Chad Wells

CONCORD, NC (March 4, 2026) – There aren’t many states that play a more integral role in the history of dirt Late Model racing than Tennessee.

From Memphis to Bristol, the “Volunteer State” has delivered several of the sport’s most memorable moments and is home to some of its biggest stars. Since 1989, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision has been going to battle across the state, stopping at a dozen of Tennessee’s most recognizable tracks.

Ahead of next weekend’s return to two of them – Volunteer Speedway on Friday, March 13, and Smoky Mountain Speedway on Saturday, March 14, here’s a look at the places and faces that have shaped Late Model racing in Tennessee.

Smoky Mountain Speedway: No track in Tennessee has held more World of Outlaws races than Smoky Mountain Speedway.

Less than a week after Rick Eckert won his first Series race at Hagerstown Speedway in 2004, “Scrub” rolled into Smoky Mountain and won for the second time in seven days in the track’s first World of Outlaws event. Following a nine-year break, the Series returned to the Maryville, TN oval in 2013 for a race that saw Shane Clanton fend off Steve Casebolt for the win.

Clanton’s victory kicked off a southern stranglehold on the track that lasted for nearly a decade. Between 2013 and 2022, all 10 World of Outlaws races at Smoky Mountain were won by a driver from Tennessee, Georgia or South Carolina. The streak ended in 2025, when Bobby Pierce went to Victory Lane in his Smoky Mountain debut to become the first non-southerner to conquer the track in World of Outlaws action in 21 years.

Volunteer Speedway: Nestled right off Interstate 75 in Bulls Gap, TN, Volunteer Speedway has been delivering some of the most entertaining racing in the region for decades.

The inaugural World of Outlaws race at “The Gap” ended with Brian Birkhofer taking the checkers in 2004. The 2007 schedule included a pair of trips to Bulls Gap, with Chris Madden winning in August and Steve Francis following in October. A two-night weekend in 2008 was split by Jimmy Owens and Shane Clanton, but it would be a decade before the track reappeared on the schedule in 2018 for a race won by Owens.

Volunteer was one of the first tracks the Series visited coming out of the COVID pause in June 2020. Brandon Sheppard won the first night of the doubleheader before Zack Mitchell claimed the finale, joining Birkhofer and Owens as the third driver to win their first World of Outlaws race in Bulls Gap. The most recent World of Outlaws race at the track came on Labor Day weekend in 2021, when Sheppard returned to Victory Lane for the eighth and final win of that championship season.

Tazewell Speedway: If you’re looking for a track with more banking on the straightaways than most tracks have in the corners, Tazewell Speedway is the place for you.

“The Bad Fast Taz” welcomed the World of Outlaws for the first time in 2010 for a 50-lap contest won by Shane Clanton. The following year, the festivities expanded to a two-night show on Independence Day weekend, culminating with a 101-lap main event won by Chris Madden.

The distance went back to 50 laps in 2012, and that year’s visit saw Bub McCool score his first of two World of Outlaws wins. Mike Marlar scored his maiden victory in 2014 before Billy Ogle Jr. pulled off a last-lap pass on Josh Richards in 2015, giving Tazewell its third-straight first-time World of Outlaws winner.

Clanton got the job done in 2017 to win the most recent Series race at Tazewell, but the track hasn’t been lacking in high-level Late Model racing in the years since. Tazewell has become a staple of the Southern Nationals schedule and is home to the Lil’ Bill Corum Memorial, with recent winners including Madden, Jonathan Davenport, Dale McDowell and Tyler Erb.

Duck River Raceway Park: Located an hour south of Nashville in Shelbyville, TN, Duck River was a regular stop for the tour throughout the 2010s.

These days, Eric Wells is best known as the owner of Infinity Chassis and Wells Motorsports, but the Kentucky native made his lone trip to World of Outlaws Victory Lane in Duck River’s first World of Outlaws race in 2013. Five more unique winners followed in the next five appearances, as Darrell Lanigan (2014), Dale McDowell (2016), Mike Marlar (2017), Brandon Sheppard (2019) and Josh Richards (2020) all made their way to Victory Lane. Richards’ triumph was an especially meaningful one, as it was his first World of Outlaws win in four years and his first since making the move from his family-owned Rocket1 Racing ride to Clint Bowyer Racing.

In the years since its last World of Outlaws race, Duck River’s schedule has included seven Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series races, as well as an inaugural visit by the DIRTcar Summer Nationals in 2025.

