Story By: MATT SKIPPER / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – NEW RICHMOND, WI – A week after giving fans a barnburner crown jewel event, the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models will try to do so again at Cedar Lake during the 37th Annual USA Nationals.
The three days of racing, Aug. 1-3, showcases the popular “Every Lap Matters” points structure, with Thursday and Friday’s program awarding points from Qualifying, Heat races, and 25-lap, $6,000-to-win Features.
Saturday’s finale begins with Last Chance Showdowns and two Dash races to set the lineup for the top-16 in the Feature. The peak of the night is the 100-lap, $50,000-to-win, crown jewel Feature.
In addition to the on-track action, there will be a cornhole tournament on Friday at 1 p.m. (CT), and a driver autograph session on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (CT).
Here are the top storylines to look out for at the USA Nationals:
Bobby’s Breakthrough: After winning his first Prairie Dirt Classic on Saturday night at Fairbury Speedway, Bobby Pierce is set to chase his sixth consecutive World of Outlaws Feature of 2024 and back-to-back USA Nationals wins.
Pierce has a chance at the Series points lead, as the Oakwood, IL driver sits 104 points back in third place with 16 races remaining on the 2024 calendar.
The last time a driver won the PDC and USA Nationals in the same year was Josh Richards in 2016. If Bobby can win on Thursday, he’ll join Billy Moyer and Darrell Lanigan as the only drivers to have ever won six Feature races in a row. Add a Friday win and he’ll make history as the only driver ever to win seven World of Outlaws Features consecutively.
Building from Heartbreak: Nick Hoffman was 0.3 seconds away from being a Prairie Dirt Classic champion after losing the lead on the final lap to Pierce.
Despite the loss, the Mooresville, NC driver left the track with $59,500 in both prize and lap money for leading 79 laps in the 100-lap Feature.
The result helped Hoffman get back into the Series points battle, as the driver of the No. 9 Tye Twarog Racing Late Model moves to 26 markers behind Brandon Sheppard.
The Dude: Brandon Sheppard’s No. B5 Dude Wipes Longhorn Factory Team Late Model began the weekend at the Prairie Dirt Classic with a win in Showdown Feature #2.
The New Berlin, IL driver has a streak of success at the New Richmond, WI racetrack with top five finishes in six of the last seven USA Nationals Features. “B-Shepp” has four wins with the World of Outlaws at Cedar Lake, including his first USA Nationals triumph in 2018.
Going into Cedar Lake Speedway with a reset in momentum, Sheppard is racing to score his second win in the USA Nationals, the event that helped build his career in Super Late Models.
Race of Champions: As a crown jewel staple of the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models season, the USA Nationals welcomes the top drivers across all facets of dirt Late Model racing to the New Richmond, WI track before the season races towards the championship finale at the World of Outlaws World Finals, Nov. 6-9.
2024 DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion Tyler Erb joins the Series for the weekend on his “Fun Tour” in 2024. The New Waverly, TX driver’s best finish in the USA Nationals was a third-place result in 2022.
Dirt Late Model superstar Ricky Thornton Jr is back with the Outlaws in the chase for his first victory in the USA Nationals. The Martinsville, IN driver is back in the saddle of Kevin Rumley’s No.20RT for his second attempt at winning the crown jewel event at Cedar Lake Speedway.
2006 Series champion Tim McCreadie ran inside the podium at the Prairie Dirt Classic before he was relegated to an 18th place finish from mechanical problems that hampered the Rocket1 Racing No. 1 machine. The Watertown, NY driver scored his only USA Nationals victory to date in 2013.
Three-time USA Nationals champion Jonathan Davenport has finished inside the top-10 in the last three years at Cedar Lake Speedway. Two of them resulted in a win for the Blairsville, GA driver in 2021 and 2022. “Superman” is looking for a bounce back with the World of Outlaws after missing the Prairie Dirt Classic Feature on Saturday.