The 2024 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season and Big River Steel Chase for the Championship concludes with this weekend’s 44th annual General Tire Dirt Track World Championship presented by Automotive Racing Products at Eldora Speedway. 

While the DTWC uses the Lucas Oil Series format traditionally seen for the tour’s single-day full race programs, there are some twists to the Carl Short-promoted, $100,000-to-win Crown Jewel that make the event distinctly different.

The DTWC is also the finale in what’s a tight a race for the Lucas Oil title where Ricky Thornton Jr. leads Devin Moran and Jonathan Davenport by 50 points. Below is a breakdown of what to expect format-wise for Dirt Track Championship weekend.

When Is The 2024 Dirt Track World Championship Finale?

Friday, Oct. 18 for the Lucas Oil Series is strictly preliminary action including hot laps, split-field qualifying (assuming 28 or more drivers are registered), and eight-lap heat races on that day’s itinerary. Saturday, Oct. 19 is reserved for consolation races and the 100-lap finale.

2024 Dirt Track World Championship Qualifying And Heat Race Format

Remember, the DTWC’s heat races follow the Lucas Oil Series format with heat races heads-up based on qualifying times. There is no invert like Eldora’s traditional Crown Jewels, the Dream or World 100, which also feature 15-lap heat races on Saturday as opposed to the DWTC’s swifter eight-lap heats.

The fastest from Group A qualifying will start from the pole of the first heat race. The fastest from Group B will start from the pole of either the third heat or fourth heat, depending on how many drivers are signed in: 28-48 drivers means four heat races with Group A qualifying lining up the first and second heats and Group B determining the third and fourth heats.

With 49 or more drivers, six heats would be in play, with Group A time trials setting the stage for the first three heats and Group B the final three heats.
The top-six transfer with three heats, the top-four transfer with four heats and the top-three transfer if there’s six heats.

In light of the Lucas Oil Series title race, qualifying will be important to watch at this year’s DWTC because 10 bonus points are awarded for those fastest in Group A and Group B.

2024 Dirt Track World Championship Consolation Race Format

All consolations for the 2024 DTWC will be run Saturday with 10-lap B-mains. If more than 16 drivers are present for consolation races, then two B-mains will be used. Six drivers would transfer from a single B-main while three would transfer from split B-mains.

How The 2024 Dirt Track World Championship Lineup Is Determined

Determining the starting lineup for the 100-lap, $100,000-to-win DWTC finale is plain and simple compared to the Dream’s and World 100’s unique formats.

Three heat races (fewer than 28 drivers) puts the winner of the first heat on the pole, the winner of the second heat second, and the winner of the third heat third. Runner-up in the first heat would start fourth, and so on and so forth.

Four heat races means that first and second heats determine the main event lineup for the inside row of the first eight rows, and the third and fourth heats determine the lineup for the outside row of the first eight rows. Example: First heat winner starts on the pole, second heat winner starts third, third heat winner starts second, fourth heat winner starts fourth.

Six heats means that the first three heats determine the main event lineup for the inside row of the first nine rows, and the final three heats determine the lineup for the outside for the first nine rows. Example: First heat winner starts on the pole, second heat winner starts third, third heat winner starts fifth, fourth heat winner starts second, fifth heat winner starts fourth, sixth heat winner starts sixth.

Consolation races and provisionals make up the rest of the starting lineup following the heats.

What Else To Know About The Dirt Track World Championship Format

A 25-lap, $3,000-to-win non-qualifiers feature will run between locked-in drivers for the DTWC finale and the 100-lap, $100,000-to-win DTWC main event.

The Lucas Oil Series title also goes as follows: Left-rear and fronts are Hoosier (90) NLMT2 and/or (90) NLMT3 with the right-rear either being a Hoosier (92) NLMT2, (92) NLMT3, or (92) NLMT4.

Unlike the Dream and World 100, the DTWC isn’t a standalone Dirt Late Model event as Limited Late Models, Modifieds, and Super Stocks join the event undercard.

The weekend begins Thursday with preliminary events for Modifieds (time trials, heats and consolation races) with a full program, including time trials, for Super Stocks paying $1,000-to-win. On Friday, the Limited Late Models will course preliminary action — time trials, heats and consolation races — while Modifieds will hot lap ahead of its 30-lap main event.

Then on Saturday, it’s all Late Models in the two-division finale, as Limited Late Models will hot lap ahead of the 25-lap, $5,000-to-win feature, which is scheduled to run after the Lucas Oil Series main event.

To learn more about Eldora Speedway or to purchase tickets in advance, visit www.eldoraspeedway.com.

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