The 2024 World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models season reaches its pinnacle at the World of Outlaws World Finals.
This four-day event at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, running from Nov. 6-9, will bring an epic season to a close with a thrilling championship showdown. Three contenders—Brandon Sheppard, Bobby Pierce, and Nick Hoffman—are within 50 points of each other in the battle for the title, marking the 20th anniversary of the tour’s revival with a race fans won’t want to miss.
On-track action kicks off Wednesday, Nov. 6, with Sea Foam Qualifying Night, setting the stage for Thursday and Friday’s racing programs, featuring 35-lap races with a $15,000 winner’s prize.
The high-stakes “every-lap matters” points format will be in effect Thursday and Friday to secure spots for the top 16 points earners in Saturday’s finale—a 50-lap showdown offering a $25,000 payout at the 4/10-mile dirt track.
The World of Outlaws Late Models will race alongside the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars and the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds each night of the event.
Here are some of the top storylines to watch:
Drive for Five: Four-time World of Outlaws champion Brandon Sheppard from New Berlin, IL, has focused on consistency throughout the season, which has paid off as he enters the World Finals as the Series points leader. He’s held the top spot since June, boosted by wins at Thunderhill Raceway, Ponderosa Speedway, and Deer Creek Speedway.
Although Sheppard has two wins at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, he hasn’t cracked the top 10 there since his third-place finish in his 2021 title campaign. With Bobby Pierce just 44 points behind and Nick Hoffman only 50 points back, Sheppard will need to build momentum from the start to defend his lead.
Smooth Comeback: Bobby Pierce has powered his way back into contention for a second straight title, amassing 12 Series wins, 25 top-five finishes, and 26 top-10s in 35 races. The Oakwood, IL, native had a career-defining year in his No.32 Low Voltage Solutions car, winning 36 Super Late Model races in 2024, including crown jewels like the NAPA Gopher 50, Prairie Dirt Classic, USA Nationals, World 100, Late Model Knoxville Nationals, and the Dirt Track World Championship.
Trailing Sheppard by 44 points, Pierce is looking to bring his winning momentum to the World Finals. If the “Smooth Operator” clinches the title, he’ll join Billy Moyer and Josh Richards as the only drivers to win their first two World of Outlaws titles back-to-back.
Here to Stay: Nick Hoffman has proven he’s a strong contender for a dirt Late Model title as the driver of the Tye Twarog Racing No. 9, trailing by just 50 points in the championship race.
The Mooresville, NC, racer had a breakout season in 2024, capturing five Series wins and challenging Sheppard and Pierce throughout his sophomore year with the “Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet.” Hoffman brings significant experience to the Concord, NC track, with five World Short Track Championship Feature wins in his No. 2 DIRTcar UMP Modified, and he secured a seventh-place finish in the 2023 World Finals finale.
One Last Chance: While all eyes are on Sheppard, Pierce, and Hoffman in the championship race, intense points battles within the top 10 could still shake up the standings by Saturday night.
Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, IA, moved into fourth place in Series points for the first time this season after his September Bayou Classic win at Boothill Speedway. However, he has three drivers within striking distance—Kyle Bronson from Brandon, FL, Cade Dillard from Robeline, LA, and Brian Shirley from Chatham, IL, who trails by only 62 points. Shirley enters the World Finals as the driver on the hottest streak, with five Series wins and 14 top-10 finishes in his last 15 races.
With a $50,000 difference in the points fund between fourth and seventh, these battles could have a big impact on the final standings.
World Finals Outlanders: Following last year’s massive turnout of over 70 drivers, top talent in Super Late Model racing returns to challenge the World of Outlaws at Charlotte.
Ricky Thornton Jr., fresh off his first national Super Late Model title, is aiming for a three-peat after winning the last two Features at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Despite limited experience on this track, he’s proven he can dominate here. Thornton will also pull double duty, racing with the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars as well.
Hunt The Front Super Dirt Series champion Brandon Overton, who earned his first World Finals win in 2020, is back to add another victory to his title-winning season.
Other past Charlotte winners joining the field include 2018 World of Outlaws champion Mike Marlar, six-time Charlotte victor Jonathan Davenport—reuniting with Kevin Rumley in the No. 6 Late Model—six-time World Finals winner Jimmy Owens, two-time event winner Chris Madden, and 2024 DIRTcar UMP Modified World Short Track Champion Kyle Strickler.
The Dirt Track at Charlotte is a 4/10-mile semi-banked oval located in Concord, North Carolina. The track record is 14.183 seconds, set by Kyle Larson on November 5, 2020.
