The 38-race World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series season concluded at The Dirt Track at Charlotte with Bobby Pierce winning his first Series title, Nick Hoffman securing Rookie of the Year, and Kyle Bronson winning a six-driver battle for fourth on the season’s final night.
2023 Champion: Bobby Pierce became the newest driver to etch his name into World of Outlaws CASE Late Models history by winning the 2023 Series championship.
The Oakwood, IL, driver is the fifth champion to win the title in his first year, joining Billy Moyer, Scott Bloomquist, Mike Marlar, and Brandon Sheppard. Pierce’s title is also the fifth straight championship won by an Illinois driver, following Sheppard and 2022 champion Dennis Erb Jr.
He ended the season with 14 victories, 25 top fives, and 32 top 10s, leading to his 112-point advantage over Chris Madden at the end of the season.
Podium Round Up: Chris Madden finished second in the points standings in 2023, matching his best career finish from 2017 and 2021.
The Gray Court, SC driver won three times throughout the season, earning the checkered flag at Sharon Speedway twice and once at Cedar Lake Speedway. “Smokey” ended the season with 20 top fives and 31 top 10s.
Four-time Series champion Brandon Sheppard finished third in points, climbing four spots in the standings since Memorial Day weekend. The New Berlin, IL driver earned two victories in 2023, scoring wins at Mississippi Thunder Speedway and a $30,000 victory at Davenport Speedway.
Along with his three wins, Sheppard capped off the year with 18 top fives and 26 top 10s.
Bronson Wins Battle For Fourth: Six drivers were separated by 42 points entering the season’s final three Features as they fought for positions four through nine. After the last checkered flag on Saturday, it was Kyle Bronson who came out on top to earn fourth in the standings.
Here’s a look at where the drivers battling for positions four through nine finished:
Kyle Bronson (4th): Bronson finished the weekend with a seventh, 20th, and 10th-place finish to earn fourth by 12 points over Nick Hoffman.
The Brandon, FL driver finished the season with a win at Tri-City Speedway, 11 top fives, and 24 top 10s in his first season with the World of Outlaws.
Nick Hoffman (5th): Finishes of 17th, 14th, and seventh were enough for Nick Hoffman to finish fifth in the season standings—along with an extra $10,000 payday as the 2023 Germfree Rookie of the Year.
He won his first career Feature in June at Stateline Speedway and finished the season with a win, 13 top fives, and 24 top 10s.
Brian Shirley (6th): A fifth, a 20th, and a 22nd were enough to move Shirley to sixth in the final standings. He finished the season with one victory at Paducah International Raceway, nine top fives, and 24 top 10s.
Ryan Gustin (7th): After not reaching the top 10 at Charlotte, Gustin dropped to seventh in the final standings. The Marshalltown, IA driver ended the season with three wins (Marion Center Raceway, Sharon Speedway and River Cities Speedway), 12 top fives, and 22 top 10s.
Dennis Erb Jr. (8th): With an 18th and 21st at Charlotte, Dennis Erb Jr. moved into a tie with Tanner English for eighth in the standings. However, with his win at 81 Speedway in June, Erb won the tiebreaker between the two drivers.
Along with the win, Erb finished the year with eight top fives and 20 top 10s.
Tanner English (9th): English tied Dennis Erb Jr. with finishes of 27th, 25th, and 20th at World Finals but lost the tiebreaker because Erb had more wins. The Benton, KY driver finished the year with 10 top fives, including nine podiums and 23 top 10s.
Top 10 in Final Points:
- Bobby Pierce (5278)
- Chris Madden -112
- Brandon Sheppard -256
- Kyle Bronson -330
- Nick Hoffman -342
- Brian Shirley -366
- Ryan Gustin -384
- Dennis Erb Jr. -426
- Tanner English -426
- Cade Dillard -588
For Full Series points, CLICK HERE.
UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models kick off their 2024 season at Volusia Speedway Park during Sunshine Nationals Jan. 17-20.
TICKETS: http://bit.ly/3tT75tN
If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision, either online or with the DIRTVision app.
