National notebook
Notes: Swainsboro special for Cody Overton
Cody Overton is ready for Swainsboro. (joshjamesartwork.com)
For the first time in his World of Outlaws Late Models career, Cody Overton is set to be the hometown hero. This weekend’s Battle at the Crossroads will mark the first World of Outlaws event at Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway since 2012, several years before Overton ever climbed behind the wheel of a Dirt Late Model.
The 27-year-old Overton grew up an hour north of Swainsboro in Thomson, Ga., and has more laps around the track than any other in the country. The fans who fill the stands every night have watched Overton become one of the top young stars of Late Model racing, and this weekend they’ll get to see him go to battle on the national stage.
“That town is just so little, they’re all there,” Overton said. “That’s what’s cool about it. It kind of reminds me of Fairbury (Ill.). You know the same people are going to be there, the whole town is there. I think it’ll be cool they get to see all this.”
After years of watching his brother Brandon rip around the track, Cody thought to himself at the start of the 2018 season, “I think I could do that.” So, he loaded up a Crate Late Model and made the trip south to Swainsboro to get his feet wet. How did that first night go?
“It wasn’t very good,” Overton said with a laugh.
The rocky start to his driving career didn’t deter him though, as Overton quickly proved he had the talent to win on any given night. By the end of his first season, Overton had racked up trophies from Swainsboro, Senoia (Ga.) Raceway, Needmore Speedway in Norman Park, Ga., Laurens County Speedway in Laurens, S.C., and Rome (Ga.) Speedway.
While Overton has done plenty of traveling since the start of his career, Swainsboro has always been home. And for the Swainsboro locals, there’s no bigger race than the season-ending Turkey 100. It’s been a family tradition for as long as Overton can remember, and winning it ranks as one of his top accomplishments behind the wheel of a race car.
“Thanksgiving, that’s a big deal for our family,” Overton said. “We’ve been going since I was a baby, Brandon’s been going since he was 13, so that’s just a big deal for our family. He’s won it now and I’ve won it a couple times, so it makes it pretty cool.”
With a sizable portion of the World of Outlaws field having little or no Swainsboro experience, several teams came out to the track’s Spring Nationals Series event on Feb. 28 to turn some laps, and Overton’s Dave Steine Motorsports team was one of them.
What started as a promising night went sideways when the right-rear tire broke off in time trials. Overton made his way from the back of a consolation race to take the final transfer spot but was unable to advance higher than 18th in the main event.
As long as the lug nuts are tight this time around, Overton is confident in his chances to put his years of Swainsboro knowledge to good use and contend for his first WoO victory.
“It’s its own little animal, flat in a circle,” Overton said of the uniqueness of the 3/8-mile facility. “I think we’ll be a lot better. We got ourselves buried, but we know what we did wrong.” — Spence Smithback
STARRS REMAINING AT BATESVILLE: After announcing in November plans to step away from promotions, Mooney and Connie Starr have reversed course and plan to continue operating Batesville Motor Speedway in Locust Grove, Ark. The couple that have promoted racing more than 30 years got a late start to landing sponsorships and making plans for the season, but "we'll catch back up. I've been down before, and I'm not scared," Starr said in a video posted on the track's Facebook page. "The only thing that jabbed us in the side a little bit, is (people saying) 'It needs some new blood, it needs some young blood.' We've been drinking Geritol all winter long. We've got new blood. We're revived. We're going to come alive in '25." Among the track's Late Model events are May 9-10's Bad Boy 98 on the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series and Aug. 15-16's Nutrien Ag Solutions Topless 100, which pays $50,000-to-win on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
NEW PACE TRUCK SPONSOR FOR LUCAS OIL: Racecar Engineering is the new title sponsor of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series pace track for 2025-26, the national tour announced. The Racecar Engineering Pace Truck will lead the field at all series events across the country. "As we continue building on our unmatched customer service and competitive pricing, it made perfect sense to partner with a series that offers unparalleled marketing benefits and treats the tracks, racers and fans in the same ways we treat each of our customers," Steve Dorer, Racecar Engineering's general manager, said in a press release.
