Story By: BEN SHELTON / SHEPPARD RIGGS RACING – NEW BERLIN, IL – Brandon Sheppard and Sheppard Riggs Racing (SRR) announced on Tuesday that they will sign on to compete with the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models in 2023.
“We’re super excited about running with the World of Outlaws this year and the money they are bringing to the table to improve the series,” said Brandon Sheppard, Driver and Co-Owner of SRR. “We took a long hard look at both series – the money, the mileage, the competition, all of it. For us, it was ultimately about the flexibility of the schedule and the number of open dates that allow us to hit some non-series Crown Jewel races, hit some Summer Nationals races around home, and still vie for a hefty points fund.”
Although it was originally planned to wait until the conclusion of Florida Speedweeks to make a series determination, SRR Owner Scott Riggs explained the reason for the early call.
“Brandon and I talked, and we both felt it was important for our guys to know the roadmap and set goals before we got into the heat of the battle,” Riggs said. “We’ve got a lot of new variables in play that we need to settle in on – new team, new chassis, new motors, new shock program. It’s crucial for us to eliminate as much uncertainty as possible so we can focus on getting better and improving every single night, ultimately proving that this team can compete for a points title.”
In 2022, Sheppard made his first return in five years to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series with Rocket1 Racing during which he won seven of 54 features with 42 Top-10 Finishes (77.7%) and 28 Top-5 Finishes (51.8%). Getting back to a series he’s very familiar with, Brandon hopes to add to an impressive list of World of Outlaw accolades since his first win in 2012 at the age of 19. He is currently tied with Josh Richards for most Series Championships of all time (4) and holds the most feature wins record of all time at 81.
With Volusia just around the corner, World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Series Director Steve Francis expressed his anticipation of welcoming Sheppard back to the Outlaws family for the upcoming season.
“Adding a 4-time Champion back into the fold to do battle with the strong list of guys we already have committed puts our series in a great position for 2023,” Francis noted. “Brandon’s team and his brand are a great asset to World Racing Group and the future looks bright for the product we plan to put on the track night in and night out.”
Brandon Sheppard and his SRR Team will kick their 2023 campaign off with the Wild West Shootout at Vado Speedway Park on January 7-15. Their 2023 World of Outlaws CASE Late Model season will commence with the Sunshine Nationals, Jan. 18-21, at Volusia Speedway Park.