COLUMBUS, Miss. — A Dirty South doubleheader awaits the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series this weekend with a pair of second appearances in Mississippi and Louisiana.
It’s the first of 36 consecutive weeks of racing as the series’ 90-race grind continues.
Magnolia Motor Speedway has first honors with a Friday night under the lights. A four-hour ride to the west takes teams to The Rev in Monroe, La., for a Saturday night showdown.
* For the 27th time in 45 seasons and third consecutive year, the World of Outlaws has opened a season with three different winners to get the ball rolling. During the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park, fans saw a trio of triumphs split by Donny Schatz, Sheldon Haudenschild, David Gravel.
Plenty of other stout options remains viable to keep the streak alive with names like Brad Sweet, Carson Macedo, Logan Schuchart, James McFadden, Kasey Kahne, Spencer Bayston, Kraig Kinser, Jacob Allen, Brock Zearfoss, Jason Sides, Bill Rose, Noah Gass and others still chasing their first checkered flag of the season.
The all-time record remains eight different winners to start the 2015.
• Known as a late model track, “The Mag” brings the sprint car faithful out in droves when the World of Outlaws comes to town. Last year’s series debut at the Mississippi third-mile was met with plenty of fanfare as Logan Schuchart and Shark Racing saw their perfect night stopped by Sheldon Haudenschild thanks to a late-race slide job.
• Transitioning from asphalt to dirt, The Rev enjoyed a national coming-out party last year when David Gravel and Brad Sweet fought tooth and nail in a race that featured 13 lead changes.
• Only four drivers registered a top-10 finish in all three features during the DIRTcar Nationals and point leader David Gravel was the only driver to finish in the top five all three nights.
Gravel and Big Game Motorsports unloaded out of the box with immense speed, scoring a fourth, a second with a broken shock and a dominant victory.
Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing backed up their second-half performance of 2021 by starting the new year with a season-opening win at Volusia.
Sheldon Haudenschild and Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing had no luck at Volusia in 2021, but pulled off finishes of 10th, first and fourth this year.
James McFadden and Roth Motorsports immediately clicked with their new partnership beginning with runs of ninth, sixth and third at Volusia.
• Of 15 full-time Outlaws, Spencer Bayston, Bill Rose and James McFadden are the only three that will face The Mag and The Rev for the first time this weekend. That number was drastically different last year when the series debuted at both tracks, but now the majority have turned laps and built a notebook at these southern circles.
For Bayston, the leading Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender can at least lean on his CJB Motorsports No. 5 crew chief Barry Jackson, who raced at both tracks last year with Brent Marks at the wheel.
• Along with the standard cast of characters of full-time Outlaws, a group of invaders will join the swing through the Dirty South this weekend at Magnolia and The Rev.
Among the expected competitors are Rico Abreu, Tyler Courtney, Cory Eliason, Brent Marks, Brian Brown, Giovanni Scelzi, Aaron Reutzel, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Ayrton Gennetten, Derek Hagar, Carson Short, Carson McCarl and Brian Bell.