CHILLICOTHE – The race for the 2024 World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models title at World of Outlaws World Finals makes a key stop at Atomic Speedway to close out August.
The series visits the Chillicothe for two nights for the Fireball 50 on Friday-Saturday, Aug. 23-24. Friday kicks off the racing with 40 laps around the high-banked 3/8-mile dirt track for a $10,000 payday. Then, Saturday night’s finale has drivers going at it for 50 laps and $15,000 to determine the Feature winner of the 16th race in series history at the track, dating back to 1989.
Modifieds and 305 Sprint Cars will join the Series on Friday, while Sport Mods and the 305 Sprint Cars make up Saturday’s program.
Here are the top storylines to look out for:
Squirrel On Fire: Brian Shirley had his best career week with the World of Outlaws behind the Bob Cullen Racing No. 3S throughout the mid-August Illinois-Iowa swing. The Chatham, Illinois native began the week with a home state win at Highland Speedway’s Beat The Heat 40, then swept the two nights at Maquoketa Speedway’s Hawkeye 100 weekend. “Squirrel” leaped past Dennis Erb Jr. and Tyler Bruening for seventh place in the Series points standings with nine races remaining to continue making ground.
Title Hunt Sparks: The fights inside the top five in the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models took the battles up a notch entering the swing. New Berlin, IL driver Brandon Sheppard leads the standings by 64 points over Nick Hoffman and 76 points over Bobby Pierce. Sheppard finished with three top-10 results and a podium finish in Saturday night’s Feature. Hoffman, of Mooresville, NC, finished the weekend with a second-place result in the Hawkeye 100 but lost ground on Sheppard over the week. Pierce, of Oakwood, Illinois, began the week with a podium result at Highland, but a flat tire on Saturday night derailed the opportunity to cut the distance between him and Sheppard to end the week.
Atomic Masters: The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models visit Chillicothe, for two nights in events resulting in championship implications as nine races remain for competitors. In 2023, Winfield, TN’s Mike Marlar, and Pierce won between the two nights of racing. Sheppard has one win at the track in 2022. Reigning Summer Nationals Champion Tyler Erb joins the “Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet” at the track where he boasts the most series wins of all drivers. “Terbo” won three straight Feature races at the track, with two wins in 2018 and one win from the World of Outlaws returning to the track in 2022.
Six Points: While the battle for the series title continues to find a flame between Sheppard, Hoffman, and Pierce, another points battle in the top five highlights a closer point differential and a $40,000 separation in the season’s points fund. Robeline, LA driver Cade Dillard has four consecutive top-10 finishes, including two top-five finishes coming at Highland and Maquoketa. He currently holds fourth in the standings. Kyle Bronson rounds out the current top-five in the standings with an August run of five top-10 finishes in the last six races. Two of those finishes were podium results at Cedar Lake Speedway for the Brandon, FL driver as he lurks only four points away from Dillard. Marshalltown, IA driver Ryan Gustin needs six points to pass Bronson and Dillard for fourth in the Series standings with momentum behind him. “The Reaper” is riding a stretch of 12 top-10 finishes in the last 13 races, including 11 top-fives and two Feature wins.
The Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe is a 0.375-mile dirt track.
TRACK RECORDS: Atomic Speedway - 12.748 seconds by Jimmy Owens in 2015
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This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Atomic Speedway brings fireworks, high banks to World of Outlaws
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