JACKSON, Minn. – The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series will get a taste of the North Star State this weekend with a trip to Jackson Motorplex.
It’ll be the tour’s fourth visit to the state-of-the-art complex, with a potential $30,000 payday for one driver over the two nights of action.
Friday, July 9, the series will run a 40-lap feature, paying $10,000-to-win. Then, they’ll return on Saturday, July 10, with $20,000 on the line in a 50-lap brawl.
The Tri-State Late Models will join the card on both nights.
Below are some of the stories to follow throughout the weekend.
– Brandon Sheppard sits at the top of the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model standings—58 points ahead of Chris Madden. But the New Berlin, IL driver has only reached Victory Lane twice in 2021, so far.
This is the point of the season last year when Sheppard started a hot streak, winning six races in July. Sheppard hopes history repeats itself, as he’s only seven wins away from catching Josh Richards for the most series wins all-time (78).
Last season, Sheppard finished second and third when the series traveled to the Minnesota track. He has more top-fives (14) than any other driver and is tied for the most top-10’s with Madden (19) this season.
Sheppard also has momentum entering Jackson Motorplex, after winning two DIRTcar Summer Nationals events in Illinois over the weekend.
– Chris Madden hasn’t won a World of Outlaws late model feature since sweeping the weekend at Port Royal Speedway in May. But that doesn’t mean the Gray Court, S.C., driver has cooled off.
Madden had two second place finishes, with one at the 26th Dirt Late Model Dream at Eldora Speedway and one at the Firecracker 100 at Lernerville Speedway. He has more wins than anyone with the World of Outlaws this year (four) and is still in striking distance of the championship.
Madden also scored two top five finishes when the series visited Jackson Motorplex last year.
– While it’s not the closest Brent Larson will race to his Lake Elmo, Minn., home, it’s the first of three chances he’ll have to win in his home state.
The last time the series was in the North region in May, Larson finished a career-best second at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wis. If he can build on that finish, it could put him in position to win his first World of Outlaws feature.
Jackson Motorplex hasn’t been the kindest to Larson though. He finished outside the top-10 in both races last year.
Larson enters the weekend ninth in points, with one top-five and four top-10s.
– Ricky Weiss hasn’t reached World of Outlaws victory lane in more than a year. But there’s good news for the Headingly, Manitoba, driver. Jackson Motorplex is where his last World of Outlaws triumph happened in 2020.
Weiss enters the weekend fourth in the standings — 274 points behind Sheppard, and 58 points behind third place driver Tyler Bruening.
The Canadian has four top fives and 11 top-10s this season, including an eighth-place finish last weekend at Lernerville Speedway.