World of Outlaws
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| Sport | Sprint car racing |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | United States Canada |
| Abbreviation | WoO |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Regional affiliation | United States |
| Headquarters | Concord, North Carolina |
| President | Brian Carter |
| Official website | |
| www | |
The World of Outlaws (often abbreviated WoO) is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series, it is best known for sanctioning a national tour of sprint cars called the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. It later purchased a national tour of late models called the World of Outlaws Late Model Series; these dirt track racing series are owned and operated by World Racing Group.[1] The Sprint Car Series is sponsored by Monster Beverage's NOS and the Late Model Series is sponsored by Morton Buildings, Inc.
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series[edit]
| Category | Sprint car racing |
|---|---|
| Country | United States Canada |
| Inaugural season | 1978 |
| Drivers | 356 (2017) |
| Tire suppliers | Hoosier Racing Tires |
| Drivers' champion | Donny Schatz |
| Teams' champion | Tony Stewart Racing |
| Makes' champion | Maxim – Roush |
| Official website | World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series |
The body sanctions a national tour of high power to weight, custom fabricated sprint cars called the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series; the race cars feature large adjustable wings on the top and large rear tires that transfer their power to the dirt tracks they race on. The series travels primarily the United States, but has sanctioned races in Canada, Mexico and Australia; the title sponsor is NOS Energy Drink.
The series was founded in 1978 by Ted Johnson, a former midget racer from Madison, Wisconsin. At the time sprint car racing in the United States lacked a true national series. Johnson organized the World of Outlaws sanctioning body and established a national schedule, a set of rules and a points system to crown a champion of his series.[2] Today, the 2016 season will feature 91 races at 54 different tracks in 25 states and one Canadian province. All races are broadcast on DIRTvision, an online subscription based streaming service, while other select races are broadcast nationally on the CBS Sports Network.[3][4]
Sprint car specifications[edit]
A World of Outlaws Sprint Car are a purpose-built, open-wheel race car that must weigh at least 1,400 pounds (636kg) with the driver in the car.[citation needed] The 410-cubic inch engine (6.7 litre) produces over 900 horsepower and uses methanol fuel. The series' specification tire manufacturer Continental AG will work with the World of Outlaws to designate legal compounds for a circuit among different compounds available to competitors, as each circuit differs in which type of compound works for a circuit. Continental technicians will reject certain compounds at certain circuits because of the nature of the surface each night; the series' cars have a large top wing with sideboards that face opposite direction to help produce a great amount of downforce to plant the car on the track and help the car turn and maximize grip, both in the corners and on the straightaways. All racecars must weigh a minimum of 1400 pounds with a driver fully prepared to compete in the car throughout an entire event; the cars also have smaller nose wings.[5]
Sprint cars use quick change rear ends; this allows the teams to quickly change the gear ratio for different size tracks. Most cars use a torsion bar suspension system. Different size bars either soften or stiffen the suspension. Torsion bars, and specialty shock absorbers are the key ingredients in the handling of sprint cars; that coupled with the wings, tire stagger, light weight, and enormous horsepower make these cars one of the fastest race cars in the world using a horsepower-to-weight ratio. The monstrous power-to-weight ratios of Sprint Cars can exceed that of Formula 1 cars.
Sprint Cars have a very distinct stance since they have two very different sized rear tires; the right rear tire on a sprint car is 105 inches in circumference. In contrast, the left rear tire is only between 90 and 98 inches in circumference, depending on the track size and conditions; the difference in the tire sizes is called stagger and the more stagger the car has, the easier it turns into the corner, but at the expense of straight line speed.[5]
Sprint Cars do not have starters in them, so push trucks are used to fire the engines. Sprint Cars only have an in/out direct drive, no reverse gear and no clutch.[5]
Typical race night program[edit]
1. Motor Heat & Wheel pack
2. Hot laps (practice laps)
3. Time trials (time trials or qualifying, usually two laps with the fastest lap being the qualifying time)
4. Heat races (set based on qualifying time)
5. DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash (sets the top three or four rows of the fastest cars for the A-main)
6. Last Chance Showdown (B-Main, C-Main or D-Main depending on car count)
