Column: Three-Way Championship Battle Closes Out WoO Late Model Season At World Finals
News Director 
Column By: MATT SKIPPER / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – CONCORD, NC – The journey of the 2024 World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models season reaches its peak at the World of Outlaws World Finals.
The four-day event at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Nov. 6-9, will conclude the 2024 season with a championship battle for the ages. Three drivers – Brandon Sheppard, Bobby Pierce and Nick Hoffman – are separated by 50 points in the chase to win the crown during the 20th anniversary of the tour’s revival.
On-track action begins Wednesday, Nov. 6, with Sea Foam Qualifying night to set the Heat lineups for Thursday and Friday’s racing programs – 35-lap Features paying $15,000-to-win.
The “every-lap matters” points format will be in place Thursday and Friday to lock the top 16 points earners into Saturday’s program – set to pay $25,000 to the winner of the 50-lap race at the 4/10-mile dirt track.
The World of Outlaws Late Models join the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars and the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds all four nights.
Here are the top storylines to look out for:
Drive For 5: Four-time World of Outlaws champion Brandon Sheppard, of New Berlin, IL, prioritized consistency this year and its paid off as he enters the weekend as the Series points leader.
He’s stood atop the standings since June, elevated by wins at Thunderhill Raceway, Ponderosa Speedway and Deer Creek Speedway.
While he’s a two-time winner at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, “B-Shepp” has not finished in the top-10 since a third-place result in his 2021 title campaign. Sheppard will need to find momentum from the start of the weekend with Bobby Pierce behind him by 44 points and Nick Hoffman behind him by 50 points.
Smooth Comeback: Bobby Pierce clawed his way back into position for his second consecutive title with a collection of 12 Series wins, 25 top fives, and 26 top 10s through the 35 races ran.
The Oakwood, IL native had a career year aboard his No.32 Low Voltage Solutions machine, winning 36 total Super Late Model races in 2024, including crown jewel triumphs at the NAPA Gopher 50, Prairie Dirt Classic, USA Nationals, World 100, Late Model Knoxville Nationals, and the Dirt Track World Championship in October, among others.
Pierce looks to translate that winning success at World Finals, as he trails Brandon Sheppard by 44 points entering the three nights. If the “Smooth Operator” can get the job done, he’ll join Billy Moyer and Josh Richards as the third driver to win his first two World of Outlaws titles consecutively.
Here To Stay: Nick Hoffman has made it clear that he is here and ready to contend for a dirt Late Model title as the driver of the Tye Twarog Racing No. 9 Late Model, sitting 50 back from a potential championship.
The Mooresville, NC racer broke out of his shell in 2024 with five Series wins and has contended with Sheppard and Pierce throughout the season in his sophomore season with the “Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet.”
Hoffman has plenty of expertise at the Concord, NC facility. He has five World Short Track Championship Feature wins with his No. 2 DIRTcar UMP Modified and finished a high of seventh in the 2023 World Finals finale.
One Last Chance: Though the championship focus surrounds Sheppard, Pierce and Hoffman, key points battles inside the top 10 can shake up the final standings by Saturday night.
Marshalltown, IA driver Ryan Gustin moved up to fourth in Series points for the first time in 2024 after winning the September Bayou Classic at Boothill Speedway. However, he has three drivers behind him within 62 points – Brandon, FL’s Kyle Bronson, Robeline, LA’s Cade Dillard and Chatham, IL’s Brian Shirley.
Of them, Shirley enters on the hottest streak with five Series wins, and top-10 finishes in 14 of the last 15 races.
The difference in the championship points fund between placing fourth and seventh is $50,000.
World Finals Outlanders: Like last year’s edition of World Finals, which saw more than 70 drivers entered, the top talent in Super Late Model racing will be back to challenge the World of Outlaws in Charlotte.
Ricky Thornton Jr., who enters World Finals on the heels of his first national Super Late Model title, will try to go for three wins in a row at the dirt track. Even with limited experience at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, he won the last two Features there last year. He’ll also be pulling double duty, running a Sprint Car with the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars too.
Hunt The Front Super Dirt Series champion Brandon Overton picked up his first World Finals win in 2020. Four years later, the Evans, GA driver is seeking his second event win to end his title-winning season.
Previous Charlotte winners making the trip include 2018 World of Outlaws champion Mike Marlar, six-time winner Jonathan Davenport – reuniting with Kevin Rumley in the No. 6 Late Model – six-time World Finals winner Jimmy Owens, two-time event winner Chris Madden, and 2024 DIRTcar UMP Modified World Short Track Championship winner Kyle Strickler.
