Thanks to Elite Petroleum, Smoky Mountain Speedway will offer free general admission to veterans displaying a military ID. This isn’t for any ole weekly show, it’s for Saturday’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series race.
“I just felt like it was the right thing to do,” said Elite Petroleum’s Austin Helton, who also races a street stock. “I didn’t do it for any kind of [personal] gain. It’s the least we can do for veterans. I hadn’t served, but If I’m ever able to help anybody who has, I’ll try my best.”
The World of Outlaws Late Models’ Tennessee Tipoff at Smoky Mountain Speedway starts tonight, Friday, March 14. Free general admission for veterans is for Saturday only.
Ticket prices, otherwise, are as follows:
Friday, March 14
Advanced 2-Day Reserved Seating: $70.00/Day of: $80.00
Advanced 2-Day Adult General Admission: $60.00/Day of: $70.00
2-Day Child General Admission (11 & under): $20.00
Advanced Friday Reserved Seating: $35.00/Day of: $40.00
Advanced Friday Adult General Admission: $30.00/Day of: $35.00
Friday Child General Admission (11 & under): $10.00
Saturday, March 15
Advanced Saturday Reserved Seating: $40.00/Day of: $45.00
Advanced Saturday Adult General Admission: $35.00/Day of: $40.00
Saturday Child General Admission (11 & under): $10.00
For both days, the pits and tier gates open at 2 p.m., grandstands at 4 p.m. Driver’s meeting is set to start at 6 p.m., with hot laps following at 6:30 p.m.
Friday’s support classes are street stocks and front-wheel drives. Saturday’s are the Cumberland Plateau Mod Minis and sportsman late models.
As far as the headlining World of Outlaws late models, the list of expected drivers reads as a who’s who of the dirt late model world. That group includes series regulars such as Ryan Gustin, Bobby Pierce, Nick Hoffman, Ethan Dotson, Drake Troutman, Cody Overton, Kyle Bronson, Brian Shirley, Dennis Erb Jr., Tanner English, Tyler Bruening, and more. Other drivers include Ricky Thornton Jr., Devin Moran, Dale McDowell, Mike Marlar, Jimmy Owens, Hudson O’Neal, Cory Hedgecock, Sam Seawright, Spencer Hughes, Ashton Winger, Ricky Weiss, and more.
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.
