Brandon Sheppard, Nick Hoffman and Bobby Pierce are within 76 points of each other with nine races remaining in the 2024 season.
With nine races remaining in the highly competitive World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model season, there are three drivers looking to reach a historic milestone in 2024.
Four-time World of Outlaws champion Brandon Shepherd is looking to win his fifth championship and break a tie with Josh Richards for the series' all-time winningest driver.
After excelling in the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds division, second-year star Nick Hoffman is looking to cement his status as a star in the latest Dirt Late Models as he seeks his first series championship.
Reigning World of Outlaws champion Bobby Pierce weathered an early points deficit to earn a chance to become just the fourth driver to win consecutive series titles, joining Billy Moyer, Richards and Shepherd.
Shepherd, from New Berlin, Illinois, has the fewest feature race wins of the three 2024 drivers, but he has the most top-10 finishes of all drivers with 26, which has allowed him to consistently lead the points standings. He will be looking to extend his lead by finishing the season with his fourth win ahead of the World of Outlaws World Finals (November 6-9).
“I thought it was a good car that was consistent,” Sheppard said. “Longhorn Race Cars is still a learning curve. At the end of the day, we keep learning, figuring out what we like and doing whatever it takes to win. Trying to find an edge to keep up with Bobby's pace. He's in top class so I've got to find a way to keep up with him. It's good to have good results on tracks that are good for me. We had some bad luck, but all we can do is maximize what we can throughout the race.”Emily Schwanke Photo
Hoffman's championship thirst comes with sadness following the death of Scott Bloomquist on Friday, Aug. 14. Bloomquist, creator of the “Dirty Dozen” and champion of the 2004 World of Outlaws revival, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, was Hoffman's mentor in dirt Late Model racing.
The Mooresville, North Carolina native raced for Bloomquist in 2021, earning two top-five finishes at the World of Outlaws at Deer Creek Speedway and Davenport Speedway.
“I've been fortunate to be surrounded by some really smart people in racing, but Scott was different,” Hoffman said. “The way he thought about how a race car should work, the way he handled it, even the little things outside of racing, he had a different outlook on everything. It was really cool to spend time with him and learn so much about it and see why he's been so successful over the years. He was definitely different. Nick Hoffman raced for Scott Bloomquist in 2021 (Photo by Jaycee Norgard)
“I had a lot of good times with him. He was a fun guy to be around and we all knew he liked to party and stay up late. I really enjoyed that side of it, but what I learned from him in terms of racing technique and everything he did was far better than anyone else. He worked harder than anyone, and I think that's why he was successful for so many decades. All he knew was dirt racing. Every night I drove his car, he gave 100% dedication to the race team and made sure I got to win races. I wouldn't be here today if I hadn't had the opportunity to drive for him. I'm blessed and honored to be one of the few guys who raced for him.”
Pierce, a native of Oakwood, Illinois, saw what Bloomquist was like from an early age, as his father, Bob Pierce, raced against Bloomquist in the 2010s and 2020s before competing against the driver from Mooresburg, Tennessee.
“I got to see the relationship between Scott and my dad,” Pierce said, “because they were such fierce competitors back in the day, they always had a really friendly relationship. They were both really good with race cars, so they connected on that front. I grew up watching my dad race and learned a lot from him. He was the greatest driver of all time, hands down, he's been the most dominant for the longest time. For example, if I saw my dad's trailer coming, his car was going to lose.
“I think all drivers have to thank him for where the sport is today. He shaped the sport of dirt late model racing.”
Shepherd competed with Bloomquist in the World of Outlaws, finishing second to “Black Sunshine” in the final series feature at Thunder Mountain Speedway in 2020.
“I think we had a mutual respect for each other,” Shepherd said. “He'd come over and say 'hi,' and we'd talk every now and then. I think my life has been just like everybody else's over the years. Everything he said and did was exciting to watch. What I remember about him is all the crazy things he did over the years. What he said after the race is what I liked the most, because he wasn't afraid to say what was on his mind. It's a shame, but he went off and did what he loved.”
