The movie “Field of Dreams” famously asked the question, “Is this heaven? No, it’s Iowa.” But if you’re a dirt racing fan, they’re one and the same.
Take a trip to the “Hawkeye State” in the summer, and you can catch racing nearly every night of the week at some of the most entertaining tracks in the nation. This season, late August features a two-week tour of the state for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.
The upcoming swing is the latest addition to a long and storied history of World of Outlaws racing in Iowa, which dates all the way back to the inaugural season of the Series in 1988. Along the way, the tour has stopped at a dozen different tracks across the state that have produced countless incredible moments and unforgettable memories.
Davenport Speedway: Before Maquoketa Speedway became the go-to track for World of Outlaws racing in the Quad Cities area, Davenport held that distinction.
The track held its first two Series races in 2004 and 2007 that were won by Brian Birkhofer and Brian Harris, respectively, but it wasn’t until 2018 that Davenport became a fixture on the schedule. That was the year Chad Simpson won his first World of Outlaws race in a Tuesday night prelude to the Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury Speedway, a tradition that returned in 2019 and was won by Jimmy Owens.
When the COVID pandemic interrupted the 2020 season, Davenport was one of the first tracks that brought the tour back to life. The event in late May was dubbed the Inside Out Doubleheader, featuring a race on the 1/4-mile layout on Friday night and the 1/2-mile configuration on Saturday night. Brandon Sheppard swept both nights, as well as a third Davenport race in 2020 on the 1/4-mile in July.
Davenport’s presence on the calendar expanded in 2021 with the inaugural Quad Cities 150, a three-night weekend in late August. Six different drivers found Victory Lane in the three years the event was held, including Tanner English, who picked up his first two World of Outlaws wins on back-to-back nights in 2022.
Independence Motor Speedway: The Series’ second most-visited track in Iowa behind Davenport is Independence, the high-banked 3/8-mile situated 40 miles north of Cedar Rapids.
Josh Richards topped the inaugural visit in 2011 before Darrell Lanigan won in each of the next three years from 2012 to 2014. Following a five-year hiatus, the Series returned in 2019 when Rocket1 Racing returned to Independence Victory Lane with Brandon Sheppard behind the wheel.
Another five-year wait followed before Bobby Pierce won the return trip in 2024. Earlier this season, Independence shifted from its longtime summer slot on the schedule to April, but Pierce came out on top just the same after ripping past Nick Hoffman.
Boone Speedway: The track best known as the home of the IMCA Super Nationals has also hosted its share of top-level Super Late Model racing, including five World of Outlaws races since 2021.
Prior to moving to Maquoketa in 2024, Boone was the home of the Hawkeye 100 for three seasons. Bobby Pierce won two of them in 2021 and 2023 while the 2022 edition went to Jonathan Davenport, one of five World of Outlaws wins for “Superman” that season.
Boone was also home to a rare case of twin full-field Features on the same night on the Friday before the Hawkeye 100 in 2021. Cade Dillard won the first 25-lapper before a 12-car invert was used to set the field for the second race that Shannon Babb was victorious in.
Hamilton County Speedway: The 1989 season included a five-night trip across Iowa leading up to the Fourth of July. The first four of them were won by Billy Moyer, including the first World of Outlaws race in Hamilton County’s history.
The Webster City oval returned to the fray more than a quarter-century later, with Brian Shirley winning in 2016 to go back-to-back with the Series for the first time after his Rockford Speedway victory the previous night. The most recent Hamilton County World of Outlaws race came in 2024, in which Bobby Pierce claimed his fourth of 13 wins on the year.
Mason City Motor Speedway: Mason City was part of the World of Outlaws’ revival season in 2004 and the site of Rick Eckert’s fifth and final triumph of the year. It would be 12 years before the Series rolled back into town in 2016, with then-reigning champion Shane Clanton taking the checkers.
Seven years later, Bobby Pierce’s Mason City win was enough to vault him into the points lead over Chris Madden, sending him on the trajectory that led him to his first Series championship.
Maquoketa Speedway: This weekend’s festivities will bring the World of Outlaws back to Maquoketa for the track’s third year as the home of the Hawkeye 100.
Brian Shirley swept Maquoketa’s first two Series races in 2024 and nearly made it three in a row in 2025, coming up short to Bobby Pierce by inches in a drag race to the checkered flag.
300 Raceway: Named with a nod to the 300-foot-long tractor pulling track in the infield of the oval, 300 Raceway played host to a pair of World of Outlaws events in the early years of the tour.
Scott Bloomquist won his second of nine Series races in 2004 in Farley on his way to the championship, while Rick Eckert followed him up in 2005 in what still stands as the track’s most recent World of Outlaws race.
Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway: 300 Raceway sits less than 20 minutes outside the city of Dubuque, which has a 3/8-mile fairgrounds bullring of its own.
Brian Birkhofer picked up the third World of Outlaws win of his career at Dubuque in 2005. Then in 2018, Brandon Sheppard rallied back from a flat tire to clear Chris Simpson with three laps remaining and collect the trophy.
Knoxville Raceway: The most famous track on the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series schedule has also hosted a pair of fendered World of Outlaws races.
Knoxville was home to Iowa’s first Series event in 1988 which went to that year’s eventual champion, Billy Moyer. Darrell Lanigan won the only other stop at Knoxville in 2007, although Late Models continue to close the curtain on Knoxville’s season every year with the Late Model Knoxville Nationals in September.