7. Feature (A-Main, which can be anywhere from 25 to 55 laps)
Past Champions[edit]
Source:[2]
Top 25 all-time A-Feature winners[edit]
Note: Includes all full-field preliminary race wins; those with a yellow background indicates Knoxville National winners. Updated August 29, 2019.[9]
| Driver | Wins | Championships |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Steve Kinser | 690 | 20 |
| 2. Sammy Swindell | 394 | 3 |
| 3. Donny Schatz | 291 | 10 |
| 4. Mark Kinser | 203 | 2 |
| 5. Doug Wolfgang | 140 | |
| 6. Danny Lasoski | 122 | 1 |
| 7. Joey Saldana | 105 | |
| 8. Dave Blaney | 94 | 1 |
| 9. Stevie Smith | 84 | |
| 10. Daryn Pittman | 83 | 1 |
| 11. Jac Haudenschild | 72 | |
| 12. Bobby Davis Jr. | 66 | 1 |
| 12. Craig Dollansky | 66 | |
| 14. Jason Myers | 58 | 2 |
| 15. Jeff Swindell | 51 | |
| 16. Brad Sweet | 47 | |
| 17. David Gravel | 46 | |
| 18. Andy Hillenburg | 42 | |
| 19. Shane Stewart | 35 | |
| 20. Bobby Allen | 30 | |
| 21. Tim Shaffer | 28 | |
| 22. Paul McMahan | 27 | |
| 23. Kerry Madsen | 25 | |
| 24. Ron Shuman | 24 | |
| 25. Rick Ferkel | 21 | |
| 25. Tim Kaeding | 21 |
World of Outlaws Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year[edit]
Source:[2]
| Season | Driver |
|---|---|
| 1979 | Tim Green |
| 1980 | Bobby Davis, Jr. |
| 1981 | Jeff Swindell |
| 1982 | Brad Doty |
| 1983 | No award issued |
| 1984 | Mark Kinser, Greg Wooley |
| 1985 | No award issued |
| 1986 | Johnny Herrera |
| 1987 | Cris Eash |
| 1988 | Andy Hillenburg |
| 1989 | Joe Gaerte |
| 1990 | Stevie Smith |
| 1991 | Jim Carr |
| 1992 | Aaron Berryhill |
| 1993 | Greg Hodnett |
| 1994 | Sid Blandford |
| 1995 | Randy Hannagan |
| 1996 | Joey Saldana |
| 1997 | Donny Schatz |
| 1998 | Dale Blaney |
| 1999 | Tim Shaffer |
| 2000 | Danny Wood |
| 2001 | Jeff Shepard |
| 2002 | No award issued |
| 2003 | Jason Sides |
| 2004 | Kraig Kinser |
| 2005 | Shane Stewart |
| 2006 | Chad Kemenah |
| 2007 | Kerry Madsen |
| 2008 | Lucas Wolfe |
| 2009 | Brian Ellenberger |
| 2010 | Ben Gregg |
| 2011 | Cody Darrah |
| 2012 | No award issued |
| 2013 | David Gravel |
| 2014 | Brad Sweet |
| 2015 | Jason Johnson |
| 2016 | Greg Wilson |
| 2017 | Sheldon Haudenschild |
| 2018 | Ian Madsen |
Popular Events[edit]
Here is a list of top paying and more popular race events each year. Most are two days or more.
Final night features are usually based on points earned on the previous night's races.
An asterisk marks single-day events where the entire program is run on one day.
| Track | Event | Winner's purse |
|---|---|---|
| Eldora Speedway | * Kings Royal | $175,000 |
| Knoxville Raceway | Knoxville Nationals | $150,000 |
| Port Royal Speedway | Tuscarora 50 | $51,000 |
| Williams Grove Speedway | National Open | $50,000 |
| Jackson Motorplex | Jackson Nationals | $41,000 |
| Williams Grove Speedway | Summer Nationals | $25,000 |
| Lernerville Speedway | * Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup | $25,000 |
| Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 | Iroman 55 | $20,000 |
| Devil's Bowl Speedway | Texas Outlaw Nationals | $20,000 |
| Eldora Speedway | Knight Before the Kings Royal | $12,000 |
| Silver Dollar Speedway | Gold Cup Race of Champions | $12,000 |
| The Dirt Track at Charlotte | World Finals | $12,000 |
| Eldora Speedway | * 4-Crown Nationals | $10,000 |
| Dirt Car Nationals 3 Day Event | Volusia Speedway Park | $10,000 |
| Attica Raceway Park | * Brad Doty Classic | $10,000 |
Notable drivers who have raced with the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars Series[edit]
| Driver | |
|---|---|
| Steve Kinser | 20-time series champion, 690 career WoO wins, 12-time Knoxville Nationals winner, "The King of Sprint Car Racing", National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member |
| Sammy Swindell | 1981–1982, 1997 WoO Series champion, 394 WoO series wins, 1983 Knoxville Nationals winner, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member |
| Doug Wolfgang | 140 career WoO wins and 5-time Knoxville Nationals winner, 1976–1977 Knoxville Raceway track champion, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member |
| Donny Schatz | 10-time Series Champion, 10-time Knoxville Nationals winner, 287 series wins |
| Mark Kinser | 1996 and 1999 WoO Series Champion, 203 WoO series wins, 3-time Knoxville Nationals winner, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member |
| Danny Lasoski | 2001 Champion, 122 WoO series wins, 4-time Knoxville Nationals winner, IROC race winner, 11-time Knoxville Raceway Champion, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member |
| Joey Saldana | 105 career WoO wins, won 20 feature events in 2009, 2-time Kings Royal winner, 2-time Gold Cup winner, 74 All Star Circuit of Champions wins |
| Lee Osborne | founding member of WoO, 6 career WoO wins. Won the 1981, 1982, 1983 All Star Circuit of Champions Championship, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member. Founder of OzCar chassis, builds custom hot rods in New York. |
| Bobby Allen | founding member of WoO and posted 30 career wins, 1990 Knoxville Nationals winner, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member, WoO Shark Racing team owner |
