The World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series isn’t the only traveling series to have its battle for the championship come down to the final weekend.

This weekend’s Peach State Classic at Senoia Raceway pits the two winningest Dirt Late Model drivers since the start of last year, Bobby Pierce and Ricky Thornton Jr., in the race for the Castrol FloRacing Night in America title.

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Pierce, the 2023 World of Outlaws champion, holds a 27-point lead over Thornton, the 2024 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series as the final two Castrol FloRacing Night in America races take place Friday and Saturday.

A potential $125,000 payday is on the line for Pierce and Thornton, too, should they sweep Saturday’s $50,000 finale and take home the $75,000 miniseries championship top prize. Daulton Wilson (94 points behind) and Jason Feger (126 points behind) are still mathematically alive in the title battle as well.

But with the title most likely coming down to either Pierce or Thornton, let’s take a look at the tale of the tape to see how the two superstars reached this point with six miniseries races down and two remaining.

Bobby Pierce

Two of Pierce’s whopping 38 victories this season have come on Castrol FloRacing Night in America: July 8’s second-round event at Lincoln Speedway (Ill.), good for $20,000, and Aug. 21’s fourth-round event at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., good for another $20,000.

Pierce hasn’t finished worse than seventh in six miniseries starts this year, his worst finish being the most recent Castrol FloRacing tour event Sept. 25 at Brownstown Speedway (Ind.).

He also has finishes of sixth (May 28’s eventual opener at Illinois fifth-mile Macon Speedway), fourth (July 24 at Illinois quarter-mile Fairbury Speedway), and fifth (Sept. 4 at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway).

For those who remember, Pierce’s sixth-place finish at Macon didn’t come without a little late-race drama with Thornton, whose slider across Pierce’s nose with 13 laps remaining ousted the Oakwood, Ill., superstar from the lead and sent him spinning. Thornton went onto win at Macon, but Pierce has led the miniseries standings since August’s fourth-round victory at Lernerville.

Ricky Thornton Jr.

Like Pierce, two of Thornton’s 22 victories in a Dirt Late Model this season have transpired on Castrol FloRacing Night in America: May 28’s opener at Macon Speedway and July 24’s third-round event at Fairbury Speedway, both good for $20,000 paydays.

What handicaps Thornton in the miniseries title race heading into Senoia is his 15th-place finish from Sept. 4’s event at Eldora Speedway, a race he tangled with Devin Moran as the two jockeyed for top-five positioning.

Thirty points separates the fifth- and 15th-place finishers in the Castrol FloRacing miniseries points breakdown.

Unlike Pierce, Thornton has raced for four different teams on the minitour this year:

• SSI Motorsports for May 28’s opener at Macon (until his unforeseen, shocking release from the Morgantown, Ind.-based team on July 7)
• Steve Sheppard on July 8 at Lincoln (a race Thornton started 20th and finished seventh)
• Kevin Rumley on July 24 at Fairbury (which Thornton came from 15th to beat Shannon Babb in a photo-finish)
• Now with Koehler Motorsports, his full-time home that's covered the three miniseries events, since Lernerville on Aug. 21.

Castrol FloRacing Night in America Championship Scenarios

The Castrol FloRacing Night in America points breakdown begins with 87 points to the victor and 81 points for second, then a three-point reduction thereafter: 78-75-72-69-66-63-60-57-54-51-48-45-42-39-36-33-30-27-24-21-18-15.

Finishers 24th or worse receive a minimum 15 points. The first five non-qualifiers from the B-main receive five points with all remaining B-main starters receiving three points. That considered, here’s the championship scenarios before the weekend:

Bobby Pierce clinches the title if: 

• He accrues 148 points or more between Friday and Saturday, even if Thornton sweeps the weekend. Pierce can do that with:
  • A victory and eighth or better =  >150 points
  • Runner-up and sixth or better =  >150
  • Third and fifth or better =  >150
  • Fourth and fourth or better =  >150
  • Fifth and third or better =  >150
  • Sixth and second or better =  >150
  • Seventh and a victory =  >153
  • Eighth and a victory =  >150
• If Thornton doesn't win, Pierce can't finish worse than nine combined spots behind Thornton on Friday and Saturday.
  • Re: Should Thornton finish second both Friday and Saturday, Pierce can win the title via finishes of sixth and seventh

Ricky Thornton Jr. clinches the title if:

• He sweeps the weekend and Pierce accrues less than 148 points
• One win and seven positions better than Pierce on whichever night he doesn't win
• At least 10 combined spots better than Pierce between Friday and Saturday

Tie-breaking scenarios:

1. Number of wins
   1. Both Pierce and Thornton have two wins apiece entering the weekend
2. Number of events entered 
   1. Both have entered every event to date
3. Top-five finishes
   1. Pierce has four top-fives while Thornton has three finishes of such kind
4. Top-10 finishes 
   1. Pierce has six top-10s while Thornton has five finishes of such kind

If you can't be at Senoia Speedway this weekend, you can watch the championship battle unfold live on FloRacing. Sign up for a FloRacing subscription today by clicking here.