CONCORD, NC (Jan. 19, 2026) — With the 35th consecutive season of American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) racing on the horizon, the full schedule has come more into focus, featuring a mix of ASCS staples, new venues and returning favorites.

Thirty-five race dates have been confirmed on the new calendar, which begins at Volusia Speedway Park, Jan. 29–31, as part of the 55th Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals and concludes at Creek County Speedway, Oct. 16–17, in the 11th edition of Fuzzy’s Fall Fling. The national 360 Sprint Car circuit will take drivers to 22 different tracks across 12 states in 10 months.

Drivers will vie for a slice of the $152,000 championship points fund, which awards $40,000 to the champion, $25,000 to the runner-up and $20,000 to third place. Dotted throughout the schedule are several special event purses, including five events with at least $10,000 to win and nine with a minimum $5,000 in store for the winner.

Tickets for each of these events will be sold at the track on race day. If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

WHAT’S NEW

Texarkana 67 Speedway (July 11)

Three-time national ASCS champion Tim Crawley welcomes the tour back to his facility at Texarkana 67 Speedway on Saturday, July 11, for the Ralph Henson Memorial. The event salutes the late Little Rock native and will serve as the Series’ 14th appearance at Texarkana. ASCS’ visit to the 3/8-mile oval last June produced the most exciting race of the season, featuring a three-way, back-and-forth battle for the lead for several laps between Matt Covington, Blake Hahn, and race winner Sam Hafertepe Jr.

Worthington Speedway / Viking Speedway (July 30, Aug. 1)

Worthington Speedway was originally slated to host the Series on Friday, July 31, coupling with fellow Minnesota oval Viking Speedway on August 1. Due to a nearby scheduling conflict, ASCS will now make its debut at Worthington on Thursday, July 30, and then head to Viking to race Saturday, Aug. 1, in the two-race event dubbed the Gopher State 360 Challenge. Worthington and Viking will become the third and fourth tracks in the state of Minnesota to host the Series, joining Jackson Motorplex and North Central Speedway.

Riverside International Speedway (Aug. 22)

The historic Riverside International Speedway will host the Series for the 37th time in history in the second running of King of the Ditch. The $5,000-to-win main event ran unsanctioned in 2025 but welcomes the ASCS full-timers in 2026. Arkansas native Derek Hagar swept the weekend in the most recent national ASCS visit in 2024, marking his ninth and 10th career Series victories.

Gallatin Speedway (Sept. 4)

For the first time since 2021, the American Sprint Car Series heads to Gallatin Speedway in Belgrade, MT, to kick off a three-race weekend in “Big Sky Country.” The 3/8-mile oval, which hosts weekly IMCA and WISSOTA action on a weekly basis, has also hosted ASCS Frontier Region action in the past, and welcomes the national Series back for the 10th time on Friday, Sept. 4 before back-to-back nights at fellow Montana oval Electric City Speedway on Sept. 5–6.

Moberly Motorsports Park (Sept. 11-12)

The high-banked, 4/10-mile oval in Moberly, MO, welcomes the American Sprint Car Series back for the first time since its 2017 debut in a two-day event — Friday–Saturday, Sept. 11–12, with a $6,000 winner’s share for Saturday’s program. Moberly has hosted several ASCS-sanctioned events in the past under the Warrior Region banner in addition to the Sprint Invaders and Malvern Bank 360 Sprints.

RPM Speedway (Oct. 10)

The 1/4-mile bullring of RPM Speedway welcomes the Series back for the first time in two years on Saturday, Oct. 10. The track in Crandall, TX, hosted a two-day event for the national Series in October 2024, won by Series champions Seth Bergman and Sam Hafertepe Jr.

MARQUEE EVENTS

55th Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Jan. 29–31)

The 55th edition of Florida’s biggest dirt track racing extravaganza will feature the stars of the American Sprint Car Series against several national 410 Sprint Car invaders for the second consecutive year in a three-day 360 Sprint Car showdown at Volusia Speedway Park. The historic, 1/2-mile oval will host two, $3,000-to-win programs on Thursday and Friday before the $12,000-to-win finale on Saturday.

New for 2026 will be an event points fund. Each night, drivers will earn points toward the Big Gator Championship standings. The driver with the most points after all three races will be crowned the DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator champion, hoist the iconic golden gator trophy, and pocket a $2,000 bonus check. The runner-up will take home $1,000 and $500 will go to third place.

To get your tickets for DIRTcar Nationals, click the link below.

DIRTcar NATIONALS TICKETS

Sonoran Clash (Feb. 21–22, Feb. 28–March 1)

For the first time in Series history, Central Arizona Raceway will host the national 360 Sprint Car stars for two separate weekends of action at the 3/8-mile oval in the inaugural running of the Sonoran Clash – Feb. 21-22 and Feb. 29-March 1.

Drivers will compete for a $4,000 payday on both Saturdays, and then a $6,000 check on both Sundays.

Over the four-race stretch, drivers will earn points toward a special miniseries championship chase, which pays $3,000 to the winner, $2,000 to the runner-up and $1,000 to third place.

The Big One (June 26–27)

In July, the Series made its triumphant return to Belleville High Banks for the first time in 11 years. Next June, the historic, 1/2-mile oval welcomes the national 360 Sprint Car stars back in the second running of The Big One.

Friday’s preliminary program will pay $4,000-to-win before drivers compete in the $10,000-to-win, $700-to-start finale on Saturday.

Five-time Series champion Sam Hafertepe Jr. swept the inaugural event in July, beating Kansas native and fellow Series champion Jason Martin in a thrilling, high-speed battle through traffic on Friday before giving a dominant, flag-to-flag performance for the win on Saturday.

360 Knoxville Nationals (Aug. 6–8)

The biggest 360 Sprint Car race in the world goes green at Knoxville Raceway next August in the 36th annual Xtream Powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank.

Two preliminary nights of action kick things off Thursday and Friday at the historic 1/2-mile oval, setting the stage for the $20,000-to-win finale Saturday night. An additional $15,000 are up for grabs in lap money, making for a possible $35,000 winner’s share.

In August, fans were treated to a thrilling battle for the lead in the closing laps between Rico Abreu and Kyle Larson. Abreu retook the lead in the end and pocketed $34,000 total in his first career 360 Knoxville Nationals title.

Harvey Ostermiller Memorial (Aug. 28–29)

Big Sky Speedway hosts the ninth edition of the Harvey Ostermiller Memorial next August with big money on the line in Big Sky Country.

The 3/8-mile oval, located in Billings, MT, hosts the Series for the 10th time in track history with a two-night program featuring a special purse. The event pays tribute to the late Montana resident and Sprint Car supporter, who helped to build the track before its opening in 2003.

2025 Knoxville Nationals winner Ryan Timms swept the weekend last year in a dominant showing over the 360 Sprint Car regulars, two weeks after his triumph on dirt track racing’s biggest stage.

Fuzzy’s Fall Fling (Oct. 16–17)

The American Sprint Car Series champion will once again be crowned at its homeland in 2026.

Creek County Speedway hosts the 11th edition of Fuzzy’s Fall Fling, paying tribute to one of the Series’ most honorable figures — Fuzzy Hahn — the late wife of track and Series founder, Emmett Hahn. A $4,000 winner’s share is up for grabs on Friday night before a $10,000-to-win finale on Saturday. Following the checkered flag on Saturday comes a special championship celebration, complete with the presentation of the Emmett Hahn Trophy.

NOTE — The dates for this event were moved from its originally announced weekend of Nov. 13–14.

2026 American Sprint Car Series Schedule

Thursday–Saturday, Jan. 29–31 | Volusia Speedway Park | Barberville, FL

Saturday–Sunday, Feb. 21–22 | Central Arizona Speedway | Casa Grande, AZ
Saturday–Sunday, Feb. 28–March 1 | Central Arizona Speedway | Casa Grande, AZ

Saturday, April 11 | Salina Highbanks Speedway | Salina, OK

Friday, May 8 | Benton Speedway | Benton, MO

Saturday, May 9 | Paducah International Raceway | Paducah, KY
Friday, May 29 | TBA

Saturday, May 30 | Salt City Speedway | Hutchinson, KS

Friday, June 5 | Creek County Speedway | Sapulpa, OK

Saturday, June 6 | 81 Speedway | Park City, KS

Saturday, June 13 | Batesville Motor Speedway | Batesville, AR

Friday–Saturday, June 26–27 | Belleville High Banks | Belleville, KS
Friday, July 10 | TBA
Saturday, July 11 | Texarkana 67 Speedway | Texarkana, AR

Saturday, July 25 | Dodge City Raceway Park | Dodge City, KS
Sunday, July 26 | TBA
Thursday, July 30 | Worthington Speedway | Worthington, MN

Saturday, Aug. 1 | Viking Speedway | Alexandria, MN

Thursday–Saturday, Aug. 6–8 | Knoxville Raceway | Knoxville, IA
Friday, Aug. 21 | TBA

Saturday, Aug. 22 | Riverside International Speedway | West Memphis, AR

Friday–Saturday, Aug. 28–29 | Big Sky Speedway | Billings, MT
Friday, Sept. 4 | Gallatin Speedway | Belgrade, MT

Saturday–Sunday, Sept. 5–6 | Electric City Speedway | Great Falls, MT
Friday–Saturday, Sept. 11–12 | Moberly Motorsports Park | Moberly, MO

Sunday, Sept. 13 | Eagle Raceway | Eagle, NE

Saturday, Oct. 10 | RPM Speedway | Crandall, TX

Friday–Saturday, Oct. 16–17 | Creek County Speedway | Sapulpa, OK

2026 SCHEDULE: American Sprint Car Series Visits New Venues, Returning Favorites in 35th Season

CONCORD, NC (Jan. 19, 2026) — With the 35th consecutive season of American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) racing on the horizon, the full schedule has come more into focus, featuring a mix of ASCS staples, new venues and returning favorites.

Thirty-five race dates have been confirmed on the new calendar, which begins at Volusia Speedway Park, Jan. 29–31, as part of the 55th Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals and concludes at Creek County Speedway, Oct. 16–17, in the 11th edition of Fuzzy’s Fall Fling. The national 360 Sprint Car circuit will take drivers to 22 different tracks across 12 states in 10 months.

Drivers will vie for a slice of the $152,000 championship points fund, which awards $40,000 to the champion, $25,000 to the runner-up and $20,000 to third place. Dotted throughout the schedule are several special event purses, including five events with at least $10,000 to win and nine with a minimum $5,000 in store for the winner.

Tickets for each of these events will be sold at the track on race day. If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

WHAT’S NEW

Texarkana 67 Speedway (July 11)

Three-time national ASCS champion Tim Crawley welcomes the tour back to his facility at Texarkana 67 Speedway on Saturday, July 11, for the Ralph Henson Memorial. The event salutes the late Little Rock native and will serve as the Series’ 14th appearance at Texarkana. ASCS’ visit to the 3/8-mile oval last June produced the most exciting race of the season, featuring a three-way, back-and-forth battle for the lead for several laps between Matt Covington, Blake Hahn, and race winner Sam Hafertepe Jr.

Worthington Speedway / Viking Speedway (July 30, Aug. 1)

Worthington Speedway was originally slated to host the Series on Friday, July 31, coupling with fellow Minnesota oval Viking Speedway on August 1. Due to a nearby scheduling conflict, ASCS will now make its debut at Worthington on Thursday, July 30, and then head to Viking to race Saturday, Aug. 1, in the two-race event dubbed the Gopher State 360 Challenge. Worthington and Viking will become the third and fourth tracks in the state of Minnesota to host the Series, joining Jackson Motorplex and North Central Speedway.

Riverside International Speedway (Aug. 22)

The historic Riverside International Speedway will host the Series for the 37th time in history in the second running of King of the Ditch. The $5,000-to-win main event ran unsanctioned in 2025 but welcomes the ASCS full-timers in 2026. Arkansas native Derek Hagar swept the weekend in the most recent national ASCS visit in 2024, marking his ninth and 10th career Series victories.

Gallatin Speedway (Sept. 4)

For the first time since 2021, the American Sprint Car Series heads to Gallatin Speedway in Belgrade, MT, to kick off a three-race weekend in “Big Sky Country.” The 3/8-mile oval, which hosts weekly IMCA and WISSOTA action on a weekly basis, has also hosted ASCS Frontier Region action in the past, and welcomes the national Series back for the 10th time on Friday, Sept. 4 before back-to-back nights at fellow Montana oval Electric City Speedway on Sept. 5–6.

Moberly Motorsports Park (Sept. 11-12)

The high-banked, 4/10-mile oval in Moberly, MO, welcomes the American Sprint Car Series back for the first time since its 2017 debut in a two-day event — Friday–Saturday, Sept. 11–12, with a $6,000 winner’s share for Saturday’s program. Moberly has hosted several ASCS-sanctioned events in the past under the Warrior Region banner in addition to the Sprint Invaders and Malvern Bank 360 Sprints.

RPM Speedway (Oct. 10)

The 1/4-mile bullring of RPM Speedway welcomes the Series back for the first time in two years on Saturday, Oct. 10. The track in Crandall, TX, hosted a two-day event for the national Series in October 2024, won by Series champions Seth Bergman and Sam Hafertepe Jr.

MARQUEE EVENTS

55th Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Jan. 29–31)

The 55th edition of Florida’s biggest dirt track racing extravaganza will feature the stars of the American Sprint Car Series against several national 410 Sprint Car invaders for the second consecutive year in a three-day 360 Sprint Car showdown at Volusia Speedway Park. The historic, 1/2-mile oval will host two, $3,000-to-win programs on Thursday and Friday before the $12,000-to-win finale on Saturday.

New for 2026 will be an event points fund. Each night, drivers will earn points toward the Big Gator Championship standings. The driver with the most points after all three races will be crowned the DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator champion, hoist the iconic golden gator trophy, and pocket a $2,000 bonus check. The runner-up will take home $1,000 and $500 will go to third place.

To get your tickets for DIRTcar Nationals, click the link below.

DIRTcar NATIONALS TICKETS

Sonoran Clash (Feb. 21–22, Feb. 28–March 1)

For the first time in Series history, Central Arizona Raceway will host the national 360 Sprint Car stars for two separate weekends of action at the 3/8-mile oval in the inaugural running of the Sonoran Clash – Feb. 21-22 and Feb. 29-March 1.

Drivers will compete for a $4,000 payday on both Saturdays, and then a $6,000 check on both Sundays.

Over the four-race stretch, drivers will earn points toward a special miniseries championship chase, which pays $3,000 to the winner, $2,000 to the runner-up and $1,000 to third place.

The Big One (June 26–27)

In July, the Series made its triumphant return to Belleville High Banks for the first time in 11 years. Next June, the historic, 1/2-mile oval welcomes the national 360 Sprint Car stars back in the second running of The Big One.

Friday’s preliminary program will pay $4,000-to-win before drivers compete in the $10,000-to-win, $700-to-start finale on Saturday.

Five-time Series champion Sam Hafertepe Jr. swept the inaugural event in July, beating Kansas native and fellow Series champion Jason Martin in a thrilling, high-speed battle through traffic on Friday before giving a dominant, flag-to-flag performance for the win on Saturday.

360 Knoxville Nationals (Aug. 6–8)

The biggest 360 Sprint Car race in the world goes green at Knoxville Raceway next August in the 36th annual Xtream Powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank.

Two preliminary nights of action kick things off Thursday and Friday at the historic 1/2-mile oval, setting the stage for the $20,000-to-win finale Saturday night. An additional $15,000 are up for grabs in lap money, making for a possible $35,000 winner’s share.

In August, fans were treated to a thrilling battle for the lead in the closing laps between Rico Abreu and Kyle Larson. Abreu retook the lead in the end and pocketed $34,000 total in his first career 360 Knoxville Nationals title.

Harvey Ostermiller Memorial (Aug. 28–29)

Big Sky Speedway hosts the ninth edition of the Harvey Ostermiller Memorial next August with big money on the line in Big Sky Country.

The 3/8-mile oval, located in Billings, MT, hosts the Series for the 10th time in track history with a two-night program featuring a special purse. The event pays tribute to the late Montana resident and Sprint Car supporter, who helped to build the track before its opening in 2003.

2025 Knoxville Nationals winner Ryan Timms swept the weekend last year in a dominant showing over the 360 Sprint Car regulars, two weeks after his triumph on dirt track racing’s biggest stage.

Fuzzy’s Fall Fling (Oct. 16–17)

The American Sprint Car Series champion will once again be crowned at its homeland in 2026.

Creek County Speedway hosts the 11th edition of Fuzzy’s Fall Fling, paying tribute to one of the Series’ most honorable figures — Fuzzy Hahn — the late wife of track and Series founder, Emmett Hahn. A $4,000 winner’s share is up for grabs on Friday night before a $10,000-to-win finale on Saturday. Following the checkered flag on Saturday comes a special championship celebration, complete with the presentation of the Emmett Hahn Trophy.

NOTE — The dates for this event were moved from its originally announced weekend of Nov. 13–14.

2026 American Sprint Car Series Schedule

Thursday–Saturday, Jan. 29–31 | Volusia Speedway Park | Barberville, FL

Saturday–Sunday, Feb. 21–22 | Central Arizona Speedway | Casa Grande, AZ
Saturday–Sunday, Feb. 28–March 1 | Central Arizona Speedway | Casa Grande, AZ

Saturday, April 11 | Salina Highbanks Speedway | Salina, OK

Friday, May 8 | Benton Speedway | Benton, MO

Saturday, May 9 | Paducah International Raceway | Paducah, KY
Friday, May 29 | TBA

Saturday, May 30 | Salt City Speedway | Hutchinson, KS

Friday, June 5 | Creek County Speedway | Sapulpa, OK

Saturday, June 6 | 81 Speedway | Park City, KS

Saturday, June 13 | Batesville Motor Speedway | Batesville, AR

Friday–Saturday, June 26–27 | Belleville High Banks | Belleville, KS
Friday, July 10 | TBA
Saturday, July 11 | Texarkana 67 Speedway | Texarkana, AR

Saturday, July 25 | Dodge City Raceway Park | Dodge City, KS
Sunday, July 26 | TBA
Thursday, July 30 | Worthington Speedway | Worthington, MN

Saturday, Aug. 1 | Viking Speedway | Alexandria, MN

Thursday–Saturday, Aug. 6–8 | Knoxville Raceway | Knoxville, IA
Friday, Aug. 21 | TBA

Saturday, Aug. 22 | Riverside International Speedway | West Memphis, AR

Friday–Saturday, Aug. 28–29 | Big Sky Speedway | Billings, MT
Friday, Sept. 4 | Gallatin Speedway | Belgrade, MT

Saturday–Sunday, Sept. 5–6 | Electric City Speedway | Great Falls, MT
Friday–Saturday, Sept. 11–12 | Moberly Motorsports Park | Moberly, MO

Sunday, Sept. 13 | Eagle Raceway | Eagle, NE

Saturday, Oct. 10 | RPM Speedway | Crandall, TX

Friday–Saturday, Oct. 16–17 | Creek County Speedway | Sapulpa, OK

ARTICLE: https://ascsracing.com/news/2026-s

BARBERVILLE, FL (January 19, 2026) – For the first time since early November, it’s race week for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.