411 Motor Speedway: 411 has been a fan-favorite in the southeast for decades, but it did not have a spot on the World of Outlaws schedule until 2018. When the touring regulars finally came to town, they were greeted with one of east Tennessee’s finest in the form of Cory Hedgecock defending home turf for his first World of Outlaws win in his first Feature start with the Series.

Hedgecock was again in contention in 2019, leading laps early in the Feature before dropping out of the race with engine trouble and handing the lead to eventual winner Brandon Overton. Following Chris Madden’s win in 2020, 411 was absent from the schedule in 2021 and 2022, but it came back with a bang in 2023. After a three-way battle with Dale McDowell and Kyle Bronson, Hedgecock pulled the upset on the Outlaws for the second time.

That event stands as the most recent World of Outlaws stop at 411, as the track was sold in 2023 and has sat dormant since June 2024.

Bristol Motor Speedway: The idea of covering “The Last Great Colosseum” in dirt first became reality in 2000 and 2001 with a pair of race weekends for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. Late Models were also on the card both years under Hav-A-Tampa sanction, as Dale McDowell, Scott Bloomquist and Jimmy Mars each scored wins.

When the concept was brought back 20 years later, the fendered side of the World of Outlaws family got to join in on the fun. The 2021 visit saw Josh Richards score the 78th and most recent Series win of his career in the opener before Devin Moran topped the finale. Jonathan Davenport went to Victory Lane on Friday in the 2022 edition, one year before returning to the Bristol dirt to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut with Kaulig Racing. Saturday’s race went to Ricky Weiss in what is also his latest Series victory.

In addition to the four World of Outlaws races contested at the track, Super Late Models were also part of the Bristol Dirt Nationals in 2021 and 2022, with Davenport, Chris Ferguson, Chris Madden and Dale McDowell each collecting wins. Current MD3 Rookie of the Year contender Trey Mills is also a former Bristol winner, as he won in a 602 Late Model in 2021 at age 12.

Atomic Motor Speedway: Touting itself as one of the fastest tracks in the region, the high-banked, 1/3-mile Atomic Motor Speedway in Lenoir City, TN, had plenty of experience hosting national-level Late Model racing with the Hav-A-Tampa Series throughout the 1990s and the early 2000s.

When the World of Outlaws was revived in 2004, Atomic made three appearances on that season’s schedule. Billy Moyer and Scott Bloomquist split a March doubleheader, while Bloomquist won when the Series came back in September.

The World of Outlaws never returned, but Atomic remained on the Southern All Stars schedule through its closure at the end of the 2006 season. The track was soon demolished and is now the site of a terminal for the Crete Carrier trucking company.

Memphis Motorsports Park: The Millington, TN facility is best known for its 3/4-mile paved oval that previously hosted the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, as well as its dragstrip that was an annual stop for the NHRA.

But at one time, Memphis was also home to dirt racing, originally on a 3/8-mile track that Billy Moyer won on in 1989. That track was demolished in the 1990s to make room for the pavement oval, and a new 1/4-mile dirt track was built on a plot of land once occupied by a go-kart track. Steve Francis won the lone World of Outlaws race held at the new facility in 2005, the last season of operation for the dirt track.

Milan Speedway: More than two decades after a visit by the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars in 1982, the Late Models swung through Milan as part of their rebirth season in 2004. Scott Bloomquist was the night’s victor, a crucial win on his way to collecting his first championship by 13 points over Steve Francis.

The following season in 2005 turned out to be Milan’s last year of operation. The track sat abandoned for several years afterwards until it was dismantled in 2011.

Clarksville Speedway: Tim McCreadie’s eight-win 2005 season still stands as the winningest of his World of Outlaws career, and the last of those triumphs came at Clarksville.

The World of Outlaws may have been a one-and-done at Clarksville, but the same can’t be said for the DIRTcar Summer Nationals. The Hell Tour was an annual invader from 1998 until the track’s closure in 2025, with names like Tony Stewart, Billy Moyer, Don O’Neal, Dennis Erb Jr. and Brandon Sheppard among the list of winners.

Clarksville was also famous for the Toilet Bowl Classic held every March, which attracted several of the sport’s biggest names who were looking to turn some early-season laps.

Wartburg Speedway: Independence Day weekend in 2010 was an unforgettable one for Wartburg fans, as it meant the long-awaited debut of the World of Outlaws at their home track.

In front of what was called the largest crowd in track history, Tim McCreadie led all 50 laps around the 1/4-mile bullring for his third Series win of the season. In the years since Wartburg’s lone World of Outlaws race, the track has primarily been a home for local and regional Crate Late Model racing. Open-motor Late Models have been a rare treat, although Wartburg did host the Southern All Stars for the first time in 2025 for a race won by Camaron Marlar.

