For the 20th consecutive year, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision will conclude the season in the Carolinas – with an added twist.
New in 2026 is a visit to Modoc Speedway for the Modoc 100 on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23-24. The inaugural Modoc event has become the lead-in to the annual finale at The Dirt Track at Charlotte as part of Dave Smith Motors World of Outlaws World Finals, Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 4-7.
The greater Charlotte area has been the center of the full-fendered racing universe for eight decades, dating back to the moonshine-running era in the 1940s. Dirt tracks popped up all over the region in the years that followed, and while several were later paved alongside the rise of NASCAR, many have stayed true to their dirt roots to this day. The result is one of the strongest dirt Late Model scenes in the nation, and one that the World of Outlaws have played an important role in for the past two decades.
Here’s a look at the Carolina tracks that have been part of World of Outlaws history:
The Dirt Track at Charlotte: In the late 1990s, Bruton Smith and the team at Charlotte Motor Speedway wanted to expand the facility’s motorsports offerings beyond the 1.5-mile oval that opened in 1960. Their vision became public in 1999 when the announcement was made that a dirt track would be constructed on the opposite side of Highway 29 from the NASCAR oval.
The original blueprints included a 3/8-mile layout, but plans were changed to the eventual 4/10-mile size during construction. The Dirt Track at Charlotte was completed in the spring of 2000, with the inaugural event being a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series doubleheader on Memorial Day weekend prior to the Coca-Cola 600.
It wouldn’t be long until the Late Model contingent got their first taste of the state-of-the-art Charlotte facility. The Hav-A-Tampa Series made two stops at Charlotte in 2000, with Scott Bloomquist winning on July 3 and Dan Schlieper taking the checkers on Sept. 23.
Several other touring series added Charlotte to their schedules in the years that followed – the Southern All Stars being the most frequent visitor – prior to the arrival of the World of Outlaws in 2007 for the first edition of World Finals. The new event created a combined championship weekend for the Late Model and Sprint Car communities, as well as the Super DIRTcar Series beginning in 2010.
World Finals has since grown into a premier staple of the World of Outlaws schedule, consistently featuring one of the largest car counts of the season. In the 19-year history of the event, no one has had more success than Jonathan Davenport, who won twice in 2025 to surpass Jimmy Owens as the winningest Late Model driver in World Finals history. Davenport’s eight victories place him second on the World Finals wins list across all three divisions, trailing only Donny Schatz with nine.
For a few years in the 2000s, World Finals wasn’t Charlotte’s only major World of Outlaws event. The Series also visited in the spring for the Colossal 100, an event won by Bloomquist (2007), Steve Francis (2008) and Earl Pearson Jr. (2009) before the race was discontinued.
Cherokee Speedway: Ask anyone to think about Late Model racing in the Carolinas, and there’s a good chance that Cherokee Speedway is one of the first things that comes to mind.
“The Place Your Mama Warned You About” has become one of the most widely known tracks in the sport since opening in 1957. Nearly every national and Southeast regional Late Model tour has made plenty of stops at the 3/8-mile in Gaffney, SC, including the World of Outlaws, starting in 2017.
Much like many other southeastern red-dirt ovals, Brandon Overton has been dominant in Series action at Cherokee, winning four of the nine World of Outlaws races held there. A pair of South Carolinians have also won their first Series race at Cherokee, those being Ross Bailes in 2019 and Michael Brown in 2022.
Cherokee has remained a hotbed for Super Late Model racing since their most recent World of Outlaws race four years ago, with their biggest event being the Blue-Gray 100 every fall. This year’s race is set for Sunday, Oct. 25, the day after the World of Outlaws event at Modoc, creating a tripleheader race weekend in the “Palmetto State.”
Fayetteville Motor Speedway: The lone track in eastern North Carolina that has hosted World of Outlaws racing is Fayetteville Motor Speedway, which appeared on the schedule eight times between 2008 and 2018.
