Tour will feature some of the sport’s highly touted events such as the Brad Doty Classic at Attica Raceway Park, Eldora Speedway’s Kings Royal, the Ironman 55 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, Silver Dollar Speedway’s Gold Cup, and Thunderbowl’s annual Trophy Cup.
“We’ve had this in the works for a long time,” Rico Abreu said. “He had no idea this was happening. It’s been tough to keep it a secret, but it’s been worth it. I want to thank the team at Pennzoil for allowing all of this to happen. The 22 is legendary and Pennzoil was the backbone in bringing this revival to life. I’m sure seeing this car on track will bring back a lot of great memories for race fans. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate his final season.”
Owned by the late Jack Elden, the Pennzoil No. 22 was a prominent figure on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series trail throughout the mid to late 1990s. With the Wild Child at the helm, the Pennzoil No. 22 team acquired success during many of sprint car racing’s premier events such as Eldora Speedway’s $100,000-to-win Historical Big One in 1993, a pair of Eldora Speedway Kings Royal victories in 1994 and 1998, and a Gold Cup victory in Chico, California, in 1998.
In addition, Pennzoil powered Haudenschild and Elden to a runner-up finish in the 1995 World of Outlaws championship standings. Padded by four Series victories, Haudenschild finished a mere-142 points behind fellow Ohio native, Dave Blaney.
“Jac is my hero and what better way to honor a hero than reviving a car that’s most synonymous with his career,” Abreu added. “It’s going to be a fun, but emotional summer.”
For those who cannot attend Bristol’s Throwdown, DIRTVision will be on hand to broadcast every lap live. Visit www.dirtvision.com to learn more.
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CONTACT:
Tyler Altmeyer
Rico Abreu/Curb Agajanian Racing
(724) 954-4915, altmeyer119@gmail.com