Summer Means Money For WoO LMS Racers

CONCORD, N.C. — Summer isn’t just the busiest time of the year for the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision — it’s also the richest.

Six paydays of $20,000 or more will be on the line over the next two months, with the first coming this weekend in the St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park.

Alongside the $460,000 in winner’s purses packed into the next 10 weeks, an industry-leading points fund, tow money program and other bonuses continue to make the World of Outlaws the most lucrative tour in late model racing.

USA Nationals

The late-summer visit to Wisconsin’s Cedar Lake Speedway is the oldest tradition on the World of Outlaws schedule, with the event dating back to the inaugural season of the series in 1988.

The 38th running of the USA Nationals will see the race become the newest member of the six-figure club in late model racing, with a record $100,000 going to the winner of Saturday’s finale.

The purse increases aren’t limited to the main event, as drivers will race for $10,000 on Thursday’s opening night for the first time. Friday will include qualifying, heat races and the dash to set the lineups for Saturday.

Gopher 50 & Prairie Dirt Classic

A pair of crown jewels return to the calendar on the first and last weekends of July, beginning with dirt racing’s biggest Independence Day celebration.

The NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 (July 3-5) at Deer Creek Speedway returns to the schedule for the second-straight year and will once again reward the Saturday victor with a $50,000 top prize. New in 2025, both prelim nights will include a five-figure paycheck for the first time, with $10,000 going to the winner on both Thursday and Friday.

The racers aren’t the only ones with plenty of reasons to head to southern Minnesota for the holiday weekend. Fans can look forward to live music each day in the midway, a massive fireworks spectacular following Saturday’s racing program, an autograph session on Saturday afternoon with the stars of the World of Outlaws, and a fan zone filled with games and activities for the whole family.

Three weeks later, the tour heads to Fairbury Speedway for the next edition of Illinois’ biggest late model event. This year’s winner of the Prairie Dirt Classic (July 25-26) will take home at least $50,000, but $500 going to the leader of every lap means someone could win up to $100,000 should they lead all 100 circuits.

Friday night will once again include four Showdown Features paying $5,000 each prior to Saturday’s main event. The PDC will also serve as the finale for the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals, with an all-star field of 54 of the top modified racers in the country racing for the title.

More Money

After a three-year absence, I-55 returns to the schedule this weekend (Friday-Saturday, June 20-21) with a pair of clashes between the World of Outlaws and the DIRTcar Summer Nationals.

Following the $12,000-to-win opener on Friday, $20,000 will be up for grabs in Saturday’s 55-lap finale. In addition to the late models, the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota and the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals will also join the fun at one of the nation’s most entertaining bullrings.

Iowa is no stranger to marquee dirt track races in the month of August, and the series be part of the action. One week after the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars, the late mModels will contest the Hawkeye 100 (Aug. 15-16) three hours down the road at Maquoketa Speedway. A $20,000 check will go home with Saturday’s winner, while Friday’s purse has been increased to $12,000-to-win.

From there, teams will make the 600-mile trek south to Colcord, Okla., for the series debut at the state-of-the-art Arrowhead Speedway. The Sooner State Showdown (Aug. 22-23) will pay out $12,000 on Friday and $20,000 on Saturday in the first World of Outlaws race in Oklahoma since the Salina Highbanks Speedway stop in 2017.

Additional Events

The summer stretch includes a trio of $15,000 payouts, starting on back-to-back nights in the upper Midwest. After a barnburner debut at Norman County Raceway in 2024, the World of Outlaws are back in Ada, Minn., this year for the second running of the Norman County Showdown (June 28).

Once the checkered flag flies, the Series will travel four hours west to Minot, N.D., for the long-awaited return to Nodak Speedway. The Sunday night Minot Mayhem (June 29) will be the first World of Outlaws event at the track since Billy Moyer and Mitch Johnson won a pair of races in 1989.

Monday Madness at Independence Motor Speedway (June 23) is back on the schedule for another year, with a boosted $12,000-to-win showdown on the Iowa three-eighths-mile capping off the night.

The tour then heads north to I-94 emr Speedway on Thursday, June 26 for the Fergus Falls Showdown before the annual visit to River Cities Speedway for the Grand Forks Showdown on Friday, June 27.

A midweek stop in eastern Wisconsin between the Prairie Dirt Classic and USA Nationals has become tradition for the World of Outlaws, and this year it goes down at Wilmot Raceway for the first time on Monday, July 28. Several Outlaws got a taste of the third-mile this week when the Hell Tour came to town, and Drake Troutman’s victory will put him at the top of the list of contenders next month.

The August itinerary features a pair of one-night-only visits to two staples of Illinois late model racing. First up on Wednesday, Aug. 13, is the Beat the Heat 40 on the tight confines of the quarter-mile Highland Speedway. Action will then shift to Spoon River Speedway, where the series will race for the first time in the Spoon River Showdown on Thursday, Aug. 14.

Source: Speed Sport