By Spence Smithback
The silver anniversary season is down to its final week.
The stars of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision have contested 49 races and covered thousands of miles from Florida to North Dakota and everywhere in between. Every lap has been in pursuit of a championship, and that goal will become reality for one team this week.
The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet will once again wrap up the season at The Dirt Track at Charlotte as part of Dave Smith Motors World of Outlaws World Finals, joining the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the Super DIRTcar Series in a three-division spectacular.
On-track action begins on Wednesday, with Hot Laps and a pair of Qualifying sessions to set the Heat Race lineups for Thursday and Friday. Each of the first two race nights will conclude with a 35-lap, $15,000-to-win, Feature, leading up to Saturday’s 50-lap, $25,000-to-win, finale and the crowning of the next World of Outlaws champion.
Here are this week’s top storylines:
ALMOST THERE: Bobby Pierce has one mission in the final week of the season – finish the job.
The “Smooth Operator” is in the driver’s seat to capture his third championship in four years, carrying a 76-point advantage over Nick Hoffman into the last three races. That lead comes as a result of a dominant campaign complete with 20 wins to date and only three finishes outside the top 10. If Pierce can string together three more before season’s end, he’ll be hoisting the trophy on Saturday regardless of Hoffman’s performance.
Even so, Pierce has no interest in clinching the title while riding around mid-pack. This weekend presents three more chances to cash a winner’s check, something he did at Charlotte once before in 2024.
NOT DEAD YET: When Pierce lost power while running second at Modoc Speedway and dropped to 18th in the finishing order, it gave Hoffman a glimmer of hope for his first Series title going into Charlotte.
“The Thrill From Mooresville” has a very narrow path to the championship, but that’s still more than he was expected to have three months ago when Pierce was winning everything in sight. But the No. 32 team has been plagued by a combination of bad luck and lackluster speed in recent weeks, and Hoffman needs the skid to continue if he wants any chance.
He’s also hoping history repeats itself in the Pierce camp. The reigning champion closed out the year with finishes of 12th, 16th, and 23rd at Charlotte one year ago. If Pierce scores another average finish of 17th this week and Hoffman finishes fourth or better every night, the 2026 title goes to Hoffman.
ROOKIE RACE: Much like Pierce, Daulton Wilson also only needs an average weekend to earn a prize of his own.
The Fayetteville, NC native is in position to become the 2026 MD3 Rookie of the Year, leading Trey Mills by 73 markers ahead of World Finals. Wilson has a chance to seal top rookie honors in his home state at the track where he owns a pair of top fives and five top 10s since 2022. He also got some Charlotte track time in last week’s World Short Track Championship, crossing the line fourth in the Crate Modified Feature before being disqualified for a valve spring infraction.
On the flip side, Mills is in “Hail Mary mode” as he chases the Rookie of the Year title. His only competitive Charlotte experience came in a Crate Late Model in 2021, but Mills took part in the Longhorn Chassis test two weeks ago to turn some Super Late Model laps prior to World Finals.
COLTMAN CUP CONCLUDES: Tyler Erb may not have a shot at the championship in his first season back as a full-time Outlaw, but he is still in the running for another season-long prize.
The Coltman Farms Racing Cup – the miniseries designed to celebrate the top performers at the season’s biggest events – concludes this weekend, with Pierce leading Erb by 27 points with one weekend remaining. The winner will receive a $7,500 bonus and a one-of-a-kind trophy, while the runner-up will receive $2,500.
Erb hasn’t been at his best lately in World of Outlaws competition, with his last Series top five coming at Adams County Speedway on Aug. 28. However, he still stands a chance at overtaking Pierce in the Cup standings if he can repeat last year’s Charlotte showing that included a pair of top fives in the Friday and Saturday programs.
ALL-STAR FIELD: World Finals is expected to attract one of the largest and deepest fields of the season yet again, headlined by a battle between an immovable object and an unstoppable force.
Ricky Thornton Jr. has been the hottest Late Model driver in the country over the past month, winning six straight races since Oct. 9 and pocketing $225,000 in winnings over that span. A fifth-place run in the Pittsburgher remains Thornton’s only loss since parting ways with crew chief Anthony Burroughs and naming Justin Tharp his new head wrench on Sept. 29. “RTJ” will try to keep the good times rolling this weekend at a place he’s won at three times before.
