Outlaws Late Models 2022 schedule enriched by new tracks

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series will visit 34 tracks in 16 states in 2022, including 12 venues that are either new or returning for the first time in many seasons.

And as with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, late models will feature a record purse. The late model champion will earn $125,000 with the top 12 drivers in the standings splitting more than $500,000. There will be increases of at least $5,000 for each position.

“We are always bouncing ideas off our teams to try and get feedback on things when it comes to the schedule and points fund,” said series director Casey Shuman in a release. “We have tried to add some new big weekends each year, and in 2022 we will do that again, along with a very enticing point fund for our full-time teams.”

The Outlaws Late Models get the 2022 schedule underway with two multi-day shows at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville Fla. The Sunshine Nationals will run January 20-22 followed by the DirtCar Nationals a month later, from February 16-19.

The series will close with the Outlaws World Finals, November 2-5, at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. The World Finals will feature four nights of racing in 2022 with three features.

New tracks include Bloomburg (Pa.) Fair Raceway in May, Jacksonville (Ill.) Speedway in June, Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, Ga. in September and Humboldt (Kans.) Speedway in October. The Rev in Monroe, La. also joins the Outlaws Late Models 2022 schedule with a two-night show in March that culminates in a $20,000-to-win Saturday night feature.

Tri-City Raceway Park in Franklin, Pa. returns for the first time since 2010 while U.S. 36 Raceway in Osborn, Mo. last hosted an Outlaws Late Model event in 2009.

But it is Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill. that has had the longest hiatus. They will host an Outlaws race for the first time since 2004. Darrell Lanigan was the last Outlaws Late Model racer to win there.

2022 Outlaws Late Models Schedule

Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 20-22 – Volusia Speedway Park

Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 16-19 – Volusia Speedway Park

Friday-Saturday, Mar. 11-12 -The Rev
Friday-Saturday, Mar. 25-26 – Cherokee Speedway

Friday-Saturday, Apr. 1-2 – Farmer City Raceway
Friday-Saturday, Apr. 22-23 – Atomic Speedway
Thursday-Saturday, Apr. 28-30 – Bristol Motor Speedway

Thursday-Saturday, May 5-7 – Mississippi Thunder Speedway
Thursday, May 19 – Bloomsburg Fairgrounds Speedway
Friday, May 20 – Thunder Mountain Speedway
Saturday, May 21 – Port Royal Speedway
Friday- Saturday, May 27-28 – Sharon Speedway

Friday, June 3 – Tri-City Speedway
Saturday, June 4 – The Dirt Oval at Route 66
Friday-Saturday, June 17-18 – Orange County Fair Speedway
Friday-Saturday, June 24-25 – Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55
Sunday, June 26 – Jacksonville Speedway

Friday-Saturday, July 8-9 – Boone Speedway
Tuesday, July 12 – Gondik Law Speedway
Friday, July 15 – River Cities Speedway
Saturday, July 16 – I-94 Sure Step Speedway
Sunday, July 17 – Red Cedar Speedway
Friday-Saturday, July 29-30 – Fairbury Speedway

Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 4-6 – Cedar Lake Speedway
Friday, Aug. 19 – Williams Grove Speedway
Saturday, Aug. 20 – Sharon Speedway
Sunday, Aug. 21 – Tri-City Raceway Park
Thursday-Saturday, Aug 25-27 – Davenport Speedway

Friday, Sept. 2 – Smoky Mountain Speedway
Saturday, Sept. 3 – Lavonia Speedway
Friday-Saturday, Sept. 23-24 – Boyd’s Speedway
Friday, Sept. 30 – Cherokee Speedway

Saturday, Oct. 1 – Senoia Raceway
Friday, Oct. 21 – Humboldt Speedway
Saturday, Oct. 22 – 81 Speedway
Sunday, Oct. 23 – U.S. 36 Raceway

Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 2-5 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte

Cadillac and Chip Ganassi Racing announced their driver lineup for a 2023 entry in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the sports car series that includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Cadillac V-LMDh entry will be driven by Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn, who were teamed on the No. 02 Cadillac that competed in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship DPi class this season and won the Twelve Hours of Sebring. The third driver will be Richard Westbrook, who will return to Ganassi after helping the team to a GT class win at Le Mans in 2018.