As they have every year since 2021, The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet will begin the 2026 season at Volusia Speedway Park during DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals, Jan. 22-24.

A practice night on Wednesday will give teams an opportunity to knock the rust off before Thursday’s opening night, which features a 35-lap, $12,000-to-win, World of Outlaws main event. Another 35-lapper will follow on Friday before the stakes are raised on Saturday, which will see drivers race 50 laps for $20,000 in the Sunshine Nationals finale.

Crate Racin’ USA DIRTcar Pro (604) Late Models and 602 Late Models will also be on the card on all three nights to round out the “Late Model Palooza.”

GET TICKETS

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVISION

Here are this week’s top storylines:

CHASING THREE: Only four drivers in the history of the sport can call themselves a three-time World of Outlaws champion – Billy Moyer, Darrell Lanigan, Josh Richards and Brandon Sheppard. By the end of the year, Bobby Pierce wants to make it five.

Eleven weeks after wrapping up his second championship at World of Outlaws World Finals, the chase for a third title in four years begins this week at Volusia. The “Smooth Operator” is a four-time winner at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile,” but all four have come in February at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals.

With his first win of 2026 under his belt from Sunday at the Wild West Shootout, Pierce will look to build on that momentum and earn the first straw hat of his career this week.

CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGERS: Breathing down Pierce’s neck is a hungry crop of drivers looking to start their own dynasty at the top of dirt Late Model racing.

Leading that charge is Nick Hoffman, who ended 2025 only 56 points behind Pierce after a strong end to the year at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. It was the best points finish of his three-year World of Outlaws career, and a strong start at Volusia – a place he’s won at twice in a Late Model and dozens of times in a DIRTcar UMP Modified – could go a long way toward putting him in prime position come World Finals.

One of the other primary threats also has a No. 9 on the side of his car, as Tim McCreadie is back with Briggs Transport for another full-time World of Outlaws run. “T-Mac” got off to a lackluster start a year ago while he was working through chassis changes and other growing pains in his new surroundings. Now that he’s coming back with the same combination he finished 2025 in top form with, McCreadie will be ready to start the new season with his first Sunshine Nationals victory and his first Volusia score in three years.

Ryan Gustin is looking to claim the season opener for the second year in a row. Last season’s Sunshine Nationals win was his first of five with the World of Outlaws in 2025, tying his single-season high. The “Reaper” has already gotten his 2026 campaign off to a hot start, scoring three top fives in six starts at the Wild West Shootout.

HELLO, MY NAME IS: Over the past few weeks, plenty of new and returning names have announced their plans to tackle the full World of Outlaws schedule in the year ahead.

Leading that charge is Tyler Erb, who will be a full-time Outlaw this season for the first time since 2018. “Terbo” has never reached Victory Lane at Volusia, but has stood on the podium three times at DIRTcar Nationals in 2017, 2024, and 2025.

The roster also includes a quartet of MD3 Rookie of the Year candidates, and two of them will begin their maiden World of Outlaws season in their home state. St. Augustine, FL’s Trey Mills began his driving career at the Volusia go-kart track, competed in the track’s 602 and 604 Late Model divisions on his rise through the ranks, and ran his first Super Late Model race at the track in 2022 at age 13.

Residing four hours south in Clewiston, FL is Eli Johnson, who will race a Super Late Model at Volusia for the first time this week. He has been there in a 604 Late Model though, picking up a top 10 in “Fab 5” weekly racing last March.

Logan Zarin is set for his second trip south to Volusia this week after making his debut at the track two years ago at DIRTcar Nationals. That event only yielded one Feature start in five nights, but he’s confident in his ability to use what he learned to make improvements in his Volusia return.

The latest addition to the list of first-year Outlaws is Daulton Wilson, who is starting his first full season driving for Florida-based team owner William “Augie” Burttram and Big Frog/Viper Motorsports. The Fayetteville, NC native has been an annual staple at Volusia since 2022, and while he has four DIRTcar Nationals top fives, Wilson has never finished better than 17th at Sunshine Nationals.

VOLUSIA 2.0: Ten months after Volusia was coated in truckloads of dark gumbo clay, Super Late Models will hit the track for the first time in competition at Sunshine Nationals.

However, that doesn’t mean the entire field will be flying blind. Drake Troutman and Ethan Dotson finished 1-2 in Modified action at last year’s Emil and Dale Reutimann Memorial, and both will be looking for more of the same as they begin their sophomore seasons with the World of Outlaws. Volusia has also hosted several Late Model test sessions in recent months, with the likes of McCreadie, Mills, Brandon Overton and more all turning laps on the new dirt.

NEW FACES, NEW PLACES: With Sunshine Nationals serving as the first event of the season for many teams, fans will get their first look at several new pairings that shook the Late Model world during “Silly Season.”

After Ricky Thornton Jr. collected his first win of the year in the Adam Family Motorsports ride at Central Arizona Raceway, he’ll return to his usual seat at Koehler Motorsports with a familiar face on the wrenches. Anthony Burroughs reunited with Thornton last month at the Gateway Dirt Nationals and will officially begin his first campaign as part of the Koehler camp at Volusia. The Thornton-Burroughs duo won 56 races together at SSI Motorsports between 2021 and 2024 – including a stellar 34-win season in 2023 – and will look to rekindle that magic starting this week.

Chris Madden will also start a new chapter at Sunshine Nationals, as the Gray Court, SC native will begin his stint as driver of the Infinity Chassis house car at Wells Motorsports. “Smokey” enters the week as a four-time Volusia winner, with his most recent victory coming in 2023.

One of the nation’s top regional talents is set for his first season at the national level in 2026, as Loudon, TN’s Cory Hedgecock will make his first start in the Billy Hicks Racing No. 79 on Thursday night. The two-time World of Outlaws winner at 411 Motor Speedway has never been to Volusia in a Super Late Model, but has a Sunshine Nationals record of five top fives in eight starts in a 604 Late Model.

WHEN AND WHERE:
Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24, at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: World of Outlaws Roaring Back to Life for Sunshine Nationals at Volusia

BARBERVILLE, FL (January 19, 2026) – For the first time since early November, it’s race week for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.

As they have every year since 2021, The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet will begin the 2026 season at Volusia Speedway Park during DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals, Jan. 22-24.

A practice night on Wednesday will give teams an opportunity to knock the rust off before Thursday’s opening night, which features a 35-lap, $12,000-to-win, World of Outlaws main event. Another 35-lapper will follow on Friday before the stakes are raised on Saturday, which will see drivers race 50 laps for $20,000 in the Sunshine Nationals finale.

Crate Racin’ USA DIRTcar Pro (604) Late Models and 602 Late Models will also be on the card on all three nights to round out the “Late Model Palooza.”

GET TICKETS

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVISION

Here are this week’s top storylines:

CHASING THREE: Only four drivers in the history of the sport can call themselves a three-time World of Outlaws champion – Billy Moyer, Darrell Lanigan, Josh Richards and Brandon Sheppard. By the end of the year, Bobby Pierce wants to make it five.

Eleven weeks after wrapping up his second championship at World of Outlaws World Finals, the chase for a third title in four years begins this week at Volusia. The “Smooth Operator” is a four-time winner at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile,” but all four have come in February at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals.

With his first win of 2026 under his belt from Sunday at the Wild West Shootout, Pierce will look to build on that momentum and earn the first straw hat of his career this week.

CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGERS: Breathing down Pierce’s neck is a hungry crop of drivers looking to start their own dynasty at the top of dirt Late Model racing.

Leading that charge is Nick Hoffman, who ended 2025 only 56 points behind Pierce after a strong end to the year at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. It was the best points finish of his three-year World of Outlaws career, and a strong start at Volusia – a place he’s won at twice in a Late Model and dozens of times in a DIRTcar UMP Modified – could go a long way toward putting him in prime position come World Finals.

One of the other primary threats also has a No. 9 on the side of his car, as Tim McCreadie is back with Briggs Transport for another full-time World of Outlaws run. “T-Mac” got off to a lackluster start a year ago while he was working through chassis changes and other growing pains in his new surroundings. Now that he’s coming back with the same combination he finished 2025 in top form with, McCreadie will be ready to start the new season with his first Sunshine Nationals victory and his first Volusia score in three years.

Ryan Gustin is looking to claim the season opener for the second year in a row. Last season’s Sunshine Nationals win was his first of five with the World of Outlaws in 2025, tying his single-season high. The “Reaper” has already gotten his 2026 campaign off to a hot start, scoring three top fives in six starts at the Wild West Shootout.

HELLO, MY NAME IS: Over the past few weeks, plenty of new and returning names have announced their plans to tackle the full World of Outlaws schedule in the year ahead.

Leading that charge is Tyler Erb, who will be a full-time Outlaw this season for the first time since 2018. “Terbo” has never reached Victory Lane at Volusia, but has stood on the podium three times at DIRTcar Nationals in 2017, 2024, and 2025.

The roster also includes a quartet of MD3 Rookie of the Year candidates, and two of them will begin their maiden World of Outlaws season in their home state. St. Augustine, FL’s Trey Mills began his driving career at the Volusia go-kart track, competed in the track’s 602 and 604 Late Model divisions on his rise through the ranks, and ran his first Super Late Model race at the track in 2022 at age 13.

Residing four hours south in Clewiston, FL is Eli Johnson, who will race a Super Late Model at Volusia for the first time this week. He has been there in a 604 Late Model though, picking up a top 10 in “Fab 5” weekly racing last March.

Logan Zarin is set for his second trip south to Volusia this week after making his debut at the track two years ago at DIRTcar Nationals. That event only yielded one Feature start in five nights, but he’s confident in his ability to use what he learned to make improvements in his Volusia return.

The latest addition to the list of first-year Outlaws is Daulton Wilson, who is starting his first full season driving for Florida-based team owner William “Augie” Burttram and Big Frog/Viper Motorsports. The Fayetteville, NC native has been an annual staple at Volusia since 2022, and while he has four DIRTcar Nationals top fives, Wilson has never finished better than 17th at Sunshine Nationals.

VOLUSIA 2.0: Ten months after Volusia was coated in truckloads of dark gumbo clay, Super Late Models will hit the track for the first time in competition at Sunshine Nationals.

However, that doesn’t mean the entire field will be flying blind. Drake Troutman and Ethan Dotson finished 1-2 in Modified action at last year’s Emil and Dale Reutimann Memorial, and both will be looking for more of the same as they begin their sophomore seasons with the World of Outlaws. Volusia has also hosted several Late Model test sessions in recent months, with the likes of McCreadie, Mills, Brandon Overton and more all turning laps on the new dirt.

NEW FACES, NEW PLACES: With Sunshine Nationals serving as the first event of the season for many teams, fans will get their first look at several new pairings that shook the Late Model world during “Silly Season.”

After Ricky Thornton Jr. collected his first win of the year in the Adam Family Motorsports ride at Central Arizona Raceway, he’ll return to his usual seat at Koehler Motorsports with a familiar face on the wrenches. Anthony Burroughs reunited with Thornton last month at the Gateway Dirt Nationals and will officially begin his first campaign as part of the Koehler camp at Volusia. The Thornton-Burroughs duo won 56 races together at SSI Motorsports between 2021 and 2024 – including a stellar 34-win season in 2023 – and will look to rekindle that magic starting this week.

Chris Madden will also start a new chapter at Sunshine Nationals, as the Gray Court, SC native will begin his stint as driver of the Infinity Chassis house car at Wells Motorsports. “Smokey” enters the week as a four-time Volusia winner, with his most recent victory coming in 2023.

One of the nation’s top regional talents is set for his first season at the national level in 2026, as Loudon, TN’s Cory Hedgecock will make his first start in the Billy Hicks Racing No. 79 on Thursday night. The two-time World of Outlaws winner at 411 Motor Speedway has never been to Volusia in a Super Late Model, but has a Sunshine Nationals record of five top fives in eight starts in a 604 Late Model.

WHEN AND WHERE:
Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24, at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL

2026 WORLD OF OUTLAWS LATE MODEL SERIES PRESENTED BY DIRTVISION SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Jan. 21 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL (Practice)
Thursday, Jan. 22 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL
Friday, Jan. 23 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL
Saturday, Jan. 24 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL
Thursday, Feb. 12 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL
Friday, Feb. 13 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL
Saturday, Feb. 14 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL
Thursday, Feb. 19 / Hendry County Motorsports Park / Clewiston, FL (Practice)
Friday, Feb. 20 / Hendry County Motorsports Park / Clewiston, FL
Saturday, Feb. 21 / Hendry County Motorsports Park / Clewiston, FL
Friday, March 13 / Volunteer Speedway / Bulls Gap, TN
Saturday, March 14 / Smoky Mountain Speedway / Maryville, TN
Friday, March 20 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS
Saturday, March 21 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS
Friday, March 27 / East Alabama Motor Speedway / Phenix City, AL
Saturday, March 28 / Senoia Raceway / Senoia, GA
Thursday, April 9 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL (Practice)
Friday, April 10 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL
Saturday, April 11 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL
Friday, April 24 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL
Saturday, April 25 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL
Tuesday, April 28 / Independence Motor Speedway / Independence, IA
Thursday, April 30 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI
Friday, May 1 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI
Saturday, May 2 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI
Wednesday, May 13 / Georgetown Speedway / Georgetown, DE
Thursday, May 14 / Selinsgrove Speedway / Selinsgrove, PA
Friday, May 15 / Marion Center Raceway / Marion Center, PA
Saturday, May 16 / Marion Center Raceway / Marion Center, PA
Sunday, May 17 / Bedford Speedway / Bedford, PA
Thursday, May 28 / Wayne County Speedway / Orrville, OH
Friday, May 29 / Mansfield Speedway / Mansfield, OH
Saturday, May 30 / Mansfield Speedway / Mansfield, OH
Friday, June 12 / West Virginia Motor Speedway / Mineral Wells, WV
Saturday, June 13 / West Virginia Motor Speedway / Mineral Wells, WV
Friday, June 19 / 141 Speedway / Maribel, WI
Saturday, June 20 / 141 Speedway / Maribel, WI
Monday, June 22 / Ogilvie Raceway / Ogilvie, MN
Wednesday, June 24 / I-94 emr Speedway / Fergus Falls, MN
Friday, June 26 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND
Sunday, June 28 / Nodak Speedway / Minot, ND
Tuesday, June 30 / Norman County Raceway / Ada, MN
Thursday, July 2 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Friday, July 3 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Saturday, July 4 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Wednesday, July 8 / Stateline Speedway / Busti, NY
Friday, July 10 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Saturday, July 11 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Friday, July 24 / Fairbury Speedway / Fairbury, IL
Saturday, July 25 / Fairbury Speedway / Fairbury, IL
Thursday, July 30 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Friday, July 31 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Saturday, Aug. 1 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Thursday, Aug. 20 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA (Practice
Friday, Aug. 21 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA
Saturday, Aug. 22 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA
Wednesday, Aug. 26 / Southern Iowa Speedway / Oskaloosa, IA
Friday, Aug, 28 / Adams County Speedway / Corning, IA
Saturday, Aug. 29 / Shelby County Speedway / Harlan, IA
Friday, Sept. 25 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Saturday, Sept. 26 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Friday, Oct. 2 / Boothill Speedway / Greenwood, LA
Saturday, Oct. 3 / Boothill Speedway / Greenwood, LA
Friday, Oct. 23 / Modoc Speedway / Modoc, SC
Saturday, Oct. 24 / Modoc Speedway / Modoc, SC
Wednesday, Nov. 4 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Thursday, Nov. 5 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Friday, Nov. 6 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Saturday, Nov. 7 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC

Five Corvette GT3s collect significant miles, data ahead of Rolex 24

DETROIT (January 18, 2026) – The five Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs set for the Rolex 24 At Daytona wrapped up three days of valuable and successful testing Sunday with the conclusion of the annual Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway. A week ahead of the opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championships, the quintet of Corvette teams expressed satisfaction with the amounts of laps and data they accumulated around the 3.56-mile Daytona Road Course:

Corvette Racing Media Resources Documents | Statistics | Photos | Factory Driver Bios | Chevrolet Newsroom

· No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – GTD PRO: Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims, Marvin Kirchhöfer – 1:47.775 (118.914 mph)· No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – GTD PRO: Nicky Catsburg, Tommy Milner, Nico Varrone – 1:47.810 (118.876 mph)· No. 13 13 Autosport – GTD: Matt Bell, Orey Fidani, Lars Kern, Ben Green – 1:48.061 (118.599 mph)· No. 36 DXDT Racing – GTD: Charlie Eastwood, Mason Filippi, Salih Yoluc, Scott McLaughlin – 1:47.805 (118.881 mph)· No. 81 DragonSpeed – GTD: Giacomo Altoé, Henrik Hedman, Casper Stevenson, Matteo Cairoli – 1:48.087 (118.5671 mph)(Fastest drivers in bold) Those results will give Corvette Racing and team engineers plenty to sift through before Thursday’s first official opening practice for the Rolex 24. One year ago, the Corvette Z06 GT3.R recorded a GTD class win (AWA’s No. 13 Corvette) and a runner-up finish in GTD PRO (Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ No. 3 Z06 GT3.R). As a program, Corvette Racing has a deep and successful history at the Rolex 24 and includes five GT-class victories – one of those an overall win in 2001. In addition, Corvette’s successes at Daytona have bolstered Chevrolet’s impressive record of 125 wins at the circuit across IMSA and NASCAR’s national series. The Rolex 24 goes green at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 24 with qualifying on Thursday, January 22. Live coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC with full live coverage on Peacock in the United States and on IMSA.com for video outside the U.S. and global IMSA Radio coverage.

SELECT CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R DRIVER QUOTESANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We may have a couple of minor issues, but both our cars have run pretty much every lap that has been available. I’m happy with it and there is a lot of data to collect. We’ll put everything together from these days ahead of Thursday. We’ll have a few things to try then or validate as well. But things are going in the right direction for next week with what we have. We just need to wait and see but I’m happy.”

