After four heart-pounding nights of racing, the World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte concluded with thrilling intensity as David Gravel (World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars) – who locked up the championship Friday night –, Brandon Sheppard (World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models) and Mat Williamson (Super DIRTcar Series) were all officially crowned 2024 season champions in an electrifying finale.
Sheppard Herds in Late Model Championship Title
In an intense nonstop action showdown, Chris Madden dominated the field, taking the lead early and maintaining it through a caution-filled race. However, all eyes were on the points battle between leader Brandon Sheppard and runner-up Bobby Pierce for the title-earning championship.
From the start, Madden and Pierce both made bold moves with Madden pulling ahead by Lap 3. As Madden kept the lead steady, Pierce fought hard knowing he needed to finish strong to counteract Sheppards 22-point lead. As Sheppard began to fall back in the field, Pierce kept close on Madden, and after a Lap 19 caution, the point gap between the two championship contenders tightened to a mere two points. In true World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model fashion, every lap mattered as Sheppard attempted to stay inside the top ten to stay in control of the title fight.
The true deciding factor of the race came in Lap 22 as a flat tire struck Pierce’s No. 32 machine, forcing him to pit and fall to the back of the field, making Sheppard the likely champion with 28 laps left. Strategically keeping his position, Sheppard ultimately locked up the championship with a ninth-place finish.
“It's been an up-and-down year all year long. I wouldn’t be here now without the great team I’ve got behind me,” said Sheppard. “Never ever thought that in a million years I’d be standing up here five different times so I’m super thankful for it and looking forward to getting back to work. This is definitely a good pick-me-up going into the winter.”
Marking his 39th feature win Madden ended the night at the top of the podium with Ricky Thornton Jr. in second, followed by Mike Marlar in third and Jonathan Davenport and Daulton Wilson in the top five.
Season-Capping Performance by Courtney; Gravel Walks Away With Sprint Car Crown
The 2024 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars season finale was packed with high-stakes drama, as Tyler Courtney charged from Heat 2 runner-up to P1 for a final night victory. While David Gravel locked up the series in Friday night’s performance, he showed his true championship mentality to the end going from P7 to P2.
As the green flag dropped, Courtney quickly pulled away from the field, building an initial 1.596-second lead. Meanwhile, familiar faces of Gravel and last night’s feature winner Carson Macedo surged up from the lower half of the top ten, ultimately securing second and third by the race’s end.
Within five laps, Courtney stretched his lead to 2.4 seconds, skillfully navigating the track and pushing deep into lap traffic before the yellow flags began to fly. Undeterred, he pressed on, carving out a large 5.36-second gap before a Lap 15 caution erased his lead and bunched up the field. With just one lap to spare before a single-file restart, Courtney and Gravel lined up side-by-side on the pole, but holding his ground and expertly blocking Gravel’s attempt for one last win, Courtney pulled ahead, plowing through traffic to get a season-closing victory.
“He (Courtney) had a really good car so congrats to him. I thought we were pretty good but overall great season. Great run to go seventh to second so it’s been a good year,” said Gravel.
While one more win was on Gravel’s radar, after a fierce final night, 15 season wins including Thursday night’s victory and ultimately locking up the series in last night's fourth-place performance, Gravel made his way to Victory Lane to claim his first Sprint Car title.
“It’s hard to say, I’ll have to take the week to reflect about it,” said Gravel on what a World of Outlaws Championship means to him. “Being down here has a feeling about it, being down here on the track at Charlotte, being down here with these two champions, it’s a very special feeling.”
After winning Heat 3 and starting P5, Macedo finished out the night third while Ryan Timms and Brian Brown rounded out the top five in the season-ending feature.
Williamson Defends Super DirtCar Title in Ultimate Battle
Anthony Perrego started and finished his season with a bang, capturing the checkered flag in Saturday’s final night of racing for the Super DIRTcar Series. After opening the year with a win, Perrego claimed his second win of the season and series career-best third in points behind Matt Sheppard and series champion Mat Williamson.
Tim Fuller, starting on the pole, dominated the first 30 laps of the 40-lap feature but with a slip on the eighth and final restart, Perrego managed to slip in and seize the lead. Then holding his ground in a tense, crowd-thrilling battle, he managed to emerge victorious at the finish line.
“This is huge,” Perrego said “This is a great crowd to race in front of every year and it seems to get bigger and bigger. What a night for us.”
Entering the finale, 33 points sat between Mat Williamson and Matt Sheppard in their chase for the championship setting the stage for an intense night. After Sheppard received a DNF on Thursday night followed by victory for Williamson on Friday, the title race was close until the very end. For the ultimate race, Williamson powered his way to a third-place finish, securing his second Super DIRTcar Championship title.
“Super excited about it, it says a lot about the guys who work hard in the pit area every night and hard in the shop,” said Williamson. “Probably had a car better than a third-place car but the driver was nervous just trying to finish the race.”
At the end of the feature, the top five showcases were Thursday night’s winner, Fuller, Friday night’s winner and new champion Williamson in third, Sheppard in fourth and Alex Yankowski closing out the top five.
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