Jimmy Owens (#20) of Newport, Tn., and Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Illinois, proved again Friday night why they are the two best and hottest dirt late model racers in America, winning the night's two $2,500 preliminary features heading into Saturday's 75-lap, $25,000 to-Win "Hoosier Dirt Shootout" at the Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway.
The quarter-mile oval hosts its first-ever World of Outlaws Late Model series sanctioned event after Fairbury (Illinois) Speedway cancelled the annual running of the "Praia Dirt Classic" due to the state's COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
Owens held off Georgia's Shane Clanton and Louisiana's Cade Dillard for his victory and Sheppard (#1) beat Ricky Thornton Jr. and Chase Junghans in his race.
Officials have moved up Saturday's race start time to 4:30 p.m. due to the threatening weather forecast for the evening hours. The Dirtvision website will carry the race live Saturday for its subscribers. In Tennessee no racing took place Friday night but the usual gamut of Saturday night racing sees action all over East Tennessee and Northeast Alabama.