The Topless Outlaws, a steelhead dirt late model series in the Southeast, just had one of its most successful seasons yet. In September they had 40 entries at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tennessee. In the PPM Racing Products Winner’s Circle Podcast (see below for full episode), the series announced that Scott Pass will take over the reins from Michael Robinette. Pass will be looking to carry over that momentum to 2025.
When Robinette started the series in 2019, the steelhead late model outlook didn’t seem so rosy.
“It was in a bit of trouble,” Robinette said of the steelhead late model scene. “A lot of racetracks had dropped them. A lot of people said steelhead racing has died. Well, it hadn’t died — they had gotten abandoned by the racetracks. Our first race was at Crossville [Speedway in Tennessee] in May 2019, and we had 34 cars. In our first year we averaged 27.5 cars per race.”
Five years later, the series’ growth continues, with Robinette adding that this season they had four races with more than 40 entries.
However, Robinette’s life changed recently. He took on a new job, which will require 60-plus hours a week. Robinette had the option to shut down the series and abandon the class like others had did in the past, or pass on the torch. He chose the latter, but he didn’t want to pass it onto just anyone. Scott Pass had been involved with the series since the beginning as a trusted confidante of sorts to Robinette.
“I tried to get someone to start it for three years,” said Pass. “Michael just happened to be the one … he took the lead. When he approached me, asking who I thought would be someone good to sell it to, [I said,] ‘Well, I’d like to have it.’ We wanted to keep it in the ‘family,’ because we didn’t want it changed.”
Pass said he intends to make no major changes to the car rules for 2025. He would like to introduce some more fan-oriented measures for next season, and he hopes to put together a schedule, at least a partial one, in time for PRI.
For those unfamiliar with Pass, he has been in racing for decades. He worked at Warrior Race Cars when Scott Bloomquist used their cars in the late 1980s. Pass owned a race car during the 1990s. And he currently builds engines at B&B Performance Engines.
It’s a bittersweet moment for Michael Robinette, but he’s confident that the Topless Outlaws will be in good hands with Scott Pass.
“Scott will be good for it,” Robinette said. “I will attend races when I can. I hope for them the best and I’ll do all I can to help them make it [a success].”
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