WORK CONTINUING AT OKLAHOMA TRACK: Co-promoter Robert McMurtrie this week pledged that the Dewey, Okla., track would reopen in 2025, but didn't set an opening date as work continues on the facility that hasn't operated since 1981. Plans are to erect the grandstands soon followed by light poles, the Musco lighting system and then guardrails. Concessions, press box and restroom projects will follow, McMurtrie said. Cold and wet weather and muddy conditions have slowed projects, he said. Divisions expected included Late Models, sprint cars, modifieds and pure stocks with select other classes. "It won't be the Taj Mahal," McMurtrie posted on Facebook, "but a family-oriented, fun and nostalgic racetrack to attend."
GEORGETOWN SHOWCASING IMPROVEMENTS: Georgetown (Del.) Speedway display some of its offseason improvements at a March 15 practice and it set to open the season March 28 with the $3,026-to-win Mark "Coot" Williams Memorial for Super Late Models. Improvements include a state-of-the-art scoring and tower center made possible by contributions from J&J Shops, Wesley Collins Builders and several other dedicated supporters. The track has also added a cutting-edge Daktronics Scoreboard in the infield with a massive digital display. Atop the scoreboard, a newly repurposed lightbox will feature prominent branding from Insinger Performance. New poles, lights and speakers are planned for the frontstretch. The track also announced that Etta's Catering has taking over concession operations and the track will now accept credit and debit card payments along. In the pits, season pass-holders can scan in using their MyRacePass season passes.
RECORD-SETTING 12 FIVE-FIGURE CRUSA EVENTS: The Rogers Dabs Crate Racin' USA Schedule for 604-engine competitors includes a record 12 races paying $10,000-to-win or more. The schedule includes 19 events among 15 tracks in six states with more than $161,000 in first-place prize money up for grabs. The points fund numbers $58,000 and $7,000 goes to the top three tour rookies. The Adam Stewart-owned tour launches March 28-29 at Needmore Speedway in Norman Park, Ga., with the $10,000-to-win Southern Heritage classic.
RECONGIFURATION OF KENTUCKY OVAL: After the track had widened out to a half-mile, officials at Windy Hollow Speedway near Owensboro, Ky., are tightening the configuration up as a 3/8-mile layout. The backstretch will be brought in and turns one and two will be reshaped to have the same elevation as turns three and four. Along with adding dirt and banking around the track, officials plans to add a wall in turns three and four along with new 15-foot catchfencing from the frontstretch into turn one. The project includes plans to improve drainage. The track is also mourning the passing of local racer James Reynolds, long known as the Bingo Bandit. He was 68.
ODDS AND ENDS: East Lincoln Motor Speedway in Stanley, N.C., which hasn’t host a regular Limited Late Model division since 2022, has restored the class in 2025 with seven appearances beginning March 29. … I-75 Raceway announced its 10-race season for 602 Crate Late Models will pay $2,000 to the champion thanks to sponsorship from Andy Dill Trucking. … Former Crate Racin’ USA champion Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, Ga., underwent Feb. 28 surgery to repair facial injuries suffered in a tree-clearing accident. … Veteran racer Jesse Lowe has taken over promotions at Mountain View Raceway in Spring City, Tenn. … Michigan and Texas racing communities are mourning the March 15 passing of Doug Rollo, a longtime dirt racing supporter and announcer. He was 68. ... TNT Speedway in Three Lakes, Wis., is reopening and plans USRA-sanctioned Late Model events on June 14 and July 26. ... Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex in Markleysburg, Pa., which runs Ultimate-sanctioned Crate Late Models weekly, has scheduled Super Late Model events for May 25, July 6 and Aug. 31. ... Victory Lane Speedway in Winnipeg, Manitoba, plans to run Gen-X style Limited Late Models instead of WISSOTA-sanctioned Late Models in 2025. ... Longtime Midwestern short-track photographer Dennis Piefer died Feb. 18 at his Freeport, Ill. Home. He was 76. ... Bedford (Pa.) Speedway is completing an offseason project to replace the frontstretch catchfence. ... The Kansas-based circuit has tweaked its name to Revival Super Dirt Series to emphasize that the tour welcomes Super Late Models.
