A DOZEN TO GO: Erb, English Battle for Championship on Road to World Finals
Dennis Erb Jr. leads Tanner English by 98 points entering races at Smoky Mountain and Lavonia
MARYVILLE, TN – September 1, 2022– A Friday night showdown in the Smoky Mountains kicks off the final 12 races of the season for the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series as they push further down the road to the World of Outlaws World Finals at the Dirt Track at Charlotte (Nov. 2-5).
READ MORE: FOUR-DAY WORLD FINALS SCHEDULE LOADED WITH FAN ACTIVITIES, ACTION-PACKED RACING,BIG MONEY
As the Series spends the weekend at Smoky Mountain Speedway on Friday, Sept. 2, and Lavonia Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 3, two drivers have emerged as prime contenders for the 2022 championship—Dennis Erb Jr. and Tanner English, both looking for their first World of Outlaws championship.
Erb, the veteran, has sat firmly on the championship throne since March, taking over the points lead at the Rock Gault Memorial at Cherokee. Meanwhile, English, the rookie, has been slowly climbing his way up the points mountain, now 98 points behind the Carpentersville, IL driver after scoring his first two Series wins at Davenport Speedway.
English knows trying to make the rest of the climb won’t be easy. The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet return to a type of surface he’s struggled on.
The Benton, KY driver stated he believes the key to the final 12 races is staying consistent.
“I think if we keep on doing what we’re doing and staying consistent, we’ll be alright,” English said. “Some of these tracks coming up are a little harder for me. The red dirt tracks I’m not the best on.
“We need to learn a little bit down there and maybe lean on our guys at Longhorn a little bit and see if we can get some more information and get a little bit better.”
English isn’t only battling the tracks for the rest of the season but also Erb’s experience.
As a national touring veteran, Erb has seen both tracks the Series races this weekend on many occasions—including a second-place finish at Lavonia in 2020.
He said that experience over the next two months would factor into deciding this year’s champion.
“I’m hoping it plays out pretty good,” Erb said. “I feel pretty confident going into a lot of these places here.
“I’ve had a lot of good runs at Charlotte, so I’m definitely looking forward to going there. Hopefully, we can get a little bit more of a cushion built up before we get back there.”
With all but three of the remaining CASE Construction Equipment Features happening on a red-clay surface, Erb realizes how vital track position will be going forward.
“It’s definitely going to play a factor in it,” Erb said. “When you get to some of these places Qualifying is a big key, and track position is for sure. You’re definitely going to want to qualify and start up front with these places coming up for sure.”
English echoed that statement, along with the importance of tire management.
“Down there in the South, you better Qualify good,” English said. “A lot of it is tire management and stuff like that. You have to be on top of your game there and be prepared on tires and do your research on how to groove them, sipe them, and stuff like that.”
The battle for the Series championship continues when the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models head to Smoky Mountain Speedway on Friday, Sept. 2 for the Smoky Mountain Showdown, and Lavonia Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 3 for the Charlie Mize Memorial.
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Make sure to get your tickets ahead of time for the championship determining World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte by CLICKING HERE.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models live on DIRTVision – either online or with the DIRTVision App.
The World of Outlaws Case Construction Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Case Construction Equipment (Official Construction Equipment), DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, Fox Factory (Hard Charger Award), MSD, My Place Hotels, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Swift Springs, and Wrisco–Wieland Metal Services (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including Dirt Car Lift, Capital Race Cars, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, FIREBULL, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, Rocket Chassis, and Sea Foam.
Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, NC, is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws NOS® Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.
Sources: Mike Warren, World of Outlaws Late Model Series PR