Column: Tight Title Fight Between Matt & Mat Highlights World Finals For Super DIRTcar Series

Column By: MIKE WARREN / SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES – CONCORD, NC – All dirt roads lead to Charlotte, and so does the road to the 2024 Super DIRTcar Series title.

The Series returns to action at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, NC, to crown a champion during the World of Outlaws World Finals, Nov. 6-9. The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars and World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models are joining the Big Blocks at the massive event.

On-track action kicks off on Wednesday, Nov. 6, with Qualifying night. The Super DIRTcar Series will run a Qualifying session for Thursday’s program, followed by a Qualifying session for Friday’s program.

Then, on Thursday, Nov. 7, and Friday, Nov. 8, drivers will battle in 30-lap Features, paying $10,000 to win.

It all leads to the season finale on Saturday, Nov. 9 – a 40-lap Feature paying $15,000 to win. Following the event, the 2024 champion will be crowned in a celebration on the front stretch with a fireworks show.

Here’s a look at What to Watch For at World Finals:

Matt vs. Mat: After 16 Super DIRTcar Series Features, 10-time and defending Series champion Matt Sheppard leads 2019 Series champion Mat Williamson by 15 points entering World Finals.

Despite only scoring one points-paying victory in 2024, Sheppard has been a master of consistency, earning top fives in 14 of the 16 Features and a top 10 in all but one event.

Williamson, meanwhile, has seven points-paying wins this season, but a DNF at Weedsport in July puts him behind “Super Matt” with three races to go.

Both have been successful at Charlotte, with Sheppard earning five victories and Williamson winning four times.

Points will be available on all four nights of on-track action at World Finals, with 10 bonus points up for grabs on Qualifying night. If either driver sweeps both sessions, it could swing the battle for the championship in one direction before a Feature lap is turned on the 4/10-mile track.

Between Matt and Mat, one will walk away with the $60,000 championship payout and the other will get $35,000 for second.

The Final Spot on the Podium: While the battle for the 2024 title highlights World Finals, there’s a three-car battle for third in the standings.

Jimmy Phelps vaulted back to the third after a runner-up finish in the Billy Whittaker Cars 200. He enters the week five points ahead of Tim Sears Jr. and 14 points ahead of Anthony Perrego.

Phelps and Perrego have earned wins in 2024, with Phelps winning at Thunder Mountain Speedway in July and Perrego winning at New Egypt Speedway in March. Phelps, the “Baldwinsville Bandit,” is the only one of the three with a win at Charlotte, taking the checkered flag in the first World Finals Feature for the Super DIRTcar Series in 2010 and adding another in 2019.

While Perrego hasn’t won at Charlotte, he’s knocked on the door over the past two seasons. In his last six World Finals Features, the “Ant-Man” has four top fives and five top 10s and led laps early in one Feature before Tim Fuller passed him for the win.

Meanwhile, Sears earned his best World Finals finish last season with his sixth-place finish.

Whoever finishes third will take home $20,000 at the end-of-season banquet later this month. That’s $5,000 more than fourth and $8,000 more than fifth.

Back in the Queen City: In two of the last three World of Outlaws World Finals, the event has produced two first-time Super DIRTcar Series winners.

Mathieu Desjardins outdueled Tim Fuller for his first career Series win in 2022, and reigning SummerFAST champion Alex Yankowski won his first Series Feature in 2021, in only his second career start.

Both drivers will return to the Queen City this weekend searching for another World Finals checkered flag.

Yankowski has found success with the Super DIRTcar Series in 2024, winning at Fulton Speedway during SummerFAST, and earning podium finishes and four top 10s in five starts.

Desjardins has only made two Series starts in 2024, with his best finish a 16th at Autodrome Drummond.

Fighting For Eighth: One more points battle will be decided at World Finals, with three drivers battling for eighth.

Darren Smith sits eighth in the standings ahead of 2023 Rookie of the Year Felix Roy by three points. Three-time Super DIRTcar Series winner Mike Mahaney trails Smith by 15 points with three races remaining.

Of those three drivers, Mahaney has the most experience at Charlotte, earning three top fives and four top 10s in 15 starts, including a best finish of third in 2023.

Smith and Roy have made a combined nine starts over the past two seasons at Charlotte, but neither have finished in the top 10.

The driver who finishes eighth will earn $1,000 more than the driver who finishes ninth and $2,000 more than whoever finishes 10th.

Joining the Super DIRTcar Series stars this week at Charlotte are Fuller, Billy Pauch Jr., Ryan Godown and more.