Iowa State Fair Speedway: The lone track on the list that is no longer in existence, the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines was home to a 1/2-mile dirt track from 1967 until 2016. The World of Outlaws stopped by for a doubleheader weekend in 1989, with Billy Moyer and Rick Aukland splitting the victories.
While the oval is no longer standing, the land formerly occupied by Turns 3 and 4 now holds a tractor pulling track that remains in operation.
34 Raceway: As the name suggests, 34 Raceway can be found right alongside US Highway 34 in West Burlington, eight miles from the Mississippi River.
The track’s lone World of Outlaws appearance went to Billy Moyer in 1989. In recent years, the Slocum 50 has become 34 Raceway’s biggest Late Model event, with a winner’s list that includes names like Bobby Pierce, Dennis Erb Jr., Devin Moran and Shannon Babb.
Marshalltown Speedway: Some say if you can win on a Friday night at Marshalltown, you can win anywhere.
“Mo-Town” boasts one of the largest and toughest weekly racing contingents in the country across its collection of IMCA divisions, but Super Late Models have been a rarity over the years. One World of Outlaws race has been contested there in 1989, with Billy Moyer coming out on top.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision kicks off a five-race tour of Iowa with the Hawkeye 100 at Maquoketa Speedway on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 21-22, before traveling to Southern Iowa Speedway (Wednesday, Aug. 26), Adams County Speedway (Friday, Aug. 28) and Shelby County Speedway (Saturday, Aug. 29). Get your tickets for all four events by clicking here.
Want to watch the World of Outlaws? Stream every race live on DIRTVision.
Race-by-Race History
July 29, 1988 – Knoxville Raceway – Billy Moyer
June 29, 1989 – 34 Raceway – Billy Moyer
June 30, 1989 – Marshalltown Speedway – Billy Moyer
July 1, 1989 – Hamilton County Speedway – Billy Moyer
July 2, 1989 – Iowa State Fair Speedway – Billy Moyer
July 3, 1989 – Iowa State Fair Speedway – Rick Aukland
May 15, 2004 – 300 Raceway – Scott Bloomquist
Aug. 3, 2004 – Mason City Motor Speedway – Rick Eckert
Aug. 10, 2004 – Davenport Speedway – Brian Birkhofer
June 1, 2005 – 300 Raceway – Rick Eckert
Aug. 9, 2005 – Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway – Brian Birkhofer
May 9, 2007 – Davenport Speedway – Brian Harris
June 15, 2007 – Knoxville Raceway – Darrell Lanigan
Aug. 8, 2011 – Independence Motor Speedway – Josh Richards
Aug. 6, 2012 – Independence Motor Speedway – Darrell Lanigan
Aug. 5, 2013 – Independence Motor Speedway – Darrell Lanigan
July 24, 2014 – Independence Motor Speedway – Darrell Lanigan
July 7, 2016 – Hamilton County Speedway – Brian Shirley
July 8, 2016 – Mason City Motor Speedway – Shane Clanton
July 6, 2018 – Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway – Brandon Sheppard
July 24, 2018 – Davenport Speedway – Chad Simpson
July 5, 2019 – Independence Motor Speedway – Brandon Sheppard
July 24, 2019 – Davenport Speedway – Jimmy Owens
May 29, 2020 – Davenport Speedway – Brandon Sheppard
May 30, 2020 – Davenport Speedway – Brandon Sheppard
July 28, 2020 – Davenport Speedway – Brandon Sheppard
April 30, 2021 – Boone Speedway – Cade Dillard
April 30, 2021 – Boone Speedway – Shannon Babb
May 1, 2021 – Boone Speedway – Bobby Pierce
Aug. 26, 2021 – Davenport Speedway – Devin Moran
Aug. 27, 2021 – Davenport Speedway – Brandon Sheppard
Aug. 28, 2021 – Davenport Speedway – Devin Moran
July 25, 2022 – Boone Speedway – Jonathan Davenport
Aug. 25, 2022 – Davenport Speedway – Jason Feger
Aug. 26, 2022 – Davenport Speedway – Tanner English
Aug. 27, 2022 – Davenport Speedway – Tanner English
June 27, 2023 – Mason City Motor Speedway – Bobby Pierce
Aug. 1, 2023 – Boone Speedway – Bobby Pierce
Aug. 24, 2023 – Davenport Speedway – Bobby Pierce
Aug. 25, 2023 – Davenport Speedway – Bobby Pierce
Aug. 26, 2023 – Davenport Speedway – Brandon Sheppard
June 24, 2024 – Independence Motor Speedway – Bobby Pierce
June 25, 2024 – Hamilton County Speedway – Bobby Pierce
Aug. 16, 2024 – Maquoketa Speedway – Brian Shirley
Aug. 17, 2024 – Maquoketa Speedway – Brian Shirley
Aug. 16, 2025 – Maquoketa Speedway – Bobby Pierce
April 28, 2026 – Independence Motor Speedway – Bobby Pierce
World of Outlaws Winners from Iowa
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 16
Brian Birkhofer – Muscatine, IA – 7
Brian Harris – Davenport, IA – 1
Chad Simpson – Mt. Vernon, IA – 1