Brandon Sheppard Makes History; First Five-Time World Of Outlaws Late Model Series Champ
News Director 
Story By: JEREMY PETERS / BRANDON SHEPPARD RACING – NEW BERLIN, IL – Brandon Sheppard narrowly defeated Bobby Pierce in a tight points battle on Saturday night at The Dirt Track at Charlotte to claim the World of Outlaws (WoO) Case Late Model Series championship aboard his Coltman Farms Racing / Realtree Outdoors No. B5 Sheppard Riggs Longhorn Factory / Valvoline / Riggs Drilling Solutions / Bilstein / Mesilla Valley Transportation Super Late Model.
The New Berlin, Ill., native picked up the $175,000 payday for his fifth World of Outlaws title, making him the first driver to claim five championships in the tour’s 23-year history.
In addition to the WoO championship, Sheppard received the 2024 Fan Favorite vote, an award determined by fan votes throughout the season.
“It’s crazy to think about now,” Sheppard said. “These things are not easy to win, and we did it the absolute hardest way possible, that’s for sure. Longhorn and the whole Riggs family gave me everything I needed to get the job done. It’s been a trying year with a ton of ups and downs. We’ve shown a lot of speed but haven’t had the wins that we needed. It was a battle of attrition to keep the thing up front and just be consistent.”
Sheppard’s pursuit for the World of Outlaws title began on Wednesday afternoon at The Dirt Track at Charlotte (Concord, N.C.) with a scheduled time trial session kicking off the 18th annual World Finals.
After Mother Nature only allowed one qualifying session, Sheppard returned on Thursday where he took a provisional into the $15,000-to-win prelim. Pinned on the 13th row, Brandon climbed seven positions to salvage an 18th-place outing.
For another round of prelims on Friday, Brandon found his footing in his heat race as he drove from the sixth-to-third. With another $15,000 preliminary payday up for grabs in the feature, Sheppard steered to a sixth-place finish.
On Saturday, Sheppard advanced into the $25,000-to-win World of Outlaws World Finals finale with a fifth-place finish in his dash. Taking the green in 14th, Brandon marched forward five spots in the 50-lap affair to bring home a ninth-place finish.
Sheppard’s outing in the series finale secured the World of Outlaws points title, the fifth of his career.
Sheppard finished 38 points ahead of runner-up Bobby Pierce in the final points tally.
Sheppard is set to return to action in early December for the Gateway Dirt Nationals at The Dome at America’s Center. His scheduled preliminary night on Thursday, December 5, is followed by Saturday’s $30,000-to-win finale.
