One of the most intriguing freshman classes in recent history has been living up to the hype in 2026.
Four drivers are following the full World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision tour for the first time this season, and they’re all doing it with race teams that are also new to full-time national tour competition. They’ve each had their own set of struggles and successes since the season began in January, and the battle between them for the MD3 Rookie of the Year Award is set to come down to the wire in the closing races of the year.
Here’s a look at where each World of Outlaws rookie stands:
Trey Mills – 1st in rookie points, 7th in overall points: Four months ago, top rookie honors looked like a pipe dream for Trey Mills. Not anymore.
The No. 14 team didn’t get off to the start they wanted, and sat 189 points behind Daulton Wilson leaving Farmer City Raceway in April. Late spring was when Mills started to find his groove, and he’s been chipping away at the deficit ever since. Mills beat Wilson by 11 positions in the USA Nationals finale at Cedar Lake Speedway, and that was just enough to edge in front by a single point.
The 18-year-old Floridian has been the underdog in this year’s rookie battle from the start, considering Wilson is 29 and has been driving Super Late Models since Mills was in fifth grade. Despite the experience difference, Mills has proven himself to be a quick learner. He’s finished in the top 10 16 times this season, with 11 of them coming at tracks Mills had never been to before.
While he hasn’t yet won for the first time at the national level, he’s come close on multiple occasions, including on some of the sport’s biggest nights. Mills earned the pole position at both the Dirt Late Model Dream and the Prairie Dirt Classic and led a combined 87 laps between the two crown jewels, more than any other driver.
Daulton Wilson – 2nd in rookie points, 8th in overall points: Less than a year ago, Wilson was wondering if his days as a nationally-touring Late Model driver were behind him. These days, his outlook is brighter than ever.
The Fayetteville, NC driver spent last fall as a free agent after his departure from JRR Motorsports. In October, an opportunity came along from Augie Burttram and Shawn Martin to run a handful of races as part of their Big Frog/Viper Motorsports operation. The combination hit it off, one thing led to another, and Wilson’s short-term arrangement turned into a long-term deal to run the full World of Outlaws schedule for the first time in 2026.
“Big Perm” was competitive out of the gate, going on a run of 13 top 10s in 18 races in the spring. Early summer was a struggle, but all those frustrations vanished at Stateline Speedway when Wilson broke through for his first World of Outlaws victory and Big Frog’s biggest win to date.
Wilson could use a few more nights like that one to lock up the Rookie of the Year title. The schedule says Wilson should have the upper hand in crunch time, as the final races of the season take place at Modoc Speedway and The Dirt Track at Charlotte, two Carolina tracks that Wilson knows well.
Logan Zarin – 3rd in rookie points, 13th in overall points: In his first full season racing with the World of Outlaws, Logan Zarin has also gotten a taste of victory.
Two hours from home at Marion Center Raceway, the Hookstown, PA native took the checkers in his split-field Feature ahead of the Connor Bobik Memorial for the first national-level win of his career. Zarin was joined in Victory Lane that night by Jared Miley, who won the other preliminary race to complete the sweep by the western Pennsylvania locals.
Zarin’s best full-field finish came across the state line at Wayne County Speedway in Ohio, where he finished eighth on May 28. The primary goal for the season has been to learn and build toward a long and successful future in the national Late Model ranks, and that’s exactly what he’s been doing in the first 40 races of the campaign.
Eli Johnson – 4th in rookie points, 14th in overall points: Despite being the oldest member of the rookie class at age 32, Eli Johnson came into the season with the least amount of previous Super Late Model experience.
The Clewiston, FL native grew up around racing, but didn’t climb into a car himself until adulthood. Following a handful of seasons of competing locally in Florida, Johnson went all in on Super Late Model racing midway through 2025. The No. 55E team ran the full DIRTcar Summer Nationals tour and attended several other major events, all in an effort to prepare themselves for full-time World of Outlaws racing the following year.
Johnson’s best night to date came at West Virginia Motor Speedway, where he rallied from 23rd up to a carer-best 12th, earning the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award in the process. He’s also started to find more early-night speed as of late, making a pair of Redraws at River Cities Speedway in June and Stateline Speedway in July.
Mills, Wilson, Zarin and Johnson will resume their World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision rookie campaigns in the Hawkeye 100 at Maquoketa Speedway on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 21-22. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.
Want to watch the World of Outlaws? Stream every race live on DIRTVision.