MARVIN KIRCHHOFER, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “So far so good. It’s still early days to really understand where we are. But we had a smooth Roar so far to finish up. There is some information and some tweaks that are getting us pointed in the right direction for next week. I’m really enjoying the time with the team. This is basically like the first week back at school for me. So I’m enjoying the challenge.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “My overarching impression after these three days is that this is the best prepared we’ve been going into the Rolex and it’s the best this car has felt going into the race. We obviously have a lot of notes and knowledge on the GT3 Corvette now so we’re able to hone in on something that we like faster than previous. We started by showing up with a car that we were happy with balance-wise. We’ve continued to tune on it and make some improvements, for sure. There’s a lot of continuity between the driver lineup, crew and engineering. I feel like we’re in a great place going into this race.”

NICO VARRONE, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “For me, it’s an honor to be here. I always say this but it is true. I’m really proud and privileged to drive with this team and with this group. Everything is really professional and for me it’s one of the best teams in the world. Another season in and I know the team that much better. I think we are working better than this time last year and that makes a big difference. Having Nicky and Tommy as teammates is great. We were really strong to close last year at Petit Le Mans. So this is a great lineup and we’re working through different things to get it right for next week. I think things will get a little more difficult on-track as the race gets closer. Right now everyone is doing their own thing so you really don’t have the amount of traffic. Once we get to next weekend and we get into the start and restarts, there definitely will be more chaos.”

LARS KERN, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “What happened last year is always in the back of our minds. We did pretty alright here last year so we know what it takes. But it’s a new year and a new game. We have Ben (Green) here with us and he’s doing a great job. So it’s a new combination but with a lot of known pieces. The car is perfect with no issues so far. We’re really looking forward and ahead to next week.”

BEN GREEN, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’ve really enjoyed my first laps here at Daytona. Our Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R is feeling fantastic and everyone at 13 Autosport is doing a great job and getting up to speed quickly. We feel ready for the race next week and have done everything we need to do during the course of the Roar tests to prepare ourselves well for that. I’m really excited to get going and take on the Rolex 24!”

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The jump we’ve made this year is unbelievable. So many of the crew are the same but there are a few key positions that have changed and I think that’s really elevated it even further. The Roar has probably never gone better for myself over the years. The Corvette feels unbelievable. We were chasing it all of last year for 10 days and to be honest never really found it. We arrived for the first session here pretty close and we’ve chipped away with it. My teammates were happy with it last night, and I was happy with it yesterday afternoon. Let’s see where the track goes. This track sort of changes over the next week and the pace goes up too. But if you have a really good base here, it helps a lot. We definitely seem to have that at the minute. We’ve collected loads of data and have a lot to process over Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday because we’ve run through seven sessions in three days here. But I think we’re in really good shape.”

MASON FILIPPI, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Luckily we were able to get together and spend a few days in the shop to really get to know the team. These are my first few days in the Corvette, and it’s awesome. It’s really comfortable to drive and every single time you get back in you feel more comfortable and you can knock down the laptime. Everyone on the team has been awesome to work with. Charlie (Eastwood) and Scott (McLaughlin) both know the car really well so it’s great to pick their brain and be a sponge to learn everything as I go.”Under braking and understanding the tire a little. With the braking capability of this car, you have to utilize that, and I think that’s where I’ve been able to improve from my first few laps. We’re in a good spot. It will be a long 24 hours but we’ll be ready to fight.”

GIACOMO ALTOE, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It was a nice and smooth first session for us. No issues at all and that was the main target. It was my first ever laps in the Corvette. It’s amazing and a very different feeling than what I’m used to. Of course I needed a few laps to adapt. Handling was different but it’s also very different with how I’m seated in the car with the seating position, the sound, how the car works. I still need to go through all the systems so there is a lot of homework to do. I just need to find out what the car needs and we will keep progressing. “I actually really liked being out there in traffic. The rear-view camera works very well and that was something that I like. Henrik did well and is really happy with the car. It’s a very positive start.”

CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: Successful Dress RehearsalFive Corvette GT3s collect significant miles, data ahead of Rolex 24

DETROIT (January 18, 2026) – The five Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs set for the Rolex 24 At Daytona wrapped up three days of valuable and successful testing Sunday with the conclusion of the annual Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway. A week ahead of the opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championships, the quintet of Corvette teams expressed satisfaction with the amounts of laps and data they accumulated around the 3.56-mile Daytona Road Course:

Corvette Racing Media Resources Documents | Statistics | Photos | Factory Driver Bios | Chevrolet Newsroom

· No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – GTD PRO: Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims, Marvin Kirchhöfer – 1:47.775 (118.914 mph)· No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – GTD PRO: Nicky Catsburg, Tommy Milner, Nico Varrone – 1:47.810 (118.876 mph)· No. 13 13 Autosport – GTD: Matt Bell, Orey Fidani, Lars Kern, Ben Green – 1:48.061 (118.599 mph)· No. 36 DXDT Racing – GTD: Charlie Eastwood, Mason Filippi, Salih Yoluc, Scott McLaughlin – 1:47.805 (118.881 mph)· No. 81 DragonSpeed – GTD: Giacomo Altoé, Henrik Hedman, Casper Stevenson, Matteo Cairoli – 1:48.087 (118.5671 mph)(Fastest drivers in bold) Those results will give Corvette Racing and team engineers plenty to sift through before Thursday’s first official opening practice for the Rolex 24. One year ago, the Corvette Z06 GT3.R recorded a GTD class win (AWA’s No. 13 Corvette) and a runner-up finish in GTD PRO (Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ No. 3 Z06 GT3.R). As a program, Corvette Racing has a deep and successful history at the Rolex 24 and includes five GT-class victories – one of those an overall win in 2001. In addition, Corvette’s successes at Daytona have bolstered Chevrolet’s impressive record of 125 wins at the circuit across IMSA and NASCAR’s national series. The Rolex 24 goes green at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 24 with qualifying on Thursday, January 22. Live coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC with full live coverage on Peacock in the United States and on IMSA.com for video outside the U.S. and global IMSA Radio coverage.

SELECT CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R DRIVER QUOTESANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We may have a couple of minor issues, but both our cars have run pretty much every lap that has been available. I’m happy with it and there is a lot of data to collect. We’ll put everything together from these days ahead of Thursday. We’ll have a few things to try then or validate as well. But things are going in the right direction for next week with what we have. We just need to wait and see but I’m happy.”

MARVIN KIRCHHOFER, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “So far so good. It’s still early days to really understand where we are. But we had a smooth Roar so far to finish up. There is some information and some tweaks that are getting us pointed in the right direction for next week. I’m really enjoying the time with the team. This is basically like the first week back at school for me. So I’m enjoying the challenge.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “My overarching impression after these three days is that this is the best prepared we’ve been going into the Rolex and it’s the best this car has felt going into the race. We obviously have a lot of notes and knowledge on the GT3 Corvette now so we’re able to hone in on something that we like faster than previous. We started by showing up with a car that we were happy with balance-wise. We’ve continued to tune on it and make some improvements, for sure. There’s a lot of continuity between the driver lineup, crew and engineering. I feel like we’re in a great place going into this race.”

NICO VARRONE, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “For me, it’s an honor to be here. I always say this but it is true. I’m really proud and privileged to drive with this team and with this group. Everything is really professional and for me it’s one of the best teams in the world. Another season in and I know the team that much better. I think we are working better than this time last year and that makes a big difference. Having Nicky and Tommy as teammates is great. We were really strong to close last year at Petit Le Mans. So this is a great lineup and we’re working through different things to get it right for next week. I think things will get a little more difficult on-track as the race gets closer. Right now everyone is doing their own thing so you really don’t have the amount of traffic. Once we get to next weekend and we get into the start and restarts, there definitely will be more chaos.”

LARS KERN, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “What happened last year is always in the back of our minds. We did pretty alright here last year so we know what it takes. But it’s a new year and a new game. We have Ben (Green) here with us and he’s doing a great job. So it’s a new combination but with a lot of known pieces. The car is perfect with no issues so far. We’re really looking forward and ahead to next week.”

BEN GREEN, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’ve really enjoyed my first laps here at Daytona. Our Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R is feeling fantastic and everyone at 13 Autosport is doing a great job and getting up to speed quickly. We feel ready for the race next week and have done everything we need to do during the course of the Roar tests to prepare ourselves well for that. I’m really excited to get going and take on the Rolex 24!”

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The jump we’ve made this year is unbelievable. So many of the crew are the same but there are a few key positions that have changed and I think that’s really elevated it even further. The Roar has probably never gone better for myself over the years. The Corvette feels unbelievable. We were chasing it all of last year for 10 days and to be honest never really found it. We arrived for the first session here pretty close and we’ve chipped away with it. My teammates were happy with it last night, and I was happy with it yesterday afternoon. Let’s see where the track goes. This track sort of changes over the next week and the pace goes up too. But if you have a really good base here, it helps a lot. We definitely seem to have that at the minute. We’ve collected loads of data and have a lot to process over Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday because we’ve run through seven sessions in three days here. But I think we’re in really good shape.”

MASON FILIPPI, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Luckily we were able to get together and spend a few days in the shop to really get to know the team. These are my first few days in the Corvette, and it’s awesome. It’s really comfortable to drive and every single time you get back in you feel more comfortable and you can knock down the laptime. Everyone on the team has been awesome to work with. Charlie (Eastwood) and Scott (McLaughlin) both know the car really well so it’s great to pick their brain and be a sponge to learn everything as I go.”Under braking and understanding the tire a little. With the braking capability of this car, you have to utilize that, and I think that’s where I’ve been able to improve from my first few laps. We’re in a good spot. It will be a long 24 hours but we’ll be ready to fight.”

GIACOMO ALTOE, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It was a nice and smooth first session for us. No issues at all and that was the main target. It was my first ever laps in the Corvette. It’s amazing and a very different feeling than what I’m used to. Of course I needed a few laps to adapt. Handling was different but it’s also very different with how I’m seated in the car with the seating position, the sound, how the car works. I still need to go through all the systems so there is a lot of homework to do. I just need to find out what the car needs and we will keep progressing. “I actually really liked being out there in traffic. The rear-view camera works very well and that was something that I like. Henrik did well and is really happy with the car. It’s a very positive start.”

CASPER STEVENSON, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s hard to know exactly where we are, but we’ve done a lot of laps; I think close to the most out of everyone. The car has run faultlessly so I don’t see how it could have been more productive. I feel like we’ve made progress not just with the Corvette but also the small things like seat belts, the seats and everything. There’s still some work to do… driver change practice and all that kind of housekeeping stuff. I don’t see any reason why we won’t be competitive next week. Matteo arrives next week, so I think we will be really strong. The biggest gains have been understanding how to drive the car. We were lucky to do one test, and that gave me some things to think about for this time. I feel like I don’t fully know the Corvette but I’m getting there and it’s starting to feel more comfortable.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 18, 2026) – Cadillac Racing completed a three-day test at the ROAR Before the 24 and are now focused on this weekend’s 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona in a twice-around-the-clock race on the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course.  Filipe Albuquerque, driver of the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R sponsored by DEX along with Ricky Taylor and Will Stevens, recorded the fourth-fastest lap overall in session four with a time of 1:36.731 (132.491 mph).  The No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R sponsored by DEX had the eighth-fastest lap overall when Louis Deletraz had a lap of 1:36.901 (132.258 mph) in session one. His teammates are Jordan Taylor and Colton Herta.  Jack Aitken had the 10th-fastest overall lap in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R. in session four with a time of 1:36.986 (132.143 mph). The other drivers are Earl Bamber, Frederik Vesti and Connor Zilisch.  Cadillac Racing won the Rolex 24 at Daytona four consecutive years (2017-2020) since joining IMSA prototype competition in 2017, and was first and second in 2017, 2018 and 2019. It has had at least one prototype entry on the podium in eight of its nice races at Daytona.

They are hoping to carry the momentum from the end of the 2025 season when Aitken, Bamber and Vesti scored their second straight Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) victory in the Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The trio also won the Battle On The Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in September.

Media resources:Cadillac Racing Rolex 24 At Daytona event guide

Peacock (U.S.) and IMSA’s YouTube (outside the U.S.) channel will stream qualifications at 2:05 p.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 22. Coverage of the Rolex 24 At Daytona starts at 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Jan. 24, on NBC, with continuing coverage on Peacock (U.S.) and IMSA’s YouTube channel (outside the U.S.) until NBC will pick up the broadcast at noon Sunday, Jan. 25, for the finish. Peacock (U.S.) and IMSA’s YouTube channel will stream the entirety of the race along with the IMSA Radio broadcast at IMSA.com, Sirius 211/XM 207, locally at 93.5 FM/1150 AM and 107.9 FM at the track.

Filipe Albuquerque – No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R sponsored by DEX: “The Roar went really well. We went through the checklist and got an understanding of the car during the day and the night. I think that is really important in understanding the tire degradation of the new Michelin compounds. Again, we will be analyzing everything for this weekend. So far, so good and it makes a big difference being in our second year of driving the Cadillac V-Series.R.”

Will Stevens – No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R sponsored by DEX: “I think generally it has been a positive week for us at the Roar. We got to check off a majority of what we wanted to tick off before the Rolex this weekend. Which is important so that we can narrow down what we want to have for this weekend’s race week because you want all the big changes to the car finalized. I think all of us have a positive feeling in the car and feel pretty comfortable, so it’s a good start to the week.”

Ricky Taylor – No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R sponsored by DEX: “We had a great Roar. We feel good going into the Rolex, especially after last year with all of the unknowns, so it’s nice to have a good understanding. The weather conditions are going to be a bit warmer than usual, so glad we got to see a bit of that at the Roar. The race will be here before we know, so glad we got a good head start.”

Jack Aitken – No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R run by Action Express Racing: “I think ROAR week has been good for us. It’s just been a case of running through our checklist with some new parts on the car. It’s all performing as we hoped. Nothing reliability-wise gone awry which is always good to see as well. I think everyone on the drivers side is getting vetted in pretty well. That’s all you can ask for, the track is changing a lot – it will be very different come the race as well, so we are trying not to take too much from these sessions. But I’ve very confident we’ll be in a good window.”

Earl Bamber – No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R run by Action Express Racing:  “I think we came down here with a lot of preparation from the summertime. And then we had a good test in COTA and just being ready for the race as a team. And as Cadillac Racing we’ve come really prepared. And we’ll see where we flush out next week. But it’s been good.”

Frederik Vesti – No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R run by Action Express Racing: “So obviously the ROAR is the best possible opportunity to refine and perfect the car and the way we work as a team, we just working on pit stops, car set up how we do a race and how we set up the car before the race. It’s a really important test and all the teams are here. The track is building up grip as well so it’s changing all the time. It’s sort of moving target. We are coming back and forth on changes and learning as both teams and drivers. It’s going well. The car feels pretty solid. There is still progress to be made to be where we want to be come race day, but that’s why we are here and it feels good.”

Connor Zilisch – No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R run by Action Express Racing: “It’s been really good honestly. I feel like I’ve gotten better and better as the runs have gone on. And learning from my teammates has been a big help. They’ve given me good data and advice to be able to go out and learn things and get better. Hopefully as practice continues we’ll get better and grow and prepare for the race. As of now I feel comfortable with the car and in traffic and the set up. Just have to keep plugging way and get ready for race day.”

Louis Deletraz – No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R sponsored by DEX: “It was great testing with six sessions and every session we tried different things. The Cadillac V-Series.R feels great and I think we learned a lot. I feel good going into the race event. It was nice to work with all the new people we have. Now we get ready to race.”

Colton Herta – No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R sponsored by DEX: “It’s great to be back here in IMSA with Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing. Another successful few days in the Cadillac V-Series.R. Very productive and everyone is working well. The car seemed to be fast and consistent, so we are very excited going into the Rolex.”

Cadillac Racing Completes Three Day Test at DaytonaDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 18, 2026) – Cadillac Racing completed a three-day test at the ROAR Before the 24 and are now focused on this weekend’s 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona in a twice-around-the-clock race on the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course.  Filipe Albuquerque, driver of the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R sponsored by DEX along with Ricky Taylor and Will Stevens, recorded the fourth-fastest lap overall in session four with a time of 1:36.731 (132.491 mph).  The No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R sponsored by DEX had the eighth-fastest lap overall when Louis Deletraz had a lap of 1:36.901 (132.258 mph) in session one. His teammates are Jordan Taylor and Colton Herta.  Jack Aitken had the 10th-fastest overall lap in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R. in session four with a time of 1:36.986 (132.143 mph). The other drivers are Earl Bamber, Frederik Vesti and Connor Zilisch.  Cadillac Racing won the Rolex 24 at Daytona four consecutive years (2017-2020) since joining IMSA prototype competition in 2017, and was first and second in 2017, 2018 and 2019. It has had at least one prototype entry on the podium in eight of its nice races at Daytona.

They are hoping to carry the momentum from the end of the 2025 season when Aitken, Bamber and Vesti scored their second straight Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) victory in the Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The trio also won the Battle On The Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in September.

Media resources:Cadillac Racing Rolex 24 At Daytona event guide

Peacock (U.S.) and IMSA’s YouTube (outside the U.S.) channel will stream qualifications at 2:05 p.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 22. Coverage of the Rolex 24 At Daytona starts at 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Jan. 24, on NBC, with continuing coverage on Peacock (U.S.) and IMSA’s YouTube channel (outside the U.S.) until NBC will pick up the broadcast at noon Sunday, Jan. 25, for the finish. Peacock (U.S.) and IMSA’s YouTube channel will stream the entirety of the race along with the IMSA Radio broadcast at IMSA.com, Sirius 211/XM 207, locally at 93.5 FM/1150 AM and 107.9 FM at the track.

Filipe Albuquerque – No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R sponsored by DEX: “The Roar went really well. We went through the checklist and got an understanding of the car during the day and the night. I think that is really important in understanding the tire degradation of the new Michelin compounds. Again, we will be analyzing everything for this weekend. So far, so good and it makes a big difference being in our second year of driving the Cadillac V-Series.R.”

Will Stevens – No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R sponsored by DEX: “I think generally it has been a positive week for us at the Roar. We got to check off a majority of what we wanted to tick off before the Rolex this weekend. Which is important so that we can narrow down what we want to have for this weekend’s race week because you want all the big changes to the car finalized. I think all of us have a positive feeling in the car and feel pretty comfortable, so it’s a good start to the week.”

Ricky Taylor – No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R sponsored by DEX: “We had a great Roar. We feel good going into the Rolex, especially after last year with all of the unknowns, so it’s nice to have a good understanding. The weather conditions are going to be a bit warmer than usual, so glad we got to see a bit of that at the Roar. The race will be here before we know, so glad we got a good head start.”