Thunderhill Raceway Park: The latest addition to the list of Tennessee tracks that have hosted a World of Outlaws is Thunderhill, which joined the tour for the first time in 2024.

Originally set for a March date, rain pushed the event back to April, then to June due to further inclement weather. Once the skies finally cleared, Brandon Sheppard prevailed over Cade Dillard to score his first World of Outlaws win with the Longhorn Factory Team with Sheppard Riggs Racing, a combination that went on to claim the World of Outlaws championship at season’s end.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision returns to Tennessee for the only time in 2026 for stops at Volunteer Speedway (Friday, March 13) and Smoky Mountain Speedway (Saturday, March 14). Get tickets for both events in advance by clicking here.

Want to watch the World of Outlaws? Stream every race live on DIRTVision.

Race-by-Race History
April 29, 1989 – Memphis Motorsports Park – Billy Moyer
March 13, 2004 – Atomic Motor Speedway – Billy Moyer
March 14, 2004 – Atomic Motor Speedway – Dale McDowell
March 27, 2004 – Volunteer Speedway – Brian Birkhofer
April 30, 2004 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Rick Eckert
Aug. 28, 2004 – Milan Speedway – Scott Bloomquist
Sept. 4, 2004 – Atomic Motor Speedway – Scott Bloomquist
July 22, 2005 – Memphis Motorsports Park – Steve Francis
Sept. 24, 2005 – Clarksville Speedway – Tim McCreadie
Aug. 23, 2007 – Volunteer Speedway – Chris Madden
Oct. 13, 2007 – Volunteer Speedway – Steve Francis
Aug. 20, 2008 – Volunteer Speedway – Jimmy Owens
Aug. 21, 2008 – Volunteer Speedway – Shane Clanton
July 2, 2010 – Wartburg Speedway – Tim McCreadie
July 3, 2010 – Tazewell Speedway – Shane Clanton
July 3, 2011 – Tazewell Speedway – Chris Madden
April 28, 2012 – Tazewell Speedway – Bub McCool
April 26, 2013 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Shane Clanton
April 28, 2013 – Duck River Raceway Park – Eric Wells
April 12, 2014 – Tazewell Speedway – Mike Marlar
May 18, 2014 – Duck River Raceway Park – Darrell Lanigan
April 11, 2015 – Tazewell Speedway – Billy Ogle Jr.
May 9, 2015 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Scott Bloomquist
April 8, 2016 – Duck River Raceway Park – Dale McDowell
May 7, 2016 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Scott Bloomquist
May 13, 2017 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Brandon Overton
May 14, 2017 – Duck River Raceway Park – Mike Marlar
June 2, 2017 – Tazewell Speedway – Shane Clanton
April 27, 2018 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Chris Madden
April 28, 2018 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Dale McDowell
June 1, 2018 – 411 Motor Speedway – Cory Hedgecock
June 2, 2018 – Volunteer Speedway – Jimmy Owens
March 22, 2019 – Duck River Raceway Park – Brandon Sheppard
March 23, 2019 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Jimmy Owens
Oct. 5, 2019 – 411 Motor Speedway – Brandon Overton
March 6, 2020 – Duck River Raceway Park – Josh Richards
March 7, 2020 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Mike Marlar
June 19, 2020 – Volunteer Speedway – Brandon Sheppard
June 20, 2020 – Volunteer Speedway – Zack Mitchell
Oct. 3, 2020 – 411 Motor Speedway – Chris Madden
March 6, 2021 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Chris Madden
April 9, 2021 – Bristol Motor Speedway – Josh Richards
April 11, 2021 – Bristol Motor Speedway – Devin Moran
April 29, 2022 – Bristol Motor Speedway – Jonathan Davenport
April 30, 2022 – Bristol Motor Speedway – Ricky Weiss
Sept. 2, 2022 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Jimmy Owens
April 20, 2023 – 411 Motor Speedway – Cory Hedgecock
June 20, 2024 – Thunderhill Raceway Park – Brandon Sheppard
March 14, 2025 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Bobby Pierce

World of Outlaws Winners from Tennessee
Scott Bloomquist – Mooresburg, TN – 33
Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 21
Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – 18
Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 2
Billy Ogle Jr. – Knoxville, TN – 1

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/a-look-back-at-24-seasons-of-world-of-outlaws-racing-in-the-volunteer-state/

EVENT INFO: Rocky Top Rumble, Tennessee Tipoff
TRACK INFO: Volunteer Speedway, Smoky Mountain Speedway

FAN 101: https://about.worldofoutlaws.com/