Column: Close Racing, Fun Fan Activities Highlight Epic WoO LMS Quad Cities 150 At Davenport

Column By: MIKE WARREN / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – DAVENPORT, IA – For the third straight season, the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models will end August with a tripleheader on the banks of the Mississippi River.

The Series returns to Davenport Speedway in Davenport, IA, for the third annual My Place Hotels Quad Cities 150 presented by Hoker Trucking, Aug. 24-26, along with the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota.

It all starts on Thursday, Aug. 24, and Friday, Aug. 25, with a pair of 35-lap, $10,000-to-win Features. Drivers will battle in an “Every Lap Matters” format on those two nights, accumulating points to set the Heat Race lineups for Saturday’s 80-lap, $30,000-to-win finale.

It’s not only the on-track action that makes the Quad Cities 150 a marquee event on the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models schedule, as fans can participate in many weekend activities.

The Hoker’s Haul for Toys for Tots and Food Fest will occur on all three days on the Davenport Speedway grounds.

There will also be a Sage Fruit stage show at 5pm each night, featuring interviews with your favorite drivers before they hit the track.

On Saturday, fans can play for World of Outlaws World Finals tickets in a cornhole tournament at noon. Signups will be at the World of Outlaws Fan Zone on Thursday and Friday.

Then, they’ll have the chance to meet their favorite drivers in an autograph session in the shed from 4pm-5pm featuring the stars from the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models, and Xtreme Outlaw Midgets.

Here are some of the storylines to watch during the Quad Cities 150:

Still Searching: Bobby Pierce has found success at Davenport Speedway, but the current World of Outlaws CASE Late Models points leader has yet to win a Quad Cities 150 Feature event. However, in six Quad Cities 150 starts, he’s finished second five times, including three times in 2022.

The Oakwood, IL driver comes in hot in Series competition, winning four of the last seven World of Outlaws Features and eight overall. He’s only finished outside the top two once in his previous seven starts, a 10th on night two of the USA Nationals.

Pierce is also inching closer to his first World of Outlaws CASE Late Models championship. The “Smooth Operator” leads Chris Madden by 108 points with 14 races remaining.

A win for Pierce this weekend would be the 13th Series win of his career, tying Shannon Babb for 19th all-time.

Illinois Rising: As Pierce closes in on his first title, four-time Series champion Brandon Sheppard continues moving up the standings.

In his last 10 Series races, the New Berlin, IL driver has only once finished outside the top 10. He’s also earned six top-fives and four podiums in that span. That consistency has vaulted Sheppard to third in points, only 36 points behind Madden for second and 144 points behind Pierce for the lead.

A win at Davenport would be his first Series win of 2023 and 82nd overall. Sheppard has four wins at the facility, including the 1/4 and 1/2-mile tracks. His last World of Outlaws win at the track was in 2021.

Tanner’s Time: Tanner English returns to the site of his greatest World of Outlaws success this weekend. The Benton, KY driver scored his first career Series win on night two of last year’s Quad Cities 150 and backed it up with a $30,000 triumph 24 hours later.

Since then, English only has one win in Series competition at the World of Outlaws World Finals last November.

However, like Sheppard, he’s been consistent over the last 10 races. English has six top fives in that span, including five podiums. Those finishes have moved him to seventh in points, and he is only four points behind Brian Shirley for fifth.

Reaper’s Redemption: Ryan Gustin returns to his home state of Iowa this weekend at Davenport with redemption on his mind. The Marshalltown, IA driver led 31 laps in last year’s Quad Cities 150 finale before going to the pits with 12 laps to go.

Tracks of similar size to Davenport have been good to “The Reaper” in 2023 after scoring two of his three wins on 1/4-mile tracks this season.

If Gustin wins this weekend, it’ll be his sixth World of Outlaws victory and first in his home state of Iowa.

Getting Xtreme: The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models are joined by the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota at this weekend’s Quad Cities 150.

It’s only the fourth and fifth time the two Series have raced at the same track on the same night after meeting up at Jacksonville and Davenport in 2022. On those nights, one of the two Series had a first-time winner.

Jade Avedisian scored her first Xtreme Outlaw Series win at Jacksonville, while Davenport produced first-time winners for each Series.

English swept the Friday and Saturday portion of the event in the Late Models, while Chase McDermand and Bryant Wiedeman each grabbed their first checkered flag with the Xtreme Outlaw Series.