WoO Late Model Preview: Who Will Challenge Sheppard in 2020?

It seems like no time ago when we were wrapping up the 2019 World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series at The Dirt Track in Charlotte. And as a matter of fact, it was only a few short weeks ago when we were doing that very thing. But believe it or not, the 2020 version of that national touring series is about to kick off its 56-race campaign just after the New Year’s Day holiday at Vado Speedway Park in Vado, New Mexico with three points-paying features on January 3rd-5th.

Click here to check out the 56-race WoO Late Models schedule for 2020

Looking back at last season on the WoO Late Models circuit, the immediate question that comes to mind is that of who will step forward to challenge Brandon Sheppard and the Mark Richards-owned Rocket Chassis house car team throughout the upcoming year on this series.

Sheppard completely dominated in 2019. The No. 1 car pulled into victory lane a total of 18 times out of the 41 WoO races contested. By finishing up with 37 top-5 and 39 top-10 results, the Illinois driver was virtually always in contention in those events.

Ultimately, Sheppard won the series championship by 340 points over his next closest rival.

Add to those impressive numbers the wins the 26-year-old achieved outside of the WoO Late Model Series and his accomplishments become even more remarkable. Sheppard was the first to take the checkered flag in three races that paid at least $100,000-to-win in 2019 as well as other non-WoO victories.

Those who attempt to step up and challenge the two-time series champion have a daunting task in front of them.

It’s already known that the driver who finished second in the WoO standings in 2019 will not be a challenger for Sheppard in the coming year. Shane Clanton and his Skyline Motorsports teammate, Tyler Bruening, have announced that they will compete full-time on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2020.

Another of the top contenders from last season, Darrell Lanigan, has switched rides leaving his own operation and his Club 29 Race Cars to take the seat in the Barry Wright Race Cars house car. It remains to be seen how that new pairing will get out of the gate in Vado and beyond.

Chase Junghans had a steady season in 2019 that ended with a fourth place result in the final standings. However, the Kansas native only managed one feature win over the course of the year. Can he win enough races to keep pace with Sheppard in the coming campaign?

A trio of drivers who could very well step forward to threaten Sheppard’s dominance come from the Sweet-Bloomquist Race Cars stable. Last year’s WoO Late Models Rookie of the Year and third place finisher in the final standings, Ricky Weiss, will be back for another run in this series. The Canadian driver is a former winner of the North-South 100 and will benefit from the addition of two returning veteran drivers who will be in the same chassis.

Click here to check out a Team Chart showing Driver/Chassis/Engine combinations of those teams who have indicated they will run for the WoO Late Models championship

Scott Bloomquist was the 2004 World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion. The legendary driver has decided to move from the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series back to this tour with help from series sponsor Drydene Performance Products. Will this be the driver to pry the crown from Sheppard in 2020?

One thing to consider regarding Bloomquist is that the Hall of Fame driver suffered series leg and hip injuries in March of last year as the result of a motorcycle accident. After his return, there were still visible signs that he was being bothered by those wounds as he walked with a limp. That said, however, he did beat out a competitive field to take a $15,000 first prize in an unsanctioned event at Cochran(GA) Motor Speedway late in 2019.

Perhaps the most serious threat of all to Sheppard’s reign could be Chris Madden. This is a driver who finished in the top-three of the WoO Late Model final standings in both 2017 and 2018. But more than that, what seems to indicate that he will contend for the title in 2020 is the way he closed out 2019.

After parting ways with Skyline Motorsports midway through the campaign last year, Madden briefly found himself without a solid ride. However, Scott Bloomquist and business manager Cody Sommer eventually brought Madden into the Scott Bloomquist Racing fold and the results were spectacular.

During the second half of the season, Madden went on a tear that saw him score three crown jewel wins(USA Nationals, North-South 100, and Topless 100) along with multiple wins across other series, including three WoO features. The reunification of sorts with Bloomquist proved to be quite a positive uptick for the South Carolina star after what appeared to be devastating news earlier in the year when he and Skyline separated.

Consider that Madden and Sheppard went head-to-head with each other on eight occasions after Madden landed in the Sweet-Bloomquist Race Cars seat. In those match-ups, Madden won the USA Nationals as well as WoO features at Lavonia and the first event at Charlotte while finishing second at Cherokee and fifth in the second Charlotte race. Madden also grabbed second in the I-80 Speedway’s Silver Dollar Nationals with Sheppard taking third while the two drivers finished 5th and 14th respectively in the World 100.

Sheppard only outran Madden once in those eight head-to-head events and that was when he placed second in the Knoxville(IA) Nationals with Madden coming home in the sixth position.

So who will emerge to challenge Brandon Sheppard’s dominance on the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series?

Scott Bloomquist is a former champion and has won virtually every big race in the sport. Chris Madden showed in the second half of last year that he could compete with the Rocket Chassis house car team. Other contenders such as former champion Darrell Lanigan along with Ricky Weiss and Chase Junghans could certainly figure in the mix.

However, Sheppard and his tam have proven that they can maintain a high level of performance over the duration of a long season. It will be up to everyone else to match and ultimately overcome that track record of proven performance.

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