LIVEWIRE-TO-WIRE: English Wins at Charlotte, Nets First Career World Finals Victory

Tanner English’s third World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series Feature win of the season Thursday night was worth a lot more to he and his team than just another trophy in the cabinet.

With his wire-to-wire victory in the 40-lap main event at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, English garnered enough points in the standings to lock-up second place overall and officially clinch the 2022 Rookie of the Year Award.

This effectively settles the 10-month-long battle for the prestigious honor between English and fellow full-time Outlaw Max Blair. With only one race remaining on the schedule and the points advantage at 58, English now becomes the highest-finishing rookie in points in World of Outlaws Late Models history – breaking the previous record of third place, shared by Ricky Weiss (2019) and Tyler Bruening (2021).

“It’s big to me to be able to do that and get second in points,” English said. “Everybody’s been tough. Max has been tough all year, and [Ryan] Gustin… it’s just been a tough crowd, and it’s good to finish up front with all these people.”

It’s been a long and demanding season to this point, and in the 42nd race of the 2022 campaign at the World of Outlaws World Finals, The Kentucky Livewire made quick work of the field in the caution-free event that took slightly over 12 minutes to complete. At the drop of the green, English got the jump on polesitter Shane Clanton and won the mad dash into Turn 1 – a goal that he said was the key to the win.

“I knew Clanton was going to be tough getting into Turn 1,” English said. “It kinda helped me out when he pushed me up a little bit; I kinda pushed-up and hit that cushion coming off and it got me a good run down the straightaway.

“That was big. That’s what won the race. I feel like if he gets out front, he wins the race.”

Armed with clean air and the rest of the field behind him, English jumped out to a fluctuating lead of approximately 1.5 seconds on Clanton through the first 20 laps. As the laps clicked off, English dug further and further into lapped traffic, but never seemed to slow down or give up ground to Clanton.

English managed to maintain the solid gap in traffic until the final laps, when Clanton began to close the gap slightly. Try as he may, though, Clanton was unable to reel English all the way in and was forced to settle for runner-up as English crossed the stripe for his first career victory at The Dirt Track.

“I didn’t even think we’d make the show here,” English said. “I thought I was going to have to use some provisionals the way this place is. It usually takes some big motor here, and we don’t have that, for sure.

“It’s sung. It was getting after it, but it got the job done and that’s all you can ask out of it.”

Clanton crossed the stripe in second for the second-straight night. Though he managed to hold-off a relentless Chris Madden throughout the second half of the race, the 2015 Series champion said he knew how his car could have been better even before the race was over.

“We tightened it up a little too much,” Clanton said. “If I’d have left it like it was last night, I maybe could’ve charged harder getting into the corner. But when I drive harder, I’m too tight.”

Madden came home third after starting fourth on the grid. He was a strong threat to Clanton’s runner-up spot inside of 20-to-go, nearly pulling alongside him to make the pass at one point.

“I ran Shane down and ran up [beside] him and tried to move around a little bit, but the air would get dirtied-up a little bit and we’d get loose,” Madden said. “Overall, we had a good race car tonight. We just needed to draw a 1 or 2 I think and start on that front row.”

Madden’s strong Thursday showing makes up a bit for his 21st-place result in Wednesday’s Feature, where internal mechanical issues on the final lap struck him and ruined what could’ve been a top-10 finish. He’ll need those Every Lap Matters points, as they set Saturday’s Heat lineups.

“Hopefully, we’re gonna get a good starting spot for the Heat Race [on Saturday],” Madden said. “You definitely need to start on the first three rows, for sure.”

Wednesday night winner Mike Marlar crossed the stripe in fourth, while Rocket1 Racing’s new pilot Hudson O’Neal turned things around from Wednesday’s 13th-place run to complete the top-five. Scott Bloomquist was the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award winner, advancing six spots on his drive from 20th-to-14th.

UP NEXT

The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models have the night off from racing action tomorrow at The Dirt Track and will instead headline Friday’s Fan Fest on the access road in front of the grandstands from 2-4pm. Full-time Outlaws and various other drivers in the field will be there with their cars signing autographs and taking part in the fun activities planned, then getting ready for the World Finals finale on Saturday night and the 50-lap, $25,000-to-win Feature event.