Jack Aitken – No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R run by Action Express Racing: “I think ROAR week has been good for us. It’s just been a case of running through our checklist with some new parts on the car. It’s all performing as we hoped. Nothing reliability-wise gone awry which is always good to see as well. I think everyone on the drivers side is getting vetted in pretty well. That’s all you can ask for, the track is changing a lot – it will be very different come the race as well, so we are trying not to take too much from these sessions. But I’ve very confident we’ll be in a good window.”

Earl Bamber – No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R run by Action Express Racing:  “I think we came down here with a lot of preparation from the summertime. And then we had a good test in COTA and just being ready for the race as a team. And as Cadillac Racing we’ve come really prepared. And we’ll see where we flush out next week. But it’s been good.”

Frederik Vesti – No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R run by Action Express Racing: “So obviously the ROAR is the best possible opportunity to refine and perfect the car and the way we work as a team, we just working on pit stops, car set up how we do a race and how we set up the car before the race. It’s a really important test and all the teams are here. The track is building up grip as well so it’s changing all the time. It’s sort of moving target. We are coming back and forth on changes and learning as both teams and drivers. It’s going well. The car feels pretty solid. There is still progress to be made to be where we want to be come race day, but that’s why we are here and it feels good.”

Connor Zilisch – No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R run by Action Express Racing: “It’s been really good honestly. I feel like I’ve gotten better and better as the runs have gone on. And learning from my teammates has been a big help. They’ve given me good data and advice to be able to go out and learn things and get better. Hopefully as practice continues we’ll get better and grow and prepare for the race. As of now I feel comfortable with the car and in traffic and the set up. Just have to keep plugging way and get ready for race day.”

Louis Deletraz – No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R sponsored by DEX: “It was great testing with six sessions and every session we tried different things. The Cadillac V-Series.R feels great and I think we learned a lot. I feel good going into the race event. It was nice to work with all the new people we have. Now we get ready to race.”

Colton Herta – No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R sponsored by DEX: “It’s great to be back here in IMSA with Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing. Another successful few days in the Cadillac V-Series.R. Very productive and everyone is working well. The car seemed to be fast and consistent, so we are very excited going into the Rolex.”

Jordan Taylor – No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R sponsored by DEX: “I think we have had a good Roar here over the last three days with no major issues and getting a lot of laps in. All three drivers are comfortable in the car. We made some good changes that we wanted to make after our test here in November and sim testing. Everything seems positive. We worked through a lot of things in pit lane, pit stops, driver change practice – all the little things that can add up over a 24-hour race. We can spend time between now and the Rolex weekend digging through data and seeing all the best options then hopefully hit the track on Thursday with the best overall setup and head into the weekend on the right foot.”

CONCORD, NC (Jan. 16, 2026) — Matt Covington got back into the win column last year and finished runner-up in the chase for the American Sprint Car Series championship. In 2026, he’s more determined than ever to trade his second-best efforts in for his first national Sprint Car crown.

The 36-year-old from Glenpool, OK, has contested 13 full seasons on the national 360 Sprint Car circuit and finished either second or third in the points standings in each of the last five years. Most recently, he was bested by Sam Hafertepe Jr., who clinched his sixth Series championship, winning 11 Features to Covington’s three.

But there’s reason to believe 2026 will be different as he tackles the entire schedule for the 14th time in his career.

“To me, what’s gonna separate a guy from winning three races versus 11 races is trying to work on myself more,” Covington said. “In my opinion, we’re not gonna change something on the car that’s gonna take us from a three-win year to an 11-win year. It’s gonna be deeper than that. I’ve kinda turned the camera around introspectively, tried to work on myself more to see if we can’t find some speed in the cockpit, so to say.”

During the winter of 2024, Covington underwent an operation to fix various nerve issues in his hands and arms, which caused grip issues when holding his steering wheel. Now fully recovered, he’s got no plans of wasting any time when the season begins in two weeks at Volusia Speedway Park, Jan. 29–31.

“I’m feeling pretty strong right now, not having to overcome having a surgery like that,” Covington said. “I hope to help us get off to a faster start, but really not changing anything. We’re coming back the same way with the same mindset we had last year and try to be one spot better.”

The No. 95 team will keep their same Fisher Racing Engines-powered Triple X Chassis for 2026, which is the same package Hafertepe utilizes. But Covington has spent a great deal of time pondering over the ways in which he can be different — both in the mind and body.

“I think if Sam’s not beating me in the chassis department or the engine department, then where’s it at?” Covington said. “I think it’s in the mentality. The dedication, not just in making sure the car’s perfect and all that, but the dedication away from the racetrack. Putting hours in the gym, with how important that last five laps of focus in the car is gonna be.”

Since his first Series victory in 2010, Covington has compiled 22 Feature wins on the national circuit — 13th-most all-time. He’s proud of all he’s accomplished thus far, but no trophy in his cabinet would stand out as much as the coveted Emmett Hahn Trophy as king of the 360 Sprint Car world.

“It would mean a lot. It’d be a dream come true,” Covington said. “That’s why we’ve fought hard to try and do it every year.”

The 35th American Sprint Car Series season gets underway Thursday–Saturday, Jan. 29–31, at Volusia Speedway Park in the 55th Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. Tickets are on sale now; click here to purchase.

Covington Focusing on Improving Mind, Body For 2026 ASCS Title Chase

CONCORD, NC (Jan. 16, 2026) — Matt Covington got back into the win column last year and finished runner-up in the chase for the American Sprint Car Series championship. In 2026, he’s more determined than ever to trade his second-best efforts in for his first national Sprint Car crown.

The 36-year-old from Glenpool, OK, has contested 13 full seasons on the national 360 Sprint Car circuit and finished either second or third in the points standings in each of the last five years. Most recently, he was bested by Sam Hafertepe Jr., who clinched his sixth Series championship, winning 11 Features to Covington’s three.

But there’s reason to believe 2026 will be different as he tackles the entire schedule for the 14th time in his career.

“To me, what’s gonna separate a guy from winning three races versus 11 races is trying to work on myself more,” Covington said. “In my opinion, we’re not gonna change something on the car that’s gonna take us from a three-win year to an 11-win year. It’s gonna be deeper than that. I’ve kinda turned the camera around introspectively, tried to work on myself more to see if we can’t find some speed in the cockpit, so to say.”

During the winter of 2024, Covington underwent an operation to fix various nerve issues in his hands and arms, which caused grip issues when holding his steering wheel. Now fully recovered, he’s got no plans of wasting any time when the season begins in two weeks at Volusia Speedway Park, Jan. 29–31.

“I’m feeling pretty strong right now, not having to overcome having a surgery like that,” Covington said. “I hope to help us get off to a faster start, but really not changing anything. We’re coming back the same way with the same mindset we had last year and try to be one spot better.”

The No. 95 team will keep their same Fisher Racing Engines-powered Triple X Chassis for 2026, which is the same package Hafertepe utilizes. But Covington has spent a great deal of time pondering over the ways in which he can be different — both in the mind and body.

“I think if Sam’s not beating me in the chassis department or the engine department, then where’s it at?” Covington said. “I think it’s in the mentality. The dedication, not just in making sure the car’s perfect and all that, but the dedication away from the racetrack. Putting hours in the gym, with how important that last five laps of focus in the car is gonna be.”

Since his first Series victory in 2010, Covington has compiled 22 Feature wins on the national circuit — 13th-most all-time. He’s proud of all he’s accomplished thus far, but no trophy in his cabinet would stand out as much as the coveted Emmett Hahn Trophy as king of the 360 Sprint Car world.

“It would mean a lot. It’d be a dream come true,” Covington said. “That’s why we’ve fought hard to try and do it every year.”

The 35th American Sprint Car Series season gets underway Thursday–Saturday, Jan. 29–31, at Volusia Speedway Park in the 55th Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. Tickets are on sale now; click here to purchase.

How can you watch the American Sprint Car Series? Live on DIRTVision.

CONCORD, NC (January 16, 2026) – In his first full season piloting the Big Frog Motorsports No. 58V, Daulton Wilson will run the full World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision in 2026.

The Fayetteville, NC driver affectionately known as “Big Perm” is the latest addition to an expanding roster of drivers planning to chase a World of Outlaws championship. Wilson is the fourth first-time Outlaw to join the tour in pursuit of the MD3 Rookie of the Year Award alongside Trey Mills, Logan Zarin and Eli Johnson.

“We just kind of looked at the schedule, starting out kind of down where I’m from,” Wilson said. “They’ve run the Outlaw deal before, and it would be something new for me to do. Just felt like it was a good thing, a good time for a change, and it just kind of fit our program a lot better.”

Wilson teamed up with Big Frog last fall after a four-year run with JRR Motorsports came to an end. The pairing earned a pair of top 10s in their first weekend together in the Blue-Gray 100 at Cherokee Speedway before traveling to the Dirt Track World Championship, National 100, and World of Outlaws World Finals to round out 2025. By the end of that stint, Wilson knew the combination was capable of bigger things in the new year.

“We just kind of picked some races that we wanted to go run,” Wilson said. “We were just kind of taking it week by week, seeing how everything went. Me and Augie [Burttram, team owner] and everybody, we all got along pretty good. We threw around the idea of maybe putting something together for this year and it just all worked out.”

The 28-year-old has put together a respectable resume in his 15-year Late Model career, including the title of being the last Super Late Model winner at the legendary East Bay Raceway Park in 2024. One missing accolade is a World of Outlaws victory, although he’s come close on multiple occasions.

Most notably, Wilson had a front-row seat for the final-lap thriller between Bobby Pierce and Nick Hoffman at the 2024 Prairie Dirt Classic, crossing the line third that night. It was his third Series podium, as he also finished third at Cherokee in 2021 and 2022.

With a new team around him and a fresh schedule of races to look forward to, Wilson is entering the year feeling better than ever about his chances to break into Victory Lane with The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet.

“Just win some races,” Wilson said regarding his goals for the upcoming season. “Be competitive and, you know, let the points kind of be what they’ll be.”

Wilson will begin his 2026 season with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision at Volusia Speedway Park during DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24) and Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 12-14), followed by the Swamp Cabbage 100 at Hendry County Motorsports Park (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21). Get tickets and more information for all three events by clicking here.

Want to watch the World of Outlaws? Stream every race live on DIRTVision.

Daulton Wilson, Big Frog Motorsports Join World of Outlaws Full-Time in 2026

CONCORD, NC (January 16, 2026) – In his first full season piloting the Big Frog Motorsports No. 58V, Daulton Wilson will run the full World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision in 2026.

The Fayetteville, NC driver affectionately known as “Big Perm” is the latest addition to an expanding roster of drivers planning to chase a World of Outlaws championship. Wilson is the fourth first-time Outlaw to join the tour in pursuit of the MD3 Rookie of the Year Award alongside Trey Mills, Logan Zarin and Eli Johnson.

“We just kind of looked at the schedule, starting out kind of down where I’m from,” Wilson said. “They’ve run the Outlaw deal before, and it would be something new for me to do. Just felt like it was a good thing, a good time for a change, and it just kind of fit our program a lot better.”

Wilson teamed up with Big Frog last fall after a four-year run with JRR Motorsports came to an end. The pairing earned a pair of top 10s in their first weekend together in the Blue-Gray 100 at Cherokee Speedway before traveling to the Dirt Track World Championship, National 100, and World of Outlaws World Finals to round out 2025. By the end of that stint, Wilson knew the combination was capable of bigger things in the new year.

“We just kind of picked some races that we wanted to go run,” Wilson said. “We were just kind of taking it week by week, seeing how everything went. Me and Augie [Burttram, team owner] and everybody, we all got along pretty good. We threw around the idea of maybe putting something together for this year and it just all worked out.”

The 28-year-old has put together a respectable resume in his 15-year Late Model career, including the title of being the last Super Late Model winner at the legendary East Bay Raceway Park in 2024. One missing accolade is a World of Outlaws victory, although he’s come close on multiple occasions.

Most notably, Wilson had a front-row seat for the final-lap thriller between Bobby Pierce and Nick Hoffman at the 2024 Prairie Dirt Classic, crossing the line third that night. It was his third Series podium, as he also finished third at Cherokee in 2021 and 2022.

With a new team around him and a fresh schedule of races to look forward to, Wilson is entering the year feeling better than ever about his chances to break into Victory Lane with The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet.

“Just win some races,” Wilson said regarding his goals for the upcoming season. “Be competitive and, you know, let the points kind of be what they’ll be.”

Wilson will begin his 2026 season with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision at Volusia Speedway Park during DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24) and Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 12-14), followed by the Swamp Cabbage 100 at Hendry County Motorsports Park (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21). Get tickets and more information for all three events by clicking here.

Want to watch the World of Outlaws? Stream every race live on DIRTVision.

ARTICLE: https://worldof

CONCORD, NC (January 16, 2026) – Dustin Sorensen is embarking on his third season as a touring member of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision with one mission: win.

For much of the 2025 season, the Rochester, MN native’s name was toward the top of the list of potential first-time winners with the Series. There were several nights when he was in position to break through, but for one reason or another, the trophy slipped out of his hands.

Sorensen will get his next chance to finish the job in less than a week at Volusia Speedway Park during the season-opening DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24), and he’s never been more ready to solidify himself as the 105th different winner in World of Outlaws history.

“Like Humboldt [Speedway] last year, I felt like I had a good shot to win it, I just didn’t make the right moves in lap traffic,” Sorensen said. “Highland [Speedway], I felt like I had the car to beat there at Highland too and didn’t get to the lead before the track took rubber. I feel like we have the car to do it, I’ve just got to make the right moves when I get my opportunity.”

The fact that Sorensen was in contention to begin with showed that the program is on the right track, which is why the changes in the No. 19 camp over the winter have been minimal. He’ll travel to Volusia with his familiar combination of Longhorn Chassis and Pro Power Racing Engines, as well as the same crew lineup that he finished 2025 with, all in an effort to hit the ground running in the “Sunshine State.”

“We kind of figured our stuff out at the end of the year last year,” Sorensen said. “Hopefully we can carry the good setups that we had in the car as well as my driving into this season. It takes everything, so when we came out last year and just struggled at the start of the year, I don’t know if it was just a little bit of everything or what. But everything was kind of clicking there at the end of the year, I felt like we had a good car, I was doing my job and we were running up front.”

Sorensen has already had a chance to shake down his equipment prior to making the trip to Florida, as he’s midway through six nights of racing at Central Arizona Raceway’s Wild West Shootout. Following a DNF on Saturday, Sorensen improved to 12th on Sunday and eighth on Wednesday with three nights left to show his full potential.

“I feel like we’re pretty good,” Sorensen said. “I feel like we’ve been a top-five car both nights. The first night, I got myself buried in Qualifying, and then [Sunday] night, I just made a mistake there that cost me a few spots. I was running seventh and I caught the holes wrong and fell back to 12th, but I felt like we had a good enough car to be in the top five.”

Once racing concludes in Arizona on Sunday night, the Sorensen crew will begin the 2,000-mile cross-country journey to Volusia ahead of Wednesday’s practice night. While he’s a two-time winner at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” in a DIRTcar UMP Modified, it hasn’t been one of his better tracks in a Late Model, with a record of two top 10s in 13 starts over the past two years. But given his overall uptick in performance in recent months, Sorensen is optimistic about those numbers changing this year.

“I feel like I’ve been fast there, I’ve just never put together a whole night,” Sorensen said. “I’ve had a couple good runs there, but I feel like I’ve learned a lot going there the past couple of years. Kind of figured out what I need to do to be better there. I feel like our car is in a good spot right now, we learned a lot there last year and hopefully have a good notebook going there this year.”

Sorensen will begin his 2026 season with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision at Volusia Speedway Park during DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24) and Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 12-14), followed by the Swamp Cabbage 100 at Hendry County Motorsports Park (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21). Get tickets and more information for all three events by clicking here.

Sorensen’s Quest for Maiden World of Outlaws Victory Continuing in 2026

CONCORD, NC (January 16, 2026) – Dustin Sorensen is embarking on his third season as a touring member of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision with one mission: win.

For much of the 2025 season, the Rochester, MN native’s name was toward the top of the list of potential first-time winners with the Series. There were several nights when he was in position to break through, but for one reason or another, the trophy slipped out of his hands.

Sorensen will get his next chance to finish the job in less than a week at Volusia Speedway Park during the season-opening DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24), and he’s never been more ready to solidify himself as the 105th different winner in World of Outlaws history.

“Like Humboldt [Speedway] last year, I felt like I had a good shot to win it, I just didn’t make the right moves in lap traffic,” Sorensen said. “Highland [Speedway], I felt like I had the car to beat there at Highland too and didn’t get to the lead before the track took rubber. I feel like we have the car to do it, I’ve just got to make the right moves when I get my opportunity.”

The fact that Sorensen was in contention to begin with showed that the program is on the right track, which is why the changes in the No. 19 camp over the winter have been minimal. He’ll travel to Volusia with his familiar combination of Longhorn Chassis and Pro Power Racing Engines, as well as the same crew lineup that he finished 2025 with, all in an effort to hit the ground running in the “Sunshine State.”

“We kind of figured our stuff out at the end of the year last year,” Sorensen said. “Hopefully we can carry the good setups that we had in the car as well as my driving into this season. It takes everything, so when we came out last year and just struggled at the start of the year, I don’t know if it was just a little bit of everything or what. But everything was kind of clicking there at the end of the year, I felt like we had a good car, I was doing my job and we were running up front.”

Sorensen has already had a chance to shake down his equipment prior to making the trip to Florida, as he’s midway through six nights of racing at Central Arizona Raceway’s Wild West Shootout. Following a DNF on Saturday, Sorensen improved to 12th on Sunday and eighth on Wednesday with three nights left to show his full potential.

“I feel like we’re pretty good,” Sorensen said. “I feel like we’ve been a top-five car both nights. The first night, I got myself buried in Qualifying, and then [Sunday] night, I just made a mistake there that cost me a few spots. I was running seventh and I caught the holes wrong and fell back to 12th, but I felt like we had a good enough car to be in the top five.”

Once racing concludes in Arizona on Sunday night, the Sorensen crew will begin the 2,000-mile cross-country journey to Volusia ahead of Wednesday’s practice night. While he’s a two-time winner at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” in a DIRTcar UMP Modified, it hasn’t been one of his better tracks in a Late Model, with a record of two top 10s in 13 starts over the past two years. But given his overall uptick in performance in recent months, Sorensen is optimistic about those numbers changing this year.