With experience in points racing after winning three Modified national titles and five DIRTcar Modified Summer National Championships, Hoffman knows how to get the job done under pressure. As the 32-year-old driver seeks his first World of Outlaws title, Hoffman will need to collect every point he can to close out his second full-time Late Model season with the biggest milestone of all.
“You always expect to win races and win the championship,” Hoffman said. “This is a very important year for us, and it just shows what we can do over the next few years. We have to win races to win the title. Bobby has the potential to win a couple more races, and Sheppard has been leading every night. We can't have any issues. We have to win races. This would be a big turnaround.”
“It would be the biggest milestone of my career. Shepherd did it four times and Bobby did it last year. Just winning one (title) is big. Everybody wants to race the Outlaws as a kid, so winning a championship would be incredible and a milestone. We've just got to keep working and get it done.”
Pierce said he has a similar motivation to Hoffman, wanting to win as many races as possible to move the No. 32 Low Voltage Solutions Late Model closer in the points and battle Shepherd in the season finale at the dirt track at Charlotte in November.
“We need to go to every race we can,” Pierce said. “You never know what's going to happen. If nobody drops out of the race and we're all up front, we need to win whatever we can. We're just going to take it one race at a time and work our way through the rest of the year and see where we are when Charlotte comes around. I feel like if the year was the same as 2023, we had a chance to come back. We've won seven of the last 11 races, but we had a couple of DNFs. So, without that, we would have been there. We just need to give it our all the last few races, take the opportunity that's given to us and go from there.” Bobby Pierce Wins 2023 World of Outlaws Title (Chris Owens)
His fifth championship win reminds Shepherd of the journey he’s had as a World of Outlaws driver, and while he goes into the race looking to extend his points lead over Hoffman and Pierce, “B-Shep” is also looking to add another feature race win to his current career total of 86 series wins.
“It would definitely mean a lot to me,” Shepherd said. “Everyone who goes down this road has been through the ups and downs of dirt Late Model racing. They know wins are hard to come by and championships are even harder. If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would have won four World of Outlaws championships by the time I was 30, I would have said, 'You're crazy.' Now I look back and see that we're on our way to a fifth win, but we're not where we want to be yet.”
“You're always looking at the next day, the next race, the next year and so on. What are you racing for if you're not looking forward to the next race? I'll try and get some wins and see what the points are going to do. As far as the points races go, if I know I don't have a car to win, I'll make sure I do reasonably well. That's what I need to win it all this year, so my year is my year.”
Hoffman is looking forward to the remaining races in the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models and expects any placement will have an impact on the championship race. The series will conclude its August races with the Fireball 50 at Atomic Speedway.
“Atomic is going to be a good track for all three of us,” Hoffman said. “Then we've got Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and the South leg of Texas, which will be key to determining what it takes to win the championship. Charlotte could be a stretch. You can lose 50 points in a flash at the World Finals, so I think it's going to be all decided there and hopefully we'll be in the thick of it.”
Pierce is 76 points behind Shepherd for the series points lead, and with his return to championship contention, “Smooth Operator” Pierce is confident a second championship win will mean even more to him than his performance at the Prairie Dirt Classic, where he fought back from 21st to take his first win in the premier event.
“Scott, Mark Richards and the Dirty Dozen played a huge role in building the World of Outlaws to where they are today so it means a lot,” Pearce said. “Now we're really determined to try and win a second championship, which would be crazy – maybe even crazier than winning a comeback in the PDC. It would be amazing to win it again so we'll do our best.”
The three drivers will continue their quest for the 2024 World of Outlaws CASE Late Model title at the Fireball 50 in Chillicothe, Ohio, on Friday, August 23rd and Saturday, August 24th.
For more information on upcoming events for the 2024 World of Outlaws CASE Late Models season, click here.
If you can't make it to the track, you can watch every lap of the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models season on DIRTVision using your computer or mobile device.