The 5/16-mile oval maintained plenty of parity in Series action with seven different winners in eight races, with Josh Richards being the only repeat winner. Fayetteville is also the home track of current World of Outlaws regular Daulton Wilson, a former track champion in the Pure Stock division.
Following their final World of Outlaws race in 2018, Fayetteville continued to host regional and local racing until its closure at the end of the 2025 season.
Lancaster Motor Speedway: A hub of local and regional Late Model racing for almost 70 years, Lancaster Motor Speedway has a pair of World of Outlaws races in its history books from 2019 and 2020.
In the inaugural event, a blown right-rear tire for Lancaster, SC native Ben Watkins on Lap 20 of 50 handed the lead to Brandon Sheppard, who never looked back. Then on Labor Day weekend in 2020, Overton broke away to a lead of more than three seconds for his fourth-straight World of Outlaws win.
The track continues to host regional Super Late Model racing regularly, and Watkins is riding a six-race Carolina Clash win streak at his home track dating back to 2022.
311 Motor Speedway: No one misses 311 Motor Speedway’s spot on the World of Outlaws schedule more than Tim McCreadie.
The Watertown, NY native won both Series visits to Pine Hall, NC in 2012 and 2013, with both victories snapping a long winless streak lasting nearly a year. McCreadie is one of many big names with 311 wins on their resume alongside Bloomquist, Davenport, Overton, Dale McDowell and even NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Dillon, who won a pair of Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series races there in 2010.
While 311 has sat dormant since 2021, efforts have been made in the past year to potentially reopen the track.
Friendship Motor Speedway: The other dirt track in the North Carolina foothills is Friendship Motor Speedway, sitting 50 miles west of 311 in Elkin, NC.
Opening as a dirt track in 1982, Friendship spent a few seasons hosting pavement racing from 2003 to 2007 before returning to dirt for the 2008 season. Seven years later, Friendship welcomed the World of Outlaws for the first time in 2015 when North Carolina native Chris Ferguson collected his first Series win.
The event appeared to be a one-and-done until 2023, when the track was purchased by Bobby and Jessica Koehler of nearby Mt. Airy, NC, renamed Ultimate Motorsports Park and added to the World of Outlaws schedule on Memorial Day weekend in 2024. Bailes and Bobby Pierce split a pair of split-field Friday Features before Saturday’s main event was canceled due to rain.
When the Koehler family ended their operation of the track to focus on their other businesses, Ultimate Towing & Recovery and Koehler Motorsports, local businessman Chuck Melton stepped in to purchase the facility. The track’s original name was restored for 2026, and Friendship has become one of the few tracks in the southeast to run Super Late Models as part of its weekly racing program.
Carolina Speedway: One of the oldest continuously-operating tracks in the region, Carolina Speedway opened in 1961 under the management of Humpy Wheeler, who got his start in race promotion at Carolina before going on to become the general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway.
After hosting a handful of Hav-A-Tampa shows in the early 1990s, the Gastonia, NC oval got its lone modern-era national-touring event in 2016. The trophy went to Richards, who fended off Chub Frank and Rick Eckert for his fifth of 18 wins that season.
Race-by-Race History
April 21, 2007 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Scott Bloomquist
Oct. 10, 2007 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Shannon Babb
Nov. 2, 2007 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Scott Bloomquist
Nov. 3, 2007 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Donnie Moran
April 19, 2008 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Steve Francis
Oct. 7, 2008 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Josh Richards
Oct. 29, 2008 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Chris Madden
Oct. 31, 2008 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Scott Bloomquist
Nov. 1, 2008 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
March 29, 2009 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Earl Pearson Jr.
