News Director 
Column By: MATT SKIPPER / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – CONCORD, NC – MD3 Rookie of the Year contender Cody Overton has gone through the baggage of trials and tribulations as a first-year driver with the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models in 2024.
In just his sixth full-time season as a dirt Late Model racer, the Evans, GA driver has used his time as both a driver and his past experiences as a Late Model mechanic to help ease the journey at a diverse set of new and familiar tracks for him.
Placed third in the Rookie of the Year points battle, Overton accumulated six top-10 finishes – his best was a sixth-place result at River Cities Speedway and Maquoketa Speedway, respectively. Overton led his first Feature laps with the Series at Maquoketa.
“It’s a lot different,” Overton said. “The experience is a lot of it. We’ve been good early and struggled at some places when it pays the most. That’s been the biggest thing that’s hard for me is finishing higher in these races. I don’t know if it’s me or the car, but it’s a learning process through the year, and we’ll just keep on plugging away at it.”
Before piloting Late Models, Overton built up his time at the racetrack by turning the wrenches on his brother, Brandon Overton’s race car. His knowledge of what the parts and components entail has also helped with the process.
“My background helps a ton,” Overton said. “Just understanding what goes on, but it can also get you in trouble because you feel like you know more than what (the car is) giving you. Some things, I do feel like it could go right one way because of what I know previously, and it turns out to be plain out wrong. That’s kind of the situation I’m in right now. I’m so confident in what I know; it’s just not working at times, so we’ll see where it goes in the South.”
Marking his heading toward the southeastern region of the country for the Series events in September, Overton reminisced on his times at three of the tracks he’s previously visited: Senoia Raceway, the Talladega Short Track, and Boothill Speedway.
“Honestly, one of my first big wins was at Senoia with a Crate Late Model,” Overton said. “That place is special to me. It’s an hour away from the house so I got a lot of friends and people around there. I have my time in a Crate at Talladega, along with going there earlier in the year will help a lot. I went to Boothill one time with a Crate, but I just can’t wait till we actually get down that way to places I’m more familiar with. It isn’t going to throw us in a big loop.”
Visiting a lot of the facilities that Overton had no prior seat time at, he understands that he has to embrace the hardships and take what’s being given for the Georgian to fill up his notebook that he can apply to racetracks similar to what he’s raced at in the year.
“There’s been some places where you throw up the hands and go ‘What the hell am I doing?,’” Overton said. “Sometimes, part of it is just plainly getting your ass whooped at tracks I don’t know a thing about. From the start of the season to now, I feel like I’ve progressed, gotten a little better, and figured out some things. Yeah, we struggle, but I think you can build off those tough nights to get better. You’re gonna get kicked a few times before you need to figure it out. It’s gonna be alright though.”
Overton expressed his gratitude and appreciation towards Dave Steine, owner of Tri Star Promotions, for offering him a chance to drive the No.97JR as a fresh face to the national dirt Late Model scene.
This is not the first time Steine picked an underdog to drive his car with the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models. When he chose Ryan Gustin to drive for Tri Star Promotions after succeeding in the Modified ranks in 2021, the pairing won five races through the three seasons that the Marshalltown, IA native drove for the team. Overton hopes to give Steine that same success in the years to come.
“(Dave) has been one of my biggest supporters. If I was a car owner, I would’ve fired my ass in January,” Overton said with a laugh. “He’s unique, he’s cool. There’s not really any words to describe the kind of person he is. He’s done more for me than anybody in this sport has, and it makes me super thankful. I’m more than blessed to have possibly everything I could have wanted or needed, so I take none of it for granted.
“In this sport, it can be gone tomorrow, and you don’t realize what you had at the time. I understand that part because it’s tough and he understands how tough it is and that’s the biggest thing. He’s one of those guys that wants a challenge. I was more of the underdog for him in picking me to drive the car. He likes the challenge, so that’s really cool and I hope I can stay with him for years to come and make him proud.”
Overton’s rookie season continues at Senoia Raceway on Saturday, Sept. 14, and the completion of the Alabama Gang 100 at the Talladega Short Track on Sunday, Sept. 15.
