10/6/2017
RacinBoys
World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series 2018 season takes shape
By Kayla May, World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series PR (Concord, NC) -- As the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series season heads down the home stretch this fall with the Chi-Town Showdown Oct. 13-14 at the Dirt Oval @ Route 66 in Joliet, Ill., and the World of Outlaws World Finals Nov. 2-3-4 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C., the series is already looking ahead to the 2018 season and several new and traditional multi-day events.
The 2018 tour will launch Feb. 9-10 at Screven Motor Speedway's Winter Freeze event in Sylvania, Ga., and then head south to the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park for four consecutive $10,000-to-win races Feb. 14-15-16-17 in Barberville, Fla.
"We are ready and excited for the World of Outlaws in February," said Screven's James "Redd" Griffin. "Screven has become the traditional kickoff venue for the World of Outlaws season and we're very proud of that distinction."
The February DIRTcar Nationals will mark the first time the series has raced on four consecutive nights at Volusia, with more than $150,000 up for grabs over the four nights in addition to two nights of DIRTcar Late Model racing at the beginning of the week.
An early season tradition remains the 11th annual Illini 100 on March 23-24 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway. The two-day show on one of Illinois' premier dirt tracks will consist of an always-exciting, pedal-mashing 25-lap shootout followed one night later by the $15,000-to-win, 75-lap finale. If weather should become a factor, the event will shift to April 13-14.
A huge new event at Fayetteville Motor Speedway highlights the month of May and helps to celebrate the track's 50th anniversary season. The First in Flight 100 will be a multi-day event May 11-12 that pays $25,000 to the winner and $2,000 to start. It will also include action on May 10 for regional late model series to race their way into the big finale.
"The World of Outlaws teams always put on a great show for our fans at Fayetteville, and we are very excited they'll help us celebrate our 50th anniversary with this major event for the entire Southeast," said Fayetteville's Jim Long Jr. "We wanted to come up with an event that would turn heads and a purse that rewards drivers from top to bottom. I can't wait for this weekend. It's going to be epic."
Summer kicks into high gear with the fan-favorite 12th annual Firecracker weekend June 21-22-23 featuring the $30,000-to-win Firecracker 100 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. Three complete races with the biggest names in the sport make up this event so the action is always as intense on the track as the party is in the campground.
For another fan-favorite event, the Outlaws will once again invade Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway July 27-28 for the 29th annual $30,000-to-win Prairie Dirt Classic. The PDC nearly triples the size of the all-American city as fans travel from all over to watch more than 60 of the best Dirt Late Model drivers chase a huge payday.
"Every year it seems as if the Prairie Dirt Classic gets bigger and we absolutely love it," FALS director Matt Curl said. "From the incredible number of racers who compete to all of the people who camp out, the PDC weekend continues to grow year after year and there's nothing more exciting than that."
Outside of the championship chase itself, the biggest prize on the tour is the $50,000 that goes to the winner of the USA Nationals Aug. 2-3-4 at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis. Some of the biggest names in the sport have won this historic annual event, and fans from across the Midwest flock to Wisconsin to see it happen.
As is tradition, the 2018 championship battle will conclude Nov. 1-2-3 at the annual World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, a can't miss event that also features the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Cars and the Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds.
The complete 2018 schedule is coming together quickly, stay tuned to the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series website as more events are announced for the exciting 2018 season.
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott
