The Dirt Track at Charlotte
Fast Facts: 11th annual Textron World Finals
By Robert Holman
DirtonDirt.com weekend editor11th annual Textron Off Road World Finals
Dates: Nov. 2-4 (Two $12,000-to-win features)
Track: The Dirt Track at Charlotte, (4/10-mile clay oval)
Sanction: World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series
Purses: $12,000-to-win
Tickets: Adult general admission is $32 Thursday, $53 Friday and $53 Saturday; see below for discounts for children and more information.
On the web: charlottemotorspeedway.com or www.woolms.com
Track phone: 800-455-3267
Last year’s winners: Josh Richards, Chris Madden
Video: DirtonDirt.com is providing live pay-per-view video from the Dirt Track at Charlotte's World Finals Nov. 2-4 with Late Models, sprints and big-block mods in action. Live productions each night available at DirtonDirt.com and Dirtvision, with multiple announcers, multiple cameras, on-screen race lineups and a live timing and scoring feed. Three-day packages for subscribers are $64.99. Follow this link for complete information.
Notes: The Textron Off Road World Finals brings together the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series and big-block modifieds of the Super DIRTcar Series. … Entering the 11th annual World Finals, Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., needs only to enter the event to claim his first World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series championship. … More than $325,000 in prize money is posted. … In 20 World Finals Late Model features, there have been just eight different winners. … Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., has won six of his 15 career World Finals starts, including five Saturday victories over a six-year span from '09-'14. … Owens has led 176 laps during World Finals Late Model features, the most of all drivers. Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., is next with 144 laps led (140 have come since 2014). … He's led laps in each of the last three Late Model features. … Madden has won a heat race in each of the last six Late Model programs at the World Finals. … Only four drivers have started all 20 World Finals Late Model features: Josh Richards, Darrell Lanigan, Shane Clanton and Rick Eckert. … Though he was ineligible to compete in 2016, Scott Bloomquist also has a perfect World Finals starting record of 18 starts in 18 events he's entered. … Just two World of Outlaws regulars, Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., and Lanigan of Union, Ky., have won a World Finals feature, although series newcomers Sheppard and Madden are each previous World Finals winners. … The first 10 World Finals Late Model features each had a different runner-up finisher. Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., has four runner-up finishes, the most of all drivers. … Home-state drivers have combined to make just 22 total World Finals starts in the 20 previous main events. Chris Ferguson of Mount Holly, N.C., leads all North Carolina drivers with seven World Finals starts. Ferguson’s best finish is 12th on Friday, Oct. 28, 2016. … Thursday’s program includes hot laps and two separate rounds of two-lap qualifying time trials for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Models and WoO Craftsman Sprint Cars, and qualifying heat races for the big block mods. The first round qualifies cars for Friday and second round qualifies cars for Saturday. … Friday features a full racing program for Late Models (50-lap feature), sprints (30-lap feature) and big-block mods (40-lap feature). … Saturday is another complete show featuring a full racing program for Late Models (50-lap feature), sprints (30-lap feature) and big-block mods (40-lap feature).
World Finals winners
Year: Winner, hometown (date)
2016: Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va. (Oct. 28)
2016: Chris Madden, Gray Court, S.C. (Oct. 29)
2015: Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill. (Nov. 6)
2015: Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga. (Nov. 8)
2014: Darrell Lanigan, Union, Ky. (Nov. 7)
2014: Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn. (Nov. 8)
2013: Darrell Lanigan, Union, Ky. (Nov. 8)
2013: Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va. (Nov. 9)
2012: Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn. (Nov. 2)
2012: Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn. (Nov. 3)
2011: Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga. (Nov. 4)
2011: Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn. (Nov. 5)
2010: Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga. (Nov. 6, afternoon)
2010: Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn. (Nov. 6, evening)
2009: Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, Tenn. (Nov. 7)
2009: Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn. (Nov. 8)
2008: Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, Tenn. (Oct. 31)
2008: Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va. (Nov. 1)
2007: Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, Tenn. (Nov. 2)
2007: Donnie Moran, Dresden, Ohio (Nov. 3)
(Complete race history)
Weekend purse
Friday and Saturday features
1. $12,000
2. $5,000
3. $3,000
4. $2,500
5. $2,000
6. $1,700
7. $1,500
8. $1,400
9. $1,350
10. $1,300
11. $1,250
12. $1,200
13. $1,150
14. $1,100
15. $1,050
16-24. $1,000
Event schedule
Wednesday
3 p.m.: Pit shack (ticket booth No. 2) opens
4-6 p.m.: Hauler load-In for all teams
6-9 p.m.: PRN at the Track kickoff party (at 26 Acres Brewing in Concord, N.C.)
Thursday
11 a.m.: Pit gate opens; pit pass voucher exchange reopens; hauler load-in resumes and driver registration begins and draw opens at series trailers
Noon: Souvenir and display area opens
4 p.m.: Grandstand gates open; driver's meetings at series trailers
5 p.m.: Hot laps
- Big-block modifieds (first set)
- Late Models
- Big-block modifieds (second set)
- Sprint cars
Opening ceremonies
6 p.m.: Competition begins
- Sprint car time trials (Friday round; two laps)
- Big-block modified heats (Friday round; eight laps)
- Late Model time trials (Friday round; two laps)
- Big-block modified C-main (Friday round)
- Sprint car time trials (Saturday round; two laps)
- Big-block modified heats (Saturday round; eight laps)
- Late Model time trials (Saturday round; two laps)
- Big-block modified C-main (Saturday round)
11 p.m.: Track Secured (pit area remains open until 11:30 a.m. Friday to credentialed guests); pit pass sales end and pit voucher exchange closes
Friday
Noon: Pit gate reopens for sales and pit pass voucher exchange reopens; souvenir and display area opens
1-3 p.m.: Camper appreciation party presented by Camping World (at dragway pavilion)
3 p.m.: Grandstand gates open; drivers' meetings at each series trailers
Opening ceremonies
4:45 p.m.: Competition begins
- Big-block modified first consolation (10 laps)
- Big-block modified second consolation (10 laps)
- Late Model heats (10 laps)
- Sprint car heats (eight laps)
- Redraw for Big-block modifieds, Late Models and sprint cars
- Late Model first consolation (12 laps)
- Sprint car D-main (if necessary)
- Late Model second consolation (12 laps)
- Late Model third consolation (12 laps)
- Sprint car C-main (10 laps)
- Sprint car dash (six laps)
- Sprint car consolation (12 laps)
- Big-block modified feature (40 laps)
- Late Model feature (50 laps)
- Sprint car feature (30 laps)
11:59 p.m.: Track secured (pit area remains open until 12:30 p.m. Saturday to credentialed guests)
Saturday
Noon: Pit gate reopens for sales and pit pass voucher exchange reopens; souvenir and display area opens
Noon-3 p.m.: National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Auction (at dragway pavilion)
3 p.m.: Grandstand gates open; drivers' meetings at series trailers
Opening ceremonies
4:45 p.m.: Competition begins
- Big-block modified first consolation (10 laps)
- Big-block modified second consolation (10 laps)
- Sprint car heats (eight laps)
- Late Model heats 1-3 (10 laps)
- Sprint car D-main (if necessary)
- Late Model heats 4-6 (10 laps)
- Redraw for Big-block modifieds, Late Models and sprint cars
- Sprint car C-main (10 laps)
- Sprint car dash (six laps)
- Sprint car consolation (12 laps)
- Late Model consolations (12 laps)
- Big-block modified feature (40 laps)
- Sprint car feature (30 laps)
- Late Model feature (50 laps)
- Series championship awards in infield area
Tickets
Thursday
General admission (14-and-up): $32
Children (13-and-under): $11
Three-day pass: $101 general admission/$37 children
Pit pass: $25
Three-day pit pass: $100
Friday
General admission (14-and-up): $53
Children (13-and-under): $17
Pit pass: $45
Saturday
General admission (14-and-up): $53
Children (13-and-under): $17
Pit pass: $45
Camping
Call (800) 455-3267