Daryn Pittman (born August 29, 1978) is an American semi-retired professional racing driver. Winner of the 2008 Kings Royal and 2013 champion of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, he retired from full time competition following the 2020 season.
Daryn Pittman | |
---|---|
Nationality | American |
Born | Owasso, Oklahoma | August 29, 1978
Retired | 2020 |
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series | |
Years active | 1996–2020 |
Starts | 1454 |
Wins | 86 |
Best finish | 1st in 2013 |
Championship titles | |
2003 2010 2013 2013, 2015, 2019 | World Series Sprintcars Keystone Cup Sprint Car Series World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series DIRTcar Nationals |
Racing career
editPittman started his sprint car career in 1996. He raced in the American Sprint Car Series before moving to full-time competition in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series starting in 1999.[1] After two years in the series, Pittman made a late decision to pursue the World of Outlaws Gumout Racing Series championship in 2001, after a poor start on the national tour;[2] he wound up winning the support series' season title.[3]
Racing in Australia during the winter of 2002–2003, Pittman won the World Series Sprintcars championship, becoming the only American to do so;[4] he was also named that season's Australian Sprint Poll Driver of the Year.[5][6] 2006 saw Pittman win his first Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway.[7]
Driving for Titan Racing USA, Pittman won the 2008 Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway, beating Jason Meyers and Chad Kemenah to capture the prestigious event.[8]
In 2009, Pittman dropped off the WoO national tour and spent the next four years racing in regional series in Pennsylvania.[6] He won the 2010 Keystone Cup Sprint Car Series championship,[9] and in 2012 claimed the All Star Circuit of Champions Eastern Region title,[10] racing for Heffner Motorsports.[11]
After four years competing in local series in Pennsylvania,[12] Pittman joined Kasey Kahne Racing for the 2013 season.[13] The 2013 season started with Pittman winning the overall championship in the DIRTcar Nationals miniseries at Volusia Speedway Park.[14] Pittman clinched the 2013 World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship, scoring eight series wins over the course of the season, beating Donny Schatz by 14 points for the title.[12] He was the first driver from Oklahoma to win the World of Outlaws championship.[15] 2014 saw Pittman winning his third Speed Sport World Challenge at Knoxville Raceway; he had captured the $10,000-to-win event previously in 2004 and 2005.[16] Pittman started the 2015 season by winning his second DIRTcar Nationals championship.[17] It was rumored that Pittman would leave KKR following the 2015 season, but he returned for 2016.[18]
Pittman left KKR after 2018, starting the 2019 season with Roth Motorsports.[19] He started the year by claiming the overall sprint car championship at Volusia Speedway Park's DIRTcar Nationals, his third title in the miniseries.[20] He won four times on the World of Outlaws tour on his way to a fourth-place points finish; he also won his second Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway,[21] and became the first four-time winner of Oskaloosa Speedway's Front Row Challenge for 360 sprint cars.[22]
Pittman returned to Roth Motorsports for the 2020 racing season; in July, he won the World of Outlaws' Elimination Showdown special event at Cedar Lake Speedway.[23] Following races at Knoxville Raceway in August, Pittman tested positive for COVID-19;[24] he missed two events before returning to the series.[25] In September, Pittman announced he would step away from full-time competition after the 2020 season.[26] Shortly afterwards he announced he was departing Roth Racing as of mid-September; he won one final time with the team, at Lawton Speedway,[26] before rejoining Heffner Motorsports to complete his final season.[27] Pittman retired having scored 86 World of Outlaws feature wins.[28]
Personal life
editBorn in Owasso, Oklahoma,[15] Pittman resides in San Antonio, Texas.[29] He is married and has two children.[26]
References
edit- ^ Letasky, John (August 23, 2019). "World of Outlaws driver Daryn Pittman looking for more success in Billings". Billings Gazette. Billings, MT. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Gumout: Pittman to chase title". Motorsport.com. April 18, 2001. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Elliott, Jeremy (July 26, 2014). "No. 4 Daryn Pittman: PennLive's Top 25 Sprint Car Drivers in the Country". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg, PA. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Sungold Stadium Set For Record Breaking Classic This Weekend". Sprintcar World. December 12, 2013. Archived from the original on April 7, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "WSS: Australian Sprint Poll Driver of the Year results". April 28, 2003. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
