Column: Road to World Finals Heads South for Stops at Needmore, Senoia

Column By: SPENCE SMITHBACK / WOLRD OF OUTLAWS LATE MODELS – CONCORD, NC – For the first time since April, the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision is set to battle it out in the southeast at a pair of Georgia staples.

The 14-year wait since the last World of Outlaws event at Needmore Speedway will come to an end on Friday, Sept. 12, with the Needmore Late Model Showdown. Following a three-hour ride north on Interstate 75, The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet will make their fourth visit to Senoia Raceway for the Billy Clanton Classic on Saturday, Sept. 13.

Friday’s program at Needmore will feature a 40-lap, $12,000-to-win, World of Outlaws main event with Super Streets and Crown Vics also on the card. The Senoia itinerary concludes with a 50-lap, $15,000-to-win, Feature in addition to racing for the 602 Sportsman, Chargers and Hobby Stocks.

Here are the top storylines entering the weekend:

ON TOP OF THE WORLD: Several Outlaws are headed into the fall portion of the World of Outlaws season with plenty of steam after a standout performance at Eldora Speedway.

Leading that charge is Nick Hoffman, who finished third on Saturday night to become the only driver on the podium in both the Dirt Late Model Dream and the World 100 in 2025. That result, along with finishes of second and fifth in preliminary competition, has his Late Model top-five streak at eight dating back to Spoon River Speedway on Aug. 14.

The Mooresville, NC driver will need to keep the train on the tracks the rest of the way if he wants any chance of making up the 108-point gap to Bobby Pierce with nine races remaining in the season, and he’ll need to do that in a state he lacks much experience in. Hoffman has never competed at Needmore, and his only two starts at Senoia in last year’s Peach State Classic resulted in a best finish of ninth.

In addition to Hoffman, Ryan Gustin came home fifth at the “Big E” to set a new career best in the event. His Needmore debut came in January when he finished seventh with the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series, while he has a best finish of fifth in five total starts at Senoia – one of them coming with the World of Outlaws in 2021.

CLOSING IN: Pierce enters this weekend’s events with a shot of making history on the table.

The “Smooth Operator” carries a four-race World of Outlaws win streak into Georgia after victories at Spoon River, Maquoketa Speedway and a pair at Arrowhead Speedway. If he can make it six in a row this weekend, it would tie his personal record from last year when he went on a tear between the Gopher 50 and USA Nationals.

Pierce has already conquered three southern tracks for the first time this year in Smoky Mountain Speedway, Swainsboro Raceway and Talladega Short Track, and he has two chances to add to that list this weekend. Needmore will be a new track for him, and he finished second in his debut at Senoia last November.

RUNNING OUT OF TIME: The list of races remaining before World of Outlaws World Finals is running thin, which means if a driver isn’t happy with their current spot in the standings, the time to fix that is now.

The race for the final spot in the top five is as close as it gets, with Drake Troutman clinging to fifth by two points over Dennis Erb Jr. Troutman picked up the World 100 Rookie of the Year Award on Saturday night, and he’s in position to add the World of Outlaws MD3 Rookie of the Year title to his collection at season’s end with a 178-point lead over Ethan Dotson.

The Hyndman, PA native made his first Late Model start at both tracks earlier this season, scoring finishes of fifth at Needmore and 14th at Senoia with the Spring Nationals Series. Erb also made his Needmore debut during Speedweeks with a ninth-place run, but he has considerably more laps around Senoia with three top 10s to his credit in seven appearances.

Trailing those two is Brian Shirley, who sits seventh with 28 points between himself and Erb. Friday’s event at Needmore will bring back some less-than-pleasant memories, as it will be Shirley’s first time back at the track since his frightening fire at the start of the year. Senoia has been a bit kinder to him though, as his lone World of Outlaws start there in 2017 ended in the ninth spot.

SOUTHERN STANDOUTS: Some of the best Late Model racers the southeast has to offer have their sights set on a World of Outlaws victory this weekend.

Georgia’s own Cody Overton won’t be the only one representing the family this weekend, as older brother Brandon will also be in attendance. 2025 hasn’t been a season to write home about for “Big Sexy” with three wins and 23 top fives in 76 starts, but as a former winner at both Needmore and Senoia, a pair of nights close to home could be his chance to right the ship.

Ashton Winger’s full-time World of Outlaws campaign came to an early end with a pair of blown engines at Norman County Raceway and Nodak Speedway in June, but he’s returning to the Series for the first time since then at a pair of home-state tracks. Needmore is one of the few “Peach State” tracks he’s never wheeled a Super Late Model around, but the same can’t be said for Senoia. Winger won the most recent World of Outlaws race at the track in 2021, topping the list that also includes scores with the Southern All Stars, Southern Nationals and the Fall Nationals.

Milton, FL’s Joseph Joiner will make his first World of Outlaws starts in two years at a pair of tracks he has no lack of laps around. The YouTube star has a Hunt the Front win at Needmore from 2023, while he went to Victory Lane at Senoia with the Ultimate Super Late Model Series in 2021.

WHEN AND WHERE:
Friday, Sept. 12, at Needmore Speedway in Norman Park, GA
Saturday, Sept. 13, at Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA

CURRENT POINT STANDINGS:
1. Bobby Pierce (4820 points)
2. Nick Hoffman (-108)
3. Ryan Gustin (-248)
4. Tim McCreadie (-334)
5. Drake Troutman (-384)
6. Dennis Erb Jr. (-386)
7. Brian Shirley (-414)
8. Cody Overton (-524)
9. Tanner English (-536)
10. Ethan Dotson (-562)

FEATURE WINNERS (14):
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 11
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 4
Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 4
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 4
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 2
Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1
Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 1
Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 1
Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1
Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 1
Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 1
Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – 1
Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 1
Tanner English – Benton, KY – 1

HEAT RACE WINNERS (35):
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 24
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 13
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 12
Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 12
Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 8
Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 7
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 6
Dustin Sorensen – Rochester, MN – 5
Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 5
Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 4
Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 4
Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 4
Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – Chandler, AZ – 4
Dennis Erb Jr. – Carpentersville, IL – 4
Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 3
Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 3
Ashton Winger – Hampton, GA – 3
Jake Timm – Winona, MN – 3
Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 3
Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 2
Jason Feger – Bloomington, IL – 2
Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – 2
Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 2
Cade Dillard – Robeline, LA – 2
Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1
Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – 1
Zack Mitchell – Enoree, SC – 1
Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 1
Aaron Marrant – Richmond, MO – 1
Mike Harrison – Highland, IL – 1
Chris Simpson – Oxford, IA – 1
Jared Miley – Pittsburgh, PA – 1
Shannon Babb – Moweaqua, IL – 1
Tanner English – Benton, KY – 1
Tristan Chamberlain – Richmond, IN – 1

LANDA PRESSURE WASHERS LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (36):
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 6
Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 5
Dustin Sorensen – Rochester, MN – 3
Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 3
Ashton Winger – Hampton, GA – 3
Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 3
Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 2
Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 2
Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 2
Shannon Babb – Moweaqua, IL – 2
Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 2
Jake Timm – Winona, MN – 2
Ricky Thornton Jr. – Chandler, AZ – 2
Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – 2
Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 2
Cade Dillard – Robeline, LA – 2
Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 1