CONCORD, N.C. The calendar is set to turn to 2025, and the next World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car campaign is only 36 days away.

But before the Earth completes its trip around the sun, the final day of 2024 provides a prime chance to reflect one last time on the year that was.

The 47th season of action for the World of Outlaws was yet another to be remembered. Record setting parity right out of the gate, a historic milestone reached by a living legend, and a new champion to put the punctuation mark on a fantastic year of sprint car racing.

GRAVELS DREAM YEAR

The spotlight was bright on David Gravel and Big Game Motorsports entering 2024. After three straight runner-ups, could the potent pairing make the final step to the top of the sport by earning an elusive World of Outlaws title? They answered that question with an emphatic yes.

All season long the Tod Quiring-owned ride had speed. Gravel grabbed 15 wins and 33 podiums in 66 starts on his way to a title. He missed the top 10 only six times all season, and half of those were nights he was involved in a crash during the feature. The average finish of the Husets Speedway No. 2 was an impeccable 4.88.

It was a year filled with highlights punctuated in the championship. Early in May, Gravels victory at Lincoln Speedway lifted Big Game Motorsports to 100 wins, making Tod Quiring the sixth owner to reach triple digits. Gravels first Kings Royal crown came in July, and a week later he reached the 100-win mark as a driver. With the championship, Gravel became only the fifth competitor to claim a World of Outlaws title, own at least 100 Series wins, and have a victory in the sports three biggest crown jewels  Knoxville Nationals, Kings Royal, and National Open.

CARSON GETS CLOSER

Gravel mightve closed out his memorable year with a championship, but Carson Macedo didnt make it easy on him. The Lemoore, Calif. native also put together a career year and gave Gravel all he could handle.

The 28-year-old established personal bests in wins (12), podiums (34), top fives (47), and average finish (5.06). Among his victories were lucrative scores at the Dennis Roth Classic ($83,000) and National Open ($75,000).

Macedo kept it close all the way to the season-ending World of Outlaws World Finals, but a handful of off nights throughout the year proved to be the difference as he couldnt quite surpass Gravel. While Macedo and Jason Johnson Racing mightve come up short of the ultimate goal, the 2024 runner-up did mark Macedos best result in World of Outlaws points.

KOFOIDS HISTORIC ROOKIE SEASON

Most rookies dont carry loads of expectation into their debut year with the World of Outlaws, but most rookies dont have the past of Michael Buddy Kofoid. His accomplishments prior to 2024 included 410 Sprint Car wins out west at the age of 15, back-to-back USAC National Midget titles, and a few World of Outlaws Feature victories.

The Penngrove, Calif. native teamed with Roth Motorsports for his maiden tour with The Greatest Show on Dirt and delivered arguably the best rookie season ever. Early in the season, Kofoid strung together 22 consecutive top 10 finishes that included a win at Attica Raceway Park. The second half proved to be even stronger as from late August through early October Kofoid had a stretch of 11 podiums in 12 races that included five victories.

All in all, Kofoids Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year campaign produced seven wins, 27 podiums, 53 top 10s, and a record-tying fourth-place finish in the standings. Kofoids seventh and final victory of the season made him the 50th different driver to reach 10 World of Outlaws triumphs.

SCHATZ REACHES 500

There isnt much Donny Schatz hasnt done behind the wheel of a Sprint Car. Heading into 2024, the Fargo, N.D. driver had already amassed 10 World of Outlaws championships and 311 Series victories. His performance on the sports biggest stage has been impeccable with 11 Knoxville Nationals titles and six apiece in the National Open and Kings Royal.

But Schatz has never been someone focused on past success. Its always been about whats ahead. The next race. The next win. And he rolled into the year with a massive milestone within sight.

Schatz had racked up 499 overall sprint car wins since first getting behind the wheel of one in the early 90s. It didnt take long to reach 500 as Schatz claimed the fifth World of Outlaws race of the season at Volusia Speedway Park. A testament to both the excellence and longevity of Schatz.

RECORD SETTING PARITY

The sport of Sprint Car racing continues to prove parity is at an all-time high, and the 2025 World of Outlaws season offered two more strong pieces of evidence.

First, a new record was established for the most different winners to begin a campaign. Nine different drivers visited victory lane before the first repeat winner arrived in the years 10th race, toppling the record of eight set in 2015. Brad Sweet started the run with a season opening win at Volusia Speedway Park and was followed by David Gravel (Volusia), Tyler Courtney (Volusia), Sheldon Haudenschild (Volusia), Donny Schatz (Volusia), Brent Marks (Cotton Bowl Speedway), Giovanni Scelzi (Cotton Bowl), Carson Macedo (Kennedale Speedway Park), and Rico Abreu (81 Speedway).

And, the championship was decided by less than 100 points for the sixth consecutive year as David Gravel topped Carson Macedo by 80 markers. In the first 41 years of World of Outlaws competition, the gap between the top two was under triple digits only six times total (1978, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2009, and 2013).

STUTTS STUNNER

The 2024 season supplied just one new World of Outlaws winner, but its one that wont be forgotten.

T.J. Stutts lined up on the front row alongside David Gravel at Williams Grove Speedway in July with the Morgan Cup on the line. Stutts blasted to the lead on the first lap, but a Gravel win felt inevitable. However, Stutts refused to go down as he fended off the eventual champion several times and even pulled away in the closing laps. After multiple decades of driving Sprint Cars, Stutts had finally secured a win with The Greatest Show on Dirt. The Liverpool, Pa. driver became the Series 153rd different victor.

While the Pennsylvania Posse always give the World of Outlaws their toughest local competition, few expected this David vs. Goliath story. Its a win thatll no doubt go down in Series history among the all-time upsets alongside moments such as Travis Jacobson at Skagit Speedway in 2012 and Jason Statler at Santa Maria Raceway in 1999.

LARSONS AUGUST EXCELLENCE

After a sub-par Sprint Car start to 2024 by his standards, Kyle Larson flipped a switch once the important month of August rolled around.

It began with an unbelievable drive from 21st to the win in 30 laps at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, marking the farthest back a World of Outlaws race had been won from since 2013. The following night he backed it up by taming the Ironman 55 from 12th.

Yung Money wasnt done there as the scene shifted to Iowa, and he topped Oskaloosas Front Row Challenge from 13th. Then came the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Caseys, and Larson promptly took the Silva Motorsports No. 57 from sixth to a prelim victory.

There would be no passing necessary in the finale as Larson led all 50 laps of The Granddaddy of Em All for his third title in the last four years. The victory in the sports most prestigious race made him the seventh driver with three Knoxville Nationals titles and punctuated an unforgettable nine-day span. Five straight sprint car wins while passing a combined 48 cars in four of them.

The Federated Auto Parts Ironman 55 (Aug. 1-2) and Knoxville Nationals (Aug. 6-9) are again, back-to-back on the 2025 World of Outlaws calendar for more thrills.

The 2025 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car season begins at Volusia Speedway Parks Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, Feb. 5-8.