WoO LMS Notes: Big Money For Gopher 50

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. — The World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision wraps up its three-week tour of the Midwest this weekend with three nights of action on Independence Day weekend.

The NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 at Deer Creek Speedway marks the next crown jewel event on the 2025 calendar, paying out $50,000 to the winner at the end of three nights of racing. The big money won’t be limited to Saturday though, as drivers will be competing for an event-high $10,000 on both Thursday and Friday night.

If the racing wasn’t enough, fans can also look forward to live music before and after the races all weekend long, a massive fireworks show following Saturday’s feature, an autograph session with the World of Outlaws field on Saturday afternoon, a fan zone filled with games and activities and much more.

TOP OF HIS GAME

Two and a half years into his career as a full-time Late Model racer, Nick Hoffman added a new line to his resume last week – back-to-back World of Outlaws winner.

With wins at River Cities Speedway and Norman County Raceway and a podium to close out the weekend at Nodak Speedway, Hoffman has never felt better behind the wheel of a late model than he does right now. He doesn’t plan on letting that feeling fade this weekend.

The Mooresville, N.C., driver will go for his first crown jewel trophy at Deer Creek, a place he’s shown speed at in his limited starts. Hoffman finished sixth or better in all three programs at last year’s Gopher 50, including a second in the Thursday feature.

DRIVING THE WHEELS OFF

Tim McCreadie might be 51 years old, but Sunday’s feature at Nodak proved that “T-Mac” still knows how to drive with the no-holds-barred attitude of a 21-year-old.

The feature included several instances of McCreadie diving into the corner and clearing multiple cars like it was nothing, and as quickly as he entered the picture at the front of the field, he was already out front and cruising away to the checkers.

After struggling to find their footing early in the season, the Briggs Transport team has gone from the bottom of the top 10 up to fifth in points, 10 markers shy of Drake Troutman in fourth. While Troutman has been on a hot streak of his own lately, the statistics show McCreadie could have the upper hand in that battle this weekend.

The 2006 World of Outlaws champion won the 2010 edition of the Gopher 50 and has finished top five in the main event on four other occasions, while Troutman will make his first laps around Deer Creek in a late model this weekend.

KING OF THE CREEK

For the first time since the season-opening events at Volusia Speedway Park, Bobby Pierce has gone four races since his latest World of Outlaws win.

Winning 32 Series races since the start of the 2023 season leads to higher expectations than anyone in the field, and finishes of sixth, seventh and second over the weekend weren’t quite what the “Smooth Operator” had in mind.

Fortunately for Pierce, there’s no better place for him to get back to victory lane and rebuild his points lead than Deer Creek. He’s competed in two Gopher 50s (2023 and 2024) and won both of them. He also topped a World of Outlaws show at the track on Labor Day weekend in 2023. The only time Pierce made his way to Spring Valley and didn’t leave with a trophy was the 2018 North Star Nationals – he finished second.

FINDING HIS GROOVE

Since the last time Dennis Erb Jr. won a World of Outlaws race at 81 Speedway in 2023, he and crew chief Heather Lyne have been working around the clock trying to get back on top.

The past two years have been filled with chassis changes, setup overhauls and plenty of late nights in the shop, but last weekend showed that the tide could be turning back in Erb’s favor.

Friday night at River Cities, Erb earned his first podium since August of 2023 at Davenport Speedway. Erb didn’t have to wait almost two years for the next one though, as he backed it up with a third at Norman County the following night.

A 10th-place result at Nodak was Erb’s eighth top 10 of the season, leaving him sixth in the standings headed to Deer Creek. The Minnesota three-eighths-mile is one of Erb’s most consistent tracks on tour, as he’s finished top 10 in four of his five World of Outlaws starts there with a best of fourth in 2024.

HEADING HOME

The past two weeks have seen Jake Timm go from a late model rookie finding his footing on the national stage to a legitimate contender against the best.

Things got rolling for the No. 49 team at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park where Timm won his first heat race of the year, which translated into a front-row starting spot and a season-best ninth-place finish.

Timm proved it wasn’t a fluke in Grand Forks – another heat race win, another top 10 in the feature. He wasn’t as strong early in the night at Norman County, but that didn’t matter come feature time, as Timm drove from 13th to fifth for his first World of Outlaws top five. Nodak nearly brought another one, as he ran as high as sixth before fading late to 14th.

With confidence on the rise, the Winona, Minn., driver is set to challenge for the big money this weekend an hour from home.

Timm is a former regular in the weekly modified division at Deer Creek and has two United States Modified Touring Series wins at the track to his name. On the late model side, Timm has competed in the Gopher 50 four times with a best finish of 11th in the first preliminary feature last year.

THE INVADERS

The full-time Outlaws will have plenty of competition for the $50,000 check this weekend, with drivers from across the country planning to descend on Deer Creek.

They’ll be led by the winningest driver in Gopher 50 history, Billy Moyer. “Mr. Smooth” is a five-time event winner, but they all came at the race’s former home at Owatonna Raceway. However, Moyer hasn’t forgotten how to win at 67 years old, as his latest victory came in this year’s DIRTcar Summer Nationals opener at the Brownstown Bullring.