By Alex Nieten
EASTABOGA, AL (March 4, 2026) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is ready for some southern hospitality.
After a Bike Week invasion of Florida, it’s a quick turnaround for The Greatest Show on Dirt as the tour makes its only stops of 2026 in Alabama and Mississippi this week.
First up is the Series’ 14th ever visit to Eastaboga, AL’s Talladega Short Track on Friday, March 6. The bullring sits just down the street from its pavement counterpart, the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway. Then it’s over to Columbus, MS’ Magnolia Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 7. “The Mag” has welcomed the country’s premier Sprint Car drivers on three previous occasions.
Thanks to AMKUS Rescue Systems, both races will be First Responder Nights. First responders will receive a $10 discount on their tickets and can get 20% off at the World of Outlaws merch trailer by showing their ID at the gates on race day.
It’s time to get dirty in the “Dirty South.”
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Let’s look at the top five storylines to watch unfold down south:
BACK WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
David Gravel has racked up a remarkable 120 World of Outlaws victories in his illustrious career, and he gets to head to where the winning began this weekend.
Rewind to October of 2011 when the World of Outlaws rolled into Talladega Short Track. Jason Meyers was riding a five-race win streak and powering toward his second consecutive championship. But his streak came to a halt when a 19-year-old from Watertown, CT wheeled by him and held off Donny Schatz for his first career checkered flag.
Now, Gravel returns to Talladega as the two-time and defending champion and seventh-winningest driver in Series history. He’s been to the Alabama oval twice since that night, finishing fourth in 2023 and runner-up a year ago with Big Game Motorsports.
Looking ahead to Saturday, Gravel has also been to Magnolia Victory Lane, topping last year’s visit.
Gravel currently leads the points and carries a run of four straight podiums into the weekend.
ICE IN HIS VEINS
The man who made Gravel settle for second last year at Talladega? That would be Bill Balog.
The “North Pole Nightmare” drove with ice in his veins around the 1/3 mile. Balog wheeled from fourth to the lead in his second-ever appearance at the track. The job wasn’t done there as he had to hold off a charging Gravel, but he managed to pull it off. His first World of Outlaws win since 2016 ignited a memorable campaign. He went on to top a trio of races and improve his statistics nearly across the board compared to his 2024 rookie season.
Balog could use a stout showing this weekend to shake off a slow start. He battled gremlins throughout Florida and is yet to crack the top 10 this season through five races.
CAN BUDDY BOUNCE BACK?
The season is still young, but Michael “Buddy” Kofoid needs a strong weekend.
If something could go wrong on Monday at Volusia Speedway Park for the championship contender, it did. Heat Race and Last Chance Showdown problems forced the Roth Motorsports crew to use a provisional. Then, after swapping cars for the Feature, the No. 83 wouldn’t fire for the main event. The resulting 27th-place finish dropped Kofoid to fourth in the standings and 46 markers behind point leader Gravel.
Fortunately for the 24-year-old, he’s heading into a stretch of tracks that have treated him well. He won at Talladega two years ago with CMS Racing. The Penngrove, CA native marched from ninth to fourth last year at Magnolia. Looking a little further ahead, Kofoid has been victorious at Kennedale Speedway Park, where the tour visits on March 13-14, and Lawton Speedway, which is the March 20 destination.
There’s no denying this is the scenario that Kofoid and company hoped to avoid, but with more than 80 races to go and this team proving they can get hot, their title hopes are far from over.
HAUD’S HEATING UP
It hasn’t taken long for the new pairing of Sheldon Haudenschild and KCP Racing to find their footing.
They didn’t get off to the quickest start at the season-opening Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, but the Bike Week Jamboree return to Volusia shows an entirely different story. Haudenschild dominated Sunday’s portion by leading every lap for the 47th World of Outlaws triumph of his career. He backed that up by starting on the pole and bagging a top 10 the next night.
Can the Wooster, OH native continue building momentum this weekend? The statistics nearly guarantee he’ll be up front at Magnolia on Saturday. Haudenschild topped the Series debut at the Mississippi track in 2021. He then finished third in both 2023 and 2025 to be the only driver to stand on the podium during all three World of Outlaws visits.
ROOKIE ON A ROLL
Many viewed Emerson Axsom as the immediate favorite for the 2026 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presented by Five Star Bodies when he and Klaasmeyer/Petry Motorsports committed, but Ashton Torgerson has other plans.
The Glendale, AZ native was wildly impressive over the campaign’s first five races at Volusia with Shark Racing. It began with him setting Simpson Race Products Quick Time in the season opener and finishing the night with a top 10. During the Bike Week Jamboree, he finished seventh on Sunday then wheeled from sixth to second in the finale. Had the race been a lap or two longer, he might’ve been able to sneak by Anthony Macri for his first career World of Outlaws win.
Many new experiences await the 19-year-old in the near future. Of the seven tracks remaining in March, he’s raced at none of them in a Sprint Car. He does have some Midget laps at Creek County Speedway (March 21), US 36 Raceway (March 27), and 81 Speedway (March 28) under his belt that he hopes will help during those stops.
THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
WHEN AND WHERE
Friday, March 6 at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL
Saturday, March 7 at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS
AROUND THE TURN
Friday-Saturday, March 13-14 at Kennedale Speedway Park in Kennedale, TX (TICKETS)
CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (5/86 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (-0 PTS)
2. Anthony Macri – Macri Motorsports No. 39M (-2 PTS)
3. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-8 PTS)
4. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (-46 PTS)
5. Sheldon Haudenschild – KCP Racing No. 18 (-50 PTS)
6. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-54 PTS)
7. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-74 PTS)
8. Donny Schatz – CJB Motorsports No. 15 (-76 PTS)
9. Spencer Bayston – Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing No. 17 (-82 PTS)
10. Chris Windom – Sides Motorsports No. 7S (-82 PTS)