CONCORD, N.C. — Expanded to four days for the first time, the World of Outlaws World Finals kicked off Wednesday night at The Dirt Track at Charlotte with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and Case Construction Late Model Series in action.
This year each division will compete three times. Seventy late models and 52 sprint cars were in competition on the opening night. The sprint cars take Thursday off, with the Super DIRTcar Series big-block modifieds joining the late models.
The late models are off on Friday with the big-blocks and the sprints on the track, while all three divisions compete on Saturday night.
Saturday’s heat races for all three classes will line up based on the combined two-night performances of each competitor.
• Weather was the talk of the pit area as shirt sleeves were order of the day. After several years of chilling temperatures during the World Finals, highs in the 70s are expected throughout the remainder of the week.
• With the Dennis Erb Jr. (late models) and Matt Sheppard (modifieds) already wrapped up the championships in those classes, the sprint car title is the only one still on the line this week
Three-time defending champion Brad Sweet entered the week with a 16-point lead over David Gravel. Sweet finished third on Wednesday and Gravel came home sixth, giving Sweet a 22-point advantage with two races remaining.
David Gravel finished sixth in the feature. (Frank Smith Photo)
• Parker Price-Miller returned to competition for the first time since his injury during the Knoxville Nationals in mid-August — doing double duty.
Price-Miller drove the familiar Swindell Speedlab No. 39 in the sprint car division, but made his late model debut aboard a new Longhorn chassis prepared by Kevin Rumley and the Rumley & Associates crew that prepares late models for Kyle Larson.
Price-Miller tested the No. 9 late model on Tuesday at Cherokee Speedway in South Carolina. PPM qualified third in the second group on Wednesday.
• After 32 years racing dirt late models, Dennis Erb Jr. will secure his first national series title here this weekend, claiming the World of Outlaws Case Equipment World of Outlaws Late Model Series title.
Erb’s crew chief, Heather Lyne is the first female to win a touring series title. Erb’s No. 28 won four WoO LMS features this season.
• NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular and DIRT modified ace Stewart Friesen participating in late model action here on Wednesday and planned to do double duty Thursday before heading to Phoenix Raceway for the NASCAR season finale.
Another Truck Series racer, Carson Hocevar, was also competing in the late model division.
• Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch and his son, Brexton, were among those walking the pits on Wednesday night.
• Fifty-two sprint cars filled the pits for what was the 60th World of Outlaws sprint car feature at the Dirt Track at Charlotte. The first race at the four-tenths-mile oval was May 25, 2000, with Sammy Swindell taking the victory.
• Hall of Famers Lance Dewease and Don Kreitz Jr. made the trip to North Carolina with Dewease wheeling Kreitz’s No. 69k to an eighth-place finish after he stopped on the track prior to the feature. Dewease, who was scheduled to start 12th, instead started shotgun on the 29-car field and worked his way through traffic throughout the 30-lap feature.
• Jonathan Davenport, the leading money winner on the dirt late model circuit this season, failed to qualify for Wednesday night’s feature.
Brent Marks, the leading sprint car money winner, also had a challenging night. Marks suffered mechanical trouble early and failed to make a qualifying lap. As a result, he raced through the non-qualifiers race, C Main and B Main to make the feature, where he finished 16th.
• A healthy contingent of Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway regulars made the trek to the World Finals, with Brian Brown, Terry McCarl, Riley Goodno and Aaron Reutzel in competition here.
• Hudson O’Neal made his debut in Mark Richards’ Rocket house car on Wednesday night and finished 13th.
Keyword: World Finals Notes: Four Nights & Warm Weather