April 17, 2009 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Jeff Smith
Nov. 5, 2009 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
Nov. 6, 2009 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Scott Bloomquist
Nov. 7, 2009 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
April 30, 2010 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Josh Richards
Oct. 13, 2010 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
Nov. 6, 2010 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
Nov. 6, 2010 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
Oct. 12, 2011 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
Nov. 4, 2011 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
Nov. 5, 2011 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
May 4, 2012 – 311 Motor Speedway – Tim McCreadie
Oct. 10, 2012 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Rick Eckert
Nov. 2, 2012 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
Nov. 3, 2012 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
April 20, 2013 – 311 Motor Speedway – Tim McCreadie
Nov. 8, 2013 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Darrell Lanigan
Nov. 9, 2013 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
May 2, 2014 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Darrell Lanigan
Nov. 7, 2014 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Darrell Lanigan
Nov. 8, 2014 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
May 1, 2015 – Friendship Motor Speedway – Chris Ferguson
May 2, 2015 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Chris Ferguson
Nov. 6, 2015 – The Dirt Track at Charotte – Brandon Sheppard
Nov. 8, 2015 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
April 29, 2016 – Carolina Speedway – Josh Richards
April 30, 2016 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Brian Shirley
Oct. 28, 2016 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
Oct. 29, 2016 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Chris Madden
May 5, 2017 – Cherokee Speedway – Shane Clanton
May 6, 2017 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Brandon Sheppard
Nov. 3, 2017 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Brandon Sheppard
Nov. 4, 2017 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Dennis Erb Jr.
May 4, 2018 – Cherokee Speedway – Mike Marlar
May 12, 2018 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Jimmy Owens
Nov. 3, 2018 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Brandon Sheppard
Nov. 3, 2018 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Scott Bloomquist
May 3, 2019 – Cherokee Speedway – Ross Bailes
June 1, 2019 – Lancaster Motor Speedway – Brandon Sheppard
Oct. 4, 2019 – Cherokee Speedway – Brandon Overton
Nov. 8, 2019 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Chris Madden
Nov. 9, 2019 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
Sept. 5, 2020 – Lancaster Motor Speedway – Brandon Overton
Oct. 2, 2020 – Cherokee Speedway – Brandon Overton
Nov. 4, 2020 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Brandon Overton
Nov. 5, 2020 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Tim McCreadie
Sept. 2, 2021 – Cherokee Speedway – Brandon Overton
Oct. 1, 2021 – Cherokee Speedway – Brandon Overton
Nov. 5, 2021 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
Nov. 6, 2021 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
March 25, 2022 – Cherokee Speedway – Michael Brown
March 26, 2022 – Cherokee Speedway – Max Blair
Nov. 2, 2022 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Mike Marlar
Nov. 3, 2022 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Tanner English
Nov. 5, 2022 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
Nov. 2, 2023 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Mike Marlar
Nov. 3, 2023 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Ricky Thornton Jr.
Nov. 4, 2023 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Ricky Thornton Jr.
Nov. 7, 2024 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Ricky Thornton Jr.
Nov. 8, 2024 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Bobby Pierce
Nov. 9, 2024 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Chris Madden
Nov. 6, 2025 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Hudson O’Neal
Nov. 7, 2025 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
Nov. 8, 2025 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
World of Outlaws Winners from the Carolinas
Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 40
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 19
Chris Ferguson – Mt. Holly, NC – 2
Kyle Strickler – Mooresville, NC – 2
Jeff Smith – Dallas, NC – 1
Ross Bailes – Clover, SC – 1
Zack Mitchell – Enoree, SC – 1
Ben Watkins – Lancaster, SC – 1
Michael Brown – Lancaster, SC – 1
Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 1
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision will wrap up the 2026 season with the Modoc 100 at Modoc Speedway (Friday-Saturday, Oct. 23-24), followed by the Dave Smith Motors World of Outlaws World Finals (Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 4-7).
Get tickets in advance for both events by clicking here. Get free pit passes to World Finals by purchasing a two-day pass by Friday, Oct. 16.
Want to watch the World of Outlaws? Stream every race live on DIRTVision.
This article was republished with permission from the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. The original article can be found here: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/closing-stretch-at-modoc-charlotte-ushers-in-new-era-for-carolina-late-model-racing/
0 Comments