One man standing in Thornton’s way will be Jonathan Davenport, who is rolling into Charlotte on a hot streak of his own. “Superman” won the most recent World of Outlaws race at Modoc Speedway two weeks ago before following it up with his second Blue-Gray 100 victory at Cherokee Speedway the next night. Davenport stands alone as the winningest Late Model driver in World Finals history with eight triumphs – two of them coming one year ago.
This weekend’s cast is also expected to include names like Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Sheppard, Dale McDowell, Chris Madden, Jimmy Owens, Devin Moran, Chris Ferguson, Brandon Overton and many more.
WHEN AND WHERE:
Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 4-7, at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, NC
CURRENT POINT STANDINGS:
1. Bobby Pierce (7035 points)
2. Nick Hoffman (-76)
3. Tyler Erb (-390)
4. Tim McCreadie (-426)
5. Ryan Gustin (-563)
6. Ethan Dotson (-695)
7. Daulton Wilson (-766)
8. Trey Mills (-839)
9. Dennis Erb Jr. (-855)
10. Dustin Sorensen (-986)
FEATURE WINNERS (15):
Bobby Pierce – 20
Nick Hoffman – 8
Tyler Erb – 4
Brandon Sheppard – 3
Hudson O’Neal – 3
Tim McCreadie – 2
Ryan Gustin – 1
Ethan Dotson – 1
Daulton Wilson – 1
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 1
Chris Madden – 1
Mason Zeigler – 1
Mike Marlar – 1
Cody Overton – 1
Jonathan Davenport – 1
FEATURE TOP FIVES (34):
Nick Hoffman – 40
Bobby Pierce – 37
Tyler Erb – 22
Tim McCreadie – 18
Ryan Gustin – 14
Brandon Sheppard – 13
Hudson O’Neal – 13
Ethan Dotson – 11
Drake Troutman – 11
Daulton Wilson – 10
Jonathan Davenport – 8
Chris Madden – 6
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 6
Dennis Erb Jr. – 6
Dustin Sorensen – 4
Trey Mills – 3
Mason Zeigler – 2
Dale McDowell – 2
Brandon Overton – 2
Ashton Winger – 2
Jason Feger – 1
Cody Overton – 1
Mike Marlar – 1
Max Blair – 1
Brent Larson – 1
Tristan Chamberlain – 1
Josh Rice – 1
Garrett Alberson – 1
Dallon Murty – 1
Zack Mitchell – 1
Devin Moran – 1
Brian Shirley – 1
Justin Duty – 1
Dave Hess Jr. – 1
FEATURE LAPS LED (28):
Bobby Pierce – 630
Nick Hoffman – 383
Tyler Erb – 161
Daulton Wilson – 142
Brandon Sheppard – 118
Drake Troutman – 99
Jonathan Davenport – 97
Hudson O’Neal – 95
Ryan Gustin – 73
Chris Madden – 73
Trey Mills – 63
Tim McCreadie – 59
Garrett Alberson – 46
Cody Overton – 43
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 41
Mike Marlar – 39
Dallon Murty – 31
Mason Zeigler – 24
Ethan Dotson – 23
Ashton Winger – 22
Dan Ebert – 14
Brandon Overton – 12
Michael Leach – 10
Dustin Sorensen – 9
Dennis Erb Jr. – 5
Sam Seawright – 5
Dalke McDowell – 4
Jason Feger – 3
BILSTEIN POLE AWARDS (26):
Nick Hoffman – 8
Daulton Wilson – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 3
Drake Troutman – 3
Dallon Murty – 3
Bobby Pierce – 2
Tyler Erb – 2
Hudson O’Neal – 2
Tim McCreadie – 2
Ethan Dotson – 2
Chris Madden – 2
Cody Overton – 2
Brandon Sheppard – 1
Ryan Gustin – 1
Jonathan Davenport – 1
Dennis Erb Jr. – 1
Dustin Sorensen – 1
Trey Mills – 1
Brandon Overton – 1
Ashton Winger – 1
Jason Feger – 1
Tristan Chamberlain – 1
Garrett Alberson – 1
Dan Ebert – 1
Sam Seawright – 1
Michael Leach – 1
SIMPSON QUICK TIME AWARDS (21):
Nick Hoffman – 10
Chris Madden – 5
Tyler Erb – 4
Tim McCreadie – 4
Bobby Pierce – 3
Brandon Sheppard – 3
Hudson O’Neal – 3
Michael Leach – 3
Jonathan Davenport – 2
Cody Overton – 2
Ethan Dotson – 1
