HANOVER, Pa. — It wasn’t long ago that the Shark Racing duo were two kids, looking through a fence, dreaming about one-day becoming professional drivers.
Flash forward to 2023, Jacob Allen and Logan Schuchart are set to embark on their 10th season with the World of Outlaws, alongside the legend Bobby Allen, at the forefront.
“[It] feels weird to say it’s our tenth year, really. It doesn’t feel like that long ago that we started on the road," said Schuchart, driver of the No. 1A.
They didn't know what to expect as young adults, going on tour at 18 and 19 years old. But, they were up to the challenge and it’s the challenges they’ve faced to grow, learn and stick together, as a team.
“I think we stayed true to just never giving up. I think my dad (Bobby Allen) held that standard at the highest,' said Allen, driver of the No. 1A.
"My dad showed us that drive and we also wanted to do it and we evolved. We evolved by being out there on the road and learning how to travel to each track, race on different tracks but also, watch legends of the sport race on racetracks and how they prepared for races," Allen continued.
Collectively, the team captured a dozen wins for Shark Racing in 2022 with Schuchart winning as many races as the Outlaw Point Series Champion, Brad Sweet, winning five features.
He capped off with seven wins; Bristol, Cappitoni Classic at Knoxville (prelim), Jackson, Skagit, Handford and the finale at Charlotte, while Allen finished the season with five: Lake Ozark, Lincoln, Cedar Lake, the other Knoxville Nationals prelim and the Gold Cup Race of Champions.
“To finally get that kind of year, put together, for not just Logan but myself, and do it as a whole team was really special. I think it’s just the start of things to come for the whole operation," said J. Allen.
It has to be a pretty cool feeling when the duo goes one-two, a few times last season. That feeling has them chomping for more.
“When we first started, that was always our goal. Imagine when we could finish one and two? One of us can win a race and we can be on the podium, together. As a two-car team, you can’t have it any better," said Schuchart.
That success simply comes down to consistency and limiting the failures, which is easier said than done. However, the duo's season wasn't a wash. It was a mix across the board when only one Outlaw driver had double-digit Outlaw wins. That’s an achievement the Sharks have a taste for.
Their impact on racing, starting from the bottom and building it to what it is now, impacts the drivers now. That they once were, looking through the fence.
“We’ve been able to defeat all the different highs and lows and still be out there. [We] make people that once didn’t believe in us, believe in us. For the people that are smaller, I think we give them motivation that they can do it as well. So, it’s not just proudness on the growth of us as drivers and a team but the impact we’ve had on racing as a whole," said J. Allen.
As long as the weather holds, the team looks to kick off the season this week in Georgia, ahead of the first World of Outlaws race on Feb. 9.