So you've just seen your first World of Outlaws Late Model Series event and you're totally confused, right? What's a heat race? Why did the cars race around the track before time trials? How come my favorite driver wasn't in the final race of the night? And who are these guys, and what are they driving? You've come to the right place. ‘DIRT 101’ aims to put your mind at ease:

What is the World of Outlaws Late Model Series?
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series (WoO LMS) is the nation’s premier traveling tour for dirt Late Model stock cars. A cousin of the longer-running World of Outlaws series for winged Sprint Cars that was founded by the late Ted Johnson in 1978, the WoO LMS first ran in 1988-89 under the direction of Johnson. The series sat dormant until being rekindled in 2004 by the World Racing Group and has grown in each season since then to take its place as the most competitive and lucrative tour for dirt Late Model racers.

How long is the season?
The WoO LMS season traditionally opens in mid-February during the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., and concludes in early November. The scheduled boasts 40-50 events, with track sizes ranging from a quarter-mile to five-eighths-of-a-mile in length. The 2007 campaign wrapped up Nov. 1-3 with the inaugural ‘Outlaws World Finals,’ a historic event that also featured the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars in competition at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. The unique three-night ‘Outlaws World Finals’ doubleheader is already scheduled to close the 2008 season on Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at The Dirt Track.

What is a dirt Late Model?
A dirt Late Model is a full-bodied, purpose-built race car that is arguably the most popular dirt-track division in the U.S. and Canada. There is no cubic inch limit for the aluminum-head engines, but most teams use powerplants of 400-430 cubic inches that produce over 800 horsepower. Dozens of builders construct dirt Late Model chassis, and the bodies of the cars are designed to resemble popular street-car makes from manufacturers such as Chevrolet, Ford, Pontiac, etc. The cars weigh 2,300 pounds and run on racing gasoline.

Where does the World of Outlaws Late Model Series race?
The tour visits tracks on the East Coast, as far north as Canada, as far south as Florida and the Gulf Coast, and throughout the Midwest. Some of the nation’s most well-known tracks have hosted WoO LMS events, including Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio; Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway; Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa.; Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway; The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.; Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.; the Belleville (Kan.) High Banks; Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn.; Ken Schrader’s I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo.; and Dave Blaney’s Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio.

How much does the winner of a World of Outlaws Late Model Series event earn?
A standard one-day show is headlined by a 50-lap A-Main that pays $10,000 to win from a total purse of around $50,000. There are some shorter events that carry a $7,000 top prize, and some longer two-day, crown-jewel races (the Colossal 100 at the Dirt Track, the Firecracker 100 at Lernerville Speedway, etc.) that can offer anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000 to win.

What does the World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion earn?
For winning the 2007 WoO LMS title, Steve Francis’s reward is a $100,000 check from a points fund that pays nearly $400,000 to the top-10 finishers in the standings.

Who has won World of Outlaws Late Model Series championships?
Only the biggest names is dirt Late Model racing have been able to join the select group of WoO LMS title holders. Arkansas legend Billy Moyer holds three championships (1988, 1989, 2005); Tennessee’s Scott Bloomquist won the crown in 2004; New Yorker Tim McCreadie became the tour’s youngest champion to date (32 years old) in 2006 and parlayed his crown into a Driver Development deal with NASCAR’s Richard Childress Racing; and Steve Francis broke through for his first title in 2007 after finishing second in the points standings three times.

What does a typical World of Outlaws Late Model Series race program look like?
A night of WoO LMS action begins with hot laps for drivers and teams to get their cars ready for competition. Time trials – normally two laps against the clock – are then conducted, with qualifying order set by a blind draw at driver sign-in. The results of time trials set the lineups for the heat races, with the fast-timer on the pole for the first heat, second-fastest on the pole for the second heat, etc. The top-three (when six heats are run), the top-four (four heats) or the top-six (three heats) finishers transfer directly to the A-Main, and four to six more drivers will transfer to the A-Main from the last-chance B-Mains. The heat winners (and sometimes more drivers, depending on the number of heats) redraw for the top starting spots in the A-Mains, with the remainder of the qualified field taking the green flag heads-up from their heat and B-Main finishes. At least two provisional starters are added to the rear of the A-Main field.

How do drivers earn points toward the championship?
Points are only awarded for A-Main finishing positions and to drivers who enter a program and fail to qualify. The A-Main winner receive 150 points, with 146 points to second place and then a two-points-per-position drop down for as many finishing positions. All non-qualifiers receive 75 points.

Race Night Glossary

A-Main (or Feature) – The final race of the night which decides who is the overall winner. Most WoO LMS A-Mains are run over the 50-lap distance, but some can be longer or shorter.

B-Main – This is a driver’s final chance to make it into the A-Main. Most B-Mains are 12 laps.

Heat Race – Usually 10 laps in length, heats determine which cars will move on to the A-Main or B-Mains.

Hot Laps – The practice sessions held prior to time trials. Drivers are divided into groups from their time-trial order to take three or more laps at speed in order to ensure that their car is ready for qualifying.