World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series
WoO provides sneak peek of 2014's biggest races
By Kevin Kovac
World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Cedar Lake hosts WoO's richest race. (chrisburback.com)
A season-opening eight-race, three-track burst of action in Georgia and Florida will kick off the 2014 World of Outlaws Late Model Series special-event schedule, tour officials announced on Friday.
Officials have released the dates of 10 major multi-day programs that will be featured on the circuit’s 2014 slate, including the four longest and richest races of the season: the prestigious USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis. (July 31-Aug. 2); the eighth annual Firecracker 100 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. (June 26-28); the Illini 100 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway (April 4-5); and the Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway (July 25-26).
The 2014 campaign will begin on Feb. 7-8 at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga., with the Winter Freeze weekend, which includes a pair of 50-lappers paying $10,000-to-win.
The tour then heads to the Sunshine State for the Late Model Winter Nationals on Feb. 14-16 at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla. — featuring three nights of racing with progressively larger winner’s shares of $8,000, $10,000 and $12,000 — and three more $10,000-to-win affairs on Feb. 20-22 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., to close the half-mile oval’s DIRTcar Nationals presented by Summit Racing Equipment.
The complete 2014 WoO LMS schedule, which is expected to number nearly 50 events, will be released soon.
“The World of Outlaws Late Model Series will again feature some of the most exciting and fan-friendly weekends in Dirt Late Model racing in 2014,” said tour director Tim Christman. “We’re thrilled to have these events serving as the framework of our 2014 season. With all of them big destination races, the time is right to release the dates so fans can start making plans to be part of the action.
“We will announce the complete 2014 schedule in the lead-up to next month’s Performance Racing Industries trade show as we have traditionally done in the past. With several new tracks joining the series, fans and racers will definitely want to keep an eye out for that announcement.”
Nearly $300,000 in combined first-place cash will be on the line in the 10 weekend spectaculars, led by the $50,000 top prize offered to the winner of the 27th annual USA Nationals on Aug. 1-2 at Cedar Lake Speedway. Part of the WoO LMS for the fifth consecutive year, the 100-lap summer showdown at the 3/8-mile Badger State oval boasts a purse of nearly $250,000, making it not only the richest race on the 2014 WoO slate, but also one of the most lucrative crown jewels in all of Dirt Late Model racing. The weekend also includes a 40-lap, $6,000-to-win WoO tuneup July 31.
The tour’s first major summer event of 2014 will once again be Lernerville Speedway’s Firecracker 100, which for the fifth year boasts 30-lap, $6,000-to-win preliminary programs on June 26 and June 27, leading into the headlining 100-lapper on June 28. A $30,000 check will be presented to the winner of the century grind at the 4/10-mile track northwest of Pittsburgh.
A pair of quarter-mile bullrings in the Land of Lincoln, meanwhile, will host two of the most anticipated 100-lap WoO events of the season: the sixth annual Illini 100 on April 4-5 at Farmer City Raceway and the 25th annual Prairie Dirt Classic on July 25-26 at Fairbury American Legion Speedway. The $20,000-to-win Illini 100 has quickly become a season-starting tradition in the Midwest, while Fairbury’s marquee event reached new heights last year with its first-ever World of Outlaws sanction.
Other major multi-day events spread across the 2014 WoO schedule:
• The Memorial Day weekend Jackpot 100 twinbill at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, W.Va. Details are forthcoming on the event, which will feature complete racing programs on May 23-24.
• A second annual Labor Day weekend doubleheader at Selinsgrove (Pa.) Speedway, which will present the 40-lap Showdown on Sand Hill on Aug. 30 ($8,000 to win) and the 50-lap Late Model National Open on Aug. 31 ($10,000 to win).
• The eighth annual World Finals on Nov. 6-8 at the Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C. A pair of $12,000-to-win WoO features will be part of the popular season-ending tripleheader that also includes the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series and the Super DIRTcar Series for big-block modifieds.
The upcoming release of the full 2014 WoO schedule will detail, among other items, two summer miniseries that have become annual staples — June’s Great Northern Tour that carries the circuit to the Firecracker 100 and the mid-July Wild West Tour — and dates at an array of stalwart tour tracks and new facilities.
