MANSFIELD — Dirt track racing royalty is coming to town.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series will invade Mansfield Speedway this weekend for the highly-anticipated Blaster 57 Special.
The winner of Saturday’s feature event will collect a cool $57,000. More than $240,000 will be paid out — the largest total purse on the WOO schedule.
“For those who don’t know it, this is basically the NASCAR of the dirt world,” said track owner and former NASCAR Cup Series driver and team owner Matt Tifft . “Some of the top drivers in the nation will be here.
“This is a huge event to come back to our racetrack and for our opening year, to have this on our third event is really, really big.”
Just how big?
“We’re here to prove ourselves, that we’re 100 percent committed to what we’re doing. We’re ready to put ourselves on the national map.”
— Matt Tifft, Mansfield Speedway owner
All of the top names in late model racing, including series points leader Bobby Pierce, are scheduled to be in Mansfield.
The 29-year-old Pierce won Wednesday’s Bobik Memorial in Marion Center, Pa. The Oakwood, Ill., native and son of National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Bob Pierce has nine WOO feature wins this season.
Pierce leads the series with 3,349 points. Nick Hoffman is second with 3,332 points. Hoffman also is scheduled to be in Mansfield this weekend.
In fact, the top 15 drivers in the points standings are scheduled to duke it out at the .44-mile oval on Crall Road.
“It’s really a marquee event for us,” Tifft said. “At the same time, it’s basically a chance for us to say, ‘Hey, we’re back.’
“We’re here to prove ourselves, that we’re 100 percent committed to what we’re doing. We’re ready to put ourselves on the national map.”
Grandstand gates open at 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Hot laps are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. both days.