Tickets are available at WorldofOutlaws.com or at the gate on race day. If you can’t be at the track, watch every lap live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)

CASE Construction Feature (40 Laps): 1. 81E-Tanner English[2]; 2. 25-Shane Clanton[1]; 3. 44-Chris Madden[4]; 4. 157-Mike Marlar[5]; 5. 1H-Hudson O’Neal[6]; 6. 49-Jonathan Davenport[9]; 7. 39-Tim McCreadie[3]; 8. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[8]; 9. 17M-Dale McDowell[10]; 10. 7W-Ricky Weiss[11]; 11. 1T-Tyler Erb[12]; 12. 8-Kyle Strickler[7]; 13. 10-Garrett Smith[14]; 14. 0-Scott Bloomquist[20]; 15. 76-Brandon Overton[15]; 16. 22-Chris Ferguson[16]; 17. 93-Carson Ferguson[22]; 18. 18D-Daulton Wilson[21]; 19. 20-Jimmy Owens[18]; 20. 111V-Max Blair[25]; 21. B1-Brent Larson[17]; 22. 15-Dale Hollidge[13]; 23. 1-Josh Richards[26]; 24. 22*-Payton Freeman[24]; 25. 19R-Ryan Gustin[23]; 26. 88-Trent Ivey[19]; 27. 11-Gordy Gundaker[27]

[Read More]

World of Outlaws World Finals
Thursday, November 03, 2022
The Dirt Track at Charlotte
5500 Concord Parkway S
Concord, North Carolina 28027 

Event Description
For the first time ever, the most prestigious dirt racing event in the country lights up The Dirt Track at Charlotte with not three, but four days of heart-pounding, clay-slinging action on the lightning-fast, four-tenths mile oval. The World of Outlaws World Finals brings together the top series in the sport, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series and the Super DIRTcar Series, for four full days of racing culminating in the crowning of all three series champions.

Series Racing
World of Outlaws Late Model Series

Support Divisions
Super DIRTcar Series

To Win Amount
$15,000.00

Feature Laps Length
40

Event Schedule
VIEW FULL SCHEDULE
*All times Eastern

Event Hashtag
#AllDirtRoads

Ticket Phone
(800) 455-3267

Options And Prices
Single Seat Tickets ON SALE October 26

Discounts
Student

Grandstand Type
Bleacher with backs

Reserved Seating
all seating

Family Section Location
n/a

Handicapped Seating Location
Lower level and Second level - Reserved seating required - Companion seating is available

Pit Age Requirement
All ages allowed. Minors ages 17 and under must have a signed waiver sheet. ONE parent must be present OR waiver should be notarized with the required ONE parent signature. Call 1-800-455-FANS with questions.

Pit Gate Location
Pit gate is located at Gate 2 of the zMax Dragway

Parking Cost
FREE

Handicapped Parking Location
Designated handicap parking between the dirt track and zMax dragway

Camping Availability
electric hookup, non-electric, onsite, showers, waste services

Camping Cost
Contact the track for pricing

Support Divisions
Super DIRTcar Series

To Win Amount
$15,000.00

Reserved Seating
all seating

Type of Grandstand
Bleacher with backs

Stadium Seating
Not allowed

Handicapped Seating
Lower level and Second level - Reserved seating required - Companion seating is available

Handicapped Parking
Designated handicap parking between the dirt track and zMax dragway

Pit Age Limit
All ages allowed. Minors ages 17 and under must have a signed waiver sheet. ONE parent must be present OR waiver should be notarized with the required ONE parent signature. Call 1-800-455-FANS with questions.

Pit Gate Location
Pit gate is located at Gate 2 of the zMax Dragway

Personal Coolers
Fans can bring in a soft-sided cooler no bigger than 14x14x14 and a bag/backpack no bigger than 18x18x14. Hard coolers are not allowed through the gates. Coolers are not allowed in Suites.

ATMs
1

Credit Card Use
Concessions, Pit Gate, Ticket Window

Alcohol Sales
Alcohol is also sold at the track

Smoking Policy
designated smoking areas only

Family Section
n/a

Parking Cost
FREE

Camping Availability
electric hookup, non-electric, onsite, showers, waste services

Camping Cost
Contact the track for pricing

The Dirt Track at Charlotte
5500 Concord Parkway S
Concord, North Carolina 28027 

Track Phone
(704) 455-3200

Ticket Phone
(800) 455-3267

Track Size
0.4

Track Type
semi banked

Sprint Car Track Record
11.880 seconds by Jeff Shepard on 10/6/01

Late Model Track Record
14.183 seconds by Kyle Larson on 11/5/20

Closest Airport
Concord-Padgett Regional Airport

Other Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Pit Gate Location
Pit gate is located at Gate 2 of the zMax Dragway

Track Map

Competitor Downloads
 https://www.dirtcarmembers.com/downloads.php

Tire Rules
(LF Open Tire) {LF MUST remain on the LF all night}
(Hoosier 1350) RF/LR/RR
(Hoosier LCB70) Right Rear Option
*You MUST Qualify, Heat Race, and LCS on the same tires.
You can change (1) tire for the Feature.