Story By: MIKE WARREN / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – WICHITA, KS – A weekend in America’s Heartland awaits the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models as they kick off the inaugural World of Outlaws Heartland Speedweek.
A tripleheader weekend begins a stretch of seven races in nine days, starting with the Wichita Late Model Showdown June 23-24 at 81 Speedway in Wichita, KS.
Drivers will battle in 25-lap, split-field $4,000-to-win Features on Friday, June 23, accumulating points throughout the night.
Those points line up the Heat Races on Saturday, June 24, as competitors wage war for $30,000 in a 60-lap finale.
The Wichita Late Model Showdown will pay out a two-day total purse of $152,000.
Then, the Speedweek continues with an appearance at Off Road Speedway in Norfolk, NE, on Sunday, June 25—the first trip to the Cornhusker State for the World of Outlaws since 2008.
A winner’s share of $10,000 is on the line in a 40-lap Feature.
After Off Road, the World of Outlaws Heartland Speedweek continues at Mason City Motor Speedway (June 27), Red River Valley Speedway (June 28), River Cities Speedway (June 30), and I-94 EMR Speedway (July 1).
Here’s a look at the storylines entering this weekend:
Out In Front: As the Series moves into the Summer, Chris Madden stands tall at the top of the Series points standings.
The Gray Court, SC driver roars into 81 Speedway with a 40-point lead, coming off a third-place finish at Paducah International Raceway earlier this month.
In 14 races this season, Madden has only finished outside the top 10 twice, and both of his wins came at Sharon Speedway, a track similar in size to 81.
He’s made one appearance at 81 throughout his career, finishing eighth in 2017.
A win this weekend would be “Smokey’s” 36th career World of Outlaws victory.
Chasing Smokey: While Madden has held his spot at the top, three drivers are breathing down his neck after a strong showing in June’s Midwest tripleheader.
Bobby Pierce, Kyle Bronson, and Germfree Labs Rookie of the Year contender Nick Hoffman are in a three-way tie for second.
Pierce scored a win at Farmer City on June 1 and has a top-five finish in six out of the last eight races.
The Oakwood, IL driver has also found past success at 81, winning a Lucas Oil MLRA Feature last season.
Bronson enters the weekend after three straight podium finishes, including a win at Tri-City Speedway.
In the last 10 World of Outlaws Features, the Brandon, FL driver has only finished outside the top 10 twice.
A win this weekend would be his fourth World of Outlaws triumph.
While Hoffman didn’t score a win in the June tripleheader, he did score a top-five finish in all three races and was in contention for the win at both Farmer City and Tri-City.
The Mooresville, NC driver has hit the ground running in his Rookie season, with a win, seven top fives, and 11 top 10s.
He’s finished in the top 10 in nine of the last 10 races.
Hell Tour Heat: While Bronson, Pierce, and Hoffman enter the weekend with momentum, perhaps the hottest driver heading into 81 Speedway is Brian Shirley.
After scoring his first World of Outlaws win of the season at Paducah, the Chatham, IL driver kept his momentum rolling by winning three DIRTcar Summer Nationals Features last week, and the Week 1 points championship worth $10,000.
Shirley is currently fifth in the standings, 62 points behind Madden.
A win this weekend would be his eighth career World of Outlaws win.
A Champion’s Edge: The Wichita Late Model Showdown at 81 could be the weekend Brandon Sheppard breaks through with his first World of Outlaws win in a Longhorn Chassis.
The four-time champion has never lost a World of Outlaws Feature at 81, winning last October and back in 2017.
A win for Sheppard would be his 82nd career Series win, adding to his total at the top of the Series win list.
Former champions Dennis Erb Jr. and Shane Clanton also found success at 81 last October. The defending Series champion finished third, while the “Georgia Bulldog” finished 10th. Clanton also added a fifth there in 2017.
Like Sheppard, both are looking for their first World of Outlaws win of 2023.
Critical Experience: While Sheppard has won both Series appearances at 81, three other drivers have found Victory Lane during different events.
Along with Pierce’s win last year, both Cade Dillard and Ryan Gustin have won at 81 in USMTS Modified action.
However, only one full-time World of Outlaws driver has a Late Model win at 81 and Off Road—Johnny Scott.
The Las Cruces, NM driver won MLRA events at both tracks in 2022.
A win this weekend would be the Germfree Rookie of the Year contender’s first career World of Outlaws win.