Column: The Swamp Gets Smokey; Chris Madden Victorious in World of Outlaws Opener
Column By: JACOB DOVE / RPW – BARBERVILLE, FL – The World of Outlaws Late Models Series kicked off the 2026 season Thursday night at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Florida for the first race of the DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals. A total of 201 Late Models across the Super, 604, and 602 classes arrived at Volusia to partake in the sunny weather and high-speed action.
It didn’t take long for the Chris Madden to find speed in his new ride with the Infinity by Wells house car program. The #44 team were fast in Wednesday’s practice, went quick time in qualifying, won his heat race, started 2nd in the feature, and captured the victory to take home the $12,000 payday. Look for Madden to continue his speed and consistency during the next two nights of racing.
After winning his heat race and the redraw, Nick Hoffman found himself on the pole of the feature. Hoffman, who is no stranger to success at Volusia, showed why he will be a threat this year in the World of Outlaws points standings. The Tye Twarog #9 team brought out a car they are already familiar with and have a brand new one sitting in the hauler for when Hoffman returns to Volusia in February. “The Thrill from Mooresville” will be another guy to watch the next two nights of competition.
With Infinity Chassis and Longhorn Chassis on the first two spots of the podium, it was Rocket1 Racing’s Brandon Sheppard taking 3rd place on the night. Mark Richards had the #1 Rocket Chassis setup perfectly to run the bottom throughout the evening. Sheppard challenged Hoffman multiple times during the feature and ultimately found himself on the podium after a late race caution. It will be interesting to see how the Rocket1 team continues to progress throughout Speedweeks.
Hard charging through the feature was the #1T machine of Tyler Erb who had a rollercoaster of a Thursday night. Coming off of the drama out west with Jonathan Davenport, fans were expecting to see “Terbo” to be fired up and race with aggression. During his heat race, he would spin and cause a caution, putting the team behind the 8 ball for the evening. Being a full time Outlaw driver in 2026, Erb was able to utilize a provisional to start the feature. He would go from 26th to 8th improving 18 positions. Watch for “Terbo” to continue putting on a show for race fans throughout the rest of the week.