The team also will compete in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the rebranded Grand Touring Prototype premier category, which is designed for crossover between the top prototypes in IMSA and WEC. Ganassi will field a second entry at Daytona with its No. 01 Cadillac that will compete full time in IMSA with Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande.

A Ganassi spokesman said the team hopes to run its second entry in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans but only its WEC team is confirmed (an AOC invitation would be required for the IMSA team). The team also is exploring options but currently plans to have the WEC’s team base of operations in Indianapolis.

Ganassi is the first American-based prototype team to confirm its entry in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s expected that Team Penske, which raced this year’s Le Mans with a full-time WEC entry in LMP2, also will race Le Mans with Porsche’s new LMDh car that is set for IMSA, but the manufacturer has yet to confirm its driver and team lineup.

Next year will mark the return of Cadillac to Le Mans for the first time since 2002.

It takes a world-class team to conquer the world's greatest racetracks. Meet our drivers for the Cadillac V-LMDh in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar class. #CadillacRacing #BeIconic #WEC pic.twitter.com/Zk9CC9vyfD

— Cadillac Performance (@CadillacVSeries) October 3, 2022

Before joining Ganassi last year, Lynn made 28 WEC starts since 2016, winning the LMGTE Pro class at Le Mans in 2020.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to continue with Cadillac and Chip Ganassi Racing,” Lynn said in a release. “It’s a huge honor to drive for Chip in any capacity but certainly on a full factory sports car program, it’s seriously cool. Cadillac has so much heritage as a luxury North American sports car brand, so to be able to represent them is a huge privilege. I’ve had a lot of fun in my first year doing it and to continue that onto the World Endurance Championship stage is fantastic.

“For me, returning to WEC is sort of what I’ve always known and it’s a bit like going into my wheelhouse. This year in IMSA was a bit different with getting to know all-new circuits and a new style of racing so 2023 will be filled with a bit more of what I’m used to with more of a European focus. I think what’s significant about WEC is without a doubt Le Mans. As a sports car race, Le Mans is the crown jewel and everything that we want to win. To be able to take Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac back to Le Mans to fight for overall honors is a huge honor and that’s something that I’m going to work tirelessly to make sure we achieve.”

Bamber won the Le Mans overall in 2015 and ’17 with Porsche teams and also was a 2019 GTLM champion in IMSA.

“I am really happy to continue at Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac,” Bamber said in a release. “I’ve loved my first season in DPi and now to continue over into the LMDh era and WEC is super exciting. Looking forward to fighting for a world championship and another Le Mans victory.

“The World Endurance Championships gives us the opportunity to race at the world’s biggest race, which is Le Mans, the crown jewel of sports car racing. I’ve been lucky enough to win it before and it’s obviously a huge goal for Cadillac and everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing. To have that goal in sight is really exciting. It’s been great to have Alex as a teammate in 2022. We’ve been able to learn and grow together in the DPi, and we have a really good partnership going into WEC. We know each other really well and believe adding Richard will be a seamless transition.”

Said Westbrook: “After four really good years at Chip Ganassi Racing, I’ve got so many friends there and I’ve always dreamt to come back one day. It just worked so well between 2016 and 2019, and I’m delighted we found a route to come together again. I can’t wait, it’s an exciting era in sports car racing right now.

“I feel like I know Alex and Earl really well. I did Le Mans with Alex in 2020 and I’ve known him for years. It feels like I’m going back with an ex-teammate and exactly the same with Earl. Although I’ve never shared a car with Earl, we’ve always done the same sort of racing be it in WEC or in IMSA. We’ve had lots of battles, including this year in our dueling Cadillacs. We’ve always gotten along quite well, and I can say we’re going to have a great year together.”

The seven-race WEC season, which also includes a stop at Spa, will begin March 17 with the 1,000 Miles of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway in Florida.

World of Outlaws Late Models 2022 schedule enriched by new tracks

Cadillac confirms WEC driver lineup with Chip Ganassi Racing that will race Le Mans in 2023

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