Column By: MIKE WARREN / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – CHILLICOTHE, OH – An Ohio doubleheader awaits the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series as they head to Atomic Speedway for the Outlaw Invasion.
The two-night weekend starts on Friday, Sept. 29, with a 40-lap, $10,000-to-win Feature. Then, the Series returns on Saturday, battling for $15,000 in a 50-lap finale.
Modifieds and Legend Cars will join the Series on Friday, while Sport Mods and RaceSaver 305 Sprint Cars are on Saturday’s racing card.
Here are some of the storylines to keep an eye on at Atomic:
All Dirt Roads: The Road to the World of Outlaws World Finals (Nov. 1-4) continues for the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models, with Bobby Pierce leading the field into Atomic.
Pierce enters the weekend with a 136-point lead over Brandon Sheppard and Chris Madden, who are tied for second.
The Oakwood, IL driver has won 30 times in 2023, including 11 with the Series. With nine races remaining, Pierce can break the single-season wins record currently held by Sheppard and four-time champion Josh Richards (18).
He’s succeeded at Atomic before, scoring a victory at the track last season. He’s also succeeded on 3/8-mile tracks this year, racking up four wins.
The “Smooth Operator” hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in his last 12 World of Outlaws CASE Late Models races and has won seven of them.
The Battle for 2nd: Sheppard and Madden have battled for years with the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models. And in 2023, the two are doing it again as they enter the weekend tied for second in the standings.
Sheppard has won two out of the last three races on tour, scoring wins at Mississippi Thunder Speedway and Davenport Speedway. Those wins are backed up by a summer of consistency, as he’s only finished outside the top 10 once in the last 16 Features.
The New Berlin, IL driver is also on a streak of podium finishes, earning a top-three in his last five World of Outlaws starts. He hopes to keep that momentum rolling at Atomic, where he won last season with the Series.
Madden, meanwhile, has found a ton of success at tracks like Atomic in 2023. All the Gray Court, SC driver’s wins this season have come at 3/8-mile tracks (Sharon Speedway, Cedar Lake Speedway).
“Smokey” is also on a streak, earning seven straight top 10s. A win at Atomic would be his fourth Series win of 2023 and the 37th of his career.
A Friendly War: Usually, when you see Brian Shirley at a World of Outlaws CASE Late Models race, Kyle Bronson isn’t far behind. That’s also the case in the Series standings, as Shirley holds a 12-point advantage over Bronson for fifth.
Shirley has consistently earned four top-fives over the last five races. However, Bronson has been better in that stretch, with five straight top 10s and three top fives.
Both are searching for their second World of Outlaws win of the season—each winning on a 3/8-mile track like Atomic.
On tracks that size in 2023, their numbers have been similar, with Bronson having a slight advantage. The Brandon, FL driver has a win, seven top fives and 10 top 10s, while Shirley has a win, five top fives and 10 top 10s.
Striding Forward: When the Series raced at Atomic in 2022, only one driver earned a top-five finish on both nights—defending Series champion Dennis Erb Jr. The Carpentersville, IL driver earned a fourth and second in those two races and has momentum after three top fives in the last five races.
Other drivers looking to take a stride forward after success at the track in 2022 are Gordy Gundaker and reigning Series Rookie of the Year Tanner English. Both scored a top-five finish at the track last year and are looking for their first World of Outlaws win of 2023.