Daulton Wilson – 1
Drake Troutman – 1
Trey Mills – 1
Brandon Overton – 1
Jason Feger – 1
Brent Larson – 1
Boom Briggs – 1
Ross Robinson – 1
Sam Seawright – 1
Tanner English – 1
HEAT RACE WINS (46):
Nick Hoffman – 27
Bobby Pierce – 21
Tyker Erb – 13
Brandon Sheppard – 11
Hudson O’Neal – 10
Ryan Gustin – 10
Chris Madden – 9
Tim McCreadie – 7
Daulton Wilson – 7
Drake Troutman – 7
Ethan Dotson – 6
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 6
Jonathan Davenport – 5
Dustin Sorensen – 5
Dennis Erb Jr. – 4
Trey Mills – 4
Brandon Overton – 4
Tristan Chamberlain – 4
Dallon Murty – 4
Mason Zeigler – 3
Cody Overton – 3
Jason Feger – 3
Devin Moran – 2
Dan Ebert – 2
Sam Seawright – 2
Michael Leach – 2
Jared Miley – 2
Mike Marlar – 1
Dale McDowell – 1
Ashton Winger – 1
Brent Larson – 1
Josh Rice – 1
Garrett Alberson – 1
Zack Mitchell – 1
Justin Duty – 1
Dave Hess Jr. – 1
Donald McIntosh – 1
Blair Nothdurft – 1
Logan Zarin – 1
Austin Smith – 1
Sam Mars – 1
Dylan Thornton – 1
Lane Snook – 1
Tanner English – 1
Jake O’Neil – 1
Garrett Smith – 1
LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (48):
Ethan Dotson – 6
Ryan Gustin – 4
Dennis Erb Jr. – 4
Dallon Murty – 4
Bobby Pierce – 3
Daulton Wilson – 3
Dustin Sorensen – 3
Trey Mills – 3
Tristan Chamberlain – 3
Josh Rice – 3
Logan Zarin – 3
Nick Hoffman – 2
Hudson O’Neal – 2
Drake Troutman – 2
Jason Feger – 2
Brent Larson – 2
Boom Briggs – 2
Carson Ferguson – 2
Tim McCreadie – 1
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 1
Cody Overton – 1
Brandon Overton – 1
Brian Shirley – 1
Clay Stuckey – 1
Cory Hedgecock – 1
Jake Timm – 1
Kyle Bronson – 1
Dan Ebert – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Chase Junghans – 1
Luke Morey – 1
Chris Ferguson – 1
Dalton Cook – 1
Shane Clanton – 1
Michael Page – 1
Derrick Stewart – 1
Chad Simpson – 1
Chris Simpson – 1
Dylan Thornton – 1
Gordy Gundaker – 1
Nick Davis – 1
Dylan Yoder – 1
Lincoln Smith – 1
Wesley McCray – 1
Tanner English – 1
Billy Moyer – 1
Kayden Clatt – 1
Ross Bailes – 1
2026 WORLD OF OUTLAWS LATE MODEL SERIES PRESENTED BY DIRTVISION SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Jan. 21 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL (Practice)
Thursday, Jan. 22 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Chris Madden (1)
Friday, Jan. 23 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Hudson O’Neal (1)
Saturday, Jan. 24 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tim McCreadie (1)
Thursday, Feb. 12 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Nick Hoffman (1)
Friday, Feb. 13 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Nick Hoffman (2)
Saturday, Feb. 14 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brandon Sheppard (1)
Thursday, Feb. 19 / Hendry County Motorsports Park / Clewiston, FL (Practice)
Friday, Feb. 20 / Hendry County Motorsports Park / Clewiston, FL / Bobby Pierce (1)
Saturday, Feb. 21 / Hendry County Motorsports Park / Clewiston, FL / Nick Hoffman (3)
Friday, March 13 / Volunteer Speedway / Bulls Gap, TN / Mike Marlar (1)
Saturday, March 14 / Smoky Mountain Speedway / Maryville, TN / Bobby Pierce (2)
Thursday, March 19 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS (Practice)
Friday, March 20 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS / Bobby Pierce (3)
Saturday, March 21 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS / Hudson O’Neal (2)
