Could the current Sprint Car rivalry spill into the Late Model world?

 

(Photo: Might Late Model scheduling be impacted by the Sprint Car rivalry?)

Could the current Sprint Car rivalry spill into the Late Model world?

Part of the dirt racing world has turned into a bit of a battleground as what are now two competing Sprint Car tours appear to be locked into a competition for drivers, tracks, and dates with the 2024 season looming in the distance. The longstanding World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series finds itself in the somewhat unfamiliar territory of having to fight with an upstart rival which brings a considerable amount of clout to the dispute.

The High Limit Sprint Car Series emerged last season as a midweek tour contesting only a handful of dates. However, the Brad Sweet and Kyle Larson co-owned entity recently purchased the All-Star Circuit of Champions and seems to be in the process of greatly increasing the fledgling tour’s schedule. 

With the World of Outlaws sticking to their policy of restricting the number of events off the circuit that their full-time regulars can race, the competition for drivers seems to have heated up since the season ended in early November with the running of the World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

As stated earlier, High Limit brings considerable clout into the mix with five-time and reigning WoO Sprints champion Sweet not only serving as a co-owner and administrator of the series but also as a prolific driving star who will run the full schedule. Also, 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Larson will compete in the series' midweek races and almost certainly a few others when his schedule will allow. Those two drivers alone will provide plenty of star power for a series entering its first full season.

Multiple-time WoO feature winner Jacob Allen has also indicated that he will participate with the High Limit Series.

Drivers such as David Gravel and Sheldon Haudenschild along with Allen's Shark Racing teammate Logan Schuchart are among those who will remain with the Outlaws.

But it isn't just drivers who are the targets of series recruitment. Rumor has it that tracks are also being sought by both tours. One example appears to be Pennsylvania's Port Royal Speedway. That facility had previously appeared on both the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars Series scheduled as well as on the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Late Model Series slate.

Both of those World Racing Group properties have already released their schedules for 2024 and neither has Port Royal included. However, the track has announced that there will be two High Limit events at 'The Speed Palace' in 2024.

Knoxville(IA) Raceway, often regarded as the 'Sprint Car Capital of the World' will be on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car schedule but will not serve as the site of a High Limit feature in 2024. There was no Knoxville race for High Limit in 2023 but the famed track did host the All Star Circuit of Champions last season.

But the question Late Model fans may want to consider is whether or not this new rivalry could somehow spill over into that form of motorsports.

World Racing Group controls both the World of Outlaws Late Model and Sprint Car Series. Although not owned by the same people, High Limit is believed to be working out deals to contest companion events with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2024.

Both of the WRG properties have revealed their intentions for 2024 while neither the High Limit nor the Lucas Oil Late Models(as of this posting) have made their full 2024 plans known. Is there the potential for the Sprint Car discord to work its way into the Late Model ranks as the series and tracks begin to form alliances which could make it difficult for cross promotion of events?

The answer to that question may not necessarily come in 2024. Eldora Speedway will be hosting both Sprint Car tours in the upcoming campaign but that historic tracks wields a great deal more power than other dirt racing venues. Knoxville Raceway will, as usual, host the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and there has been no indication that the Iowa track's intentions are anything other than to bring the Lucas Oil Late Models back at some point in the upcoming season.

But one has to wonder about 2025. If this current situation devolves into a full-blown rivalry between all of the entities mentioned above, there could be some scheduling issues for Late Models because of their alliances with particular Sprint Car tours as tracks may be asked to take a side.

While this is all certainly mere speculation now, there does seem to at least be the possibility of such things taking place in the future.

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