Madden scaling back to part-time in '25
Just ahead of competing in an event that’s among his most coveted victories, 49-year-old Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., today announced he'll step away from full-time Dirt Late Model competition at the conclusion of the season with plans to run 10 or fewer events starting in 2025.
A winner of nearly 300 feature events and two-time runner-up on the World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series, Madden said the 2024 run on the national circuit — he’s fourth in WoO points with two victories in the last five races — will be his last.
Madden, whose Late Model career has stretched 30 seasons, is scheduled to compete in this week’s $100,030-to-win Dream XXX at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. He’s among Dirt Late Model racing’s winningest active drivers without a crown jewel victory in Eldora's Dream or World 100. He’s finished second in the Dream three consecutive years going to back to 2021.
Madden owns nine championships on regional tours, twice on the Dryden Xtreme DIRTcar Series (2020-21), five times on the Schaeffer's Southern Nationals (2007-08, 11-12, ’14) and twice on the Coltman Farms Southern All Star Series (2005-06). His 52 Southern All Star victories are second on the all-time list and his 28 career Southern Nationals victories top that series.
Madden, whose 15-victory season in 2022 included four $50,000 victories, has captured many of the sport’s biggest events, including East Alabama Motor Speedway’s National 100 (2007, ’19 and ’23); Cherokee Speedway’s Blue-Gray 100 (nine times including '21-23); Batesville Motor Speedway’s Topless 100 (‘19); Florence Speedway’s North-South 100 (’19); Cedar Lake Speedway’s USA Nationals (’19) and the Dirt Track at Charlotte’s World Finals (’16 and ’19) and Colossal 100 (’22).
Correction: Fixes totals of Madden's regional titles.
