MIDDLETOWN, N. Y. — The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series is set to rumble through Orange County Fair Speedway on June 17-18 for the only series appearance in New York.
The late models will make their third and fourth visits to “The Legendary House of Power,” making it the third stop to the track in the last two seasons.
Just North of the “Big Apple,” the weekend will kick off on Friday with a $10,000-to-win feature. A potential $30,000 payday is on the line for whoever wins Friday’s opener, as the winner of Saturday’s feature will take home $20,000.
Last August, four-time series champion Brandon Sheppard brought fans to their feet with an exciting win, holding off current Rookie of the Year contender Max Blair by inches to win his fifth feature in 2021.
Blair is one of the drivers contending for the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models championship, currently 98 points behind leader Dennis Erb Jr.
This season, the Centerville, Pa., driver has a victory to his credit, with four top-fives and seven top-10s.
Erb also has a victory this season at Volusia Speedway Park, as his consistency has propelled him to the top of the standings with six top-fives and 11 top-10s.
Last season’s Rookie of the Year Tyler Bruening is looking forward to returning to Orange County, following a strong run on the five-eighths-mile track. After switching to a backup car in last year’s event, the driver out of Decorah, Iowa, stormed from the tail of the field to finish third at the checkered flag.
Those drivers and the rest of the full-time World of Outlaws competitors will face off against a stout field of regional contenders, hoping to keep them from Victory Lane.
Along with Sheppard, Rick Eckert is another past winner at Orange County Fair Speedway with a win at the inaugural event in the summer of 2004.
Eckert, the 2011 Series champion, will also attend this season’s race weekend at the historic New York track.