| Rick Ferkel | founding member of WoO, 21 series wins, known as the Ohio Traveler, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member |
| Jac Haudenschild | Winner of the biggest race in Sprint Car history Mopar Million, 72 WoO series wins, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member |
| Ron Shuman | 1979 Knoxville Nationals winner, 24 WoO series wins, 4-time CRA Sprint car champion, 3-time SCRA sprint car champion, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member |
| Dave Blaney | Former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, 1995 WoO Series Champion, 94 WoO wins, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member |
| Shane Carson | former WoO driver, promoter, VP of race operations, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member and board member, 1978 Knoxville Track Champion, 1986 NCRA Dirt Champ series champion |
| Jeff Gordon | 4-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, 12 USAC Midget wins, 2 USAC Silver Crown wins, 5 USAC Sprint wins, 1990 USAC Midget Champion, 1991 USAC Silver Crown Champion |
| Kasey Kahne | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, 2000 USAC Midget Champion, 11 USAC Midget wins, 3 USAC Silver Crown wins, WoO team owner |
| Tony Stewart | 3-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, 1995 USAC Triple Crown Champion, WoO Team owner, Eldora Speedway track owner, All Star Circuit of Champions series owner. |
| Ken Schrader | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, 21 USAC Midget wins, 6 USAC Silver Crown wins, 4 USAC Sprint wins, 1982 USAC Silver Crown Champion, 1983 USAC Sprint Champion |
| Kyle Larson | 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year |
| Johnny Herrera | 1996 Eldora Speedway Kings Royal Winner, 1995 410 sprint car track champion at Knoxville Raceway |
| Greg Hodnett | 5-time Williams Grove track champion, 73 Williams Grove track wins, 20-time WoO race winner, 52 wins at Port Royal Speedway, 4-time Central PA Champion |
| Don Kreitz Jr | National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member, 12 WoO series wins, 83 Williams Grove Speedway wins and 4-time track champion, Pennsylvania team owner |
| Keith Kauffman | National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member, 13-time Port Royal Speedway Champion (129 wins), 2-time Williams Grove Speedway Champion (51 wins) |
| Bobby Davis Jr. | 1989 WoO Series Champion, 66 WoO series wins, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member |
| Lealand McSpadden | 1978, 1993, 1995 Western World Champion, 1991 Chili Bowl (race) Midget Champion, 1992 Belleville Midget Champion, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member |
| Christopher Bell | 2017, 2018, and 2019 Chili Bowl (race) champion, NASCAR Xfinity Series driver |
| Rico Abreu | Former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver. 2015 and 2016 Chili Bowl (race) midget champion |
| Brad Doty | 18 WoO series wins, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member, Media member and Doty Classic race promoter |
| Erin Crocker | First female driver to win a World of Outlaws event, former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver, radio journalist. |
| Bryan Clauson | 38 USAC Midget wins, 2 USAC Silver Crown wins, 41 USAC Sprint wins, 2010–2011 USAC Midget Champion, 2012–2013 USAC Sprint Champion, 2014 Chili Bowl (race) champion, 2012, 2015, 2016 Indianapolis 500 starter, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member. |
| Jason Johnson | 2016 Knoxville Nationals winner, 12 WoO series wins, 5-time ASCS National Sprint car champion, 79 ASCS National wins, 9 All Star Circuit of Champions wins |
| Brad Sweet | Former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series driver. Currently has 42 career WoO wins. 2018 Knoxville Nationals winner. |
Late Model Series[edit]
Operating since 2004, the Late Model Series is a racing championship series for late models.
References[edit]
- ^ "WorldRacingGroup.com". Retrieved September 12, 2013.
- ^ a b c "World of Outlaws History". woosprint.com. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
- ^ "CBS Sports Network To Air WoO, Super DIRT Action". Performance Racing Industry. October 8, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
- ^ "World of Outlaws Sprint Cars". Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^ a b c World of Outlaws World Finals Official Program
- ^ http://woosprint.com/news/race-reports/445-2015-race-reports/3537-stevie-smith-scores-national-open-title
- ^ Wackerlin, Jeff (November 10, 2013). "Pittman Wins Closest Title Battle". Concord, North Carolina: Motor Racing Network. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 17, 2014. Cite uses deprecated parameter
|dead-url=(help) - ^ "Donny Schatz wins fifth World of Outlaws championship". motorsport.com. November 3, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
- ^ http://www.woosprint.com/fan-guide/history
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to World of Outlaws. |
