MARYVILLE, Tenn. — The 10th annual Tennessee Tipoff is on tap for the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models, March 3-4 at Smoky Mountain Speedway, as drivers contend for a $115,000 overall purse.
A 35-lap, $10,000-to-win Feature kicks off the Volunteer State doubleheader on Friday, March 3, before an epic 50-lap, $15,000-to-win finale caps off the weekend on Saturday, March 4.
Joining the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models are the track’s Classic Cars and Front Wheel Drive divisions on Friday, along with the Kajun Mini Stock Association and Sportsman on Saturday.
Here are the top storylines to keep an eye on entering the Tennessee Tipoff.
A New Curveball
Smoky Mountain Speedway will have a new look when drivers arrive at the track this weekend.
In the offseason, track owner Roger Sellers shortened the track’s length from a four-tenths-mile to its current three-eighths-mile configuration.
The 10th annual Tennessee Tipoff will be the first event run on the new three-eighths-mile track as drivers battle to be the first winner on the shortened red clay oval.
Madden’s Playground
Before the track changed, Chris Madden made Smoky Mountain Speedway his playground over the past two seasons.
The Gray Court, S.C. driver hasn’t lost a national touring event he’s entered at the track since 2020.
Madden scored two wins at the facility last season and leads the points standings entering the weekend—14 points ahead of second place Brian Shirley.
A win this weekend would be his third World of Outlaws triumph at Smoky Mountain and 33rd overall.
O-Show Rebound
Since 2021, only one other driver has won a national touring series event at Smoky Mountain—Tennessee’s Jimmy Owens.
“The O-Show” is the track’s most recent World of Outlaws winner, leading every lap in last year’s Smoky Mountain Showdown.
Owens hopes two races in his home state can turn his 2023 season around after a tough start at Volusia (Fla.) Speedway Park, missing out on a top-10 finish in the season opening races.
If the Newport, Tenn. driver can rebound for a victory, it’ll be his 22nd series triumph.
A Step in the Right Direction
Three drivers looking to build off top-five finishes from Smoky Mountain last September are Max Blair, Ryan Gustin and defending series champion Dennis Erb Jr.
Of them, Gustin is currently the only one to score a top five in 2023. However, each of them thrived at three-eighths-mile tracks in 2022.
Blair and Gustin scored their four combined wins last season on tracks like Smoky Mountain, including Blair’s red clay win at Cherokee Speedway a year ago.
While Erb didn’t find victory lane on a three-eights-mile track last season, he did score 11 top fives on his way to the series championship.
Here Come the Georgia Boys
Shane Clanton hopes for redemption when the series returns to Smoky Mountain this weekend.
The Zebulon, Ga. driver was running third last September when an oil pump belt broke.
Clanton, who won at the track in 2013, also looks to bounce back after a tough start in Florida.
Another Georgia driver to watch this weekend is Germfree Rookie of the Year contender Payton Freeman.
Last season, the Commerce, GA driver finished 11th at Smoky Mountain—tied with his best finish in six starts with the series in 2022. A win this weekend would be his first career World of Outlaws victory.
The Warrior Returns
A trip to Tennessee will be the first World of Outlaws appearance for 2018 series champion Mike Marlar this season.
The “Winfield Warrior,” who won the Tennessee Tipoff in 2020, scored five World of Outlaws wins in 17 starts last season—four of them coming at three-eighths-mile tracks.
This weekend’s Tennessee Tipoff will be Marlar’s first race since the Wild West Shootout in January, where he scored three top fives in six races.
Keyword: Tennessee Tipoff On Tap For WoO Late Models At Smoky Mountain