Finally! The weather relented enough for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series to complete a racing weekend as the series contested two $10,000-to-win events at Mississippi’s Whynot Motorsports Park on Friday and Saturday nights. Until this past weekend, the tour had not seen action since back on February 17th at Volusia Speedway Park.
Further, every feature that had been run until this past Friday had not only involved the regulars from the WoO Late Models Series but also a number of racers from the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Last weekend was the first time those who intend to run this series full-time had been able to race one another without drivers from the other national tour on hand.
So what have we learned up to this point on the WoO Late Models Series?
Brandon Sheppard is the current WoO Late Models points leader
First, and this should come as no surprise to anyone, Brandon Sheppard and the Rocket Chassis house car crew is the team to beat. Last year’s champion has picked up right where he left of in 2017. Not only did the No. 1 car roll into victory lane during SpeedWeeks at Volusia, as well as in non-WoO races, but he scored an impressive feature win at Whynot after starting from the 12th position on Friday.
Sheppard currently leads the series standings after adding a top-5 effort to his resume on Saturday evening. However, his lead is not an overwhelming one.
Secondly, while some may have questioned just how competitive Chris Madden would be in 2018 following the off-season announcement that he would be taking the seat in the Barry Wright Race Cars house car, the Gray Court, SC racer has shown that he is indeed a serious contender coming off a season in which he finished as the series runner-up in 2017. Although the No. 44 machine has not pulled into a WoO victory lane, Madden has shown the ability to win against tough competition after scoring impressive $10,000 triumphs in Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series and Carolina Clash events contested in the Carolinas during the WoO lull.
Chris Madden has been very consistent on WoO Late Models competition
Clearly Madden and the BWRC team are for real after posting consecutive podium results at Whynot and currently residing in second place of the standings, just six points behind Sheppard. While Sheppard may have emerged as the early favorite on the WoO Late Models tour, Madden looks like he will offer a strong challenge as he looks to wrest that crown away.
And third, we have learned after the first full weekend of WoO Late Models competition since February that while Sheppard and Madden appear to be the early front runners, there is plenty of parity on the tour and a number of drivers and teams enter each event with a legitimate shot a collecting a checkered flag.
Billy Moyer, Jr. had to fend of a late charge from Shane Clanton to win Saturday’s main event in Mississippi. Certainly, either of those two drivers could roll into victory lane on any given night as could the likes of former series champion Rick Eckert as well as two-time Knoxville Late Model Nationals winner Mike Marlar along with rising stars Devin Moran, Brandon Overton(who won the WoO Late Models event at Smoky Mountain last year), Chris Ferguson, Tyler Erb and numerous others.
Billy Moyer, Jr. won on Saturday at Whynot
No doubt, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series visit to the Smoky Mountain Speedway this Friday and Saturday night for a pair of $10,000-to-win races will teach us even more lessons about this tour as it moves forward. After this two-night affair was postponed earlier in the season due to unfavorable weather conditions, this promises to be a great weekend.