Final 2002/2003 Australian National Sprintcar Poll. Rank Driver (First Place Votes) State/Country Points 1. Daryn Pittman (7) Oklahoma, USA 1200 2. Joey Saldana (7) Indiana, USA 995 3. Robbie Farr (2) New South Wales, AUS 710
- ^ a b Elliott, Jeremy (July 4, 2013). "No. 18 Daryn Pittman: Central Pa's Sprint Car best in last 30 years". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg, PA. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Pittman leads Outlaws sweep in Gold Cup finale". The Reporter. Vacaville, CA. September 10, 2006. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Good to be King: Daryn Pittman Wins 25th Annual Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway". Motorsport.com. July 13, 2008. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Heintzelman, Todd (June 1, 2010). "Erdley wins Keystone Cup finale at Port Royal; Pittman champion". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg, PA. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "45-Race All Star Sprint Car Schedule". Speed Sport. February 7, 2013. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Elliott, Jeremy (May 7, 2014). "Sprint Car owner Mike Heffner fuming over delayed point payout by All Star Circuit of Champions". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg, PA. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ a b Elliott, Jeremy (November 11, 2013). "World of Outlaws champion Daryn Pittman almost called it quits". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg, PA. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Jones, Bob (January 9, 2013). "Daryn Pittman to Drive for Kasey Kahne Racing". TJSlideways.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Lasoski, Westfall Winners Sunday Night At Volusia". Race Week Illustrated. February 18, 2013. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ a b "Stewart, Pittman Lead Oklahoma Charge". Speed Sport. April 29, 2015. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Kerchner, Mike (August 9, 2014). "Pittman Rules SPEED SPORT World Challenge". Speed Sport. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Kasey Kahne Racing caps off stellar 2015 DIRTcar Nationals". Motorsport.com. February 15, 2015. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Elliott, Jeremy (November 5, 2015). "Kasey Kahne Racing intact: Despite rumors, Daryn Pittman and Brad Sweet will return in 2016". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg, PA. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ "Pittman To Drive Roth Motorsports No. 83". Speed Sport. November 17, 2018. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ Graziano, Nick (February 11, 2019). "Daryn Pittman Claims Third Career DIRTcar Nationals Golden Gator". RaceProWeekly. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Martin, Sharon (September 7, 2019). "Daryn Pittman leads all 40 laps for second Gold Cup victory". Chico Enterprise-Record. Chico, CA. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Wright, Bill (August 7, 2019). "Pittman cashes in with fourth career Front Row Challenge win; Martin wins with 305's". The Oskaloosa Herald. Oskaloosa, IA. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Pittman Wins Elimination Showdown at Cedar Lake". Motor Racing Network. July 3, 2020. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ Ryan, Nate (August 20, 2020). "Three sprint car drivers test positive for COVID-19 after Knoxville Outlaws". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ "Daryn Pittman Tests Positive For COVID-19". Speed Sport. August 19, 2020. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Storybook homecoming: Daryn Pittman claims meaningful Lawton Speedway win". Owasso Reporter. Owasso, OK. September 21, 2020. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ Seelman, Jacob (September 20, 2020). "Pittman Back With Heffner For Balance Of 2020". Speed Sport. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ Graziano, Nick (November 7, 2020). "Pittman Set To Close His Full-Time Outlaw Tenure". Speed Sport. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Pittman Stepping Away From the World of Outlaws Tour". TJSlideways.com. September 10, 2020. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
External links
edit- Daryn Pittman on Twitter
- Daryn Pittman driver statistics at Racing-Reference
- Daryn Pittman career summary at DriverDB.com
- Daryn Pittman driver statistics at The Third Turn