“I feel like I’ve been fast there, I’ve just never put together a whole night,” Sorensen said. “I’ve had a couple good runs there, but I feel like I’ve learned a lot going there the past couple of years. Kind of figured out what I need to do to be better there. I feel like our car is in a good spot right now, we learned a lot there last year and hopefully have a good notebook going there this year.”

Sorensen will begin his 2026 season with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision at Volusia Speedway Park during DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24) and Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 12-14), followed by the Swamp Cabbage 100 at Hendry County Motorsports Park (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21). Get tickets and more information for all three events by clicking here.

Want to watch the World of Outlaws? Stream every race live on DIRTVision.

Baggsy headed out to Tokyo Auto Salon for the first time, and it turned out to be a mega trip from start to finish. The scale of the show, the quality of the builds, and the overall atmosphere made it something special.It was great catching up with partners and friends across the industry, including ST Suspensions and Liberty Walk, with plenty of positive and exciting conversations happening throughout the weekend. Being on their booths, interacting with their customers, and generally spending time supporting the brands that support us at SB Motorsport was awesome; without them, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.Outside of the show, Baggsy spent time with Daigo Saito, heading over to his place for a BBQ surrounded by an unreal lineup of cars and some amazing people, a proper highlight of the trip. The trip also included a lot of key meetings to secure parts for the all-new, exciting project coming in 2026 more to come on this very soon.First time at Tokyo Auto Salon and already can’t wait to head back next year.

First Time At Tokyo Auto Salon And It Was Mega!

Baggsy headed out to Tokyo Auto Salon for the first time, and it turned out to be a mega trip from start to finish. The scale of the show, the quality of the builds, and the overall atmosphere made it something special.It was great catching up with partners and friends across the industry, including ST Suspensions and Liberty Walk, with plenty of positive and exciting conversations happening throughout the weekend. Being on their booths, interacting with their customers, and generally spending time supporting the brands that support us at SB Motorsport was awesome; without them, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.Outside of the show, Baggsy spent time with Daigo Saito, heading over to his place for a BBQ surrounded by an unreal lineup of cars and some amazing people, a proper highlight of the trip. The trip also included a lot of key meetings to secure parts for the all-new, exciting project coming in 2026 more to come on this very soon.First time at Tokyo Auto Salon and already can’t wait to head back next year.

The three-time AFT Singles champion will be atop a Harley-Davidson XG750R in the Mission AFT SuperTwins full-time in 2026.

Kody Kopp Returns to Progressive AFT Competition Full-Time in 2026 with Latus Motors Racing

The three-time AFT Singles champion will be atop a Harley-Davidson XG750R in the Mission AFT SuperTwins full-time in 2026.

Posted on behalf of Latus Motors Racing DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 15, 2026) – Latus Motors Racing is pleased to announce that Kody Kopp will return to competition for the 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season, making his debut in the Mission AFT SuperTwins class aboard the Harley-Davidson XG750R.A former three-time AFT Singles champion and the winningest rider in AFT Singles history, Kopp returns to the Progressive AFT paddock following a year away from the series spent competing in professional road racing. The Mica, Washington, native will step into the sport’s premier class for the first time in his career, marking a new chapter for both Kopp and Latus Motors as the team takes on Mission AFT SuperTwins competition.Kopp and the Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R are scheduled to make their Mission AFT SuperTwins debut at the Royal Enfield Short Track at Daytona, March 5–6, opening the 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season. Kody Kopp – Latus Motors Racing:“I am extremely excited for 2026 and grateful for this opportunity to compete in the premier class of American Flat Track. I felt very comfortable from my first few laps aboard the XG750R, and that feeling has only progressed since. I am confident that as a team, we will be prepared to kick off the 2026 season in strong fashion at Daytona!” Team Owner George Latus:“The team is super excited to have Kody as our rider for the season. I’ve had the privilege of working with the Kopp family for over two decades, both when Joe was actively campaigning and now as Kody continues his career on the Harley-Davidson XG750R. I’m personally honored to have Dave Zanotti and Michelle DiSalvo continuing with us, along with Chris Carr, Joe Kopp, and a very supportive group of sponsors. As Kody’s sister, Karly, once said about why she liked our team: ‘They just want to go fast and have a blast.’ We’ll do exactly that in 2026.”

CONCORD, NC (January 15, 2026) – When Jake Timm chased the full World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision for the first time in 2025, it was much more than a one-time, bucket-list endeavor.

The former Modified standout has every intention of being a long-term fixture at the pinnacle of Late Model racing, and the next step on that path comes in 2026 with his second season as one of The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet.

Timm’s first season as a full-time Late Model racer yielded six World of Outlaws top 10s – including a season-best of fifth at Norman County Raceway – on the way to a 12th-place finish in the standings. Now that he’s laid the foundation, he’s ready to start the building process toward more strong runs moving forward.

“You always wish you could have done better, but at the end of the day, we learned a lot,” Timm said. “We did have some good runs at certain points throughout the year. I wouldn’t say terrible, but we definitely hope to do better this year. Hopefully start breaking into the top five a little bit more, maybe some top threes here and there. Overall, just try and learn and get better, faster.”

As a first-timer on the national stage last year, one of Timm’s biggest hinderances was his lack of notes and experience to lean on. He had only been to a handful of tracks on the World of Outlaws schedule prior to 2025 and had laps in a Late Model at even less of them. That deficit will be a much smaller factor in 2026, which will allow Timm to focus less on playing catch-up and more on finding an edge over the rest of the field.

“I think it showed last year when we went to tracks that I knew or had been to before,” Timm said. “Just knowing where to be faster, how to race the tracks and how they transitioned throughout the night. It gives you a huge advantage, and you can just make better adjustments, make faster decisions driving and all that. I think that’s going to play a big factor in helping us improve our results this year.”

Timm is already three nights into his 2026 season, as the No. 49 crew was one of several World of Outlaws teams that traveled to Central Arizona Raceway for the Wild West Shootout ahead of next week’s DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24) at Volusia Speedway Park. A B-Main exit on Saturday wasn’t the start to the year Timm had in mind, but he’s improved since with finishes of 10th on Sunday and 16th on Wednesday.

“The first night, we tried a different car out,” Timm said. “Kind of had some issues with it and it really kind of ruined our first night. That’s part of why we’re testing [Tuesday], we’re trying to figure that out. The second night, we just got the car out that we ran the majority of the year last year with. We know it’s pretty decent and it proved to still be consistent.”

That positive trajectory puts Timm on track for a vastly improved start in comparison to his rookie year, when he had to wait until June for his first top 10. If he can leave himself a smaller hole to dig out of later in the season, he knows he could find himself in a much more desirable position by the time World of Outlaws World Finals rolls around.

“I’d say our goal is probably to try and get to top eight, top 10 in points,” Timm said. “Run more consistently in the top 10 and get some more top fives, top threes. A win would be awesome. I know how difficult they are, they don’t come easy. Really just improve our results quite a bit over last year.”

Timm Set to Keep Learning, Building in Sophomore World of Outlaws Campaign

CONCORD, NC (January 15, 2026) – When Jake Timm chased the full World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision for the first time in 2025, it was much more than a one-time, bucket-list endeavor.

The former Modified standout has every intention of being a long-term fixture at the pinnacle of Late Model racing, and the next step on that path comes in 2026 with his second season as one of The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet.

Timm’s first season as a full-time Late Model racer yielded six World of Outlaws top 10s – including a season-best of fifth at Norman County Raceway – on the way to a 12th-place finish in the standings. Now that he’s laid the foundation, he’s ready to start the building process toward more strong runs moving forward.

“You always wish you could have done better, but at the end of the day, we learned a lot,” Timm said. “We did have some good runs at certain points throughout the year. I wouldn’t say terrible, but we definitely hope to do better this year. Hopefully start breaking into the top five a little bit more, maybe some top threes here and there. Overall, just try and learn and get better, faster.”

As a first-timer on the national stage last year, one of Timm’s biggest hinderances was his lack of notes and experience to lean on. He had only been to a handful of tracks on the World of Outlaws schedule prior to 2025 and had laps in a Late Model at even less of them. That deficit will be a much smaller factor in 2026, which will allow Timm to focus less on playing catch-up and more on finding an edge over the rest of the field.

“I think it showed last year when we went to tracks that I knew or had been to before,” Timm said. “Just knowing where to be faster, how to race the tracks and how they transitioned throughout the night. It gives you a huge advantage, and you can just make better adjustments, make faster decisions driving and all that. I think that’s going to play a big factor in helping us improve our results this year.”

Timm is already three nights into his 2026 season, as the No. 49 crew was one of several World of Outlaws teams that traveled to Central Arizona Raceway for the Wild West Shootout ahead of next week’s DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24) at Volusia Speedway Park. A B-Main exit on Saturday wasn’t the start to the year Timm had in mind, but he’s improved since with finishes of 10th on Sunday and 16th on Wednesday.

“The first night, we tried a different car out,” Timm said. “Kind of had some issues with it and it really kind of ruined our first night. That’s part of why we’re testing [Tuesday], we’re trying to figure that out. The second night, we just got the car out that we ran the majority of the year last year with. We know it’s pretty decent and it proved to still be consistent.”

That positive trajectory puts Timm on track for a vastly improved start in comparison to his rookie year, when he had to wait until June for his first top 10. If he can leave himself a smaller hole to dig out of later in the season, he knows he could find himself in a much more desirable position by the time World of Outlaws World Finals rolls around.

“I’d say our goal is probably to try and get to top eight, top 10 in points,” Timm said. “Run more consistently in the top 10 and get some more top fives, top threes. A win would be awesome. I know how difficult they are, they don’t come easy. Really just improve our results quite a bit over last year.”

Timm will begin his 2026 season with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision at Volusia Speedway Park during DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24) and Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 12-14), followed by the Swamp Cabbage 100 at Hendry County Motorsports Park (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21). Get tickets and more information for all three events by clicking here.

CONCORD, NC (January 14, 2026) – For most dirt Late Model drivers, the winter months involve recharging their batteries after a long season and restocking parts and pieces ahead of the new year. But if you’re Tristan Chamberlain, the break also includes graduating high school.

The 18-year-old’s first two seasons on the road with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision were a balance between attending online school while also racing full-time. There were plenty of days when Chamberlain wrote essays in the toterhome in the morning before putting on his firesuit and rolling out for Hot Laps hours later.

Starting in 2026, Chamberlain will be able to place his full focus on racing, which he believes will accelerate his growth behind the wheel in season three with The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet.

“Before, I’d have school from 8 a.m. to sometimes 1 or 2 p.m.,” Chamberlain said. “It didn’t matter when it was, doing homeschool at the racetrack and it was just my dad out there working. It’s definitely good for me, I get to work on it more to help my dad out, take some of the load off him. Getting more involved, shifting my focus more to it, I can focus more on the driving aspect. I don’t have to switch my brain off and on between school and racing. Definitely looking forward to that this year, it’ll be different than the past two years where I was juggling that.”

Aside from academics, it’s been a busy offseason for the Gibson Racing team as they prepare to head to Volusia Speedway Park next week for the season-opening DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24). Like several teams in the sport, they’re on the hunt for additional crew help while also making a chassis swap.

“I think going to Florida, it’s just going to be the family as of right now,” Chamberlain said. “Our longtime friend, Mark Saul, he’ll be coming down during the February run, so he’ll be helping out. But as of right now, it’s just us. And then my dad went to pick up a new car from Tye Twarog, we’ll be switching back to Longhorn this upcoming year. We’ve got one done right now, then he’s picking up that one, and we’ll be working this week to get it ready since we’ll be leaving Monday. Kind of in a little bit of a pinch, but it won’t be that bad.”

Chamberlain is entering his third year as an Outlaw with a renewed sense of confidence with multiple nights of experience under his belt at most tracks on the schedule. The signs of progress between his freshman and sophomore seasons were there, as evidenced by his back-to-back top 10s at Arrowhead Speedway in August and his six local wins between the Late Model and the DIRTcar UMP Modified he debuted in the second half of 2025.

“Going to all those different tracks, it just takes time,” Chamberlain said. “I mean, you look at all the rookies, it just takes time to adapt to every different racetrack. Even this year, we’re going to a bunch of new racetracks that I’ve never been to before either. That’s one thing with the World of Outlaws, they always end up changing the schedule here and there and involve a bunch of different, unique tracks from down south to up north. The longer you do this, the more you’ll be able to adapt quickly, have a notebook and go back and see what you did before.”

After placing 14th in the final standings in 2024 and 13th in 2025, Chamberlain is ready to take the next step up the order this season and become a true contender. Doing so against the toughest Late Model competition in the nation isn’t going to come easy, but he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.

“Really, I just want good finishes,” Chamberlain said. “I’m not afraid to say I’ve been a 12th, 13th-place car, had some top-10 runs. I definitely want this to be my year. I want to show everyone that I have the speed to do this and the drive to do it, that my team is definitely capable of running the World of Outlaws. As long as I do my job and everyone else does their jobs like they’ve been doing, I think we’ll have a good year.”

Chamberlain will begin his 2026 season with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision at Volusia Speedway Park during DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24) and Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 12-14), followed by the Swamp Cabbage 100 at Hendry County Motorsports Park (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21). Get tickets and more information for all three events by clicking here.

Diploma In Hand, Chamberlain Ready to Tackle Third Full-Time World of Outlaws Season

CONCORD, NC (January 14, 2026) – For most dirt Late Model drivers, the winter months involve recharging their batteries after a long season and restocking parts and pieces ahead of the new year. But if you’re Tristan Chamberlain, the break also includes graduating high school.

The 18-year-old’s first two seasons on the road with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision were a balance between attending online school while also racing full-time. There were plenty of days when Chamberlain wrote essays in the toterhome in the morning before putting on his firesuit and rolling out for Hot Laps hours later.

Starting in 2026, Chamberlain will be able to place his full focus on racing, which he believes will accelerate his growth behind the wheel in season three with The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet.

“Before, I’d have school from 8 a.m. to sometimes 1 or 2 p.m.,” Chamberlain said. “It didn’t matter when it was, doing homeschool at the racetrack and it was just my dad out there working. It’s definitely good for me, I get to work on it more to help my dad out, take some of the load off him. Getting more involved, shifting my focus more to it, I can focus more on the driving aspect. I don’t have to switch my brain off and on between school and racing. Definitely looking forward to that this year, it’ll be different than the past two years where I was juggling that.”

Aside from academics, it’s been a busy offseason for the Gibson Racing team as they prepare to head to Volusia Speedway Park next week for the season-opening DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24). Like several teams in the sport, they’re on the hunt for additional crew help while also making a chassis swap.

“I think going to Florida, it’s just going to be the family as of right now,” Chamberlain said. “Our longtime friend, Mark Saul, he’ll be coming down during the February run, so he’ll be helping out. But as of right now, it’s just us. And then my dad went to pick up a new car from Tye Twarog, we’ll be switching back to Longhorn this upcoming year. We’ve got one done right now, then he’s picking up that one, and we’ll be working this week to get it ready since we’ll be leaving Monday. Kind of in a little bit of a pinch, but it won’t be that bad.”

Chamberlain is entering his third year as an Outlaw with a renewed sense of confidence with multiple nights of experience under his belt at most tracks on the schedule. The signs of progress between his freshman and sophomore seasons were there, as evidenced by his back-to-back top 10s at Arrowhead Speedway in August and his six local wins between the Late Model and the DIRTcar UMP Modified he debuted in the second half of 2025.

“Going to all those different tracks, it just takes time,” Chamberlain said. “I mean, you look at all the rookies, it just takes time to adapt to every different racetrack. Even this year, we’re going to a bunch of new racetracks that I’ve never been to before either. That’s one thing with the World of Outlaws, they always end up changing the schedule here and there and involve a bunch of different, unique tracks from down south to up north. The longer you do this, the more you’ll be able to adapt quickly, have a notebook and go back and see what you did before.”

After placing 14th in the final standings in 2024 and 13th in 2025, Chamberlain is ready to take the next step up the order this season and become a true contender. Doing so against the toughest Late Model competition in the nation isn’t going to come easy, but he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.

“Really, I just want good finishes,” Chamberlain said. “I’m not afraid to say I’ve been a 12th, 13th-place car, had some top-10 runs. I definitely want this to be my year. I want to show everyone that I have the speed to do this and the drive to do it, that my team is definitely capable of running the World of Outlaws. As long as I do my job and everyone else does their jobs like they’ve been doing, I think we’ll have a good year.”

Chamberlain will begin his 2026 season with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision at Volusia Speedway Park during DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24) and Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 12-14), followed by the Swamp Cabbage 100 at Hendry County Motorsports Park (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21). Get tickets and more information for all three events by clicking here.

Want to watch the World of Outlaws? Stream every race live on DIRTVision.

Three entries in IMSA’s top class to challenge for victories with experienced lineupsDETROIT (Jan. 14, 2026) – Cadillac Racing, in conjunction with Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing and Cadillac Whelen, revealed today the liveries of its three Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) racecars that will contest the nine-race 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign. The Roar Before the 24 this week leads into the season-opening 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 24-25. Cadillac Racing, which has four overall victories among 12 podiums in North America’s premier endurance race, welcomes the return of Wayne Taylor Racing for its second season as a Cadillac factory team and Action Express Racing for its 15th consecutive year campaigning a GM prototype in IMSA.

While the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R livery is unchanged, the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R has transitioned from chrome blue to metallic blue with white accents while the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R has transitioned from chrome to black with white accents. The U.S. flag on all three GTPs has been moved to the front fender.

The championship-winning teams are aligned with major primary sponsors for the GTP entries. U.S.-based Whelen Engineering enters its ninth year as primary sponsor of the No. 31 Action Express Racing-run entry. Since 1952, Whelen Engineering has been a proud ally and supporter of our nation’s first responders. Whelen provides the high-quality, reliable products, and technology needed to aid them in their critical missions — from warning lights to white illumination, sirens, controllers and software.U.S.-based DEX Imaging, which is the primary sponsor of the Nos. 10 and 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing entries, is the nation’s largest independent provider and servicer of office technology. Cadillac Racing, entering its fourth year of GTP competition, won the final two races of the 2025 IMSA season and eight drivers return to challenge for 2026 victories: Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing (No. 10)* Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque* Will Stevens (Daytona, Sebring, Road Atlanta)Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing (No. 40)* Jordan Taylor, Louis Deletraz* Colton Herta (Daytona, Sebring, Road Atlanta)Cadillac Whelen (No. 31)* Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber* Frederik Vesti (endurance races, Long Beach)* Connor Zilisch (Daytona) Media resources: Livery reveal photos | Cadillac Racing Rolex 24 At Daytona event guide Cadillac Racing updates for 2026 include joining other manufacturers in aligning timing of EVO use with aerodynamic homologation and introducing a new logo that honors our heritage of innovation, technology and performance while complementing the Cadillac Formula 1Ⓡ Team to ensure brand consistency. For more than a century, racing has provided a testbed for Cadillac to transfer knowledge and technology between racecars and production vehicles, as well to build a fanbase for the brand around the world. What they’re saying

Cadillac Racing unveils GTP liveriesThree entries in IMSA’s top class to challenge for victories with experienced lineupsDETROIT (Jan. 14, 2026) – Cadillac Racing, in conjunction with Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing and Cadillac Whelen, revealed today the liveries of its three Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) racecars that will contest the nine-race 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign. The Roar Before the 24 this week leads into the season-opening 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 24-25. Cadillac Racing, which has four overall victories among 12 podiums in North America’s premier endurance race, welcomes the return of Wayne Taylor Racing for its second season as a Cadillac factory team and Action Express Racing for its 15th consecutive year campaigning a GM prototype in IMSA.

While the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R livery is unchanged, the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R has transitioned from chrome blue to metallic blue with white accents while the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R has transitioned from chrome to black with white accents. The U.S. flag on all three GTPs has been moved to the front fender.

The championship-winning teams are aligned with major primary sponsors for the GTP entries. U.S.-based Whelen Engineering enters its ninth year as primary sponsor of the No. 31 Action Express Racing-run entry. Since 1952, Whelen Engineering has been a proud ally and supporter of our nation’s first responders. Whelen provides the high-quality, reliable products, and technology needed to aid them in their critical missions — from warning lights to white illumination, sirens, controllers and software.U.S.-based DEX Imaging, which is the primary sponsor of the Nos. 10 and 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing entries, is the nation’s largest independent provider and servicer of office technology. Cadillac Racing, entering its fourth year of GTP competition, won the final two races of the 2025 IMSA season and eight drivers return to challenge for 2026 victories: Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing (No. 10)* Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque* Will Stevens (Daytona, Sebring, Road Atlanta)Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing (No. 40)* Jordan Taylor, Louis Deletraz* Colton Herta (Daytona, Sebring, Road Atlanta)Cadillac Whelen (No. 31)* Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber* Frederik Vesti (endurance races, Long Beach)* Connor Zilisch (Daytona) Media resources: Livery reveal photos | Cadillac Racing Rolex 24 At Daytona event guide Cadillac Racing updates for 2026 include joining other manufacturers in aligning timing of EVO use with aerodynamic homologation and introducing a new logo that honors our heritage of innovation, technology and performance while complementing the Cadillac Formula 1Ⓡ Team to ensure brand consistency. For more than a century, racing has provided a testbed for Cadillac to transfer knowledge and technology between racecars and production vehicles, as well to build a fanbase for the brand around the world. What they’re saying

Wayne Taylor, co-owner of Wayne Taylor Racing: “As excited as I was at the beginning of last season, I am more excited for this year. Both cars will be presented in a fresh livery with our traditional colors of blue and black. They look spectacular. The all-new bodywork and redesign by GM and Dallara is fantastic. It is also great news to have our long-time partner DEX back with us again on our two Cadillac GTPs. We are coming back stronger with our full-season drivers Ricky, Filipe, Jordan and Louis in place. This Rolex, we have elected to keep each of our cockpits to three drivers and are looking forward to having Colton Herta and Will Sevens join our efforts in the endurance races. Winning is part of Wayne Taylor Racing’s DNA and is our only focus in 2026.” Geoff Marsh, CEO of Whelen Engineering: “As we enter our ninth year partnering with Cadillac Racing and Action Express, we’re proud to continue a collaboration built on trust, performance, and shared purpose,” said. “Everything we build at Whelen is designed to support and protect first responders, and our dedication to reliability and innovation is equally reflected in this program. The 2026 livery represents another exciting chapter together, and we look forward to seeing the No. 31 team compete at the highest level in the IMSA GTP class this season.”

Monster Trucks, Micros, and Midgets have been on Torgerson’s winter agenda as he gets ready for his first campaign with the World of Outlaws

CONCORD, NC (January 13, 2026) – Some Sprint Car drivers spend their off-season relaxing. Others fly to Australia or New Zealand for the southern hemisphere’s summer to continue racing.

One opted to jump behind the wheel of a Monster Truck.

Less than three weeks after Ashton Torgerson revealed his 2026 plans of a rookie season with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series in the Shark Racing No. 1A, he climbed aboard one of the 12,000-pound behemoths for an event in Imperial, CA.

The Torgerson name is intertwined with Monster Truck history. Ashton’s grandfather, Stanley Torgerson, was an instrumental figure in the industry’s development, hosting one of the first ever shows with a crowd. That passion traveled through generations as Danny Torgerson, Ashton’s father, became heavily involved and still is today. It was only natural for Ashton to continue the family tradition.

“When I was a newborn baby, I was at the Monster Truck shows right away,” Torgerson said. “I’ve always been a part of it, either going to watch when I was little and have fun watching them or as I got older starting to help out a little bit more and driving a little bit more. It’s definitely unusual for a Sprint Car guy to drive a Monster Truck.”

Torgerson’s off-season action doesn’t end with Monster Trucks. The 19-year-old is fresh off competing in four divisions at the Tulsa Shootout. He’s on Tulsa time again this week as he chases a Golden Driller at the Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink. He’ll pilot a Keith Kunz Motorsports entry in Thursday’s prelim to set himself up for Saturday’s finale.

“I think it’s pretty good to run the Micro stuff,” Torgerson said. “I run all four classes and being able to run four classes I feel like it’s more seat time on the track. I know they’re not really like a Midget, and they’re not going to race like a Midget, but I still think it’s that track time I get before Chili Bowl helps to get used to the dirt, the track, and all that… I think it definitely helps to keep in the seat and stay sharp.”

Once the Chili Bowl wraps up, Torgerson’s full focus will be on his run at Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year. The World of Outlaws season is set to fire off with four nights of racing at Volusia Speedway Park, Feb. 4-7.

It’s a position Torgerson didn’t anticipate finding himself in so quickly. After all, he linked with Shark Racing only nine months ago when Bobby and Jacob Allen put the Glendale, AZ driver in the seat of the No. 1A to see how they’d gel.

The pairing immediately began to turn heads. Torgerson, who didn’t even have a full season of 410 Sprint Car racing under his belt before 2025, beat the Pennsylvania Posse at BAPS Motor Speedway in his second night in the car. That was the first of many impressive outings that included a top 10 at Eldora Speedway’s Kings Royal, runner-up results at both Lincoln Speedway and Port Royal Speedway, and a pair of top 10s during Ironman 55 weekend with the World of Outlaws. Most of these finishes came at tracks Torgerson was seeing for only the first or second time and against some of the country’s toughest competition.

Torgerson and Shark’s connection boasted so much promise that they announced their intentions to hit the road with the World of Outlaws this year during World Finals. From only a few laps in a 410 Sprint Car to national prominence to joining The Greatest Show on Dirt in less than a year.

“It’s crazy to even think about. It’s honestly just a dream come true,” Torgerson said. “When I first drove the car, it was kind of a weekend deal to see how I did and see how we bonded as a team. We were able to have success right away, and Jacob had me rolling right away. It was nice to be comfortable with the team and have some good speed. Like I said, it’s really just a dream come true to be able to run on the Outlaw tour. This is going to be my first year, so I think there’s a lot to learn.”

Sadly, the team will be missing the man behind the inspirational story of Shark Racing. Bobby Allen passed away last October, leaving a large gap in not only the Shark shop, but the entire sport. “Scruffy” was a racer in the truest sense, going to great lengths like sleeping in ticket booths to keep his dreams alive. And that tenacity led him to cementing himself as one of the sport’s greats.

Carrying on without their leader will undoubtedly be emotionally taxing, but the team knows it’s what Allen would want. They’re ready to usher his legacy into the future by going up and down the road from track to track powered by the no-quit attitude Allen embodied.

“Bobby, he’s a legend and made Shark Racing what it is today,” Torgerson said. “He did all of his own stuff, and he’s one of the best Sprint Car drivers ever. He had such a great career. It’s such an honor to even be able to drive the 1A. Now to put it back on the Outlaw tour is just crazy. I know Bobby was super excited when we won that race, and he was super excited to be at the track with me, so I know we’re going to make Bobby proud this year.”

Torgerson and the Shark Racing crew start the 2026 World of Outlaws campaign on Feb. 4-7 at Volusia Speedway Park’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals in Barberville, FL. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

For the complete 2026 schedule, CLICK HERE.

STAYING SHARP: Torgerson’s Busy Off-Season Helping Preparation for Rookie Season

Monster Trucks, Micros, and Midgets have been on Torgerson’s winter agenda as he gets ready for his first campaign with the World of Outlaws

CONCORD, NC (January 13, 2026) – Some Sprint Car drivers spend their off-season relaxing. Others fly to Australia or New Zealand for the southern hemisphere’s summer to continue racing.

One opted to jump behind the wheel of a Monster Truck.

Less than three weeks after Ashton Torgerson revealed his 2026 plans of a rookie season with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series in the Shark Racing No. 1A, he climbed aboard one of the 12,000-pound behemoths for an event in Imperial, CA.

The Torgerson name is intertwined with Monster Truck history. Ashton’s grandfather, Stanley Torgerson, was an instrumental figure in the industry’s development, hosting one of the first ever shows with a crowd. That passion traveled through generations as Danny Torgerson, Ashton’s father, became heavily involved and still is today. It was only natural for Ashton to continue the family tradition.

“When I was a newborn baby, I was at the Monster Truck shows right away,” Torgerson said. “I’ve always been a part of it, either going to watch when I was little and have fun watching them or as I got older starting to help out a little bit more and driving a little bit more. It’s definitely unusual for a Sprint Car guy to drive a Monster Truck.”

Torgerson’s off-season action doesn’t end with Monster Trucks. The 19-year-old is fresh off competing in four divisions at the Tulsa Shootout. He’s on Tulsa time again this week as he chases a Golden Driller at the Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink. He’ll pilot a Keith Kunz Motorsports entry in Thursday’s prelim to set himself up for Saturday’s finale.

“I think it’s pretty good to run the Micro stuff,” Torgerson said. “I run all four classes and being able to run four classes I feel like it’s more seat time on the track. I know they’re not really like a Midget, and they’re not going to race like a Midget, but I still think it’s that track time I get before Chili Bowl helps to get used to the dirt, the track, and all that… I think it definitely helps to keep in the seat and stay sharp.”

Once the Chili Bowl wraps up, Torgerson’s full focus will be on his run at Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year. The World of Outlaws season is set to fire off with four nights of racing at Volusia Speedway Park, Feb. 4-7.

It’s a position Torgerson didn’t anticipate finding himself in so quickly. After all, he linked with Shark Racing only nine months ago when Bobby and Jacob Allen put the Glendale, AZ driver in the seat of the No. 1A to see how they’d gel.

The pairing immediately began to turn heads. Torgerson, who didn’t even have a full season of 410 Sprint Car racing under his belt before 2025, beat the Pennsylvania Posse at BAPS Motor Speedway in his second night in the car. That was the first of many impressive outings that included a top 10 at Eldora Speedway’s Kings Royal, runner-up results at both Lincoln Speedway and Port Royal Speedway, and a pair of top 10s during Ironman 55 weekend with the World of Outlaws. Most of these finishes came at tracks Torgerson was seeing for only the first or second time and against some of the country’s toughest competition.

Torgerson and Shark’s connection boasted so much promise that they announced their intentions to hit the road with the World of Outlaws this year during World Finals. From only a few laps in a 410 Sprint Car to national prominence to joining The Greatest Show on Dirt in less than a year.

“It’s crazy to even think about. It’s honestly just a dream come true,” Torgerson said. “When I first drove the car, it was kind of a weekend deal to see how I did and see how we bonded as a team. We were able to have success right away, and Jacob had me rolling right away. It was nice to be comfortable with the team and have some good speed. Like I said, it’s really just a dream come true to be able to run on the Outlaw tour. This is going to be my first year, so I think there’s a lot to learn.”

Sadly, the team will be missing the man behind the inspirational story of Shark Racing. Bobby Allen passed away last October, leaving a large gap in not only the Shark shop, but the entire sport. “Scruffy” was a racer in the truest sense, going to great lengths like sleeping in ticket booths to keep his dreams alive. And that tenacity led him to cementing himself as one of the sport’s greats.

Carrying on without their leader will undoubtedly be emotionally taxing, but the team knows it’s what Allen would want. They’re ready to usher his legacy into the future by going up and down the road from track to track powered by the no-quit attitude Allen embodied.

“Bobby, he’s a legend and made Shark Racing what it is today,” Torgerson said. “He did all of his own stuff, and he’s one of the best Sprint Car drivers ever. He had such a great career. It’s such an honor to even be able to drive the 1A. Now to put it back on the Outlaw tour is just crazy. I know Bobby was super excited when we won that race, and he was super excited to be at the track with me, so I know we’re going to make Bobby proud this year.”

Torgerson and the Shark Racing crew start the 2026 World of Outlaws campaign on Feb. 4-7 at Volusia Speedway Park’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals in Barberville, FL. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

For the complete 2026 schedule, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, CLICK HERE to learn how to watch every race live on DIRTVision.

CONCORD, NC (January 13, 2026) – Last fall, Dennis Erb Jr.’s trip to Victory Lane at Humboldt Speedway signaled to the world that he was back.

Now, he’s ready to maintain his status as a nightly contender in his full-time return to the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.

The 2022 Series champion’s Kansas win was far from a fluke – rather, it was one of three top fives in four races in October, a run that highlighted a larger stretch of 10 top 10s in the last 14 races. That consistency has Erb primed for a strong start to 2026, which will be his eighth consecutive season as a member of The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet.

“I’m looking forward to getting started here,” Erb said. “I think we’re ready to get back at it. Our equipment’s running really good, I’m really happy with the way we finished last year. I’m looking forward to getting a good start here right off the bat.”

In years past, Erb has been known for his willingness to experiment with chassis changes and other new equipment in his ongoing search for an edge over the competition. However, given Erb’s satisfaction with the current state of his program, no such changes are on the horizon ahead of the new season.

“No major changes,” Erb said. “We’ll be coming back with our Rocket cars, Clements motors, McBride Mack and VoMac Truck Sales as our main sponsors. Not much of an offseason here, but we’re getting ready to get started back up again.”

The first stop of Erb’s 2026 tour comes next week at Volusia Speedway Park for DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24). One of the overarching stories at the event will be the new gumbo clay that was laid down in March with the goal of enhancing the on-track product at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile.” As someone who’s been competing at Volusia since his first Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals appearance in 2001, Erb has seen several variations of the track’s surface through the years and has high hopes for what this one can deliver.

“I’m looking forward to it, hopefully they’ll have the track in good shape and we can have a good race there,” Erb said.

Upon leaving the “Sunshine State,” the early-season schedule features multiple fresh additions to the tour that Erb knows well. Among them are Volunteer Speedway (March 13), where Erb has two top fives in his last three World of Outlaws starts, plus a top 10 in last year’s Scott Bloomquist Memorial, as well as East Alabama Motor Speedway (March 27), which hosts the National 100 that he won in 2016 and finished runner up in 2025.

“There’s a lot of good racetracks that we’ve been going to for a long time,” Erb said. “Looking forward to getting back to some of those places. East Alabama is one of them, we go there to race the National 100 pretty much every year at the end of the season down there. I really look forward to going back to that place and running there. You know, our normal Midwest swings and all that, places I feel that we’re really good at. No matter where we go, we’ve just got to be prepared and ready to go at it.”

Erb will begin his 2026 season with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision at Volusia Speedway Park during DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24) and Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 12-14), followed by the Swamp Cabbage 100 at Hendry County Motorsports Park (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21). Get tickets and more information for all three events by clicking here.

How can you watch the World of Outlaws? Live on DIRTVision.

Dennis Erb Jr. Looking to Build on Strong End to 2025 in World of Outlaws Return

CONCORD, NC (January 13, 2026) – Last fall, Dennis Erb Jr.’s trip to Victory Lane at Humboldt Speedway signaled to the world that he was back.

Now, he’s ready to maintain his status as a nightly contender in his full-time return to the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.

The 2022 Series champion’s Kansas win was far from a fluke – rather, it was one of three top fives in four races in October, a run that highlighted a larger stretch of 10 top 10s in the last 14 races. That consistency has Erb primed for a strong start to 2026, which will be his eighth consecutive season as a member of The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet.

“I’m looking forward to getting started here,” Erb said. “I think we’re ready to get back at it. Our equipment’s running really good, I’m really happy with the way we finished last year. I’m looking forward to getting a good start here right off the bat.”

In years past, Erb has been known for his willingness to experiment with chassis changes and other new equipment in his ongoing search for an edge over the competition. However, given Erb’s satisfaction with the current state of his program, no such changes are on the horizon ahead of the new season.

“No major changes,” Erb said. “We’ll be coming back with our Rocket cars, Clements motors, McBride Mack and VoMac Truck Sales as our main sponsors. Not much of an offseason here, but we’re getting ready to get started back up again.”

The first stop of Erb’s 2026 tour comes next week at Volusia Speedway Park for DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24). One of the overarching stories at the event will be the new gumbo clay that was laid down in March with the goal of enhancing the on-track product at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile.” As someone who’s been competing at Volusia since his first Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals appearance in 2001, Erb has seen several variations of the track’s surface through the years and has high hopes for what this one can deliver.

“I’m looking forward to it, hopefully they’ll have the track in good shape and we can have a good race there,” Erb said.

Upon leaving the “Sunshine State,” the early-season schedule features multiple fresh additions to the tour that Erb knows well. Among them are Volunteer Speedway (March 13), where Erb has two top fives in his last three World of Outlaws starts, plus a top 10 in last year’s Scott Bloomquist Memorial, as well as East Alabama Motor Speedway (March 27), which hosts the National 100 that he won in 2016 and finished runner up in 2025.

“There’s a lot of good racetracks that we’ve been going to for a long time,” Erb said. “Looking forward to getting back to some of those places. East Alabama is one of them, we go there to race the National 100 pretty much every year at the end of the season down there. I really look forward to going back to that place and running there. You know, our normal Midwest swings and all that, places I feel that we’re really good at. No matter where we go, we’ve just got to be prepared and ready to go at it.”

Erb will begin his 2026 season with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision at Volusia Speedway Park during DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24) and Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 12-14), followed by the Swamp Cabbage 100 at Hendry County Motorsports Park (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21). Get tickets and more information for all three events by clicking here.

How can you watch the World of Outlaws? Live on DIRTVision.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/dennis-erb-jr-looking-to-build-on-strong-end-to-2025-in-world-of-outlaws-return/

SPRINGFIELD, IL (January 12, 2026) – DIRTcar Racing honored its 42nd year of weekly racing at the annual awards banquet at the Springfield Crowne Plaza on Saturday night. 

National and regional points champions were highlighted along with special award winners. Leading the award winners was Adam Mackey, who received DIRTcar’s most prestigious honor, the Bob Memmer Award. DIRTcar Director Sam Driggers received a standing ovation amongst his colleagues for his impending induction to the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame, and Illinois Stock Car racer Ryan Taylor was recognized with the Lee J. Hall Sportsmanship Award. 

Bob Memmer Award – Adam Mackey 

Mackey, a longtime announcer and promoter, was bestowed the Bob Memmer Award for his continuous work and contributions throughout Illinois dirt track racing. 

Mackey was surprised by the honor from Sam Driggers onstage while hosting the banquet’s events. He returned the favor to Driggers by celebrating his nomination to the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in 2026. 

“When you look at the folks that have won it, there’s guys that have been around for a long time,” Mackey said. “Now, I feel like I’m getting old. It was definitely a surprise, because when I see the people that have won it, it means so much because everyone’s meant so much to racing that I don’t really feel like I’m in that category. It’s really cool.” 

Working alongside Track Enterprises founder Bob Sargent, Mackey oversaw some of the most famed dirt racing events in the “Land of Lincoln.” Since 2016, Mackey and Sargent have promoted Lincoln (IL) Speedway with marquee events that include the DIRTcar Summer Nationals and FloRacing Night in America. 

“I think a lot of that is working with Bob; we get to do big events,” Mackey said. “His consistency for almost 40 years of race promoting, right? We had Macon Speedway for a long time, and it did well when I was there. Then, we’ve had Lincoln Speedway now for like 11 seasons, and we do really well.” 

The race that stands out the most to Mackey is the DIRTcar Fall Nationals, which closes out the points season annually for Super Late Model, UMP Modified, Pro Late Model, Pro Modified, and Street Stock competition. 

“We have the DIRTcar Fall Nationals, and that’s a big event we’ve done,” he said. “I really take a lot of effort just in that event. We draw a good field of cars, and we have great racing. The folks at the track do such a good job with track prep, whether it’s Dennis Vandermeersch or Bob Sargent, they do so well. We have great officials that have been doing it for a long time, so it all helps too.” 

Lee J. Hall Sportsmanship Award – Ryan Taylor 

Taylor, a native of Danville, IL, was surprised with the presentation of the Hall Award for displaying respect and honorable traits between his competitors each night. The award was created three years ago in memory of the former Stock Car driver after he died in 2022. 

Taylor is the fourth recipient of the award, joining Hall’s son, Lee Joseph, Don Hilleary, and Kyle Anderson. In his 2025 campaign, Taylor finished third in Stock Car National points, which included 17 Feature victories, 32 top fives, and 35 top-10 finishes. 

National Points Champions 

Late Model – Jason Feger 

UMP Modified – Cole Falloway 

Pro Late Model – Dakota Ewing 

Pro Modified – Deece Schwartz 

UMP Sportsman – Lee Hobbs 

Stock Car – Nick Seplak 

Factory Stock – Blake Hull 

Sport Compact – Matt Mackey 

Other Special Awards 

Late Model Engine Champion – Clements Racing Engines 

Modified Engine Champion – Mullins Race Engines 

Late Model Chassis Champion – Longhorn Chassis 

DIRTcar Champions, Special Award Winners Receive Accolades at 2025 Banquet 

SPRINGFIELD, IL (January 12, 2026) – DIRTcar Racing honored its 42nd year of weekly racing at the annual awards banquet at the Springfield Crowne Plaza on Saturday night. 

National and regional points champions were highlighted along with special award winners. Leading the award winners was Adam Mackey, who received DIRTcar’s most prestigious honor, the Bob Memmer Award. DIRTcar Director Sam Driggers received a standing ovation amongst his colleagues for his impending induction to the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame, and Illinois Stock Car racer Ryan Taylor was recognized with the Lee J. Hall Sportsmanship Award. 

Bob Memmer Award – Adam Mackey 

Mackey, a longtime announcer and promoter, was bestowed the Bob Memmer Award for his continuous work and contributions throughout Illinois dirt track racing. 

Mackey was surprised by the honor from Sam Driggers onstage while hosting the banquet’s events. He returned the favor to Driggers by celebrating his nomination to the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in 2026. 

“When you look at the folks that have won it, there’s guys that have been around for a long time,” Mackey said. “Now, I feel like I’m getting old. It was definitely a surprise, because when I see the people that have won it, it means so much because everyone’s meant so much to racing that I don’t really feel like I’m in that category. It’s really cool.” 

Working alongside Track Enterprises founder Bob Sargent, Mackey oversaw some of the most famed dirt racing events in the “Land of Lincoln.” Since 2016, Mackey and Sargent have promoted Lincoln (IL) Speedway with marquee events that include the DIRTcar Summer Nationals and FloRacing Night in America. 

“I think a lot of that is working with Bob; we get to do big events,” Mackey said. “His consistency for almost 40 years of race promoting, right? We had Macon Speedway for a long time, and it did well when I was there. Then, we’ve had Lincoln Speedway now for like 11 seasons, and we do really well.” 

The race that stands out the most to Mackey is the DIRTcar Fall Nationals, which closes out the points season annually for Super Late Model, UMP Modified, Pro Late Model, Pro Modified, and Street Stock competition. 

“We have the DIRTcar Fall Nationals, and that’s a big event we’ve done,” he said. “I really take a lot of effort just in that event. We draw a good field of cars, and we have great racing. The folks at the track do such a good job with track prep, whether it’s Dennis Vandermeersch or Bob Sargent, they do so well. We have great officials that have been doing it for a long time, so it all helps too.” 

Lee J. Hall Sportsmanship Award – Ryan Taylor 

Taylor, a native of Danville, IL, was surprised with the presentation of the Hall Award for displaying respect and honorable traits between his competitors each night. The award was created three years ago in memory of the former Stock Car driver after he died in 2022. 

Taylor is the fourth recipient of the award, joining Hall’s son, Lee Joseph, Don Hilleary, and Kyle Anderson. In his 2025 campaign, Taylor finished third in Stock Car National points, which included 17 Feature victories, 32 top fives, and 35 top-10 finishes. 

National Points Champions 

Late Model – Jason Feger 

UMP Modified – Cole Falloway 

Pro Late Model – Dakota Ewing 

Pro Modified – Deece Schwartz 

UMP Sportsman – Lee Hobbs 

Stock Car – Nick Seplak 

Factory Stock – Blake Hull 

Sport Compact – Matt Mackey 

Other Special Awards 

Late Model Engine Champion – Clements Racing Engines 

Modified Engine Champion – Mullins Race Engines 

Late Model Chassis Champion – Longhorn Chassis 

Modified Chassis Champion – Elite Chassis 

New Time and Updated Format for Competition Plus Power Hour

SPARTANBURG, SC (January 12, 2026) — CompetitionPlus.com has been a leader in online motorsports journalism for over 25 years. Through web stories, commentaries, longform videos and podcasts the media organization founded by Bobby Bennett has been the go-to resource for drag racing fans around the world. For 2026 the wildly popular Power Hour show hosted by Lee Craft and Dujunnea Bland will move to a 5:30 p.m. ET time slot starting this Tuesday, January 13, offering live commentary and guest interviews weekly throughout the season.

“Power Hour is a staple for drag racing interviews and news and we wanted to move to an even better time slot,” said Bobby Bennett, CompetitionPlus.com Founder. “Lee and Dujunnea bring great perspectives and opinions for all forms of drag racing.”


Craft, who operates the Monday Morning Racer media outlet, has been directly in the sport of drag racing as media since 2019. Over that time he has been involved with social media for Top Fuel teams, pit reporting for racing series, race announcing, camera operating, streaming, and marketing efforts with a variety of brands and series.

Bland has 13 years of experience in sports media and he has established himself as a versatile reporter, analyst, and podcast host, covering everything from the NFL to NHRA drag racing. He currently serves as the Senior NFL/Jaguars Insider and Director of Content for SportsJourney.com, while also hosting The NotBland Show, a live YouTube program delivering expert insight and exclusive interviews.

Power Hour will continue to produce new shows throughout the drag racing season. Shows will be broadcast live on the CompetitionPlus.com social media channels. For additional information visit www.competitionplus.com.

Five full-season Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs ready for pre-Rolex 24 testing to start 2026 DETROIT (January 13, 2026) – Five Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs and seven Corvette Racing factory drivers are set to kick off 2026 during the next two weeks at Daytona International Speedway. Things kick off for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the annual three-day Roar Before the 24 starting Friday.

It leads straight into the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona with Corvette Racing eager to capture another class victory – or two – in the opening round of the season. Five full-season Corvette GT3s from four teams are part of the 60-car entry across two of the four classes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The Corvette collective will test Friday through Sunday on the 3.56-mile Daytona Road Course ahead of next weekend’s season-opening round:

Corvette Racing Media Resources Documents | Statistics | Photos | Factory Driver Bios | Chevrolet Newsroom

· Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – GTD PRO: Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims, Marvin Kirchhöfer(No. 3 Corvette); Nicky Catsburg, Tommy Milner, Nico Varrone (No. 4 Corvette)· 13 Autosport – GTD: Matt Bell, Orey Fidani, Lars Kern, Ben Green (No. 13 Corvette)· DXDT Racing – GTD: Charlie Eastwood, Mason Filippi, Salih Yoluc, Scott McLaughlin (No. 36 Corvette)· DragonSpeed – GTD: Giacomo Altoé, Henrik Hedman, Casper Stevenson, Matteo Cairoli (No. 81 Corvette)(Factory drivers in bold) This year’s group matches last year’s entry of five Corvettes at Daytona; the biggest change is that all five will contest the entirely of the IMSA season. In addition to returning teams Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in GTD PRO and GTD customer teams 13 Autosport (formally AW) and DXDT Racing, new Corvette team DragonSpeed will debut its Z06 GT3.R at Daytona. As a program, Corvette Racing has a deep and successful history at the Rolex 24 and includes five GT-class victories – one of those an overall win in 2001. The Corvette Racing factory team scored additional class wins in 2015, 2016 and 2021, and 13 Autosport won in GTD last year under the AWA banner for the Z06 GT3.R’s first Rolex 24 triumph. In addition, Corvette’s successes at Daytona have bolstered Chevrolet’s impressive record of 125 wins at the circuit across IMSA and NASCAR’s national series. Corvette Racing and its teams are looking to build on the global success of the Z06 GT3.R from 2025 into the new season. Corvette teams captured 16 race victories across six different global championships, and Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports swept the full-season GTD PRO Manufacturers, Drivers and Teams titles. The Roar Before the 24 is set for January 16-18 with seven sessions scheduled across the three days. The Rolex 24 goes green at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 24 with qualifying on Thursday, January 22.

CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: Targeting a 2025 EncoreFive full-season Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs ready for pre-Rolex 24 testing to start 2026 DETROIT (January 13, 2026) – Five Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs and seven Corvette Racing factory drivers are set to kick off 2026 during the next two weeks at Daytona International Speedway. Things kick off for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the annual three-day Roar Before the 24 starting Friday.

It leads straight into the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona with Corvette Racing eager to capture another class victory – or two – in the opening round of the season. Five full-season Corvette GT3s from four teams are part of the 60-car entry across two of the four classes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The Corvette collective will test Friday through Sunday on the 3.56-mile Daytona Road Course ahead of next weekend’s season-opening round:

Corvette Racing Media Resources Documents | Statistics | Photos | Factory Driver Bios | Chevrolet Newsroom

· Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – GTD PRO: Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims, Marvin Kirchhöfer(No. 3 Corvette); Nicky Catsburg, Tommy Milner, Nico Varrone (No. 4 Corvette)· 13 Autosport – GTD: Matt Bell, Orey Fidani, Lars Kern, Ben Green (No. 13 Corvette)· DXDT Racing – GTD: Charlie Eastwood, Mason Filippi, Salih Yoluc, Scott McLaughlin (No. 36 Corvette)· DragonSpeed – GTD: Giacomo Altoé, Henrik Hedman, Casper Stevenson, Matteo Cairoli (No. 81 Corvette)(Factory drivers in bold) This year’s group matches last year’s entry of five Corvettes at Daytona; the biggest change is that all five will contest the entirely of the IMSA season. In addition to returning teams Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in GTD PRO and GTD customer teams 13 Autosport (formally AW) and DXDT Racing, new Corvette team DragonSpeed will debut its Z06 GT3.R at Daytona. As a program, Corvette Racing has a deep and successful history at the Rolex 24 and includes five GT-class victories – one of those an overall win in 2001. The Corvette Racing factory team scored additional class wins in 2015, 2016 and 2021, and 13 Autosport won in GTD last year under the AWA banner for the Z06 GT3.R’s first Rolex 24 triumph. In addition, Corvette’s successes at Daytona have bolstered Chevrolet’s impressive record of 125 wins at the circuit across IMSA and NASCAR’s national series. Corvette Racing and its teams are looking to build on the global success of the Z06 GT3.R from 2025 into the new season. Corvette teams captured 16 race victories across six different global championships, and Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports swept the full-season GTD PRO Manufacturers, Drivers and Teams titles. The Roar Before the 24 is set for January 16-18 with seven sessions scheduled across the three days. The Rolex 24 goes green at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 24 with qualifying on Thursday, January 22.

SELECT CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R DRIVER QUOTESANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “In a lot of ways, the Rolex 24 each year at Daytona feels like the championship. I think not many people who are there think about the championship very much during the week. That’s something you think about Monday. Last year when we finished second, it wasn’t that great until Monday and we realized we had second-place points! It seems like there everyone is fighting all-out for the win, which is classic Daytona. It will be good to be back there with Alex and bring in Marvin. If he brings to us something of what he had last year in the race, we’ll be very happy! He and the AWA guys did a great job to end up winning the race, which was great for all of Corvette. He’s been around the paddock and in a lot of the big races here and in Europe. The experience is there and the speed is there as he showed last year. We’re happy to have him and looking forward to working with him this year.” ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s nice to have continuity again going into a third season with the same main team, and it’s a great addition having Marvin with us. The core group of people on our car are mostly staying the same… Andy Ramsey our race engineer and obviously myself and Antonio, plus Tommy, Nicky and Nico in the other Corvette. That’s a huge bonus and should give us strength. I think that’s probably the first time in my career that I’ve had three years in a row with the same co-driver and engineer, so that’s very nice.”We were second last year at Daytona, and I’m quite keen to try and go one better. As with all of the races, the championship is the No. 1 focus and then race wins and other things would be fantastic along the way. That generally tends to happen if you win the championship so we obviously need to try and maximize every race. Daytona being the big one straight off the bat is an immediate opportunity and a great challenge.” MARVIN KIRCHHÖFER, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It was really nice being back behind the wheel of the Corvette (at November test at Sebring). I was generally quite impressed by the whole setup of the team. I got a nice welcome, too, from my teammates as well. I already knew Nicky from previous racing before, too. That was very nice and I really, really enjoyed working with them. Everyone has been very supportive and very helpful getting me up to speed within the team and getting reacquainted with the Corvette. I also had the DIL test a couple of weeks ago in Charlotte, which also was quite interesting. I must say overall that it has been very good and very positive… good preparation for the Rolex coming up in a couple of weeks. Hopefully we’ve done our parts and our work well and can make it a good 2026 Daytona 24 race.” TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Hopefully this Daytona is a boring one! Boring in the sense that we are three laps ahead by Hour Six and it’s the most boring GT race ever! Last year was disappointing on a number of levels for us on the No. 4 side. We had a great race going for a majority of it and then unraveled a little bit there at the end. I’m hopeful we can have another strong race as we did last year. There’s no reason why that should change. Daytona is always that crown jewel event and first race in the U.S. each season with a lot of emotions around it. For me, this race and the GTD PRO class in particular gets more and more competitive each year, and the excitement ramps up as we get closer.” NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s good to be back and start working with everyone. I’m looking forward to being back in Daytona as always. Like every year it’s an amazing beginning of the season with one of the most important races of the year. At the start, I feel like this year on the No. 4 side we need to take a little bit more of a cautious approach to the race. It’s very important that we finish well because it kind of sets you up for the rest of the season. I feel like sometimes people can get a little over-excited because it’s Daytona. I really want to do well in the championship. The dream is to win the driver championship with the 4 car this year rather than 3! So I’m looking forward to realizing that. Daytona is always a very fun time with the teammates, as well. We have a couple of days off between the Roar and the race which is always a good time to sharpen up our Pickleball skills or paddle skills or mini-golf skills or whatever else we can do!” MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m really looking forward to defending our Daytona 24 win from last year. It’s very exciting to be coming back under the new 13 Autosport banner while essentially keeping the same group of people that we succeeded with 12 months ago. There are not many teams that have defended their 24-hour win in the past, so our objective is to join the few that have.” OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m very excited about this new 13 Autosport venture heading into Daytona. We’re going into our third year as a part of Team Chevy, and over the course of the past two seasons we have learned so much and made significant leaps with our No. 13 Corvette. We’re all very eager to continue to further contribute to Chevrolet’s success at Daytona and into the rest of the rounds. I’m ready to kick off another season with Matt and Lars, and we’re all looking forward to bringing Ben into the family.” CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m really looking forward to being back at Daytona with DXDT and the Corvette. Last year wasn’t what we hoped for in my first race with the team in our first race in IMSA. There were a lot of things to learn and ultimately we didn’t end up finishing the race. But throughout the year the team made some massive strides and everyone is super motivated to get a good result. I think everyone knows if you can do that at Daytona, it really starts your championship off well. We have a great lineup. Having Scott is brilliant as he brings a lot to the team with his previous experience with the Corvette and in big races. I think we have a really good shot at it.” GIACOMO ALTOE, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s a new beginning for me with DragonSpeed and Corvette. I’m very excited for what’s coming. The project is a big one and we committed properly to do everything in the best way possible. It will be great to race together with Henrik for his comeback to racing and we have high goals in GTD. It’s a very competitive class and it’s always special to start at Daytona, with a 24-hour race. I can’t wait to be with the crew again and to get to know everyone at Chevy and Corvette Racing to start this new project together!”

