For the last few seasons, Rico Abreu and Brent Marks have been two of the best sprint car drivers in the country. They were doing it without being committed to the World of Outlaws or All Stars. They were at the top of the class when it came to those considered “true outlaws.” Now, both Abreu and Marks have signed on to be full-time High Limit Racing drivers, leaving their “outlaw” status behind to be apart of the new series.
There are currently 29 teams and drivers committed to either the World of Outlaws or High Limit Racing. It will be the highest number of “national” teams in quite some time in the sport of sprint car racing. It also means that a new crop of “true outlaws” will be trying to repeat the success that Marks and Abreu had on the road.
A true “outlaw” makes their own schedule, doesn’t get tow money from a series, shows up to whatever track they want, and tries to take the money from the national teams. They are far from “low budget” teams, but still capture the support from the fans for being the outsider trying to take down the big guns. But, with so many teams committing to national series, are there enough teams out there that can have success against the top of the sport? The number has decreased, but there are still a few teams out there that can make some noise.
Anthony Macri
If there is one guy out there who can have the success similar to Abreu and Marks, it’s Anthony Macri. Macri started the 2023 season with plenty of wins and success. That all got brought to a dramatic halt when it was announced that he would be parting ways with his family team. He would take over the CMR no. 7BC for the injured Tyler Courtney and was fairly mediocre in his time in the car. Still, let’s not forget who Macri is when he is racing his family car.
The team has not released a schedule, but it’s probably safe to assume we will see the 39M at 60-80 races. With Central Pennsylvania increasing purses and holding plenty of big events, the 39M might not need to travel as much in 2024. Still, when High Limit or the Outlaws are in range, Macri and his team will always be a threat to steal a win.
Devon Borden
Devon Borden had his breakout year behind the wheel of a 410 sprint car in 2023. He won the Port Royal track championship and captured seven wins along the way. Still, he has not traveled enough with some of the top competition to be considered a “true outlaw.”
That will all change in 2024, as it was announced that Borden and his newly named Stehman Motorsports team will be ditching the porch for an aggressive schedule on the road. The full details were not released, but it’s clear that we will see Borden all over the country, including a return home for some races at Skagit. His season will start in Florida with the Grove no. 45, and if all goes well, that combination could add even more races to Borden’s schedule.
Ryan Timms
Despite being committed to the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series in 2024, we will still see a lot of Ryan Timms behind the wheel of a 410. He raced midgets last season, and still managed to run 59 410 races in 2023. I expect it will be much of the same in 2024, as the midget schedule provides plenty of flexibility for a driver like Timms.
It wasn’t the season many were expecting from Timms in 2023, but the young driver is certainly improving. He collected 6 winged sprint car wins last season, and is already down in Florida ready to kick off his year with his 360.
Garet Williamson
Garet Williamson will be hitting the road with his newly formed Fischer Motorsports team in 2024. The young driver had an up and down season in 2023, eventually losing his full-time ride right before the Knoxville Nationals. Williamson was quickly scooped up and has found a permanent home for the upcoming season.
The talent is clearly there for Williamson, he just needs to find the consistency. I have no doubts that this team will win some races in 2024, but will it be against some of the best competition in the country?
JJ Hickle
The upcoming season will be new beginnings for JJ Hickle. He had a rough season with the Seeling no. 97 on the All Star tour, and eventually found a new ride with the Home Pro Roofing 50YR. With that team scaling back operations, Hickle landed a ride with the Sandvig no. 7, a respectable car that will surely showcase Hickle’s talents.
I don’t know how aggressive the team will be with their schedule, but they indicated it would a “pick and choose” around the Midwest. They will likely be at all the major Outlaw and High Limit events in the area, and there will be plenty to choose from.
Chase Randall
I almost didn’t include Randall because I believe the team will be running for the Knoxville weekly championship. Still, there will be plenty of opportunity for Randall to race with the national series. He had great success in 360 competition last season and showed plenty of flashes of talent in the 410 as well.
Chase Randall is one of the rising stars of the sport. He will certainly be a target for both the World of Outlaws and High Limit to sign on as a future full-time driver. For now, Randall will be a “true outlaw” looking to continue making a name for himself in the sport.
Danny Dietrich
I know what you are thinking. Danny Dietrich is a historic “porch sitter” and will never be a true outlaw. However, you can’t deny Dietrich his credit after he released a 2024 schedule with over 100 dates and plenty of trips away from Central PA. A schedule that will open up in Florida and see him try his luck at the Knoxville Nationals.
We won’t quite see Dietrich all over the county, but we will see him do plenty of battle with the Outlaws and High Limit teams. He’s beaten them all in the past, and will continue to be a threat to do so again.
Emerson Axsom
Emerson Axsom is ditching the non-wing cars for a full season of winged 410 racing. I don’t know what that schedule looks like yet, but he has indicated it would be packed with around 80 races. Axsom hasn’t had the success in winged 410 racing yet, but there is no denying the talent that he has as a race car driver.
I expect Axsom to start the season off slow. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see him compete for wins with the Maverick series. He will be a new face looking to gain “true outlaw” status.
Tanner Holmes
Tanner Holmes impressed in his half season with the Shark Racing team. He was hoping to land a full-time ride but it did not work out. Still, Holmes is planning an aggressive 2024 campaign that will see him venture off of the west coast some more.
The details have not been released, but I do expect to see Holmes at a lot more races this season. He has the talent, but will need the consistency to go with it. Holmes will absolutely be a threat to win during the major west coast swings from both the Outlaws and High Limit.
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