Friday, March 27 / East Alabama Motor Speedway / Phenix City, AL / Nick Hoffman (4)
Saturday, March 28 / Senoia Raceway / Senoia, GA / Bobby Pierce (4)
Thursday, April 9 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL (Practice)
Friday, April 10 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL / Brandon Sheppard (2)
Saturday, April 11 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL / Bobby Pierce (5)
Tuesday, April 28 / Independence Motor Speedway / Independence, IA / Bobby Pierce (6)
Thursday, April 30 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI / Bobby Pierce (7)
Friday, May 1 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI / Nick Hoffman (5)
Saturday, May 2 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI / Ryan Gustin (1)
Wednesday, May 13 / Georgetown Speedway / Georgetown, DE / Bobby Pierce (8)
Thursday, May 14 / Selinsgrove Speedway / Selinsgrove, PA / Tim McCreadie (2)
Sunday, May 17 / Bedford Speedway / Bedford, PA / Mason Zeigler (1)
Wednesday, May 27 / Marion Center Raceway / Marion Center, PA / Bobby Pierce (9)
Thursday, May 28 / Wayne County Speedway / Orrville, OH / Ricky Thornton Jr. (1)
Friday, May 29 / Mansfield Speedway / Mansfield, OH / Tyler Erb (1)
Saturday, May 30 / Mansfield Speedway / Mansfield, OH / Nick Hoffman (6)
Friday, June 12 / West Virginia Motor Speedway / Mineral Wells, WV / Bobby Pierce (10)
Saturday, June 13 / West Virginia Motor Speedway / Mineral Wells, WV / Tyler Erb (2)
Saturday, June 20 / 141 Speedway / Maribel, WI / Bobby Pierce (11)
Monday, June 22 / Ogilvie Raceway / Ogilvie, MN / Bobby Pierce (12)
Wednesday, June 24 / I-94 emr Speedway / Fergus Falls, MN / Bobby Pierce (13)
Friday, June 26 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND / Bobby Pierce (14)
Sunday, June 28 / Nodak Speedway / Minot, ND / Bobby Pierce (15)
Tuesday, June 30 / Norman County Raceway / Ada, MN / Bobby Pierce (16)
Wednesday, July 8 / Stateline Speedway / Busti, NY / Daulton Wilson (1)
Saturday, July 11 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH / Bobby Pierce (17)
Saturday, July 25 / Fairbury Speedway / Fairbury, IL / Brandon Sheppard (3)
Thursday, July 30 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / Tyler Erb (3)
Saturday, Aug. 1 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / Bobby Pierce (18)
Thursday, Aug. 20 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA (Practice)
Friday, Aug. 21 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA / Huson O’Neal (3)
Saturday, Aug. 22 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA / Bobby Pierce (19)
Wednesday, Aug. 26 / Southern Iowa Speedway / Oskaloosa, IA / Tyler Erb (4)
Friday, Aug, 28 / Adams County Speedway / Corning, IA / Bobby Pierce (20)
Saturday, Aug. 29 / Shelby County Speedway / Harlan, IA / Ethan Dotson (1)
Friday, Sept. 25 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO / Nick Hoffman (7)
Saturday, Sept. 26 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO / Nick Hoffman (8)
Friday, Oct. 23 / Modoc Speedway / Modoc, SC / Cody Overton (1)
Saturday, Oct. 24 / Modoc Speedway / Modoc, SC / Jonathan Davenport (1)
Wednesday, Nov. 4 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Thursday, Nov. 5 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Friday, Nov. 6 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Saturday, Nov. 7 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC