JUNCTION CITY, KY – JULY 12, 2023 – A Midwest doubleheader kicks off the Summer of Money in style for the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series.
Boasting back-to-back $15,000 payday events, the weekend will bring the Series back to Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY on Friday, July 14 for the 50-lap Johnny Mulligan Classic and then to Brownstown Speedway in Brownstown, IN on Saturday, July 15, for the 40th annual Hoosier Dirt Classic 50-lap affair.
If you can’t make it to the tracks, you can watch every World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model race live on DIRTVision.
Here’s a look at the storylines entering this weekend:
Operating at the Top: After winning three Features during World of Outlaws Heartland Speedweek, Bobby Pierce finds himself at the top of the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models standings—52 points ahead of Chris Madden.
The Oakwood, IL driver has won more World of Outlaws Features than any other driver in 2023 (5), so far, and returns to Brownstown on Saturday, where he’s already won this season.
Pierce won the Northern All-Stars event at the track in April and has a Hoosier Dirt Classic win with the DIRTcar Summer Nationals in 2021. He also won the Jackson 100 in 2018.
The “Smooth Operator” has only finished outside the top 10 once in his last 14 World of Outlaws races and has four wins and 11 top fives in that stretch.
Smokey and The Reaper: While Pierce is out front in the battle for the 2023 championship, two points separate Madden and Ryan Gustin in the standings.
Gustin closed in on the Gray Court, SC driver with three top 10s in the final three races of World of Outlaws Heartland Speedweek, including a win at River Cities Speedway.
Meanwhile, Madden bounced back with a fifth and sixth at River Cities and I-94 emr Speedway after a tough start to the Heartland swing.
If Gustin wins this weekend, it’ll be his fourth Series win of 2023, while Madden is searching for his third.
Looking to Strike: Reigning World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Rookie of the Year Tanner English has been close to scoring his first win of 2023, and this could be the weekend he gets over the hump.
The Benton, KY driver has found success at both tracks throughout his career, including two wins at Ponderosa. He earned an Iron-Man Series win at the track last September and scored a MARS Series win in 2017.
Meanwhile, at Brownstown, he finished fifth in the Northern All-Stars race won by Pierce earlier this year and won the track’s Hall of Fame Classic in 2020. He also scored a pair of wins there in 2017.
A win this weekend would be English’s fourth World of Outlaws victory.
Beware of the Champions: The last time the World of Outlaws raced at Ponderosa and Brownstown, a former Series champion found Victory Lane.
Shane Clanton, the 2015 Series champion, won at Ponderosa in 2016, and defending champion Dennis Erb Jr. won at Brownstown in 2007.
Erb returned to form during World of Outlaws Heartland Speedweek, earning a $30,000 victory at 81 Speedway. Clanton also found momentum in the Heartland, scoring back-to-back podiums at Off Road Speedway and Mason City Motor Speedway.
However, those two aren’t the only champions who’ve won at Brownstown. Four-time Series champion Brandon Sheppard won the Indiana Ice Breaker in 2019 and 2021.
While Erb is searching for win number two of the season, Clanton and Sheppard are both searching for their first World of Outlaws win of 2023.
WHEN AND WHERE
Ponderosa Speedway (3/8-mile) in Junction City, KY on July 14
Brownstown Speedway (1/4-mile) in Brownstown, IN on July 15
ONLINE
Ponderosa Speedway: www.ponderosaspeedway.net
Brownstown Speedway: www.brownstownspeedway.com
TRACK RECORDS
Ponderosa Speedway: 12.186 by Tim McCreadie on 4/30/21
Brownstown Speedway: 12.509 by Josh Richards on 3/20/21
On the Internet
World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Series
Twitter – Twitter.com/WoOLateModels – @WoOLateModels
Instagram – Instagram.com/WoOLateModels – @woolatemodels
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsLateModelSeries
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
