Championship battles intensified Thursday in the first of three consecutive nights of white-knuckled racing as the season-ending World of Outlaws World Finals took over The Dirt Track at Charlotte. As the greatest show on dirt brought together the biggest names in dirt racing, it was Rico Abreu (World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series), Hudson O’Neal (World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Models) and Matt Sheppard (Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds) storming to Victory Lane in the first night of features.
O’NEAL STEALS WIN ON FINAL CORNER
O’Neal edged out five-time Outlaw champion Brandon Sheppard on the final corner of Thursday’s 35-lap World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model feature to claim his third career Outlaw victory and his first at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
“I’ve never won here; I’ve never run good here,” the Martinsville, Ind. native said. “It’s awesome to be standing here on the podium… I didn’t really think I had a shot. I seen him catching lap traffic and I seen him trying to stay committed to the middle… I thought the best shot I had was to stay down (low) and maybe he’ll slip up and that’s exactly what happened. Most of the race, I didn’t think I had the car, but I found a little bit. The longer the race went, the better I got.”
Sheppard led 21 of the final 23 circuits, but couldn’t hold off Hudson, who made up 0.8 of a second on the final lap to take the victory by a razor-thin 0.1 second margin.
“I knew I needed to be on the bottom, but all the lap cars were down there. I slipped up,” Sheppard said. “I got to the middle of the corner and I kind of washed out. Congratulations to Hudson. They did good there. Hopefully we can get one spot better tomorrow.”
Drake Troutman’s third place finish locked up his 2025 MD3 Rookie of the Year campaign. Nick Hoffman, from nearby Mooresville, finished fourth, with Chris Madden rounding out the Top 5. Polesitter Brandon Overton finished 10th, while Bobby Pierce’s 12th-place finished was good enough to lock him in as the 2025 series champion.
ABREU RACES TO HIS FIRST WORLD FINALS VICTORY
A chaotic start and a caution-filled race didn’t stop Abreu from powering to his first career victory at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, kicking off World Finals Weekend feature racing.
The 25-lap feature got off to a rocky start with a caution on Lap 1 as Chris Windom, making his Charlotte debut, spun and was forced to the work area. Despite a two-minute repair window, Windom’s team couldn't get him back on track in time.
The work zone became a very busy place at the start of this race because before the field could even restart, another collision involving Gio Scelzi, Ryan Timms and Cale Thomas brought the yellow flag out once again. Scelzi suffered significant damage to his car and was done for the night, while Thomas headed to the work zone for repairs.
After multiple restarts, Abreu finally got the race rolling from the pole and quickly established control. By Lap 5, he was working through traffic and lapping the back of the field. He stretched his lead over David Gravel, who held steady in second. The top three, Abreu, Gravel and an extremely determined Corey Day, remained consistent through much of the race, even as cautions continued to slow the field.
One of the most notable performances of the night came from Day, who pushed from 21st to third place by Lap 17 and through the finish line. Behind him, Micahel Kofoid clinched fourth, while Parker Price Miller rounded out the Top 5 as the race took the checkered flag.
The final caution of the race came on Lap 23 when Sye Lynch lost a front tire while running 23rd, ending what had been a promising night for the driver who had earlier won his heat race.
On the final restart, Abreu didn’t flinch. He pulled away cleanly to take the win. Gravel finished second, locking up the series championship in the process.
In Victory Lane, Abreu shared what this paramount achievement means to him.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “I just want to win races for my sprint car team and these great partners that believe in our ability.”
For Abreu, this long-awaited breakthrough at The Dirt Track sets the tone for what’s shaping up to be an electric weekend. With two more days of racing to come, fans can expect more monumental trips to victory lane and thrilling, dirt-flying races.
SHEPPARD AVOIDS CHAOS IN THURSDAY TRIUMPH
In a chaos and caution-filled Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds opening night, Savannah, NY native Matt Sheppard used his knowledge from 40 career starts at the Dirt Track at Charlotte to his advantage to claim a decisive victory over Alex Payne.
Sheppard started the night with speed, winning his Milton Hershey School Heat Race, and never let off the gas after securing his spot in Thursday night’s feature. On the redraw, “Super Matt’s” luck stayed in his favor as he pulled the No. 2 to start on the front row beside “Kid Rocket” Alex Yankowski.
It only took one lap to draw the first caution of the night, opening the door for Sheppard to take the lead as he got the jump on Yankowski and the rest of the pack. Despite seven cautions and plenty of track position shifts behind him, “Super Matt” secured his sixth win at the Dirt Track at Charlotte, earning the title of winningest driver in the Super DIRTcar Big Block Modified Series at the famed four-tenths-mile clay oval.
The win gives Sheppard his fifth victory of the year to be the winningest Big Block driver this season.
“You know we are out of the points battle, but to come down here and win in front of such a huge crowd on such a big venue, this is really special, it really is,” Sheppard said as he soaked in his 103rd career win.
Mat Williamson, who is chasing his third series championship, finished third on the night locking in six points, keeping himself in contention for the Super DIRTcar Big Block Modified Championship title Friday night.
TICKETS:
Friday’s action heats up as drivers battle in Last Chance Showdowns and feature races across all three divisions, fighting to lock into Saturday’s championship-deciding finales. Tickets are available online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets or can be purchased at the gate.
KEEP TRACK:
Follow all the World of Outlaws Final action through the hashtag #WorldFinals. Connect with The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway on X, Facebook and Instagram.