CONCORD, NC (January 9, 2026) – One year ago, Bobby Pierce famously dubbed his 2025 campaign that would eventually lead him to his second World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision championship the “Vengeance Tour.”

Now that the “Smooth Operator” is set to begin his quest for title number three in less than two weeks at DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24), does 2026 have a theme yet?

“It’s always a vengeance tour, really,” Pierce said. “Super competitive as always, so hopefully we go and get that third championship.”

Since the No. 32 team’s debut season with the World of Outlaws in 2023, they have reached double-digit Series wins each year, won more than 100 races overall in the past three seasons and have been widely regarded as one of the best Late Model teams in the nation across that span.

For any other team in the pits, it’s easy to use Pierce’s operation as an example to strive toward. But when you’re already at the top of the mountain, staying motivated to continue finding new ways to improve can be a challenge for some. Nevertheless, Pierce keeps on winning and shows no signs of slowing down.

“It’s kind of like a drug. When you win a race, you just want to keep winning more of them,” Pierce said. “That’s for me anyways, and I think my dad too and most of my team. It’s just a really good feeling when you can accomplish your goals, and really, the last couple years, we’ve kind of gone past our goals.

“It’s tough when you race so much through the year, it is a grind and you have to stay motivated. Even if you have a bad night, you want to then go and perform well the next day to redeem yourself. And then if you win, it’s a good feeling, and you just want to get that feeling again. Either way, I feel like it’s pretty easy to stay motivated.”

Should Pierce ever need a refresh amid the never-ending grind of national Late Model racing, one look at the Series record books makes the end goals crystal clear. Less than five years removed from his first World of Outlaws win in 2021, Pierce has already made 42 trips to Victory Lane, placing him in a tie with Billy Moyer for fifth all-time. His next target isn’t far off, as he needs six more to catch Shane Clanton in fourth.

“I was just on the phone with Ruben [Mireles] yesterday, updating something for my profile,” Pierce said. “I was like, ‘Hey, how many wins do I have?’ And he was like, ‘Oh, you’re fifth, tied with [Billy] Moyer. And I’m like, ‘Dang, that’s pretty cool.’ As far as setting records and stuff, that’s definitely somewhat in the back of your mind.

“When you look at the list of guys that I’m starting to catch, it’s kind of getting into another tier of drivers. Like Billy Moyer, he’s the GOAT, so to be tied with him is pretty impressive. It makes me feel very accomplished, it’s a good feeling, and hopefully we can just keep going. Maybe someday, you never know, catch Brandon [Sheppard] and Josh [Richards]. That’ll be a long time from now, but we’ll just keep digging.”

Pierce will travel to plenty of tracks he’s never been to as an Outlaw in 2026, with eight hosting their first Series race and eight more returning to the schedule after a hiatus. One of the most notable additions is the revived Mansfield Speedway for the $57,000-to-win, $5,700-to-start 57 Special on May 29-30. But the largest purse of the season isn’t the only reason that weekend is circled on the calendar – it’s the chance to avenge his near miss at the track in 2018.

“That Mansfield race, that’s interesting because the last time I was there, it was the Dirt Million,” Pierce said. “I was leading that race and a caution came out toward the very end. I got passed by Earl Pearson Jr. and I ran second, so that would have been one of my biggest wins. I’m excited to go back to that place, I know they’ve done a lot to it.”

While the site of the season opener at Volusia Speedway Park isn’t new, the surface at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” will still throw teams a curveball in comparison to recent years. Last spring, a layer of dark gumbo clay was laid down in an effort to bring back the wide, slick racing of Volusia’s past, and the track’s weekly racing program in 2025 delivered exactly that.

Given Pierce’s sluggish start last season with only one top five in five World of Outlaws starts at Volusia between Sunshine Nationals and Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, he welcomes the change as a chance to reset and begin his title defense in peak form.

“That dirt that they used to have, as long as its shaped right and stuff, I feel like that track was really fun,” Pierce said. “That dirt that they had on recently, with how the track was graded, it kind of felt like the middle was always fast for such a long time. The track didn’t necessarily widen out really good every night. I feel like it’s going to help really get a bottom and a top going like it used to. I’m looking forward to it.”

Pierce will begin his 2026 season with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision at Volusia Speedway Park during DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24) and Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 12-14), followed by the Swamp Cabbage 100 at Hendry County Motorsports Park (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21). Get tickets and more information for all three events by clicking here.

Pierce Starting Chase for Third World of Outlaws Championship at Sunshine Nationals

CONCORD, NC (January 9, 2026) – One year ago, Bobby Pierce famously dubbed his 2025 campaign that would eventually lead him to his second World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision championship the “Vengeance Tour.”

Now that the “Smooth Operator” is set to begin his quest for title number three in less than two weeks at DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24), does 2026 have a theme yet?

“It’s always a vengeance tour, really,” Pierce said. “Super competitive as always, so hopefully we go and get that third championship.”

Since the No. 32 team’s debut season with the World of Outlaws in 2023, they have reached double-digit Series wins each year, won more than 100 races overall in the past three seasons and have been widely regarded as one of the best Late Model teams in the nation across that span.

For any other team in the pits, it’s easy to use Pierce’s operation as an example to strive toward. But when you’re already at the top of the mountain, staying motivated to continue finding new ways to improve can be a challenge for some. Nevertheless, Pierce keeps on winning and shows no signs of slowing down.

“It’s kind of like a drug. When you win a race, you just want to keep winning more of them,” Pierce said. “That’s for me anyways, and I think my dad too and most of my team. It’s just a really good feeling when you can accomplish your goals, and really, the last couple years, we’ve kind of gone past our goals.

“It’s tough when you race so much through the year, it is a grind and you have to stay motivated. Even if you have a bad night, you want to then go and perform well the next day to redeem yourself. And then if you win, it’s a good feeling, and you just want to get that feeling again. Either way, I feel like it’s pretty easy to stay motivated.”

Should Pierce ever need a refresh amid the never-ending grind of national Late Model racing, one look at the Series record books makes the end goals crystal clear. Less than five years removed from his first World of Outlaws win in 2021, Pierce has already made 42 trips to Victory Lane, placing him in a tie with Billy Moyer for fifth all-time. His next target isn’t far off, as he needs six more to catch Shane Clanton in fourth.

“I was just on the phone with Ruben [Mireles] yesterday, updating something for my profile,” Pierce said. “I was like, ‘Hey, how many wins do I have?’ And he was like, ‘Oh, you’re fifth, tied with [Billy] Moyer. And I’m like, ‘Dang, that’s pretty cool.’ As far as setting records and stuff, that’s definitely somewhat in the back of your mind.

“When you look at the list of guys that I’m starting to catch, it’s kind of getting into another tier of drivers. Like Billy Moyer, he’s the GOAT, so to be tied with him is pretty impressive. It makes me feel very accomplished, it’s a good feeling, and hopefully we can just keep going. Maybe someday, you never know, catch Brandon [Sheppard] and Josh [Richards]. That’ll be a long time from now, but we’ll just keep digging.”

Pierce will travel to plenty of tracks he’s never been to as an Outlaw in 2026, with eight hosting their first Series race and eight more returning to the schedule after a hiatus. One of the most notable additions is the revived Mansfield Speedway for the $57,000-to-win, $5,700-to-start 57 Special on May 29-30. But the largest purse of the season isn’t the only reason that weekend is circled on the calendar – it’s the chance to avenge his near miss at the track in 2018.

“That Mansfield race, that’s interesting because the last time I was there, it was the Dirt Million,” Pierce said. “I was leading that race and a caution came out toward the very end. I got passed by Earl Pearson Jr. and I ran second, so that would have been one of my biggest wins. I’m excited to go back to that place, I know they’ve done a lot to it.”

While the site of the season opener at Volusia Speedway Park isn’t new, the surface at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” will still throw teams a curveball in comparison to recent years. Last spring, a layer of dark gumbo clay was laid down in an effort to bring back the wide, slick racing of Volusia’s past, and the track’s weekly racing program in 2025 delivered exactly that.

Given Pierce’s sluggish start last season with only one top five in five World of Outlaws starts at Volusia between Sunshine Nationals and Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, he welcomes the change as a chance to reset and begin his title defense in peak form.

“That dirt that they used to have, as long as its shaped right and stuff, I feel like that track was really fun,” Pierce said. “That dirt that they had on recently, with how the track was graded, it kind of felt like the middle was always fast for such a long time. The track didn’t necessarily widen out really good every night. I feel like it’s going to help really get a bottom and a top going like it used to. I’m looking forward to it.”

Pierce will begin his 2026 season with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision at Volusia Speedway Park during DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 22-24) and Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 12-14), followed by the Swamp Cabbage 100 at Hendry County Motorsports Park (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21). Get tickets and more information for all three events by clicking here.

If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision. 

CONCORD, NC (January 8, 2026) – Garet Williamson is back for more in 2026 with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series after his Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year campaign with Fischer Motorsports.

The Columbia, MO native cemented his name in the history books in 2025 by standing atop a stout crop of seven rookies. Williamson’s debut campaign yielded seven top fives, 26 top 10s, a pair of Quick Times, six Heat wins, and a dozen Dash appearances.

With 2025 behind him, the upcoming season is the continuation of a dream for Williamson. He looked up to World of Outlaws drivers throughout his childhood. He wanted to be one more than anything. Now, he’s here. He’s at the highest level of the sport. He’s a World of Outlaws driver that kids see at the racetrack and tell themselves they want to be where he is one day. It’s a position he’s not taking for granted.

“It’s been my dream and goal since I was a kid,” Williamson said. “So, now I’m just trying to make sure I’m doing my job good enough to keep having a good ride and keep doing it. I’m just super grateful for the partners I have and owners I have that let us go up and down the road and believe in us to keep growing.”

The only missing piece from Williamson’s Rookie of the Year campaign was a win. The closest he came in 2025 was third at Huset’s Speedway, his second career World of Outlaws podium. The 25-year-old knows making a trip to Victory Lane is easier said than done. It requires beating the best of the best. It requires no mistakes. Of the thousands that have tried, only 155 competitors can call themselves a winner with The Greatest Show on Dirt.

“The biggest thing is a win,” Williamson said. “I feel like that’s kind of what I lack right now is a win, but it’s not easy. It’s super hard to beat those guys. I think that’s one of the big ones, and being more consistent. I think that’s how wins come. Your top 10s, top fives, and podiums, they’ll turn into wins eventually. I want to be a threat to be there for big races. As a team, I want to keep proving we belong.”

Progress is also on Williamson’s mind as the season nears. The Rookie of the Year box was checked last year, and now he’s ready to climb toward the veterans above him in the standings. Consistently compete up front with the ones that have been on tour for years as he labors to reach his ultimate goal of becoming a World of Outlaws champion.

“I think it starts with bad nights being top 10s, not 22nd or anywhere back there,” Williamson explained. “You can’t be running back there. If you’re having a bad night, you’ve got to make up for it. You’ve got to salvage more than some of the bad nights we had.”

Williamson and the Fischer Motorsports crew kick off the 2026 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car season on Feb. 4-7 at Volusia Speedway Park’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals in Barberville, FL. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Williamson plans to get a few extra Volusia laps during DIRTcar Nationals by competing with the American Sprint Car Series, Jan. 29-31, aboard a Dennis Gainey entry.

For the complete 2026 schedule, CLICK HERE.

Garet Williamson Locked In for Sophomore World of Outlaws Season with Fischer Motorsports

CONCORD, NC (January 8, 2026) – Garet Williamson is back for more in 2026 with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series after his Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year campaign with Fischer Motorsports.

The Columbia, MO native cemented his name in the history books in 2025 by standing atop a stout crop of seven rookies. Williamson’s debut campaign yielded seven top fives, 26 top 10s, a pair of Quick Times, six Heat wins, and a dozen Dash appearances.

With 2025 behind him, the upcoming season is the continuation of a dream for Williamson. He looked up to World of Outlaws drivers throughout his childhood. He wanted to be one more than anything. Now, he’s here. He’s at the highest level of the sport. He’s a World of Outlaws driver that kids see at the racetrack and tell themselves they want to be where he is one day. It’s a position he’s not taking for granted.

“It’s been my dream and goal since I was a kid,” Williamson said. “So, now I’m just trying to make sure I’m doing my job good enough to keep having a good ride and keep doing it. I’m just super grateful for the partners I have and owners I have that let us go up and down the road and believe in us to keep growing.”

The only missing piece from Williamson’s Rookie of the Year campaign was a win. The closest he came in 2025 was third at Huset’s Speedway, his second career World of Outlaws podium. The 25-year-old knows making a trip to Victory Lane is easier said than done. It requires beating the best of the best. It requires no mistakes. Of the thousands that have tried, only 155 competitors can call themselves a winner with The Greatest Show on Dirt.

“The biggest thing is a win,” Williamson said. “I feel like that’s kind of what I lack right now is a win, but it’s not easy. It’s super hard to beat those guys. I think that’s one of the big ones, and being more consistent. I think that’s how wins come. Your top 10s, top fives, and podiums, they’ll turn into wins eventually. I want to be a threat to be there for big races. As a team, I want to keep proving we belong.”

Progress is also on Williamson’s mind as the season nears. The Rookie of the Year box was checked last year, and now he’s ready to climb toward the veterans above him in the standings. Consistently compete up front with the ones that have been on tour for years as he labors to reach his ultimate goal of becoming a World of Outlaws champion.

“I think it starts with bad nights being top 10s, not 22nd or anywhere back there,” Williamson explained. “You can’t be running back there. If you’re having a bad night, you’ve got to make up for it. You’ve got to salvage more than some of the bad nights we had.”

Williamson and the Fischer Motorsports crew kick off the 2026 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car season on Feb. 4-7 at Volusia Speedway Park’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals in Barberville, FL. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Williamson plans to get a few extra Volusia laps during DIRTcar Nationals by competing with the American Sprint Car Series, Jan. 29-31, aboard a Dennis Gainey entry.

For the complete 2026 schedule, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, CLICK HERE to learn how to watch every race live on DIRTVision.

CONCORD, NC (Jan. 8, 2026) — Sam Hafertepe Jr. made history in 2025, winning his sixth American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) championship. In 2026, he’ll go for a seventh national title with new crew help and renewed competitive drive.

Hafertepe, 40, of Sunnyvale, TX, will embark on a 10th full-time season with the national 360 Sprint Car circuit this year as the defending champion for the first time since 2020. In clinching his sixth ASCS national championship — most of any driver — he also ascended into second place on the all-time Feature wins list with 11 main event victories in 2025, now holding a total of 88 national Series wins.

He and the Ontario-based Hill’s Racing Team will begin their ninth consecutive year together in the season opener at Volusia Speedway Park — Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 29–31 — as part of the 55th annual Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. Hafertepe drove the familiar Townline Variety, Fisher Racing Engines-powered Triple X Chassis No. 15H to two top-10 finishes, including a podium on opening night, at the historic Florida 1/2-mile oval one year ago.

These strong runs against a deep field of over 50 cars gave him the early advantage in the points standings he needed in the chase for the points title. He’s already working overtime to ensure even better results in 2026.

“The preparation’s a little more than usual just because we really have to be fully prepared once we get down there because the points season does start so early,” Hafertepe said.

To aid in his preparation, Hafertepe’s hired some new crew help in 16-year-old Brody Brown. The former Micro Sprint racer from Lawton, OK, spent last year racing in the 305 and 360 Sprint Car ranks and will assume the role of car chief on the No. 15H in 2026.

As Hafertepe begins his 31st season as a driver in the motorsports world and commemorates a decade of national 360 Sprint Car racing, he now stares down only one man in the ASCS record books — his hero, Gary Wright.

Wright, a four-time ASCS national champion from 2004–2007, amassed a total of 128 Feature wins in his career — an ASCS record — and was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall-of-Fame in 2011.

Hafertepe now stands 40 Feature wins away from tying Wright’s mark. It will take a great deal of skill, longevity and patience to reach that height, but Hafertepe is optimistic about his career and its future with ASCS. 

“We hope to get excited about the future of ASCS and where World Racing Group can take it,” Hafertepe said. “It may be small strides or little-by-little, but that’s the kind of stuff that I do get excited to see out of ASCS, and hopefully it can continue to grow through the years.”

Sam Hafertepe Jr. to Defend American Sprint Car Series Championship in 2026

CONCORD, NC (Jan. 8, 2026) — Sam Hafertepe Jr. made history in 2025, winning his sixth American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) championship. In 2026, he’ll go for a seventh national title with new crew help and renewed competitive drive.

Hafertepe, 40, of Sunnyvale, TX, will embark on a 10th full-time season with the national 360 Sprint Car circuit this year as the defending champion for the first time since 2020. In clinching his sixth ASCS national championship — most of any driver — he also ascended into second place on the all-time Feature wins list with 11 main event victories in 2025, now holding a total of 88 national Series wins.

He and the Ontario-based Hill’s Racing Team will begin their ninth consecutive year together in the season opener at Volusia Speedway Park — Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 29–31 — as part of the 55th annual Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. Hafertepe drove the familiar Townline Variety, Fisher Racing Engines-powered Triple X Chassis No. 15H to two top-10 finishes, including a podium on opening night, at the historic Florida 1/2-mile oval one year ago.

These strong runs against a deep field of over 50 cars gave him the early advantage in the points standings he needed in the chase for the points title. He’s already working overtime to ensure even better results in 2026.

“The preparation’s a little more than usual just because we really have to be fully prepared once we get down there because the points season does start so early,” Hafertepe said.

To aid in his preparation, Hafertepe’s hired some new crew help in 16-year-old Brody Brown. The former Micro Sprint racer from Lawton, OK, spent last year racing in the 305 and 360 Sprint Car ranks and will assume the role of car chief on the No. 15H in 2026.

As Hafertepe begins his 31st season as a driver in the motorsports world and commemorates a decade of national 360 Sprint Car racing, he now stares down only one man in the ASCS record books — his hero, Gary Wright.

Wright, a four-time ASCS national champion from 2004–2007, amassed a total of 128 Feature wins in his career — an ASCS record — and was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall-of-Fame in 2011.

Hafertepe now stands 40 Feature wins away from tying Wright’s mark. It will take a great deal of skill, longevity and patience to reach that height, but Hafertepe is optimistic about his career and its future with ASCS. 

“We hope to get excited about the future of ASCS and where World Racing Group can take it,” Hafertepe said. “It may be small strides or little-by-little, but that’s the kind of stuff that I do get excited to see out of ASCS, and hopefully it can continue to grow through the years.”

Tickets for the 2026 American Sprint Car Series season opener at Volusia Speedway Park are on sale now: click here to save in advance. If you can’t be there in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.